A minute or two later, a towering figure appeared in Odis's mind, followed by a string of words materializing before his eyes:
"The Fool that doesn't belong to this era;
The Mysterious Ruler above the Gray Fog;
The King of Yellow and Black who wields good luck..."
Odis let out a sigh of relief...
Although he knew the honorific name of 'The Fool', he hadn't obtained it through "proper channels" and thus had been hesitant to use it.
After rising to express his gratitude to 'The Fool', he lay back down...
'Last night's encounter and that gray orb... it's almost as if they were paving the way for me to join the Tarot Club!'
As a 'Mystery Pryer', Odis occasionally had faint premonitions about fateful fluctuations concerning himself.
Lying in bed, he pondered many things before finally resorting to meditation to fall asleep...
.....
The next morning, after a quick wash, Odis bought a Desi meat pie on the street and ate it while making his way to the public carriage station...
Given his income, he could easily afford to rent a small villa or even buy or lease a private carriage. However, his Mystical research was costly...
For instance, the flame-emitting revolver he carried (though practically useless to him) had been crafted purely to verify his findings.
And that was just one of his less expensive experiments. The magic array sewn into his coat, for example, contained a tiny piece of 'Ahornak Crystal' worth a staggering 1 200 Pounds!
Thus, despite his substantial earnings, Odis lived only a modest middle-class life. Influenced by his pre-transmigration penny-pinching, he preferred saving where he could... hence his reliance on public transport...
As he finished his pie, the public carriage arrived, and Odis squeezed aboard with the crowd...
.....
~Second Floor, Royal Museum – Restored Study~
Max Livermore, a captain of the 'Machinery Hivemind', asked his subordinate, "Are you certain only two bookmarks were stolen?"
As he spoke, he discreetly glanced at the high-ranking figure standing with his back to them... an elderly man in white clerical robes and a soft cap.
This was Horamick Haydn, head of the 'Church of the God of Steam and Machinery' in Backlund's Diocese and a member of the Divine Council...
The subordinate replied firmly, "Yes, only those two bookmarks were taken."
Horamick's eyes flickered with an illusory glow, "There was more than one person here last night, at least three, divided into two opposing factions..."
"...One of them may even be of a higher Sequence than I am. They had an accomplice, while the other party's strength is unclear. However, it's certain that he escaped in an unusual manner..."
"...The High-Sequence individual immediately gave chase, while his accomplice... fled into the Spirit World..."
Max's features visibly sharpened as he ventured a guess, "A Beyonder of the 'Apprentice' Pathway?"
The glow in Horamick's eyes faded as he shook his head slightly, "It didn't seem like it."
Max nodded slowly, "Then it must have been an 'Apprenticeʼ Pathway's Sealed Artifact..."
However, Horamick frowned and said, "It didn't appear to be a Sealed Artifact either..."
Max was baffled, "So itʼs not an 'Apprentice' Pathway Beyonder? Not even a Sealed Artifact from said Pathway? Then what could it have been?"
"The situation is more complicated than we imagined." Horamick sighed, his expression softening, "And now I understand why they stole the bookmarks... We've been deceived by Roselle for over 150 years!"
.....
*Ding-a-ling~*
Around four in the afternoon, the bell above the door of 'Gale's Herbal Shopʼ chimed as a customer entered...
Fifteen-year-old shop assistant Kain paused his herb-sorting and put on his friendliest smile, "Welcome– oh... Mr. Livermore! Are you here to see Mr. Odis?"
Exhausted from a sleepless night and a busy day, Max Livermore nodded wearily.
The energetic Kain gestured toward the back, "Right this way."
Familiar with the layout, Max opened the inner door leading to a small courtyard crammed with potted herbs of common varieties with low maintenance needs...
Beyond the courtyard were two rooms... one served as storage, the other as Odis's workspace and resting area.
Of course, these "public-friendly" experiments didn't involve Odis's true secrets.
When Max opened the door, the first thing he smelled was the pungent scent of herbs in the room.
Inside, Odis wore a mask and a hat, and was busy at a table cluttered with beakers and measuring cylinders.
Seeing Max, Odis set down his tools, "You look exhausted, my friend. Perfect timing too... I'm just finishing a new tonic." He motioned to a chair, "Take a seat. It'll be ready shortly."
The truly spent Max sat and watched as Odis mixed measured powders with a pre-brewed solution, finally producing a blue-hued potion.
Odis poured the liquid into a cup and handed it over, "This recipe came from a transaction with what I suspect was a rogue 'Apothecary'. It effectively alleviates fatigue..."
"...Of course, since I lack an Apothecary's abilities, I can only imbue it with limited effects using Spirituality..."
Max had been the one to handle the supernatural incident surrounding Odis's transmigration years ago, and the two had since become close confidants.
Trusting Odis implicitly, the 'Machinery Hivemind' captain downed the potion after a cursory glance.
Sour on the tongue, it nonetheless eased his weariness. Handing the cup back, he remarked, "So you don't just brew those... 'male-enhancing' tonics..."
Odis smiled as he accepted the empty cup, "Market demand." Extinguishing the alcohol lamp, he asked, "What brings you here today?"
"An urgent task." Max replied.
Odis's brows lifted slightly... he already had an inkling, "Go on."
"Help me investigate whether any of these noble youths have been acting unusually lately." Max produced a list of aristocrats who had attended the exhibition privately the previous night.
This was a privilege of nobility... after regular visitors had left, the 'Roselle Commemorative Exhibition' had hosted a group of young nobles the very night of the theft, making them prime suspects...
Rolling his neck, Max added, "Also, keep an ear out for anyone trading or using Artifacts resembling the 'Apprentice' Pathway, and discreetly inquire about high-priced purchases of items once owned by Emperor Roselle. If bookmarks surface, contact me immediately... And be discreet with these last two tasks."
Truthfully, neither Max nor the church held much hope for the latter leads.
'Of course,' Odis thought wryly, 'That 'Apprenticeʼ Pathway Artifact points straight to me... Ha~, asking me to investigate my own crime? Good luck finding any evidence...'
"Consider it done. I'll start arranging things right away." Odis agreed readily.
Max stretched, then stood abruptly, "Duty calls. I'm off."
After seeing him out, Odis immediately returned to his desk, penned a letter, sealed it with wax, and handed it to Kain, "Deliver this to Lady Mandy."
Kain accepted the letter and offered a newspaper in return, "This just arrived, it's an extra edition. I thought you might be interested."
Odis glanced at the headline, "Oh? The serial killer has been shot dead!"