types qw

The Past

Chapter Text

Craider followed Viscount Buttery's butler down the hallway.

After reporting, he, Bedrich, and his Fertility Order team moved towards the Viscount's mansion.

The Church of the Earth Mother sent a Bishop to accompany them.

Anyone could tell that even the butler guiding them is abnormal.

Following behind, the team listened to the butler's explanations.

"We weren't expecting you, Your Excellency. If we'd knew you planned on visiting, we'd send a formal invitation for the Ball. Today's moon is shining exceptionally bright. Isn't it beautiful?"

The Bishop frowned, but answered as if it was natural.

"Indeed... where is Viscount Buttery currently? I feel bad for intruding right as the ball ended."

The butler looked back, showing a happy but formal smile.

"Don't dwell on it, Your Excellency. The Lord will be delighted to see you visiting. As for where he's currently, well. I regret to inform you that I'm not exactly sure. He's disappeared towards the end of the ball. But I'm sure he's just needed to get some fresh air. He'll be with you very soon."

Craider's expression turned strange.

'Disappeared?'

He turned to look at the Bishop.

The Bishop wore a frown, seemingly having the same bad premonition.

Just as he was about to speak, a loud scream filled their ears.

The team of Beyonders, as well as the butler stopped.

Without any need for orders, the Fertility Order's Beyonders moved towards where the sound came from.

They found themselves before large dual doors leading into the ballroom.

Craider pushed the door wide open.

The light filled his eyes, before a bloody scene revealed itself.

In the middle of the hall was a total of five fully dead and still bleeding bodies.

One had his body cut in half.

The other had his throat seemingly penetrated by a short dagger.

The third one had nothing left but a charred and black body parts.

The fourth's left chest was pierced, still bleeding fresh blood.

And the last one, the fifth one, was a familiar face.

It was Viscount Buttery, his body seemed to be stabbed by a multitude of sharp objects, cutting open his neck and slashing open his eye.

The team of Beyonders rushed in.

One female servant was sitting on the ground, her face filled with fear.

The other servants were either hiding or running away.

Standing in the middle of the hall, Craider was about to say something, but he paused.

He saw the Bishop move closer to the Viscount's body before looking at it closely.

His face was filled with confusion.

Craider could hear the Bishop mumbling under his breath.

"How is the Spirit perfectly intact?"

Craider frowned, he also looked around at the rest of the dead bodies.

With activated Spirit Vision, he could see the firm outlines of the spirits.

'It shouldn't be this clear. It's almost as if something is forbidding the spirits from dissipating.'

Just as he had that thought, his gaze moved up.

There, on the higher positioned ground by the main entrance, a pair of eyes observed the group of Beyonders.

Craider immediately knew who that person was, it was the high-ranking member of the Abyssal Troop he's met before.

The ever-changing figure looked down, as if it was long awaiting their arrival.

The Bishop turned to the figure and spoke to Craider.

"Is that it?"

Craider immediately nodded, not daring to take his eyes off the figure.

"Yes, that's the person I've met before."

The Bishop frowned.

"Who are you?"

In the end, he couldn't help but ask.

The figure finally moved as it placed its hands on the railing, leaning forward.

"You already know, I'm the Scoutmaster. Who might you be?"

The figure, whose features were indistinguishable, twisted the shadows, revealing what looked like a polite smile.

The Bishop didn't show hostility.

"I'm a Bishop from Church of the Earth Mother. Why did you kill Viscount Buttery?"

The figure's shadows shifted again, as if raising its eyebrows.

"Jumping to conclusions? Well, you're not wrong. But you could one day offend someone, if you continue to deduce without evidence."

The figure made a short pause before gently lifting its changing hand.

"The Viscount deserved to die, I killed him as well as the Evil God's believers around him. That's all. I even preserved the spirits for you."

The figure gestured towards the dead bodies lying on the ground.

It then placed its elbow on the railing, supporting its chin.

"If that's not enough, you might want to look underneath the wooden structure on the Viscount's property."

The Official Beyonders looked around at the corpses and the clearly stable Spirits above them.

The Bishop then looked back up at the figure.

But before he could say anything, a strange claw enveloped in mystical vines appeared on top of the figures other hand.

It was releasing heavy, dark red spores.

