Alger's voice resonated in the space above the grey fog. Of course this was not the only time did an occurrence happened.
He was taking similar steps Selina took.
However, this isn't merely for unsettling everyone. This is also a plea for intel. If he could not properly find any reliable logics behind this anomalies, then he could only resort consoling The Fool.
Alger looked at the Seat of Honor and found that Mr. Fool had not spoken. The entire table reacted except Ms. Lovers. Supposed she's backed by another high-networking organization, it is to be expected.
Regardless, I still have connection with the Church of Storms. I have an edge in the sea's traffics, trades and information I can leverage... Alger listed his thoughts and after seeing the silence persisted, he continued,
"It was a few matters circulating among seafarers and voyagers that have docked in Bayam. For starters, Serilya Pier.
"Sonia Island's East Coast had been experiencing a natural change in climate. Fogs have become thicker periodically, obscuring lighthouses and boats. However, folks noted seeing a silhouette of an island during evening fogs. Many believed it's myth as once the coast clears out, no islands can be seen in the horizon of the sea."
An island only appearing in foggy climates and noon? How mysterious...Audrey felt like listening to folktales. Her heart palpitates with the thought of myth adventures.
On the other hand, Selina and The Fool Klein wasn't so excited hearing that from Alger, they feel unsettled.
"How long has this been circulating?" Audrey's eyes then lit up. "My—ehem, I had not ever heard of this folktale before."
She almost blurted 'brother' from the tip of her tongue.
Alger was expecting more of details to solicited. He sighed before replying, "Apparently, this has been a phenomenon in old records. But for the last three decades, it died down. It explains why it's not that talked about in the mysticism of Backlund.
"This only first happened in the past three weeks. Which leads us to the next matter, the iceberg that washed ashore in the Polar Coast of South Continent."
Still no insights from the members, Alger continued, "The iceberg likely came from the Antarctica."
The word Arctic and Antarctica came from Roselle Gustav figuring what to name the Polar End Regions.
"It refuse to thaw and is being examined by the colonial Balam Empires. It extends about twenty to twenty-five feet and as wide as four buildings. It has a very deep-blue surface."
Sonia Island? Does it have anything to do with the Elven King Soniathrym? Polar Coast, South Continent, Iceberg... The Sun Derrick was listening with high retention.
In the City of Silver, the concept of icebergs had no significance in teachings, placing great importance in survivability. It just can't compete to be learned.
Antarctica... strange, the only documented details from both polar regions are merely its terrains and emphasizing the dangers venturing into its frozen tundra...
Such regions could not have any inhabitants, so it's likely that the world disregarded it... Selina inadvertently shook off her thoughts.
She could tasked Isabelle to investigate the iceberg, however there are things that are much more important than a harmless, unmelting ice.
Audrey reveled at the image of the iceberg in her head for a short time before immediately being interested at the organizations mentioned.
It wasn't that an iceberg is lackluster, but her interest fit more toward mysticism and magics. Organizations are linked to it.
"An iceberg that do not melt. How interesting... What about the prominent groups of organizations?"
Klein's thoughts was already stirring by the revelation of the mysterious island.
Over three decades? The tales stopped and started again just last three weeks? This is alarming... does it have anything to do with the meteorite being used? Sigh, I can only trust the Church of Storms to deal with this...
Now for the iceberg... Klein wanted to rub his forehead right then. It didn't got reduced in size? Not even sweat for three weeks?
Those two anomalies, although may seem unrelated in the surface, exposes subtle connections that Klein couldn't quite grasped.
It was until he hit a link while venturing deeper into the logics did he felt a rough idea.
The Hanged Man said it happened three weeks prior. Both the folktale resurfacing and the iceberg landing ashore? Klein's pupils deepened.
As a Seer, there are some things that can produce a subtle mystical relevance. This subtleness would often times always hint at something large that regardless of absurdity and dissimilarities, would bridge connections toward a logic.
This, could in fact, hints at a very small cog, a miniscule segment of a greater, larger machinery.
The meteorite suddenly activating in Morroy's hand that would otherwise remain dormant for a suspected few more years. The mysterious island where the meteorite originated suddenly gaining significance and a never-melting iceberg drifting in the South Continent.
It felt as though they're spilling. Things that have not been mentioned in the historical records.
After Audrey's question, everyone in the table slightly moved on.
However, Alger did not replied to that. He was scanning the table, glancing at The Lovers or Mr. Fool. They remained silent.
He had an epiphany. Naturally, the iceberg would start melting by now and that vessel-sized shape after three weeks would be just about a giant boulder in length and width. It is unconventional, strictly unnatural.
Alger is aware that information about Polar Regions are scarce and insignificant in contrast to the main world. Of course this has not always been the case.
Greeted with empty replies again. He sighed. Perhaps this last topic can he finally elicit some opinions.
"Lastly." Alger deliberated his words. "Just like Blood Senor, who exhibited a strange behavior such as calling his entire fleet to Dilynus Island. Organizations around Rorsted Archipelago has started to act strangely as well.
"For starters, The Food Compendium..."
The Food Compendium are an organized group of culinary seekers. Their aim was to record the world's various cuisines in a single compendium. They travel, scour, and taste. Documenting the culture spices and traditional flavors of this world.
Alger explained, "This group is currently in Rorsted Archipelago to finish their catalog of cuisines."
They seem harmless? Audrey couldn't quite grasp the anomaly. From her brothers stories of the archipelago, it certainly is abundant of cultures from different islands.
"Their strange behavior is their sudden interest in relics involving the Sea God Kalvetua." Alger added solemnly.
At that moment, Audrey sought with peculiarity. "Sea God Kalvetua? Isn't the Lord of Storms the only Sea God?"
