Backtracking half an hour...
Following Mr. Devil's unwavering "morning call" service, Mr. Fool woke from his restless sleep. Looking at the scenery outside the train window, which was gradually becoming less desolate, he knew that Backlund was likely not far away.
He took a trip to the train's washroom,partly to relieve the night's build-up, but primarily to check if the prayer had come from Mr. Devil. After all, during the previous Tarot Club meeting, he had already allowed Justice, Sun, and The Hanged Man to pray to him in moments of crisis. It would be bad if one of the members had run into trouble.
Exiting the washroom, the voices of the train conductors began to echo through the corridors.
Accompanied by the echoing whistle at the platform, the steam train's speed gradually slowed.
As the twenty-some carriages gently came to a rest against the platform, Klein,dressed in a formal frock coat and a half-top silk hat, carrying an exaggerated leather suitcase that didn't match his physique,stepped onto the most prosperous city of the Northern and Southern Continents, the Capital of Capitals: Backlund.
A pale yellow morning mist filled his vision. Even combined with the gas lamps, the early morning sunlight was insufficient to dispel the gloom and dimness within the station.
'The mist is this thick even this early in the morning?' Klein shook his head slightly. A joke he had seen in the Tussock Times flashed through his mind. He finally seemed to understand the mindset of the editors who worked so hard to mock Backlund's air quality.
But speaking of the Tussock Times...
'Snow, the author of Phantom Blood, should be Mr. Devil, right?' Before transmigrating, Klein hadn't actually watched JoJo, so he lacked the realization that Mr. Devil was publishing "bedtime stories told by a transmigrator senior to children" as a novel.
He only marveled at this gentleman's time management skills,how he could simultaneously be a cultist, a veterinarian, and serve various noble ladies, all while finding the time to write.
Gently shaking his head, Klein pulled a gold watch (worth nearly seven pounds including the chain) from his breast pocket. With a click, he pressed it open. On the dial outlined with gold thread, the hour and minute hands pointed to 6 and 3, respectively.
"6:15 AM. It's a bit too early. Would it be too rude to show up looking for a rental right now?"
Looking at the time, Klein shook his head slightly, side-stepping a dark hand reaching for his pocket. He pushed through the crowded throngs and finally found a relatively open space.
Perhaps the sadness, pain, confusion, and frustration of losing his home were too intense; when he masked them with a smiling face, the feedback he received was even more powerful. Even though he had consumed the potion less than a week ago, he already showed significant signs of digestion.
If this continued, he wouldn't even need to do anything else. As long as he maintained a smiling face every day, it wouldn't be long before he could attempt to advance to a Magician.
the only problem was that although he had "freeloaded" the formula for the Magician potion from Mr. Devil, he would first need to make contact with the local Beyonder circles to find the specific materials.
However, Klein wasn't worried about this problem, as he knew one local.
Well, actually two.
But considering that Miss Justice hadn't been in the Beyonder world much longer than himself, Mr. Devil,who possessed vast mystical assets,was far more reliable.
'Regarding Mr. Devil, I have the identity of a believer of The Fool, so making contact shouldn't be a problem. The current issue lies in his public,well, his Beyonder identity as a member of the Aurora Order, an evil organization. This means there might be other Aurora Order members at his place. The best way would be to send a message through a messenger, but even that doesn't guarantee safety. I'll do a divination before I send any letters.'
Thinking of this, Klein unfolded the map and newspaper he had already been holding before getting off the train and walked toward a nearby park. He believed no landlord would appreciate a tenant knocking at six in the morning, so he decided to find a place to organize his thoughts first.
'Speaking of which, Mr. Azik should be in Backlund by now too. I wonder if he's received news of my death. But for a powerhouse like him who has lived for thousands of years, he should be able to understand the miracle of resurrection, right? Should I turn to him for help?'
Thinking of this, Klein shook his head again. Although his divination confirmed that Mr. Azik wouldn't bring him danger, the man seemed to be under Ince Zangwill's influence as well. If he rashly contacted him, it might instead cause himself to re-enter the vision of that Sealed Artifact.
'In that case, I can't even write a letter to warn Mr. Azik! I finally understand why Mr. Devil's ancestors hated the Spectator pathway so much!'
At this thought, it was as if a bright lamp had suddenly lit up in Klein's mind, and his eyes brightened accordingly.
'Wait! Mr. Devil? I wonder if Mr. Devil's mystical items can block Ince Zangwill's investigation? But how should I ask? In any case, I'll divinate first, then write a letter.'
...
While Mr. Fool sat in the park, quietly waiting for landlords to wake up, Snow had already sent off the petite Miss Xio. The professional smile on his face slowly vanished without a trace.
"This conditioned reflex is just too damn..."
Snow wanted to curse loudly, but felt there was no point, so he just shut his mouth.
Then, he realized a problem. His potion's side effects brought about three conditioneding reflexes!
And so far, he had only discovered two!
From the fact that he could adjust the "calling names" reflex through a preset, it was clear these reflexes weren't impossible to circumvent; they just required sufficient preparation. The problem was that he could prepare for the reflexes he knew, but how could he prevent the unknown ones?
Under Lily's judgmental gaze, Snow bounced around the room like a husky tearing up the house. He spent a full two hours until he was so exhausted he wanted to stick his tongue out, yet he still hadn't discovered what that final conditioned reflex was.
Speaking of these things, Snow was truly helpless. After all, a conditioned reflex might not be triggered once in a lifetime, but once it was, the result was more than just a matter of "social death."
Like before,if Mr. A hadn't helped him test out the "calling names" reflex, the moment he arrived at the Tarot Club and called Mr. Fool nicknames like "God of Poverty," "Klein-nyan," or "Cowardly-Klein," his life at the Tarot Club would have probably ended right then and there.
And that would be the light version. The key was: if one day he saw a postman on the street wearing a monocle over his right eye and subconciously blurted out "Morning, Amon," Snow didn't even dare to imagine the result!
[Translated and Rewritten by Shika Kagura]
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A/N: "Backlund" (贝克兰德) - The capital of the Loen Kingdom, often compared to Victorian London.
A/N: "Spectator" (观众) - The pathway of the Psychology Alchemists and the Royal Family, known for its ability to manipulate and observe "coincidences" at higher levels.
T/N: "Mr. Fool Arrives in His Loyal Backlund" - A play on the historical meme "The Emperor Arrives in His Loyal Paris." It highlights Klein's move to a new stage of the story.
T/N: "Conditioned Reflexes" (条件反射) - Snow's Paradox pathway side effect. He has mentioned two so far: the reflex to greet/call names (tested by Mr. A) and the reflex to jump/hang from the ceiling when startled (triggered by Xio's spike). The third remains unknown.
T/N: "Social Death" (社死) - An internet slang term referring to a situation so embarrassing that one's social life is effectively over.