Above the Gray Fog, inside a Palace that resembled a Giant's Residence...
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
Silence prevailed in the vast, mysterious space... and with nothing else to do, Klein simply sank into his thoughts.
'Strange...' Klein mused. The tapping sounds—they're familiar.
They remined him of Zhou Mingrui. As strange as it is... it's the same rhythmic beat as that one time he'd played idly with Klein's pocket watch...
Mhm.
In the lingering silence, The Fool hummed softly, gathering their attention.
"Before we proceed with your business," 'He' says, "know that I am someone who values fair and equal exchange."
"Your help will not go unwarranted." 'He' smiles.
They blinked.
'Fair... and equal exchange?'
The Fool clasps 'His' hands together, nodding to 'Himself' as though in quiet agreement.
"... Since I've already permitted this gathering to continue as it is, we should establish a schedule, don't you think?"
Their hearts thudded in unison as they listened, spellbound, '... another gathering...'
They couldn't help but wonder. It's as surreal as it felt—and to experience it so vividly...
The Fool tapped the table in a steady rhythm, 'His' tone calm yet commanding.
"Every Monday at three in the Afternoon," 'He' said, leaning back in his chair with effortless ease.
"And if you cannot attend," The Fool trails off, "pray to me for a leave of absence."
Silence fell once more.
... Pray?
The same thought surged through all their minds simultaneously.
Pray!
The Fool smiled faintly, as if entertained. "My Honorific Name is as follows..."
The Fog churned. The tension thickening—pressing deep into their skin, seeping through flesh and bone, settling into their very veins.
An Honorific Name.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
The Fool waited for their racing hearts to settle before continuing, 'His' voice resonating like Divine Judgement.
"The Fool that doesn't belong to this Era;
The Mysterious Ruler above the Gray Fog;
The King of Yellow and Black who wields Good Luck."
In response to the echo of The Fool's voice, the surrounding Fog began to stir and surge...
... rippling as though recoiling from the Divinity woven into 'His' words.
A three-line Honorific Name...
Alger felt faint. He swallowed hard, his eyes drawn to the figure veiled in gray mist—only to jerk them away, trembling.
His thoughts raced. 'Had I done something offensive?' He replayed every action, every word in a panic, almost desperate to find no fault.
... Other than sharing knowledge with that noble girl, there shouldn't be anything...
...
To summon three people here with little to no resistance... this place that bends to 'His' will so flawlessly...
Alger's heart trembles, his throat constricting as though about to burst.
He reconsiders...
... could 'He' be lying?
The thought flashed without his permission, only for his blood to run cold.
'Do not pry,' Alger reminded himself.
'Do not pry into the affairs of the Divine.'
Across the table, Audrey's mouth hung agape before she snapped it shut, mortified by her own reaction. Her lips twitched helplessly.
She resisted the impulse to leap from her seat in giddy disbelief. Though she'd imagine many possibilities, never had she truly believed she would encounter the Divine itself.
For someone who'd grown up hearing tales of miracles and mysteries... this moment is a dream come true.
And after witnessing even a fraction of The Fool's power, she harbored not a single doubt about 'His' authenticity.
Meanwhile, Klein's mind went blank—completely blank.
'A three-line Honorific Name...' he repeated numbly. 'So there are Gods mortals can reach...'
Then it hit him—his earlier recklessness, touching those 'stars' without hesitation. Klein's face drained itself of color.
'I'm going to get smote... smote...' Klein gulped nervously, then immediately reconsiders, '... but maybe The Fool didn't mind my trespasses...?' he tries.
'If I'm still sitting here—panicking, yes... but fortunately still alive—then... maybe 'He's' forgiven me already...?'
Klein's mind wanders.
'Good luck.'
The phrase echoes in Klein's head. 'Is Good Luck the same as Blessings...?'
Then realization struck like lightning.
'Zhou Mingrui!' Klein screamed inwardly, on the verge of tears. 'Your ritual has contacted a Deity!'
Klein could curse, but he wouldn't dare in the Kingdom of a God. 'And you said your world had no Deities!'
"You may continue," The Fool urged with a wave of his hand, seemingly unconcerned by the bewildered—perhaps even blasphemous—thoughts.
'He' tapped the bronze table lightly, the sound echoing in the stillness.
Humming, "from what I gathered... you're in a middle of a trade?"
That simple question pulled them out of their daze. Audrey and Alger exchanged hesitant gazes before cautiously reigniting their conversation.
