"You may address me as The Fool."
The simple reply drifted through the grand hall before fading into the mist. Yet the voice lingered in Audrey's and Alger's hearts, stirring ripple after ripple.
They hadn't expected such a title, but the moment they heard it, they knew it suited him perfectly — mysterious, powerful, and strange all at once.
After a brief silence, Audrey rose. Holding her skirt slightly, she bent her knees in a graceful curtsey.
"Honorable Mr. Fool, may I humbly ask you to serve as the witness to our trade?"
"It's nothing," Zhou Mingrui replied, his mind whirring as he tried to speak in a manner befitting his supposed status.
"It is our honor, Mr. Fool," Alger said, rising as well. He placed his right hand over his chest and bowed slightly.
Zhou Mingrui lowered his own hand, smiling faintly.
"Continue, the both of you."
Alger nodded, took his seat again, and turned toward Audrey.
"If you can obtain the Ghost Shark's blood, have someone deliver it to the Warrior & Sea Bar on Pelican Street, in Pritz Harbor's White Rose Borough. Tell the owner, Williams, that it's what the 'Captain' wants.
"Once I've confirmed receipt, should I send the potion formula to an address, or will you have me share it here directly?"
Audrey thought for a moment, then smiled.
"I'll choose the safer option. Let's do it here, though it will test my memory."
Since Mr. Fool had agreed to witness their trade, that meant there would be another "gathering" in the future.
With that thought, she suddenly turned to Zhou Mingrui, eyes sparkling with curiosity.
"Mr. Fool," she said with interest, "would you consider holding more gatherings like this?"
Alger's calm expression didn't hide his own eagerness. He quickly echoed her words.
"Mr. Fool, don't you find these meetings fascinating? Though your power is beyond our imagination, there may be areas you do not fully understand or wish to handle directly. The young lady opposite me clearly comes from a lofty background, and I have my own experiences, contacts, and resources. Perhaps someday, we might help you with minor matters that would otherwise be inconvenient."
From his perspective, being drawn into this strange space without warning or resistance proved that the mysterious Mr. Fool was in full control. Participation wasn't optional — so he might as well turn the situation to his advantage.
The three at the long table came from entirely different backgrounds, with distinct resources, knowledge, and understanding of the mystical domain. If they worked together, even slightly, the results could be unpredictable — perhaps even immense.
The trade they had just arranged was proof enough. And if Alger ever needed to eliminate someone, he could ask for help from the others, whose connections to him were invisible both publicly and privately — perfectly diverting suspicion.
A young lady of lofty stature… Was my behavior and accent that obvious? Audrey thought, momentarily stunned. She quickly collected herself and nodded.
"Mr. Fool, I think that's an excellent suggestion. If these gatherings become regular, you could entrust us with matters that are inconvenient for you — as long as they're within our capabilities."
From the moment he heard the idea, Zhou Mingrui had been weighing its pros and cons. More gatherings would mean more opportunities to learn about Beyonders and the secrets of this world — valuable knowledge that could help him find a way home. The potion formula, for example, might appear at their next meeting. The information shared here would be priceless.
Yet, more gatherings also meant a greater chance of exposure.
Indeed, no matter the world, there's no such thing as a free lunch… Zhou Mingrui thought as he tapped the table softly with one finger.
But since he controlled the summoning and dismissal of these gatherings, the risk was manageable. The benefits clearly outweighed the dangers. His decision came quickly.
He stopped tapping and met the pair's expectant gazes with a faint smile.
"I value fair and equal exchange," he said.
"Your help will not go unrewarded.
"Every Monday at three in the afternoon, do your best to be alone. After I make a few more adjustments and figure out some details, you may be able to plan ahead — perhaps even take leave in advance. That way, you won't need to worry about being in… inappropriate situations."
It was a clear agreement to their proposal.
Audrey, just seventeen and still sheltered by a life of comfort, could barely contain her excitement. She clenched her fist before her chest and smiled brightly.
"Then, shall we give ourselves code names? We can't use our real names, after all."
I might not be able to deceive Mr. Fool about who I truly am, but the man across from me could be dangerous. I can't let him know my identity.
"A good idea," Zhou Mingrui said easily.
Audrey's mind raced as she spoke aloud.
"You're Mr. Fool — a name from the tarot. Since our gathering is meant to be secret and long-term, we should keep the same theme for our titles. Yes… I'll choose one too."
Her voice grew more cheerful as inspiration struck.
"I've decided — my name shall be Justice!"
