"He's agitated—excited, worried, elated, with a hint of caution…" Klein quietly activated his Spirit Vision, assessing the young man's mental state through his aura. Across the bronze table, Snow quickly composed himself, adopting the deferential tone he'd learned from the Aurora Order.
"Praise be to You, great and merciful existence. Snow von Panredax pays his respects."
"Snow? The suspect from earlier today!" Klein finally recalled where he'd heard the name Panredax. Suppressing his surprise, he adopted a leisurely, relaxed tone. "No need for such formality... You may call me the Fool."
The moment the words left his mouth, Klein noticed Snow's demeanor shift to even greater deference. He bowed deeply, his head lowered further.
"Why this reaction? His earlier humility seemed like mere courtesy from a weaker party to a stronger one, but now he's fully subordinating himself… Does the title 'Fool' hold some special meaning?" Klein's mind raced, momentarily distracted from his original purpose. He quickly reined in his curiosity.
More pressing than the title was the safety of Tingen!
Carefully choosing his words, he spoke with a playful lilt. "Relax. I'm intrigued by your earlier prayer. Tell me more."
"Please forgive my impertinence, speaking so recklessly during my prayer…" Snow placed a hand on his chest, bowing again before raising his head. "Honorable Mr. Fool, I hail from an ancient, secretive family. Though it has fallen into decline, it left behind a wealth of rare books and hidden knowledge. In pursuit of my ancestors' glory, I crossed paths with the Aurora Order. To survive, I had no choice but to join them.
They forced me to consume a Secret Supplicant potion. That group of lunatics cares little for loyalty, knowing that to digest the potion, one must pray to a hidden existence. But as You surely know, the True Creator has long succumbed to madness. Praying to Him twists the mind.
Using an beyonder item passed down in my family, I've faked devout prayers, but per Aurora Order custom, failing to digest the Secret Supplicant potion within two months brands you disloyal to the True Creator—and that means execution. Thus, I seek to pray to You discreetly to digest my potion."
"The Aurora Order? That cult worshipping the True Creator, only risen in the last century or two?
Right! Haness Vincent's incantations did point to the True Creator. But… the True Creator is mad? This Snow—or rather, his Panredax family—seems to know a lot of secrets!
He risked using a family ritual to pray to a hidden existence just to act as a Secret Supplicant and digest his potion?
And that beyonder item… could it be the white horse I saw earlier?"
Klein mulled silently, then asked in a casual tone, as if discussing local gossip, "You mentioned something about an evil god descending?"
"Yes, Honorable Mr. Fool," Snow nodded, his tone respectful yet tinged with worry.
"The Aurora Order is full of madmen, constantly scheming to bring about the True Creator's descent. Half a month ago, I was sent to Tingen City. Soon after, I learned from another Secret Supplicant about their plan to summon an evil god.
I ambushed and killed the two Secret Supplicants orchestrating the plan, reporting their deaths as a consequence of drawing official Beyonder attention. But according to them, they'd already planted a seed in Tingen. Killing them only delayed the inevitable. If that seed isn't found, when it sprouts, the entire city… perhaps even the whole Loen Kingdom, will face annihilation."
"This!" Klein's skin prickled at Snow's words, but he quickly began strategizing.
Report Snow to the Church?
The thought was dismissed instantly. He had no grounds to report someone Captain Dunn had already cleared. Even if he did, it would only confirm Tingen's danger—nothing more.
Instead, keeping Snow embedded in the Aurora Order might yield more intelligence.
Plus, he seems to know a wealth of hidden knowledge. If he joined the Tarot Club, we could extract plenty from him.
Most importantly, he seems to have a strong moral compass.
But how to phrase it?
Directly order him to investigate? That might not fit the Fool's image.
Simply permit his prayer? But with what justification?
Or invite him to the Tarot Club outright?
Noticing the Fool idly tracing the edge of the bronze table, Snow sensed the great being was struggling to find the right words. Just as he considered giving the Fool an out, a soft chuckle broke the silence.
"I'm a Fool who favors equivalent exchange. To gain something, you must offer something of equal value. What can you offer?"
"Everything! My soul! My flesh! Whatever You desire, I offer!" Snow's response was immediate, unwavering. But the Fool shook his head with a light laugh.
"I have no interest in mortal flesh or souls."
Glancing at Snow's plummeting emotions, Klein added leisurely, "But I'll give you a chance.
You may obtain what you seek from me or others like you, provided the exchange is of equal value… Oh, and your intelligence about the evil god's descent intrigues me. As payment, I permit you to pray to me to digest your potion. Additionally, our gatherings are held every Monday at three o'clock in the afternoon. Ensure you're alone. Before that, choose your codename."
The Fool hinted that Snow could trade further details about the evil god for benefits, then spread a deck of tarot cards across the bronze table.
"Members of the gathering use tarot card names as codenames. Justice and Hanged Man are already taken, so choose another."
"Devil," Snow said calmly, locking eyes with the Fool. He'd decided this codename before arriving, rolling a twenty-sided die to settle it. "I'm merely a prisoner bound by chains now, but I hope one day to embody the reversed position—breaking free from my bonds."
"Remember your choice. Don't succumb to temptation."
(End of Chapter)
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Author's note: The Devil card represents temptation. In the upright position, it signifies bondage, corruption, submission, or being captive to desire. In reverse, it means breaking free, overcoming troubles, resisting temptation, or leaving the past behind. Fun fact: I originally planned for the protagonist to choose the Lovers card—it would've been hilarious for Audrey to call him 'Mr. Lovers' at every meeting. But Devil fits his character better. Also, while other pathways might have Tarot Club affiliates even without joining, the Abyss pathway likely has no one who could join, right?