Those two greetings finally confirmed her identity. Klein's lingering suspicion all but faded. A little wariness remained, but confusion now outweighed it.
"Who are you?" he asked.
"Cheng Jianxue," Neph replied. "Or you can call me Neph. That's the English name my teacher gave me."
There was nothing unusual about that. Klein thought for a moment, then shook his head.
"Mixing an English name into Chinese sounds a little strange... Cheng Jianxue, where did you learn my honorific name? And where did you learn the name 'Sefirah Castle'? Do you know how this transmigration happened? Do you know how to go back? And..."
Neph raised a hand to interrupt him.
Klein fell silent, but his eyes remained fixed on Neph. She quietly studied him in return. Through the Gray-White Fog, she could not actually make out much, but that did not matter. All she needed was somewhere to rest her gaze.
Should I tell him outright that I transmigrated into a book? No, that wouldn't be good. Besides, it might affect him. He has to become the Lord of the Mysteries.
Hmm, how about...
Neph's eyes shifted as a good idea struck her. Smiling faintly, she raised a hand to point at her eyes and answered softly:
"I saw it.
"I also saw many things about you, in the past, the present, and the future."
Klein froze for a moment, then almost blurted out, "A Soothsayer?"
That seemed to be the name of a certain Sequence in the Monster Pathway. Klein did not know the details, only that this Pathway belonged to the School of Life, though he felt "Soothsayer" would suit Seer far better.
"It's different." Neph shook her head. "Soothsayers and Foreseers always look ahead, ignoring what lies behind them and beneath their feet. But I... my eyes draw upon memories. Nothing that has already happened can escape them. They are the sum of all experience-hindsight."
Her explanation was so vague that Klein only managed to seize upon one key point:
"But you just mentioned the future... How can the future be something that has already happened?"
"Why can't it?" Neph countered. "The moment the Fate Weaver puts the final period in Their script, the future has already become the past. A prophecy is the history of the future."
Klein was stunned. It took him some time to grasp what Neph meant before he finally asked:
"Are you saying you saw a prophecy about me?"
"From this moment on, it's no longer a prophecy." Neph propped her chin on her hand and answered lazily.
"What do you mean?" Klein asked instinctively.
"Because I'm going to break it," Neph said, lifting her chin. "How can a prophecy that never comes true be called a prophecy?"
Klein paused briefly. Frowning at Neph, he ventured, "In that prophecy, things don't end well for me?"
"It's not that your ending is bad." Neph shook her head. "It's... let me put it this way. Have you heard of the apocalypse?"
Klein was taken aback. He was no stranger to the concept. The Demoness Sect eagerly preached the coming apocalypse, and his many encounters with Demonesses had given him some knowledge of it. Still, he instinctively asked:
"Isn't that just a way to attract converts?"
"No," Neph said, looking at him. "It's a prophecy."
A prophecy... Klein's heart gave a sudden jolt. He stared intently at Neph. The black-haired girl's gaze was gentle as she spoke, almost reassuringly:
"I can't tell you the details of the apocalypse yet. That includes matters concerning Sefirah Castle. I can't tell you about those either.
"Hmm, I imagine you've come across the idea of poisonous knowledge somewhere? Knowledge about these things is poisonous. Only when you become an Angel, a true mythical creature, can you escape that harm.
"As for transmigration..."
Neph looked at Klein. As anticipation entered his eyes, she fell silent for a long moment before saying softly:
"Klein, let's make a promise.
"When I leave the Forsaken Land of the Gods and stand before you, I'll tell you the answer."
Klein watched her quietly, then spoke slowly. "It's not the answer I want, is it?"
"..." Neph said nothing.
She did not intend to wait until Klein advanced to Demigod before letting him learn the truth. Working toward a goal only to have it come crashing down in the end would be painful indeed. She wanted to tell him before he lost revenge, his second goal.
But Neph had no intention of telling Klein right now, either. After all, he had only just come back from the dead, and his mood could hardly be good. She pushed the moment back a little, hoping that in the meantime, Klein would gain a few more important friends. She also hoped Miss Justice would at least advance to Psychiatrist, so Mr. Fool would have someone to turn to for treatment.
But Klein's guess was perfectly reasonable. If the answer were good news, Neph would never be so evasive. Faced with his somewhat urgent gaze, she could only look away, unable to bear it, and answer:
"I think going home would be a little harder for me than it would be for you."
Her words startled Klein. He suddenly realized that the girl before him was younger than he was. Judging by her appearance alone, she was still of school age. Being abruptly thrust into an unfamiliar environment should have been harder for her to adjust to than for him. And she had just said...
"You're in the Forsaken Land of the Gods?" Klein asked with a frown.
Neph spread her hands and replied, "Yes, that wretched place with no sun, no moon, and no food. Where I am, there isn't even any black-faced grass. There's only..."
Neph's expression twisted for an instant. Then she gave Klein a polite smile.
"I remember you've seen mutated monsters. Have you ever considered eating their meat?"
"...?" Klein's expression froze. "Do you... do you need some food?"
"Yes." Neph nodded quickly, as though afraid he would change his mind. "I need enough food to last until the next Tarot Club meeting. You will let me join the Tarot Club, won't you?"
Klein nodded hesitantly, then could not help asking, "But how will you...?"
"Information," Neph said. "And potion formulas. I'll trade those for food."
She paused, then added, "I also have all your subsequent potion formulas."
Klein looked at her in surprise and asked, puzzled, "Was that prophecy about the apocalypse really that detailed?"
Neph smiled without answering. Klein stopped pressing her. He looked at her thoughtfully.
"You don't seem to miss your family
"or long to go back."
"...I think that's because we see things differently." Neph shook her head. "To me, as long as I remember our past, they'll always be alive."
Before you continue