If the "Knight" marks the beginning of the Tarot, then the "World" signifies the culmination—completion and elevation. By naming his saxophone "World," Klein hopes to establish a harmonious beginning and end, a well-rounded life. From now on, many matters and requests that would otherwise be inconvenient for him can be entrusted to the "World," greatly reducing the risk of the "Knight" image fading. A life with both a beginning and an ending—indeed, a life with a hidden identity and a dedicated instrument—is a truly complete one. Klein silently praised his satisfaction, waving his hand to dissolve the "World." Then, he extended his spiritual presence, enveloping himself, sinking into the gray mist and returning to the real world. ——He left Rosagora's "Eye of Pure Black" suspended above the mist, since he rarely used it anyway and had to remain vigilant about its discovery or loss. After tidying up the materials of the summoning ritual, Klein looked up at the curtains glowing with a soft crimson moonlight, filled with anticipation for tomorrow's gathering. Regarding his understanding of the nobility, he was certain that the "Justice" lady could outshine ninety-nine out of every hundred people from Ruin. With his own little "World" established, he could now directly inquire about the Pondereau family without worrying about tarnishing the image of the "Fool!" Of course, he would have to be careful and tactful—since Sherlock Moriarty, the detective, was also actively seeking information on the Pondereau family, and only with sufficient data could he ascend to the Veil of Mist for divination. Hmm... Kenneth thought deeply, then settled comfortably to sleep. After his visit to the Veil of Mist, the lingering influence of that spectral presence seemed entirely gone. He slept soundly until dawn, though he didn't see the sun, as a thin mist hovered outside. Following his planned route, he continued visiting the other public libraries in Beckland, but this time he didn't speak to the librarians, nor did he mention the Pondereau family—simply browsing through materials related to the nobility on his own. At 2:40 PM, Crane entered the mysterious space above the gray mist ahead of schedule. Inside the grand, ancient palace, he sat at the designated seat for "The Fool," facing the life-sized figure of "The World" at a long table covered in verdigris, becoming familiar with the interface. After a few minutes, Crane checked his watch and sent the intention of readiness to the deep crimson star representing "The Sun," his classmate. While waiting, he played with his "Eye of Pure Black," attaching a silver chain to it and winding it around his right wrist, concealing it beneath the edge of his sleeve. At 3:00 PM, beams of light rose throughout the palace, which resembled a giant's dwelling, projecting hazy, slightly crimson forms of "Justice," "The Hanged Man," and "The Sun." "Good afternoon, Mr. Fool~ Afternoon..." Audrey was about to greet each member of the Tarot Circle when her gaze suddenly fell upon the figure seated at the very end. He was a stranger dressed in a black cloak with a hood, equally ethereal and hazy. "This one?" Odile looked at the " Fool" with a mix of curiosity and delight. Had the Tarot circle grown once again? Was it Firth? Or Hugh? No—too tall. Or someone else entirely? As Odile's thoughts raced, Caine lounged casually against the wall and said, "This is a new member, Mr. World." At the same time, through his enhanced spiritual sight amplified by the gray mist, he observed that the surface hue of his classmate "Sun" had grown a bit more refined, though still falling short of Sequence 8 level—indicating that the "Hymn-Bearer" magic potion had been fully absorbed by the individual. "Good morning," Odile greeted politely, her eyes curiously assessing the new member. She quickly gleaned relevant details from the subtle nuances emerging through the hazy gray mist. Mr. World is a man of quiet demeanor, rarely moving, always maintaining a stern expression... It's unclear where he hails from—Rune, Inthas? Or perhaps from some place as enigmatic as the City of Silver? Odile nodded thoughtfully. ——Through repeated gatherings, she had deduced from the phenomenon that the "Sun" often failed to match his spoken words with his mouth movements that he likely did not speak Rune, and the content the others heard probably came through the interpretation of Mr. The Fool. After "The Hangover" Aljer and "The Sun" Deric had each greeted Mr. World, who responded with a notably reserved demeanor, Caine turned to "Justice" and said: "The two candidates you proposed are still under evaluation." "I'd like to assign you a straightforward task—commission them on my behalf. This will be part of the assessment." It should be this rigorous... Odile didn't feel disappointed at all; rather, she found it entirely natural. The members of the Tarot Circle must be carefully selected—nobody can simply join! She thought proudly, then quietly added with a touch of humility: Yet I was chosen right from the start by the "Knight of Fool," which speaks volumes about my good fortune—luck is indeed one of my qualities! "Very well, please issue your task," Audrey replied