Chapter 354: Inquiry

Beside the desk in the bedroom, he pulled out a chair and sat down, casually picked up a round‑bodied steel pen, and began writing his reply in the blank space below the letter paper:

"That 'Deep Crimson Queen' might be an extraordinary practitioner of the Medicine Master Path; the fourth sequence of this path is called the Witch King, and they are likewise adept at curses and dark spells."

"The Rose Sect already includes some followers of the Primordial Moon, so sending a Witch King to take over the Blood Pirate Crew is not surprising. A Witch King's survivability, to some extent, surpasses that of the puppets of the same sequence."

"Those Naga beginning to study should be an experiment by Wagei Weier; perhaps you will later earn the title of Naga Mentor."

Having written his reply, Leikton set the pen down, leaned back against the chair back, and pondered the matters of the Rose Sect.

If that 'Deep Crimson Queen' truly is a Witch King, she could pull the Blood Clan in to muddy the waters, or the Earth Church? An opportunity to strike at Primordial Moon followers is one they would certainly not miss.

After a moment of thought, Leikton closed his eyes and began chanting the honored name of the Fool:

"The Fool beyond this age, the mysterious ruler above the Gray Mist, the yellow‑black king who holds fortune."

"Honored Mr. Fool, please convey to Mr. Moon that a pirate calling herself the 'Deep Crimson Queen' has appeared on the sea; she has reclaimed the Blood Overlord's Blood Pirate Crew, she hails from the Rose Sect, and appears to be a Witch King."

"I would like him to help me inquire of the Blood Clan, or the Earth Church, to confirm some information about this 'Deep Crimson Queen'; if possible, I will try to turn her into a trait and bring it to the next Tarot Gathering."

Above the Gray Mist, having just answered the prayers of the Sea God's followers and preparing to leave that misty realm, Klein suddenly heard layered, ethereal prayers.

As he looked up, the deep‑red star representing Leikton was continuously expanding and contracting, ripples of deep‑red light radiating outward.

He had just finished the Tarot Gathering—how did the prayers start? He hadn't made any deals, nor fought anyone. After a brief pause, Klein let his spirit spread, reaching the deep‑red star representing Leikton.

The deep‑red light surged like a tide, quickly engulfing the surroundings, then swiftly receded, coalescing into a scene of Leikton seated on a chair praying, the words of the prayer echoing clearly in his ear.

Rose Sect Witch King? Why query the Earth Church or the Blood Clan about events at sea—they most likely still don't know about this newly emerged 'Deep Crimson Queen'. Is he trying to pull the Blood Clan and Earth Church in to confuse the Rose Sect's judgment?

Bringing a trait to the Tarot Gathering truly gives anyone a chance to attend, though some do so with extraordinary traits.

【7】 After a moment of thought, Klein casually manifested a golden coin of Rune, silently thinking, "The 'Deep Crimson Queen' is a Witch King."

After a moment of thought, Kèlái'ēn casually manifested a Lǔ'ēn gold pound, and in their heart they silently recited: "The 'Scarlet Queen' is a Witch King."

With a clang, the coin was tossed into midair, then quickly fell, and he caught it with his hand.

Klein slowly spread his palm; the coin's face was up, indicating affirmation!

With the Gray Mist's blessing, this divination result is highly likely reliable. After a slight sigh, Klein looked up at the deep‑red star representing Leikton, then let his spirit spread, sending the earlier prayer's image and sound toward the deep‑red star that symbolizes 'Moon' Emrin.

South District of Beckland, inside the Harvest Church.

After the Tarot Gathering ended, Emrin lingered for a moment in the room clergy use for a short rest, then stepped out.

Although after the Beckland Great Fog Incident more people came to pray at the Harvest Church, it's still only a relative increase compared to its former quietness.

Just now, Emrin entered the prayer hall, where only the mountain‑sized giant priest Utrawafski stood, as always seated before the Life Holy Emblem, eyes slightly closed in prayer.

