Chapter Text
Klein stepped off the carriage, tossing the driver a few pence. It's two more pence here compared to Bayam... After spending so long in the Rorsted Archipelago with its cheaper fares, Klein found himself reluctant to pay the proper amount.
He glanced up at the clock tower, noting the time. The city remained relatively unchanged in the eight months he’d been gone. It still carried the quietly busy atmosphere that gave it a studious quality befitting the City of Universities. A few older establishments had closed down, and several new stores had cropped up in their place. A signpost revealed that a traveling theatre troupe was scheduled to have a performance in the evening.
Klein took a flyer from a costumed knight, slipping through the streets like a ghost. His powers as a Faceless meant he could recognize many of the passerby he saw, though none of them reacted to his presence. It was to be expected, since he'd entered the city as a stranger. Far too many knew 'Klein Moretti', and Gehrman Sparrow was now a wanted man. This new face bore more similarities to Sherlock Moriarty, though with lighter hair, rounder features, and a patchy beard.
‘John Doe’ blended in seamlessly with the morning crowd.
He broke off into an alley after a few blocks, passing several stores until he stopped in front of a certain building at 13 Howes street.
[Divination Club]
Climbing the stairs to the second story, an elegant set of chimes rang as he pushed open the door. The desk clerk turned at the sound, giving him a professional smile. She had curled golden-brown hair that gave her an elegant air, and her appearance was familiar.
It seems Angelica is still working as a clerk… Klein pressed his hat to his chest, bowing lightly in greeting. “Good morning. A friend introduced me to this location; I am told you tell fortunes here?”
Angelica clasped her hands with a genial smile. “Yes, we do.” She gestured to the album at her desk. “Here is a list of all our registered members, as well as those who are in today. Are you familiar with the process of requesting a divination, or would you like an explanation?”
“I'm familiar enough.” Klein approached, flipping through the pages. Several names were familiar to him, and a few were new. Beneath the list of active members, he noticed a familiar name - Mr. Glacis, who had been the first to perform a divination for him. His fees were listed as six pence per reading now. They were only two pence when I first joined… he must have improved significantly. Klein looked up from the album. “Is Mr. Glacis here today? I was recommended him by an acquaintance.”
Angelica shook her head. “Unfortunately, he said he would be on a business trip until next Tuesday. You can come back later… though if you're unable to, he has an apprentice.” She flipped back a few pages in the binder, scanning through the names. “Ah, it seems Lily is in today. She's a little on the inexperienced side, so her fees are two pence per reading.”
Lily's name and information appeared right beside a name that had been inked out. Though the original letters could no longer be discerned, Klein knew whose name it was. A tinge of sorrow entered Angelica's eyes upon seeing it, but it was quickly masked under her professionalism.
Klein pretended not to notice. “I can't return by next Tuesday, so I'll go with her.”
Angelica smiled. “She should still be practicing in the Topaz room, so you can go see her right away.”
Klein nodded, turning down the familiar small corridor until he approached the first room from the meeting room. When I first joined the Divination Club, Glacis was still inexperienced… I never would have imagined he’d grown enough to increase his prices so much, let alone take on an apprentice.
Klein's intuition triggered when he knocked on the door, revealing the scene behind it. The curtains were drawn, casting the room in a dim yellow-orange glow. A young woman sat at the table, fiddling with a crystal ball. She had pleated brown hair and rounded hazel eyes that gave her a rather innocent look. Her dress bore fine purple embroidery that seemed to be made with the intention of giving off a mysterious air.
“Ah, is my rental time up already? I swear I had another hour or so…”
Klein instantly adopted a more jovial demeanor, chuckling warmly as he entered the dimly-lit room. “I believe you still have some time left, Miss Lily. Perhaps enough time to do a small divination for me?”
Lily's mouth opened in surprise. “M-me? A divination? Are you certain?”
Like master, like apprentice… Klein silently mused, remembering how Glacis had also tried to object the first time. Is self-deprecation a skill that can be passed down?
He nodded. “I heard you're an apprentice of Glacis. The name is John Doe; would you be willing to perform a tarot reading for me?”