"... For the... authenticity of the exchange," Alger began, his voice trembling slightly. He cleared his throat and continued more evenly, "you and I can be assured that it will not be tampered with—under the witness of The Fool."
Audrey nodded in agreement, finding nothing wrong with his reasoning. "That's right." After all, The Fool is undoubtedly an authoritative witness.
'How could I—or even the man in front of me—possibly dare to deceive 'Him'?' she thought, settling the matter into her heart.
"Honorable Mr. Fool," Audrey says respectfully, rising to her feet and offering a graceful curtsy.
"Would you permit us the liberty of requesting you to be the witness of our trade?"
The Fool inclined 'His' head slightly, a serene smile curving 'His' lips—as it always did, as it always has.
"It's nothing." Go on, is what they read.
"It's our honor, Mr. Fool," Alger says, standing up quickly. He places his right hand over his chest and bowed deeply.
Klein, uncertain of what to do, awkwardly followed their lead, bowing with a stiff, nervous motion.
The Fool lowered 'His' right hand and tapped the table just once. 'His' tone was calm yet final.
"You may proceed."
"... If you manage to obtain the Ghost Shark's blood, have someone deliver it to the Warrior and Sea Bar on Pelican Street in the White Rose Borough of Pritz Harbor."
Alger paused.
"... Tell the Boss, Williams, that it's what the 'Captain' ordered."
'Warrior and Sea Bar... Pelican Street... White Rose Borough... Pritz Harbor,' Klein repeats thoughtfully.
'A Captain... Piracy, perhaps?'
Klein paused.
'... There are such things?'
Alger continued evenly. "Once I acknowledge receipt, will you give me an address to mail the potion formula to, or do you want me to recite it to you now?"
Audrey paused, considering, then smiled. "I'll choose the more secure method. Tell me here..." she pursed her lips, "though it will be a test of my memory."
It's at that moment they heard the rhythmic tapping of Mr. Fool's hand. They instinctively straightened their backs, facing towards the Seat of Honor reverently.
The Fool smiled. "As witness of this trade," 'He' began, "I shall bestow upon you the means of 'physical transfer'."
Bestow.
Physical transfer.
...
'... Mr. Fool offering aid...?'
Both Audrey and Alger exclaimed inwardly, their thoughts unknowingly overlapping with each other in apparent disbelief.
"In this regard," The Fool continued calmly, "sacrifice the blood upon me, and I will deliver it to the other party."
...
Sacrifice...?
Deliver...?
Is this considered blasphemous...?
If she could, Audrey would have covered her mouth in shock.
Alger sat frozen, the words reverberating in his skull. His hearbeat went thud, thud, thud.
Klein's mind went blank.
After a moment, Audrey gathered herself. "That would be..." Her voice trembled before she coughed softly to steady it. "That would be greatly appreciated, Mr. Fool."
She hesitated, then ventured. "May I ask... how should we sacrifice the blood?"
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
"Prepare an altar," The Fool explained, patient and even. "It need not to be elaborate or ornate."
Through the otherworldly density of the Fog, they could feel 'His' gaze—palpable, immense, pressing.
"All that is necessary will be my Symbol."
All three of them froze. Shock after shock, after shock—they feared their hearts might truly burst under the weight of awe and disbelief.
'Is this what they call a bombshell...' Klein thought. 'This is no ordinary bombshell... this is a Nuclear Bombshell,' he settles with faux calm.
...
'I need a shower,' Klein thought absurdly, before mentally slapping himself.
Before Audrey could muster up the courage to ask what the Symbol looked like, a soft glow bloomed in the air before them.
A hovering screen of light appeared, Its shifting brilliance reflected in their wide eyes.
The strokes slowly took form; a strange, pupil-less eye that sank downward into a web of contorted lines.
It's identical to the constellation-like symbol engraved at the back of Mr. Fool's chair.
Instinctively, Alger's gaze flicked to the back of the other gentleman's seat—the one who had remained silent all this time.
'It's exactly the same,' Alger realized. Just what is this fellow's relationship with Mr. Fool?
(... Klein has the urge to sneeze, but he held it back resolutely...)
The Fool tapped the table again, still with a faint smile on his lips. "As for the matter of memory—" Audrey visibly twitched before she reigned it in, mortified.
The Fool's smile widened even more, amusement glimmering in his tone. "If you cannot remember, simply pray to me. Then, you will remember."
