"Who'd mind something like that?" Alaric shot Azik a mock-indignant look, raising his voice. "Klein obviously needs the whistle more than I do. My fate's not being meddled with. If I need to contact you, Mr. Azik, I can just set up a ritual. Klein's the unlucky one who needs an instant-use item like this to save his skin. I get it. And do I look like someone who'd snatch stuff from my own student?"
Alaric understood why Azik gave the whistle to Klein... not out of favoritism, but because Klein genuinely needed it.
He didn't care much about the whistle's ownership. If Azik had offered it to him, he'd have declined anyway. Azik could likely track the whistle's location, and Alaric, with his multiple aliases, couldn't afford to carry such a traceable item.
"Student?" Azik looked puzzled.
Klein's brow twitched.
"Yeah, Klein's my student…" Alaric nodded matter-of-factly.
Azik blinked, glancing between Klein and Alaric, uncertain. "Klein, you're Jack's student?"
"Uh, yeah." Klein said, left with no choice but to nod.
"That's… surprising." Azik said, his face openly showing astonishment.
"What's so surprising? Can't I be a teacher?" Alaric, catching Azik's unspoken implication, huffed in mock offense.
"Considering a certain teacher's knack for causing trouble, it's no wonder Mr. Azik's surprised." Klein said with a smile, his mischievous streak peeking through.
Azik nodded in agreement. "Jack doesn't exactly seem like teacher material."
"You guys... " Alaric glared at them, feigning irritation. "Have you forgotten my actual job is being a teacher?"
Azik exchanged a glance with Klein, then smiled. "Sorry, I forgot. You may not seem reliable, but you're a competent teacher."
Klein, wary of pushing too far, chimed in with a grin. "Yeah, exactly. You're very qualified as a teacher, at least in that role."
"I feel like there's a hidden jab in there…" Alaric grumbled, fully aware of their teasing but unbothered, as it aligned with his intended persona.
He snorted twice, then turned to Klein, his expression shifting to genuine concern. "Klein, should I contact my teacher?"
Klein's heart stirred, thinking of Alaric's supposed transmigrator teacher, "Lucifer Zoroast." After a moment's consideration, he nodded. "I'd appreciate that, Jack."
"Helping my student is only natural, right?" Alaric waved it off, then adopted a worried look. "But my teacher's been super busy lately. I hope he replies soon... he hasn't even responded to my last letter…"
"Did your teacher mention what he's been up to?" Klein asked, half-curious, half-probing.
"He said he's investigating the War Angel's whereabouts, but nothing specific. He hasn't written back in days…" Alaric spread his hands, grumbling. "That guy's always so cryptic, like some riddle master, with no regard for his student."
"War Angel?" Klein's curiosity piqued.
"Some big shot among the ancient eight Kings of Angels, I think? I don't know much about it. If you're curious, Klein, I can ask him in my next letter." Alaric said, scratching his head.
"Thanks, Teacher." Klein replied, clearly aware of the give-and-take dynamic. He pressed further, "Jack, do you know what sequence your teacher is?"
"No clue. He never told me." Alaric said, shaking his head with a vacant look, perfectly embodying his naive persona.
Klein's response was half-exasperation, half-amusement, yet it felt oddly expected.
Alaric, as if struck by a thought, looked at them both. "By the way, I'm heading to Backlund in a few days. Need me to bring anything back?"
Alaric's mention of returning to Backlund wasn't a jest. A few days later, he boarded a steam train bound for the city.
He could have used Azik's abilities to travel swiftly through the spirit world... faster than a steam train, if not as fast as a Traveler... but there was no need.
This trip to Backlund was about openly obtaining the Fool's honorific name, so his journey had to appear above board.
Upon arriving, Alaric soon met Xio at their agreed-upon location.
"Sorry to keep you waiting." Alaric said, lowering his voice. "I read your letter, but it wasn't very detailed. Can you fill me in?"
Xio nodded, recounting recent events. After receiving Alaric's letter, she and Fors, finding his reasoning sound, had investigated and decided to approach Viscount Glaint, a known figure in occult circles. Through him, they connected with Audrey Hall, daughter of Earl Hall.
"I haven't asked about the Fool yet. I figured we'd get to know them better at the upcoming Beyonder gathering first." Xio said, then added, "Oh, when Fors introduced you to Miss Audrey, she described you as a knowledgeable Beyonder from an ancient family. You don't mind, do you?"
Since they'd be attending the gathering together, Xio and Fors had mentioned Alaric's existence to Audrey, without revealing his name.
"No problem at all." Alaric said, shaking his head. He had no issue with it.
"Then let's go meet Miss Audrey…" Xio nodded. They took a carriage to Viscount Glaint's villa, where Fors, in disguise, soon emerged with a man and a woman.
The man, clearly in poor health, was unmistakably Viscount Glaint, the aspiring Apothecary from the original story.
The cloaked girl beside him, poised and elegant, was none other than Audrey Hall, the renowned "Justice." Her striking beauty rivaled that of a Demoness, her manners refined from a top-tier education. Even in casual attire, the quality of her clothing and the expensive jewelry she wore exuded an air of wealth and privilege.
***
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