"This isn't Roselle's diary!" Klein's heart jolted, but his eyes continued scanning the text downward—
"February 5th. Gathering Seer materials went smoothly. Most are available at ordinary occult enthusiast gatherings. But this ability… it's kind of underwhelming. Did Roselle trick me? Or does his 'better' refer to something beyond mere abilities?"
At this, Klein's gaze shifted upward, revisiting the overlooked date on the first line—
"February 2nd."
"Three days? Makes sense. Lava octopus blood and star crystal aren't rare. But no year? Is it missing from earlier entries, or was it never written?" Klein shook his head lightly and read on—
"February 6th. The Seer potion's abilities require substantial occult knowledge to shine. I've had to start studying that mumbo-jumbo. Maybe I should've picked Marauder."
"February 7th. The Seer's abilities are actually pretty useful."
"Hey, mister, where's your integrity?" Klein's lips twitched at the final line.
He desperately wanted to ask Mr. Devil about the diary's origin but stopped himself.
Asking, in any form, would alert Mr. Devil and the others to the diary's significance.
Suppressing his curiosity, Klein waved away the notes, speaking warmly,
"Very good. What reward do you seek?"
"Let it be repayment for the 'sacrifice' you permitted me to offer through prayer, Mr. Fool," Snow said respectfully, sparking surprise from Justice and Hanged Man.
"Sacrifice? Prayer? Has Mr. Devil already prayed to Mr. Fool?" Miss Justice, still green in Beyonder circles, didn't grasp the deeper implications. Not long ago, she'd prayed to Mr. Fool for a good dream herself.
But as a seasoned Beyonder, Hanged Man caught the critical nuance—
Mr. Devil said "permitted," meaning he actively sought to venerate the Fool?
Having attended only two Tarot Club meetings, Hanged Man could tell from Mr. Devil's knowledge and intel network that, if not from an ancient family, he was high up in a secretive organization.
How could such a person not know the risks of praying to an unknown entity?
Or had he judged the rewards of praying to the Fool outweighed the dangers?
"This confirms my theory: the Fool is an ancient entity, and Mr. Devil's family likely knows of this being—perhaps their organization originally worshipped it!"
As Hanged Man's etheric body slipped into contemplation, Klein didn't linger. He said unhurriedly,
"Acceptable."
His gaze swept over Justice, Hanged Man, and Devil, then continued,
"You may now exchange freely."
At Mr. Fool's cue, Audrey, who hadn't found a Roselle diary, spoke up.
"Mr. Devil, I've acquired the agate peacock tail feather and black-striped scale snake fang you wanted. How should I deliver them?"
Pray to Mr. Fool, obviously!
Snow nearly said it but paused, recalling Little Sun hadn't joined yet, and Klein hadn't even digested his Seer potion, making sacrifice and bestowal impossible. Since the Instigator potion wasn't needed yet, Justice could hold onto them…
Then, a spark of inspiration hit, and Mr. Devil hatched a mischievous idea.
In her Spectator state, Miss Justice noticed Mr. Devil's smile—um, a bit impish—before he spoke.
"Have someone bury them in a forest in Backlund's Queens District. I'll retrieve them. Keep the package small."
"He knows my identity?" Miss Justice nearly lost her Spectator composure but shook her head.
"Mr. Hanged Man easily pegged me as a Loen noble. It's not hard for Mr. Devil to notice, especially during Backlund's social season when most nobles are here. Choosing Queens District, the noble hub, makes sense. Still, I should be cautious… Right, I'll have Susie do it and observe the other party."
Though Audrey told herself probing Tarot Club members' identities was wrong, her curiosity won out. Plus, with her identity at risk, investigating felt prudent.
Resolved, she nodded.
"Alright, I'll arrange it. But Queens District has five or six forests. Which one?"
"Pick one convenient for you, but let's set a time to avoid someone else digging it up."
Snow's tone was relaxed. Audrey hesitated briefly, then nodded.
"I'll have the materials buried in the western Queens District forest. Retrieve them after 5 p.m. today."
Justice and Devil swiftly finalized the deal's details. The group shifted to sharing intel. Hanged Man casually mentioned some maritime affairs, but Devil and Justice showed little interest.
Seeing the exchange winding down, Klein ended the Tarot Club. Back in reality, he couldn't stop thinking about the diary.
Undoubtedly, it likely came from another transmigrator, mistaken for Roselle's due to its Chinese text. The neat handwriting suggested an original draft.
While it wasn't impossible for an original to circulate, Klein felt this draft might be tied to Mr. Devil.
In occultism, intuition signaled spiritual hints. Realizing this, Klein materialized paper and pen, carefully crafting a divination statement—
"The reason I believe this diary is linked to Mr. Devil. The reason I believe this diary…"
Chanting the statement silently, Klein activated Dream Divination. As his body leaned back, his soul seemed to drift, and he saw—or heard—a sentence:
"Yes, Pan… um, a notebook from an elder in my family mentioned this, but they didn't provide an interpretation method, so that's all I know."
"An elder's notebook mentioned Roselle's diary… Could this 'elder' be the transmigrator who came after Roselle?"
(End of Chapter)