'This is too much blessings, isn't it?' Klein thought helplessly. 'Is Mr. Fool the Immortal Lord of Heaven and Earth for Blessings?'
Then Klein frowned. 'No... the Honorific Names don't quite match. Could Gods also have multiple ones?'
Blinking in confusion, Audrey scrambled to gather her thoughts, silently reciting Mr. Fool's Honorific Name over and over—not necessarily to understand them, but simply to etch them into memory.
Even so, she did not hesitate to rise from her seat to curtsy at 'The Fool that does not belong to this Era'.
"Thank you Mr. Fool," she says softly, leading the two gentlemen to also rise from their seats to offer their gratitude.
Mr. Fool responds gently, "you are welcome."
"Honorable Mr. Fool," Audrey calls out hesitantly. "Due to the nature of this gathering... would it be alright to give ourselves our own call signs?"
'Since after all,' Audrey thought, 'it might be dangerous for these two gentlemen to actually know my real identity...'
Mr. Fool nods. "Of course," 'He' says with ease.
After a brief moment of contemplation, Audrey brightened, her eyes alight with inspiration. "You are Mr. Fool, which is derived from the Tarot Cards," she reasoned aloud.
"Then, I'll also choose one from the Major Arcana."
A delighted smile spreads across her face as she declared, "I've decided—my designation shall be Justice!"
Mr. Fool smiles, warm.
Audrey turned towards the two gentlemen with a certain glint in her eye, curious and thrilled. 'I wonder what they'll choose...'
Alger was already deep in thought. After a short pause, he lifted his head and said steadily, "then I will be The Hanged Man."
Mr. Fool nods, imperceptible.
Eyes bore into Klein, equal parts curiosity and intensity. As a mere History Graduate just a day ago, he was not accustomed to being scrutinized by a group of strangers.
Especially one that is accompanied by a God.
Still, Klein considers. 'What could it be?'
"If it's difficult," Mr. Fool says, casually summoning a deck of cards, "you can always choose like this."
With a flick of 'His' fingers, they flew in front of Klein.
Mr. Fool grins. "Choose one."
A deck of cards lay neatly arranged in symmetrical threes upon the table. As Klein gazed at them, a peculiar sense of deja vu stirred within him.
If this were a divination, the spread would surely signify 'Past, Present, and Future.'
Following that thought—and perhaps on a mere impulse—Klein reached for the card on the left. It mirrored Zhou Mingrui's earlier choice on the right.
Past and Future. A reflection of one another. Utterly unreasonable, and yet, somehow fitting.
"The World," Klein announced.
Mr. Fool taps the table once, seemingly on instinct, and Klein is now officially known as 'The World'.
He honestly doesn't know what to think about it actually. But that's fine. Everything has been quite unpredictable lately, and what could Klein do but merely accept it?
"Alright!" Ms. Justice clapped her hands happily. "Then we can be considered the Founding Members of the Tarot Club!"
She announces, her voice bubbling with excitement—only to freeze mid-celebration as realization struck. Shrinking, she looks at 'The Mysterious Ruler above the Gray Fog'.
"... Will that be alright, Mr. Fool?"
The Fool's smile deepened, soft and amused. "I quite like the name," he reassures.
Ms. Justice exhaled in visible relief. "It would be my honor, Mr. Fool."
Glancing at 'His' newly-made Tarot Club, Mr. Fool opens a hand to the table, and says gently, "beyond the purpose of conducting trade, perhaps these gatherings could also serve as a place to share knowledge."
Mr. World blinked. For some reason, he feels as if something ominous is coming. '... No matter,' he says lifelessly to himself.
'My worldview has been shattered the moment I shot myself anyway.'
"What a wonderful idea!" Ms. Justice exclaims, grinning like a child who has been given free sweets. Thump, thump, thump.
'He didn't specify that the knowledge was to be shared only among us...' Alger thoughts stirred restlessly.
'Could he be implying that he might grant us knowledge himself?'
He lifted his gaze towards the Seat of Honor, awe flickering in his eyes, before bowing his head deeply. "We thank you for your generosity, Mr. Fool."
Sincerely, Mr. World and Ms. Justice followed after him.
Humming softly, Ms. Justice's thoughts trailed off to another one of her curiosities before she turned to Mr. Hanged Man.
