Chapter 44: Should I Unmask The Fool?

Additional Chapter! Thank AlexperBDM, ME, kingoftheworld, Thaddeus_090, and Tidraus for this additional chpater.

Enjoy!

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"Holy crap, that's a god's honorific name! My teacher said never to recite a god's name carelessly—I'm screwed!" Evah's expression was a mix of panic and helplessness, as if he'd never made such a massive blunder before. Of course, it was all an act.

After all, if Xio could accidentally mutter The Fool's honorific name in a moment of carelessness, then it wasn't a stretch for Jack Jones—pure-hearted, mouth-faster-than-brain Jack Jones—to make the same mistake, right?

Evah had planned for this day when he crafted the "Jack Jones" persona.

Meanwhile, in Tingen—

Klein heard an unfamiliar yet faintly familiar prayer echoing in his ears. After carefully identifying the voice, his expression turned peculiar.

He got the logic, but he'd only asked Miss Justice to pass The Fool's honorific name to Jack. How did this guy end up reciting it aloud?

He wouldn't have just blurted it out on reflex after seeing it… Klein's expression grew even odder as he realized that, yeah, this was totally something Evah could do.

Given the guy's personality, accidentally reciting an evil god's name was just too plausible!

At that thought, Klein wasn't sure what to say. But he couldn't exactly hop onto the gray fog to check the situation right then—it was his turn to guard the Chanis Gate today.

Since his last meeting with Jack Jones, Mr. Azik, and the others a few days ago, Klein had been through a whirlwind. He'd attended his sister's classmate's birthday banquet, resolved a dark divination incident there, and uncovered a suspected Aurora Order member, Hanass Vincent. When the captain investigated, they found Hanass dead.

Klein had completed his Nighthawk probation, becoming an official member of the Nighthawk squad. He'd started combat training, discovered a new prayer on the gray fog, and held the fourth Tarot Club meeting.

Prompted by Mr. Azik's words, Klein had divined the discord in his fate on the gray fog, getting a lead about a red chimney. He'd hired a detective to investigate, then unexpectedly encountered a fabric merchant tied to Hanass Vincent.

For some reason, the merchant lost control and turned into a monster. Klein had to take him down, but through him, he obtained the Clown potion formula.

And now, guarding the Chanis Gate, he heard Jack's prayer. Honestly, reflecting on the past few days, Klein felt his life was absurdly wild.

If his fate hadn't been tampered with, he'd eat the Cursed Doll on the spot… wait, Cursed Doll?

Klein's gaze snapped to the Chanis Gate, which had somehow cracked open slightly. The Cursed Doll peeked out, half its body visible, clutching a piece of paper. Klein glimpsed the pattern on it but before he could act, the doll was yanked back into the darkness, and the gate slammed shut.

Klein's face paled. Without hesitation, he bolted to the guardroom and sounded the alarm to summon backup.

...

The Cursed Doll incident turned out to be a minor hiccup, causing no real trouble. After finishing his night shift, Klein returned home. Once on the gray fog, he dealt with the doll matter and noticed a new prayer.

This one wasn't from the familiar Evah but from a stranger he'd encountered in the past few days. The prayer was in Giant, which Klein barely understood, catching only a few keywords. He decided to hold off until he'd learned more Giant and could comprehend the words.

Klein's attention then shifted to the disturbance marking a non-Tarot Club prayer. Touching it, he confirmed it was indeed Jack Jones.

In the vision, Jack paced anxiously in a room, occasionally tugging at his hair, looking every bit like someone who'd made a colossal mistake.

"It's really you!" Klein said, half-laughing, half-exasperated. Seeing Jack Jones's rare anxiety, he briefly entertained the mischievous idea of pulling him onto the gray fog.

But after some thought, Klein held back, choosing not to respond.

After all, he wasn't ready to bring Jack into the Tarot Club just yet.

"Hm? That feeling of being watched—Mr. Fool's finally noticing my prayer? But he didn't pull me onto the gray fog, so it looks like he's not planning to let me join the Tarot Club!" Evah, deep in his performance, muttered inwardly, suddenly feeling a spark of excitement.

"So, should I unmask The Fool? That'd be a lot of fun, right?"

"No, no, gotta stick to the persona. Jack Jones, a simple college student, wouldn't just figure out Klein's The Fool out of nowhere."

"Let's see… I'll go with Plan B for now. If that doesn't work, I'll have to let Lucifer unmask The Fool." Evah's mind buzzed with ideas, but he didn't break character, continuing to play the part of a naive student who'd screwed up big time.

After keeping up the act for a bit, he finally let out a self-defeated sigh. "Whatever, let it be. If it's gonna kill me, bring it on." He threw himself onto the bed with a dramatic flop, as if giving up.

But he tossed and turned, unable to sleep, perfectly embodying a student who'd given up but couldn't quite let go.

A few days later, curious about Jack's reaction, Klein made time to visit Jack's residence one evening. He found Luo Lin looking normal but with a faint weariness in his eyes.

"Evening, Klein!" Evah greeted with a smile, then yawned. It wasn't an act—he'd been staying up late studying occult knowledge, barely sleeping, so the exhaustion was real.

"Evening, Teacher Jack," Klein replied, pausing before probing, "I heard you stayed in Backlund for a few days this time. Any big wins?"

Jack's expression froze. He looked at Klein, his face crumpling. "I think I messed up big time."

"What kind of mess?" Klein asked, though he already knew the answer, putting on a confused and concerned look.

"I accidentally recited an evil god's honorific name, and it might be that Fool we've been looking into," Jack Jones said, sighing. " Do you think... I am going to die?"

"..."

"No way, you're fine!" Klein said quickly, seeing his dejection. "You know I've tangled with The Fool too, and I'm still kicking. The Fool might not even be an evil god."

(End of Chapter)