Truth be told, Klein was somewhat conflicted about how to handle the "Admiral of Stars."
Cattelya's behavior certainly deserved punishment, otherwise his prestige as a divinity would be shaken, and she might grow bolder and more reckless afterward. And yet, it wasn't quite worth killing her outright.
So, he would give her torment that brought her to the brink of death, enough to teach her a lasting lesson, and to serve as a warning to everyone else.
Klein thought this over as he kept his hand moving. Cattelya endured wave after wave of agony, convulsing without pause.
Only when she could bear no more, when the stability of her spirituality had reached the very edge of collapse, did Klein withdraw his fingers and let the gray fog leave her body.
"Hah... cough, cough!"
The Hermit, Cattelya, gasped and coughed violently, like someone drowning who had just been given air again.
All her strength had left her. She simply slumped over the long table, her back heaving without pause, exhausted to the very limit.
"You're fortunate. I happen to have some interest in Roselle."
In the near-silence, Klein said to the Hermit, Cattelya, "Tell Bernadette she may use Roselle's diary, or other related items, to trade for some answers."
From Silas's report to the Fool, Klein had guessed that the "Queen Mystic" harbored a deep obsession with her father, and wanted to know of Roselle's intentions and experiences in his later years.
Perhaps she could offer some diaries of great value, which would let him learn more hidden knowledge.
"...Yes."
Cattelya said, weak and quiet, "Thank you for your leniency."
She had just endured extreme suffering, no less than dying several times over. And yet her heart was still filled with the joy of having survived, relieved that Mr. Fool still needed her as a bridge to communicate with the Queen.
This time, she would absolutely learn her lesson. She would pass along only the words the Fool asked her to relay to the "Queen Mystic," and nothing else besides.
"Alright, let's proceed as usual."
Klein said, waving a hand to bring the proceedings back on track, moving into the trading segment.
Perhaps because the earlier incident had left a deep impression, even the chatter among those present was quieter than usual.
They seemed to have once again realized that although Mr. Fool was gentle in ordinary times, in essence he was a being of true god rank.
Moon Emlyn looked eagerly toward Alger.
"Mr. Hanged Man, how did the purchase of the Baron trait I commissioned go?"
To buy this trait, he had made up a great deal of resolve, giving up many fine puppets and even borrowing money from his parents to barely scrape together enough.
"I've already gotten it. Four thousand two hundred pounds, plus my three hundred pound commission, and it's yours."
Hanged Man Alger answered. In truth, that great pirate had been willing to sell for four thousand pounds, so he'd pocketed five hundred pounds in the deal.
Though the profit was considerable, he still found himself glancing instinctively toward Temperance beside him.
He was trading Sequence 6 materials at the pirates' gathering, while that person could already crush a Sequence 1 angel that had intruded...
"Four thousand five hundred pounds... fine."
Emlyn gritted his teeth. The number was still within what he could accept. "Deal. Once the meeting ends, I'll ask Mr. Fool to help us complete the trade."
"That's fine."
Alger naturally had no reason to refuse. After finishing this transaction, he looked around at everyone and spoke up. "I need the Sailor Pathway's Sequence 5 potion formula, the Ocean Songster."
Temperance right beside him had already grown this powerful. He needed to advance as quickly as possible too!
Unfortunately, no one present held any solid leads, and he could only wait, helpless.
"Ahem, everyone, does anyone have a Meteorite Crystal and Lavos Squid's Crystallized Blood, or news of their whereabouts?"
Magician Fors thought it over and spoke up. These two items were the main potion ingredients for Sequence 7 of her pathway, the Astrologer.
She had been playing the role of "Trick Master" for some time now, and had all but fully digested that potion.
Her teacher Dorian had been very pleased, and had specially handed this formula to her, letting her seek out the materials herself.
"I have the Lavos Squid's Crystallized Blood. As for the Meteorite Crystal, I can help you find that too," said the Hermit, Cattelya, who had by now recovered somewhat. "Six hundred pounds for the former, ten pounds per gram for the latter, delivered within two weeks..."
After that, she also provided Justice Audrey, who was seeking the main ingredient for the "Hypnotist" potion, with black hunt monitor lizard spinal fluid, and promised to help source hallucinogenic wind chime fruit for her.
Ever since being disciplined by Mr. Fool, she seemed to have grown even more proactive.
What was going on?
Silas's expression turned strange.
This "Admiral of Stars" character had clearly just been punished, and yet instead she'd grown even more eager, her sense of belonging to the Tarot Club even stronger?
Had Bernadette barely disciplined her at all as a child?
---
Northern Continent, Kingdom of Loen, Backlund, East District.
"Stop right there!"
Leonard shouted as he gave chase. His face was etched with exhaustion, his beard unshaven, his handsomeness dulled somewhat by fatigue.
At this moment, his dark green eyes burned with the fire of anger, his strides swift as he sprinted through the filthy, narrow streets of the East District.
"Ka-ka..."
In the sky ahead of him, a gaunt, blackened man with bat wings on his back, drenched in blood from head to toe, let out a loud, mocking laugh.
He flapped his wings, intending to fly off, leaving those foolish, useless Nighthawks far behind.
But just then, his eyelids suddenly drooped, and quickly closed shut entirely, sinking him into a dream.
Thud, thud, thud!
This was exactly the opening Leonard had been waiting for. He immediately took a great stride forward, stepping straight onto the junk piled in the alley and leaping upward.
He landed first on a rooftop to one side, then bent his knees slightly, kicked hard off the tiles, and leaped toward the falling devil!
The devil only stayed asleep for half a second before waking. It was just adjusting its posture when it felt a sudden gust of wind and saw Leonard closing in on it.
"Roar!"
The devil roared in fury, its mouth opening, about to shout some filthy, blasphemous curse, but it suddenly went mute, unable to make a sound, as if it had forgotten how to speak.
It was in that very instant of confusion that Leonard seized its ankle, dragged it down, and slammed it hard to the ground!
"Get down!"
His words carried a fierce edge of resentment. Paying no mind to any counterattack the devil might attempt, he drew his revolver and, at point-blank range, pressed it to the devil's head and fired.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Three shots rang out, and the devil died completely without even the chance to struggle.
"Damn son of a bitch..."
Leonard cursed under his breath as he holstered his gun.
To track down this cunning creature, he and his squad members had spent a great deal of time.
He had originally intended to head to Tingen to confirm whether his two teammates were alive or dead, but had been delayed this long because of this bastard.
Working overtime for so long, some resentment was only natural.