"Damn it, that was a god's honored name! My teacher said never to recite a god's name carelessly. I'm screwed!" Alaric's expression was a mix of panic and helplessness, as if he'd never caused such a mess before. Of course, it was all an act.
After all, if Xio could accidentally murmur the Fool's honored name out of carelessness, it wasn't surprising that Jack Jones... a simple, impulsive character whose mouth often outran his brain... would make the same mistake, right?
Alaric had planned for this moment when crafting the "Jack Jones" persona.
Meanwhile, in Tingen...
Klein heard a prayer, both unfamiliar and faintly familiar, echoing in his ears. After carefully identifying the voice, his expression turned peculiar.
He understood the logic, but he had only asked Miss Justice to find a way to inform Jack of the Fool's honored name. How did this guy end up reciting it aloud?
Could he really be so reckless as to blurt it out upon seeing it? Klein's expression grew even stranger as he realized this was exactly the kind of thing Alaric might do.
Given his personality, accidentally reciting an evil god's name seemed all too plausible!
At this thought, Klein was momentarily at a loss for words. He couldn't immediately ascend to the gray fog to check the situation, though... today was his shift guarding the Chanis Gate.
Since his last meeting with Alaric, Mr. Azik, and the others, Klein had been through a whirlwind in just a few days. He attended his sister's classmate's birthday banquet, resolved a dark divination incident during it, and uncovered a suspected Aurora Order member, Hanass Vincent. When the captain investigated, they found Vincent dead.
Klein also completed his initiation as a full-fledged Nighthawk, becoming an official member of the team. He began combat training, discovered a new petitioner on the gray fog, and held the fourth Tarot Club meeting.
Prompted by Mr. Azik's words, Klein divined an incongruity in his fate on the gray fog, uncovering a clue about a red chimney. He hired a detective to investigate and later encountered a fabric merchant linked to Hanass Vincent.
For reasons unknown, the merchant suddenly lost control and turned into a monster. Klein had to kill him, but through the encounter, he obtained the formula for the Clown potion.
Now, guarding the Chanis Gate, he heard Alaric's prayer. Honestly, reflecting on the past few days, Klein felt his life was absurdly chaotic.
If his fate hadn't been tampered with, he'd eat the Misfortune Puppet on the spot… Wait, Misfortune Puppet?
Klein's gaze fell on the slightly ajar Chanis Gate, where the Misfortune Puppet peeked out, half its body visible. His eyes landed on the slip of paper in its hand, catching a glimpse of the pattern on it. Before he could react, the puppet was yanked back into the darkness, and the gate slammed shut.
Klein's face paled. Without hesitation, he returned to the guardroom and sounded the alarm to summon help.
…
The Misfortune Puppet incident was, of course, just a minor hiccup, ultimately causing no real trouble. After finishing his shift, Klein returned home. Once he ascended to the gray fog and dealt with the puppet matter, he noticed a new prayer.
This petitioner wasn't Alaric, whom Klein knew, but a stranger he'd encountered in recent days. The petitioner spoke in Jotun, a language Klein barely understood, catching only a few keywords. He decided to observe further until he could study Jotun and comprehend the words.
Klein's attention then shifted to a disturbance from a non-Tarot Club petitioner. Touching it, he confirmed the prayer indeed came from Alaric.
In the vision, Alaric paced anxiously in a room, occasionally tugging at his hair, looking every bit like someone who'd caused a major blunder.
"It's really you!" Klein chuckled wryly, watching the rare sight of Alaric's anxiety. For a moment, he was tempted by the mischievous urge to pull him onto the gray fog.
After some thought, however, Klein chose not to respond.
He wasn't ready to bring Jack into the Tarot Club just yet.
…
"Hm? That feeling of being watched... has Mr. Fool finally noticed my prayer? But he didn't pull me onto the gray fog. Looks like he's not planning to let me join the Tarot Club!" Alaric muttered to himself mid-performance, suddenly feeling a spark of excitement.
"So, should I unmask the Fool? That'd be a lot of fun, wouldn't it?"
"No, no, I need to stick to the persona. Jack Jones, a simple college student, wouldn't randomly figure out that Klein is the Fool."
"Let's see… I'll go with the second plan for now. If that doesn't work, I'll have to let Lucifer unmask the Fool." Alaric's mind raced with ideas, but he didn't pause his act, continuing to play the role of a naive student who'd made a huge mistake.
After keeping up the performance for a while, Alaric adopted a defeated expression. "Fine, whatever happens, happens. If it's gonna kill me, so be it." He threw himself onto the bed with a dramatic flop, as if giving up entirely.
He tossed and turned, unable to sleep, perfectly embodying a student who'd given up but couldn't truly relax.
A few days later, curious about Alaric's reaction, Klein made time to visit Alaric's residence one evening. He found Alaric looking calm but with a trace of fatigue in his eyes.
"Evening, Klein!" Alaric greeted with a smile, stifling a yawn. This wasn't an act... he'd been staying up late studying occult knowledge, leaving him genuinely exhausted.
"Good evening, Teacher Jack." Klein replied. After a moment's thought, he probed, "I heard you stayed in Backlund for a few days this time. Any interesting finds?"
Alaric's expression froze. He turned to Klein with a bitter look. "I think I messed up big time."
"What happened?" Klein asked, feigning confusion and concern, though he already knew what Alaric would say.
"I accidentally recited an evil god's honored name, and it might be the Fool we've been investigating." Alaric sighed. "Am I gonna die or what?"
"No, no, it's not that bad!" Klein hurried to reassure him, seeing his dejection. "You know I've crossed paths with the Fool too, and I'm still fine. The Fool might not even be an evil god."
***
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