Alaric wasn't surprised by Klein's words. He merely flashed a delighted expression at the right moment. "As expected! So, you're a Seer too?"
Klein had grown accustomed to Alaric's bluntness and startling remarks. Hearing his identity called out didn't shock him as much as he'd expected. He nodded. "I am indeed a Seer."
After "admitting" His connection to the Fool, there was no need to hide this.
But… Klein glanced at Alaric suspiciously, testing the waters. "Too?"
He hadn't missed Alaric's choice of words.
"That's right, I'm a Seer as well." Alaric declared without hesitation.
Klein's mouth twitched. He studied Alaric, probing cautiously, "Why did you choose to become a Seer?"
"My family is one of those ancient Beyonder lineages, though it's fallen on hard times. Still, the younger generation can choose between Marauder, Seer, or Apprentice pathways. I took a liking to Seer." Alaric said without so much as a blink.
No wonder you've dug up so much information… Klein's expression turned odd as realization dawned. "Is it alright to tell me all this?"
"No problem at all... you're a good person!" Alaric waved dismissively, grinning. "Besides, I divined it. You're not the type to sell me out."
Klein's thoughts flashed to the divination he'd performed before leaving, and his mood grew complex.
Alaric, who had been deliberately teasing, let his smile fade into a serious expression. "Truth be told, I suspect there's something off about those dukes tied to the Blood Emperor in the Fourth Epoch."
"What do you mean?" Klein asked, puzzled.
"I have a friend in Backlund who's likely connected to the Abraham family. From what I know, she's afflicted by a full moon curse... and it's not just her. The entire Abraham family seems to suffer from it." Alaric explained. "As for that Duke Amon… He's definitely not good news." He let a wary expression cross his face.
"Do you have a grudge against Amon?" Klein asked tentatively.
"It's not about me holding a grudge... there's something inherently wrong with Amon. If you ever encounter someone who seems like Amon, run immediately. He loves snacking on Beyonders from the Seer, Marauder, and Apprentice pathways." Alaric said, his tone growing grave. "Oh, and Amon's trademark is a monocle. If you see someone wearing one, just run."
"Noted. Thanks for the heads-up, Jack." Klein said, committing Alaric's words to memory. Though unsure of their truth, his wariness of Amon had spiked considerably.
Still, questions nagged at him. Looking at Alaric, he couldn't help but ask, "What pathway is Amon on, and why does He target Beyonders from the Seer, Apprentice, and Marauder pathways?"
"Amon is a Marauder." Alaric explained, then blinked at Klein. "As for why He targets Seers, Apprentices, and Thieves, it's likely because these three pathways are adjacent… Uh, do you know what adjacent pathways are?"
Klein shook his head honestly.
At this stage, Klein was still a novice Beyonder, unaware of concepts like Beyonder characteristics or their deeper mechanics.
"You don't know? Hmm, I can't just teach this kind of knowledge carelessly…" Alaric feigned hesitation, eyeing Klein. After a few seconds, he finally revealed his hand. "Alright, how about this? Call me 'Teacher.' If we're master and apprentice, I can teach you this without breaking any rules."
"Oh, and if you'd rather pay me for it…" Alaric started, as if suggesting another option, but before he could finish, Klein blurted out, "Teacher!"
The speed of it showed Klein's fear that Alaric might change his mind and demand payment.
As expected of the God of Poverty! Alaric thought, stifling a smirk. He wasn't surprised by Klein's reaction and nodded with satisfaction. "Then you're my student from now on. Who'd have thought I'd become someone's teacher?"
"Isn't there a chance you already are one?" Klein pointed out, referencing Alaric's actual profession. This was why he'd had no qualms about calling him "Teacher." Alaric was a university instructor, only a few years older, so it felt natural.
"That's different. A teacher in the occult isn't the same as one in mundane studies." Alaric countered, chuckling. "Since you've called me Teacher, I won't let it go to waste. To explain adjacent pathways, you first need to understand a concept: Beyonder characteristics."
Alaric then laid out the concept of Beyonder characteristics, including the three laws... Indestructibility, Conservation, and Aggregation... explaining them thoroughly to Klein while also clarifying what adjacent pathways were.
"So, the Seer, Marauder, and Apprentice pathways are interchangeable because they're adjacent. That's likely why Amon preys on Beyonders from these pathways." Alaric concluded.
As Klein absorbed this new knowledge, fresh theories about his situation emerged. Perhaps his deep connection to the Fool wasn't due to some shadowy mastermind but the gray fog itself.
He had a faint suspicion that the mysterious gray fog might be a high-sequence artifact of the Fool's pathway, possibly even tied to divinity.
Alaric, catching every shift in Klein's expression, noted his visible relief and relaxed himself. He'd pushed too hard earlier, piling pressure on the Fool with his teasing. By using the master-apprentice pretext, he offered alternative explanations to ease Klein's mind.
Of course, Alaric didn't deny that he relished the idea of being the Fool's teacher. It satisfied his mischievous streak and strengthened their bond... a win-win.
Having sorted through the coincidences surrounding him, Klein thought of something else and asked curiously, "So, the more Beyonder characteristics you consume, the stronger you get?"
"In theory, yes, but it's not very efficient. It's better to advance to the next sequence than to hoard characteristics from the same one." Alaric said, shaking his head. "Accumulating too many characteristics from the same sequence can actually slow your digestion progress. Oh, by the way, do you know about the acting method?"
***
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