The Bishops head throbbed just with a look and his emotions stirred.

As if his deepest desires were trying to crawl up and take control.

The figure's eyes moved to Craider.

The shadows around its mouth rose even higher.

The strange claw then mysteriously floated up before stopping right before him.

"A gift, don't touch it though."

Hearing the figure's words, Craider flinched, filled with alarm.

His eyes subconsciously turned to the Bishop.

He could feel a strange sense of longing for this strange claw, making him even more cautious.

It felt as if something was calling to him, telling him to take and merge with this mysterious claw surrounded with vines.

The Bishop had a deep frown looking at the object.

He then looked up at the figure.

"This is?"

The figure stopped leaning, standing up straight.

"A Sequence 5, you should know what it means. As I said, it's both a gift and a proof."

The figure's smile faded, Craider could feel the room suddenly turn cold.

"A proof that we didn't kill innocents."

With that, the strange claw stopped levitating as it fell to the ground with a dull sound.

The figure's smile returned.

"I wish you a good day."

"Wait!"

Seeing the figure turn around, the Bishop subconsciously shouted, but the figure didn't stop.

It didn't bother to stop.

As she walked away, Juny felt her insides melting.

Ripping the Teleportation Spell Scroll, she couldn't help but smile.

Her Spell Maker potion has now fully digested.

...

As her vision returned to normal, Juny found herself in a gothic-styled room.

Seeing that Juny safely arrived, Dager practically jumped up from his seat.

"How was it?"

He couldn't help but feel slightly expectant.

Juny, still wearing a dress, smiled.

"It's done, I can try Advancing to Sequence 4 now."

Daimira nodded.

"Congratulations."

"Thanks."

Juny spoke, stretching.

During the battle, she had almost ran out of spirituality.

After all, she ripped too many Spell Scrolls.

Juny looked around at the five, madam Mailey didn't come here and instead returned to her mansion.

"Did you face any complications?"

Daimira sighed before nodding.

"It was tight, but in the end we managed to leave before the confrontation began."

Juny hummed, walking over.

"So a Sequence 5 really did appear?"

"Yes, at the very end. But we didn't fight."

Daimira answered with a leisurely tone.

Juny sat down on a free seat.

"That's good then. Yes, that's good."

Repeating her words, Juny looked up at the ceiling.

After a few seconds, she swept her gaze across the five present.

Lancer, Dager, Daimira, Airina and Villia.

She then nodded, holding back a yawn.

"Let's end it here for today. I'll listen to a more detailed report tomorrow."

She then turned to Dager.

"Sorry for bringing you into this for nothing. I'll give you the Sequence 8 Folks of Rage Main ingredients."

Dager quickly shook his head.

"I don't mind at all! I'm glad I didn't end up being needed. It would just mean that someone else might get hurt."

Juny leaned back, smiling.

"So you don't want the Main ingredients?"

Dager froze. Looking around, he dramatically leaned in closer.

"I mean, if you're offering..."

Juny chuckled before standing up.

"I'll give it in the morning, I'm dead for tonight."

Juny then gently waved her hand after bidding farewell.

Moving back to her room, Juny looked up at the clock.

'1 am. I'm tired.'

Although she thought like that, Juny's smile was wide.

After taking a relaxing bath, Juny lied down onto her bed.

Seeing the crimson moonlight shining through her window, Juny sighed.

"The mattress in my old world was more comfortable than this."

...

Moving her eyes off the ceiling, Juny looked at the clock.

'2:45 pm.'

Juny's gaze shifted back onto the ceiling.

'I actually managed to enter the restricted area inside the Dimensional Space. The security there is really handy.'

With a sight, she moved to rub her eyelids.

'No matter how I look at it, it's strange. Sequence 4 is Mysterious Caster. Known as Unknown Mage in the ancient times.'

'That's just crazy... haven't I been acting as a Mysterious person all along? How will that work..? Will I just digest the potion right after ingesting it?'

"I guess that's nothing to be angry about, but the coincidence is just too big."

'Since I've already used the properties belonging to the Dimensional Space, I can guess what powers the Mysterious Caster has. The Spell Scroll which allows me to hide my features comes from The Void Pathway after all.'

