"I hope so…" Alaric sighed, then, as if struck by a thought, flashed an optimistic smile. "Actually, I've already written to my teacher, and he finally replied. He chewed me out in his letter, but he said he'd be back within two months. Once he's here, all these problems should be sorted out, right?"
Alaric turned to Klein. "My teacher also said he'd take a look at your situation when he's back. Don't worry, Klein... my teacher's incredible. He'll definitely fix your issues."
Klein felt a mix of gratitude and guilt at these words. As a cautious man, he could only silently apologize to Alaric in his heart before asking curiously, "Jack, what kind of person is Mr. Lucifer?"
"Him?" Alaric's face took on a reminiscent expression, then he said uncertainly, "Well, it's hard to say. Broadly speaking, he's probably a good person, but he's got a wicked sense of humor. Loves messing with people. He's always rambling about scripts and actors... stuff I don't really get."
As he spoke, Alaric's expression shifted to indignation. "And get this... I asked him in my letter about Mr. Door and the Fool, and he had the nerve to tell me it's not stuff I should know at this stage. Said I should focus on learning what I'm supposed to. It pissed me off!"
This was, of course, a patch to explain why Jack Jones, despite having such a formidable teacher, knew so little about high-level secrets.
In truth, this was typical for extraordinary individuals with proper mentorship in this world. Knowing too much was rarely a good thing, especially about high-level entities. While it wasn't quite "knowledge is danger." it was close enough.
Klein's lips twitched as he listened to Alaric's rant, but he could understand the teacher's reasoning.
Students should learn what's appropriate for their stage. A Sequence 9 newbie knowing a bunch of secrets about angels and true gods was useless at best.
And with Jack's personality, knowing too much could easily lead to a major blunder… Klein glanced at Alaric, soothingly saying, "Mr. Lucifer has his reasons. Knowing too much can sometimes bring danger."
Alaric deflated like a frostbitten eggplant, muttering things like, "I didn't mean to." "It was an accident." And "I won't do it again."
After sulking for a bit, Alaric suddenly looked at Klein. "Klein, have you ever recited the Fool's honored name?"
"Uh, no." Klein shook his head calmly, as if he truly hadn't.
Alaric adopted a thoughtful expression. After a few seconds, he said, "How about I recite it again to see what this Fool really is? I've already said his name once, so if I'm marked, I'm already marked. Reciting it again won't make things worse. And if the Fool isn't an evil god, maybe we could have a chat with him. Plus, I keep feeling like I've heard the Fool's name somewhere before…"
Klein's eyes widened in shock. He hadn't expected Alaric's train of thought to leap this far. Yet, given Alaric's usual carefree and slightly erratic demeanor, Klein oddly wasn't surprised. He quickly interjected, "That's too dangerous. Your teacher's coming back soon, right? If you want to do something, you should wait for him."
Klein hurriedly changed the subject. "You said the Fool's name feels familiar. Can you recall where you heard it?"
"…I think it was in a book I read once." Klein's diversion worked, and Alaric's attention shifted. "The book mentioned something about the Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings. It feels kind of similar to the Fool's name…"
This time, Klein's eyes truly quaked with shock, his composure slipping for a moment.
"Hey, Klein, what's wrong with your eyes? Are they bothering you? Should we get some eyedrops? Uh, do they even have eyedrops in this era…" Alaric, fully aware of Klein's reaction, played innocent, feigning concern and confusion.
"I'm fine." Klein shook his head with difficulty, then, unable to resist the risk of exposure, asked, "Jack, do you remember which book mentioned the Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings?"
"I don't really recall. It was a long time ago, back when I… uh, a long time ago. I can't find that book anymore." Alaric shook his head, then, as if remembering something, muttered, "But I do remember having nightmares after reading it. I dreamed of a vast gray fog where I was calling out, but neither heaven nor earth answered. It was pretty creepy."
Klein's lips tightened. Though he'd long had suspicions, it was only now that he realized transmigrators might truly be connected to the Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings and the gray fog.
But why? If the Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings really existed, why did he bring them here? Where was he now?
And why could Klein access the gray fog when other transmigrators couldn't?
What made him special?
Klein's mind was a mess, a looming shadow seeming to envelop him. Just then, a wave of pleasant calm washed over his troubled emotions, soothing him and even lifting his mood slightly.
Surprised, he looked up to see Alaric watching him with concern, holding what looked like a cross and pressing it toward him.
"You okay, Klein?" Alaric asked, his face full of worry.
"I'm fine. What's that?" Klein shook his head, eyeing the cross in Alaric's hand curiously.
"It's a mystical item my teacher gave me. It calms people's emotions. I saw you were upset, so I used it on you." Alaric said without missing a beat. He had indeed used his Emotion Manipulation ability to soothe Klein, though not through the cross.
The cross itself was just a decorative trinket.
Klein instantly understood the source of that pleasant feeling, warmth spreading in his heart. He smiled. "Thanks, Jack."
As he spoke, Klein, now fully composed, told himself inwardly, "Don't be afraid, Klein. No matter what the Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings's purpose is, you can't just sit and wait to die!"
"And this might be a good thing. If the Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings is really behind the transmigrators, finding him might… let me go home!"
With that thought, Klein let out a breath.
***
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