Additional Chapter! Thank KilljoyCats, Karfin2422, Francisco_Yarel, and Me for this additional chapter.
Enjoy!
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Evah knew Pallez was sharp. Smart folks overthink, but they also know when to think and when to stop.
His "Evah Zoroast" persona, as a recent Trickster Club recruit, wouldn't be privy to the deeper secrets. Yet, loyal to the Zoroast family, he'd speak plainly on these matters—whether as a hint or not.
Pallez didn't look surprised, just chuckled. "Sounds like your deal with Bethel is going smoothly."
Evah didn't deny it, only nodded with a smile.
Leonard, watching from the side, couldn't take it anymore. "Don't you guys get tired talking like that?"
Despite being dubbed one of the Sun-Moon-Star trio of dimwits, Leonard wasn't actually dumb—just lazy about using his brain. He could tell both guys were lacing every sentence with subtext.
Evah glanced at him, shook his head, and said nothing, yet somehow said everything.
Pallez chuckled. "Cut him some slack. That brain of his hasn't been used in ages—probably a bit rusty."
Evah grinned. "Fair point."
Leonard's face flushed, clearly fuming. He stammered "you guys" for a while but couldn't muster a comeback.
Having had his fun teasing the wolf, Evah was in high spirits. He turned to Leonard, tone shifting to serious. "Leonard, I know you've got reservations about the old man, but my personal advice? No matter what, in this era, you'd better climb the Sequence ladder fast."
"The apocalypse is coming, and the world's only getting messier. If you want to protect yourself and those around you in this chaos, get strong—quick."
...
While Leonard was roped into a certain shell of an organization, over in Backlund—
Xio and Fors were in a bind.
Not long ago, they'd taken a commission from Miss Audrey to track down Admiral of Hurricanes Qilangos.
No big deal, except for one hitch: Xio had recently divined that she might face mortal danger tied to something involving the sea and money. Investigating Qilangos, a pirate general, fit that prophecy to a T.
Worse, Jack had somehow gotten wind of Qilangos sneaking into Backlund and sent them a letter warning about it.
Under these circumstances, Xio and Fors should've dropped the job like a hot potato. But Miss Audrey's offer was tempting, and the cash-strapped duo was loath to let it go.
"Xio, maybe we should bail. Your life could really be at risk," Fors said, prioritizing her friend's safety, her eyes flicking to the one in question.
"But it's just a maybe…" Xio's eyes flickered with conflict and hesitation. Finally, as if steeling herself, she looked at Fors. "Fors, I'm sticking with this job. But I might need your help."
...
"As expected, even with my warning, Xio and Fors still went after Qilangos. That commission's payout is just too juicy for them. Good thing they pulled through unscathed in the end."
A few days later, Evah shook his head, reviewing the intel from Backlund.
According to the report, Xio and Fors had pursued Qilangos. They were noticeably more cautious than in the original timeline, but Qilangos was no slouch. He tracked down the salty duo. Luckily, Fors's stone bracelet saved the day, letting them escape by the skin of their teeth.
"At this point, Jack, learning his friends are in danger, can naturally pass the matter to Lucifer and ask for his help."
Evah stretched, glancing at the moonlight outside with a smile.
Two days to go, and "Lucifer" would take the stage for his grand performance—complete with a little surprise for a certain Mr. Fool.
...
Klein had been in a great mood lately.
He'd smoothly passed the Nighthawk headquarters' evaluation, advancing to Sequence 8. Old Neil, with help from Mr. Sword of the Goddess, underwent a mysterious ritual. As long as he stopped actively listening to the Hidden Sage's whispers, he'd be safe from losing control.
During this time, Klein also milked the Sun Holy Emblem for a high-level Sun pathway charm, held a couple of Tarot Club meetings, and squeezed some new knowledge out of Roselle's diaries. Aside from the usual pile-up of coincidences, everything was going great.
Then, one evening, while discussing a trip to see The Earl's Return with his brother and sister, Klein heard a prayer from Miss Justice.
Puzzled why she'd pray at this hour, he ascended the gray fog and listened.
Big trouble—Mr. Hanged Man's target, Admiral of Hurricanes Qilangos, had likely shown up in disguise at a noble ball Miss Justice attended. No question, he was up to something major, and it wouldn't be good.
This was a pirate general who killed without blinking.
Klein acted fast, responding to Audrey to calm her down, then excerpted her prayer and passed it to Mr. Hanged Man.
After handling that, he didn't rush off the gray fog. He thought for a few seconds, then sent Audrey's prayer to Jack as well.
Klein recalled that at the last Tarot Club meeting, Jack had mentioned his friends getting into trouble because of Qilangos and had written to his teacher for help. Though Klein doubted Lucifer cared for him, this was about saving lives. He decided to rally as much help as possible to prevent a tragedy.
Back in the real world, Klein quickly penned a letter to Mr. Azik. After mailing it, he sighed, muttering to himself, "That's all I can do. Here's hoping things don't spiral out of control…"
...
Meanwhile, Evah, having read the message from Mr. Fool, couldn't help but smirk.
Sure, with all the groundwork laid, Lucifer's involvement wouldn't have seemed out of place even without the Fool's nudge. But now, with this "reminder," everything fell into place even more neatly.
Including the little surprise Lucifer had in store for a certain Fool.
"Klein, you're a true friend!" Evah said with mock sentiment. Confirming the Fool wasn't watching, he swiftly disguised himself and used his Travel ability to head to Backlund, ready for the other actor in this performance to take the stage.
(End of Chapter)