'And if that's not Mysterious, then I don't know what is.'

Juny looked down at her desk.

On it was a slightly yellowish paper.

It was a Potion Formula for the Sequence 4 Mysterious Caster.

'This thing too. Isn't the ritual too coincidental?'

"Change the life of at least 10 people for the better. Create a strong bond of absolute trust with them and let them see you as their leader. Then, allow them to be present in the same space at a memorable time while you consume the Advancement Potion."

Juny was dumbfounded every time she read it.

'I mean, it technically makes sense. This whole Pathway is about fighting alongside others, Enchanting others and helping or providing assistance to others. So that would naturally push one into becoming a leader.'

"But still... it's just too anticlimactic!"

Juny couldn't hold back her groan anymore.

Not only has she been going around saving people, but Juny even created an entire secret organization, making herself the leader.

Amidst her exasperation, a pure crimson color suddenly flowed in and enveloped her vision.

Juny instantly shook off her unpleasant feelings as she appeared in a high dome, surrounded by gray fog.

Just as she was about to look toward the Seat of Honor, Juny's gaze froze.

She looked straight forward at the seat which should be empty.

'New member? And a teenager at that... well, I can't really say anything when it comes to age.'

Juny examined the new person as she heard Mr. Fool speak.

"This is our newest member, his code name is Sun."

Juny looked at Mr. Fool as he gestured to each member.

"This is Miss Justice, Miss High Priestess, and that is Mr. Hanged Man."

Juny nodded, smiling at the slightly restrained boy.

"Greetings, Mr. Sun. I'm The High Priestess, it's a pleasure."

The boy flinched before lightly nodding.

"Hello, Miss High Priestess."

Juny gently tilted her head before looking towards the Seat of Honor.

She heard Miss Justice speak with a hint of joy.

"Mr. Fool, I've collected another two pages of Emperor Roselle's diary."

Juny didn't speak, as she didn't bring anything today.

Mr. Fool smiled.Miss Justice, what do you need."

Miss Justice did her best to reply in a reserved manner.

"You know that I'll soon fully digest the Spectator potion. I hope that I can get the formula for the Telepathist potion so that I can prepare the ingredients ahead of time. Hmm, I know that there isn't much content for two pages of the diary, and it might not equal to the value of the Telepathist formula, so I'll give you another page, hmm, I'll also pay a sum of money on the side..."

Miss Justice paused, slight panic noticeable in her eyes.

"That's not what I meant! Mr. Fool, what I meant is that you can determine the compensation that you'd like. Yes, that's what I meant!"

Juny almost couldn't stop herself from sneering.

'Goddammit, Miss Justice, money is useful! He wants the money!'

She held back as Mr. Fool wore an unfathomable expression, weighing his words.

It was then, that the small boy opposite Juny spoke up.

"The Telepathist potion formula? Telepathist that is followed by Psyche Analysis?"

Miss Justice wore a puzzled look as she turned to Mr. Sun.

"You know of it?"

Mr. Sun wore a serious expression.

"I can get you the formula!"

He then added, as if in a hurry to explain.

"It's a Sequence pathway that stemmed from the Dragon race. And our City of Silver was once ruled by the Giant King's imperial household. As you know, the Giants and the Dragon are sworn enemies. Hence, the City of Silver has all of Sequence 9, 8, and 7. I have ways to get them."

Juny stared at the boy, who spoke seemingly nonsense, with a dazed look.

'Are all the children invited to this Tarot Gathering supposed to be strange? What the hell is a City of Silver? And what... Dragons, Giants, sworn enemies? Is he talking about the Second Epoch? And the, umm, Giant King's imperial household? Is he referring to Giant King's Court? But I read that was the Holy Residence of the Giant King. The Court was lost during the Third Epoch's cataclysm... wait. It can't be, right?'

Juny's expression was neutral, but her mind whirred.

When she finally came to a conclusion, Juny almost couldn't believe it.

Amidst her brainstorming, Miss Justice asked with a probing tone.

"The City of Silver, I've never heard of this place... Where is it?"

Juny saw Mr. Hanged Man listening more attentively than ever before.

After a moment, Mr. Sun asked in reply.

"If you aren't residents of the City of Silver, which city-state are you from?"

Juny gently tilted her head.

