As soon as the viewing ended, Roselle found himself alone in an endless sea of gray fog. The theater was nowhere to be found.
He sighed loudly. "I'd appreciate a warning next time."
"Sorry," Amanises said in a way that made it sound like 'She' wasn't really sorry at all.
"Whatever," Roselle grumbled. "You can't maintain concealment for long in the Celestial Worthy's domain, can you? Spit it out."
Amanises lowered 'Her' ethereal voice, growing serious. "The Celestial Worthy has gained access to Zhou Mingrui's memories. You should know what this means."
The emperor's face darkened. "Yeah. 'Mr. Fool' can kiss his secret identity goodbye."
"There's no way to predict how his anchors will take the news," Amanises said. "Although I can conceal these memories from them later, it's not an effective long-term solution to fight the influence of a Great Old One. The best outcome is to guide them into truly accepting the Fool as their god regardless of his true identity."
"Yeah, yeah, power of friendship and all that." Roselle waved her off. "I've read enough manga to know how this goes."
"Don't you mean manhua?"
"Huh?"
"Manga is Japanese. Manhua is Chinese," Amanises said as if that explained everything.
"Oh. Well, yeah, but I always liked manga better than manhua..." His eyes narrowed. "Why do you know that?"
"Know what?" the Evernight Goddess asked innocently.
"Oh, don't try that now! I know what you are! You're a-"
"Zhou Mingrui is a Chinese name, isn't it?" Amanises inspected 'Her' nails. "I seem to recall him collecting your diary entries."
Roselle abruptly paled.
"If we're seeing his memories, then... my diary-!" He looked up wildly, a pleading expression on his face. "Hey! You still have some authority over concealment left, right?! My daughter, give me five minutes with my daughter!"
"Next time," Amanises said coolly.
"Why, you-"
In the theater, everyone remained silent, unsure of what to say.
Caitlyn Hall clutched her stomach and mouth as if she were about to throw up. The Tarot Club wore solemn frowns. Leonard's expression was totally lost. Even the loudmouth Emperor Roselle, taking pity on the many audience members in emotional turmoil, chose to stay quiet.
Melissa Moretti's hands were pressed to her face, shaking violently. Bile rose in her throat.
She and Benson had been healing. They'd been getting better. Even after their parents, and Klein, and the war, they'd dared to hope that things really were looking up for them. Then they'd been taken to this strange place, learned all sorts of strange things, even questioned how much they'd ever known about their own brother - and now this? She... she couldn't-
Suddenly, her negative thoughts scattered like dandelion seeds in the wind. She felt as if a comforting hand was stroking her hair. Looking at Benson, whose disturbed and haggard expression had softened into confusion, it appeared he'd experienced the same phenomenon.
"I Placated you both."
The Moretti siblings around to look at the source of the voice: Miss Audrey Hall, whose green eyes shone even clearer and brighter than usual.
"That must have been hard to see." Her smile inspired calmness and security in anyone who looked at it. "Placating is an ability of the Spectator pathway. I'm sorry to use it on you without your permission."
As far as her family knew, she was a Sequence 7 Psychiatrist, and the Tarot Club obviously knew her true Sequence. In addition, everyone who had been summoned seemed to have a connection to Mr. Fool, which proved them to be trustworthy in Audrey's eyes. This made her willing to bite the bullet and publicly announce information as important as her own pathway to settle the situation - as well as gain trust in return.
After all, a psychiatrist is useless if their patient doesn't trust them. This was an acting principle that Audrey had personally concluded.
"Miss Audrey..." Melissa's mind was still sluggish. "You're a Beyonder, too?"
The noble girl only smiled again, then curtsied to her family. "I Placated all of you, too. Please forgive me."
Please forgive me for not telling you the truth all this time, she silently added.
The Hall family stared back in a daze. They'd all known that Audrey was a Psychiatrist - they'd even received treatment from her on occasion - but aside from those fleeting moments, they'd never seen her behave in such a manner. Mature, calm, the most knowledgeable one in the room. In a crisis like this, even the Justiciar Alfred was unable to act, and his Sequence 7 sister had adapted effortlessly.
No... Is she even Sequence 7? Alfred's heart stuttered. Could she be a Sequence 5 like me?
Just as he was about to ask his sister to explain herself, somebody spoke up.
"If we've all calmed down a bit, then we should start conferring," the man said. He had tanned skin and thick, seaweed-like blue hair. Sailor pathway? "First of all, the new timer that's appeared."
From the sidelines, Alger had watched the scene with approval. Miss Justice (he continued to refer to her as such, both out of respect for her privacy and out of habit) had handled the situation very well, especially considering that she was facing her family for the first time in a year. He couldn't have done it better himself. Not letting her hard work go to waste, he had taken the chance to speak.
He jutted his chin at where a new bloodred number had appeared midair. It read:
5:00
The second it had been acknowledged, it began to tick down.
4:59
"We're being given time to discuss what's been shown?" frowned the Hermit. It feels like analyzing a novel in a book club...
"It looks like our generous host wishes for us to draw our own conclusions," the Star said.
"What we just saw was confusing, but so far, I don't see how any of it relates to Mr. Fool." Little Sun looked to be in deep thought. "The secret must be connected to that term that Zhou Mingrui used. 'Transmigrated'."
The Tarot Club had habitually gone into discussion mode, forgetting the presence of others around them.
This incurred some suspicion from Alfred Hall, who had already begun to form doubts due to how easily the group interacted with each other. Are they all part of the same Beyonder circle, or maybe the Church of the Fool? How did Audrey become involved with these people? Are they the ones responsible for her abnormalities?
