Chapter 353: Why Not Ask Mr. Fool?

Chapter 353: Why Not Ask Mr. Fool?

Alice quickly covered her mouth with her hand. Then, realizing something was amiss, she parted her fingers slightly and spoke through the gaps:

"No, thank you. I don't miss it at all."

She firmly rejected the "World's" suggestion.

Their exchange made the others realize that this rule wasn't just Alice's whim; it seemed to represent something significant. Heaven knows, they initially thought it was just another of Miss Fate's capricious creations.

No one considered this a mysterious ritual, mainly due to Alice's typical behavior in the Tarot Club.

Before "Hermit" arrived, the usual storyteller during the Tarot Club's casual chat sessions was the well-traveled "Hanged Man." Although "World" likely had rich experiences too, he rarely spoke, mainly... mainly focusing on stopping Alice's bizarre comments.

After "Hermit" joined, the primary narrators became "Hanged Man" and "Hermit," with only Alice occasionally blurting out peculiar ideas, promptly halted by "World."

For instance, Alice once asked "Moon" Emlyn if vampires couldn't taste human food—otherwise, why were potions so unpalatable? Audrey was surprised to learn that vampires did eat human food, comparable to humans snacking—an analogy Alice provided.

Of course, Alice occasionally made... unexpected suggestions.

For example, upon learning that the "God-forsaken Land" relied on unpalatable black grass for sustenance, Alice had puzzled:

"If that's the case, why don't you ask Mr. Fool to bestow food upon you?"

How could divine blessings be used for such mundane purposes? It was as shocking as if Audrey discovered that it wasn't Mr. Fool's blessed but Mr. Fool himself who needed funds for daily expenses.

How could deities be associated with such worldly matters!

Except for Alice, of course.

"Sun" Derrick naturally rejected Alice's idea, as her suggestion wasn't simply about Mr. Fool delivering food. She proposed that the City of Silver... order takeout through Mr. Fool.

As she attempted to show Derrick a menu, "World" intervened, much to Derrick's relief. He thanked Alice for her goodwill while declining her offer.

Who would actually ask a true god to deliver takeout?!

Alice found this incomprehensible. After all, she viewed the Tarot Club's transactions as similar to courier services. If Mr. Fool could be a courier, why couldn't he deliver food...

After observing the others' expressions, Alice wisely refrained from voicing this question.

It seemed she was the only one who found this normal. Though unsure why it was considered abnormal, she figured asking wouldn't lead to understanding, so she let it go...

Such an eccentric personality made it understandable that Alice might occasionally come up with strange ideas.

However, "World's" words made the Tarot Club members realize things weren't so simple. As everyone pondered this, "Moon" Emlyn bluntly asked:

"What past? Why are you two being so mysterious?"

At this, even the usually reserved "Hanged Man" Alger and "Hermit" Cattleya couldn't help but glance at Emlyn, prompting him to ask:

"Why are you all looking at me?"

"They're expressing their gratitude and admiration for you," said Alice, whose brain capacity significantly exceeded Emlyn's. "Your courage has earned you all this. You truly are the prophesied savior of the blood race!"

—To match the content of this statement, Alice switched from her usual "vampire" to "blood race."

This successfully inflated Emlyn's ego. He proudly puffed out his chest, momentarily forgetting his initial confusion:

"Of course! We blood race..."

What followed were incomprehensible remarks about "ancient race" and "noble existence." No one laughed in Emlyn's face, but a jovial atmosphere filled the gray fog.

She's actually quite clever... Klein, observing from the gray fog, looked at Alice nodding perfunctorily, then at Emlyn speaking grandly, and smiled.

Alice, unaware that someone had just compared her brain to Emlyn's, moved past the previous dangerous topic after Emlyn finished boasting and asked:

"Miss Hermit, do you know how to transmit messages while avoiding the Concealed Sage's gaze?"

"Hermit" Cattleya hesitantly glanced at Klein, whose appearance was obscured in the gray fog, before answering:

"If I knew, I wouldn't have..."

She wouldn't have alerted Mr. Fool due to the Concealed Sage's pursuit, subsequently being drawn into the Tarot Club and becoming a member of a secret organization...

Cattleya didn't finish her sentence, but Alice felt she understood. She slightly raised her chin and asked:

"What, do you regret it?"

Alice's tone was flat, and her gaze sweeping over Cattleya was nonchalant, showing no malice. Yet for a moment, Cattleya felt as if something terrifying had fixed its attention on her.

"Of course not," she denied. "It's my honor and opportunity."

After a pause, to enhance the credibility of her statement, she added:

"If it weren't for you, I don't know how long it would have taken to find traces of mythical creature blood..."

This was originally just to appease Alice, but as the words left her mouth, Cattleya suddenly realized it was true.

In a sense, being unexpectedly drawn into the Tarot Club and witnessing the revival process of one... possibly two deities, could indeed be considered an opportunity.

Provided that the deity she followed successfully revived, and that this deity wasn't too...

Cattleya discreetly glanced at Alice.

Alice thoughtfully scanned Cattleya. Her words weren't entirely sincere; at least if given a choice, Alice was certain she wouldn't accept such help.

It didn't matter; she had no choice anyway.

Alice looked at Cattleya with an ambiguous smile, examining her from top to bottom with the same gaze Klein used when looking at pounds. As Cattleya felt a chill down her spine, Alice spoke:

"Fine, I'll assume you're telling the truth.

"So, you don't know how to block the Concealed Sage's gaze?"

Cattleya hesitantly glanced again at Mr. Fool, who remained motionless and expressionless in the gray fog and keeping silent.