Seeing that neither Miss Justice, nor Mr. Hanged Man answered Mr. Sun's question, Juny also kept quiet.

After a short silence, Mr. Sun spoke.

"I will try to get the Telepathist potion formula as soon as possible. I would like to use it to exchange for the begging Sequence Pathway of the Sun."

Hearing this, Mr. Hanged Man asked.

"Sun Sequence Pathway? Sequence 9 Bard?"

After short thought, Mr. Sun spoke.

"Probably, but I lack information about it."

Juny once again tilted her head.

'You lack information? Okay...'

But before she could get herself involved, Mr. Fool intervened with a smile.

"I believe Miss Justice doesn't have the Bard formula."

After Miss Justice nodded, Mr. Fool continued.

"I will give The Sun the Bard formula. The Sun will pass the Telepathist potion to Miss Justice as soon as possible. Try to get it done within the next two gatherings. Miss Justice, please pass me the new pages of Roselle's diary. Then, the deal is done. Yes, according to the law of equivalent exchange, The Sun is on the losing end of this transaction, but as of now, he has only made a promise."

"When he really provides the Telepathist formula, Miss Justice can consider how to compensate him again, or I will compensate him while Miss Justice provides money to one of my adorers who needs to do something recently."

Juny paused, giving Mr. Fool a look.

'Adorer? You mean yourself, right?'

Oblivious to Juny's thoughts, Mr. Fool continued with a light chuckle.

"Heh heh, that's because The Sun might not necessarily be able to receive Miss Justice's cash or ingredients as compensation."

Juny flinched, suppressing a frown.

'Don't you dare gloss over it! I see what you did there! Also, I was right. The Sun really is in the Forsaken Land of the Gods. He can't receive the compensation.'

Juny narrowed her eyes, looking at Mr. Fool.

'How the hell did you manage to drag a kid from an isolated land over here? Huh?'

Juny kept her complaints stuck inside her throat, not allowing them to flow further.

Miss Justice flashed a faint smile.

"I have no objections."

"Neither do I."

Mr. Sun also nodded without hesitation.

Juny saw a yellowish brown paper appear in Mr. Fool's hand.

The paper flashed, moving in front of Mr. Sun.

Then Mr. Fool took the two pieces of parchment and began reading.

Juny was silent, looking towards Mr. Hanged Man.

Strangely enough, Mr. Hanged Man also looked at her.

Juny felt strange, but didn't move her eyes.

After a while of staring at each other, Mr. Fool shifted his gaze away from the pages and made them disappear.

"Actually, you didn't need to wait for me."

Mr. Hanged Man broke the eye contact as he answered humbly.

"It's our honor."

Miss Justice smiled before thinking for a moment.

"Mr. Fool, the open selection of government officials through examinations that you described previously has already garnered the support of three King and the Prime Minister. It will soon be passed by the House of Lords and the House of Commons and dis predicted to be implemented early next year."

"It looks like the King and the Prime Minister still use their brains."

Juny was about to roll her eyes while thinking 'Ugh, Politics.', but she stopped, hearing Mr. Hanged Man's mocking.

'I like making fun of the government. It's one of my favorite pastimes.'

Mr. Fool nodded.

Miss Justice straightened her back and turned to look at Mr. Hanged Man.

"Mr. Hanged Man, you got me to check on something for you previously. I've received an answer. The King has been convinced by the Prime Minister and won't seek revenge on the Feysac Empire at the East Balam Shore for the time being. I think you can now give me the extra payment that you promised me."

Mr. Hanged Man was silent for a few seconds.

"Miss Justice, thank you for your answer. This eases my concerns over certain things. What kind of extra payment do you want? I'll consider it if it's within reason."

Juny finally rolled her eyes, turning to look at Mr. Sun while Miss Justice spoke in the background.

"Clues to the Psychology Alchemists, or clues to the main ingredients of the potion Telepathist. Of course, that can wait until after The Sun hands the formula over to me."

Juny saw the clueless expression on the teenager's face.

Juyn felt bad, knowing that someone from the Forsaken Land of the Gods has no way of knowing what the other two were talking about.

Mr. Hanged Man replied without hesitation.

"No problem."

The Sun observed the two who were having a conversation before looking over to Juny.

