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499 Minor Arcana Card
Jenna briefed the three Purifiers about their investigation of Hostel, emphasizing the encounter with a cyborg monk from the Deep Valley Cloister underground, who carried a load of paints and brushes. As they subsequently investigated, Ciel and she stumbled upon a tunnel collapse during an earthquake-like upheaval, leading them to fall into the paintingâs world.
Seems too coincidental?
The coincidence seems so unreal that even best-selling authors wouldnât concoct such a plot twist!
Valentine muttered to himself, âCould it be a miracle from God?â
Jenna nodded, recalling her initial disbelief when she first laid eyes on the paintingâs market district. âYes, it was hard to believe at first.â
AngoulĂȘme, with a subtle gesture of his right hand, signaled Imre and Valentine not to press further, allowing Celia Bello to continue.
Jenna shifted her focus to SĂ©raphine and Gabrielâs detailed description of Hostel, delving into her and Cielâs harrowing escape, encounters with pixies, and the relentless attacks from the other âRooms.â
Upon grasping the significance of âHostelâ and âRooms,â Valentineâs mind churned with contemplation, making a vital connection.
âEach room harbors a âresident,â akin to concealing immense power within oneâs body, allowing a portion of it to leak out⊠Where have I seen such a state beforeâŠâ đŻđđźâŻđžâŻđŁđâŽđ·âŻđ”.đ€đđ
As images and information flashed through Valentineâs mind, he looked up, interrupting Jennaâs narrative with a probing question.
âWhatâs Cielâs true identity?â
When the Purifiers plastered the wanted posters across the city, they were onto Ciel Dubois and his fake identity cooked up by the Savoie Mob. The police headquarters had their hands full interrogating the captured Savoie Mob members, digging for any shreds of information about Ciel Duboisâs background.
Jenna understood that now that he was wanted, Ciel couldnât conceal his true identity further. After some consideration, she smiled and said,
âDonât you know?
âHis real name is Lumian Leeâalso a wanted criminal from Cordu in the south.â
Lumian Lee⊠Valentineâs eyelids twitched as he realized his suspicions were correct.
Jenna glanced at him and softly âexplained,â âCiel joined the Savoie Mob and the Iron and Blood Cross Order to enhance himself and seek revenge on the evil godsâ bestowed. He played a crucial role in this matter. Without his investigation, the Hostel ritual wouldnât have been brought forward, and the catastrophe would have been even more severe. Though he claims itâs to finish off the bestowed of evil gods, deep down, he doesnât want others to suffer the same fate after he experienced a disaster.â
Valentineâs expression eased, revealing a mix of regret and relief.
He sighed, acknowledging, âHe is indeed a devout follower of God. Unfortunately, fate and those malevolent forces pushed him into the darkness.â
Jenna, muttering silently, A devout follower⊠Iâm afraid you have some unnecessary misunderstandings about Ciel.
âI didnât expect the one preventing the catastrophe from escalating last night to be a wanted criminal, a member of an evil organization. Even without standing in the light, one can still be a hero.â
She detailed the collapsed grayish-white stone pillar, the distant giantâs figure, General Philipâs feigned death, the black Primordial Demoness figurine, Mirror Gardner Martin, the terrifying roar, the descending sun, the reddened sky, and the rain of fire. However, she discreetly omitted the specifics of the ensuing battle.
AngoulĂȘme and the rest wisely held back from prying too much. Among wild Beyonders, certain intel could fetch a handsome sum, but the details of their abilities and combat techniques were strictly confidential.
âFinally, we obtained the figurine and the fragment left behind by Mirror Gardner, left the seal, and returned to the normal underground,â Jenna continued. Though the first half of her sentence wasnât directly related to the second half, it created an impression of how they left Fourth Epoch Trier.
âThe complexity of the matter is beyond imagination, and it involves a high-level power,â AngoulĂȘme sighed softly.
They had no idea what had happened for the sun to rise from the Sacred Heart Cloister last night, nor did they understand why it had fallen into the Fourth Epoch Trierâs seal. They felt that it had something to do with an Angel-level battle.
âWhere is the figurine and the mirror fragment?â Valentine asked anxiously.
Jenna couldnât be more honest. âItâs with Franca.â
AngoulĂȘme nodded gently.
âWhereâs the full-body armor?â
This was linked to the deaths of his two former colleagues.
Of course, Gardner Martinâs death could be seen as a form of successful ârevenge.â
âMagic Mirror Divination revealed a terrifying betrayal curse associated with it. Gardner Martinâs fate served as proof. None of us dared to take the risk. Ultimately, we left it with Ciel.â Jenna, even as a Witch, found the curse to be exaggerated and ridiculous.
