"My teacher must have some misunderstanding about you. Don't worry, I'll write to him and clear things up. He looks tough, but he's actually a softie," Evah said, patting Klein's shoulder like a supportive brother.
"I'm pretty sure the more you explain, the angrier he'll get…" Klein sighed, though his mood settled a bit.
He'd thought it through. Given the abilities Mr. Lucifer had shown, if he really wanted to do something to Klein, he could probably squash him flat. The fact that he hadn't—not even exposing Klein's identity to Jack, just issuing a cryptic warning—meant there was still room to maneuver.
"See you next time?" Klein recalled Lucifer's parting words, exhaling slowly.
"Why so glum?" Evah pretended not to catch the subtext, raising his voice before glancing at the letter with a thoughtful look. "But… does this mean my teacher knows Mr. Fool?"
"…Maybe." Klein couldn't exactly say, "I am the Fool, and your teacher might come looking for a chat," so he settled for a vague reply.
"Eh, whatever. He's always so secretive—who knows who he's pals with? But this means we don't have to worry about Mr. Fool's side, at least," Evah said, shrugging nonchalantly before turning to Klein with a reassuring grin. "Don't be scared. If my teacher didn't do anything to you when you met, it just means he's got a tiny grudge. It'll be fine."
Klein could only nod at the attempt to comfort him.
Evah, as if struck by a sudden thought, glanced at the spiritual materials for the Clown potion in the box, then back at Klein. "By the way, Klein, I never asked—do you have the recipes for your pathway's next potions?"
Having teased Mr. Fool with one alias, Evah figured it was time to use another to give Klein a boost. Too much pressure could backfire, after all.
And besides, the higher Klein's Sequence, the better the return on Evah's investment.
"I've got the Clown potion recipe, but nothing beyond that," Klein said, shaking his head. Thinking of Jack's deep family knowledge, he perked up. Other places might not have the Seer pathway's later recipes, but Jack's lineage just might.
Evah flashed a knowing grin, pulling out paper and a pen from under the coffee table. He scribbled a few lines and handed it to Klein. "Here, the Sequence 7 Magician potion recipe. Being my student's not a bad deal, huh?"
Klein stared at the Magician potion recipe, obtained so effortlessly, and felt a warmth in his chest. He couldn't help but smile. "Definitely not a bad deal."
Glancing at the Clown potion materials in the box, Klein's thoughts turned to the mysteries of the Gray Fog and transmigration. He spoke up, a hint of concern in his voice. "Teacher, I think Mr. Lucifer had a point. You should focus on digesting your Seer potion and advancing soon."
After a pause, he added with a teasing edge, "I mean, I've already digested my Seer potion. If I advance to Clown, I'll be a higher Sequence than you, Teacher."
"You digested your Seer potion? Didn't you just advance a month ago? What are you, some kind of innate Seer prodigy?" Evah feigned shock, his eyes wide, though a flicker of mock dejection crept in, like a squirrel whose winter stash got swiped.
But he quickly rallied, puffing up. "Just you wait. I'm this close to finishing, and I don't have to deal with the Nighthawks' red tape. I'll beat you to the next Sequence for sure."
...
No matter his mood, life went on. After the Lucifer encounter, Klein resumed his Nighthawk duties as usual.
Two days later, he discovered that his sister's friend, Elizabeth, was being haunted by a wraith. After reporting to Dunn, Klein joined Frye and others to exorcise it in Ramde Town, where they stumbled upon a portrait that might depict Mr. Azik.
Trusting Azik more than in the original timeline, Klein wrote to inform him of the discovery.
Later, in a reckless move, Klein divined the Sun Emblem, a Sealed Artifact, on the Gray Fog, nearly blowing himself up. By some stroke of luck, he gained valuable knowledge from the ordeal.
That same night, Klein and Azik returned to Ramde Town, locating the grave of Azik's son. To their shock, the skull of Azik's son's remains had been stolen, and the thief seemed tied to one of the figures disrupting Klein's fate.
The incident jogged a fragment of Azik's memory, deepening his bond with Klein. He vowed to hunt down the mastermind behind it.
Back home, still reeling from the day, Klein heard a familiar prayer—the same one he'd caught before, from a boy speaking in Giant.
Having studied Giant, Klein finally understood the words and pulled the boy onto the Gray Fog. He learned the boy came from a strange place without sunlight or the Seven Gods, possibly the Forsaken Land of the Gods from ancient records.
The boy, Derrick, hailed from Silver City in the Forsaken Land and swore to become the Sun to save his home.
Thus, upon joining the Tarot Club, he chose "Sun" as his codename.
After sending Little Sun Derrick back, Klein descended from the Gray Fog to sleep, only to find Dunn invading his dream—not for any grand reason, but to eat Klein's dinner while playing Nightmare.
Klein: …
"Captain, I told you the Acting Method isn't for this kind of acting!"
A dinner-less dream left Klein quietly shattered. After Dunn left, he swapped in a pleasant dream to cap off the chaotic, colorful day.
The next day, afternoon.
Klein arrived on the Gray Fog early, before three o'clock, to prepare for the upcoming Tarot Club meeting.
Though only a week had passed since the last gathering, the Tarot Club had gained two new members, growing from three to five—a significant jump that left Klein, the organizer, unsure whether to feel proud or overwhelmed.
Regardless, he stuck to the routine, pulling the new member, Sun Derrick, onto the Gray Fog first. He introduced his divine title, explained the Tarot Club's procedures, and covered the basics.
After the rundown, Klein checked his pocket watch. At precisely three o'clock, he summoned Justice Audrey, Hanged Man Alger, and Emperor Evah to the Gray Fog.
"This is our new member, Mr. Sun."
"This is our new member, Mr. Emperor."
(End of Chapter)