"Cough, cough, cough..."
Three days had passed since Klein had been forced off the ship by Mr. A and boarded this new vessel.
On the first day aboard, the mental strain he had been forcing himself to endure finally reached its limit, and he fell seriously ill.
Only today had he recovered considerably. Looking at his noticeably changed reflection in the mirror, he silently made a decision.
He would begin a new journey under a new identity. The former Klein needed to rest. At the very least, he should not appear again for quite some time.
There were simply too many things that could not be explained.
For example, how had he survived the Bansy Harbor incident?
The Lord of Storms had descended and destroyed Bansy Harbor. There was no reason he should have survived.
And after surviving? Was he supposed to say that he had been stranded on a deserted island, only to be rescued by Mr. A and the Angel of Fate, Ouroboros?
And that he had even encountered a mysterious figure who was suspected to be the True Creator?
Not only had they not killed him, they had even let him leave? Could anyone really believe such a story?
If he hadn't experienced it himself, he wouldn't have believed an explanation with so many unbelievable parts.
Most importantly, his identity was destined to attract enemies in the future. It would be better to distance himself from Benson and Melissa beforehand, so they wouldn't be implicated in the end.
Klein's death would leave them with a generous death compensation.
At least that would provide some security for their future.
If an opportunity arose later, he could visit them in Backlund.
"Mr. World... Gehrman Sparrow. This will be my new identity from now on."
Klein murmured to his reflection.
To better play the role of Gehrman Sparrow, he needed to change his appearance. His naturally refined, scholarly look was clearly unsuitable.
After making his decision, he actually felt much lighter.
He couldn't help recalling what that mysterious person had said after he drew The Fool card that night.
"The Fool... a new beginning, a new journey."
Had all of this already been destined?
Fate... It was always something worthy of awe.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
Someone knocked on the door.
Klein casually ruffled his hair before opening it.
The visitor was the captain's first mate.
The man was enormous, nearly two meters tall, and spoke in a deep, booming voice.
"The captain said that the sea doesn't feed idle people. Your health has mostly recovered, so it's time you paid something in return for the care you've received. That's a perfectly reasonable request."
Klein nodded with a smile.
"I'll pay sufficient compensation. It's only a small token of gratitude for such kindness."
Satisfied with the answer, the large man immediately had someone bring Klein another bowl of nourishing fish soup mixed with medicinal herbs.
Klein had always been grateful to this ship and its crew.
When he had been gravely ill, they hadn't thrown him into the sea to feed the fish. Instead, they had taken care of him until he recovered.
Only today had they finally mentioned compensation. That already made them exceptionally kind people.
He was willing to bet that if he had ended up in Mr. Hanged Man's hands, he would probably have been thrown into the sea on the second day after boarding.
While Klein was thinking, a commotion suddenly erupted outside.
The entire deck began trembling slightly. Ignoring the fact that he hadn't fully recovered, Klein hurried toward the crowd to see what had happened.
"Pirates!"
"Pirates are coming!"
The people aboard panicked.
On the sea, one of the most terrifying things was encountering pirates. They were far more deadly than raging storms.
Klein's heart sank.
His luck really wasn't very good.
After only a brief hesitation, he headed for the captain's cabin and informed the captain that he was willing to help resist the pirates.
The captain patted him on the shoulder.
"Good. I didn't save the wrong man. Kind people deserve rewards worthy of their kindness."
Klein reaffirmed his willingness before leaving the captain's cabin.
Standing on the deck with the armed sailors, he watched several pirate ships approaching.
"That's the Blue Avenger!" Someone in the crowd cried out in alarm.
Unconcealed fear appeared on his face. The panic spread even further.
After asking a sailor who recognized the Blue Avenger, Klein learned about its reputation.
Rumor had it that the Blue Avenger was a ghost ship. Anyone who fell into its hands would become an eternally enslaved ghost, unable to find release even in death.
Klein's expression became even more solemn.
Looking at the sailors, whose fighting spirit had nearly vanished, he wondered whether he should sneak aboard and eliminate the Blue Avenger's captain, ending the crisis that way.
Just as he made up his mind, his eyes suddenly fell upon the figure standing at the front of the Blue Avenger.
