The crowd shifted in their seats uneasily, saying nothing. Several people sent uncertain looks towards "Arianna". Although the horrifying aura emanating from 'Her' had long since dispelled, nobody was quite comfortable - after all, there was still the question: just what had upset 'Her' so much?
Amanises scanned the room, then let out an unnoticeable sigh. The calming and serene feeling of a starry night spread throughout the theater, causing the tension to dissipate. I showed my rage too clearly.
T-The Evernight Goddess has the title of "Empress and Misfortune and Horror" for good reason... Alger flexed his hands, which had just stopped shaking. This is the constrained power of a true god. How incredible... But then, what kind of existence could have called a true god here and managed to subdue 'Them'? He felt cold sweat bead on his forehead at the thought of Mysteries.
As a Sequence 1 Snake of Mercury, Will Auceptin was less affected than most. He rubbed his eyes like a sleepy child and frowned. "I know a thing or two about luck, and that's not a normal ritual."
Sefirah Castle was temporarily under the Celestial Worthy's control, at least for the most part. Even if nobody had been (noticeably) corrupted by the viewing's mention of 'His' honorific name - even if 'He' could have killed them all through corruption already if 'He' had so desired - Will didn't want to risk saying the name aloud. It was incredibly dangerous to acknowledge the existence of a Great Old one anywhere, let alone inside 'Their' own domain, and Will hadn't survived this long by being reckless. This forced him to express his suspicions in a more roundabout manner.
The Lord of the Mysteries had disappeared sometime around the First Epoch. How could Zhou Mingrui have found a ritual pertaining to 'Him' in his hometown?
Meanwhile, Azik was deep in thought. The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth? Little Will seems to recognize this name, but I can't remember properly… Does it have to do with the reason Klein was forced to sleep? But how could Zhou Mingrui come across such a thing?
"I've never heard such an honorific name before," the Hermit said quietly. "Not even for a hidden existence." This world was full of mysteries no matter how powerful you were, but those undiscovered possibilities lurking in the shadows never became any less horrifying. Cattleya hesitated before looking towards Queen Mystic. Bernadette appeared calm on the surface, but Cattleya had known her for decades - she could see the subtle signs of unease, of something close to fear. Bernadette herself was looking towards her father, who appeared unusually solemn.
Why does Emperor Roselle look so shaken? As a quasi-true god, he probably knows more than all of us... even more than Queen Mystic... Cattleya suppressed a deep shiver. To her, Bernadette had always been - a mother, yes, but something more than that in the way she never allowed herself to be swayed. Queen Mystic was untouchable. She knew everything that was worth knowing. But if that wasn't the case anymore...
The idea struck more fear into her heart than any hidden existence ever could.
Mind drifting, Bernadette was too distracted to notice the attention of her disciple. Her lips moved, but made no sound:
"Lord of the Mysteries..?"
All of the higher-level existences have taken note of this special figure in the luck enhancement ritual... A deep anxiety fell over the Tarot Club, its members feeling more clueless than they had in a long time. The World Gehrman Sparrow had been the only one among them to reach the angel level, which they knew to be the threshold for some sort of knowledge - of course, they weren't sure what that knowledge was, but to provoke the Evernight Goddess and to shake the former Emperor of Intis to 'His' core... Could it have to do with the apocalypse?
"It seems that Zhou Mingrui performed a suspicious ritual, caught the attention of some unknown existence, and was forcibly made to transmigrate by that existence," the Hanged Man summarized, willing his racing heart to calm down.
Benson and Melissa, who had understood very little of anything recently, tensed at this. While they lacked the mystical understanding to realize how truly out of their depth they were, they could at least realize this much: Zhou Mingrui hadn't purposefully taken over Klein's body.
"Then..." Benson's voice was quiet. "Why did this happen? Were Klein and Zhou Mingrui both involved in supernatural incidents involving the same existence? Did that form a connection between them?"
Xio sighed. "Nothing is clear yet. We know almost nothing about the nature of either of those incidents."
Could this Celestial Worthy have anything to do with the Antigonius family? Leonard wondered. He decided to try and speak once again. "I'm not sure how much I'll be allowed to say, but I know some things about the original Klein's death. He-"
The words abruptly stopped coming out of his mouth. Leonard suppressed a scowl. Little Sun pat his arm sympathetically.
This man knows something? Melissa narrowed her eyes. If that company really was a Beyonder group, then he's probably a Beyonder, too. Did he and… Zhou Mingrui… both form connections to the Fool through their work? She worked to keep her thoughts moving in any possible direction besides the grief still gnawing at her mind.
Miss Justice sent a worried look towards her friend. As expected, the Morettis are very conflicted… it's a miracle they've handled things this well, even. Melissa is hyper-focusing on finding answers in order to escape her pain, while Benson seems to be doing this to a lesser degree - he's still in shock… I have to step in soon. Not only that, I have to discuss things with the Tarot Club!
"I have a question." Derrick spoke up. "When-" He paused, unsure if it was wise to use codenames with other people around, and instead nodded to Leonard. "When you spoke up, saying that you knew about Klein's death didn't count as 'spoilers'. You were only stopped when you tried to share details. Why is that?"
Alger hummed in thought. "That's a good point. If we want to figure out what's going on here, figuring out this 'spoiler' system is a good start."
This is my chance! Audrey cleared her throat elegantly and said, "Then, if nothing of note comes up in the next viewing, I think we should temporarily split off into groups to discuss. This should also allow us to further test what counts as 'spoilers' by sharing knowledge within these groups. For example, is it still a 'spoiler' if everyone present already knows the information? What level of detail is allowed?" She smiled. "Besides, I'm sure there are many of us who have been waiting for the opportunity for private conversations."