Emrin curled a disdainful lip, then slowly lifted the corner of his mouth, his brows and eyes tinged with a smile as he approached.

Earlier at the Tarot Gathering, he had silenced the 'Sun' with a pointed question, regaining the face he had lost, which put him in a very good mood.

He cleared his throat twice, and seeing that Father Utrawafski, who had been praying, had opened his eyes, he then tilted his chin slightly and said, "Father, what do you pray for every day before the Life Holy Emblem—are there really so many things to pray to Mother, to the Earth Mother God?"

Father Utrawafski looked at Emrin with calm eyes, his voice even as he said, "Prayer is part of life; it brings me peace and lets me feel the joy of life and harvest."

"You're in a good mood today."

"But that's no reason to disturb a devout believer's prayer."

Emrin's face stiffened, unsure how to answer, and after a brief squeak he finally spoke:

"Consider this me seeking confession from you; as a priest, you can't refuse the confession of a potential believer, can you?"

Father Utrawafski slowly shook his head, his voice taking on a more solemn tone, "You have done nothing wrong; there is no need for confession."

"I—" Emrin opened his mouth, not knowing what to say.

In the next instant, dense Gray Mist surged in his vision, with deep‑red light pouring out like a tide.

Having experienced this before, Emrin instantly realized, "Mr. Fool, could the Hanged Man have already claimed that Blood Clan Baron's inheritance? Was the week he mentioned at the Tarot Gathering merely an excuse?" As Emrin pondered, the deep‑red light rising from the Gray Mist coalesced into a vague silhouette of Leikton, who leaned on his chair, whispering a prayer to the Fool:

"Honored Mr. Fool, please convey to Mr. Moon that a pirate calling herself the 'Deep Crimson Queen' has appeared on the sea; she has reclaimed the Blood Overlord's Blood Pirate Crew, she hails from the Rose Sect, and appears to be a Witch King."

"I would like him to help me inquire of the Blood Clan, or the Earth Church, to confirm some information about this 'Deep Crimson Queen'; if possible, I will try to turn her into a trait and bring it to the next Tarot Gathering."

"The White Tower really is that guy, huh! I was foolish enough to go to him for advice. Though the image Klein conjured was only a vague silhouette, Emrin, already familiar with him, easily recognized Leikton's identity."

"But what is the 'Deep Crimson Queen'? The Blood Pirate Crew—uh, at the previous Tarot Gathering the Hanged Man seemed to mention that all pirates on that ship mysteriously vanished; it turns out the Blood Pirate Crew is backed by the Rose Sect."

"He drifts at sea yet asks me to query the Earth Church or the Blood Clan—what is he thinking? While muttering to himself, the dense Gray Mist in his view cleared, and Emrin turned his head toward Father Utrawafski, hesitated briefly, then said:"

"Father, I heard a pirate calling herself the 'Deep Crimson Queen' has appeared on the sea; she has reassembled the Blood Overlord's Blood Pirate Crew and seems to be a Witch King. What do you think?"

Father Utrawafski lifted his gaze to Emrin, the doubt in his eyes unmistakable:

"You've been in Beckland all along—how do you know the sea's news so clearly?"

"Ahem~" Emrin coughed twice, a little uneasy under the stare, furrowed then relaxed his brows, and tilted his chin, "I heard this at a Blood Clan gathering; they aren't quite sure whether that 'Deep Crimson Queen' is a Witch King."

Father Utrawafski sized up Emrin, clearly not believing his excuse; before Emrin could find a new pretext, he opened his mouth, chuckling, "Regarding a Witch King, your Blood Clan would know better—it's equivalent to a Blood Clan Count."

Having said that, Father Utrawafski closed his eyes and resumed praying.

Emrin curled a lip to the side; he knew the Witch King is just another title for a Blood Clan Count, but he still didn't disturb the priest's prayer.

(End of Chapter)