The man had sharply defined features, a rugged face, bronze-colored skin, and deep blue hair that seemed perfectly suited to the sea.
He didn't look like someone from Loen.
Instead, he resembled the colonial peoples living near the Desi Bay.
"Why does he look so much like Mr. Hanged Man?"
The longer Klein looked, the more familiar the man seemed. It was almost effortless to match him with Mr. Hanged Man.
After thinking for a moment, Klein left the deck and headed to the washroom.
Walking four steps backward, he arrived above the gray fog.
Focusing on the crimson star representing Mr. Hanged Man, he observed his surroundings.
Only then did Klein become completely certain.
The captain of the Blue Avenger was Mr. Hanged Man.
He let out a sigh of relief.
At least there would be no bloodshed today. After briefly considering his next move, he returned to reality.
Before the battle broke out, he would persuade Mr. Hanged Man to leave.
Klein found the captain and told him that he was confident he could convince the Blue Avenger to withdraw, asking him not to take any rash action first.
The captain looked at him suspiciously for a long while before finally nodding. Back when he had rescued Klein, he had already felt that this young man was anything but ordinary.
With the captain's trust secured, Klein boarded the Blue Avenger as the captain's representative to negotiate.
There, he met the cold and expressionless Mr. Hanged Man.
Looking at him deeply, Klein smiled faintly.
"Captain, may we speak privately?"
"We'll talk right here."
Alger showed him absolutely no courtesy.
"Very well." Klein sighed before continuing,
"A man who was accidentally stranded on a deserted island has finally been rescued and regained his freedom."
Alger frowned slightly.
He had no idea what this was about.
"But before that, he needed to thank two people. One kept feeding him all kinds of food, while the other taught him how to survive on the island."
This time, Alger finally understood.
His pupils contracted slightly. Somewhat incredulously, he asked,
"You are...?"
"Gehrman Sparrow."
"Some also call me... Mr. World."
At those words, Alger finally connected the man before him with the World from the Tarot Club.
Disbelief filled him.
Mr. World had only attended a single Tarot Gathering... Yet they had already crossed paths.
And it happened while his subordinates were in the middle of robbing a merchant ship.
"..." After remaining silent for quite a while, Alger ordered his men not to cause any trouble before leading Klein into the captain's cabin for a private conversation.
"Are you really World?"
"Mr. Hanged Man, I never expected to run into you at a time like this either."
Klein was just as surprised.
Only after hearing his Tarot Club codename spoken aloud did Alger finally accept Klein's identity.
"How did you recognize me?"
"I am a believer of Mr. Fool."
Klein gave the answer he had prepared long ago.
It was the easiest way to convince Alger that he meant no harm.
Alger was stunned at first. Then understanding dawned on him.
"So... Mr. Fool guided you here to find me?"
"No."
"What happened today was entirely an accident."
"It was fate that brought us together."
"Fate..." Alger's expression shifted.
In that brief instant, countless thoughts flashed through his mind.
Then he asked, "You came to ask me to leave?"
"The captain of that ship saved me."
"He's a good man."
Alger nodded. He stood up, walked outside, and ordered his crew to withdraw and let the merchant ship pass.
After settling the matter, Alger asked Klein where he planned to go next.
"I'd like to stay aboard your ship and rest for a while." As Klein spoke, he was seized by another violent coughing fit.
His face turned pale once again. Alger frowned slightly, but still agreed.
He immediately had a guest cabin prepared for Mr. World, Gehrman Sparrow.
Klein felt quite at ease around Mr. Hanged Man. With Mr. Fool watching over everything, no matter what happened, Alger would never harm him.
For now, he would serve as Klein's temporary protector upon the sea. Once he had fully recovered, Klein would leave.
Until then, he could also learn a thing or two about surviving at sea from Mr. Hanged Man.
...
Monday afternoon.
Klein and Alger exchanged a knowing glance before each returned to his own cabin.
Klein arrived above the gray fog first.
After creating the World, he summoned Alger and the others above the gray fog, beginning this week's Tarot Gathering.
Audrey looked toward World and said,
"Congratulations, Mr. World, on escaping the deserted island."
Deep down, however, she found it rather regrettable.
Feeding him had been quite enjoyable, almost like taking care of a much larger Susie.