confidently. Klein extended his right hand and rested it on the table, causing a portrait of Larnus’s appearance and attire to materialize. "Seek out information about the man depicted here—he resides in Bekeland," Klein had the portrait appear before Miss Justice. Audrey gazed intently and saw a young man with neat, back-combed black hair, a full forehead, and round glasses. It was a vibrant oil painting, and his brown eyes—laced with a subtle sense of irony—stood out particularly. Below, the note read: "Formerly known as Larnus." A simple task—this shows that the objective isn't particularly strong... Yet, somehow, he must have something special that allows the "Fool" to become aware of his existence. Though the task appears simple, there may still be deeper intentions at play behind it. Such a distinguished figure wouldn't simply be testing him. Odile found herself drifting off into thoughts, pausing a few seconds before saying, "I'll assign it to them." Indeed, those two ladies seem to have an extensive network of connections in Beckland—this is immensely helpful in locating Larnuus. After confirming the matter of vengeance, Kline fell silent, deliberately allowing the smaller figure to perform. "World" glanced around, her voice slightly hoarse, asking, "Mr. Fool told me that tasks can be issued and materials collected here, is that correct?" "Yes," replied "Justice" Odile, gracefully. "But you must patiently wait—this is the time reserved for Mr. Fool's reading." "I've completed the mission to assassinate Ambassador Beckland of Intis, yet I haven't seized the initiative to claim this time—she subtly raised her chin, thinking to herself. 'Miss Justice,' you truly have a sense of ownership. I'll need to invest some knowledge now to properly conclude the assassination of Beckland. Klein chuckled, shifting his gaze to the 'Emperor of the Hanging.' The 'Emperor of the Hanging,' Aljer Wilson, had remained silent, not speaking impulsively due to the arrival of a new member, instead observing quietly. Upon seeing Mr. The Fool's gaze, he promptly bowed with humility and said, 'This time, still six pages—page six for next time.' 'Agreed,' Klein nodded gently. Wilson then gathered his focus, recalled the content, and expressed it with strong intention. He swiftly 'wrote' six pages of journal entries, which then suddenly vanished and appeared in Klein's hands. Klein looked down and scanned the first page: "On the ninth of February, I had my third child, whom I named Bonova." "My eldest daughter, Bernadette, was fortunate—the both of us, myself and her mother, were merely low-tier extraordinary beings at the time, allowing her to freely choose her own path." "My eldest son, Charles, was the most unfortunate; he inherited only a sparse array of extraordinary traits and was thus compelled to follow in my footsteps. Perhaps by the time he reached Sequence 4, he could make a change, but achieving high sequence was never easy." "My second son, Bonova, fell somewhere between Bernadette and Charles. I endowed him with the characteristics of a Sequence 5 extraordinary, which lightened my burden, enabling him to metabolize potions more efficiently, accelerate his progression, and already, at birth, demonstrated various exceptional abilities—those of a 'stellar artisan.'" "Charatus came to congratulate me in private, praising Bonove as a lovely angel. When I asked this diviner what achievements Bonove would make in the future, he only smiled and didn't answer. I then asked about Charles' fate, and finally he spoke, telling me that death was an inevitable conclusion—but perhaps, even a good one. Indeed, the diviner's words are always so vague, making one wish to pry open his mouth. Lastly, I inquired about Bernadette's future, and he suddenly grew serious, saying that she would hate me, detest me, and abandon me, becoming a major figure in the world of mystery. Sometimes, one should simply not ask about the diviner's predictions. It's hard to believe that my dear, kind, devoted brother, who cherishes her father, adores her mother, and cares deeply for her younger brother, would hate me, detest me, and abandon me—what could possibly have caused such a change?" Perhaps she has developed an admiration for someone else that I'm not satisfied with, someone I've effectively ruined? "No, Zarathustra isn't a prophet—his divination results might very well be mistaken! Forget this, Roscel!" I could already smell the scent of family drama... After glancing at the first page of the journal, Klein muttered under his breath. At the same time, a clear image formed in his mind of Zarathustra's description of Bernadette's future: A major figure in the mystical world. Does this refer to the realm of the extraordinary? What level of achievement qualifies as a major figure?... Klein thoughtfully turned the page of the journal. "May 22nd—Florent of the Sorel family actually wants me to serve under him!" "Doesn't that sound like someone who's ready to be my subordinate? His attitude is simply unbearable." "I swear, I'll make him pay for this arrogance one day." "Still, some of the points he raised are quite interesting—worth pondering." P.S.: Looking for a monthly pass!