"My teacher must have some misunderstanding about you. Don't worry, I'll write to him and explain. He might seem tough, but he's got a soft heart." Alaric said, patting Klein's shoulder like a supportive brother.
"I'm afraid the more you explain, the angrier he'll get…" Klein sighed, though his mood steadied somewhat.
He'd reasoned it out: given the abilities Lucifer had displayed, if he wanted to harm Klein, he could've crushed him outright. Instead, he hadn't exposed Klein's identity to Jack or acted directly, only issuing a cryptic warning. That meant there was still room to maneuver.
"See you next time?" Klein recalled Lucifer's parting words, exhaling softly.
"Why so pessimistic?" Alaric pretended not to catch the subtext, raising his voice before glancing at the letter with a thoughtful look. "But based on what my teacher wrote… could he know Mr. Fool?"
"…Maybe." Klein said, unable to admit, I'm the Fool, and your teacher might come looking for me later. It was all he could manage.
"Oh, whatever. He's always so cryptic... who knows who he's connected to? But this means we don't have to worry about Mr. Fool's side." Alaric said, shaking his head dismissively before turning to Klein with a reassuring tone. "Don't be scared. If my teacher didn't do anything to you when you met, it just means he's got a slight issue with you. It's fine."
Klein could only nod at the consolation.
Alaric, as if struck by a thought, glanced at the Clown potion materials in the box, then at Klein. "By the way, Klein, I never asked... do you have the formula for the next stage of your pathway?"
Having teased Mr. Fool with one persona, Alaric figured it was time to use his other persona to give Klein a boost. Too much pressure might overwhelm him, after all.
And the higher Klein's sequence, the better the return on Alaric's investment.
"I've got the Clown potion formula, but I don't know the ones after that." Klein said, shaking his head. Thinking of Jack's deep family knowledge, he perked up.
Other sources might lack Seer pathway formulas, but Jack's family might actually have them.
Alaric flashed an "I knew it" look, pulled out paper and a pen from under the coffee table, and scribbled a few lines before handing it to Klein. "Here, the Sequence 7 Magician potion formula. Not a bad deal for being my student, right?"
Klein stared at the effortlessly obtained Magician formula, a warmth spreading in his chest. He smiled. "Definitely not a bad deal."
He glanced at the Clown potion materials in the box, then, thinking of the mysterious gray fog and the complexities of transmigration, added, "Teacher, I think Mr. Lucifer had a point. You should focus on digesting your Seer potion and advance soon."
After a pause, Klein added with a grin, "I've already digested my Seer potion. If I advance to Clown, I'll be a higher sequence than you."
"You digested your Seer potion already? Didn't you advance just a month ago? What are you, a natural-born Seer prodigy?" Alaric said, feigning shock with a hint of dejection, like a squirrel whose winter stash had been stolen.
But he quickly rallied, saying, "Just you wait. I'm only a step away myself, and I don't need to go through the Nighthawks' process. I'll definitely advance before you."
No matter his mood, life went on. After the Lucifer encounter, Klein continued his Nighthawk duties.
Two days later, Klein discovered that his sister's friend Elizabeth was being haunted by a wraith. After reporting to Dunn, he joined Frye and others to exorcise the spirit in Ramd Town, where they found a portrait that might depict Mr. Azik.
Trusting Azik more than in the original timeline, Klein wrote to inform him of the discovery.
Later, Klein recklessly divined the Sun Emblem, a Sealed Artifact, on the gray fog, nearly killing himself but gaining valuable knowledge in the process.
That same night, Klein and Azik returned to Ramd Town and located the grave of Azik's son, only to find the skull missing... stolen, it seemed, by one of the figures disrupting Klein's fate.
The incident helped Azik recover a fragment of his memory, deepening his bond with Klein. He vowed to track down the culprit behind it.
Back home, Klein heard a familiar prayer... the voice of a boy speaking Jotun, whom he'd heard before.
Having learned Jotun, Klein understood the words this time and pulled the boy onto the gray fog. He discovered the boy came from a strange place without sunlight or the Seven Gods, likely the Forsaken Land of the Gods described in ancient texts.
The boy, Derrick from City of Silver, swore to become the Sun to save his home.
Thus, upon joining the Tarot Club, he chose "The Sun" as his codename.
After sending Derrick off the gray fog and preparing for bed, Klein found Dunn entering his dream... not for any grand purpose, but to eat his dinner while playing the Nightmare.
"..."
Captain, I told you Acting isn't supposed to work like that!
Left with no dinner in his dream, a mildly exasperated Klein swapped it for a pleasant one after Dunn left, capping off a vibrant and eventful day.
The next day, in the afternoon, Klein arrived on the gray fog before three o'clock to prepare for the Tarot Club.
Though only a week had passed since the last meeting, the Tarot Club had grown from three to five members... a significant expansion that left Klein, the organizer, unsure whether to feel pleased.
Regardless, he followed the usual process, pulling the new member, The Sun, Derrick, onto the gray fog first. He introduced his honorific name, the Tarot Club's procedures, and other basics.
After the briefing, Klein checked his pocket watch. At exactly three o'clock, he brought Justice Audrey, The Hanged Man Alger, and The Emperor Alaric onto the gray fog.
"This is our new member, Mr. Sun."
"And this is our new member, Mr. Emperor."
***
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