A Meeting and a Date

"66 Doughty Street, North Borough." Abner nodded slightly. He already knew the address. In the original story, when Doctor Aaron was plagued by misfortune, he had taken Klein there to look for Will Auceptin. Unfortunately, they had arrived too late. The Little Snake had already restarted by then.

He had only asked Mr. Scudder to confirm it. After all, the butterfly effect he had set in motion was hardly small. It would have been perfectly normal for something to have changed.

Back in his room, Abner was about to take out the Book of the Dead for a closer study when his vision suddenly blurred, and he saw an endless expanse of gray-white fog.

Then he saw "Sun" Derrick praying to make a sacrifice in a sparsely furnished room. On the altar sat a green hexagonal crystal the size of a goose egg.

The Crystal of the Thousand Arts Phantom? Sun already got his hands on it? Great! Now I really have every material I need for Polymath!

But it hasn't even been two months since I advanced to Keeper of Knowledge. I haven't finished digesting the potion...

With that in mind, Abner followed the plan he had made in advance. He bowed his head and prayed:

"Honorable Mr. Fool, I hope to leave the Crystal of the Thousand Arts Phantom in your kingdom for the time being. In return, I'm willing to offer two pages of Roselle's Diary at next week's Tarot Club gathering."

Since Miss Fanny said she could get Roselle Manuscripts from Emma, I should have them sometime this week...

And even if she doesn't manage it, it's no big deal. I can always forge another two pages.

Two or three seconds later, a deep, majestic voice sounded beside his ear:

"Very well."

"My sincere thanks, Mr.