Mystery: The Traveler Who Holds the Star Key

Hey.

The tapping of Mr. Fool's fingers brought an end to the dead silence surrounding the "Iron Law of Appetite."

The Tarot session concluded, and the discussion moved on to the final trading phase.

……

"I will accept this commission."

Alger lowered his head, surrendering to this cruel truth of survival:

"To gather intelligence on the secret society for you."

But he paused, and still asked the most practical question:

"Mr. Fool, could you pay the 'reward' in advance?"

"Or... offer even the smallest bit of help?"

Klein's fingers twitched slightly.

coming.

Now that we've finished the theory lesson, the next step is to "monetize" it.

Although he can't pay now, he developed a new feature—Divine Delivery.

This will be the core competitive advantage that will enable Tarot Club to become the number one secretive organization in the future.

"How do we trade?"

This time, it was Audrey's turn to worry.

"I can't get through Hugh and Fors either..."

Looking at these primitive people who are still worrying about "logistics".

Klein's mind stirred, and he was about to unleash his "Sacrifice and Gift" technique.

However, before he could even speak...

That troublemaker, "The Tower," has spoken again.

"What's so difficult about that?"

Orion chuckled softly, his gaze sweeping across the long table:

"Since we are gathered in the kingdom of the gods."

"Why not pray to the gods to open that... portal for us?"

Having said that, he bowed to the fool, his eyes clear:

"Is that so, Mr. Fool, who is all-knowing and all-powerful?"

Klein: ...

He silently gave Orion a thumbs up in his heart.

He knows how to handle things!

The road you've paved is so good, I'd like to give you an award.

Klein nodded in response, his tone flat:

"Miss, sir."

"Are you willing to cooperate with me and give this a try?"

"An attempt to explore...sacrifice and bestowal."

……

Klein then simplified the complex ritual into a few incantations.

Audrey and Alger's eyes lit up.

A physical goods trading platform guaranteed by divine intervention!

This means that Tarot will no longer be a simple chat room, but an absolutely safe underground black market.

Once the serious business was over, Audrey habitually tried to lighten the mood, partly because of two things that had been bothering her for a long time.

"Mr. Fool, I have found two ladies who would be a good fit for our Tarot Club."

"They are all extraordinary individuals, with good personalities and are good at keeping secrets."

"One of them is the 'arbitrator,' and the other..."

Audrey glanced instinctively at the "tower" in the corner.

"An extraordinary figure on the 'apprentice' path, a bestselling author."

coming.

Orion, who had been feeling rather bored, suddenly brightened up.

Fors Wall.

That famous salted fish writer.

Before Audrey could give a detailed introduction...

"Wild?"

A single word, light and airy, yet like a feather, precisely tickled the rhythm of the conversation.

Orion changed his posture.

He rested his chin on his hand, his deep eyes, pierced through the gray mist, fixed on Audrey with great interest.

"A wild 'apprentice'?"

He repeated it slowly and deliberately, his tone carrying a kind of...condescending pity:

"Miss Justice, as someone who has walked a long way down that path... I've been there."

"I must remind you of something."

"Keep your friends away from the full moon."

Audrey was taken aback.

"Mr. Tower, you mean...?"

"Behind that 'door', there are only madmen and delirium."

Orion's voice was very low, as if he were telling a secret that only the dead would know:

"Every 'apprentice' is a sacrifice dancing on the edge of a cliff."

"Especially on the night of the full moon."

He pointed to his head, a cruel smile curving his lips:

"What she heard was no longer the sound of the wind, but a call from hell."

A decisive goal.

This tactic of "creating anxiety" was a devastating blow to the kind-hearted Audrey.

She remembered Fors's recent frequent headaches and strange behavior.

I initially thought it was an occupational hazard, but now it seems... it was actually a precursor to losing control?!

"Then...is there a way to solve this?"

Audrey asked eagerly, leaning forward:

"Mr. Tower, you must have a way, right?"

Hooked.

In his heart, Orion gave this naive noble lady a "friend card".

However, he outwardly appeared troubled.

silence.

A silence that lasted ten seconds.

Until Audrey's anxiety level reached its peak.

"There is a way, of course."

