Klein was certain there could not be two "Devil" cards in this tarot deck-before Nimrod had come in, he had already looked through the cards and seen no duplicates.
Still, he said tactfully, "Hmm... perhaps there's something wrong with this tarot deck. Would you like me to ask Miss Angelica for another one and redo the divination?"
"No, there's no need."
Nimrod shook his head, declining Klein's offer. Considering the Celestial Worthy he carried around with him and his own standing as "Error," he had a fair idea of why this had happened:
"I think this is part of fate, too-I rather like the interpretation of the reversed Devil. Escaping hardship is certainly a good future."
Klein nodded, offering a polite smile. "You're right. Perhaps some supernatural factor is involved in the appearance of two 'Devil' cards in a single tarot deck."
Nimrod gave a slight nod. He shifted back a little and considered his tone, making himself sound as though he were having a casual conversation:
"Would you mind chatting with me for a bit?"
Chatting? Klein did not refuse, merely nodding. Seeing his response, Nimrod paused before saying:
"Speaking of which, you seemed a little reluctant to talk about Roselle Gustav's inventions just now?"
Uh... Klein had not expected this to be Nimrod's first question, and a wave of unease rose within him.
Could someone in this world have already realized that the emperor's works were copied... no, plagiarized... no, borrowed?
Emperor! How am I supposed to save your reputation?
Klein thought for a moment, slowly exhaled, and said to Nimrod:
"You know, when someone has too many accomplishments, people inevitably wonder whether some of them were attributed to him by later generations. Philosophy, for example, or inventions-people often credit famous figures with things that actually belonged to someone else."
"...I see." Nimrod nodded "thoughtfully." Watching him, Klein once again felt that he lacked the tact of a Loen native, and could not help asking:
"Your expression seemed a little strange just now, too... why was that?"
At Klein's question, Nimrod smiled:
"For the very reason you just mentioned. Hmm, because I know that the saying you quoted earlier was something Roselle borrowed from someone else..."
Klein's heart suddenly skipped a beat. He tried to appear casual, but still lowered his voice. "How can you be certain Roselle borrowed it?"
"...Fate often leads the willing," Nimrod said slowly. "Roselle didn't change a single word. My fellow countryman, I'm a 'Mystery Pryer.' I could already tell who you were when I saw you."
"To someone who knows nothing about our world, we merely seem a little out of place in our surroundings. But to me, those strong traces of a foreign land on you are obvious at a glance."
The moment he heard Nimrod's words, Klein's heart began to pound.
He struggled to hold back the words threatening to burst out of him, but his cautious nature kept him from taking that final step and asking, "Are you a transmigrator too?"
I can't say it. Beyonders exist in this world. I've only just arrived, and I don't know whether the Beyonders here know anything about transmigrators, or how they feel about them...
Even that transmigrator who came before me, Roselle Gustav, didn't meet a good end...
He hasn't spoken a language from our world yet. I have to be cautious...
Klein warned himself inwardly, but the next moment, a voice reached his ears:
"I don't know whether you're Chinese, so I didn't speak to you in my native language right away."
"But there's something only someone from our world would know. What color do you think the moon is?"
Klein abruptly raised his head, while Nimrod continued:
"I remember the moon being white. Just like that line of poetry..."
"Before my bed, the moonlight shone."
"...I bowed my head and thought of home."
[My compatriot, you truly are a born deceiver.]
The Celestial Worthy's voice whispered in Nimrod's ear. Soft as it was, it sounded like a vicious curse:
[I look forward to the moment my successor sees you betray him.]
"Buddy, is your name really 'Nimrod'? Isn't that a name from mythology? The king of Babel (note 1)?"
In the Coffeehouse, Klein spoke to Nimrod, who sat quietly opposite him, his voice brimming with excitement.
Although he had learned that Nimrod was a fellow countryman, he had suppressed his intense excitement at the time. After arranging to meet him at the Coffeehouse that evening, he had gone through his original plans for the afternoon step by step, also taking a carriage home to tell Benson and Melissa that he would not be having dinner at home that night.
What had particularly caught Klein's attention during that time was Leonard telling him a few things about the "Antigonus Family Notebook," which had made him somewhat wary of Leonard.
"It's Ning Lu-Lu as in the Chinese word for prosperity."
Nimrod took a sip of coffee and said to Klein:
"After I transmigrated, I decided to go back to my original name. I didn't particularly like the body's original owner's name, and his father had died early, while there was no mother in his memories either. As it happened, my surname and given name combined didn't sound too out of place here. This way, I can often remind myself of the past, too."
Klein nodded gently and exhaled, a faint smile appearing on his face:
"Honestly, I never expected to meet another 'transmigrator' here. I don't know how much you know, but so far, Emperor Roselle is the only fellow countryman I've found."
"Roselle... I've investigated a few things about him and collected some of his diary entries. Unfortunately, someone took the whole lot away a little while ago. Otherwise, I could show you Roselle's diary right now." Nimrod set down his coffee cup, an inscrutable smile appearing on his face:
"Trust me, once you learn more about Roselle, you'll think very differently than you do now."
Before you continue