Melissa looked on with growing dread. Miss Audrey and Klein's colleague from that security company... they're talking so comfortably with those other people. They, and apparently even Klein, have connections to this 'Fool'? Or was it Zhou Mingrui and not Klein? When did this all start? She frantically combed through her own memories, remembering every time that "Klein" had acted strangely in the months before his death. Once again, she felt bile in her throat. How much has been going on in the shadows around us?
Upon hearing the word "transmigrated", Bernadette looked to her father to gauge his reaction-
He wasn't here.
Bernadette pushed down the instinctual flash of panic.
She cleared her throat and spoke clearly. "Emperor Roselle has vanished."
This caught everyone's attention. In this mysterious world above the gray fog where they were all in within each other's sight, how could one person suddenly go missing? The crowd felt more and more as if they had entered a horror novel.
"That's impossible. There's nowhere to go!" Danitz swore, looking around urgently. She's still calling him Roselle even when he's not around? Queen Mystic isn't stupid enough to be tricked by some lookalike, is she? No way - is that guy the real deal?!
"-bastard!"
As if on cue, Roselle's voice cut through the fog as he reappeared by Bernadette, looking much paler but otherwise no worse for wear. He was accompanied by the mysterious woman in the starry veil - who had vanished without anyone noticing.
"I apologize," the woman said. "A private discussion was necessary."
...Just what were they discussing... Everyone thought.
An existence suspected to be the Evernight Goddess? What could 'She' want? Bernadette sent a questioning look towards her father, who shook his head and mouthed, "Later."
This was enough to pacify Queen Mystic, but not Hibbert Hall, whose confusion had reached a boiling point.
"Excuse me," began the eldest son of the Hall family. "You must realize how suspicious it looks to have a private discussion under these circumstances. Not to mention, you seem to know the most about the existence that brought us here. If I may ask, who exactly are you?"
While Hibbert was well-versed in politics, he knew very little about Beyonders and was largely unaware of the danger he had just placed himself in. He was also more impulsive than his experienced father, who was staring at Hibbert as if his foolish son had just sprouted a second head. Will Auceptin began to giggle to himself.
Leonard, eager to distract himself from the first viewing, considered the question seriously. She is very likely a 'She' with powers over concealment. Almost certainly the Sleepless pathway... could it be Ma'am Arianna of the ascetics?
...Brother, this is the same goddess you praise every night at dinner... Audrey sent a silent prayer to the Evernight Goddess, hoping for the safety of the well-intentioned Hibbert.
Whether or not she had received that prayer, Amanises hadn't planned on taking drastic action. "Knowledge of my identity is prohibited below certain levels. Even your Sequence 5 brother has no right to learn my name, let alone a non-Beyonder such as yourself."
The entire Hall family tensed in terror.
Sequence 5! The blood drained from Alfred's face. How does she - no, how does 'She' know?! Actually, it's better not to ask... The information of his Sequence had clearly been used as a gentle warning: "don't pry into matters you have no knowledge of". The woman had also indirectly confirmed that 'Her' existence was at a level similar to that of Mysteries, whose true nature could not be known beneath the angel level. 'She' is incredibly dangerous!
"I understand my behavior is suspicious," Amanises continued. "But for now, I must ask you to trust that I am an ally."
Trust, my ass! You're just making sure we're all too scared to try anything! Danitz shouted in his heart. It was only with the discipline cultivated through several months of being Gehrman Sparrow's servant that he managed to keep quiet.
"In that case, ma'am, may we know what to address you as?" Audrey addressed the true god with a curtsy, hoping to defuse the situation.
Amanises tilted her head before responding:
"Arianna."
S-'She' stole the name of 'Her' own servant! Miss Justice, who was totally immersed in the Beyonder world and had a close connection to a deacon of the Evernight church, naturally knew who Arianna was. Is this really okay? Gods can sure afford to be brazen... Scolding herself for her blasphemous thoughts, she looked over at Mr. Star, who had already formed a deep misunderstanding.
'She' really is Ma'am Arianna, leader of the ascetics! Having failed to recognize his own goddess without knowledge of the Fourth Epoch statues, Leonard felt rather proud of himself for guessing correctly. After being so shaken by the revelation of his best friend's identity (he wasn't ready to start properly thinking about Zhou Mingrui yet), it felt refreshing to have at least one theory be true. He sensed a gaze watching him and glanced at Miss Justice, who had a strange look on her face.
"Is something wrong?" he asked.
"Nothing." She pat his arm with a smile. "I'll tell you in a bit."
Leonard nodded, feeling strangely patronized.
"Anyway, now that we're all here..." Danitz, who had enough survival instinct (again, thanks to Gehrman Sparrow) to not dare provoke "Arianna", instead glared at Roselle. "We gonna start figuring this out or what?"
Roselle flipped Danitz off. Of course, the literal restructuring of civilization from the ground up had rendered this gesture meaningless, which meant nobody told him off for being unnecessarily rude.
"Honestly, I'm not sure it would do much good to deliberate over anything right now," said Xio. "We just don't have enough information. We'd be wasting time with baseless conjectures."
"I agree," Cattleya said. "Judging by that timer, this viewing was clearly the first of several. It doesn't seem like we're meant to understand anything yet."
"But we can't just give up." Derrick protested.
"Nobody said we were giving up," explained the Hanged Man. "We're observing and holding back judgment until we understand things better. Comprehension takes time."
"The most concerning thing to take note of right now is that place Zhou Mingrui mentioned. 'Earth'." The Hermit crossed her arms. "He said that Earth's moon was different from our own."
"Could his homeland be in a similar situation to the City of Silver's?" Derrick suggested. "There were also anomalies with our sky in the - over there."
