The Long-Awaited Tarot Club

"What's wrong?" Klein looked at the suddenly frozen Alice in confusion.

"Emmm..." Alice hesitated to speak.

"?" Klein's gaze was bewildered.

"In short, I can draw comic books." Alice decided not to show Klein that pile of things for now. At least, she should wait until she figured out who the other protagonist in the drawings was.

"If you aren't worried about your identity, you could try submitting your work to a magazine publisher?" Klein seriously offered advice. "But what exactly are you drawing?"

"...Can we change the subject?" Alice felt a faint sense of despair. "Really, let's stop talking about my drawings. Let's talk about something else, anything."

"...All right." Klein was deeply puzzled by this, but this was the first time he had seen Alice resist a topic so strongly. Since it was not anything important, he could ask again later, so he temporarily suppressed his curiosity. "Next, I'll introduce the advantages and disadvantages of Backlund's different districts..."

Under Klein's introduction, Alice gradually came to understand the differences between Backlund's various districts.

First, Alice ruled out Queen's District and West District, which had the best security and strictest supervision. Those two districts belonged to nobles and rich merchants; they were absolutely not places Alice could consider.

Next, Alice ruled out the various factory districts, Docks District, and Backlund Bridge Area—those did not sound like places meant for living.

In addition, after learning what the slums of this era were like, Alice also ruled out East District, where the poor gathered.

As for the remaining districts... other than Hills Street Block, Loën's economic, commercial, and financial center, and Cherwood District, which was filled with small companies and residences, Klein also advised Alice to rule out North District. There was no other reason; it was simply because St. Samuel Church was there.

After guiding Alice, Klein heard from her about the full circumstances of how she had obtained identification documents. The unknown Angel cast another layer of... well, there were already enough shadows over their moods, so one more did not matter.

At the end of the conversation, Alice suddenly made a request she had never mentioned before. "The next time you collect Roselle's Diary, can I read it too?"

"Of course, but why are you suddenly interested in Roselle's Diary?" Klein did not refuse, though he still asked curiously.

"Because before, I only wanted to recover my memories." Alice's voice was so soft it seemed almost nonexistent. "But now I've realized that perhaps I need strength."

Compared to Alice, who decided to lie flat for a while before trying again, the diligent Mr. Fool had to begin convening the gathering after recovering some spirituality—ah, perhaps that was the pain of being the leader of an evil cult.

Above the Gray Fog, Audrey was about to cheerfully greet everyone when Alger spoke first. "Mr. Fool, I obtained nineteen pages of Roselle's Diary this time. Here, I must thank You for dispatching a Blessed to help me eliminate Qilingus. These diaries are the reward I ought to pay!"

A Blessed? Where had he gotten a Blessed? A Blessed capable of eliminating Qilingus, no less? Alice looked at Klein in stunned disbelief, even overlooking how such an obvious action would draw the attention of the other three.

Seated at the head of the table, Klein hid within the Gray Fog. His gaze seemed to casually fall upon Alice. Alice abruptly realized her lapse in composure, lowered her head, and reined in her emotions.

"This is the principle of equivalent exchange." Mr. Fool's calm voice drifted over.

"My current memory limit is six pages. Please allow me to provide them to You over several sessions." Although he was somewhat puzzled by Alice's attitude, Alger still replied humbly.

"No problem." Klein, shrouded in dense Gray Fog, nodded lightly.

After reading the diary, Klein smiled in a low, gentle manner. "Roselle mentioned some concealed history in the diary, as well as some basic common knowledge. The latter reminded me that I seem not to have told you."

Eh? Alice raised her brows in surprise and sat up a little straighter. Her gaze swept over the others, and she found that even The Hanged Man's posture was far more serious than hers. She could only sit even more upright.

—Naturally, such an obvious abnormality could not escape the others.

But even Audrey would not ask about it at this moment. She merely looked excitedly at Klein. "Mr. Fool, what common knowledge did Emperor Roselle bring up? I can pay a reward in exchange for this information."

Klein chuckled. "Don't need to. These are all simple common knowledge. Seeing this part of the diary, as the convener of the Tarot Club, I believe it necessary for all of you to know. Of course, I am very clear that some among you have already grasped it."

He isn't going to use my information to curry favor with them, is he? A faintly bad premonition suddenly rose in Alice's heart.

"Thank You so much! Mr. Fool, You are truly too generous!" Audrey replied joyfully.

Klein stopped tapping his fingers and described it in an even tone. "The first piece of common knowledge: the Law of Conservation of Extraordinary Traits. Beyonder Characteristics cannot be destroyed or diminished; they merely transfer from one thing to another."

As Audrey pondered this law, she looked toward the others. The Sun and The Hanged Man showed no unusual reactions; they seemed to have known this law long ago. Miss Fate... Miss Fate was looking at Mr. Fool with an accusatory gaze?!

Noticing Audrey's gaze, Alice turned her head. With a smile that was not quite a smile, she raised the corners of her lips and brows, glanced at Klein within the Gray Fog, and looked at Audrey as she supplemented what Klein had left unsaid:

"After a Beyonder dies, their Beyonder Characteristic will precipitate from their corpse. If the Beyonder died normally, the Beyonder Characteristic can be used as a Main Potion Ingredient. If it is a remnant left behind after an out-of-control Beyonder dies, the Mental Pollution on it must first be removed—of course, you can also consider making it into a Mystical Item."

Alice's words were like dropping a thunderclap into Audrey's heart. She finally understood why Alice and Alger had both been unwilling to reveal the substitute ingredients to her before—what difference was there between that and eating people?

They were Beyonders, but they were also walking Beyonder Characteristics that could be hunted... Holding onto her last shred of hope, Audrey looked at Klein. Yet Klein, within the Gray Fog, neither showed anger at Alice's attitude nor denied her words.

For the first time, Audrey understood what kind of place the Supernatural World was. Unlike Alice, who had learned all this in ignorance back then, Audrey was clearly dealt a tremendous blow, but she soon calmed down through self-comfort.

After everything settled, Klein threw out a second law. "The second piece of common knowledge: the Law of Conservation of Beyonder Characteristics within neighboring sequences."

It wasn't that I wouldn't let Klein see it; I was afraid that if Klein saw it now, then the next time he met Amon, he might remember it. Then Amon could casually steal it and discover that Klein was his dream man (...). I really can't write my way out of that, I'm serious. If there's a chance, I might consider writing it as a skit or side story or something, but I really can't write my way out of it in the main story (...).

Klein will definitely see it, just not now. I've already prepared the fanfiction (what). There's no fan art because I can't draw (...).