Quick Transmigration: Saving The Crazy Villainess

Chapter 343: Agatha (41)

The king could see through his thoughts it seemed, and explained, "This is something I ordered my craftsmen to make and my best painters to draw. And I can say it has not been easy to create them since the concept is so foreign to the majority. I have to tell everyone in the know that it's just a game card, so they won't accuse me of heresy."

"Your Majesty, I'm not someone who enjoyed riddle games. I am just slightly curious about the matter with the Duchess. And the card, what does it have to do with me?"

The king acted as if Jiang Li's snide remarks did not enter his ears. He resumed the explanation with his eyes still on the card. "Please look. There are 78 of this in total, each with different images in them. Cups, stars, wands, and swords I called them suits and each has numbers from 1 to 9, knight, queen, and king. There is also a series I called Major Arcana in which really powerful cards belonged"

Jiang Li was initially annoyed before hearing the last part, even secretly rolling his eyes and saying to himself, 'What a talkative monarch.'

After the king finished speaking though, his mind then turned blank for a while before it worked furiously, guessing what this man wanted to tell him.

He then froze, remembering something which doesn't add up with the current situation.

Surely, the Tarot Cards were still not created around this era If this person was referring to Tarot Cards... does it mean this king was the one who invented it and it just somehow leaked outside of the continent? Was the deck created for the purpose Jiang Li had in mind?  

'This is not in the plot.' He concluded, feeling some alarm in his heart. He didn't hesitate to unmute the system. He stood up and prepared himself in case of any unexpected events, to defend and attack. He then asked the system if Francis IV was the one who caused the changes that happened before he came to the world.

He didn't know why, but he suddenly had a hunch that the man was connected to it and he badly wanted to confirm it. After all, the king was in a position with resources and the ability to cause those ripples Plus he was also showing something so different from the memories that Margarette could not have possibly triggered.

'I've been negligent, damn. This guy's appearance has been too sudden and coincidental, not long after the mechanical voice spoke to me. Is it him? The one the announcements are referring to?'

But before the being in his head could reply, the king replied first. Smiling at the youth who suddenly began glaring at him, Francis IV then looked at the card and said, "The first time I heard about you from my beloved royal consort, I became intrigued and tried using this new divination method and got this. It's the same card every time I do the divination. Even if all I used is your name, this is what I will get."

Jiang Li asked. "So what is with The Tower?"

"Hmm? How did you know about what I named this card with?" The king sported an awkward expression as the youth didn't even bother pretending to guess if the image was a castle or a monument.

Feeling like he was not getting anywhere, Jiang Li who felt irritated for being asked back just proceeded to say coldly, "I know a little about this from a friend who is a master of divination. Still, I'm no master so tell me, what does The Tower mean? Disorder? Change? Or destruction?"

"The cards are yet to enter the market. Your friend could not possibly know how to read it so it's amazing you can think of keywords closely related to the card's meaning. May I know how you, or your friend, managed to come up with them?" amused, the other reply.

Jiang Li had no answer to it and was lazy to create an excuse. He said, "Whatever You don't want to answer, I also won't. It's the simple rule of 'give and take', you reap what you sow."

"I just want to say though, it was really surprising to me that the stupid king the witches and other hidden entities in the kingdom are belittling has hidden so deeply."

"As I can see it, you seem very knowledgeable about fate. And the concept you just told me sounds very futuristic, at least in my estimate, a thousand years advanced for the Outsiders to come up with it."

The King of Holon smiled, "I don't think it's advisable to anger the Goddess by making things up, Mr. James. You are a fake messenger of the Church of Wisdom, if you forgot."

"Simply making an estimate of when a certain item or technology should appear in history is blasphemy? Then, in my opinion, you who is dabbling in divination using cards that can predict fate is angering your patron, the God of War, and Armamos, the God of Mystery. You also keep talking about unnecessary things even though you are in the presence of somebody feared even by your witch."

The chatterbox monarch kept his smile and his silence.

But this verified to Jiang Li that the king was the opposite of what he just called him now. The man before him was not really a fool. How could Francis IV be a fool if while the others were kept in the dark, the person knew that his own consort was a witch? It looked like even Agatha had no idea that her secret was not only known to the female leads and Jiang Li, but to her own husband too.

"Maybe I'm just confident with my own strength," chortled Francis IV.

The younger man continued with an emotionless tone, "Your Majesty, you are really interesting. And I believe you make a good conversation partner."

"Too bad, I have someone important to chase so I would have to leave temporarily."

"Would it be alright if I first imprison you here while I finish my business outside?"

"I promise it won't take long. Once I'm back, we can continue this talk to our heart's content. What do you think?"

Looking at the witchcraft practitioner who suddenly became like a sword unsheathed ready to strike with just one wrong reply from him, the king pretended he didn't feel the cold sweat running down his spine.

With the same seemingly relaxed smile, Francis IV replied, "In fact, there is no need to prolong our conversation. I only came here for I have two questions to ask you."

"You brought up those cards and blabbered about destiny and some other cr*p for this?" Jiang Li narrowed his eyes, waiting for the next words. 

Placing his elbows atop the table while interlocking his fingers, the middle-aged monarch began, "First. Who are you and how did you change your fate so drastically that it even touched the fates of the main people of this world?"

The youth impatiently answered, "Damn that alien language. I am who your consort told me to be. If you don't believe me, feel free to divine it using your cards. If that is what will generate a more believable result for you."

After retrieving the card on the desk under the watchful gaze of the youth, Francis IV acted to not have heard Jiang Li's response and continued.

"My second question," the king met the young man's gaze. " Where is my daughter Margarette?  Not the Duchess, but the one who is proclaiming herself the Queen of Commerce?"

"For some reason, every time I divine about her, all the cards will point to you."

That time, Jiang Li froze again, a bit shocked by what he heard. And before Jiang Li knew it, he had actually activated the spell to isolate the king for real.

His expression as he looked at the man was in no way friendly. Gone was his apprehension to treat the other with hypnotic magic due to him being his father-in-law. Jiang Li's attitude changed so fast, and he had even sat back down.

"Wait, what are you doing?" Francis IV was frowning badly at him. The king had stood up and distanced himself from the young man.

However, Jiang Li's eyes already started to become weird a few seconds ago. "I hope you won't mind that I changed my own mind just now, Your Majesty. Since I know the person I was supposed to tail will come back to me anyway, I plan to simply take my sweet time talking to you about your concern."

The hypnotism was taking over slowly as the blue gem in the king's right ear glowed slightly. The youth furrowed his brows, but didn't halt the process. There was something magnetic and indescribable in his voice when he spoke again. 

"So, my regal king. Can you repeat what you just said? And also elaborate on why you are suddenly looking for your forgotten princess? Tell me everything you know... I'm now also quite open to discuss the changes in the fate that you're talking about earlier..."