Chapter 11: A Tense Tarot Day

Click.

Glancing at the time on his new but simple pocket watch, Klein let out a soft sigh and massaged his forehead with two fingers to relieve the stress he was feeling in preparation for what was to come.

It was currently 12:45 Azshara time. Due to the distance between this city and Tingen, the time difference was two hours later, so if he wanted to start the meeting at the normal time of 3:00 pm, he would have to wait until 1:00 pm.

'People here usually have lunch at 13:00, so it shouldn't be a problem if the meeting is at that time...

'But because of my current job as a detective, it's very likely that I'll be invited to lunch at that time to talk about assignments...'

As had become his habit, his finger began to tape the edge of his desk. His eyes calculated.

'It's better if it's after 13:00... An hour or two later should be fine, giving me more time to prepare.

I would have preferred another week, as I said, but Mr Chariot makes that impossible! This Tarot Club can't wait any longer.'

Taptaptaptaptap

His finger accelerated, and the clown's frown deepened. The acid from the newspaper lying in the kitchen corner deepened his frown even more.

'I knew I made a deal with the devil. I just never thought it would have such consequences!

'Now my name is going to be on that madman's back!'

But what made his expression even more angry and bitter was the fact that he had been warned. Chariot himself had said that he would use his name as The Fool and the existence of the Tarot Club to protect himself.

But the extent to which he did so was something Klein could not have imagined!

A long, deep sigh left the depths of his modern soul, 'At least the Tarot Club already has the protection of a true Great Existence... I just had to shake hands with a madman!'

He could never make a mistake like that again, even if the profits he promised himself could somehow make up for it.

And that's not counting what he asked for in return for his contribution points.

It was quite a request to make of a Great Being like the supposedly missing ancestor of the Antigonus family, 'The Fool', but Chariot had the points to consider his request...

From one second to the next, Klein's expression immediately relaxed. It was as if the man had forgotten everything and finally reached the highest peace of mind.

Clank

With the full force of the clown's powers, he rose from his chair, glancing at the simple pocket watch, and made his way to the bathroom at a somewhat hurried pace.

The hands of the cheap device he had bought for 2 Argens and 5 Cuppers read 12:50 p.m

...

In the Hall of Giants, at the musty bronze table.

Klein let out a light sigh as he took his place in the seat of honor. He waited a few moments before extending his right hand to the crimson star representing the newest member so far.

In a calm voice, he said, "The Tarot Club is about to begin, so be prepared."

...

City of Silver

'It's all right, it's all right... The meeting will start soon...' The Sun, Derrick Berg, tried to console himself as he flipped through the book in his hands for the fifth time.

It was a dark brown cover, eroding words by time and use. This book was the history of his home, at least from the time the Cataclysm struck, and everything was shrouded in storm and darkness.

The contents of this book were the payment he would give to Mr Chariot in exchange for taking the first step towards becoming the Sun!

'I just hope this is enough...'

'290...291...292...'

Even though his mind was complicated and he feared what would come, he never stopped counting. As there was no constant way of measuring time here, Mr Fool had the bright idea of counting heartbeats.

As soon as he reached 300, a crimson glow filled his vision. Derrick couldn't help himself and finally closed his eyes.

When he opened them, he found himself back in the Divine Hall, facing the inhabitants of the World of Light and the mysterious and omnipresent figure of the Lord of this gathering.

'We have not been abandoned... We have not been abandoned...' Large, tearful words of relief echoed in his soul, and the young man heaved a sigh of relief.

A part of him thought that he had offended the first God to accept a prayer after millennia by not heeding his word and keeping his mouth shut at the first meeting.

'Thankfully, Mr Fool is merciful... I can't offend 'Him' like that next time, the word of a God is law...' Derrick thought in a cold sweat.

"Good afternoon, Mr Fool..." The elegant lady rose from her seat and curtsied, clutching the edges of her dress. Unlike the first time he had heard her speak, Derrick could tell that Justice seemed anxious.