After a brief silence, AngoulĂȘme addressed the issue, âIf you encounter Ciel again, tell him he can sell us the armor.â
Jenna nodded in agreement, and the Purifier deacon got serious.
âThe intel you provided is very important. What kind of compensation do you want?â
âThe potion formula for Pleasure and all the ingredients,â Jenna replied, intending to set a high starting point for negotiation.
This came from years of bargaining experience.
AngoulĂȘme glanced at the Witch and said, âAre you planning to leave the market district too?â
âThatâs right.â Jenna smiled sadly and self-deprecatingly. âWitches bring catastrophe. I donât want to impact the people here. No wonder the Witches in stories always live in the dark forest, away from people. However, Iâll return occasionally and remain your informant. You can continue to contact me through the agreed method.â
Her slightly sad smile prompted an instinctive urge in Imre to look away, wary of falling for her.
âOnce we verify the authenticity of your intel, weâll help you apply for the formula and ingredients for Pleasure. I canât guarantee its success. Items at this level require approval from the higher-ups,â AngoulĂȘme promised without entering into further negotiation.
After bidding farewell to the Purifiers, Jenna picked up her suitcase and took a carriage to Francaâs safe house in Quartier de la CathĂ©drale CommĂ©morative.
Once settled, she reflected for a moment and decided to express her gratitude at The Foolâs cathedral in Lavigny Docks. She felt compelled to thank this great entity for answering her prayers and enabling Ciel to enter the painting world to provide assistance.
In the pristine cathedral with clear windows, Jenna sat at the edge of the last row of pews. She closed her eyes, clasped her hands, brought them to her chest, and bowed her head in prayer.
Amidst the tranquility of the religious space, it felt as if she had entered a deep slumber, her mind empty, and her words mere offerings of praise.
Vaguely, she sensed someone settling beside her.
Ignoring the newcomer, she continued with her prayer.
After a few minutes, she opened her eyes and noticed a petite lady praying beside her.
The lady had shoulder-length yellow hair and wore light pants, a masculine-looking shirt, and a small brown coat.
Although her eyes remained closed, the delicate contours of her brows, mouth, and nose were discernible from her side profile. Despite her lack of height, she exuded a calm and dignified aura.
Sensing Jennaâs gaze, the woman opened her eyes and greeted her with a smile.
âJenna?â
âYes⊠Whom am I speaking to?â Jenna felt puzzled and vigilant, but she sensed no danger in Mr. Foolâs cathedral.
The young lady introduced herself, âIâm the Major Arcana card holder of the Two of Cups, whom you might know as Franca, Judgment.
âI came to The Foolâs cathedral to pray today, not expecting to meet you. Perhaps this is fate. How about it? Do you want to draw a Minor Arcana card?â
Feeling the friendliness in her tone, Jenna nodded and said, âIâd be delighted, Madam Judgment.â
If it were any other Major Arcana card holder, Jenna might have been instinctively worried, but Franca and Lumian had already mentioned Judgment and Magician to her. She had a natural favorable impression and trust in them.
Judgment retrieved a stack of tarot cards from a small black bag hanging from her waist. She casually cut them a few times and handed them over with a smile.
âDraw one.â
Jenna felt inexplicably nervous. After contemplating for a moment, she reached out her right hand and drew a Minor Arcana card.
The card depicted seven cups floating in the clouds, with skulls and people looking at them below.
âSeven of Cups,â Madam Judgment chuckled. âThis represents confusion, puzzlement, dreams, illusions, and choices. But whatâs important is not that. Our Tarot Clubâs two Demonesses drew a Cup card.â
She produced another tarot card, this one portraying an angel sounding a trumpet to guide the departed.
Major Arcana card, Judgment!
âKeep this card. When faced with unforeseen danger, take it out and recite âRain Judgmentâ in Hermes. As long as Iâm in Trier, I can provide assistance. Of course, you have to be in Trier too when requesting. Except in places like Fourth Epoch TrierâI wonât be able to hear you,â Madam Judgment calmly explained.
âThank you, Madam Judgment,â Jenna expressed her gratitude sincerely, accepting the Major Arcana card.
Judgment nodded and continued, âNow, cooperate with the Two of Cups to carry out the Demoness Sectâs mission, but with a different direction. Avoid the Demoness Sect and investigate the special mirror worlds. The Demoness of Catastrophe, Krismona, who perished in the Fourth Epoch, is a starting point. Sheâs a child of the Primordial Demoness, a natural-born womanâa pure female Demoness, just like you.â