Alger shook his head. "That was a very unique situation. The chances of it happening again somewhere else are incredibly low. Unless..." Eyes scanning the theater, he decided to hold his cards close to his chest and not mention the Western Continent directly. "Unless he's from the west."
The Tarot Club, as well as many older and high Sequence Beyonders, immediately made the connection and began considering it. Meanwhile, the Moretti and Hall families were totally lost.
Alfred Hall could only listen in, trying to make connections to the other strange things he'd heard about the boy's "hometown". Expedition members killed by hound-like beasts… a unique situation… anomalies in the sky? What does this mean? What kind of place are they talking about?
"But that place is sealed," Mr. Moon pointed out. Mr. Hanged Man's investigation of the Western Continent made sure they were all up to date on this situation. "How could he leave or be made to leave?"
Queen Mystic, having been silent until now, spoke in a soft voice. "Perhaps the existence that sealed that place is the same existence responsible for Zhou Mingrui's situation. 'They' would certainly be able to bypass 'Their' own seal."
This suggestion caused a quiet to fall over the Beyonders gathered. The power needed to conceal an entire continent from the world was unimaginable; only someone at the level of a true god could attempt it. If Queen Mystic's theory was true, it was another piece of evidence pointing to something unimaginable lurking behind the scenes of Zhou Mingrui's circumstances.
The discussion continued for a while - in considerably more hushed tones - but Miss Magician said nothing, frowning to herself. For some reason, the advancement ritual for Planeswalker had appeared in her mind: "Leave legends about yourself at nine different locations outside of this planet." Could it be... there are civilizations outside this planet? No way, right? If I say something like that, everyone's going to laugh at me!
3:00
Melissa and Benson sat to the side uneasily, watching the others dissect their brother's situation like it was a story to be analyzed. The image of "Klein", pale and terrified with a hole in the side of his head, had already been burned into their retinas. Although they were grateful that the group was giving them space, being understanding of their emotional turmoil, sitting to the side like this felt wrong.
"Melissa." Benson called to her softly. "This Zhou Mingrui, he..."
His voice trailed off. There was so much to say and no way to say it. Language wasn't built to have conversations like this. Where could they even start?
Is he still our brother?
Neither of them were ready for that question.
"I don't know what to think yet." Melissa struggled to keep her voice level.
Benson let out a deep, exhausted sigh, like his soul was leaving his body. "Neither do I."
"...I wasn't done. I don't know what to think yet." Melissa's eyes traced the outlined silhouettes in front of her. "But I think they can help us find out."
The look in Benson's eyes deepened. For a moment, he seemed much older than he actually was. Then he nodded.
"...Um, pardon me."
With her brother's blessing, Melissa spoke up, catching the attention of the debating group.
She cleared her throat. "I have a bit of information."
All eyes were instantly on her. She shrunk back a little before Benson put a comforting hand on her shoulder, and she straightened again.
"Klein - or, well... I'll call him Klein for now. Klein did - die. He died. But it wasn't anything like this." She unconsciously glanced at Leonard. "He'd just gotten a new job at some security company. We were told he was attacked by a criminal and that he..." Her voice faltered. "He died a hero."
The Beyonders present frowned to themselves. Whether through personal experience or gained knowledge, most of them knew that official Beyonder groups often used fronts like security companies in order to hide their true purpose from the public. Not to mention that specific wording - "died a hero"...
She looked at Mr. Star again, Alger noted. She knows him, but doesn't seem to like him... Mr. Star is trying to pass along a message about Klein Moretti, who might also be the World Gehrman Sparrow. Mr. Star knew Mr. World before joining the Tarot Club. Mr. Star is a Nighthawk of the Evernight church... Alger's eyes narrowed. Mr. World was once a Nighthawk? An official Beyonder?
"That's very valuable information, thank you." Xio easily stepped back into the mindset of her job at MI9. She quickly explained the way official Beyonder organization used covers to Melissa. "With that in mind, it's possible that your brother became a Beyonder by joining one such organization."
"I see," Melissa said quietly. She looked at Mr. Azik, angry and slightly hurt.
Azik bowed his head. "I really am sorry. It wasn't my place to say anything."
"You knew about Klein becoming a Beyonder?" Emlyn inferred. "No, how did you even know him? Sir." He quickly corrected himself to be polite, reminding himself that this was Mr. Fool's angel he was talking to.
"I was his history teacher in university." The Death Consul blinked. "Ah, I never introduced myself. My name is Azik - Azik Eggers."
Eggers? This raised the eyebrows of several experienced Beyonders. The imperial family of Balam in the Fourth Epoch, in control of the Death pathway... This person isn't simple.
"Found yourself a real bigshot to cling onto, eh, Zhou?" Roselle snickered in Mandarin. Meanwhile, his daughter brightened - she had read several interesting historical texts written by Azik Eggers of Khoy University. She decided to ask him some questions later.
The Tarot Club, who had first known him as the Angel of Death, was not surprised by Azik's connection to the Eggers family. With blank faces, they tried to imagine a divine and noble being - the angel longest to follow Mr. Fool - teaching history at a university. Did 'He' do something to make Mr. Fool mad...?
Perhaps Klein Moretti, or Zhou Mingrui, caught Mr. Fool's attention with the strange circumstances of his "death", or perhaps "rebirth". Mr. Fool then sent the Angel of Death to that university in hiding specifically to scope out the World, who was Klein Moretti at the time, as a possible Blessed? No, the timeline doesn't quite match up. Klein had already graduated university at the time of this incident... The Hanged Man made up a theory and promptly trashed it.