Unconsciously, the young man swallowed saliva. The nervousness in his chest receded, and he could finally feel the palpable, oppressive pressure that covered the musty table.

All that pressure seemed to be directed at the silent Chariot, who also greeted the occupant of the seat of honor with a slight bow.

Derrick's brow furrowed in concern as the greetings were barely over before Justice and the Hanged Man turned their attention to the last member.

"I've got two pages, Mr Fool." Who didn't seem to mind the attention at all, keeping that friendly smile on his blurred face.

'You're looking too comfortable, Mr Chariot... What are you going to do this time, you bastard?' Klein stopped himself from blinking but kept his guard up. Too often, he had overestimated what the madman could get away with, and too often, he had paid the price.

No more! This time, he would be ready! His skin became hard and wrinkled; he was no longer the newborn he had been before!

'Overestimate your enemy, underestimate your strength...' Klein repeated wisely in his heart. After repeating this several times to encourage himself, he slightly nodded and said calmly, "Alright."

As much as he wanted to address the giant pink neon elephant in the room and get the headache out of the way, it didn't fit with the persona of The Fool he had created. He could only leave it for later, no matter how much he wanted to get started.

"I also prepared my 2 pages, Mr Fool." Alger added his part only seconds behind, earning a simple nod from the Fool.

'It was his pages that contained information about the mysterious Transmigrator. The possibility of more among the remaining eighteen is not small...' A small whirl formed in his stomach, eager to learn more about this compatriot.

Not expecting this gathering to be 'normal', Audrey stood in a daze for a few moments, not knowing what to do, recovering as best she could. She grabbed the edges of her dress and made a slight, elegant bow.

"Excuse me, Mr Fool, but I won't be able to deliver a page today."

Klein only nodded slightly at the apology from the only woman in the Tarot Club. He had already produced the fountain pens and goat parchment before the previous duo.

Adryan looked calmly at the yellowish parchment in front of him. Without hesitation, he grabbed the red fountain pen and quickly wrote down the information on the pages he had left. Only one of the two was there; the other was written from memory.

'Better give him a balm for what's to come. I don't want him to walk funny.' The redhead thought as he lowered the pen to the side of the fresh page of the diary, the corners of his lips slightly raised.

The last time he spoke to Klein, he had revealed the existence of Sequence 0 in advance; it was time to secure the leader's mind with the most reliable database, oldshame.net.com, in the hands of the beloved Huang Tao.

'With everything I've already told him, I wouldn't be surprised if he already discovered the name Sequence 0 from his path...' He even expected it, the man was smart after all.

Sighing inwardly, Adryan calmly called with a hint of milk and honey in his voice: "I'm done, Mr. Fool."

'This one's up to something...' Klein frowned inwardly as he nodded to both men's words, his inner shield held high and pointed at Chariot. The pages disappeared in front of both of them and reappeared in front of the clown.

Keeping his instincts open, he prepared to control his body to suppress any reaction that might occur. Klein decided to remove the bandage from one and start with Chariot's page.

--

January 1st, the beginning of a new year. I happen to have finished my first card of blasphemy...

I will hide the ultimate secret of the Twenty-Two Paths of the Divine in these various Cards of Blasphemy and scatter them throughout the world. If all else fails, they'll be the best insurance my children can fall back on.

Haha, I'll disrupt the order they want and spread the deep mysteries of the Divine!

These Cards of Blasphemy will have the properties of being anti-divination and anti-prophecy. Apart from those I'll give to my children, those who are destined to receive them will do so!

I am a person who makes sure that accounts are settled when it comes to grudges, and after I die, who cares if floods deluge the heavens! Oh, I didn't write that sentence.

This old organisation is my last and greatest insurance. I don't know if they will support me, or how they will support me.

I still remember the shock when I saw the blasphemy slate for the first time.

So it turns out that the paths of the Beyond are paths of the Divine. It is true that the Blasphemy Slate blasphemes the gods.

Above the Sequence 1 of each path, there is a Sequence 0! And there's a corresponding potion and ritual!

Every path has a Sequence 0!

