Gaining access to Sefirah Castle offered two benefits. First, the Evernight Goddess's two "unofficial" blessed could help each other indirectly. Second, Julian could use Sefirah Castle's suppressive effect on the Colour Out of Space to reinforce his own stability.
After all, from Amanises's perspective, she most likely did not know that Julian knew the Fool was Klein.
As for why the Colour Out of Space had not attacked Klein of its own accord, Julian had a theory.
Although Klein carried the aura of Sefirah Castle, his essence was vastly different from that of the Celestial Worthy.
Thus, when the Colour Out of Space faced him, it naturally found itself caught in a dilemma:
He resembled both an ordinary Seer and the Celestial Worthy.
This made the Colour Out of Space want to attack him, yet fear that it would be utterly trounced.
In a sense, its single-mindedness had left it stuck whichever way it turned.
But for Julian, having another means of dealing with the Colour Out of Space was naturally welcome.
As for talk of "needing to select participants," he naturally knew that was an excuse Klein had made up. The fellow was most likely performing a divination about him in Sefirah Castle right now.
He smiled faintly, then flopped contentedly onto his bed and soon drifted back to sleep.
In fact, just as Julian had expected, Klein, the Fool, had only just emerged from his meditative state.
He rubbed his temples.
It seemed to be a color from the cosmos... It looked very similar to the color in Julian.
More importantly, that thing seemed to harbor some inexplicable fear of this Gray Fog, and even displayed a stress response...
Could some alien life-form be living inside him?
At this thought, Klein suddenly paused.
It came from beyond this world and had an extraordinary understanding of the Gray Fog. Could it be connected to my transmigration itself?
Once this thought surfaced, it kept tugging at Klein's heart, strengthening his resolve to deepen his contact with Julian.
...Julian Albrecht bears me ill will.
As he silently repeated this statement, he took out a coin bearing the likeness of George III, king of the Loen Kingdom, and tossed it into the air.
Smack!
Klein caught the coin between his hands, then revealed it.
The side bearing the number faced upward.
This meant "no"-in other words, Julian bore Klein no ill will.
"Phew."
Klein let out a long breath. By now, he had decided to bring this assistant professor into the Tarot Club.
Having made up his mind, he descended from Above the Gray Fog and returned to the Moretti House.
"Klein, you're killing me here."
Outside the bathroom, Benson's face had turned purplish as he clutched his lower abdomen.
"Melissa said you had an upset stomach, so I didn't disturb you."
Klein paused, then broke into a helpless chuckle.
He patted Benson on the back.
"Sorry. Hurry on in."
The next morning, Julian checked in early at the Blackthorn Security Company. After briefly meeting Klein, who had just joined the Nighthawks and was still unfamiliar with the work procedures, he chatted and joked with Roshan at the front desk for a while, leaving the young woman laughing nonstop.
"Professor Albrecht, I often hear people say that people from Lenburg are terribly stiff and pedantic, but you don't seem that way at all."
She said this to Julian.
"Not necessarily."
Julian suddenly put on a stern expression.
"That's because you're not my student. If you'd like to attend my public lectures, on the fifteenth of every month..."
"No, no, that's all right."
Roshan hastily waved her hands. She had heard Leonard recount Julian's pedantic remarks during his initial investigation of Klein.
"I don't have enough interest or talent in physics. You can tell the other team members more about it."
"What a shame."
Julian shrugged. He glanced at Mrs. Orianna, who was approaching Roshan with a stack of documents, then turned back and said:
"I have something else to do, so I won't keep you any longer."
With that, he gestured for Roshan not to get up to see him out, left the Blackthorn Security Company alone, and boarded a hired carriage.
Before long, Julian arrived at the Divination Club.
"Good afternoon, Angelica."
Julian greeted Angelica.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Albrecht."
Angelica smiled at Julian in reply, then asked:
"Mr. Hanass Vincent is holding a divination class in the reception room. I believe it's about pendulum divination. Would you be interested in listening?"
"I..."
Julian had barely begun to speak when he suddenly heard the door behind him pushed open with a bang.
He turned around in surprise and saw a man who looked like a butler holding the door open, bowing to make way for a middle-aged man who appeared to be in his fifties.
The middle-aged man wore a grayish-white suit that was clearly expensive and held a black cane with a gold-inlaid head. Although his skin had an unhealthy grayish pallor, there was an air of quiet authority in the depths of his azure eyes.
The man was so thin that his suit looked somewhat loose-but Julian knew this was not because he had bought clothes that were too large. The slightly sagging skin along his jaw, densely lined with fine wrinkles, suggested that he had lost a great deal of weight in a very short time.
"Your Excellency, Member of Parliament Oakley."
Angelica froze for a moment before coming to her senses and hurrying forward.
"Your unexpected visit is truly an honor for our Divination Club.
"How may we be of service?"
Julian, too, was slightly startled by her words.
In the Loen Kingdom, "Member of Parliament" was not a title one could use carelessly. It generally referred to a member of one of the two houses-and judging by the man's attire, Julian guessed he might belong to the upper house and was most likely a nobleman.
Although Tingen was not among Loen's foremost cities, quite a few nobles with their own fiefs lived here, so the presence of a Member of Parliament was not particularly strange.
What truly puzzled him was why
someone of such stature would visit a small divination club.
The middle-aged man named Oakley shook his head.
"Is Mr. Vincent here? I need him to perform a divination for me.
"I know this is difficult to understand, but he may be the only person I can turn to now."
"Mr. Vincent is teaching a class. It will probably take at least another two hours."
Angelica shook her head.
"If you're willing to wait..."
"My time is valuable."
Oakley cut Angelica off.
"Oh, right."
At his words, Angelica pondered briefly, then suddenly seemed to remember something and turned toward Julian.
"This is Mr. Julian Albrecht, a diviner who recently joined us. He specializes in Physiognomic Divination, and his abilities have earned Mr. Vincent's full approval.
"If you're in a hurry, you could let him try first. If you're dissatisfied, you can still consult Mr. Vincent afterward."
"Physiognomic Divination?"
Member of Parliament Oakley looked at Julian with some suspicion.
He examined Julian from head to toe. Only after confirming that the latter was properly dressed and had a distinctly scholarly air did his attitude improve slightly.
"I've never heard of this divination technique before. Is it reliable?"