The reply from the church came swiftly.
By the next day, the official opinion on the matter had already been sent to the Night Watchers squad in the West Borough.
The higher-ups approved the plan to use a fake Follower of the Stars to lure out the ill-intentioned figures hiding in the shadows. The Red Gloves squad would cooperate with the operation, joined as well by members of the Mandated Punishers.
They aimed to use this opportunity to deliver a harsh blow to those arrogant troublemakers, to make an example of them, to strike fear into the rest.
To restore peace to Backlund, or at least to curb this growing wave of senseless slaughter.
As for who would disguise themselves as the false Follower of the Stars, the newly joined Red Glove, Leonard, was indeed a fitting candidate. However, his own consent had to be sought; he could not be forced.
"I am willing to accept this mission."
Leonard, the one involved, spoke solemnly, accepting this seemingly perilous assignment.
"Good. The very reason our Red Gloves squad was founded was to handle the Church's most difficult Beyonder incidents. Every member must carry the resolve to sacrifice themselves at any time in order to protect all."
The Red Gloves captain patted Leonard on the shoulder, clearly satisfied with his attitude.
Though the upper management had said he couldn't be forced, in truth, once someone backed out of such a mission, there would always be those who whispered behind their backs.
The Red Gloves would never allow one of their members to cower out of fear.
"Captain, I'll make sure to complete this mission perfectly." Leonard smiled brightly.
His purpose in coming to Backlund was to start anew, to bid farewell once and for all to his childish, weak, and useless self.
He no longer wanted to be someone waiting to be saved, but to become a hero capable of protecting others, like his old captain, Dunn Smith.
After the plan was finalized, Leonard went out for a bit of air.
"You really dare to take on any job that's thrown your way." The familiar voice echoed within Leonard's mind once more.
"Old man, don't you think it's cool to become someone who carries everyone's expectations and hopes?"
"Heh. You think you're the Hanged Man now?"
"What does this have to do with the Hanged Man?" Leonard frowned in confusion.
"The Stars represent the unknown. Even if His believers truly operate in Backlund, a mere Sequence 7 like you wouldn't be able to deal with them."
"Relax, old man. I'm just bait. Once we lure those hiding in the dark, I'll leave safely."
"What makes you think that killing someone would require them to reveal themselves first?"
"..."
"Backlund's waters run deep, very deep. A Sequence 7 like you is no more than a drop falling into the ocean, not even qualified to become a wave."
Leonard stayed silent for a while, then laughed. "Old man, you're starting to sound more and more concerned about me."
"Of course. If you die, how would I seize your body?"
"Old man, I already believe you don't mean me any harm…"
"That only makes you look even dumber."
"..."
Leonard fell quiet. Back in Tingen, he'd always been on guard against the old man, and that paranoia had slowed his advancement, leaving him powerless to change the outcome.
When the old man called him stupid, he admitted it.
But now in Backlund, he truly believed the old man bore him no malice, yet he was still called stupid.
"Tsundere old man," Leonard muttered as his final comment.
After clearing his head, Leonard returned to the Red Gloves to discuss how best to play the part of a Follower of the Stars, what cooperation was needed, how to bait the hidden enemies, and so on.
...
Late at night, Klein returned to the house he rented in the Cherwood Borough after another busy day.
It was quite a distance from the Night Watchers' office in the West Borough.
Originally, he'd wanted to live there to save the commute, but after seeing the rent prices, he quietly gave up and chose Cherwood instead.
For the same kind of house, the rent difference was like that between a hotel and a one room apartment, and food was also much cheaper.
By living here, his housing and meal allowances even left him with a small surplus. If he'd stayed in the West Borough, a third of his weekly salary would've gone just to make ends meet.
As for the commute, he could take a public carriage, 4 pence one way, plus a 200-meter walk.
That made 8 pence a day, 4 Soli a week for six days of work.
Aside from wasting some time, everything here was far better.
