Audrey could already picture the scene... a lone chivalrous bandit, representing justice, breaking into the den of the wicked Capim.
At the same time, she couldn't help but wonder: 'Is that bandit one of Mr. Fool's blessed?'
Earl Hall, who was having breakfast, continued, "The Hero Bandit infiltrated Capim's villa, then not only stole all the valuables from the safe, but also took the lives of Capim and his criminal underlings, rescuing the girls who were imprisoned in the dungeon."
"...He scattered tarot cards all over Capim's body, the most prominent being the 'Judgment' and 'The Emperor' cards placed on his face, along with a single 'Hermit' card that had fallen to the ground close to his face."
'Tarot cards!' Audrey's eyes suddenly sparkled, 'I'm not too familiar with the Judgment and The Emperor cards, but I do know of a gentleman codenamed The Hermit...'
....
Meanwhile, Xio spotted the emergency meeting signal left by the golden-masked man...
She immediately headed to the agreed-upon location, a secluded yet easily accessible alley.
The golden-masked man, still clad in his black tailcoat, swept his light-brown eyes over Xio's head before saying, "I have a task for you."
Xio cut straight to the point, "Difficulty and reward?"
"Initial payment is 30 pounds. If you obtain useful intelligence, I might even directly provide you with the Beyonder materials corresponding to the 'Sheriff' Sequence."
The generous reward made Xio frown instead.
"What's the task?" she asked.
The masked man replied, "You know of Capim, don't you?"
Xio's frown deepened, "Capim? That human trafficker?"
The man nodded, "Yes."
"I refuse the task. I despise him!" Xio immediately rejected.
"It's not for Capim," the man chuckled, then added, "Because he's already dead."
Xio was momentarily stunned, "Dead?"
"Dead," the man confirmed, "He died in his own home, with his body covered in tarot cards. Two were placed on his face; one 'Judgment', one 'The Emperor'. Apparently, the 'Hermit' card was also quite conspicuous."
He then added, "By the way, while you're at it, keep an eye out for any incidents involving tarot cards in recent events that weren't reported to the police."
After brief consideration, Xio agreed, "Fine, I'll take the task."
"There's also a long-term mission," the masked man continued, "As far as I know, you can attend the Mysticism Research Society gatherings, right?"
Xio immediately grew wary, "Who told you that?"
"Don't be so tense. We have people inside the society," the man explained briefly before continuing, "The long-term task is to monitor the 'Leader'. Each report summarizing the general content of a gathering will earn you 5 pounds. If you discover the method by which he leaves the venue, I can apply for a 300 pound reward for you."
So far, none of MI9's operatives within the society had uncovered this detail.
Xio hesitated before replying, "I'll think about it." Then she asked, "Why investigate the 'Leader'? If you already have people inside, why do you need my surveillance?"
"Because the 'Leader' appeared at yesterday's crime scene, and he killed at least one of Capim's subordinates."
Xio was shocked. She hadn't expected the 'Leader' to be involved...
'What role did he play in this?' she mused, then recalled Byron's words during the last gathering... And how the 'Leader' had promised to protect his life.
'Who would've thought he'd fulfill that promise by killing Capim?'
The masked man continued, "As for your surveillance, it's an insurance measure. The 'Leader' is an extremely charismatic individual. I'm concerned our operatives might omit certain critical details in their reports."
After some thought, Xio said, "Sorry, I'm not too keen on accepting this task."
Truthfully, she somewhat admired the 'Leader' for having the guts to strike at Capim.
"No problem," The man smiled, "As per our prior agreement, you have the right to choose your assignments."
After parting ways with the masked man, Xio bought a newspaper on her way back and hurried to the apartment she shared with Fors...
...
Fors had just finalized the opening of her new book and was in high spirits. She was about to reward herself with a cigarette, when Xio barged into the study.
She stared at the unlit cigarette in Fors' hand and said, "Smoking is bad for your health."
Fors didn't argue, instead asking, "Why are you back so early today?"
"Remember Capim, the one we talked about a few days ago?"
"Of course," Fors replied, "Your friend, Byron, seemed to be investigating that human trafficker."
Xio scratched her messy blonde hair, "He's dead."
"Byron? I knew it–"
"It's Capim who's dead!" Xio corrected.
Fors blinked in surprise before saying, "That scoundrel finally got what he deserved." Then she asked, "How did he die?"
"The man didn't go into details, but I bought a newspaper on the way back. It says he was taken down by the 'Hero Bandit Black Emperor'..." As she spoke, Xio handed the paper to her friend.
"What Hero Bandit?" Fors was skeptical of the report, but when she saw the mention of tarot cards, she froze, immediately making the connection to the Tarot Club.
She pondered: 'Could it have been one of our members? But we don't have anyone codenamed The Emperor... If true, this would be the first trace of the Tarot Club I've found in the real world...'
Just as Fors' imagination ran wild, Xio added, "What surprised me was that the 'Leader' of the Mysticism Research Society was also involved."
"What?" her words instantly snapped Fors back to reality.
Xio explained, "The masked man said the 'Leader' appeared at the scene and killed at least one of Capim's men."
Fors pointed at the newspaper, "Then what's the connection between the 'Leader' and this Hero Bandit?"
"I didn't ask." Since the answer likely involved classified intelligence, pressing further would've made it harder for Xio to refuse the masked man's task. She added, "But I suspect we'll get answers at the next gathering..."
....
Meanwhile, Odis, who was still wearing his mask, arrived at Unit 199 Hailin Avenue, the venue for the 'Mysticism Research Society', in a 'Machinery Hivemind' carriage...
He retrieved the Flamebolt from the attendants and informed them they'd receive double pay this week.
The two attendants who had been somewhat shaken and gloomy immediately brightened up.
Odis then instructed one of them to place an ad in the Backlund Post, notifying society members of tomorrow's gathering.
Afterward, he used the basement's Teleportation Array to leave...
The moment he emerged from the Spirit World, he found Bernadette seated on a chair in the basement.
Seeing Odis, she immediately asked, "Who is this so-called Hero Bandit Black Emperor?"