"…Sorry, Mr. Azik, I got lost in thought and kept you waiting." Klein said, snapping back to reality and looking apologetically at Azik, who had been quietly watching him.
"It's fine." Azik said with a gentle shake of his head. "I hope these matters haven't troubled you."
"No, not at all. In fact, they've helped me figure some things out." Klein said, quickly shaking his head.
Seeing Klein's reaction, Azik smiled warmly. "I don't know the full story between you and Mr. Lucifer, but he doesn't seem to bear you any ill will. If there's a misunderstanding, it's best to clear it up sooner rather than later."
Klein's expression stiffened. He knew exactly where the tension with Lucifer lay. Setting aside their shared transmigrator status, it all boiled down to the lies he'd told Jack.
But coming clean to Jack… Klein thought of how he'd been pretending to be a native since meeting Jack, not to mention running the Tarot Club under his Fool persona. The idea made his scalp tingle, his toes curling as if trying to dig a three-bedroom apartment out of sheer embarrassment.
Better to wait a bit. Lucifer doesn't seem to have any real malice toward me right now. No need to confess just yet, Klein reassured himself, desperate to avoid social death.
Azik didn't know the details but sensed Klein's resistance and let the matter drop.
Klein, however, thought of something else and looked at Azik with concern. "Mr. Azik, will you keep searching for your memories?"
"Yes." Azik said with a gentle nod. "Since the outcome is inevitable, I at least want to know who I am before it arrives. I want to recall my past with my children."
It was a decision he'd already made. Whatever path he chose in the future, for now, he wanted to reclaim those lost memories.
"I'll help you, Mr. Azik." Klein said earnestly, cautiously studying him. Thinking of Lucifer's refusal to sell Time Stones, he felt a pang of sympathy but hesitated to bring it up, fearing it would touch a sore spot.
"Thank you, Klein." Azik said with a smile, sensing Klein's thoughts. "While Mr. Lucifer won't sell me Time Stones, I can tell he's a kind person at heart. Perhaps in time, I can persuade him with sincerity to gain a chance to reunite with my family."
"Absolutely, you will." Klein said, nodding eagerly, not wanting to dampen Azik's hopes. His mind drifted to his own family, and for a moment, he faltered.
Azik might have a chance to briefly reunite with his family, but when could a transmigrator like him return home? Or… never?
The thought left a bitter taste in Klein's mouth.
He didn't know the truth behind transmigration, but he wasn't foolish. With examples like Roselle and Lucifer... high-Sequence transmigrators who couldn't return home... Klein couldn't help but wonder: could he ever find a way back?
He didn't know, but as long as there was a sliver of hope, he wouldn't give up.
"With Mr. Lucifer's current attitude toward me, he's unlikely to share any clues about transmigration." Klein thought, sighing inwardly. "To learn more, besides climbing the Sequence ladder, I can only rely on the diaries of transmigrator seniors…"
…
Meanwhile, in Backlund.
The noble ball had ended early due to Vice Admiral Hurricane Qilangos's attack. Audrey, protected as the whistleblower, finally received news of the outcome.
"A high-Sequence powerhouse named Helel? Tarot cards?" Audrey's eyes lit up. She immediately thought of Mr. Fool and his favored ones.
It wasn't a wild guess. From her perspective, only the Tarot Club could know of Qilangos's presence, dispatch a high-Sequence expert, and be linked to Tarot cards.
Could this mysterious Mr. Helel be Mr. Fool's favored one? Audrey's heart raced with excitement, and she pressed her father for more details.
Earl Hall had no reason to hide anything. "I don't know much about this Mr. Helel, but Archbishop Snake is certain he's not an enemy. It seems related to an oracle from the Lord of Storms."
An oracle? By the Goddess, could Mr. Fool be allied with the Lord of Storms? And perhaps with the Goddess too? Audrey's excitement grew, and she couldn't help asking, "What does the Church think of the organization this Mr. Helel belongs to?"
"They can only confirm it's tied to Tarot cards, likely a symbol." Earl Hall said, shaking his head. "There's no record of an organization using Tarot cards as its emblem. It's either highly secretive or newly formed."
Audrey's mind buzzed with ideas. Feigning curiosity, she said, "So how should we refer to this mysterious organization? Tarot cards… maybe we could call it the Tarot Club?"
"The Tarot Club… a fitting name." Earl Hall said, nodding. "We could use it as a placeholder for now."
It was standard for officials to assign a codename based on distinctive traits when an organization's true name was unknown.
"Father, will this be announced in the newspapers?" Audrey asked next. As a founding member of the Tarot Club, not yet eighteen, she was eager for her organization to gain renown.
"To avoid panic, the full truth won't be revealed, but the Tarot Club's existence might be mentioned." Earl Hall said with a smile.
Amazing! Now more people will know about the Tarot Club and see it's a force for good! Audrey was thrilled, then asked curiously, "Father, what will happen to Vice Admiral Qilangos? Was he really turned into a sheep? Can he change back?"
"He'll be handled by the Storm Church. As for whether he can revert, I don't know." Earl Hall said, shaking his head. To spare his innocent daughter, he avoided mentioning that Qilangos would likely become a test subject for the Storm Church, used to explore the Monster pathway's powers.
That would frighten her.
***
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