Mozo glanced at the tavern in front of him, a place he had only ever entered as a part-time worker. He couldn't help but feel a little emotional. What a pity he wasn't good at giving speeches.
Audrey stepped forward and knocked on the tavern door in a steady rhythm.
A voice soon came from inside
"We're closed. Come back tomorrow."
Audrey silently counted to five before replying,
"But I'd like a cocktail with lemon juice."
"No lemon juice."
She counted to five again.
"Then a regular cocktail will do."
"No cocktails either."
Another five seconds passed.
"Sugarcane liquor, then. I'll take that."
"No sugarcane liquor."
This time, she counted to ten before saying,
"Then at least you have an Underwater Bus, right?"
"…That, we do."
At that point, Mozo thought it was over. But instead, Audrey led him across the street and into a narrow alley beside an apartment building.
She knocked seven times on a worn-out door that looked like it had never been opened. The door creaked open on its own. No one stood behind it. Whether it was some mystical trick or a clever mechanical design, Mozo couldn't tell.
They passed through a dim corridor before arriving at a brightly lit room.
Inside, two masks and two long robes had already been prepared for them.
Mozo suddenly asked,
"Why not wear the masks on the way here? Oh, that would be too obvious, right?"
"Exactly. There aren't many people out at night to begin with. Walking around in masks would just be asking to get caught."
Audrey skillfully put on her mask and robe, then gestured for Mozo to do the same.
Afterward, they walked through another corridor and entered a hall lined with multiple doors.
Several masked figures were already seated inside.
When Mozo and Audrey entered, no one reacted. It was clear they had already been informed of his arrival.
Mozo observed the room quietly, making his own judgment. At the same time, the excitement he had felt earlier about this mysterious gathering began to fade.
So this is what a gathering of Beyonders looks like.
A somewhat aged voice suddenly spoke:
"Newcomer, give yourself a codename. It will make things easier for everyone. I'm White Dove. The one next to you, you should know her, she's Rose. To your left are Flowerbed, River, Apartment, and Graveyard."
"To your right are Champagne, Cocktail, and Vodka."
Mozo followed the introductions with his gaze. Then he pulled out a chair beside Audrey, sat down, adjusted his mask, and said,
"Call me Fool."
Of course. Even if his excitement had faded a little, a secret gathering like this demanded a name like that.
That was it. The unknown divine pathway he had prepared for himself would be called the Fool Pathway from now on.
And dear Miss Audrey, from now on, please don't call me Mozo. Call me Klein Moretti.
Watch closely, my servant Audrey Hepburn. The rise of the one and only true god of the Fool Pathway is about to take its very first step right under your nose.
Perhaps influenced by his presence, the others showed subtle reactions upon hearing the name.
It was as if the title itself carried some strange weight.
Even Audrey, who knew his background, shifted slightly in her seat.
Mozo frowned behind his mask.
Is something wrong with the name?
Soon, the masked figure known as Graveyard couldn't hold back anymore.
"The Fool from the Tarot. Friend, I'd suggest you pick another one. That name isn't exactly lucky."
Mozo almost rolled his eyes.
You're called Graveyard, and you're worried about bad luck?
Audrey tugged at his sleeve and whispered,
"Well, before you, we invited others to join. And many of them also chose names from the Tarot cards. Then…"
Mozo paused, scanning the room.
There were no other Tarot-related names present.
"Where are they now?" he asked.
The elderly voice hesitated before replying,
"Our gathering once had a total of thirty members. Aside from the nine of us here, the other twenty-one all used names from the twenty-one Major Arcana."
"And quite consistently, they're all gone now."
"So, newcomer, you might want to reconsider."
Mozo froze.
Thirty members. The nine who didn't use Tarot names were fine. The twenty-one who did all died.
And now only the Fool was left.
He immediately backed down.
"Alright. Call me Lucky."
The first step of the Fool Pathway died before it even began.
The others chuckled kindly.
White Dove spoke again,
"Very well, Mr. Lucky. Miss Rose should have already told you the rules, right?"
"Yes. No asking about origins. Trades are conducted with cash or equivalent value. And once the gathering ends, no one is held accountable."
The old man nodded.
"Good. Since we have a newcomer tonight, I'll share a piece of information for free."
"It's about that ruin I mentioned before, the one that caused Mr. World and Mr. Hanged Man to leave us."
"It's not from the Cromwell era as I previously thought. It's an even older Elven ruin."
"And the official Beyonders have already taken notice. For the next few months, it's best if none of you go near Hawk Street in the Old District."
"The nobles' hounds and the Queen's claws will be watching that place closely."
At this, everyone, including Audrey who aspired to become a noble lady, began cursing the authorities.
After all, in this special district, wild Beyonders like them had always been suppressed.
White Dove raised his hand, silencing them.
"Since our gathering place is also in the Old District, I plan to move next month's meeting to the New City. I'll inform you of the details later."
"Now then, if anyone has something to trade, speak up."
Mozo's eyes lit up.
But he held himself back, waiting to see how others would proceed.
To his surprise, no one spoke.
Minutes passed in silence.
Finally, White Dove shrugged.
"Seems no one has any needs tonight. Shall we adjourn?"
Mozo twitched at the corner of his mouth.
These people came all the way here just to sit around.
Left with no choice, he stood up.
"I need a Sunflower. No, three Sunflowers. I can offer some knowledge of mysticism in exchange."