"I heard that the Tarot Cards were invented by Emperor Roselle as a sort of game," she says. "But isn't it said that they also hold the power to Divine the Future?"
Mr. World perks up, interested.
"No," Mr. Hanged Man replies. "Most of the time, divination comes from within. Everyone carries a spark of spirituality within themselves, something that allows them to attune to the unseen world and connect with knowledge about their own being on a higher level."
"Everyone's destiny can only be unraveled by themselves." Zhou Mingrui had said. Mr. World frowns.
Mr. Hanged Man continues. "But ordinary people rarely notice this—let alone understand the 'signs' they receive. That's where divination tools come in; they make these messages visible."
He paused, then added, "take dreams, for example—and those who interpret them."
Mr. World hums. "... Tarot Cards are one such tool."
Oh?
Mr. Hanged Man and Ms. Justice startles at the sound of The World's voice, having not expected him to speak while they conversed.
(... Mr. Fool stills, then relaxes, listening...)
Mr. Hanged Man inclines his head in agreement. "Yes, they rely on symbols and structured logic to help us interpret those signs more clearly and precisely."
Ms. Justice nods, her expression thoughtful. "I heard that Emperor Roselle once created another set of cards... secret, mysterious ones..."
"... Paper cards imbued with power unknown to most. There were twenty-two in total. Later in life, he referenced them to create the twenty-two Major Arcana Tarot Cards, which are now used as a gaming tool."
Ms. Justice stares at The Hanged Man with an inquiring gaze.
"Is that correct?"
Mr. World carefully considers the freely given information. 'I didn't realize Tarot Cards had such history...'
'Indeed, if the extraordinary is as carefully concealed as it appears... then surely 'those in the know' will no doubt keep it that way...'
"It is said," Mr. Hanged Man explains, "that Emperor Roselle glimpsed the Blasphemy Slate. Those paper cards contain the profound mysteries of the twenty-two Paths of the Divine."
Mr. World's mind races. 'Paths of the Divine? Are Divine Beings like Beyonders?'
He shakes the thought off. 'Reign it in... reign it in...'
Mr. Hanged Man glances towards the elusive figure on the Seat of Honor, lips thinning. Should he ask?
Sensing his stare, Mr. Fool responds, indulgent as a patient teacher. "They are also known as the Cards of Blasphemy."
Cards of Blasphemy? They echoed uncertainly.
"Their obscurity is deliberate—each card is imbued with formidable anti-prophecy and anti-divination abilities." Mr. Fool finishes.
Alger's thoughts seized at the revelation, then surged again as his heart hammers in his chest. 'Through this gathering... I might finally learn what is normally forbidden.'
'Blasphemy,' mused The World, intrigued. 'An interesting choice of words...'
"Why Blasphemy?" he murmurs.
Mr. Fool's gaze brushes over him, fleeting yet lingering long enough to unsettle.
With a low, knowing chuckle, Mr. Fool says, "is it not blasphemous to seek to replace the Gods?"
Mr. World blinks, a thought lodging in his mind. 'Not only can Gods be contacted, but they can also be... replaced? Is that what 'He' means?'
"Alright," Mr. Fool announces, "that concludes today's gathering."
"... By your will," Mr. Hanged Man bows. Ms. Justice and Mr. World follows after him absentmindedly.
"Let us look forward to the next one," Mr. Fool adds as he reassured their uneasiness.
The 'stars' brightened, a crimson light receding like water. Just as Mr. Hanged Man and Ms. Justice heard the parting words, their figures blurred, phasing away.
In an instant, the gray fog reclaimed its silence.
(... Then Klein falls...)
.
.
.
... "Perhaps 'We' had influenced each other, to some extent..."
...
... the void shatters, and Zhou Mingrui felt darkness swallow 'him' once more...
...
... and he falls... and falls... and falls...
Zhou Mingrui's surroundings blurred, melting into a swirl of colors, before gradually fading into the muted glow of the mid-morning sky.
He was still in the center of the apartment.
"That felt like a dream..." he murmured. "That misty world... what were those—"
(... images...)
Those—
A weary sigh slipped from Zhou Mingrui's lips. "So, I didn't really make it back home, huh."
"No," Klein says softly, "where were you though? I didn't see you at the gathering..."
Zhou Mingrui perked. "Gathering, you said?"
Klein quiets.
Then.
"Your ritual seems to have contacted a Deity," the History Graduate accused. "What are your thoughts about it?"
Huh?
Notes: