Klein immediately dismissed the idea of asking Bernadette directly. Even if he did inquire, it should be under the guise of Mr. World, probing indirectly—not as Mr. Fool. Otherwise, it would look far too suspicious.
He quickly composed himself, returning to his calm, collected demeanour, and continued reading the final page of Roselle's diary:
May 16:
The great navigator Roselle Columbus Magellan Gustav has finally returned to his loyal Trier! After more than a month away, I've at last reunited with my darling daughter. But…why has she become someone else's little follower? What on earth happened while I was gone?
Matilda was truly beautiful tonight!
May 17:
I learned something shocking through special channels: about a month ago, a series of Beyonder battles broke out across Trier, leaving over a hundred dead. But that's not the most astounding part.
The truly unbelievable thing is—rumour has it that the last two mighty powerhouses of the Intis Kingdom also perished in those events. Two angels, gone—just like that! Without a sound! The world of Beyonder truly is terrifying.
May 18:
Wine party tonight!
...
Klein's mouth twitched.
Of course. Typical Roselle.
Still, even this seemingly frivolous set of entries might contain hidden significance.
Queen Mystic wouldn't bring trivial records here.
Indeed, as the others subtly watched Mr. Fool's expression change ever so slightly, a few of them had similar thoughts—There must be something extraordinary in what Lady Strength just submitted.
Among them, Audrey was the most curious. She knew that Bernadette had already learned at least some basic Hermes and modern Chinese, which meant these diary pages had likely been carefully chosen.
Perhaps, unable to fully decipher them herself, She had submitted them to Mr. Fool for "translation."
Meanwhile, The Hanged Man Alger kept sneaking glances at Queen Mystic. His thoughts spun: Just what could those diary entries contain to make even Mr. Fool react?
If I acquire new diary pages next time…could I also ask Mr. Fool to interpret them for me?
But then, he caught himself.
No, no. As Roselle's daughter, the Queen has every reason to do so. But me—if I make such a request, especially in front of her—it'll sound improper. Better to keep collecting diaries honestly and build up my "contribution" the usual way.
He quietly abandoned the thought.
After finishing the diaries, Klein resisted the urge to exhale deeply and calm himself. Instead, he shifted his attention to the parchment pages containing Little Sun Derrick's legends of ancient gods
They mainly described how the eight ancient gods of the Second Epoch had been divided into three hostile factions that warred endlessly with one another. The accounts also briefly mentioned the unfathomable, terrifying powers these beings wielded—enough to make Klein's scalp tingle.
Compared to them, I'm just an ant—a fake god perched above the grey fog.
I wonder what kind of strength the "Evil God" Roselle once met possessed. Could it have been on par with those ancient gods or even the True Creator-level beings?
He dispelled the papers in his hand and looked around the table. "What do you wish to exchange for?"
Little Sun was the first to speak, his tone respectful and sincere. "I need nothing, Mr. Fool. You once saved me—this is the least I can do."
That single line made Fors's stomach twist in agony.
What the hell, Little Sun?!
Mr. Fool saved me too! But if I ask for something now, won't I look like some shameless, ungrateful freeloader?!
Aaaaaah!
But I really wanted to exchange these diary pages for some Scribe ingredients!
Her teacher, Dorian Gray, had promised to provide the necessary formula and materials for her next advancement—once she finished digesting her Astrologer potion—but Fors had wanted to rely on herself, at least a little.
Just then, Miss Justice spoke up, her tone sweet and calm. "I don't need anything either. After all, every time I visit the Psychology Alchemists, I receive the protection of an angel, granted by you, Mr. Fool."
Fors: "…"
I hate you all.
Klein didn't mind their refusals; they were all technically correct. None of this was "free." He wasn't giving away favours for nothing.
"Lady Strength," he said evenly, "do you still wish for me to translate those diary pages for you?"
Bernadette shook her head. "No need, Mr. Fool. I plan to save them up for now."
"Very well."
Klein's gaze then shifted to the Magician.
"And you, Miss Magician?"
Fors felt her heart sink.
T_T
She wanted to cry but couldn't.
Those three diary pages weren't worth much in terms of value, but obtaining them had cost her considerable effort! She'd spent an entire week running around—barely finding time to write a single word of her own manuscript.
(Fors: I swear, that's not just an excuse!)
Now she had to pretend to be generous…and come up with a reason to offer them for free.
This hurts so much.
"I… I also…"
Just as Fors was about to grit her teeth and say that she, too, needed nothing, a sudden spark of inspiration flashed through her mind.
"Um…Mr. Fool," she said cautiously, "I—I'd like to recommend a friend to join the Tarot Club. Would that be allowed?"
Surely that wasn't an ungrateful request, right?
She quickly added in a flustered tone, "She's a very close friend of mine—someone I absolutely trust!"
Audrey immediately understood who Fors was talking about—Miss Xio, of course. Her eyes lit up in pleasant anticipation at the thought of the petite, serious young lady joining their mysterious circle.
Klein pondered for a moment before replying calmly, "That's fine—but she'll need to be evaluated first."
"How…how will the evaluation work?" Fors asked anxiously.
"I'll let you know afterward," Klein replied, his tone carrying a faint, unreadable smile.
Then he said lightly, "You may begin."
After ten or so seconds of silence, it was Emlyn who finally broke the silence. "Mr. Hanged Man—"
Before he could continue, Alger nodded and said, "I've already located the baron's legacy. Four thousand five hundred pounds—that's the best price I could get. As long as you can give me a one-thousand-pound deposit, I'll front the rest and purchase it for you."