From the bible of storms, it is explicitly marveled the Lord of Storm's domain over seas and land, thus allowing for an association of the title Sea God.
"Sea God Kalvetua is the God worshipped by the natives of Rorsted Archipelago. The Church's cardinals had once purged this God, which is in the form a giant serpentine snake that afterwards escaped and hide. This situation has persisted for more than a hundred years.
"However, there are still plenty of believers of the Sea God in Bayam, Blue Mountain Island, and the Rorsted Archipelago Sea." Alger didn't include the major pillar as that would be overexplanatory.
So they're food bloggers eager for some exquisite snake dish? The Fool Klein quietly lampooned while suppressing his seated aggression toward snakes.
Selina wondered and mused. Sea God Kalvetua... relics... they're foodies but also treasure hunters? They should start reiterating the group's name...
With the continuation of Alger's recollection. Mentioned organizations are the Fisheries Guild in Port Santa that have begun extending their reach onto neighboring Archipelagos, the Black Market deeply enforcing laws such as shadow contracts for transactions.
Reaching the end statement. He finally included his crewmate's encounter.
"Recently, a case of incidents involving teenage girls are being driven into a corner by a Rose School of Thought pirate. The authorities could not find him but we chanced upon him, and his abilities. For what he displayed, all I could is... they're strange..."
Audrey's heart tightened. W-What does it mean driven into a corner?
Alger swept the table with his gaze and continued, "We had been induced with the carnal urge to let loose. He had, at the time, drugs that can put someone to sleep, we caught him with the same desire prior to the confrontation, handling a girl."
The Sun Derrick exclaimed, torn from confusion and doubt, "That seems like a Desire Apostle! But not quite right..."
"Desire Apostle?" Audrey perked up and asked. She fought imagining what had happened to the girl as her heart tighten.
But dismissing Justice. Derrick retorted slightly and added, "Yes, but a Desire Apostle can't specifically target a desire to be magnified, or induce a specific desire. At best, they can only enhance the desires already in the target. Maybe a high-sequence?"
Little Sun was uncertain? Not quite like a Desire Apostle? By the name it seems it could be a Sequence of the Criminal Pathway... Klein was starting to orbit his mind around the idea of Shaman powers and Boons written in Morroy's notes.
"Impossible." Alger said in certainty. "If he were a high-sequence. He could've easily dispatched all of us."
Derrick felt slightly guilty as he lowered his head and said, "Then I'm at a loss..."
Tap. Tap. Tap.
At that moment. All of them suddenly heard the rapping sound from the Seat of Honor.
The Fool Klein gently interrupted, and with a deep voice he said, "It seems 'They' are being brought to light."
Being brought to light?
They? Who are "They"? Alger's eyes narrowed as he reigned his gaze away.
Audrey, hearing that, quickly noticed the blind spots she overlooked at the cost of her interest. Quickly adjusting her state of mind, she maintained the Spectator air while feeling slightly bewildered.
The Sun Derrick was just as perplexed and mystified by the display of revelation from Mr. Fool. To the City of Silver, the history are merely kept in the spire, under strict clearances.
What could possibly be the voided history of the world outside?
Meanwhile, Selina was only slightly triggered. But alas, she quickly associated this with their past case, Morroy Roundel.
The existence of the Singled Eye deity. Mr. Fool is likely referring to the new named Deities being discovered... Selina fixed her gaze toward the trio Sun, Hanged Man, and Justice.
She knew what the anomaly of the Serilya Pier's ghost island could be. But from the tone and context of Mr. Fool, the iceberg had a sort of connection.
Which for Selina, is strange because of the continents gap, until she realizes the time intervals are similar. She remained tethered to her poise.
Ms. Lovers is calm again. Does she already know this? Alger couldn't divert his attention from the seat across him.
How? Unless... she's Mr. Fool's blessed? But how can that be? A prominent member of an organization worshipping The White Maiden is also the blessed of Mr. Fool?
Wait, could there be a possibility in the future the Tarot Club will jointly operate with the organization behind Ms. Lovers? Mr. Fool foresees the future, The White Maiden is also the Giant Queen...
Was Ms. Lovers selected because of The White Maiden?
Or was The White Maiden the reason Mr. Fool took interest in her? A chill ran down Alger's spine. He looked toward the Seat of Honor with a profound, terrifying reverence.
Meanwhile, across the table, Audrey noticed Alger's frights, his unsettled hands betrays his ominous and obstructed visage. At this point, she's even willing to pay a sum just to be explained in detail if her doubts are true.
That the iceberg anomaly and the ghost island are interconnected pieces.
But she wouldn't want to appear as inexperienced, not with the new member. Thus, Audrey forced herself to remain punctual and adept.
The table instantly went quiet, and was only broken when Justice Audrey asked while looking at the Seat of Honor, "Mr. Fool, what is being brought to light?"
"In the future, all of you with meet more of 'Them'." The Fool Klein retroactively linked this to the discovery of the Singled Eye.
He also hoped to prepare them for these kinds of anomalies as he had finally pieced the puzzle, that is the realization that the world is undergoing a drastic change.
This stemmed from his knowledge of the history, the evaluation of the recent and past events.
Meet more? Mr. Fool is implying that there are more strange powers, varied ones, for us to encounter? There are only twenty-two pathways of the divine, and as The Sun hinted, the pathway that closely associate with the one I mentioned isn't quite the exact ability the pathway holds... Alger couldn't utter a word even if he wants to.
When time had receded above the gray fog. The topic regarding the 'things being brought to light' shifted.
The Fool Klein smiled at the end of it, he announced the ending of the Gathering. He saw Justice, Lovers and The Hanged Man get up swiftly from their seats and bow while The Sun mimicked their motions, only slower.
He pressed forward with his right hand and severed the connection, but he didn't leave immediately.