Above the gray fog.
"Not this notebook again..."
Klein stared wearily at the small, bronze-bound notebook in his hand. It was the Lenormand Travel Journal belonging to Fors the Magician.
He could hardly help feeling annoyed. This was already the third time he had seen the notebook.
Over the past few days, members of the Tarot Club had repeatedly performed rituals to pass it back and forth, forcing him, the Fool, to act as their intermediary. It was beginning to wear on him.
Of course, there was a reason for all the trouble.
After Silas recovered the Lenormand Travel Journal, he returned it to Emlyn, who had since been released.
Emlyn not only had to pay Fors for the time he had rented it, but also had to replenish the blank pages he had used with abilities of his own.
The ordinary blank pages were simple enough. He could record abilities on those himself. However, the scorched demigod-level page was beyond him.
So Emlyn first performed a ritual to send the notebook to Silas, paying him to restore the demigod-level page.
Once Silas had done so, he sent it back. Emlyn then sacrificed the notebook and the rental fee to the Fool, asking him to pass everything along to Fors...
As a result, Klein had already made three consecutive trips to the bathroom so he could respond promptly as the Fool. Fortunately, he was alone in his cabin aboard the passenger ship. If anyone had been watching, they probably would have assumed he had something wrong with his bladder or prostate.
Come to think of it, this notebook is probably a characteristic left behind by a "Recordkeeper" from the Apprentice pathway...
He lowered his gaze to the small, bronze-bound notebook and examined it. Suddenly, a thought occurred to him.
Couldn't I switch pathways too?
With Silas supporting him, he had a good chance of continuing to advance along his current path. Even so, the Seer pathway was notoriously difficult, and the formulas and ingredients for the higher Sequences only became harder to obtain.
The Apprentice pathway Fors belonged to was adjacent to the Seer pathway, which meant switching was possible.
Judging from the potion formulas Fors had been trying to purchase, the ingredients used by her pathway were remarkably similar to those of Klein's own.
For example, the main ingredients of the Seer potion were fifty grams of star crystal and ten milliliters of Lava Octopus blood.
The main ingredients for the Astrologer potion, meanwhile, were meteorite crystal and crystallized Lava Octopus blood...
It was practically an upgraded version of the Seer potion!
The realization made everything click into place for Klein.
There was no clear source for the formulas and ingredients of the Seer pathway, but the source of the Apprentice pathway was obvious. It was controlled by none other than the Abraham family behind Fors.
According to Klein's investigation, the family had ancient roots and a profound legacy. However, it had been in steady decline for a long time, with its members gradually dwindling in number.
Fors herself was the student of a member of the Abraham family.
If he could use Fors to establish contact with the Abraham family and obtain potion formulas and ingredients from them, his advancement would become much easier...
The more Klein thought about it, the more convinced he became that he needed to return to Backlund quickly, help Silas, and take part in wiping out the Aurora Order.
That would allow him to demonstrate his goodwill toward the Abraham family.
I'd better get back as soon as possible...
With that thought, Klein tossed the bronze-bound notebook into the illusory vortex before him.
---
Backlund, Hillston District.
"Thank you, Mr. Fool."
Fors watched the Lenormand Travel Journal pass through the Kingdom's Gate and land on the altar. At last, she breathed a sigh of relief.
She bowed her head and thanked the Fool before ending the ritual. Then she put away the notebook along with the rental fee from the Moon.
"Mr. Moon really is loaded. Fifty gold pounds a day, and he rented it for this long without even hesitating."
She counted the money as she spoke to herself, then opened the notebook to inspect the abilities recorded within.
As expected, many of the pages containing "Lightning Strike" had been used up. They had been replaced with vampire abilities such as "Full Moon" and "Claw Strike."
Fors felt a little frustrated.
The next time she saw Mr. Moon, she would have to tell him that she could not use "Full Moon." Whenever she did, she heard that strange voice, the one that threatened to drive her mad and make her lose control...
According to Mr. Fool, the voice might belong to someone calling out for help.
Fors had a vague suspicion that it was somehow connected to the Abraham family her teacher belonged to.
After all, she had first begun hearing the voice after using a relic once owned by a member of that family.
As for her teacher, Dorian, she felt nothing but gratitude toward him. Otherwise, she would never have gone to such lengths to help him uncover the traitor.
Speaking of that...
Fors suddenly remembered that she still had not finished her report!
Temperance had told her to inform the Church of the Evernight Goddess as soon as possible, yet she had kept putting it off. At this rate, procrastination really was going to be the death of her.
She hurriedly cleared away the altar and rushed back to her desk, grabbing a sheet of paper and a pen.
She used the skill and speed of a professional writer to complete the report in no time, including every relevant detail, from Mr. X's abilities to the exact rituals used during his gatherings.
Once she was done, Fors pulled a crystal ball from the pile of books on her desk and passed it over the letter, using her Astrologer abilities to disrupt any future attempts at divination. That way, even if someone tried to trace the letter back to her, they would fail.
The only problem was figuring out how to deliver it to the Church of the Evernight Goddess in a way that would actually attract their attention.
Fors was only a casual believer in the God of Steam and Machinery. Because of the tension between the two faiths, she was reluctant to enter a church of the Evernight Goddess herself.
Her companion, Xio Derecha, was a believer in the Goddess, but she was far too observant. If Fors told her directly, Xio might notice that something was off.
"What are you staring into space for?"
A familiar voice came from behind her.
Rustle!
Fors immediately flipped the letter facedown and spun around. Sure enough, Xio was standing there, giving her a strange look.
"How did you get in without making a sound?" Fors asked, flustered.
"What do you mean, without making a sound? You were so lost in thought that you didn't notice me." Xio's gaze shifted between the overturned letter and Fors's face. "Fors, what are you plotting this time?"
Plotting? What was that supposed to mean?
Fors felt a flicker of irritation, but she could hardly argue. If she refused to explain anything, it really would look suspicious.
But did she actually need to keep this from Xio?
Probably not. On the surface, none of this had anything to do with Mr. Fool...
Fors considered the matter briefly and quickly made up her mind. A smile immediately appeared on her face.
"Xio, I need a favor." Fors picked up the letter and waved it lightly. "Deliver this to the Church of the Evernight Goddess for me."
"You're reporting the Aurora Order?"
Xio skimmed the letter and immediately understood.
"No. More specifically, I'm reporting Mr. X," Fors explained. "Based on what you told me, I realized that he's an enemy of my teacher..."
She left out everything related to the Tarot Club and simply told Xio that she wanted to avenge her teacher.
Fors knew Xio well. With a reason like that, there was no chance she would refuse.