Nice save, Miss Justice! The Tarot Club cheered in their hearts.
Having totally misunderstood the girl's intentions, Earl Hall, Caitlyn, Alfred, and Hibbert all brightened. Audrey was taking the initiative to find a way to talk to them! This comfort, as well as the prospect of getting answers, made the Hall family relax. The image of Audrey's emotionless face and cool demeanor had temporarily disappeared from their minds.
Roselle grinned and took the opportunity to cheer himself up. He might get to explain things to his daughter without having to rely on that weasel, Amanises! Audrey, was it? I don't mind making you my second honorary grandchild! The first will be Bernadette's disciple, of course!
"That's a sensible idea," the Hermit agreed. "Not all knowledge can be shared with everyone, but in a situation like this, we should all be as knowledgeable as possible. Is everyone in favor?"
Nobody raised an objection. Secrecy was a must in the mysticism world, so even if most people could easily recognize that the group was trying to arrange a private discussion for themselves, they were in no place to judge. In fact, they were in similar situations.
Only Melissa, who hadn't yet realized how deep the tradition of secrecy went in the Beyonder world, felt hesitant. We're breaking off into groups? As for us, who know the least - won't we be left behind? What could they want to talk about alone? Although her paranoia was rising, she knew she couldn't be the only one to object, so she kept silent. Her hands trembled slightly in her lap as she blinked back tears.
"Then it's decided," Cattleya said firmly. "For now, there isn't much left to discuss besides choosing groups. I believe most of us know who we want to convene with?"
The majority of people exchanged wordless glances and nodded - including the Hall family, whose faces were bright with hope for the first time since their arrival. Audrey's heart twisted guiltily at the sight.
"Hey, what about us leftovers?" Danitz complained - he had been one of the few who hadn't nodded. "What are we, canned wolffish?"
"You can form a group of your own," Judgment Xio suggested. "A discussion between parties of different knowledge levels will also yield important data."
"But…!" Danitz spluttered and glanced to his side. "Arianna", who had also abstained from nodding, returned his gaze, and he jerked away like he'd been burnt. D-Doesn't that mean I'll be stuck with that woman?! Dogshit, no way! She's even scarier than the captain!
"But?" prompted the Evernight Goddess, 'Her' melodic voice shocking everyone.
"N-Nothing! Haha." Even as he smiled, Danitz wanted to cry.
3:00
"With that settled," said the Hanged Man, crossing his arms, "We should continue a group discussion for now."
"Speaking of that - I have a tentative theory about transmigration."
The crowd turned and looked to the source of the voice, which was none other than Miss Magician.
Ugh, this is so embarrassing… The relatively introverted Fors cleared her throat. "I happen to know of a certain advancement ritual for the Door pathway. It requires the Beyonder to leave legends about themselves on places outside of this planet. Of course, the prerequisite for a legend is that there are sentient creatures to understand the legend."
"You think Zhou Mingrui is from another planet?" Miss Judgment clarified. Her voice was level, but Fors, who knew her well, could hear the note of teasing.
"It's possible," she defended herself. Xio, you jerk! "It would explain the difference in moons and the unknown culture he's referenced."
Aside from Xio, who continued to subtly tease her friend, the Beyonders took this theory in stride. The idea of life on other planets was incredible - but in a world where men could become gods, who was to say that it was unthinkable, or even all that surprising?
Bernadette's eyes narrowed. Outside of this planet? Could this be referring to the cosmos? Where those unimaginable monsters lurk..
Caitlyn Hall covered her mouth. "Another planet? You can't be implying that we aren't alone in this universe… Is such a thing possible?"
"Few things are truly impossible, Countess Hall," Azik said gently. "Dangerously few. As Emperor Roselle once said: 'Two possibilities exist - either we are alone in the Universe or we are not. Both are equally terrifying.'"
Hearing such a respectable quote from the reassuring Mr. Azik, Caitlyn calmed down slightly. Many people sent Roselle looks of respect. After watching the Son of Steam make a fool of himself during the viewings, they were now remembering that the man hadn't been called a genius and prodigy for no reason.
R-Right, I did say something like that shortly before I left for the moon... I think I stole it from a Weibo post... Roselle withered under the glare of the Evernight Goddess, who had, unbeknownst to the emperor, been a big reader in 'Her' past life. 'She' crossed 'Her' arms with a venomous stare that seemed to say: that's funny, I didn't know you were Arthur C. Clarke.
"Then our two most likely theories are that Zhou Mingrui comes from another planet, or that he comes from the west," Alger summarized. "Unfortunately, have no way of investigating either of those possibilities at the moment."
"Pardon me - you've mentioned this 'west' earlier, but what is it that you're referring to? West of where?" Earl Hall asked politely.
Danitz silently thanked the man for asking the question he'd been too embarrassed to ask.
The other Beyonders exchanged a look. To most people, the Western Continent only existed in myth. On the other hand, they had agreed to a baseline of knowledge - they were all trapped in this situation together, after all. Even if the non-Beyonders couldn't contribute much to discussions, the building frustration of not being told anything could lead to problems later on.
After receiving several nods from the Tarot Club, Cattleya opened her mouth to speak-
However, no words came out.
She sighed. "I'm sorry. Apparently this counts as a 'spoiler'."
"I understand." The Earl smiled graciously, but his inner turmoil only grew. What in the world? A place so secretive that even its name and location can't be spoken, yet most others seem to know what it is… His eyes widened, and he shared a look with Alfred. They had both thought the same thing.
If it really is the legendary Western Continent… just what have we become involved in?
