Of course, Alaric hadn't overlooked the possibility that the Nyarlathotep fragment within him might pose an obstacle. He was prepared for failure, but to his surprise, the process of being pulled onto the gray fog went remarkably smoothly. The fragment in his spirit body became unprecedentedly quiet.
This reminded Alaric of his experience when advancing to Actor.
"Could it be because the Sefirah Castle is one of the greatest sources of madness in this world, striking some kind of balance with the fragment inside me?" Alaric mused silently, while outwardly adopting a bewildered expression, looking around in confusion. Then, spotting the Fool at the head of the bronze table, he jolted back, feigning a startled reaction.
"You... er, are you Mr. Fool?" Alaric asked, appearing slightly flustered.
So now you finally know fear? Klein thought, exasperated, though he was puzzled. His spirituality hadn't been depleted much, as if some other force had offset the cost. It felt like he had enough energy to pull another person into the Tarot Club.
"Could it be because Jack is also a transmigrator?" Klein wondered silently, not dwelling on it too long. He looked at Alaric, chuckling softly. "How did you end up provoking that guy?"
Klein was genuinely curious. How had Jack managed to court such a disaster in just a few days, nearly driving himself to the brink of losing control?
He couldn't imagine what would have happened if he didn't have the gray fog to block the ravings or if Jack hadn't known the Fool's honorific name. The outcome might have been grim.
Perhaps tomorrow he'd have received news of Jack's death.
But wasn't this also a coincidence? Klein couldn't help but ponder. He wasn't being overly sensitive... coincidences around him were frequent enough to trigger unease.
"Jack clearly has some connection to the gray fog. Could there really be a mastermind orchestrating this, deliberately pushing Jack onto the fog?" Klein's mood grew heavier as he considered the possibility.
But he quickly set aside his concerns. Even if a mastermind existed, they'd likely been caught in its web since the moment they transmigrated. Compared to Jack losing control and dying, this outcome was acceptable.
Alaric could guess what Klein was thinking. His setup this time was admittedly rough, but that was fine... everything could be blamed on the ever-convenient scapegoat, the Celestial Worthy.
What coincidences? Those were all the Celestial Worthy's doing. What did they have to do with an innocent, goofy student like him? So, when Klein asked his question, Alaric put on an obviously guilty expression, hesitating before finally "explaining" as if he'd pieced together his story.
"It's like this, Mr. Fool. A friend of mine, connected to the Abraham family, had a stone bracelet tied to them. I've been curious about the Abraham family lately, so I bought one of the stones to study…"
Alaric coughed, feigning embarrassment. "Ahem, during my research, I accidentally dripped some blood on it, and, well, as you saw, I started hearing ravings from a high-ranking existence…"
"..."
Klein nearly laughed in frustration. He knew Jack was prone to reckless antics, but he hadn't expected him to take it this far.
"Hasn't anyone told you not to mess with things tied to ancient families?" Klein couldn't help but say, his tone stern. He recalled the original Klein's experience... his classmate's downfall came from studying the Antigonus family's notebook, leading to disaster.
In Klein's original world, ties to ancient families might mean prestige, but in this world, they spelled danger.
"I'm sorry, I messed up!" Alaric said, as if accustomed to such criticism, immediately admitting his fault.
You admit your mistake, but will you actually change next time? Klein thought, exasperated but helpless when it came to his friend. Sighing inwardly, he said, "If you encounter those ravings again, you can recite my name."
"Thank you, Mr. Fool!" Alaric's face lit up with excitement, like a small animal realizing it was safe. He looked at Klein curiously. "Mr. Fool, why are you helping me?"
Why? Because you're my unofficial mentor, because we're friends… Klein grumbled inwardly, maintaining his composed demeanor. He smiled faintly. "You carry a familiar aura, so I don't mind lending a hand."
"Huh?" Alaric adopted a confused, almost clueless expression, but then frowned as if something occurred to him. Jack's persona was simple but not foolish. He was trusting and lacked a strong sense of caution in relationships, but his intellect was sharp.
Having dreamed of the gray fog and knowing of the Celestial Worthy, such a Jack would naturally wonder if the Fool was tied to his transmigration.
But such a sensitive question couldn't be asked directly of a suspected deity. So, Alaric merely looked at Klein, hesitating as if wanting to speak but holding back.
He then glanced around curiously, unable to resist asking after a few seconds, "Mr. Fool, will others come here?"
"There are a few beings like you who've come here for various reasons." Klein said, glancing at Alaric before briefly explaining the Tarot Club's existence.
Truth be told, Klein was torn about whether to let Jack join the Tarot Club.
It wasn't just about the potential mastermind. Even if there was some grand scheme, Klein preferred taking action over avoiding risks out of fear. Rather than stunting his growth due to paranoia, he'd rather grow quietly and flip the board later.
Plenty of self-proclaimed chessmasters in this world had met their downfall.
If he avoided risks entirely, he'd likely be crushed by any mastermind without any strength to resist. The same applied to Jack.
Klein's main concern was another matter... reading Roselle's diary in front of a fellow transmigrator would be awkward.
But after some deliberation, Klein decided to let Jack join. It was beneficial for both. The Tarot Club would help Jack grow, and Klein could keep a closer eye on his friend while gaining advantages... like diverting the Hanged Man's attention to reduce the risk of the Fool's exposure or having Alaric's blunt personality ask questions the Fool couldn't.
Aside from Klein's potential embarrassment, it was perfect.
"As long as I'm not the one embarrassed, someone else will be. That's the way…" Klein psyched himself up internally, only to hear Alaric say eagerly, "Mr. Fool, can I join this gathering?"
***
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