'Phew. All in all, the result was quite good.'
Snow walked out of the police station under Dunn's complicated gaze, a faint smile playing on his lips.
While coming to the police station to lay his cards on the table with Dunn might have seemed reckless, a careful analysis would reveal that the risk wasn't as great as it appeared.
First, Snow had already undergone Dunn's dream interrogation and had shown no issues. Second, he hadn't exposed any Beyonder characteristics. In such a situation, he was merely an ordinary person who had occasionally heard some information about the mystical circle. The Church wouldn't typically pay much attention to such individuals.
Or rather, if they had to imprison even semi-informed people, places like the Evil Dragon Bar wouldn't exist.
Therefore, facing an "ordinary person" like Snow, Dunn only had two choices:
First, recruit him into the Nighthawk squad, starting as a civilian staff member.
Second, keep an eye on him but take no action.
Joining the Nighthawks would have been an excellent outcome for Snow, as it would have made it much easier for him to 'tear up' Ince Zangwill's script. As long as he didn't reveal his knowledge of the Acting Method, he could have cooped up in the Tingen Nighthawk squad as a 'Seer' until the end of the world. With some manipulation, he might even have become the Tingen branch president for the Aurora Order, collecting the Order's benefits while selling them out--at which point Mr. A would likely still say 'thank you'.
Unfortunately, Dunn clearly had no such plans.
This might have been because Snow was from Backlund, or because he didn't meet the criteria for civilian recruitment. Regardless, it didn't matter, as he had at least achieved his basic goal:
By registering in person with Dunn, Snow had established a persona--an ordinary person aware of the Beyonder world. Moving forward, whether he entered the local mystical enthusiast circle or 'accidentally' appeared at the Evil Dragon Bar, it would seem reasonable. While Dunn might drag him off for a lecture every now and then, he was at least free to move around.
Checking the time on his pocket watch, Snow turned toward a local diner for lunch. He didn't return to the inn until the sun grew fierce, where he waited for Mr. Fool's summons.
...
Above the grey fog, within the majestic and grand palace, the ancient and mottled bronze long table sat as silently as if it had existed for eternity.
Snow appeared at the long table amidst flood-like dispersals of light. Beside him was a male figure whose face was obscured, identifiable only by his blue, seaweed-like hair.
Opposite him was a blonde young woman, her features also blurry. Just as Snow was eagerly waiting to hear Miss Justice greet everyone with her sweet and innocent voice, she was clearly not in a normal state. Instead, Mr. Fool tapped the bronze table and spoke in a majestic, steady voice:
"This is a new member. His title is 'The Devil'."
"This is Miss Justice, and this is Mr. Hanged Man."
Ordinarily, Miss Justice would have joyfully observed the new member, trying to deduce why this gentleman had chosen the code name 'Devil' and what legendary past he might have.
But at this moment, her mind was entirely occupied by her oversized dog, who had suddenly started talking. In contrast, Mr. Hanged Man showed a trace of dissatisfaction. Well, one should cherish this version of Mr. Hanged Man while he was still a properly 'irascible' sailor.
At this point, Miss Justice finally organized her thoughts:
"Respected Mr. Fool, Mr. Hanged Man who always helps me, and the newly joined Mr. Devil... I have a question I'd like to ask."
"What can a pet with Beyonder power do for its owner? Simply put, what kind of role can it play?"
The pleasant voice echoed through the hall. Miss Justice suddenly found the atmosphere becoming somewhat silent. The strange quiet and the gazes directed toward her made her want to find a crack in the floor to crawl into.
Just as the grey fog was starting to fail at hiding the blush on her face, Mr. Hanged Man finally began his introduction.
As someone who also raised a Beyonder pet, Snow could have easily intervened here, but being too eager to show off might provoke Mr. Hanged Man's dislike. It was better to play it safe for now.
Listening to Mr. Hanged Man use the 'Spectator' pathway as an example, Miss Justice became even more flustered. She straightened her back to appear confident, then forced a change in the subject:
"Mr. Fool, I have found another page of Emperor Roselle's diary. However, I'm sorry; the content of this page isn't very much."
"It's fine. Your debt is fully paid off." With Mr. Fool's status, he clearly wouldn't be too concerned about the length of a diary page. Just as Miss Justice began recording the contents she had memorized onto a piece of parchment, Snow finally spoke:
"Respected Mr. Fool, do You require Emperor Roselle's diaries?"
"!" x3
The moment the words left his mouth, not just Mr. Hanged Man and Mr. Fool, but even Audrey--who was busy writing--paused slightly. This was because when Mr. Devil said the word "diaries", he spoke with such naturalness, as if he had long known that they were, in fact, diaries!
"Correct. You may provide Roselle's diaries to Me in exchange for corresponding rewards." Mr. Fool gave a slight nod, though he felt a trace of nervousness inwardly. Currently, his status as a hidden existence relied heavily on the knowledge from the Emperor's diaries. If someone appeared who could actually decipher them, he would have to be very careful indeed.
However, recognizing them as diaries wasn't actually that difficult, especially since even Old Neil had noticed the pattern of the dates...
As Mr. Fool comforted himself, Miss Justice, who had already transcribed the page, looked up and asked curiously:
"Mr. Devil, you know Emperor Roselle's notes are diaries?"
'Good question!' Mr. Fool inwardly applauded Miss Justice's question, unaware that Mr. Devil was also doing the same.
"Ah, yes. A certain elder in my... Pandrax family mentioned this in their notes. However, that elder did not leave behind the corresponding method to decipher them, so this is the extent of my knowledge."
Snow skillfully added a bit more substance to his so-called family legacy, but stopped himself at just the right moment, allowing Mr. Hanged Man and Miss Justice to fill in the blanks themselves. Then, he left the stage to Mr. Fool.
During a Tarot gathering, Mr. Fool's reading time was sacred and inviolable. Snow naturally wouldn't violate this rule. He silently repeated his planned sequence of events in his mind, waiting for Mr. Fool to utter the words he had been anticipating--
"You may begin your exchange."
[Translated and Rewritten by Shika Kagura]
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A/N: Many say 'Mr. Hanged Man' and 'Audrey' are 'exchange students' (one from the navy, one from the high society), but Alger starts as a very 'irascible brother type'. He even showed dissatisfaction when Mr. Fool pulled The Sun into the fog! At this point, he already knew the three-part honorific name and had received a response to his prayers, confirming Mr. Fool's status. Despite that, he still showed blatant dissatisfaction. He really was a grumpy sailor back then.