2:00
"The next order of business should be discerning the relationship between Zhou Mingrui and the Fool," Cattleya said. "Did this incident catch Mr. Fool's attention, or was 'He' the cause of the transmigration in the first place?"
Nobody spoke.
Several people looked to the Tarot Club members, who seemed to be experts on matters relating to the Fool. But even though the Tarot Club had been meeting for three years already, they still knew very little about the authorities that their patron god wielded, or even 'His' true goals. It was hard to tell whether Mr. Fool had the ability or motive to cause a transmigration. As for everyone else, they knew even less.
The Evernight Goddess nodded approvingly to 'Herself'. 'Her' fellow Earthling had concealed himself remarkably well - nothing like Roselle, that insufferable braggart.
Azik's brow furrowed like he was recalling a distant memory. The existence that Klein is currently fighting against - who is it? The culprit behind his transmigration? The recollection slipped out of reach, his mind a cloud of dust and feathers, and he sighed in frustration. The name "Celestial Worthy" barely appears in my memories at all...
"From what we can tell, transmigration involves the movement of souls or Spirit Bodies," Mr. Hanged Man began hesitantly. "Mr. Fool has the ability to summon Spirit Bodies to this space, leaving physical bodies behind. It's likely that 'He' could cause a transmigration. But Mysteries also summoned us here by manipulating our Spirit Bodies - who knows how many other hidden existences have that same ability? We can't be sure that Mr. Fool was the one behind this."
Isn't he just trying to prevent the Fool from being implicated? Alfred Hall narrowed his eyes. This man talks like a politician. If he's been manipulating Audrey somehow... Protective anger swelled in his chest. Even if the man turned out to be of a higher Sequence than him - a Sequence 5, the pinnacle of humanity before godhood - Alfred would find some way to win. He wouldn't forgive anyone who had brought harm to his sister.
Mr. Moon stroked his chin. "If Mysteries is trying to sabotage Mr. Fool through this viewing, then 'They' must be enemies, right? Perhaps 'They' are fighting for control over that ability? For example, Mysteries used this authority to summon Zhou Mingrui, drawing Mr. Fool's attention, or possibly the other way around."
"It's feasible, but we can't discount the possibility of other existences being involved." Miss Judgment pinched her temples, feeling like she was dealing with a particularly difficult MI9 case. "We're missing too much information."
"Regardless of whoever was behind it, there's a high chance that the 'transmigration' was what drew Mr. Fool's attention to Zhou Mingrui," concluded Alger. His eyes narrowed. The first Tarot Club meeting was around this time. Mr. Fool had likely just awakened. Was this the event that caused 'Him' to wake up in the first place?
Hm... Ma'am Hermit rested her chin on her fist, recalling the mysticism knowledge she had received as a reward for killing Saint of Secrets, Botis. Is authority over transmigration perhaps granted by the sefirah that Mr. Fool possesses? If that's the case, then it might not be transmigration itself that's the issue. Rather, it's ownership of the sefirah, a key object left behind by the Original Creator 'Himself'... Either way, if Mysteries is after Mr. Fool, 'He' surely must know of this sefirah - which means 'He' most likely covets it!
Sefirah Castle. Over the past year, she had tentatively come to believe that this was the true name of their monthly meeting place. Based on its abilities, if each of the nine sefirot corresponded to a pathway cluster as she suspected them to, then this gray fog would likely represent the Seer, Apprentice, and Marauder pathways. That would align with Gehrman Sparrow having to seek out mermaids in order to advance as a Seer!
Cattleya had long held such thoughts and suspicions, choosing not to share them with the Tarot Club. Even if the other members discovered this, they wouldn't blame her: their key principle was equivalent exchange, after all, and knowledge was power in the Beyonder world. Everybody had valuable information that they chose not to share. (Except for Little Sun, maybe, she thought with a twinge of guilt.) Now they were playing by different rules; an open discussion was necessary to get to the bottom of this matter. And yet, now that it had come to this, the spoiler policy would stop her from sharing this key piece of information... How frustrating. The experienced Ma'am Hermit pinched her temples.
"So Zhou Mingrui formed a connection with Mr. Fool before he ended up... dying." Miss Magician sent a guilty look towards Benson and Melissa. "He must have been of great importance if even his - well, Klein's uninvolved siblings were summoned here. After his own death, no less."
The siblings' faces fell, uncomfortable with the sudden attention.
"Klein had been acting a little strangely at times," Melissa began slowly. "He was different from his usual self. But we really don't know any more than that." She clenched her hands into fists. "I wasn't even sure that he'd become a Beyonder until you all confirmed it..."
"Could he have become a Blessed without realizing it? If Mr. Fool and Mysteries really are in conflict, then perhaps Mr. Fool made Zhou Mingrui 'His' Blessed to keep him out of Mysteries' control," Derrick suggested.
(You can become a god's Blessed without even knowing? Danitz thought in shock. His thought process was still a step above the unfortunate Moretti and Hall families, who had no idea what a Blessed was.)
"That's possible. And of course, the reason behind it would be 'transmigration'." Cattleya easily followed this line of of reasoning. "In that case, our most important questions are: who caused Zhou Mingrui to 'transmigrate' and why?"
Leonard sighed. "It figures that the most important questions are the ones we have no way of answering."
Meanwhile, Alger's thoughts were whirring. Mr. Fool's involvement in matters involving 'transmigration'... Mr. Fool's special attention towards Zhou Mingrui and Emperor Roselle, going so far as to collect his diary entries... written in a language nobody else could read... Of course nobody could read it if the language originated from another world! He struggled to keep a straight face, unwilling to share his theory out loud. This has to be discussed with Ma'am Hermit and the Tarot Club!
