Late at night.
In front of the exhibition hall that stored Roselle's manuscripts, several members of the Machinery Hivemind stared at one another, unsure how to deal with the situation.
None of them had expected that a small bookmark would vanish without a single trace, right under their tight security.
There had been no suspicious movements, no signs of outsiders approaching the area.
Rather than believe that an outsider had somehow stolen it, it was easier to suspect that one of their own members had betrayed them.
"Don't look at me like that, it really has nothing to do with me! If I wanted to steal that bookmark, I could've done it long ago."
"You're misunderstanding. We just find tonight's event too unbelievable."
Another Beyonder added, "Honestly, if it really were you who stole it, we'd actually feel more at ease."
"We all believe you're innocent. Don't overthink it."
The captain of the Machinery Hivemind squad, Max Livimore, sighed softly and reassured his team before saying, "Report this. This isn't something we can handle on our own."
Judging from the situation tonight, whoever was able to silently infiltrate this place and take the bookmark without being noticed was far beyond their level.
It was most likely the work of a high-sequence Beyonder.
Someone like that was definitely not someone their small squad could deal with.
Since the intruder had shown no hostility toward them, it was best to act with discretion.
"Captain, what do you think that person wanted with a simple bookmark?"
"I don't know. Just seal off the scene and wait for higher ups to investigate."
….
At around 3:40 a.m., Hastur returned home reeking of alcohol.
He went to the washroom to bathe, and only after that did he return to his bedroom, lying down on his bed to enter the Hall of Stars.
The starlight of the vast hall still shone brilliantly. On the ancient bronze table before the main seat lay a small, childish-looking bookmark.
Hastur sat upright in the chief seat and picked up the bookmark. After studying it for a while, he spoke a name in ancient Feysac: "Bernadette."
As soon as the name left his lips, the bookmark in his hand grew heavy. It formed an invisible vortex that began to devour his spirit power.
The devouring wasn't particularly severe, perhaps overwhelming to ordinary people, but for him, a Sequence 7 Briber, it had little effect.
A faint glow rose from the bookmark, and the image of Emperor Roselle upon it changed completely.
He now sat upon an ancient stone throne, wearing a black crown inlaid with gems, clad in black armor, a black cloak draped behind him, a scepter in hand, and his cold eyes gazing forward.
In the upper left corner of the bookmark, starlight condensed into words:
Sequence 0: Black Emperor!
Hastur sighed softly.
"The most suitable Card of Blasphemy for me… finally in my hands."
With this Black Emperor card, the path of this Beyonder sequence held no more secrets for him.
Soon, the bookmark became three-dimensional, as if compressed into a tiny book.
Without any wind, the pages began to flip open. On one side appeared a Roselle wearing a white hood, with Ancient Feysac words beside him:
'Sequence 9: Lawyer.'
Below were the potion formula for Lawyer and descriptions of its abilities and features.
The next page read: 'Sequence 8: Barbarian.'
And again, the page recorded the potion formula and details.
The book continued turning:
'Sequence 7: Briber.'
'Sequence 6: Baron of Corruption.'
'Sequence 5: Mentor of Disorder.'
'Sequence 4: Earl of the Fallen.'
'Sequence 3: Frenzied Mage.'
'Sequence 2: Duke of Entropy.'
'Sequence 1: Prince of Abolition.'
'Sequence 0: Black Emperor.'
This was a complete divine pathway, the very one Hastur was destined to follow.
He carefully studied the knowledge within. With Roselle, the true Black Emperor, as his teacher, he gained a much deeper understanding of this entire pathway.
Roselle had even recorded detailed descriptions of the acting method for each Sequence, how to play the role, what core traits were needed, and the key points to keep in mind.
This would save Hastur from countless detours and help him master his powers much faster.
Beyond the invaluable knowledge contained within, the Black Emperor card also possessed a unique ability.
By holding this card, one could form a subtle resonance with the Beyonder ingredients needed for this pathway.
