"Good afternoon, honored Mr. Fool, and everyone."
Miss Justice's greeting was as heartwarming as ever today, but Angel, who knew her well, could faintly hear a trace of weariness.
This was a demigod of the Spectator pathway, yet she was unable—or perhaps simply unwilling—to conceal her condition?
Angel quietly glanced to her side and noticed that Audrey was dressed rather plainly today, as though she had come to the Tarot Club straight from somewhere she needed to conceal her identity.
Noticing her gaze, Audrey smiled back and quickly adjusted her expression and bearing, becoming the young noblewoman everyone knew once more.
On Angel's other side, Klein, the Fool, was also quietly observing her, his body concealed in the gray fog.
He had noticed some subtle changes in the Empress's profile.
Her nose bridge was higher, her features a little more angular, and her posture straighter... In short, had she become more "handsome"?
Upon realizing this, Klein began to feel uncomfortable all over.
It should be the influence of that Red Priest Uniqueness... he reassured himself.
He had learned as early as last week that Angel had gained partial authority over Salinger's Blood Banner. Although the unexpected uprising in Molora had left Helene no opportunity to pray to the Fool and become his temporary believer to receive protection, leaving Klein feeling uninvolved in the matter, he still shared in Angel's pride at obtaining the Grade 0 Sealed Artifact numbered "01."
But has repeatedly summoning the power of "0-01" these past few days started changing even her body toward the Hunter pathway...? Klein's fingers twitched uneasily against the bronze table. Had ten Tarot Club members not been seated before him, he would almost have wanted to shift around in his high-backed chair.
A moment later, he said in a deep voice:
"You