1:00
Bernadette spoke up in an ethereal voice. "Besides transmigration, there's a more pressing issue to address. How can we be sure that what we're seeing is real?"
The crowd stirred at the Pirate King's words. They had been so confused, having no choice but to go along with the flow of things, that they'd ended up making some foolish assumptions - placing too much trust in the existence that had summoned them here.
"Queen Mystic is right," Miss Justice said firmly. "Above all, we should remember that this is meant to be an attack on Mr. Fool. We have no way of knowing that anything we're seeing is the truth or just meant to deceive us."
Leonard frowned to himself. The notebook and the revolver - everything seems to line up so far. But there's no telling how that will change in the future. I can't let my guard down again!
"It's all true."
Everybody in the theater tensed. Three simple words from "Arianna" had rendered everyone silent and wary.
"I can verify the authenticity of everything we've seen so far, as well as everything to come," the Evernight Goddess said calmly. "I will notify you if there is anything wrong. But I doubt I'll have to. Mysteries likely considers 'Himself' above such cheap tricks."
How do you know that? thought half the crowd, too scared to voice their suspicions.
"Then..." Mr. Moon gathered his courage. "If you have the knowledge to verify this, does that mean you've been watching over Zhou Mingrui ever since his 'transmigration'?"
The goddess dipped 'Her' head in affirmation.
Fors and Leonard's jaws almost dropped. T-The Evernight Goddess 'Herself' has been involved from the start? What kind of ridiculously high-level event is this?!
"I'm just a baby, you know," Will Auceptin said aloud with a sniffle, totally unprompted. Nobody had the courage to ask what he was talking about.
Klein, you meanie! Using me to run all your errands when the Evernight Goddess was right there! Do you have any idea how hard it is to create your body from scratch inside a womb?! The three year-old Snake of Mercury sniffled again.
"'Transmigration' is really something incredible," Alger muttered under his breath, distracted by his own thoughts. To be able to garner the attention of a true god, as well as Mr. Fool... Well, such things have always been going on in the shadows of the world. I'll gain the right to partake in these events once I become an angel!
"Well, I trust Ma'am Arianna," Azik put forth. Although he had been an enemy to the Evernight Church in the Pale Era, those days were long gone now, and the goddess had no reason to lie that he knew of. "With 'Her' vote of confidence, I think we should take this viewing as the truth. Besides, we'll obviously be able to verify the authenticity of things involving ourselves."
Derrick's expression firmed. "Right. If it's focused around Mr. Fool and those involved with 'Him', it's inevitable that we would appear."
This caused many people to shift uncomfortably. Nobody liked the prospect of their thoughts, identities, and secrets being broadcast; however, the thoughts, identities, and secrets of a Beyonder were more dangerous than those of a normal person's. In the world of mysticism, knowledge was power - and not always the good kind. The members of the Tarot Club, a secret organization that probably wouldn't remain secret for much longer, let out a collective sigh.
"Well, there's nothing we can do about it now." Xio broke the silence, crossing her arms. "The situation is out of our hands. All we can do is watch."
With her words, the crowd's attention shifted back to the crimson timer hanging in midair.
0:05
"Dogshit!" Danitz swore. "Already?!"
For once, the crowd shared his sentiments. Anxiety thick in the air, people straightened in their seats, preparing themselves for the viewing.
Amanises closed 'Her' eyes with an inaudible sigh. 'She' had considered simply lying, claiming that the contents of the viewing were false - but such a method would get too complicated too quickly once familiar scenes started cropping up. Claiming the falsehood of only the content involving Mr. Fool's identity was just too suspicious. 'She' couldn't risk leaving behind even a seed of doubt in the minds of Klein's anchors. Such things could be taken advantage of later. It was best to rip off the Band-aid, have them find out the truth, and build their faith back up stronger than ever.
It was an unusual strategy for 'Her': faith. So unlike the usual meticulous planning and maneuvering. But Amanises could admit that it was a refreshing change. Klein Moretti had won the hearts of everyone gathered here once; 'She' had faith that he could do it again.
0:01
Amanises opened 'Her' eyes.
Prove me right, won't you? Zhou Mingrui.
0:00
After confirming his plan, Zhou Mingrui immediately felt he had a mental crutch. His fear and unease were all swept away into a corner of his mind.
"It's no wonder he was able to adapt so quickly," Emlyn realized. "He isn't really processing anything."
Roselle scowled bitterly. That works really well until the crutch gets swept out from underneath you...
Perhaps as a result of having a bullet pass through his head, Klein's memories were like shattered glass. Not only were the memories not contiguous, there were many spots which were clearly missing. For example, memories pertaining to how the exquisite revolver appeared in his possession, whether he had committed suicide, or was killed, as well as the meaning of the words 'Everyone will die, including me' on the notebook, or whether he had participated in anything odd two days before the incident.
So he was telling the truth about one thing, Leonard thought dryly.
Xio sighed. "Of course. Nothing can ever be easy."
"The question is, what did cause this fragmentation? The unusual cause of death, supernatural influence, or 'transmigration' itself?" Cattleya asked thoughtfully. Because they knew so little about what "transmigration" entailed, the audience had no way of knowing whether or not this was par for the course.
Roselle and Amanises considered this question. The memories of their previous bodies had been fairly complete, regardless of the state of the body they had woken up in; however, neither of them had transmigrated into a body that had died due to a supernatural incident. (If you didn't count being killed in a Beyonder battle as a "supernatural incident", in the case of Amanises' transmigrated body.) Thus, the culprit of Klein's memory loss and the culprit of Klein's death were likely one and the same.