Orion sighed, as if he had made a decision that went against ancestral teachings:

"I have a copy of... a 'survival guide' on how to avoid the full moon ramblings."

"And some tips on how 'apprentices' can quickly digest potions."

He paused at this point.

He looked at Audrey with a direct and frank gaze.

The meaning is obvious:

Knowledge is priceless, but I need to make a living.

Audrey understood immediately.

She didn't feel offended at all; on the contrary, she felt relieved.

Problems that can be solved with money are not problems for her!

"I'm willing to buy it!"

She said quickly:

"You name the price, as long as it can save my friend!"

Orion narrowed his eyes.

He quickly calculated the exchange rate and current prices in his mind.

Too little will lower the price, too much will scare away potential customers.

"In this material world, rebuilding order requires... fuel."

Orion used extremely elegant phrasing to express the central idea that "I'm very short of money":

"450 pounds."

"cash."

£450?!

Alger's eyelid twitched.

It's so dark.

How dare you ask for £450 based on just a few words of experience?

That's enough to buy a decent used sailboat at sea!

But Audrey didn't even flinch:

"make a deal!"

"But how can I give you the money?"

This is a big problem.

In the past, tarot readings have always been stuck at the "logistics" stage.

Orion smiled.

He turned his head and looked at Mr. Fool, who had been sitting in the head seat watching the play.

There was a sense of entitlement in his eyes, as if to say, "Boss, it's time to get to work."

"Isn't this exactly what we were discussing?"

Orion pointed to the table:

"Since Mr. Fool has mercifully opened the channel of 'sacrifice and bestowal'."

"Why not let these secular currencies become the first... offerings to test the miracles?"

After speaking, he bowed deeply to Klein, his tone reverent:

"Please, great Mr. Fool."

"Allow us to use your brilliance to complete this... trivial transaction."

Klein: ...

After the gray fog dissipated, Mr. Fool's lips twitched slightly.

Good guy.

Are you treating deities like Alipay?

And it's used to reap my "righteous" Miss?

You're pretty good at getting something for nothing!

Although he was inwardly complaining, Klein had to admit that this was indeed a perfect testing opportunity.

He also wanted to see if gold pounds, a purely secular commodity, could pass through the filtration of the gray fog.

And... as a middleman, shouldn't he charge a handling fee?

"Can."

Finally, the Fool, in that calm and unwavering divine tone, granted permission for this action:

"This is the principle of equivalent exchange."

"Thank you for your kindness!"

Audrey bowed in delight.

Not only did he save his friend, but he also got a firsthand experience of divine "delivery service," making the £450 he spent absolutely worth it!

……

With the deal finalized, this information-packed tarot session is drawing to a close.

I will fulfill your request as soon as possible.

Orion nodded to Audrey.

"When you have completed the sacrifice, that knowledge will naturally appear in your mind, or... by your pillow."

"Well then, that concludes today's gathering."

Klein disconnected the connection.

He couldn't wait to get back to reality and count the delivery fee that hadn't arrived yet but was already on its way...

……

boom!

The deep red light dissipated.

Orion suddenly opened his eyes.

That suffocating musty smell and dampness enveloped him once again.

He remained huddled in the corner of the abandoned attic.

The rain was still falling outside the window, and my stomach was rumbling in protest from hunger.

He was still that down-on-his-luck homeless man.

But Orion laughed.

He reached out his hand in the darkness, as if grasping something in the darkness.

450 pounds.

For ordinary people, this is a huge sum of money.

For him, this was the ticket to becoming a "master of magic," a lifeline to survive the week.

"Gurgle..."

My stomach started to protest again.

Orion struggled to his feet, leaning against the wall, and reached into his pocket, clutching the handful of warm coins tightly.

That was the pound that Klein had painstakingly scraped together to give him after searching through all his pockets.

The 450 pounds that hadn't yet arrived was tempting.

But this handful of change is what gives him the confidence to survive the night.

Now, all he lacks is a "channel".

A channel that could help him turn gold pounds into extraordinary materials.

In my mind, the figure that always hung out in the East District, only 1.5 meters tall, flashed by.

"The most suitable candidate for a personal shopper..."