Klein felt a growing sense of unease as he continued reading the diary:
[October 6, cloudy.
Successfully advanced to Sequence 8 Swindler today. Amon said I could try conning Him, claiming it'd let me digest my Swindler potion in a second.
Hilarious. Conning the biggest con artist of my own pathway? As if I could pull that off.
But Amon's personality is milder than I expected, reminding me of my old teacher.]
[October 16, overcast.
Under Amon's guidance, I chose to con some gang members. They're hardly good people, so my conscience is clear.
Amon said I've got talent. Is he for real?
Gotta admit, I'm kind of pleased. Guess I'm a genius after all.]
The diary entries were mundane, even somewhat heartwarming, but Klein's brows nearly furrowed.
As time passed, Zoroast's wariness toward Amon had clearly waned, almost to the point of genuinely seeing Amon as a teacher.
If Amon were a good person, this wouldn't be an issue, but…
Recalling Alaric's repeated warnings that "Amon is a villain." Klein's bad feeling grew sharper as he looked at the diary.
He pressed on, skimming through a few more routine entries until he reached an unusual one:
[June 1, light rain.
It's been almost a year since Amon caught me. So much has happened, and I've finally advanced to Sequence 6 Prometheus.
Looking back at my old diary entries, I find them a bit funny. The Zoroast family records aren't always right... Amon doesn't seem as bad as they claimed.
Maybe I can give up on the escape plan? Not that I've ever actually tried it.]
[June 3, moderate rain.
Amon suddenly asked if I'd like to be His favored one.
I was surprised but kind of thrilled.
The favored one of the God of Mischief? Sounds even more prestigious than a true god's favored.]
At this point, Klein's sense of foreboding peaked. He hurriedly read on, and the first line of the next entry made his heart sink:
[June 6, heavy rain.
I was eaten.
But luckily, my soul is special enough that Amon had to spit me out after eating me. I didn't become the next Amon.
Great!
Hahahahahaha!
Amon! Amon!
I'll kill you, I swear.]
The raw hatred seemed to seep through the words. Klein stared at the abruptly ended diary, struggling to describe his feelings.
In just a few pages, he'd witnessed a transmigrator's descent at Amon's hands... from initial caution to eroded wariness, to complete trust, and then betrayal by being "eaten."
It was too cruel, far worse than simply killing someone.
Amon had toyed with this Zoroast's heart and soul.
If Klein's prior impression of Amon's villainy was vague, these diary entries made Alaric's warnings crystal clear.
This was an utterly dangerous, utterly malicious being.
The critical question now: who was this Zoroast, toyed with by Amon?
Klein's mind immediately conjured Lucifer's image. Though it was hard to imagine the enigmatic Lucifer enduring such an ordeal, everyone had weaker moments, so it wasn't impossible.
"And with Mr. Lucifer's attitude of not minding others appreciating his tragedy, he might actually let his diary circulate…"
Klein's emotions grew more complex. He hadn't ruled out the diary's authenticity being fake, but until proven otherwise, he chose to believe it was real.
Instinctively, he glanced at Alaric, who was looking at the diary with a hesitant, almost speaking expression. Klein instantly understood Alaric's thoughts: So the Fool is indeed tied to transmigration... how else could he read those words?
Klein wasn't surprised and pretended not to notice, lest Alaric blurt out something shocking on the spot.
If Jack does ask, I'll just have to deflect with "It's not time for you to know"… Klein mused wryly. Setting the diary aside, he addressed the others, "You don't have to wait for me."
The Tarot Club members, of course, couldn't respond with "We'll stop waiting then." They promptly declared, "Waiting is an honor." And the like.
The meeting moved to the information-sharing phase. Justice Audrey first discussed the clerk selection, a proposal from the Fool that she was spearheading... the Tarot Club's first interference in the world's affairs.
After that, Audrey and The Hanged Man Alger discussed a trade between them. Just as she was about to settle into Spectator mode, she remembered something and asked, "I've recently joined some Beyonder circles and attended a few gatherings. There's a powerful figure called Mr. A. Does anyone know his background?"
Alaric, who'd been observing eagerly, seized the chance. "I know. Mr. A is a divine envoy of the Aurora Order, a follower of the True Creator."
Oh, Mr. Jack knew about this?
Audrey was surprised but, recalling Jack's deep family knowledge, quickly accepted it. Curious, she asked, "What's a divine envoy of the Aurora Order?"
Alaric enthusiastically explained the Aurora Order's structure. As an emerging organization, it wasn't weak, boasting five Saints and twenty-two divine envoys, most of whom were mid-sequence and used letters as codenames.
"Mr. A is one of the more favored envoys by the True Creator, a Sequence 5 Shepherd, and among the strongest at that level." Alaric said confidently, spilling Mr. A's details without hesitation. Then, as if remembering something, he added, "But the Aurora Order doesn't seem to have any angels… Wait, no, I think my teacher once mentioned a Angel of Fate who occasionally helps them because of their allegiance to the True Creator."
"Angel of Fate? That sounds incredible…" Audrey couldn't help but feel a thrill at such high-level knowledge.
***
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