"In the spirit of sharing information, I should say something, too." Leonard began uncertainly.
He planned on telling the Morettis the truth of what had happened to "Klein". Of course, while it would help everyone here by providing information, he really only cared about telling Klein's siblings. They deserved to know the truth.
"Whatever it is we're being shown, it seems to be focused on Klein - well, Zhou Mingrui-" Leonard rubbed his temples. "It doesn't matter. Anyway, there's something you should know, and it shouldn't matter if I tell you this not." He took a breath and addressed the Moretti siblings. "Klein-"
The words stopped coming out of his mouth. His lips continued to move, but no sound was produced.
Leonard frowned and tried again, only to meet the same result.
"That's strange," he said aloud. His voice was now working fine.
"Mysteries has some authority over concealment," Amanises said by way of explanation.
...Couldn't you have told me that before I embarrassed myself? Leonard wanted to grumble. Does this mean I can't tell them about the Antigonius family notebook either?
Audrey, who could easily read his thoughts with her Hypnotist powers, kept her face carefully smooth. Ah, Mr. Star, the one you're slandering in your heart right now is your very own goddess... She blinked to clear her thoughts. "Does that mean that Mysteries doesn't want us to share information? Or is it this piece of information in particular?"
"Well, 'He' said that 'He' liked mysteries, right?" Fors tapped her chin. "Maybe 'He' just doesn't want 'His' audience getting spoiled early and ruining the surprise."
Spoken like a true author... The Tarot Club deadpanned.
Leonard rubbed the back of his neck guiltily and looked at Benson and Melissa. "Whatever the case, I guess I can't tell you right now. I'm sorry... But you'll likely find out eventually."
Benson and Melissa nodded, not really sure what to think. Both of them couldn't help but nurse a little hope in their hearts - that the thing he'd been trying to say was, "Klein isn't really dead." But they both knew that things like that didn't happen. And even if that were the case, considering the existence of Zhou Mingrui, would it even be true anymore?
1:00
"I think it would be best to list our goals for information," said the Hanged Man. He began to count out on his fingers. "For example: finding out what 'transmigrated' means, determining the exact situation regarding Klein and Zhou Mingrui, and determining Klein or Zhou Mingrui's connection to Mr. Fool." He added on the last one since Klein Moretti being Gehrman Sparrow had yet to be confirmed beyond all doubt, and it was best to explore other possibilities if confirming one was temporarily impossible.
Roselle stifled a laugh. Right, transmigration isn't a thing right now, or at least it wasn't while I was still around. I'll clue them in soon if they don't figure it out. Well, after I talk to my daughter.
"Speaking of connections to Mr. Fool..." Danitz grit his teeth and pointed to Will, who had been kicking the back of the pirate's seat the entire time. "Does anyone know why this brat is here?!"
Fors blinked. "He's not someone's kid?"
Melissa ruthlessly sold out her temporary traveling companion. "He's not a normal child. Mr. Azik called him the most cherished angel of the Fool." That wasn't exactly what Mr. Azik had said, but close enough, right? Even if she wasn't exactly sure what angel meant, besides that it sounded powerful, she'd like to see the kid try and smite her with everyone else watching.
"Angel of Mercury?!" Little Sun gasped.
Emlyn and Fors' jaws dropped. You're got to be kidding! That's a literal infant!
I called 'His' angel a brat...! Danitz drained of all color, looking around as if he expected Creeping Hunger to appear at any moment. P-Please don't eat me!
"What angel? I'm just a baby," Will Auceptin protested.
"No, I know what I heard," Melissa returned blankly. "You're an angel."
"Am not!"
"Are too."
"Am not!"
"Are too!"
Both of them suddenly snapped to face Azik and said, "Well?"
The ancient Angel of Death wrung his hands helplessly. On one side was a very angry young woman. On the other was a three year-old child whose eyes were welling up in an incredibly ominous manner. No amount of battlefield prowess, no number of regained memories could have prepared him for this.
"I, well..." Azik finally gave up, shoulders slumping. "I believe that's the Angel of Mercury, yes."
Will Auceptin sniffled in a way that could only be described as menacing, then began to wail, crocodile tears running down his chubby cheeks.
"Melissa and Azik are meanies! You're so mean! Meanies!" he sobbed.
H-'He' can cry on command... Everyone thought at once.
While this commotion was going on, Miss Justice leaned over to Mr. Star. "Um, about 'Ma'am Arianna'..." She whispered something into the Star's ear.
The blood drained from his face. "WHAT?!"
Audrey nodded, looking guilty.
Leonard clutched his head. "I can't believe-! Oh, Goddess..."
Amanises looked over in his direction.
The Star's eyes widened. "No, no! I didn't mean-" He cut himself off by burying his head in his hands, letting out a muffled noise of despair.
This is the most embarrassing day of my life... I actually failed to recognize my own goddess...!
0:05
"Everybody, shut up, it's starting!" Roselle, who was the type of person to loudly shush others at the movies, shouted. "Don't you have any theater etiquette?!"
Dogshit, you're the loudest person here! Danitz cursed.
Will Auceptin let out a final sob for good measure, blew a raspberry at Melissa and Azik, and fell back into his seat in a huff. Melissa crossed her arms, satisfied with her victory. Leonard let out a muffled whimper.
It was in this state of general disorder that the second viewing began.
Tap! Tap! Tap!
Remembering where things had left off, everyone immediately sobered. Will wiped the last dregs of tears from his eyes, while the Morettis braced themselves, taking hold of each other's hands once again.
Zhou Mingrui reeled back in fear at the sight that greeted him. It was as though the person in the dressing mirror was not himself, but a desiccated corpse.
