Chapter 33: Beyonder Gathering (Edited)

How did things turn out like this?

In the living room of No. 15 Minsk Street, newly promoted Red Glove and Nightmare, Leonard, sat at the coffee table, lost in thought.

He was holding a hand of cards, his face covered with white slips of paper. Opposite Leonard on the sofa sat two people, both also holding cards: Klein and Lynn Sotos.

Compared to Leonard, whose face was almost entirely covered with slips of paper, Klein's was similarly covered, but Lynn Sotos' face was almost spotless, hardly having any slips at all.

After successfully being promoted to Sequence 7 and familiarizing himself with his new abilities to avoid past mishaps, Leonard eagerly sought out Klein to discuss their next secret mission.

However, upon arriving at Klein's new residence, Leonard learned he would be acting as Klein's temporary assistant, protecting Lynn Sotos until the end of the Turani von Helmosuin manuscript related mission.

This was fine by Leonard. After all, Klein had already informed him that Lynn Sotos was related to the angel they were searching for. Leonard was more than willing to engage with such a crucial lead.

Sitting around waiting for danger was extremely boring, so after a while, Leonard suggested playing cards.

Which brings us to now.

Lynn Sotos' luck in cards was simply unreasonable, leaving Leonard and Klein bewildered.

After watching Lynn effortlessly play one bomb card after another, quickly emptying his hand, Leonard couldn't help but ask, "Mr. Sotos, is your luck always this good?"

"It's alright, I'm just lucky when playing cards," Lynn shrugged. His luck in cards had always been remarkably good, the kind that could get him blacklisted by others.

"That's enviable," Klein said sincerely.

Although his title included "The King of Yellow and Black who wields good luck." our Fool's luck in cards was evidently not that great.

"You remind me of a certain pathway rumored to be particularly lucky..." Leonard muttered. Given their mutual awareness of each other's Beyonder status, he spoke without reservation.

"I also envy Beyonders of the Wheel of Fortune Pathway. Unfortunately, I'm already a Mystery Pryer. Otherwise, I might have chosen that pathway," Lynn half-joked.

"Who wouldn't want to be lucky?" Klein agreed with a nod, though even with another chance, he would still choose the Seer pathway. The luck-based pathway was indeed enviable.

The three exchanged glances, their mutual understanding deepening their bond.

Lynn then checked his pocket watch, suddenly appearing hesitant.

"What's wrong? Something on your mind?" Klein asked, noticing Lynn's change in expression.

"Well, I have an Beyonder gathering tonight. I wasn't planning on attending, but with your protection, I'm considering going. I might find something I need, like materials for my Sequence 8 advancement or a suitable weapon," Lynn explained.

This wasn't a lie. As a member of the Moses Ascetic Order and a renowned detective in Backlund, Lynn Sotos had attended many Beyonder gatherings, including the one hosted by Mr. A, which was the one he intended to join tonight.

Lynn's true intent was to see if he could sell some of the formulas he had.

Certainly not because he wanted Mr. Fool to meet future Tarot Club members early!

Lynn: Seriously.JPG

Beyonder gathering?

Klein and Leonard's eyes lit up. They had been wondering how to seamlessly integrate into Backlund's Beyonder circles, and this was a perfect opportunity. They exchanged glances, and Klein promptly said:

"If it's just attending an Beyonder gathering, there shouldn't be any problem. And if you can buy suitable Beyonder weapons or advancement materials, it will help in facing any upcoming dangers."

"Indeed. While we will definitely protect you, if anything unexpected happens, the stronger you are, the better your chances of surviving," Leonard echoed.

"That's exactly what I was thinking," Lynn seemed persuaded, then glanced at Klein and Leonard before saying, "If we're going to the gathering, we need to disguise ourselves now, or we might not have enough time."

"By the way, can either of you do makeup? If not, I can help..." Lynn looked eager, like a novice enthusiast with no self-awareness of his inexperience.

'Ahem, you really have no self-awareness, Mr. Sotos...' Klein almost lost control of his expression. He then began peeling off the slips of paper from his face, saying, "No need, I can do makeup."

"Oh..." Lynn looked disappointed, then expectantly glanced at Leonard.

"Um, Kl… Sherlock will help me with makeup," Leonard hesitated, nearly blurting out Klein's name, but managed to stop himself in time.

"Yes, I'll help Watson with his disguise," Klein nodded. Leonard's current alias was James Watson.

Yes, that name was a friendly suggestion from Klein.

...

'Now my novice makeup artist persona should be firmly established, right? But Leonard is truly the king of self-revelation. If I were a real detective knowing nothing, I'd be suspicious by now,' Lynn muttered while roasting some kind of bird meat over a roaring campfire in the Second Epoch.

He glanced around. They were in an unremarkable-looking, shadowy forest. Medici was struggling with a pot of indescribably colored soup, tinged green, blue, and slightly purple.

Judging by color and smell alone, Lynn was certain it was a pot of culinary disaster.

Sasrir sat quietly not far away, smiling at the antics of the two. As angels, they had minimal need for food, but the current roasting and cooking scenario arose purely from Lynn's notion that life should have rituals.

Though Sasrir suspected Lynn simply wanted to mess with Medici.

(End of chapter)