And Sequence 0 is the Sequence of a True God!

For example, Sequence 0, Sun!

--

'This is...' Inwardly blinking, Klein took a moment to savor this page as he jotted down the information on the blasphemy card for later review.

'So the blasphemy cards not only hide the secret of Sequence 0, but possibly all the formulas as well...' Kein mentally cupped his chin, his gaze deep and his body strangely still.

'A set of 22 cards, each hiding a complete sequence... This must be one of the most coveted treasures in the world!'

Was this his legendary treasure? His One Piece?

Holding back his trembling excitement, Klein relaxed his body and sighed inwardly.

Although he was somewhat stunned, he wasn't as surprised as he thought he should be.

If this had happened five days ago, it would undoubtedly have been a different case. He would have been shocked and disbelieving at this revelation... But because of a certain lunatic, that wasn't the case.

The bandage was torn off with the arm.

'At least this confirms the information revealed by Mr Chariot... The true level of a god, Sequence 0...' When he had finished tasting this dish, Klein turned to the man's second page.

--

3rd March

Last night I drank too much and woke up in my bathroom with a parrot and a raccoon in the bathtub.

I have no idea where they came from.

--

'...'

The information difference between this page and the previous one wasn't even funny anymore; it was disappointing and pathetic.

Only a few seconds were spent reading it, a few seconds he wished he had back.

Klein turned to the pages The Hanged Man had handed him.

--

August 2nd. This goes deeper than I thought. History is certainly something that can be easily manipulated.

August 5th. I witnessed the abilities of a High-Sequence Beyonder today. It was truly frightening. There was a qualitative change that happened to them in one particular aspect, it was as if they'd transformed into a deity. It's no wonder that we call them 'demigods'...

6th August. There's something strange going on. Why would the Seven Great Churches have such a strange attitude towards the potions?

9 August. The events of the past two days have made me uncomfortable. I started the Industrial Revolution with my own hands and personally ushered in the age of steam and machinery, but this will create the conditions necessary for the Evil God to descend upon this world?

--

'History is an easy thing to manipulate, eh? Repeating the Emperor's words, Klein knew and felt that simple sentence's dark and evil truth.

He only had to look at his home as an example before he transmigrated.

If it were so easy to manipulate history there...

What would it be like in this world of Gods, Angels, and Demigods? 

How much history would be buried in their lies and manipulations?

'Qualitative change...' Klein thought, his memory recalling his encounter with the sword of the goddess Crestec Cesimir, the baby in Megose's womb, and the true appearance of Mr. Chariot.

The mere presence of these beings was oppressive and suffocating, and the fact that death was certain if one saw their true appearance made Klein shudder as he remembered his experience with the golden blood.

To find his way home, it was obvious that he would have to continue climbing the sequences... But how far was he willing to go?

'Giving up my humanity to return home... Can I really do that?'

He couldn't help but feel some fear and anxiety at such a thought, his hands wanted to shake, but he held them back. For a few long seconds, his eyes did not leave the page.

He read it several times, noticing different details in each symbol. Though much had been lost in the process of transcription and recopying, Klein could still see the small traces of great emotion that permeated each symbol.

Emperor Roselle's clear desire for the great power he called divine could still be seen.

'Perhaps I would be as excited as he was, if I didn't know what I know... To gain this power, demigods give up a part of their humanity to transcend it...'

A soft sigh sounded inside him, and Klein lowered the pages that had barely left his hands and vanished as if they had never existed. He rested his cheek on his knuckles and looked serenely ahead.

Now is not the time to hesitate, there is no turning back.

'I'm going home, no matter what,' the clown thought determinedly as his eyes fell on the farthest member of the table.

Seeing that the Fool had finished his reading, Justice and Hanged Man made the same move, turning their gaze to the black-robed figure.

Feeling the stares, Adryan leaned back on his elbow and rested his cheek in the palm of his hand. His eyes were bright and an innocent smile was on his face.

'Let the show begin~' the redhead thought as he licked his lips. His tongue was already out, dripping with venom.