In the real world, Arthus woke up to a cool feeling on his head. As soon as he opened his eyes, Sebas immediately jumped into action and asked him worriedly,
"How are you feeling my Lord?"
Arthus sat up, something fell from his forehead into his lap, immediately being collected by Sebas. He paid it no heed, he looked around and saw that he was in his room dressed in his sleeping garments. Sebas must have changed his clothes while he was unconscious. He saw that Elias and the company were also present in the room. He must have returned when he was asleep.
"What happened?" asked Arthus, genuinely confused.
"My Lord, you were burning with fever after getting wet in the rain and fell unconscious soon after entering the carriage" explained Sebas.
"And?" inquired Arthus.
Sebas was hesitant but then replied "Master… Your mother's ring, it somehow exploded with a red flash injuring your finger. Mister Roland demanded that we take the carriage straight to the church but I insisted that we take you back to the mansion and have you treated by Doctor Aberforth. In the end we had the carriage go to the mansion and I summoned Master Aberforth who responded quickly and treated your injuries, not leaving until he made sure you were fine"
Arthus looked at his ring hand and sure enough the area where the ring sat was bandaged. Seeing Arthus look at his hand, Sebas said in an assuring tone "Doctor Aberforth said you were lucky and that it's just a few minor cuts on your skin. He also said that after the healing process, there will be no scars"
"Where is the ring?" asked Arthus in an inquiring tone. Behind them Roland suddenly started looking at the ground, finding it quite interesting. Of course it was left unseen by Arthus who happened to be piecing together whatever happened after he was unconscious.
"I was too worried for your safety to care about the ring my Lord, I'm ashamed of having disappointed you Master Arthus, I hope you'll forgive me" said Sebas while bowing. He understood the importance of the ring as he knew it was the only remaining memento his Master had of his mother.
"There's no need for all that. I was simply curious and trying to make sense of the situation" Arthus said dismissively, as if it didn't bother him at all.
"I'll try to find the carriage owner and ask him if he found the remains of the ring" said Sebas.
"Leave it, the matter of the ring has ended. Don't speak of it again" ordered Arthus.
"As you wish my Lord!" said Sebas while bowing again.
Arthus was thinking, was the ring a beyonder item? If so, how did it go unnoticed for so long, not only by the original Arthus but also by that witch Elira. The ring must've been his connection to the mysterious grey fog, just like how the other members had their own items connecting them to it as well. It broke as a result of the characteristic in the ring being absorbed by the grey fog. The ring must've had Fool/Error/Door pathways characteristic that were influenced by the grey fog. Though this was just his theory and not fact.
While Arthus was thinking of his theory, Elias and the company quietly left the room which was left unnoticed by Arthus who was deep in thought.
As soon as they left the room, Roland pulled out a broken ring with a missing gem and showed it to Elias who couldn't help but let out a regretful sigh.
"This makes the counterfeit ring I bought useless. It was expensive too" said Elias regretfully.
"Just say you bought it to complete the mission and get compensation!" said Mara hoping to get the ring for herself.
"Enough of this, what's your opinion on what happened?" asked Elias.
"I think he was cursed by a witch from the Demoness sect. The ring protected him from the fatal curse and was destroyed as a result due to the power of the curse? Some of the curse passed on albeit weakened significantly causing him to pass out and manifesting as a fever?" Roland stated his hypothesis.
"I came to a similar conclusion" said Elias nodding and confirming Roland's hypothesis.
"But thinking about it, it's such a waste. Such a powerful artifact was lost, we could have used it so much better than that idiot Prince Charming. He didn't even know its value! Shame… It was beautiful too" said Mara, frustrated and saddened by the fact that she could not wear the ring.
"What's done can't be undone. Let's move on. What we need to worry about now is what action to take now.
I was thinking of finishing everything up today and proceeding with the memory wipe. But this attack from the Demoness sect changes things.
I guess we will complete the whole week just to make sure he isn't attacked again. We will then proceed with the memory wipe on Monday night. What do you think?" asked Elias again.