Talk about unlucky. The two transmigrators winced.
Not only had these particular memories become fragmented, there were also missing pieces. It was the same even for knowledge he ought to know. In light of the present situation, Zhou Mingrui believed that if Klein were to return to university, it was unlikely he could graduate. This was despite him having left campus just days ago without relaxing one bit.
Azik frowned. It seemed that whether it was Klein or Zhou Mingrui, his student always underestimated himself.
As a former Undying who was still forced to "die" every sixty years, Azik was very experienced in taking on new identities, so he had easily bridged the mental gap between Klein and Zhou Mingrui. To him, they were both his precious students. Zhou Mingrui, however, was the one who had become a Beyonder and written so many letters to Azik; he was not just a favored student but a trusted friend and ally.
At the same time, everybody who had graduated university grimaced sympathetically. Working hard to just barely pass for years on end, only to have that work erased in one fell swoop, was its own special brand of hell.
He needs to participate in the Tingen University's History department interview two days later…
"T-There's no way he'll get hired in this condition," said Hibbert Hall, happy to finally see a topic that he understood: the job market.
Roselle rolled his eyes. "Thank you, Captain Obvious."
At that moment, there was a commotion inside the apartment. Soon, the sound of footsteps approached his door.
"Melissa is awake… She's really as punctual as always." Zhou Mingrui smiled. Due to Klein's memories, seeing Melissa made him feel as though she was really his younger sister.
Melissa froze, heart stuttering in her chest. She opened her mouth as if to speak.
However, I do not have a younger sister… He immediately contradicted himself...
She shut her mouth, and the words died.
Of course. Melissa deflated once again, scolding herself for expecting anything different. This was just a series of unfortunate circumstances - that was all. The person on screen did not consider himself to be Klein Moretti, so Melissa shouldn't consider him as such either.
No matter how much she wanted to.
Audrey frowned in concern, glancing from Melissa back to the screen. I hope this viewing passes quietly so I can take the chance to fix the Moretti's mental states. Besides that, Zhou Mingrui himself is clearly in need of counseling. The foreign memories might end up creating a rift in his personality, leading to a dissociative disorder, and he doesn't even realize the danger... The senior Spectator sighed helplessly. Of course, this is all in the past now. If Zhou Mingrui has already gone insane, then there's nothing I can do. However, if he really is Mr. World, then he seems to have overcome this issue. She raised her head. It's important to have hope!
Melissa was different from most girls. From a young age, she enjoyed things like gears, springs, and bearings. Her ambition was to be a steam mechanic.
Audrey and Benson cheered up slightly. Melissa was a quiet girl, but if you managed to get her going about machinery, she could talk for hours. Miss Justice laughed at the memory of her friend bowing repeatedly, apologizing for "pointlessly rambling".
Roselle ruined this sweet moment by clapping his hands to his cheeks. "I'm not like other girls," he squealed. "I'm special - OW!"
The former ruler of Intis let out a grunt of pain as Bernadette stepped on his foot ruthlessly. Amanises hid the twitch of 'Her' lips with the authority of concealment.
"You didn't have to do it that hard," Roselle muttered, reaching down to rub his foot. "Well, steam and machinery is a good choice. I bet I'm better at it, though."
...Of course you're better. Your title is the "Son of Steam"... The Tarot Club deadpanned. In the first place, why are you comparing yourself to a fifteen year-old child?
Having suffered from a lack of culture, Benson, who knew the importance of education, supported his sister's dreams just like how he supported Klein's university education. After all, Tingen Technical School was only considered secondary education. There was no need for her to attend language school or a public school for more knowledge...
This earned Benson several more approving looks.
He's really sacrificed a lot for his family, Alfred Hall thought with approval and some sympathy. It's a shame that these siblings were born into such a difficult environment. If we're able to leave this place safely, I should check on their living conditions.
Suddenly, Danitz felt a little grateful towards his captain - even if none of her crew wanted to learn, at least it was free. Making education inaccessible to people who actually wanted it didn't make much sense to him. Dogshit, what a stupid system...
Meanwhile, Benson's company was affected by the situation in the Southern Continent. There was a drastic drop both in profit and business transactions. More than a third of the employees were retrenched. In order to keep his job and maintain their livelihood, Benson could only accept more arduous tasks. He had to work overtime more frequently or head to places with harsh environments. That was what he was occupied with the past few days.
Danitz laughed raucously. "That's why the pirate life is better! We get to live on the sea, find treasure, and we get vacation time too!" His laughter trailed off as he realized that between working with the Resistance and managing the Church of the Fool as an Oracle, he hadn't actually been at sea in several months, nor had he had a vacation.
...Gehrman Sparrow, you evil bastard! I'll show you a real madman! The flames of rage in Danitz's heart suddenly burned hotter than ever.
It was not that Klein did not think of helping share his elder brother's burden but being born a commoner and having been admitted into an average language school, he felt a strong sense of inadequacy when he enrolled into university. For example, as the origin of all languages in the Northern Continent, the ancient language of Feysac was something all the children of nobles and of the wealthy class would learn from a young age. In contrast, he only made first contact with it in university.
He faced many similar aspects during his schooling career. Klein nearly gave his all and often stayed up late into the night and woke up early before barely managing to catch up to the others, eventually allowing him to graduate with average results.
Emlyn shivered, remembering the long evenings he'd spent being forced to copy the Earth Mother's holy scriptures. W-Well, it all worked out in the end... Fate always favors the messiah, after all!
"Considering how far he was behind the rest, even that is incredibly impressive," Alfred Hall praised.
Benson smiled tiredly. "I told him that a lot, too. I don't think he ever believed me."