Melissa, Benson, and Leonard flinched. The memory of the funeral, despite being years ago, was still fresh in their minds. Apparently this viewing would be no kinder than the first.
How could a person with such grievous wounds be still alive?!
You'd be surprised, thought Azik. His expression grew solemn. But it's true that this is incredibly unusual for someone who shouldn't even be a Beyonder yet…
Caitlyn Hall looked sick to her stomach. Her husband stroked her arm reassuringly.
Melissa and Benson both felt a terrible nausea. They hadn't expected to agree with the person that had taken over their brother's body.
He turned his head in disbelief again and checked the other side. Even though he was a distance away and the lighting was poor, he could still see the penetrating wound and dark red blood stains.
"This…"
Zhou Mingrui drew a deep breath as he tried hard to calm himself.
He reached out to press his left chest and sensed his racing heart that exuded immense vitality.
He then touched his exposed skin. Beneath the slight coldness was flowing warmth.
It seems that "Klein's" death had no obvious lasting effects, Cattleya noted. Still, resurrection is a high-level ability limited to a few pathways. Surely Mr. Fool must have authority over one of them?
When he squatted down and after verifying that his knees could bend, Zhou Mingrui stood up again and calmed down.
"What's happening?" he muttered with a frown. He planned to inspect his head injury seriously once more.
"It's a miracle he's as calm as he is." Fors shook her head. If I woke up in an unfamiliar place with a wound like that, I probably would have started crying!
He took two steps forward and suddenly paused. The moonlight of the sanguine moon was relatively dark, so it was insufficient for his 'serious inspection.'
Emlyn puffed out his chest in pride at the word 'Sanguine', smirking. "It's just that a human's eyesight isn't good enough."
He's not subtle at all, thought every Beyonder in the room (besides Melissa, who hadn't received thorough education on such matters).
A memory fragment triggered as Zhou Mingrui turned his head to look at the grayish-white pipes and the metallic-gridded lamp on the wall right beside the study desk.
This was the most common gas lamp of the times. Its flame was stable and its illumination capabilities were excellent.
"My flames are better," Danitz grumbled.
With Klein Moretti's family situation, even a kerosene lamp was a dream, much less a gas lamp. Using candles was most apt for their standing and stature. However, back when he burned the midnight oil four years ago to be admitted into Khoy University, his elder brother, Benson, felt that it was an important matter which their family's future depended upon. Therefore, he insisted on creating conducive studying conditions for Klein even if it meant taking on debt.
Audrey smiled. "You're a good brother, Mr. Moretti."
Under normal circumstances, Benson would have been bashful to receive such a compliment. Now he only thanked the girl with a tired smile. Good, but not good enough, he thought bitterly.
Bernadette remembered her own brothers, who she hadn't seen in many years. Is this what it's like to have a strong sibling relationship? I'd forgotten. He acts more like a father than a brother.
Of course, Benson, who was literate and had worked for several years, was not a rash person who did not think of the consequences. He had quite some tricks up his sleeve. He reasoned with the landlord to 'raise the apartment's standards by installing gas pipes to improve the likelihood of rentals in the future.' The landlord was convinced and provided the money to complete the basic modifications. Then, using the convenience of working at an import and export company, he purchased a brand new gas lamp which was nearly at cost price. In the end, all he needed was to use his savings and did not need to borrow money.
Roselle cackled. "I think I like you."
"…" Benson didn't know how to feel about that.
"That really is impressive," said Alfred Hall. "Taking care of your family is the noblest thing anybody can do." He has potential for the Justiciar pathway, not that I'd wish becoming a Beyonder on a good person like him.
Derrick bowed his head in remembrance of his own family, who he had failed to save. Susie nuzzled into him comfortingly. He thanked her with a scratch behind the ears, grief slightly lessened.
After the memory fragment flashed past his mind, Zhou Mingrui came to the desk where he turned the pipe's valve and began twisting the gas lamp's switch…
A few seconds later, he turned around and walked toward the door. He arrived at the machine installation which was similarly inset into the wall and had grayish-white pipes connected to it.
This was a gas meter!
"It took you that long to figure out how to work a lamp." Roselle snickered. "That's just depressing."
After seeing the exposed gears and bearings, Zhou Mingrui took out a coin from his trousers' pocket... It was called a copper penny. One penny's purchasing power was roughly three to four yuan before his transmigration...
"Yuan...?" Several people repeated the word uncertainly.
"It sounds like a currency system, but I've never heard of it." Cattleya's brows furrowed once again. "Where exactly could Zhou Mingrui be from?"
Clearly this person hadn't just appeared out of nowhere. He came from a place with its own currency and naming conventions, unlike anything any of them had ever seen.
The Tarot Club frowned thoughtfully. Was it really possible that Zhou Mingrui came from an isolated place like the Forsaken Land of the Gods?
After flipping the coin—which was only minted and circulated after King George III ascended to the throne—a few times, Zhou Mingrui inserted it into the gas meter's thin vertical 'mouth.'
Several people stiffened at the mention of the late George III - particularly Benson and Melissa, who had witnessed his "death", and Bernadette, whose father occupied the spot of the currently reviving Dark Emperor. Had George III succeeded, Roselle would have been truly eradicated from this world.
The Hall Family all drew the crimson moon across their chests, praying that the dearly departed king's soul was resting in the kingdom of the goddess.
Audrey watched them silently.
Clink! Clang!
After the penny fell to the bottom of the meter, the sound of grinding gears sounded immediately, producing a short but melodious mechanical rhythm... A fire plume ignited and rapidly grew. Bright light first occupied the internals of the wall lamp before penetrating the transparent glass, blanketing the room with a warm glow.