"I agree with your decision captain" replied Roland.
"Aye! Captain!" exclaimed Mara while giving an exaggerated salute.
Elias nodded and said "Since we couldn't take him to the church, I'll perform a ritual in his room tonight for the blessing of the Evernight Goddess to help with the curse"
…
Somewhere unknown.
A figure stood where space seemed uncertain and light, deferential, curved gently around him unwilling to dim even the edge of his presence.
Golden hair framed his face in immaculate strands, untouched by breeze or blemish. His gaze, deep and distant, seemed to pass through the moment, as though he had already seen its ending and everything that followed.
He didn't blink. He simply watched.
Then, with the faintest hint of a smile not warm, not cold, he spoke.
"A reasonable development"
The words carried no weight, yet they settled like inevitability. Not approval. Not disappointment. Just a quiet confirmation that things were unfolding exactly as they must.
And still, he didn't move.
As if his presence alone was enough to shape what came next.
…
Arthus felt a chill run down his body and sneezed. Damn it, why was his body constitution so weak? He had only been in the rain for a few minutes! Arthus diverted his attention to something else. Yes, the Tarot club meeting. Arthus thinks that he did alright, without mentioning his code name that is. He was pulled there unprepared and he did the best he could.
Then he realised, didn't Alger and Miss Audrey get pulled there by surprise too? They definitely fared better than him. I guess there's a clear distinction between me and them in this regard. I shouldn't underestimate them. He turned to bury his face in his pillow after remembering all the awkward and embarrassing moments that constantly replayed in his mind.
One moment especially appeared in his mind. It's when Mr Fool had summoned the Tarot cards for him to choose his code name. He didn't let him draw another card to change it! Now his code name was 'The High Priestess!' Though he knows Klein probably didn't do it on purpose, he must have noticed it was expanding his spiritual power significantly and decided to make it quick I suppose. He still couldn't help but lament!
This wasn't how he imagined interacting with the members of the Tarot club in his mind. Not that he ever expected to be in that situation to begin with. After all he wasn't naive enough to believe that he would be reincarnated, especially into his favourite novel. But reality was different. He actually was in the Lord of the Mysteries world!
His nickname 'The High Priestess' was just another level of embarrassment for him. What would the new members joining their group think of him when they had to call him 'Mr. Priestess'? Maybe 'Mr. High' was the better option after all. Then he imagined little Sun calling him 'Mr. High' innocently.
Ahhhhhhhhhhhh! Screamed Arthus in his mind. As for why he didn't insist on being called Mr. High Priestess, it obviously sounds more wrong. What's wrong with it you may ask? Imagine someone referring to you as 'High Priestess', why is she high? Is she a druggie? Does she do meth? Maybe she's good friends with someone named Walter White?!
This reminded him of the way he died. He ate a poisonous mushroom, got 'High' and died. If that isn't irony at its best, I don't know what is. Fate sure was making a mockery out of him. He knew fate exists in this world, after all there is a whole pathway dedicated to it.
He diverted his attention again. I wonder if I'll be able to get the potion formula for sequence 9 Savant. Why not the Mystery Pryer? Well that's because he prefers the Paragon pathway over the Hermit pathway. Of course if he was presented the Mystery Pryer potion formula, he'd take it in a heartbeat. It was just a matter of preference. He already had plans to make a 'Iron Man' suit. Not only that but he also plans to make an artificial intelligence using mystical methods too. He just hasn't decided on a name yet.
Soon, Arthus felt hungry again and called for Sebas. He was tired so he just had him bring the food to his bedroom. He ate and filled his stomach to its full capacity. After Sebas left the room taking the plates and utensils with him, Arthus felt drowsy.
He noticed outside the window that it was getting dark, though not fully dark yet. I guess he was going to bed early today. He did have quite an eventful day keeping him busy and thinking. Now he had just a little more thinking to do before sleeping.
He began his routine of imagining the cats, imagining having them on his lap purring while he gave them pets. He soon fell into a deep sleep, looking peaceful and serene.