Memories regarding his elder brother and younger sister remained active in Zhou Mingrui's mind until he turned the doorknob open. Only then did he jolt awake and remember that he held a revolver in his hand.
"He forgot he was holding a weapon?" Derrick asked, disbelieving. Having grown up in the City of Silver, where kids were trained to fight as soon as they could walk, such carelessness was unthinkable.
"He's clearly not as composed as he's pretending to be," Mr. Moon explained in the pretentious tone of a teacher educating a foolish junior.
Didn't you join the organization after Little Sun? thought the Tarot Club. And didn't he reach the level of demigod before you, too...
This was a semi-regulated item!
It will scare children!
Will Auceptin began to cry loudly. "I'm scared! I'm really scared!"
Child, my ass! Danitz, whose seat was still being kicked by the Angel of Mercury, shouted.
Also, there's still the wound on my head!
"You just remembered that?" Fors muttered in shock. "I'd have a hard time forgetting about it."
With Melissa arriving at any moment, Zhou Mingrui pressed onto his temple and hurriedly pulled open a desk drawer and threw the revolver in before slamming it closed.
A round of blank stares.
"Wow," Roselle said flatly. "That was so subtle. Not noticeable at all."
"I would have noticed something was wrong, and I'm a toddler," said Will, who had stopped crying in favor of sucking his thumb.
"What happened?" Melissa looked over curiously when she heard the commotion.
Melissa tensed. "I remember this day," she said faintly. "I fixed his watch..."
A distant, blurry image came to Leonard: his coworker sitting in the Nighthawks office, staring at an engraved pocket watch with a fond expression on his face. The memory caused Leonard's chest to tighten. That wasn't the expression of a stranger.
She was still in the prime of her youth. Even though she did not have much nutritious food to eat, making her face thin and slightly pale, her skin remained lustrous as it exuded the vibes of a young girl...
Audrey, Caitlyn Hall, and Azik all frowned at this description. Although it wasn't due to any neglect or purposeful mistreatment, Melissa clearly wasn't getting enough to eat.
She didn't look that malnourished when I first met her, Audrey thought with worry. Her situation has improved since then, right?
Azik just looked on solemnly. He'd known about his student's troubled financial situation and had even treated Klein to the occasional meal. Although he would have liked to do more, the Morettis weren't the type of people to accept handouts.
Well, the original Klein wasn't, Azik thought wryly. From what I know, Zhou Mingrui has no such qualms with accepting money.
Benson sighed, squeezing his sister's hand tighter. Those days had been difficult for all of them, and he still felt guilty for having not done more - for letting Klein wear ragged suits and letting Melissa go hungry. After years of hard work, they'd managed to raise themselves up from those conditions.
But now Klein wasn't here to see it.
A gentle silence fell over the audience as the on-screen Melissa methodically fixed the watch. The Moretti siblings and Leonard watched the familiar scene in a daze.
"It's okay now," she said simply without emotion. She then pressed the top button back and handed the pocket watch back to Zhou Mingrui.
Zhou Mingrui returned a smile politely in embarrassment.
Melissa shuddered. She remembered this exact conversation - she even remembered thinking that that sheepish expression was so typical of Klein. She'd been talking so casually with a stranger and she hadn't even noticed. She hadn't noticed the next day, either, or the day after that...
Two months? Melissa wanted to throw up. It was like this for two months?
The Hanged Man crossed his arms. "His acting skills are better than I would have thought. Most people would have no idea how to behave in a situation like this."
"It could be that he's using Klein's memory fragments as a guide, or perhaps the memories themselves have influenced him," theorized Miss Justice. "Since his mental state is still so fragile, he's likely just acting on instinct - rather, a combination of Zhou Mingrui and Klein Moretti's instincts."
Audrey has grown sharper than ever. Normally the Hall family would have thought this with pride, but now the observation was tinged with dread and confusion. How did she grow up so much without us noticing?
Melissa gave her elder brother a piercing stare before turning to walk to the cupboard. She took her toiletries and towel before opening the door to leave. She headed for the public bathroom.
Why did her expression have a look of disparagement and resignation?
Is it a look of love and concern for a retarded brother?
Several people muffled surprised noises into their hands. Danitz sniggered.
"What?!" Melissa was so surprised that she was broken out of her negative emotions. Her face burned in embarrassment. "I didn't mean it like that!"
Benson, similarly caught off guard, burst into shocked laughter. He wiped a tear from his face and began to tease his sister. "Well, it does feel like you look down on us sometimes."
"W-What are you saying?!" Ears turning red, Melissa elbowed Benson in the side, but he didn't stop laughing.
Surprisingly, Roselle made no comment on such low-hanging fruit. This setup is too easy. I'd be walking right into it. I have standards, thank you very much! Despite this, his hands were trembling with the effort of not making a joke.
Zhou Mingrui lowered his head and chuckled. He closed the pocket watch's cover with a click before opening it again.
He repeated this action as his idle thoughts focused on a question.
Klein committed suicide without a silencer. Well, I'll consider it as suicide for now. His suicide should have caused quite a commotion; yet, Melissa, who was just a wall away, did not notice it at all.
The Moretti siblings sobered again. It really shouldn't have mattered whether Klein's death was caused by supernatural forces - he was dead either way - but the idea of Klein doing such a thing all on his own... suicide hurt too much to consider. The idea of the paranormal was frightening, but it was easier than the alternative. It was a mystery that could be solved.
Was she sleeping too soundly? Or is Klein's suicide shrouded in mystery to begin with?
"Our walls were thin, and I'm a light sleeper," Melissa said sharply. "There's no way I wouldn't hear a gunshot. Something else is going on."
