Called out by Miss Angelica, Klein sighed inwardly. Leaving now would be too conspicuous.
Adjusting his mood, he stepped forward with a calm smile.
"Good afternoon, Miss Angelica. How may I address this gentleman?"
"Hello, Mr. Moretti. I'm Snow von Panredax. I'm here for a divination, and Miss Angelica recommended you." Snow doffed his hat, bowing courteously. Klein returned the gesture, though his mind was anything but calm.
It's Mr. Devil? Has my identity as the Fool been exposed? No, I only came to the Divination Club on a whim. If he was targeting me, he'd have gone to Daffodil Street.
But his cat gives me a dangerous vibe. A pet that consumed a potion? So, besides Miss Justice, others indulge in such luxuries. No wonder Mr. Devil wasn't surprised by her question earlier.
Klein turned to Angelica.
"Is the Citrine Room free?"
"You're welcome to use it." Angelica smiled. Klein led Snow into the divination room.
As the door closed, Klein silently activated his Spirit Vision. Snow's aura appeared remarkably healthy.
Even colors, no dimness or murkiness. But the head's color is deep—he's thinking hard… Klein noted, moving smoothly to the table. Glancing at the divination tools, he asked casually,
"Mr. Snow, do you have a preferred divination method? Perhaps an astrolabe or tarot cards?"
It was just an icebreaker, but Klein's still-active Spirit Vision caught something alarming. Snow's etheric body was distorting outward in a twisted manner. Though it was his first time seeing this, one word screamed in Klein's mind—
Loss of control!
Why's he losing control now? I didn't do anything… Klein scrambled for a plan, his hand inching toward the Slumber Charm in his pocket. But then, Snow, trembling slightly, pulled a penny coin from his coat and flipped it. As it landed in his hand, the frenzied etheric body calmed.
"Sorry, I have severe decision paralysis. Without a coin or dice, I can barely choose anything. Based on the coin's guidance, let's go with an astrolabe."
That's not just severe… Klein thought, exhaling in relief. Theoretically, Mr. Devil was only a Sequence 9 Beyonder, but he likely held a high-grade Sealed Artifact, and his cat might be a Beyonder too. If it came to a fight, Klein—a Seer with erratic marksmanship and shaky melee skills—would be down in moments.
Chuckling awkwardly to ease the tension, Klein gestured to the pen and paper on the table.
"What would you like to be divined?"
"My upcoming fortune." Snow shrugged, the gesture slightly crude but dashing thanks to his striking looks. "I've been caught in some trouble lately and want to check."
"Alright. Please write your name, birthdate, and address. An exact birth time would be even better."
Klein tensed as he spoke, but surprisingly, this Secret Supplicant Beyonder showed no concern about the risks of revealing his birthdate, quickly jotting down the details.
Mr. Devil's only twenty-one? Klein mused, glancing at the paper. He also wondered why a Secret Supplicant, presumably skilled in divination, would seek out a place like the Divination Club.
Swiftly calculating Snow's birth and yearly spiritual numbers, Klein adopted a gentle expression.
"I'll need to draw the astrolabe now, which requires time and absolute silence. Please wait outside."
Snow nodded, unsurprised, and left the room. Klein locked the door, sketching the astrolabe while weighing his next move.
The safest option was to complete the divination normally. But Snow's Tarot Club revelation about the Spectator pathway gnawed at him. The coincidences in his life, the elusive red-chimneyed house's owner, the looming threat to Tingen—all fueled his desperate need for answers from Snow.
What do I do? Approach him as a follower of the Fool? No, that's too obvious. A follower could just ask Mr. Fool directly, and believers don't get intel on other believers.
Use divination to probe him? Maybe, but he's a Beyonder with apparent family-backed occult knowledge. Tricking him would be tough.
Perhaps there was another angle?
A riskier idea sparked in Klein's mind.
It was a gamble, but given Mr. Devil's demeanor, it might pay off.
Glancing at the completed astrolabe, Klein performed the four-step reverse walk, ascending to the gray fog. Seated at the head of the bronze table, he conjured paper and pen, writing a divination statement—
"Confronting Snow von Panredax is dangerous, confronting Snow von Panredax is dangerous…"
After seven repetitions, the pendulum began a slow counterclockwise spin. Klein's heart eased.
No danger!
He wasn't fully clear on the gray fog's secrets, but he knew one thing—even the suspected Spectator behind the red-chimneyed house couldn't interfere with divinations here.
This result was likely trustworthy.
Feeling reassured, Klein was about to leave when he recalled Snow's request. Since he was already here, he wrote a new statement—
"Snow von Panredax's upcoming fortune."
Repeating it mentally, recalling the astrolabe's details, Klein chanted seven times, leaned back, and entered a deep meditative state…
Unlike past divinations, his dream divination method failed. Though he entered the dream, no images appeared—just a white mist obscuring his vision.
"This…" Klein jolted awake, staring at the ancient, mottled bronze table. Shock pierced even the gray fog's calm.
It was his first encounter with something that could disrupt a divination above the gray fog.
(End of Chapter)
Author's Note:
I. For those thinking Snow's deal with Trissy was a loss, remember: every gift has a hidden price. No need to talk of favors—once Trissy learned that intel, she was bound to Snow's chariot, forced to side with him to survive, whether she liked it or not.
II. The term 'divine pathways' first appeared in the original novel's Chapter 7, mentioned by Alger regarding the Blasphemy Cards. Thus, it's an official term, and Snow using it raises no issues. The Tarot Club members simply don't know about Sequence 0 yet.