Cartwell sat in silence, his mouth obscured by his hands. 'I wish to help out, even if it is a terrifying endeavour. Those Phantoms, they clearly have intentions to allow their patron Deity to descend, that figure that little Capulet was talking about. I've seen this much before… such a feat could impact not just Leiden, but Lindgram, and all its expanses in each direction. I do not wish for all I know to fall into chaos and ruin.' There was another reason that his resolve to work alongside the others had blossomed. 'If my Lady is going to continue along this path of revenge, it will help her out to have powerful allies. A magician, a sixth-degree Arisen in little Capulet is a very good ally… a black mage is adept in battle, much stronger than me, considering how I have to play into so many of my tricks to find success…'

He leaned forward, chuckling inwardly. 'Me and my Lady were the first to use our wishes. Nicole's wish was rejected on the grounds that it already was the main goal of our commission. That means that both him and the merchant could request absolutely anything of Mr. Ophelia. If I weren't already on my own path… I wonder what could have been possible…'

Lumière had his own thoughts, leaning casually back in his seat.

'They should trust the ability of 'Lumière Croft' now. I've made that very clear over time, and that concept of my strength was definitely solidified during my final performance. However, what trust they have in Ophelia is the remnant memories of my use of 'Despair' when we sought to take down Johan Basque. I should try to raise the loftiness of that persona soon. Not only is it crucial to gaining their trust as a powerful figure, but also as a part of finishing this persona so that it may be used to alleviate madness. After all, shouldn't a Leader lead with his own hand?'

"Are there any further matters to be spoken of? If not, we'll adjourn for the night."

Juno finally leaned forward in his seat, drawing the attention of the others.

"Everyone, I have a proposal. I think it serves common interest." Juno spoke out suddenly, his fingers intertwined as he grinned mischievously.

This piqued the interest of every person in the room, apart from Nicole, who seemed confused more than anything. Of course, he had been lost in his own world as the others had been talking.

"I've recently tracked down a woman of interest - the Four of Diamonds, associated with this House of Cards we're currently sitting within."

Zelia's eyes widened. As the Three of Diamonds, she had instantly come to the conclusion that Juno was trying to lead her to. She had spoken with the Four of Diamonds many times before. These were mostly attempts to trade or buy the card off of the woman. However, no matter how much she offered, the attempts were fruitless.

Four of Diamonds was too stubborn.

Zelia had thought of challenging her to a duel multiple times in the past. However, each time, Four of Diamonds had paid her off, dodging her attempts. To stave off the abuse of the 'dueling' system, the Joker had placed a limit on how many duel offers could be submitted per year, and Zelia had used all of hers.

"You want to start the process of helping each other grow stronger?" Zelia questioned the merchant. "Shylock, do you think we can begin so soon?"

"I think we can. After all, the target is only a fourth-Arisen, a Practitioner."

"Isn't that a little too cruel? All of us attacking her at once, isn't it a little too much? Any one of us could duel her and win easily. She's a fourth-Arisen, not a God." Cartwell objected, too pure of heart to imagine such a thing.

"So we won't kill her."

"Let's talk about it at our next meeting." Lumière manipulated the illusion around his face once more, his hair returning to its normal oak-brown colour.

"When will that be?" Juno asked impatiently.

'Wow, he's in a mood. He seems the easiest to aggravate, despite his usually calm demeanor. I'll need to manipulate him into trusting Ophelia with his life somehow. But something tells me he's not going to be easy to crack.'

Lumière looked at each and every member of the Mythos Garden, smiling warmly. "Mr. Ophelia proposes that this become a weekly occurrence. However, he wishes to know how you feel about this."

"I think it's fine. The sooner, the better." Juno replied.

Nicole nodded his head in agreement. "I think these meetings are quite fun. You all talk about really interesting things. I would like to have them more often."

Hearing Nicole's words, Zelia's face lit up excitedly. She couldn't help but smile. "I agree. It's quite fun to meet with you all!"

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

'Apart from certain… terrifying things…' She lamented inwardly.

"I have no objection to it." Cartwell nodded his head in agreement with Zelia.

Lumière clapped his hands together. "Then, seeing how it's Wednesday, let's make it a matter to meet at noon every Wednesday, during everyone's lunch hour. This way, there will be no suspicion from any of your colleagues or friends as to where you're disappearing to."

"Ah, it will look like we're just going out for lunch!" Nicole exclaimed excitedly, grasping onto Lumière's point.

Lumière laughed aloud. "Precisely! Good deduction, little mage."

Watching the two interact, Zelia felt a bit odd. For a long time, she had grown to have a mixed perception about Lumière Croft, the One of Spades. It was the case that at times, he would act a little crazy. She had come to know that this was just a facade he portrayed in order to stave off the greed of the House of Cards, and to give off a cold demeanor that would disallow attempts to mess with him. In reality, in private, he was a gentle man, or at least he chose to portray such.