You're exactly right, Leonard wanted to tell her, but was only able to stay silent.
...Her gaze was once again glazed with exasperation as she said with a sweet voice, "Klein, take out all the remaining bread. Remember to buy fresh ones today. There's meat and peas too. Your interview is soon. I'll make you mutton stewed with peas."
Benson managed a weak smile at the memory of his sister's cooking.
As she spoke, she moved a stove out from a corner. With some charcoal, she boiled a pot of hot water.
Before the water boiled, she opened the cupboard's lowest drawer and took out what seemed like a treasure—a can of inferior tea leaves. She threw about ten leaves into the pot and pretended that it was real tea.
Melissa looked down, embarrassed. It was humiliating having their low social status put on display.
Tea... I wonder what it tastes like. Tea was not a popular drink in Bayam, so Derrick had never gotten the chance to try it - but he was sure that in the City of Silver, even inferior tea would have been like a gift from the gods. He looked over and awkwardly tried to comfort the girl. "Um, it's okay, Miss Moretti. My family always did things like that when I was growing up." His expression became serious. "There's no shame in trying to survive."
"O-Oh... thank you." Melissa blinked. To her, Beyonders had always seemed unreachable, totally separate from human experiences like poverty. "You were in a similar situation?"
Derrick frowned. He opened his mouth, then closed it. His face turned solemn like he was deeply considering something.
...Why does he have to think so hard about it... The Moretti siblings stared at him.
"I suppose I was," Derrick said after a lengthy pause. He sounded very uncertain.
"Is that so?" Benson stepped into the conversation, wary of the young man who had approached his sister out of the blue.
"Yes. Mr. Fool was the one who saved me." Derrick was much more certain about this.
"I see. That's nice." Benson forced a smile before subtly leaning towards his sister and whispering, "Melissa, don't answer if he talks to you."
After starting a conversation for no clear reason and openly admitting his connection to a mysterious god, Little Sun had accidentally made himself a very suspicious person in the eyes of the cautious Moretti siblings. Derrick himself had only a faint inkling that he'd done something wrong.
...L-Little Sun... Miss Justice and Mr. Hanged Man quietly watched the misunderstanding develop.
Melissa poured two big cups of tea as she shared two pieces of rye bread with Zhou Mingrui over tea.
There is no sawdust or excessive gluten mixed in, but it is unappetizing… Zhou Mingrui still felt weak and was starving. He forced himself to swallow the bread with the tea while complaining inwardly.
Xio and Fors sucked in sympathetic breaths, remembering their own days of poverty.
"Waking up as a commoner must suck, huh," Roselle said smugly in Mandarin. I sure lucked out, getting a noble's body!
Melissa finished eating a few minutes later. After she adjusted her black hair that reached down to her vest, she looked at Zhou Mingrui and said, "Remember to buy fresh bread. All we need is eight pounds. The weather is hot, so the bread will easily spoil. Also, buy the mutton and peas. Remember to buy them!"
Indeed, she was showing concern for her dull brother. She even had to repeat to emphasize it another time… Zhou Mingrui nodded with a smile.
"If I didn't tell him twenty times, he'd always forget," Melissa grumbled under her breath - but her voice held no anger, only sadness. Benson was an attentive person who reacted quickly. She hadn't had to repeat herself in years.
"Alright."
...Melissa did not say anything further. She stood up and tidied the area. After packing away the last bit of bread for lunch, she put on a tattered veil cap that their mother left behind, picked up a self-sewn bag used to carry her books and stationery, and prepared to leave...
"You can sew?" Caitlyn Hall smiled at the girl. "That's an excellent skill to have. Audrey always used to cry whenever she pricked herself with the needle, you know."
"M-Mother!" Audrey protested, half playing the role of an innocent noble daughter and half embarrassed to lose face in front of the Tarot Club.
In the Northern Continent, a year was similarly split into twelve months. Every year, there was 365 or 366 days. A week was similarly split into seven days.
The splitting of months was a result of astronomical observations. It made Zhou Mingrui suspect whether he was in a parallel world.
"Parallel world...?"
This left everyone speechless. The truth, while not totally unexpected, was still shocking: Zhou Mingrui had not just come from some isolated corner of the world, but a different world entirely. A deep sense of awe fell over the theater as they once again realized the enormity of what they were watching. The only exceptions to this shock were the angels and, of course, Amanises and Roselle - as well as Bernadette, who was frowning worriedly at the emperor's blank expression.
Father, she thought with growing unease, could you have really-?
"To think other worlds really exist..." Derrick's eyes were bright. As someone who had just begun to explore his own world, he felt as if countless opportunities opening up to him. "How incredible."
Fors squirmed in guilt, having never considered using her teleportation powers to help her fellow club member. "Little Sun, I'll take you anywhere you want after this."
"R-Really? Thank you! What would you like in return?"
"Um, no, I didn't mean it like an exchange..."
"Transmigration." Alger burst through this heartwarming (?) moment with a realization, eyes widening. "The method of moving between worlds is transmigration?"
A stir ran through the crowd as several people gasped, making the connection.
Benson put a hand to his forehead, struggling with the influx of information. "So our brother - no, he wasn't actually our brother-" He shook his head. "Zhou Mingrui was an alien?"
"It seems that way," Judgment Xio said in disbelief.
"Being an alien would have been so much cooler," Roselle muttered in Mandarin.
"If that theory is correct, then we've just solved one major mystery," declared the Hermit, head spinning with theories. "But this just leads to more questions. Why did Zhou Mingrui's soul transmigrate without his physical body? What does the process of transmigration entail? Why was Zhou Mingrui chosen to transmigrate - did the luck enhancement ritual truly cause this, or was it random? What existences are there that have the power to manipulate souls, let alone souls from other worlds?"