Unfortunately, this effect only worked for high-sequence Beyonders of the Black Emperor path.
As a Sequence 7 Briber, he was still too low-ranked to make use of that ability.
After reading through everything, Hastur placed the Black Emperor card face-down on the table, deep in thought about what to do with it.
Originally, this card was meant to be Klein's fateful encounter. Yet now, it had fallen into his own hands.
Since his Beyonder pathway was precisely that of the Black Emperor, he couldn't possibly hand the card over to Klein for now.
That meant he owed a debt.
Fate could be fair at times, taking something that wasn't meant for you would always require payment in some form.
"If only I could get another Card of Blasphemy…" Hastur murmured.
But aside from the Black Emperor card, the others were far out of his reach.
The nearest was the Red Priest card, but that one was extremely dangerous, as the Evil-Spirit-Trio were close to breaking free, and that was the Hunter pathway, expert at laying traps.
Unless he was willing to strike a deal with them, it would be nearly impossible to obtain the Red Priest card.
Other than that, there was Bernadette's Wheel of Fortune card, and the Temperance card held by the incarnation of the High-Dimensional Overlooker.
Bernadette was his follower, he couldn't bring himself to rob her of her card.
As for the High-Dimensional Overlooker… Wasn't He still chatting with Adam?
After thinking it over, Hastur realized he had no way of acquiring another Card of Blasphemy anytime soon.
"Still, it's not hopeless. I can repay this debt through Roselle's diary, help Klein overcome his hardships and guide him on a smoother path."
Changing one of Klein's major fates would be enough to balance the karma for taking the Black Emperor card.
By now, the situation in Tingen must have changed drastically…
Hastur pondered for a moment, then turned his gaze toward the star where the High-Dimensional Overlooker resided.
He was still chatting with Adam, though now they had moved outside the church, under the open sky, speaking of stars and seas.
"How talkative… chatting through the night without rest."
After watching for a while, Hastur went offline and left the Hall of Stars.
….
The next day.
News of the theft from the Roselle Memorial Exhibition reached the Archbishop of the Church of the God of Steam and Machinery at Backlund diocese, Horamick Haydn.
"Confirming again, only one bookmark was stolen?"
"Yes. We double-checked. It's confirmed that only a single bookmark is missing."
As the Machinery Hivemind members replied, they also drew an exact replica of the stolen bookmark for reference.
Horamick Haydn examined the drawing for a moment and sighed.
He already knew what it was. A Card of Blasphemy, one of the twenty-two Tarot cards created by Roselle.
If his guess was correct, the one stolen last night was the Black Emperor card.
Captain Max Livimore respectfully asked, "Your Excellency, what should we do now?"
"Keep it quiet. Investigate discreetly."
Horamick Haydn showed no anger or reproach. Instead, his expression was gentle and reassuring, easing the guilt of the Machinery Hivemind squad that had failed their watch.
In truth, he already had a strong suspicion.
Bernadette.
Roselle's eldest daughter, the Mystic Queen roaming of the Seas.
Not long ago, Bernadette had been staying in Backlund and had even visited this very exhibition.
She was the one most likely to see through the disguise of the Card of Blasphemy.
To take it quietly, without harming anyone, that matched her style perfectly.
Yet something didn't add up. According to recent intelligence, Bernadette should have already returned to the seas. Why would she suddenly come back to Backlund to steal this card?
To uncover the truth of last night, he could always ask… Arrodes.
The mere thought of that mischievous mirror made Horamick shudder involuntarily.
Finally, he turned to Max Livimore with a kind smile.
"As the captain of this squad, there's something I need you to do."
"Anything, Your Excellency!" Max bowed deeply, filled with remorse and respect.
His team had failed, and he had been searching for a way to redeem himself.
"Good. You will be the one to question Arrodes."
"Ah!" Max's head shot up in horror, but in the end, he could only grit his teeth and accept.