Gehrman Sparrow (1)

As she was reading a letter from her teacher, Dorian Gray, Fors glanced up at the wall clock and hurried back to her bedroom before locking the door behind her.

The weekly Tarot gathering was beginning.

Not long after, a crimson light flooded her eyes, drowning everything.

In the ancient and mysterious palace, just as Fors was about to look at Mr. Fool, she suddenly saw a figure beside her.

'A new member? A lady?' The Magician Fors moved her eyeballs slightly, pretending not to care as she half turned her body.

'Another new member? And it's a lady…' Miss Justice was about to get up and greet Mr. Fool when she saw an unfamiliar figure.

Justice stood up and bowed, speaking with a light and brisk tone.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Fool~"

Then, she greeted the other members in the order in which they joined the Tarot Club, indirectly introducing their code names to the Hermit.

At the same time, Alger responded to Audrey's greeting while cautiously sizing up the new member.

'Female. It's barely possible to tell that she's wearing a black gown with many patterns on it… Her hair is black and her eyes are a little purple…' Alger managed to find certain traits in her blurred, distorted image.

Suddenly, his heart sank as he recalled a scene he saw a few months ago at the pirate convention.

'Could it be her? She looks somewhat similar based on her attire… But the Admiral of Stars wears glasses, while she doesn't… It cannot be confirmed. It'll require further observation and evidence. Unfortunately, I only saw her from afar and know little…'

The Hanged Man resolved himself to be careful.

Thoughts flashed through Alger's mind as he slightly fidgeted in his seat.

'Mr. Hanged Man's body language tells me that he is alert and guarded… Does he know the female newcomer, or has he guessed something? How intriguing…' Audrey's gaze swept across without leaving a trace and landed on Derrick.

At this moment, Cattleya was also carefully and seriously examining the members of the Tarot Club in the order they were greeted in.

The mysterious purple color in her eyes slowly flowed in an indiscernible fashion. Although she couldn't truly see through the blurry concealment of the fog, she could still make out the details of their clothing.

'The Hanged Man, a man in his prime, in his thirties, and has messy hair like seaweed with a rare deep blue color. This is a common mutation seen in the Sailor pathway… He's wearing a robe with the patterns of storms and waves… Someone from the Church of Storms?' Cattleya's pupils contracted. She didn't show any abnormalities as she continued to observe the rest of the members.

Suddenly, she paused, overwhelmed by an intense sense of intimidation.

As she finished introducing the other members, Audrey's gaze landed back on Cattleya.

Seeing her shaking slightly with a paler complexion than before, Miss Justice asked, concerned, "Are you alright?"

Fors glanced at the Fool.

Snapping back to His senses, the Fool saw Cattleya's state and realized something.

'Oh, right.'

Come to think of it, since the Hermit was from the Hermit Pathway, He had grafted the concept of 'everything she shouldn't see'—for example, His divinity, or anything else that would be lethal to mortals because it is too high-ranking—toward some place in Sefirah Castle.

Thus, she was able to converse with Him normally after being pulled above the gray fog and avoided having her head bursting from looking at a True God. (After all, it would be pointless if the one He was trying to save died instead of getting better.)

If, while observing the other members, her gaze had inadvertently approached the direction where the Fool had grafted these concepts, it wasn't surprising that she was in that state.

Still pale, Cattleya forced herself to nod at Miss Justice's question, all the while consciously avoiding looking toward the other end of the long bronze table.

"…I am the Hermit."

Afterward, the gathering proceeded as usual. That is, until Miss Justice made an unexpected proposal.

"Mr. Fool, why don't you descend while pretending to be your own blessed?"

"…What?"

Audrey, who knew that the Fool didn't want to be treated as a god, gave an alternative so that the Fool could experience life as a human.

"You once mentioned not being bound to this place. Or is leaving not possible?"

Instead of brushing it off as usual, the Fool seriously considered the possibility.

Meanwhile, witnessing this exchange, Cattleya was horrified for the second time that day.

***

(Author: Shorter chapter than usual since I intend to reorganize all my notes before writing next chapter (shouldn't take long, don't worry).)

Bonus skit: Mr. Fool & Fors talking about mundane things during the Full Moon

"Sometimes, it's annoying because I have nightmares," The Fool began.

"Really?" Fors asked.

The nightmares of a god? Gods could dream too?

"Yes," The Fool continued.

Then, He paused, trying to calm His mind as He recalled the memory in question.

"…The Mother Tree of Desire appears before me and reaches out toward me, branches extending from her vessel as she approaches."

Fors held her breath, listening intently.

'The Mother Tree of Desire?'

"I have no place to escape as she fixedly stares at me with dreamy eyes, repeating the same words: let's have a child, let's have a child. And I have to watch while she slowly advances. I try to take a step to the side, but then I discover that I am unable to move… So I watch, only hearing the words 'let's have a child, let's have a child'…"

Goosebumps appeared on Fors's arms as she pictured the scene.

"But the worst part in all this."

'Because there was even worse?' Fors gulped.

The Fool concluded, His tone close to a whisper as if He were reliving the dream, "It's that the Mother Tree of Desire suddenly starts twerking, her words in sync with the True Creator who starts singing rap in the background. The Ancient Sun God is doing a shoulder dance and Amon's laugh resonates in my ears. It's a mix of visual and auditive pollution and I don't understand why the situation turned that way…"

"…"

Fors: *questioning her hearing*

Twerking <- invented by Emperor Roselle< p>

(Now imagine if Fors did not know what twerking was and the Fool got up to show her-)