The darkness quickly receded as the crimson retreated out the window. Zhou Mingrui felt at ease for a baffling reason as he quickly came in front of the dressing mirror.
"What's so bad about the moonlight?!" Emlyn puffed his chest out in anger. "Crimson is a beautiful color!"
Beneath 'Her' veil, Amanises' eyes narrowed. For a baffling reason…Instinct? Or…
This time, he seriously inspected his temple and did not miss a single detail.
After a few rounds of inspection, he realized that apart from the original blood stain, liquid was no longer flowing out of the grotesque wound. It appeared like it had received the best hemostasis and bandaging.
"The fuck is-" Danitz squinted. "Hemostasis?"
"Hemostasis is the process of stopping the flow of blood," Cattleya said.
"But don't you need blood?"
"It's to prevent bleeding out from open wounds," the Pirate King explained calmly, showing no anger towards her dull comrade. "Such as this one."
"Oh." Danitz, who had been reminded of his own captain, became 'inexplicably' embarrassed. "T-Thanks."
As for the slowly squirming grayish-white brain and the discernible growth of flesh and blood around the wound, it meant that the wound might take thirty to forty minutes, or maybe even two to three hours before it would only leave a light scar.
Caitlyn Hall felt sick once again, turning pale.
Alfred had seen much worse scenes during the war, so from the perspective of gore, he was hardly impacted. He sent a worried look towards his mother before his senses finally returned to him: Audrey!
He'd gotten so caught up in the situation that he'd forgotten about the well-being of his own sister! Even if she was able to Placate herself, or… have Susie do it for her… that was no excuse! He turned to where Audrey was sitting, prepared to cover her eyes if necessary-
But Audrey Hall was staring calmly at the screen, unaffected.
Dread began to build in the pit of Alfred's stomach.
"The restorative effects that transmigration brings?" Zhou Mingrui curled up the right corner of his mouth as he muttered silently.
"Transmigration has a healing effect?" This caused many people's eyes to widen. "How mysterious."
Bullshit! Roselle complained as he watched the misconception spread. You're the only one who got those cheats!
Mr. Fool hasn't shown any signs of interfering. Was my theory wrong? Or was 'He' the one that healed Kle - er, Zhou Mingrui? Why wouldn't 'He' pull Zhou Mingrui into Sefirah Castle, then? Leonard shook his head and whispered, "Just how many secrets do you have?"
Following that, he let out a long sigh. Regardless, he was still alive!
Benson and Melissa clenched their hands into fists.
After settling his mind, he pulled open a drawer and took out a tiny piece of soap. He took one of the old and tattered towels hanging by the side of the cupboard and opened the door. He then walked to the public bathroom which was shared by the tenants on the second floor.
Yes, I should clean up the blood stains on my head, or I'll keep looking like a crime scene. It's fine scaring myself, but if I were to scare my sister, Melissa, when she gets up early in the morning tomorrow, it would be quite problematic!
Sister! Melissa straightened, heart surging in her chest. Is it still Klein after all? Or are there at least remnants of him left behind? She lowered her eyes. No… does it even matter in the end? He's gone now.
The corridor outside was pitch black. Silhouettes were barely accentuated by the crimson moonlight from the window at the end of the corridor. They looked like a pair of monster eyes that silently observed the living late into the night.
Danitz grimaced. "Why is this guy's imagination so creepy?"
Zhou Mingrui lightened his footsteps as he walked towards the communal bathroom with a shuddering fear.
…C-Communal bathroom… Although Miss Justice had become much more worldly through her work at her charity foundation, as well as her year away from home, there were still some things she had yet to accept.
When he entered, there was even more moonlight, allowing him to see everything clearly. Zhou Mingrui stood in front of a wash basin and turned the tap's knob.
Upon hearing the gushing sound of water, he suddenly recalled his landlord, Mr. Franky.
Benson let out a weak laugh. "Good old Mr. Franky. Of all the curly-haired baboons I've met over the years, his hair must have been the curliest."
Hey, if you wanna call the guy stupid, just call him stupid! Roselle was 'inexplicably' pissed off by this Loen-styled euphemism.
Meanwhile, the Hermit suppressed a shiver. Franky, not Frank Lee. Not Frank Lee!
As water was included in the rent, this short and thin gentleman who wore a top hat, a vest, and a black suit, always inspected the bathroom actively to take note of any sounds of flowing water.
If the water gushed too loudly, Mr. Franky would ignore all of his gentlemanly traits by flailing his walking stick and striking the bathroom's door, shouting things like 'Darn thief,' 'Wastage is a shameless matter,' 'I'll remember you,' 'If I see this happen another time, scram along with your filthy luggage,' 'Mark my words, this is the most value-for-money apartment in Tingen City. You will not find a more kindly landlord anywhere else!'
"Scoundrel!" Emlyn cursed.
Judgment Xio let out a deep sigh. "Landlords are evil no matter where you go."
"Or no matter how many thousands of years pass," Roselle muttered under his breath.
Azik frowned. "That's no way to run a business or treat a tenant." My student was living in conditions like these? I wonder if this Franky fellow is still in Tingen. I haven't been to that city in quite some time, anyway…
Putting away those thoughts, Zhou Mingrui used a moist towel to clean the blood stains from his face again and again.
After checking himself using the rundown mirror in the bathroom and verifying that all that was left were a hideous wound and a pale face did Zhou Mingrui relax. Then, he took off his linen shirt and used a bar of soap to wash away the bloodstains.