Juny gave him a calming smile.

Mr. Sun nodded, returning the smile.

After a moment of silence, Miss Justice spoke in a hurry.

"I recently came into contact with a Beyonder circle and found out about a powerful person named Mr. A. Mr. Fool, Mr. Hanged Man, Miss High Priestess, Mr. Sun, do you know of this person's background and identity?"

Mr. Hanged Man turned to Mr. Fool before speaking in a deliberative tone.

"The Aurora Order is at odds with the Church of the Lord of Storms, the Church of the Eternal Blazing Sun, and the Church of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom, so members of these Churches understand the Aurora Order more than any other organization. And I happen to know something about them."

Juny looked away from Mr. Hanged Man.

'That's not necessarily true. I'd say we know a lot as well, but maybe not as much as the Churches... Well, we're also at odds with the Aurora Order. They killed Kein's family... We want to kill them.'

Juny continued with her inner monologue as Mr. Hanged Man explained further.

"The Aurora Order has five Saints and twenty-two Oracles. These Oracles use the alphabet as their code names, from Mr. A to Mr. X. They are Beyonders, with the weakest being Sequence 7 and the strongest Sequence 5. They are all adept at hiding themselves. Should an Oracle die, a new Oracle will take their place."

"I cannot guarantee that the Mr. A you spoke of is the Mr. A from the Aurora Order, but there is a good possibility. As for the details of the Aurora Order, I have mentioned that to you before."

Miss Justice nodded.

"Thank you for your answer, Mr. Hanged Man. You need not make a payment anymore."

Mr. Hanged Man immediately retorted with a deep voice.

"No, I wish for your help with the answer just now, as well as provide extra compensation."

"What help?"

Miss Justice asked curiously.

Mr. Hanged Man was quiet for a few seconds.

"I received intelligence that the pirate Qilangos, codenamed Rear Admiral Hurricane, has secretly gone ashore and infiltrated Backlund. I don't know what he's up to, but I hope that you can help me locate his whereabouts. As for whatever happens afterwards, you need not put yourself in danger."

Miss Justice's eyes widened, while Juny turned her head back to Mr. Hanged Man, her interest piqued.

Miss Justice then asked, wanting to clarify.

"Rear Admiral Hurricane Qilangos? One of the seven great admiral pirates?"

Mr. Hanged Man nodded, introducing seriously.

"Yes, he's a Sequence 6 Beyonder of the path of the Sailor, a Wind-blessed. He also has a miraculous item that could be classified as a Sealed Artifact. He's quite crafty and cruel. Don't attempt to deal with him."

Juny then saw him turn to Mr. Fool.

"Mr. Fool, can I get your adorer to assist me at the critical moment? I would pay a price that interests you."

Mr. Fool smiled.

"That is built on the premise that my adorer happens to be in Backlund."

"Alright."

Mr. Hanged Man turned away, slight disappointment mixed with expectation was noticeable in his tone.

Juny was about to make an inward comment about how Mr. Fool probably doesn't have any adorers, but she left it be.

'I made that joke so many times, I don't feel like it anymore.'

Juny held back a sigh as she heard Miss Justice ask confidently.

"What's so special about Qilangos's magical item?"

Mr. Hanged Man answered straightforwardly and without hesitation.

"No one knows the real name of the mystical item, but the people who have come into contact with it call it the 'Creeping Hunger.' Qilangos uses a living person's soul and flesh to satisfy it every other day. Otherwise, it would consume its owner as a replacement."

Miss Justice gently creased her eyebrows.

"This could be one of the most important clues to seek out Qilangos."

"Yes, but in a big city with at least five military people, a few vagrants going missing wouldn't be noticed. Ever since he got his hands on the Creeping Hunger, Qilangos has been very difficult to deal with."

Mr. Hanged Man reminded her before describing in detail.

"He was originally a Wind-blessed. He possesses great Beyonder power in domains related to water, wind, and the weather. But, later on, people realized that he could drive his targets crazy, enter the dreams of others, summon light to purify a dead soul, sing to strengthen himself, and change his appearance... There's almost nothing that he can't do. We suspect that those are all effects that came from the magical item, Creeping Hunger..."

