"Well, all things considered, it turned out pretty well." Sno left the Police Station under Dunn's complicated gaze, a faint smile on his face.
Although coming to the Police Station to lay everything out with Dunn might have seemed rather reckless, a careful analysis revealed that the risks involved were not as great as they appeared.
First, Sno had undergone Dunn's dream-infiltration test without showing any issues. Second, he had not exposed any Beyonder traits. Under such circumstances, he was merely an ordinary person who had occasionally heard some information from mystical circles. The Church did not pay too much attention to people like that.
Or rather, if they imprisoned even such partially informed people, places like the Dragon Bar would not exist.
Thus, when facing Sno, an "ordinary person," Dunn had only two choices—
The first was to recruit him into the Night Watcher team, starting him in a clerical position.
The second was to keep an eye on him without taking any action.
Joining the Night Watchers would have been an excellent outcome for Sno, because it would have made it easier for him to tear apart Ince Zangwill's script. As long as he did not expose his grasp of the Acting Method, he could stay in the Tingen Night Watcher team as a "Seer" until the Apocalypse. With a bit of maneuvering, he might even become the Tingen City branch president of the Aurora Society, collecting the Aurora Society's benefits while selling out the Aurora Society. In the end, Mr. A would still have to thank him.
Unfortunately, Dunn clearly had no such intention.
That might have been because he came from Backlund, or because Sno did not meet the recruitment standards for clerical personnel. None of that mattered, however, because he had at least achieved his most basic goal—
After being officially registered in front of Dunn, Sno had established the persona of an "ordinary person who understood the Beyonder world." From now on, whether he entered local circles of mysticism enthusiasts or "happened" to appear at the Dragon Bar, it would all seem reasonable. Dunn might drag him off for a lecture, but at least he would have no trouble going out from now on.
After taking out his pocket watch and checking the time, Sno turned around and found an affordable restaurant for a meal. Only after the sun had become scorching did he return to the inn and wait for Mr. Fool's summons.
Above the Gray Fog, within the grand and majestic palace, the ancient, mottled Bronze Long Table rested quietly as though it had remained unchanged since time immemorial.
After a tidal wave of light dispersed, Sno appeared above the long table. Beside him stood a male figure whose face could not be seen, with only a head of blue seaweed-like hair faintly discernible.
Across from him, a blonde girl likewise had a blurred face. Just as Sno eagerly awaited Miss Justice's sweet and innocent greeting, she was clearly not herself. Instead, Mr. Fool tapped the Bronze Long Table lightly and spoke in a dignified, steady voice:
"This is a new member. His codename is 'Devil.'"
"This is Miss Justice, and this is Mr. Hangman."
Ordinarily, Miss Justice would certainly have happily observed this new member, then tried to guess why this gentleman had chosen a codename like Devil and what sort of legendary past he possessed.
But at this moment, her entire mind was focused on her family's large dog that had suddenly started speaking. Mr. Hangman, on the other hand, felt a faint trace of dissatisfaction. Well, please cherish Mr. Hangman while he was still a qualified Rage Dweller.
At this point, Miss Justice finally organized her thoughts:
"Respected Mr. Fool, Mr. Hangman, who always helps me, and the newly joined Mr. Devil, I have a question I would like to ask—
What can a pet with Beyonder powers do to help its owner? Simply put, what use can it have?"
Her pleasant voice echoed through the hall. Miss Justice suddenly noticed that the atmosphere had become somewhat silent. That strange stillness and the gazes directed at her made her wish she could crawl into a crack in the ground.
Just as the mist was nearly unable to conceal the blush on her pretty face, Mr. Hangman finally began explaining.
As someone of the same kind who also kept a Beyonder pet, Sno could obviously have cut in first on this subject. But appearing too eager might provoke Mr. Hangman's displeasure, so he decided to play it safe for now.
Listening to Mr. Hangman use the Spectator pathway as an example made Miss Justice visibly more awkward. She straightened her back, trying to make herself look more confident, then forcibly changed the subject:
"Mr. Fool, I found another page of Emperor Roselle's Diary. But I'm sorry, there isn't much content on this page."
"It doesn't matter. All your debts have been repaid." Given Mr. Fool's stature, he clearly could not fuss too much over the length of a diary entry. As Miss Justice began writing the content she had memorized onto parchment, Sno finally spoke:
"Respected Mr. Fool, do you need Emperor Roselle's Diary?"
"!" ×3
The moment the words left his mouth, not only Mr. Hangman and Mr. Fool, but even Audrey, who was writing, paused slightly. When this Mr. Devil mentioned the word "diary," it had sounded far too natural, as though he had known all along that it was a diary!
"That's right. You may provide me with Roselle's diary in exchange for corresponding compensation." Mr. Fool nodded lightly, though he felt somewhat nervous inside. The imposing aura of his hidden existence currently relied entirely on the knowledge in Emperor Roselle's Diary to hold things together. If someone capable of deciphering the diary appeared, he would have to be more careful when putting on airs—
Still, it was not difficult to recognize it as a diary. Even Old Neil had noticed the pattern in the dates...
Just as Mr. Fool reassured himself, Miss Justice, who had already copied down a page of Emperor Roselle's Diary, raised her head and asked curiously:
"Mr. Devil, did you know Emperor Roselle's notes were a diary?"
Good question! Mr. Fool silently applauded Miss Justice's question, unaware that Mr. Devil was applauding as well—
"Yes. Pan... ahem, one of my family's elders mentioned it in some notes he left behind. However, that elder did not leave behind a corresponding method of decipherment, so that is all I know."
Sno subtly added a bit of presence to his so-called family, but stopped at precisely the right moment, allowing Mr. Hangman and Miss Justice to fill in the rest themselves before leaving the time to Mr. Fool.
At the Tarot Club, Mr. Fool's reading time was sacred and inviolable. Naturally, Sno would not break that rule. He silently repeated the planned process in his mind, waiting for the line he had long been looking forward to—
"You may communicate now."
They all said Political Commissar Dao and Master Roselle were exchange students, but a closer look showed that Brother Jie had been incredibly bold in the early days. When Mr. Fool pulled The Little Sun above the Gray Fog, Brother Jie actually became dissatisfied! At that point, he had already learned Mr. Fool's three-part honorific name and had received a response after praying, essentially confirming that Mr. Fool was close to a true god in status. Yet he still showed obvious dissatisfaction. From that alone, he really was a proper hot-tempered old brother.
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