"Four thousand five hundred…"
Emlyn's face twitched slightly. Still a bit over budget.
But if he missed this opportunity, who knew when the next would come?
He hesitated briefly, then clenched his jaw. If it comes to it, I can borrow from Danitz or someone on the Golden Dream.
Finally, he nodded firmly. "Deal."
Alger's lips curved into a satisfied smile. "Then once the meeting ends, offer your one thousand pounds to Mr. Fool. I'll have the item in hand by tomorrow at the latest."
Hearing that, Klein couldn't help but feel a surge of envy—and annoyance.
Why does this vampire make money so easily?
Don't tell me that voyage with Vice Admiral Iceberg was just one big profit trip. Damn it, I should've asked to tag along!
"Um…I…"
Emlyn stammered, "I might need a little more time before I can gather all forty-five hundred pounds. Just—just keep it for me first."
Alger frowned slightly. "I can't hold it for too long. It ties up a lot of my funds. If I need liquidity, I'll sell it—and you won't get your deposit back."
"…Fine!"
Emlyn nodded stiffly. "Once I dock again, I'll scrape together the rest."
"Dock?" Alger's ears perked up instantly. The term triggered his instincts. "Mr. Moon, where exactly are you right now?"
"Oh, I left Backlund last week," Emlyn said proudly, chin lifting. "I'm sailing aboard the Golden Dream—the ship of the pirate admiral, Admiral Iceberg…"
He had originally wanted to drop the name to sound impressive—to show he was fully capable of earning that kind of money.
But then it hit him: the Queen Mystic, one of the Four Kings of the Seas, was right there at the same table. The rest of his sentence trailed off into an awkward mumble.
Audrey asked curiously, "Mr. Moon, why did you suddenly go to sea?"
She remembered that Edward had once described this vampire as "a typical shut-in." People like that preferred to stay home unless absolutely necessary—so what could have possessed him to set sail?
As if I'd tell you the Ancestor Lilith herself gave me an order!
Emlyn snorted inwardly. "A man's destiny lies among the stars and the sea! I got tired of Backlunf—is it strange to go exploring?"
Before anyone could respond, a voice from the far end of the table—one that had been quiet until now—spoke up dryly, tinged with amusement.
"I've never heard of anyone whose destiny lies among the stars and the sea…yet gets seasick."
It was Mr. World.
"!!!"
Emlyn's face flushed red. "Who—who said I got seasick?! I—I just had an upset stomach! We Sanguines have to drink blood regularly, but on the ship I had to eat human food instead, so—so my digestive system acted up! It only looked like seasickness! I'm an expert apothecary—how could I possibly get seasick?! It wasn't seasickness! Absolutely not!"
"…"
Everyone fell silent.
Mr. Moon…you've got "I'm lying" written all over you.
And really—was seasickness something to be this defensive about?
You're overreacting, sir.
Emlyn fumed inwardly. He wouldn't normally care this much about something so small, but just imagine the following conversation:
Ancestor Lilith: "Emlyn, the fate of the world depends on you. You must embark on a sea voyage."
Emlyn: "I can't, Ancestor."
Lilith: "What? You refuse to save the world?"
Emlyn: "No, I just…get seasick."
Just thinking about it made his fangs ache.
Fors blinked, intrigued. "Mr. World, how did you even know that Mr. Moon gets seasick?"
Klein replied mildly, "I happened to meet him while travelling to Lady Strength's sea palace."
Then he turned his head toward Bernadette. "Lady Strength, I should reach Rhasya Island in two or three days."
Bernadette nodded slightly. "You're welcome anytime."
When their exchange ended, Alger finally spoke again, his tone serious. "The seas have been quite restless lately. Please, everyone—stay cautious."
Audrey frowned. "Has something happened?"
"It's said that a group of Beyonders from the Southern Continent have come to the seas, and they've already caused a series of incidents," Alger explained.
Priscilla's eyes widened. "The Southern Continent? What's going on there?"
She couldn't help thinking—Mr. Azik had left precisely for that region.
Alger said, "Apparently, some Beyonder organisations in the south have broken out into violent conflict. Details are unclear. But I'm investigating further—if I learn more by next meeting, I'll share it."
Ordinarily, such exclusive intelligence wouldn't come free. But with the Tarot Club expanding, Alger—wanting to maintain his "senior member" prestige—had started sharing less crucial information openly.
At that moment, Bernadette finally spoke:
"The Rose School of Thought on the Southern Continent recently suffered a devastating blow from an unknown force. Many of its core members were severely injured, so some others seized the chance to seek revenge."
Klein's thoughts immediately went to the stoic Miss Bodyguard Sharron. "Did the Temperance Faction take part as well?"
Bernadette nodded. "Yes. Primarily the Temperance Faction and several Sanguines."
Emlyn blinked in confusion. "Since when did we Sanguines have a feud with the Rose School?"
"I'm not sure," Bernadette said simply.
Klein pressed further. "And what was the result of this…revenge?"
"The Rose School's members from the Indulgence Faction have retreated farther south to regroup. They suffered heavy losses, but their core power remains intact."
"…A pity," Klein murmured.
Once it was clear that the topic had ended, Alger turned toward Derrick.
"Mr. Sun, how did your exploration go his time? Was it smooth?"
Derrick straightened his posture. "It went…relatively well."
He hesitated, then quickly added, "Actually, at the start, not so much. We followed last time's clues to that half-collapsed temple—but soon lost our way. Until…we met a boy."
———
[Note]: Don't forget to VOTE. It keeps me motivated.