Danitz shivered, recalling the countless hours he'd spent slaving over Gehrman Sparrow's bloodied shirts. He suddenly felt a deep kinship with the man on screen. Maybe I should find this guy and start a "victim's alliance" with him!
At that moment, he knitted his brows and recalled of a possible problem.
The wound was too exaggerated and there was too much blood. Apart from his body, his room likely still had signs of his injury!
"At least he remembered to clean everything up," Xio said halfheartedly. "That makes him smarter than a surprising amount of criminals."
My brother wasn't a criminal! Benson grit his teeth before the anger began to bleed out of him, leaving only numbness behind. But... He looked at the screen bleakly. That isn't my brother.
After Zhou Mingrui was done with his linen shirt a few minutes later, he briskly returned to his apartment with a moist towel. He first wiped the blood handprint on the desk and then, using the gas lamp's illumination, sought out spots which he missed out.
He immediately discovered that quite a substantial amount of blood had splattered onto the floor beneath the desk. And there was a yellow bullet to the left side of the wall.
"It can basically be confirmed," said Alfred Hall, who was desperate to contribute something. "Cause of death was a bullet to the head."
"Releasing a round with a revolver pointed at the temple?" After mixing and matching the clues from before, Zhou Mingrui had a rough idea how Klein had died.
The Morettis flinched, unable to deny the reality in front of them. In the dead of night, unremarkably and unbeknownst to either sibling, Klein Moretti's life had ended. Their brother had been dead long before his own funeral, and for three years they hadn't known any better. The idea caused a terrible wave of nausea to roil in their stomachs.
Benson covered his hand with his mouth, forcing himself to take deep breaths. I just don't understand, he thought. That was all he ever seemed to think lately.
While not quite as severe, Leonard's mind was in similar disarray. Was Zhou Mingrui's appearance an anomaly caused by the Antigonius family notebook? If so, then the Klein I know has always been Zhou Mingrui… the original Klein really died as simply as that. Is it okay to call him my friend then?
He was in no hurry to verify his guess. Instead, he seriously wiped away the blood stains and cleaned up the 'scene.' Following that, he took the bullet and returned to the side of his desk. He opened the revolver's cylinder and poured out the rounds inside.
A total of five rounds and a cartridge shell all had a brass luster to them...
"He's thorough." Bernadette nodded her approval.
He shifted his gaze to the left and it landed on the notebook's words: 'Everyone will die, including me.' Following that, even more questions arose in him.
Where did the gun come from?
Was it suicide or a faked suicide?
Benson and Melissa jerked in their seats.
"Suicide?!" Benson yelled. "That- Klein wouldn't…" He slumped. "We were doing badly, but not that badly."
"Did your brother have any enemies? Anyone who would want to hurt him?" Xio asked.
The siblings shook their head mutely.
"Mr. Moretti, please understand," Audrey began, voice gentle and soothing, as she Placated the siblings once again. "People don't always have reasons for the ways they act. They can lose hope or rationality and do things that nobody would have expected of them. I'm not saying that's what happened here, but… keep it in mind for the future."
Benson and Melissa gave her hollow looks before nodding.
"Besides, there's the other possibility of forced suicide," interjected the Hanged Man. "Not necessarily by a human, but by the influence of a supernatural force. That would explain how he caught the attention of an official Beyonder group."
"Considering the message in the notebook, it's likely that mysticism is involved," Cattleya agreed.
"But how would Klein come across something like that?" Benson asked, helpless.
Leonard once again felt guilt churn in his stomach. Would Mysteries stop him if he tried to explain what had happened? As a test, he opened his mouth and tried to explain, but no words came out. He sighed in resignation.
Miss Justice shot a look in his direction. Mr. Star knows something, but the authority of concealment is stopping him from telling us?
What kind of trouble could a history graduate of humble origins get himself into?
Why would such a suicide method only leave behind so little blood? Was it because I transmigrated in a timely manner and it came with healing benefits?
"So little?! You just spent fifteen minutes cleaning it up!" Danitz yelled. Fuck! If he's so willing, why doesn't this guy clean Gehrman Sparrow's clothes!
After pondering for a moment, Zhou Mingrui changed into another linen shirt. He sat on the chair and began pondering over more important matters.
Klein's experience was still not something he needed to concern himself with. The true problem was to figure out the reason for his transmigration and if he could return!
The Moretti siblings bit back sounds of protest. They already knew that the man on the screen was not Klein, but did he have to keep repeating it over and over? It had been hard enough to hear the first time, and it would never make sense no matter how many times it was said, so Benson and Melissa just wanted to stop thinking about it.
His parents, relatives, best buddies, and friends. The fascinating world of the Internet and all sorts of delicious delicacies… These were reasons that prompted his desire to return!
Roselle's smile wavered. In an effort to cheer himself up, he laughed weakly and said in Mandarin, "Really? The Internet and delicacies are your grand motivations? Well, we weren't citizens of the Foodaholic Empire for no reason."
The rest of the group, aside from Amanises, absorbed the tidbit of information greedily. They wanted to learn everything they could about Zhou Mingrui's strange homeland. Although Zhou Mingrui obviously came from somewhere, the confirmation of the existence of other people - an entire civilization, even - had a huge impact on everyone.
"What's the Internet? A different world?" Derrick asked, confused.
"Maybe the Internet is his homeworld," Fors suggested hesitantly, thinking of her own theory.
Roselle choked so hard he almost fell out of his seat.
Click. Click. Click… Zhou Mingrui's right hand was subconsciously pulling out the revolver's cylinder and slamming it back into place, again and again.
Danitz shuddered again. W-Why did that feel so familiar?