Juny held back the clicking of her tongue as she interrupted Mr. Hanged Man.

"Sounds like a Shepherd."

"Shepherd!"

Amidst her speech, Mr. Sun suddenly blurted out the same name.

Mr. Hanged Man and Miss Justice turned to the two, repeating in unison.

"Shepherd?"

"Shepherd?"

Juny looked at Mr. Sun while Mr. Sun looked at her.

Juny leaned back, tilting her head to the side.

Seeing this, Mr. Sun looked around.

Seeing that everyone was staring at him, his expression changed into one of panic.

He hurriedly explained, stammering.

"What I meant was, the traits that The Hanged Man described were like the Beyonder power of the Sequence job, Shepherd. Every Shepherd can swallow another's soul into their body, including wraiths and evil spirits. They control these souls to do their bidding with a unique method, which allows them to make use of their abilities, just like a god letting his lambs out to graze."

"Hence, no one knows how many powers a Shepherd has. That depends on how many Beyonder souls they have swallowed, and that makes them very scary. They're almost like a High-Sequence Beyonder. However, there are people who suspect that there's a limit to the number of souls that a Shepherd can consume and let out to graze, and that the souls inside them could be replaced as well."

Juny nodded before adding.

"Yes, the limit is 7 souls that they can replace. A Shepherd may also only use 3 abilities of the grazed soul."

Juny saw Mr. Hanged Man nod in silence at their explanation.

Mr. Sun looked at Juny, smiling.

Juny did the same as she heard Miss Justice ask.

"Which Sequence pathway is Shepherd from? Which number is it?"

Before she could even open her mouth, Mr. Fool spoke up.

"The Secrets Suppliant pathway, Sequence 5."

"Secrets Suppliant... Aurora Order..."

Miss Justice lightly repeated under her breath as Juny looked away.

Miss Justice then looked opposite her.

"Mr. Hanged Man, I'm willing to accept the mission. But I can't guarantee if I can find Rear Admiral Hurricane, Qilangos."

Mr. Hanged Man nodded.

"There's no better answer than this. Regardless of your success, as long as you try, I will definitely compensate you with things like secret information or intelligence."

Mr. Hanged Man promised generously.

"And if you succeed, maybe I could provide you the Telepathist's main ingredients directly. Of course, the prerequisite is that we have to know what it is."

'How very kind of you. That's a rare sight.'

Juny smiled inwardly, feeling that there is something more going on behind Mr. Hanged Man's generosity.

'He's got some unfinished business with that Qilangos. A grudge, maybe?'

Amidst her inner theories, Miss Justice replied with a smile.

"Deal."

Mr. Hanged Man turned to Mr. Fool.

"Mr. Fool, I wish to make a portrait of the Rear Admiral Hurricane."

Mr. Fool nodded and a yellowish parchment appeared before him.

With a tap of the pen, an accurate portrait of Qilangos was inscribed on the paper.

A similar paper then appeared in front of Juny, Miss Justice and Mr. Sun, simultaneously.

Juny scanned it, but soon realized that she already knew what he looked like from all the newspapers.

Mr. Fool looked around.

"You may start the free exchange."

At that, Juny saw Miss Justice and Mr. Hanged Man turn to look at her.

Juny spoke about the Vampire disappearances before, so it was obvious they were looking for an update.

She nodded, looking down at the bronze mottled table.

"I spoke before about the one suspected to be behind the Sanguine disappearances, Viscount Buttery."

Seeing the two nod along, Juny continued.

"Well, this Saturday, Viscount Butter was found dead in his mansion. He disappeared while a ball was still ongoing and then he mysteriously appeared as a dead body in the very same ballroom. Around him lay other guaranteed Beyonders. It also turned out that the Viscount, at some point, became a Sequence 7 Vampire."

Juny gently tapped the table before looking at Mr. Hanged Man.

"A dead body of a Sequence 5 Beyonder was found as well. It's also known from the Spirit Channeling that the dead Beyonders belonged to the Rosary Road. And the Fertility Order's officials even met the killer."

Juny then looked at Miss Justice before adding.

"It was the Abyssal Troop."

Juny pushed back the need to smirk, she was a top notch storyteller.

Mr. Hanged Man seemed as if in thought.

After a minute, he asked.