"I really need to earn more money…" Klein thought about whether he could save enough within six months to buy a house.
After all, he too wished to own a home in this grand city of Backlund, ideally a detached house with its own garden.
When Benson and Melissa came to Backlund, they'd have a real home here.
"Half a year… that's a bit unrealistic."
He sighed at how hard it was to earn money, glanced at the clock, past nine already, and went to bathe before sleeping.
After his bath, just as he was about to fall asleep, his spirituality alerted him: someone was praying to the Fool.
"This late? Who could it be,, the Little Sun?"
Klein entered above the gray fog and looked toward the faintly glowing light. It wasn't Justice, the Hanged Man, or the Little Sun, but a completely unfamiliar person.
Strange. The Fool's honorific name should only be known to those three, right?
How could someone else know it, and be praying to him at this hour?
Perhaps the Fool once left traces in this world?
Klein thought of his own transmigration, even he had once bought books containing the Fool's name from a street stall. Maybe it wasn't so strange for someone in this world to know it too.
Just like with the Little Sun, his prayer had startled Klein as well.
Another potential member of the Tarot Club?
Klein didn't summon her right away. He had to observe first, to avoid accidents.
Through the gray fog, his gaze fixed on the praying figure: a woman, brow furrowed, clearly troubled.
"Great Fool, almighty Lord of the Gray Fog, yellow and black King of Fortune, I beseech Your merciful gaze, grant me the luck to overcome my illness."
"Great Fool, almighty Lord of the Gray Fog, yellow and black King of Fortune, I need Your help, Your salvation, Your mercy."
"Great Fool, almighty Lord of the Gray Fog, yellow and black King of Fortune, only You can ease my pain, erase my misfortune, and change my fate."
...
Klein listened for a long while. The woman kept repeating variations of the same phrases, sounding quite sincere.
But from the looks of her, she seemed perfectly healthy. Not at all like someone gravely ill.
Could it be that she was in her final moments, just glowing before death? Klein lampooned and looked closer, no, she was genuinely healthy, not a dying person.
"I'll leave it for now. Maybe she just wants a bit of good fortune to make her life better."
He decided not to respond, simply marking her for later observation.
...
No response. Looks like I'll have to try harder next time.
After twenty minutes of praying, Fors felt slightly dejected. Maybe her acting had been too exaggerated and the Fool saw through it?
Yes, before such a mysterious being, her performance must have been terribly poor. Next time, she'd have to change her lines, and even her outfit and expression, to look more convincing.
As she was mulling this over, Xio's voice came from outside, calling her name. Fors got out of bed.
"Why were you holed up in your room for so long again?" Xio complained.
"It's nothing, I was just memorizing some book knowledge."
"Memorizing… knowledge?!"
Xio's voice rose several pitches, her face shocked. "You, of all people, studying hard? Has the sun started rising from the west?"
"Can't I be diligent for once?"
"No, you're absolutely not the Fors I know!"
"..."
Fors couldn't be bothered to argue. Instead, she asked, "So, did something happen? Why'd you suddenly come back?"
"Actually, yes, something big."
Xio's grin faded, replaced by a serious expression. "A Follower of the Stars has appeared!"
"???"
Fors's mind went blank. A Follower of the Stars, in Backlund?
"It's true, I'm not joking."
"I just find it odd. Where did you hear that from?"
"The news has already spread across the Beyonder circles. Supposedly, the Night Watchers discovered a Follower of the Stars and chased him all the way through the city, but he still managed to escape. His whereabouts are now unknown."
"Is that information reliable? Something feels off to me."
"Relax. We don't need to care whether it's true or not. We'll just sit at home and watch the show."
"As long as you're not involved," Fors sighed in relief. But in her mind, she was already debating whether she should report all this to the Sovereign of the Stars tonight, both the matter of the Follower of the Stars and the prayer to the fool.
Both were too important to ignore.