"One thing at a time, Queen of Stars." Bernadette's voice was a gentle reprimand.
Cattleya immediately straightened, clearing in her throat. "Y-Yes, of course. I apologize for getting ahead of myself."
The Tarot Club blinked at the sight of the lofty Ma'am Hermit easily deferring to someone else's criticism. She and Queen Mystic must be quite close...
Alfred Hall narrowed his eyes. The Queen of Stars is rumored to have defected from Queen Mystic's command. What exactly is the nature of their relationship? Besides that, Queen Mystic and - no, is that even the real Roselle? The experienced Beyonder fought back the urge to rub his temples. This stuff is way out of my league...!
"We still lack specific knowledge, but Zhou Mingrui talked about transmigration like it was common," Mr. Moon pointed out. "Furthermore, he himself knew what the term meant."
Miss Magician blinked. "You're right. He mentioned - what was the word - webnovels?" As in novels, right? But what's the difference between a webnovel and a normal novel... No, focus! "Anyway, transmigration seems to be a known occurrence in Zhou Mingrui's world."
"And by 'parallel' world, he's referring to a world with similar ground rules?" Xio, a Justiciar whose pathway specialized in order and laws, guessed. "For example, having twelve months in a year or twenty-four hours in a day."
No, that's not it. Amanises stared ahead silently. The signs were always in front of us. We just didn't want to consider the worst. We didn't want to admit that we could never return home again until the very last second...
"Parallel worlds? Things like that really exist?" Hibbert Hall was unable to get over his shock.
Azik chuckled sheepishly. "The universe is a much more mysterious place than we know. And people always have more secrets than we know."
The excited chatter continued for a short while, but the Death Consul soon sobered. He understood, better than most here, what it meant to be unmoored from the place that you called home. It wasn't a fate he'd wish upon anyone - let alone his cherished student and friend. But if Klein had gone to sleep, fully committing himself to fighting against the apocalypse... Was it not possible for him to return anymore? Or had he just given up? Either way, Azik didn't think he was going to like the answer.
Will Auceptin said nothing, listening to the exchange in silence. Something isn't right here. He put his thumb back in his mouth. Why is the Celestial Worthy making moves so suddenly after thousands of years of inaction? A person from modern times finding a ritual that should have vanished in the First Epoch? The timeline just doesn't match up. Hm, unless-
Will's eyes widened. His thumb fell out of his mouth, and a single tear slipped from his eye.
If my guess is correct... Zhou Mingrui, you really do have the worst luck in the whole world.
As for the splitting of days, it was a result of religion. This was because Northern Continent had seven orthodox gods—the Eternal Blazing Sun, the Lord of Storms, the God of Knowledge and Wisdom, the Evernight Goddess, Mother Earth, the God of War, and the God of Steam and Machinery.
Watching his sister close the door and leave, Zhou Mingrui suddenly sighed. Soon, his thoughts focused onto the luck enhancement ritual.
"Idiot." Melissa's voice shook, and she bit back the rest of her words. You can't just call me like your sister and act like it's nothing. What kind of idiot are you...?
Sorry, I really wish to return home…
"Ah." The sound Benson made was almost too quiet to hear.
This was the final nail in the coffin - in Klein's coffin - for the Morettis. Klein had really, truly been replaced by a stranger. An innocent, hapless stranger, but a stranger nonetheless. And that stranger (intruder, an angrier part of Melissa thought) had continued to act as their brother, harboring thoughts of escape all the while. Beyond even the confusion and frustration that the siblings felt was a deep, all-encompassing despair. The shock had worn off, leaving nothing but the crushing weight of the realization and the coldness of the way it slid down their throats, like bitter medicine.
They understood it. This person's home was not with them.
Leonard watched the pair helplessly. He had only ever known Klein as Zhou Mingrui, so although he was shocked and confused, he couldn't imagine the turmoil the Morettis were going through. Still, he knew that no matter who inhabited that body - whether it was Zhou Mingrui or Klein - they loved Melissa and Benson like family. Leonard had never seen Klein smile more fondly than when he was talking about his siblings.
He grit his teeth. But I'm not able to say anything...
"So you wanted to return, too," Azik said softly. There was a growing sense of understanding in his chest, and he hated it - he hated the fact that this pain would be inflicted on someone like Klein, on someone like Zhou Mingrui, on anyone. He closed his eyes. I hope there is still a place for you to return to after all of this is over.
Meanwhile, Zhou Mingrui's thoughts had caused a familiar voice to echo in Audrey's mind:
"There's one such person who also entered a deep sleep until he suddenly woke up one day… He believes that his family is still around, and he works hard to improve himself, hoping that he can one day find them. This becomes his main driving force in life."
Miss Justice tensed in her seat. She still remembered those hoarse, numb words - how could she forget? That day, when Mr. World had approached her for treatment in the worst state she'd ever seen him in, was still burned in her memories.
'"Finally, he realized that he has slept for at least three hundred years, or even more than a thousand years, perhaps even longer. He can never find anything that he once had any more…"
Audrey held back a gasp, dread pooling in her stomach. Now more than ever before, she wanted to be proven wrong. She hoped against hope that Mr. World was a poor soul but alone in his predicament, that Zhou Mingrui was not the same person as Gehrman Sparrow, so that at least one person could find their way home - no matter how the evidence aligned, no matter how much sense it made, because if she was right... if she was right--
Home. Roselle and Amanises shared a resigned smile.
--That wish would never come true.