"How many people participated in the battle?"

Juny slightly shook her head.

"How should I know? But.."

She was silent, trying to seem as if she was contemplating something.

Then she looked down.

"There were signs that it was five against one... it was five Beyonders from the Rosary Road against one Beyonder from the Abyssal Troop. But there also wasn't anyone High-Sequence present... it's a mystery how Abyssal Troop's victory was possible."

Juny then went silent, showing that she had nothing more to add.

After that, it was up to the rest to share, but nothing curious came up.

A couple of minutes later, Mr. Fool signaled the end of the Gathering.

Juny bowed as usual, her vision flashing red before she found herself back in her room.

She sighed, looking down at the paper with the Mysterious Caster's Potion Formula.

After a few seconds of silence, Juny groaned.

With the paper in hand, she stood up, walking out of her room.

Right as she descended the stairs, Juny saw the cat Darmine, the young Tarkel and the wofl/dog Kalim.

Hearing footsteps, all three looked up at the same time.

Juny nodded at them with a smile.

"Darmine, Tarkel, Kalim, I'll need you this Saturday."

Darmine tilted her head, but seeing the crumbled paper in Juny's hand, she asked.

"For the Advancement?"

Juny smirked, having a Telepathist around was very pleasant.

"That's right, this Saturday."

"Okay!"

Tarkel beamed while the wolf, Kalim, looked at Darmine.

Darmine looked at him.

"I'll explain."

Hearing this. Juny took out a Spell Scroll.

"See you."

After having her farewell returned, Juny ripped the Spell Scroll.

She soon found herself in an alley leading into quite the busy street.

Juny quickly looked around.

After checking that noone saw her, Juny walked over and into a nearby bar.

She scanned the interior.

She saw the beautiful Jen standing by the bar and the friendly John sitting at a table, chatting with his friends.

Juny walked through them, giving a greeting smile.

She soon moved over to the room numbered second, gently knocking.

The door soon opened and Juny met eyes with a red-haired lady.

"Good afternoon, Natia."

Seeing Juny standing behind the door, Natia nodded with a smile.

"Hello, Juny. Please come inside."

Natia stepped aside while Juny gave her a thankful look.

Inside, on a couch, sat a slightly taller man with disheveled hair and tidy beard.

Upon seeing her enter, Degster got up from his seat.

Juny smiled.

"You don't have to stand up. I'll be on my way in a minute."

Degster nodded, but stayed standing.

"What do you need?"

Juny looked over at Natia before turning back.

"I need your presence on Saturday, I'll give you the details in a bit. But make sure to be free."

Natia slightly tilted her head, but nodded nonetheless.

Degster was silent for a moment.

"That's alright, we don't have any deals on Saturday."

Juny hummed.

"Thanks. Please tell Mariel too."

After receiving a nod, Juny exchanged greetings before leaving the bar and ripping a Spell Scroll.

In only a second, Juny found herself before a large medical building.

With a gentle sigh, Juny walked inside.

There were beds with many patients, but they all seemed relaxed and no painful screams were heard.

Juny moved through the large open hall, looking around.

Soon, Juny spotted a gorgeous woman with shimmering golden hair anNext is Daimira, Tarkel and Villia. Although I'm not sure if Villia will be with Daimira...'

Amidst her thoughts, Juny ripped a Spell Scroll and disappeared.

Standing in a high hallway with a gothic theme, Juny came face to cace with an average looking boy.

"Ah, Juny. Hello."

Lancer spoke first, slightly surprised, but used to it.

He then looked forward at the grand door in front.

Juny offered a greeting.

"Hello, Lancer. Is Daimira inside?"

Lancer nodded, looking to the side.

"Yes, she's with Villia. It seems like the Sanguine wish for her to join their circles. Some even tried to join Daimira's Battle Patrol."

"Is that so..."

Juny hummed before reaching out and knocking.

"What is it?"

"It's me, Juny."

"Ah! Come on in."

After getting permission, Juny opened the door, stepping inside.

She immediately saw Daimira and Villia sitting opposite each other, papers spread across the table.

With a hum, Juny looked back at Lancer, who now also entered.

"Good afternoon, Juny."

"Hi."

Hearing the greetings, Juny smiled.