Yea, there has not been much difference for me between this period of time and the past. I was just a little unlucky, but why would I transmigrate for no baffling reason?
Bad luck… Yes, I tried a luck enhancement ritual before dinner today!
Will Auceptin's eyes narrowed. This guy has always had an unusual relationship with luck. I thought it was due to Sefirah Castle, but could this have anything to do with his abnormalities?
A thought flashed in Zhou Mingrui's mind, illuminating the memories which were concealed by a fog of confusion.
As a qualified keyboard politician, keyboard historian, keyboard economist, keyboard biologist, and keyboard folklorist, he had always deemed himself as 'knowing something of everything.' Of course, his best buddy would often mock him as 'only knowing a little of everything.'
Roselle did fall out of his chair this time, howling with laughter. Zhou Mingrui was a keyboard warrior! He wheezed. I'll never let him live this down!
The Tarot Club sent uncertain looks towards Roselle. Was this really Emperor Caesar, the Son of Steam, a man important enough to have his diary collected by Mr. Fool? The same man laughing like a lunatic for no clear reason?
He was the messiah of a previous era, but isn't he kind of an idiot? Emlyn thought.
Amanises just watched with a blank expression on 'Her' face, feeling second-hand embarrassment for 'Her' Blessed.
And one of them was Chinese Divination.
"Chinese? Is that like Loenese, a nationality?" Little Sun asked.
"They appear to also have divination there," Emlyn noted. "The original Zhou Mingrui may have been proficient in mysticism."
Don't you think you're getting a little hasty there? thought both of the Earthlings present.
When he visited his hometown last year, he had discovered a thread-bound book titled 'Quintessential Divination and Arcane Arts of the Qin and Han Dynasty' at an old bookstore.
Cattleya, Bernadette, and Azik listened with special interest as the local history enthusiasts.
It looked pretty interesting and could aid him in posturing on the Internet, so he bought it. Unfortunately, his interest was short-lived. The vertical script it used made the reading experience horrible. All he did was flip through the beginning pages before he threw it into a corner.
"Vertical script? How interesting." Despite her vast knowledge, the Hermit Cattleya had come across very few texts written in vertical script, and none seemed to match the description of this text. How could something so archaic end up in an ordinary bookstore?
He had experienced a spat of bad luck in the past month—losing his cell phone, customers running away after cheating him, and mistakes at work.
Will Auceptin whistled innocently.
Only then did he suddenly recall the luck enhancement ritual written at the beginning of 'Quintessential Divination and Arcane Arts.' Furthermore, the requirements were extremely simple, without any basic foundation requirements.
All he needed was to get four portions of the staple food in his area and place them in the four corners of his room. They could be placed on furniture such as tables and cupboards. Then, standing in the middle of the room, he had to take four steps in a counter-clockwise fashion to make a square. The first step required him to sincerely chant 'Blessings Stem From The Immortal Lord of Heaven and Earth.' The second step was to silently chant, 'Blessings Stem From The Sky Lord of Heaven and Earth.' The third step was 'Blessings Stem From The Exalted Thearch of Heaven and Earth,' and the fourth step was 'Blessings Stem From The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth.' After the four steps were taken, he needed to close his eyes and wait five minutes in his original spot. Only then would the ritual be considered complete.
The jovial expression immediately slipped off the infant's face, and Will's eyes went steely. He sat up straighter in his seat.
This explains why he's always had the aura of Sefirah Castle. From the beginning, Klein Moretti's ascension to Lord of the Mysteries was arranged by the previous Lord 'Himself'? To produce an awakening vessel? How insidious. Will wanted to laugh bitterly, but as that wasn't befitting of a child, he kept quiet. To bear a fate like that, Zhou Mingrui must have the worst luck in the whole world.
"Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth?" Azik frowned to himself. I can't remember, but I feel like I should know something.
The Hermit began, "What kind of ritual-"
She was cut off by an intense aura filling the theater.
A violent shudder ran down everyone's spines, as if the coldness of every long and dark night in the world had seeped into their bones. They didn't have the courage to look its source in the eye: "Arianna", the mysterious woman whose face was concealed.
Below the veil, 'She' was visibly frowning.
This filled people's hearts with an indescribable terror. Nobody dared to speak.
Since it did not cost him any money, he found the book, followed what was stipulated, and did it before dinner. However… nothing happened back then.
Who would have guessed that he would actually transmigrate in the middle of the night!
Transmigration!
"There is a distinct possibility that it's due to that luck enhancement ritual… Yes, I should give it a try here tomorrow. If it's really because of that, I stand a chance of transmigrating back!" Zhou Mingrui stopped flicking the revolver's cylinder and suddenly sat straight up.
The heavy aura lessened, but still persisted. Beneath the veil, Amanises' eyes were a little duller than usual.
As a Sequence 2, Queen Mystic knew better than to speak aloud, but she could still maintain rationality within her own mind. More talk of transmigration. I should ask Father what it means after this viewing ends. She glanced at her father out of the corner of her eye, only to tense at what she saw.
In her youth, Roselle had always been a lively man. Smiling, talking, laughing - his exaggerated expressions in private a total contrast to the ruler's façade he put up in public. Even then, though, her animated father was never quite still: he'd tap the armrest of his throne, or send her a wink across the room when nobody else was looking.
There were few times when she remembered him to be truly, truly still. But most of them had been when he'd been standing at that window, looking to the west. Searching for something nobody else could see.
So why? Why have you regained that stillness now…?
Regardless, he had to give it a try!
I'm sorry, old friend. Roselle's expression was numb. There's nowhere left to go back to.
He had to attempt a Hail Mary!
The theater descended into thick silence