Leonard finally couldn't hold back and spoke in a teasing tone, "Old Man, why don't you just move into your descendant's body? It seems like a perfect fit."
Pallez glanced at Leonard, letting out a soft chuckle but saying nothing.
Alaric, meanwhile, began to stammer.
"What's wrong? Don't you admire the Old Man? Not willing to have Him tag along?" Leonard noticed Alaric's reluctance and pressed further, his words laced with probing intent.
"I do admire Ancestor, but…" Alaric hesitated, casting a cautious glance at Pallez's shadow before turning back to Leonard. "I'm an adult now. I don't exactly want a guardian shadowing me every time I visit the lavatory."
Leonard's expression froze.
Alaric delivered another blow. "And if I start courting someone later, it wouldn't exactly be convenient."
Leonard's face stiffened further.
He hadn't thought deeply about this before, but now the awkward realization hit him. With Pallez around, could he even consider romance? Wouldn't everything be seen?
Did this mean, if Pallez stayed, he'd be single forever?
Pallez let out another chuckle. "Don't overthink it. Who'd want to bother with the scraps you call a physique? And with your personality, staying single for life wouldn't be surprising."
Leonard's face flushed red, whether from embarrassment or irritation.
Alaric watched the scene with a smile.
Ah, splendid. Another bit of my Joker potion digested.
"Dear Klein,
I hope this letter finds you well.
I recently returned to Backlund and combed through numerous ancient texts while consulting with some acquaintances. Through this, I uncovered new information about the Fool.
In legend, the Fool, worshipped by the Antigonus family, was their ancestor. Some records suggest a connection to the Blood Emperor of the Tudor Empire. Certain texts even claim the Fool was ennobled as a duke by the Blood Emperor, alongside the enigmatic Duke Amon and Duke Abraham.
I cannot confirm the truth of these accounts... perhaps they're mere tales... but they are astonishing nonetheless. The buried history of the Fourth Epoch seems to conceal many secrets we've yet to uncover.
Additionally, I learned that due to the Fool's influence, the Night Country has a peculiar custom. The people there do not bury their dead but place them in empty houses. By the next day, the bodies vanish, and the citizens firmly believe the departed have gone to serve in the divine kingdom.
Lastly, are you familiar with the mysterious powers of legend? It's inconvenient to discuss such matters in a letter, but if you're interested, we can talk in detail at our next meeting (P.S. I'm free every afternoon these days).
Your loyal friend,
Jack Jones"
After reading Alaric's letter from beginning to end, Klein set the paper down, his expression thoughtful.
Several days had passed since Klein's last meeting with Alaric, and his life had been quite eventful. He had advanced to Sequence 9 Seer, held the second Tarot Club meeting, joined the Diviner Club, worked with Leonard to resolve a kidnapping case, uncovered new clues about the Antigonus family's notebook, studied a wealth of professional knowledge under Old Neil, and even learned some unique expense-reporting tricks. Not a single day had been wasted.
Klein had kept the matter of the Antigonus family's half-Fool in the back of his mind, but as only a few days had passed, he felt it too soon to approach Jack Jones again. To his surprise, a letter from him arrived upon his return today.
Digesting the knowledge revealed in the letter, Klein's gaze lingered on its final lines.
'Mysterious powers'... does he mean the Beyonder pathways? Is Jack a Beyonder too? Klein mused, unsurprised. If Jack Jones was indeed a transmigrator from the same place as him, it made sense that he could read Emperor Roselle's diary, know of the Beyonder pathways, and perhaps even become a Beyonder himself.
What did surprise Klein was that Jack seemed ready to share information about Beyonder powers despite their brief acquaintance. Then again, given Jack's personality, it seemed fitting.
He's clearly never been roughed up by official Beyonders. Lucky for him, he met me. Otherwise, he might've been dragged off to the Chanis Gate and locked up, Klein thought with a mental scoff. Out of caution, he took out his crystal pendulum for a divination.
"Hiding Jack Jones's matters will bring me danger."
Repeating the statement three times, Klein divined the result: concealing Jack's affairs posed no threat.
Reassured, Klein glanced at his pocket watch. It was only three in the afternoon. After a moment's thought, he decided to meet Jack Jones.
He had a hunch that Jack might offer new insights into the Beyonder world.
Acting on impulse, Klein left home, took a trackless carriage, and arrived at the street he'd visited days before.
Knock, knock, knock...
As Klein rapped on the door, footsteps soon echoed from within. The door swung open, revealing Alaric.
"Jack, have you… not slept in days?" Klein asked, startled. The refined gentleman he'd met last time, impeccable from head to toe, now stood with disheveled hair, clearly uncombed. His clothes, though neat enough, were wrinkled, and dark circles shadowed his striking emerald eyes. He looked utterly exhausted.
"Not too bad... maybe three days?" Alaric yawned, ushering Klein inside and settling him on the sofa. "Klein, give me a moment to freshen up."
Klein had no objections. A few minutes later, Alaric returned, transformed into a presentable figure once more.
"Sorry for the wait." Alaric said, pouring Klein a cup of coffee and taking a large gulp from his own. "I've been caught up studying new knowledge these past few days."
He was speaking the truth. Since meeting Pallez, Alaric had little else on his plate beyond visiting Tingen University for routine matters, building favor with Azik, and meeting Pallez once more to confirm their cooperation. The rest of his time was consumed by studying the world's occult knowledge, particularly ritual magic, which had so engrossed him that he'd lost track of time and neglected his appearance.
***
Every 100 Power Stones and 5 Reviews will earn you a Bonus Chapter.
And if you want to read up to 50 chapters ahead, don't hesitate to visit our patron: pat reon . com / XElenea (remove space)