It made Zelia's heart stir a bit. The way he acted reminded her of someone. It reminded her of a kind man she had once loved. A kind man who she sought revenge for.

As she lost herself in thought, she didn't realise that the rest of the Mythos Garden had stood up from their seats, adjusting their jackets and preparing to leave.

"Alright then." Lumière spoke abruptly, standing up in his seat. Seemingly out of thin air, he conjured a magician's top hat, affixing it to his head, before stepping forward. "I'll be seeing you all."

Slowly, it began to feel more and more like a cooperation between them. He knew that by introducing his identity as 'Lumière Croft' into the mix, he could become a bit more personable, and be able to work with them easily. He bit at his lip, his annoyance resurfacing, remembering the cringey facade he had to portray.

"May the garden flourish." He spoke bitterly.

The room echoed with the same sentiment.

"May the garden flourish."

=== In the main Cathedral of the Crown of Thorns, middle borough, Leiden. ===

Ainsworth felt his nerves tense up with each passing moment. A grandfather clocked ticked in the distance, signaling that much. Sweat had began to bead on his forehead, and he had to take a deep breath just to make sure he hadn't forgotten to fill his lungs with air.

He stood before several figures in a room decorated with ornate stained-glass portraiture. They were the upper brass of the Church of the Crown of Thorns, and of Heaven's Roses.

The higher structure of the Church of the Crown of Thorns worked closely with Heaven's Roses. When it came to the orthodoxy, Ainsworth was only a Priest. This was uncommon for members of Heaven's Roses, who were also tasked with running the services of a Church. His low orthodox rank was due to two reasons.

The first was that he had been promoted within Heaven's Roses far too quick to simultaneously go through the hoops necessary to become a Bishop of the church. The second was that as far as the upper brass of Heaven's Roses saw him, he wasn't a necessity. The monastery on Cobbler's Street was one of few churches associated with the Crown of Thorns.

While the scripture of their Goddess preached goodwill towards the poor, the same view was not necessarily shared by her highest-ranking servants, ironically.

Then again, Ainsworth Benedict was an anomaly within the church. It wasn't the case that someone so new to the magical world could ascend the ranks of Heaven's Roses so quickly.

That was because among the upper brass, there was a particular figure that had been keeping an eye on Ainsworth, guiding his progress steadily, as if building him into a better person.

He stood before that figure now.

The man dressed in an ornate white cloak had short black hair parted on both sides of his head, and his eyes were enveloped in dark rings of fatigue. He was a mess of a man, but also quite obviously a powerful man.

It was the Archangel of the Crown of Thorns, Selaphiel.

The Archangels of the Church weren't ordinary people, but they weren't out of reach, either. They were the strongest of the members of Heaven's Roses, and their titles within the Church's Orthodoxy coincided.

They were at the peak of the Ascendance boundary, usually either a ninth or tenth-Arisen. This was far above what Ainsworth could muster. It means that they were veterans of the labyrinth respective to the Domain of Magic they used, ones who had survived its torment many more times than any other.

The Labyrinth was a special sort of place, one that became inviting the more that one traversed it. The first few times, the same amount of times Ainsworth had been inside, it would seem easy. Dangerous, surely, but easy nonetheless. It was almost like a living being- taunting you to seek more and more power. However, it was known to be a trap.

This time, it would definitely become extremely dangerous for him.

"I need to get stronger." Ainsworth spoke directly to Selaphiel, ignoring the others that stood in the room, two Cardinals responsible for the main Cathedral.

"Do you not feel strong enough, Mr. Benedict?"

He ignored Selaphiel's comment. "Why did you allow me to become a Red Rose? Straight from the jump, no less. You broke so many rules to do something that has never had historical precedence. Why?"

"I saw a man that would be driven to accomplish things. I feel that Heaven's Roses lacks conviction. Your conviction was proven when you chose to face the Labyrinth three times in one night. Honestly, I couldn't tell whether you were a fool, or a genius." Selaphiel smiled deviously. "You know it, don't you? In the same way that a Blue Rose will command White Roses, and Red Roses will command Blues, we Archangels command the Red Rose Teams. That is what I want you to become."

"Truly?"

Selaphiel nodded his head. "Yes, but you won't be allowed to become an Archangel until you reach the peak of the Ascendance Boundary, at least a Ninth-Boundary Arisen."

'I'll have to become a Master in order to become an Archangel? Is the bar really that high? Is Mr. Selaphiel really this strong?' Previously, Ainsworth had assumed that in order to become an Archangel, he would have to climb much higher. However, he also knew that Heaven's Roses was experiencing a lack of manpower due to the uprising of Nameless, and the unfortunate casualties that proceeded such an event. 'If I were to stay within the labyrinth all night tonight, couldn't I make it that far using sheer willpower? No, I'll need to come back and grow more adept with my newfound abilities before trying to Arise higher, otherwise I risk death. I cannot be greedy.'

"Then, I'm ready to face it once more."