It was one of the twenty-two Major Arcana cards.
"What about you, sir?" she asked with a playful smile toward the man opposite her.
Alger frowned slightly before replying evenly, "The Hanged Man."
Another Major Arcana.
"Perfect! Then we're the founding members of the Tarot Club!" Audrey said happily — before glancing nervously toward the fog-veiled Zhou Mingrui. "Will that be all right, Mr. Fool?"
Zhou Mingrui shook his head with amusement.
"You may decide such trivial matters yourselves."
"Thank you!" Audrey beamed.
Then she turned back to Alger.
"Mr. Hanged Man, could you repeat the address one more time? I want to make sure I don't forget it."
"No problem." Alger, pleased by her diligence, repeated it once again.
After murmuring it to herself three times, Audrey said, still glowing with excitement,
"I heard that tarot cards were invented by Emperor Roselle as a game. But don't they also hold the power to divine the future?"
"No," Alger replied calmly. "Divination mostly comes from within oneself. Everyone possesses a trace of spirituality that connects them to higher realms and allows them to sense truths about themselves. Most people can't recognize these signs, let alone interpret them. Divination tools simply make that interpretation possible. For example — dreams and dream interpreters."
He glanced at Zhou Mingrui, saw no objection, and continued.
"Tarot cards are such a tool. They use rich symbolism and logical patterns to help us interpret the signs more accurately."
Though Zhou Mingrui appeared indifferent, he was listening carefully. Gradually, his mind grew heavy, and a dull ache began to pulse behind his eyes.
"Got it," Audrey said, nodding. "That's not what I meant, though. I've heard Emperor Roselle once created another set of cards — secret, mysterious ones — paper cards that symbolized unknown powers. There were twenty-two of them in total. Later, he used them as inspiration to design the twenty-two Major Arcana we know today. Was that true?"
She looked toward Zhou Mingrui, hoping for an answer from the enigmatic Mr. Fool.
He only smiled in silence and turned his gaze toward The Hanged Man — as if inviting him to respond.
Alger straightened unconsciously.
"That's right," he said in a deep tone. "It's said that Emperor Roselle once saw the Blasphemy Slate, and that those cards embodied the profound mysteries of the twenty-two paths of the divine."
"Twenty-two paths of the divine…" Audrey repeated softly, eyes filled with wonder.
Just then, Zhou Mingrui's headache worsened. His link to the crimson stars and the grayish-white fog began to waver.
"That will be all for today's gathering," he said in a low voice, deciding instantly.
"By your will," Alger said respectfully.
"By your will," Audrey echoed, reluctant to have it end so soon.
As Zhou Mingrui prepared to dissolve the connection, he smiled.
"Let us look forward to the next gathering."
The "stars" brightened, and the crimson light ebbed like receding water. Audrey and Alger's figures blurred, then vanished.
A moment later, the projections shattered, and the gray fog returned to silence.
Zhou Mingrui suddenly felt a crushing heaviness. His surroundings blurred, darkness filled his vision — then shifted into dazzling sunlight.
He was back in his apartment.
"It felt like a dream… What was that foggy world? What kind of power could make something like that happen?" Zhou Mingrui murmured, baffled, as he walked wearily toward his desk, his legs heavy as lead.
He picked up his pocket watch to check the time.
"Time flowed at the same pace," he noted softly.
Setting it down, he could no longer bear the throbbing in his head. Sitting down, he lowered his gaze and pressed his fingers to his temples.
After a long silence, he sighed and muttered in Mandarin,
"Looks like I won't be going home anytime soon…"
Only the ignorant could remain fearless. Now that he had witnessed such mysteries and learned of the Beyonders' existence, Zhou Mingrui no longer dared to casually perform the luck enhancement ritual using ancient Feysac or Loen.
Who knew what might happen next — something even stranger, more terrifying, perhaps even a living nightmare?
"At the very least, I'll wait until I understand mysticism better," he thought helplessly.
Fortunately, the gatherings could provide some guidance.
After a pause, he whispered to himself, his voice heavy with dismay, frustration, and grief:
"From this moment on… I'm Klein."
†
Klein tried to steady his thoughts and rework his plans, hoping to purge the negativity in his heart.
Perhaps he could obtain the formula for "Spectator" through indirect means…
The gathering had been extraordinary. People scattered across the world could sit together, as though separated by only inches, trading knowledge and resources in real time.
Then, with a sudden laugh, Klein pressed his temple and murmured,
"Come to think of it… isn't that basically a social network?"