It seems Roselle's son inherited his father's questionable lifestyle...
However, Surry? I recall Mr. Tower had Miss Justice monitor a Mr. Surry's movements before assassinating the Intis ambassador... And among the female friends who stayed at Mr. Tower's residence was a "Fanny Surry"...
Could they be descendants of Roselle's illegitimate grandson?
As these thoughts flashed through his mind, Klein continued reading the page:
"December 28th - The final mausoleum nears completion. If this fails too, that boy who took the Surry surname and his descendants may be my last hope..."
"How strange - I seem to have forgotten something. Some arrangements there don't resemble my handiwork...yet I remember making them..."
More about Charles' illegitimate child... This page was clearly compiled by another transmigrator...
But why compile this? Was Roselle's descendant that important? What did "last hope" refer to? Didn't the Emperor always expect Liu Bo to rescue him?
The last paragraph makes sense - the Emperor was likely already corrupted by then, acting as paradoxically as in the dream labyrinth tower's fifth layer... Simultaneously desperate to escape yet preventing his own freedom.
While pondering this, Klein flipped the diary page over—a rare "conscientious" double-sided entry.
His eyes widened instantly. The sparse text on the reverse wasn't Roselle's writing!
"Lamia asked what I was transcribing. I told her it records one of Roselle's doomed attempts."
Was this...Liu Bo's marginalia after copying? Who's Lamia? A lover from one of his lives?
And where did Emlyn obtain this? From the Sanguine?
Though brimming with questions, the scant content offered no answers. Klein had grown accustomed to such "cliffhangers" from fragmentary diaries...
With a quiet sigh, he made the parchment vanish and leaned back. "You may begin."
Instantly, Audrey's bright gaze fixed on Emlyn regarding the Elder Tree fruit and Mirror Dragon blood.
Emlyn confirmed availability, quoting 750 pounds plus a 100-pound commission. Audrey agreed without bargaining.
"The Hanged Man" Alger interjected: "Still interested in that Sanguine Baron's estate? 4,500 pounds—the best price I could secure."
(The pirate would've settled for 3,200.)
Emlyn's face contorted. Even with material resale profits and his humiliating "streaming" gigs, his liquid assets barely reached 1,500 pounds—including potential loans...
"I...need more time," he strained out.
With your looks, you'd earn that 4,000 easily by celebrity endorsements... Pity my media company's still preparing your fame... Ebner mused.
The sound of poverty... "The Fool" echoed Ebner's amusement internally.
"No rush," Alger replied smoothly.
He then turned his attention to "Justice" Audrey and began discussing the mystical item commissioned by "The World," which had been crafted using the characteristics of a "Faceless."
After briefly introducing the silver-white mask (later named "Lie" by Audrey in the original work), "The Hanged Man" ultimately quoted a steep price of 5,500 pounds.
—Of course, only 15% of this sum was his, with 1,000 pounds going to the artisan's fee, and the remainder belonging to "The World."
"The Judgement" Xio, after carefully studying the illusory image of the necklace projected by "The Hanged Man," couldn't help but glance at Ebner:
Why is it that items crafted from "Faceless" characteristics end up so... improper when you make them?
Ebner instantly understood her implication and shrugged innocently, thinking to himself: This mask's negative effect amplifies emotions, making it particularly dangerous against enemies who can exploit such vulnerabilities—far inferior to the "Veil of a Hundred Faces," which merely fears fire...
Meanwhile, Audrey—who could expense mystical items through her father, Earl Hall—merely pondered briefly before agreeing without even haggling.
So rich... Both "The Moon" Emlyn and "The Magician" Fors felt a pang of envy.
Naturally, "The Fool" felt the same, though as the beneficiary of this transaction, he naturally hoped the price would be as high as possible.
As for "The Hanged Man" Alger, while he had anticipated Audrey's easy acceptance based on her past "generosity," he still felt a deep discomfort—a sense of disillusionment that his hard-earned profits paled in comparison to someone else's pocket money.
Thus, after this transaction, silence lingered for quite some time until Ebner cleared his throat and addressed Audrey diagonally across the table: "I need detailed information on the major families controlling the political and economic lifelines of the Intis Republic."
He didn't specify the two families he was particularly interested in, as both Fleiss and Delion were undoubtedly among Intis's top-tier families and wouldn't be omitted.
As for intelligence on other families... well, since he was about to depart for Intis, understanding the country's political landscape wouldn't hurt.
"I can only provide publicly available information and these families' economic activities... nothing too confidential," Audrey replied after some thought, adding, "But it will take a day or two to compile."
"That's fine—it'll suffice," Ebner nodded. As for mystical intelligence, he had already privately tasked Xio to investigate the MI9 archives, expecting results soon.
"In exchange for those materials, I can answer one question in the field of mysticism... Of course, if you'd prefer something of equal value, I'll do my best to procure it," Ebner offered after some consideration.
"May I reserve the right to ask this question for later?" Audrey pondered, feeling no urgent inquiries at the moment.
"Certainly," Ebner agreed.
As for whether he could answer Audrey's eventual question, he wasn't overly concerned. Even if he didn't know, he could always teach her "that" ritual to consult Arrodes!
This way, I can also fulfill my role as a "Mysticism Magister"—killing two birds with one stone.
With these thoughts swirling in his mind, Ebner scanned the room and posed another question:
"Does anyone know the origins or background of the Intis Surry family?"
"I'm willing to trade a mystical item for this information."
(End of Chapter)