"Hello, I just have something quick."

The two nodded, turning their bodies in Juny's direction.

Tarkel also looked at her.

"I'll need you to be present on Saturday, will you be free?"

Daimira thought for a minute.

"Sure, I don't have anything important."

Villia just nodded, smiling.

"Same for me."

"I don't think I have anything either."

Satisfied, Juny bid her farewell, moving to the Mailey's mansion.

'If I remember correctly, Airina should have a riding class today, I wonder if it's still ongoing.'

After a second of thought, Juny walked over to Airina's room.

As expected, there was a maid servant waiting nearby.

Without the need to say anything, the lady stood up before knocking on the door for her.

"Miss Mailey, your acquaintance is here."

After some shuffling sounds happening behind the door, Airina's voice was heard.

"Let her in."

The maid nodded, opening the door before stepping to the side.

Juny showed gratitude and walked inside.

Airina was standing before her dressing table.

"Good afternoon, Airina."

Airina nodded, smiling.

"Good afternoon, Juny. Can I help?"

"Yes, please make sure to be free on Saturday."

After having said the same multiple times, Juny couldn't help but immediately get to the point.

Airina was quiet for a moment.

She soon nodded, having finished her thoughts.

"Sure, I don't have anything then."

Juny smiled, glad that Airina didn't seem to mind her straightforwardness.

"Great, I'll see you then."

Airina nodded.

"Goodbye, Juny."

Juny smiled, walking out of the estate.

After all, it would be strange from the maid's perspective, if she'd just stay there.

Having completely left the mansion, Juny ripped another Spell Scroll.

This Spell Scroll was similar, but more complex than the other ones.

Her surroundings changed as she found herself in a tidy but obviously abandoned building.

She has now left the perimeter of the Feynapotter city.

After a second of reminiscing, Juny walked out and towards a particular underground market.

The market was really busy.

Finding time to meet with Shake was hard, he was, after all, the big boss behind many black markets.

But Juny was kind of the exception.

She was the boss's boss.

With a smirk, Juny jumped around the few bodyguards.

She ripped a Spell Scroll before easily phasing through a wall.

Juny could see a muscly man with short black hair sitting behind a desk.

Noticing her presence, Shake looked up.

"Juny? Hello."

Juny nodded, smiling.

"Hi, sorry for intruding."

Shake shook his head, smiling.

"Not at all, is there something?"

Juny nodded, pulling a stack of Spell Scrolls from underneath her coat.

"Yes, I came to tell you that I'll need you on Saturday. No fight or anything, just your appearance."

Shake slightly tilted his head, accepting the Spell Scrolls.

"Sure, but can I ask why?"

Juny nodded.

"I'll be doing my advancement and I'll need you for the ritual."

Shake tilted his head even further but didn't question it.

"Sure, I'll be there. Should I call Kein?"

Juny thought for a moment.

"Yes, please do."

She then turned sideways.

"I hope you'll have a good day."

After leaving, Juny decided to take a short walk through the streets.

Many of the alleys and buildings were familiar to her.

It didn't take long until she stopped at a particularly familiar street.

Looking to the side, Juny saw a large group of people gathering around one place.

Juny walked over, easily pushing her small body through the crowd.

On this busy street, Juny saw a famous street artist who was surrounded by interested parents and curious children.

Beside the painter with deep features was a young girl artist.

The blonde-haired girl was only slightly shorter than herself.

She was drawing a short boy while observing the famous artist, her idol.

Juny watched silently as the blonde-haired girl smiled and drew with enthusiasm.

Juny was quiet as she looked down at the girl's preview portraits.

Juny saw many people.

An elderly man, a boy with features similar to the blonde-haired girl, a couple of kids of the blonde-haired girl's age and a familiar face.

It was detailed, a face with soft child-like features.

Black eyes and long black hair.

The skin was pale with gentle smile.

The drawn person wore strange but aesthetically pleasing clothes.

Seeing this professional-looking drawing, Juny turned around.

A smile appeared on her lips as she pulled out a Spell Scroll.

A smile appeared as she remembered a woman, who was very similar to her own mother.

A smile appeared as she ripped the Spell Scroll, looking down at her stylish clothes.

A smile appeared as she thought: 'This makes me think of the past.'