Looking at the symbol and description belonging to himself on the ground, various emotions and thoughts surged restlessly in Klein's heart.
This is bad. The True Creator's believers in Backlund are going to search for my traces!
Thinking about how Mr. A, the Shepherd who had killed the ambassador, was about to become his enemy, Klein felt somewhat uneasy.
But after thinking it over briefly, he calmed down.
The command issued by the True Creator was for Mr. A and the others to search for [The Fool's] believers and dependents.
However, He wouldn't realize that the true Fool's believers and dependents were Mr. Fool himself...
Understanding this, Klein became much more composed.
The only problem was that Fors and Audrey were in Backlund and might encounter Mr. A.
He could mention it at the Tarot Club meeting to have them be more careful. Hmm, he should do it in a casual manner, like saying,
"That fallen Creator is more capable than I imagined. He's discovered that my dependents are in Backlund.
Just be more careful in your daily lives, no need to worry about it."
While Klein was thinking this, he pretended to study the bloody text. After a moment, he looked up and said to Silas, "I've never seen this kind of description before either.
It doesn't belong to any evil god, orthodox god, or other neutral existence that I know of."
"I see."
Silas nodded without much expectation.
The reason he was curious about this Fool was mainly because of the True Creator's command.
From His ravings, Silas could sense certain intense emotions. Although the True Creator was always quite mad, that segment of ravings contained obvious hatred and urgency.
In other words, this mysterious Fool was very likely an existence opposed to the True Creator.
"Perhaps I should try praying to [The Fool]."
After studying the corresponding symbol and description for a while, Silas suddenly said.
"Huh?"
Klein couldn't help but freeze. "This... isn't that a bit too sudden?"
Although he'd thought about bringing Silas into the Tarot Club, what he had in mind was gradually guiding Silas to contact the relevant information under circumstances where he could control the situation, then slowly letting down his guard and establishing contact with The Fool.
Who would have thought Silas would obtain the honorific name so directly and immediately decide to pray to The Fool!
He didn't even hesitate!
"Aren't you worried that this so-called Fool might have a negative influence on you?" Klein asked instinctively.
"I feel it's fine... Look, the three-part description of this honorific name doesn't have that twisted, crazy, malicious feeling of evil gods."
Silas pointed at the bloody text. "On the contrary, it feels composed and self-assured — not ostentatious, but confident in its power."
As a "Secrets Suppliant" who had prayed to quite a few evil gods, he was very qualified to speak on this.
Well... that's because Mr. Fool himself is only a Sequence 7 Beyonder, even lower than you...
Hearing Silas analyze the honorific name he'd made up, Klein felt completely uncomfortable and extremely embarrassed.
He forcibly endured it for a while, then quickly changed the subject. "Even so, I still think you should be cautious."
"I will be."
Silas couldn't help but smile wryly.
Conveniently, he had that phantom tide inside him protecting his spirit.
Even if that Fool truly held malicious intent and brought down influence after being called upon, he could still resist it with the tide.
"My Beyonder pathway is too deeply influenced by the True Creator. Perhaps contacting an existence opposed to Him can offset some of the influence and help me recover my mental normalcy faster."
As he spoke, Silas lightly pointed, and the blood on the ground began to move, quickly gathering into a mass and being burned clean by the flames he summoned.
Theoretically, this blood could be recovered.
But after rolling around on the filthy ground of the East Borough for so long, putting it back into his body just didn't feel right no matter how he thought about it.
"...Alright then, just be extra careful."
Since Silas was being so serious about it, Klein naturally couldn't say anything more and nodded slightly.
He began thinking in his mind about how he should respond if Silas really did pray to him.
However, with that special tide sound on Silas, would he be able to smoothly respond to his prayers?
Both men were preoccupied with their own thoughts.
They walked to the street corner and hailed a carriage. Klein was heading back to Chorwood District, while Silas chose to walk back to his residence on another street.
"See you in a few days then."
Klein said goodbye to him and left in the carriage.
Silas watched his carriage gradually disappear into the distance.
Suddenly, at the edge of his vision, Ma'am M's phantom appeared in his field of view once again. The crimson moonlight passed through her full, mature body.
She raised her hand and pointed in the direction Klein's carriage had departed.
"What do you mean by that? Are you saying Klein is suspicious?"
Silas asked casually.
Ma'am M didn't speak, only smiled. The cold night wind blew against her pure white robe, and her golden eyes gleamed in the darkness.
"Playing this game again."
Silas sneered. "Don't think I completely trust you."
Of course, deep down, he wasn't without suspicions about Klein. The fact that Klein had died and come back to life was indeed somewhat suspicious.
Moreover, just now when looking at those bloody words, Klein's behavior had been somewhat abnormal; Silas had noticed.
I hope he won't become my enemy.
Silas thought to himself, then looked at Ma'am M. "Alright, now disappear."
"Swish."
His right hand turned, pulling out a red dagger from who knows where.
Taking a step forward, his right hand thrust out smoothly, and the blade, red as congealed blood, pierced through Ma'am M's soft, warm body.
"Pfft!"
Ma'am M's face immediately showed a pained expression, but she still made no sound and didn't attack Silas.
Instead, she reached out with both hands and gently embraced him.
The night was cold and lonely, and Ma'am M's embrace brought him a bit of warmth.
Like a cup of honey wine steeped in poison.
Silas froze slightly.
But before he could have any further reaction, this warmth disappeared along with Ma'am M herself.
"..."
Silas maintained his silence. He stood expressionlessly in place for a while, then turned and walked into the depths of the dark, cold street.
---
That night, at the Roselle Memorial Exhibition venue.
"I love Emperor Roselle so much. May I observe more closely?"
Audrey showed an appropriately curious expression on her face and said to the docent.
"Of course you may."
The docent smiled and opened the glass door of the display case for her.
Although according to the rules, artifacts shouldn't be touched so directly, the other party was Count Hall's daughter, of noble status and prominent family background.
The rules had to give way. Moreover, this was after closing hours, so no one would pursue the matter.
So Audrey went with the flow, stepping into the display case and looking left and right.
Then, using her golden retriever Susie as cover, she quietly tested one of the bookmarks.
The bookmark transmitted a peculiar sense of resistance, proving it wasn't an ordinary bookmark.
Indeed, there's a problem.
This way, I can report back to Mr. Fool's dependent...
The smile on Audrey's face remained unchanged, but she was quite pleased in her heart.
After touring the entire exhibition, she immediately found an opportunity to offer a prayer to Mr. Fool, reporting the relevant situation.