“Of course, Mr. Doe!” Lily immediately shot up to rummage through a nearby drawer. The mysterious air from her state of dress dispersed significantly under her flustered demeanor.
As he sat down at the dimly lit table, Klein noticed that several pieces of her jewelry had been carved with mystical symbols. The quality was quite poor, however. Several lines had been drawn incorrectly, and some symbols were missing. He scrutinized them carefully, relaxing upon finding that their effects were rather benign. These must be contributing to the faint mysteriousness I sensed. A true beginner amongst beginners must have made them… however, none of them seem problematic, so I'll leave it be.
While she was sorting through the divination tools, Klein decided to strike up conversation befitting his temporary persona. “How long have you been Glacis's apprentice?” he asked genially.
Lily pulled out a box of tarot cards, flushing with embarrassment. “Only a few weeks… But Mr. Glacis is very good at divinations, despite only practicing for a few years! He's always striving to improve.”
Glacis never gave off that impression back then; he was a rather casual man. Did something change? “What inspired him so much?” Klein asked aloud.
“Oh, there was an excellent member here a while ago! Mr. Glacis says he made it his life's goal to be as good as him.” Lily sighed. “I wish I'd joined back when he was still here… I would have loved to have my fortune told too.”
Klein tilted his head. “Who was it?” If it was Harnass Vincent from the Aurora Order, I think it's rather fortunate that you never had your fortune told, or you might not even have made it to apprenticeship…
“Hmm, I believe his name was Klein?”
Only his experience as a Clown and Faceless allowed Klein to maintain control of his facial expression. Me? He sputtered internally. Did I ever have such a distinguished reputation? I only worked here for a few months! It was no wonder his Seer potion had digested so quickly back then, if the feedback was this strong…
“So what kind of tarot reading would you like?” Lily asked, sitting down with the deck.
Klein quickly recovered from his shock, inwardly shaking his head as he replied, “whatever method you're best at. As for topic… what would you suggest?”
“I've been practicing my three-card readings, and I'd say I'm quite good at them!” With deft hands, Lily began sorting the cards into multiple stacks. “And if you don’t mind me asking, are you still a bachelor? If you are, would you like your love fortune told?”
What about me gave away that I was a bachelor? Klein retorted inwardly with some bitterness, though the feeling faded quickly. Love fortune… just so long as you don't spontaneously mutate into a pile of organs and cripple everyone in the vicinity, Klein lampooned to himself. It was doubtful the Rose School of Thought had managed to track him all the way to Tingen. He'd kept his Senor marionette safely above the grey fog, and wrapped himself in The Fool's Paper Angel before coming here.
As ‘John Doe,’ he simply nodded with a smile. “That's fine.”
“Many Love readings use the Suit of Cups alongside the Major Arcana,” Lily commented while shuffling the deck. “As part of the Water element, they represent emotion, imagination, and the subconscious. They're the most suitable for examining fortunes related to relationships.”
The Suit of Cups bears many similar characteristics to the Spectator Pathway, even down to the water motif… Klein remarked. Perhaps proper divinations with the Suit of Cups can tap into the sea of collective subconscious. This tarot reading may end up being more accurate than he expected.
“A three-card reading is relatively simple. The first card describes your past, the middle card explains your present, and the last tells your future.” Lily drew three cards and laid them out on the table. “Do you want to flip the cards yourself, or would you like me to do it?”
“Go ahead,” Klein gestured. He genuinely wanted to see this apprentice’s skills. Like what happened with Glacis the first time, he suspected that if he were to touch the cards, he might tap into some mystical forces that didn’t accurately reflect Lily’s abilities.
Lily nodded, flipping over the first card. It showed an upside-down couple staring at an idyllic garden. In the background, ten cups formed an arc in the sky.
“Oh my,” she gasped. “The Ten of Cups! It normally symbolizes contentment and harmony, but it's reversed…” Lily tapped her fingers against the table, as if attempting to recall the description. “‘Reversed’ cards indicate the meaning is the opposite. So your relationships in the past have been broken or twisted, or the love you experienced might never have been real in the first place. Instead of peace and fulfilment, you experience separation or distance…”
Klein was shocked. This was unexpectedly accurate - it perfectly described his initial transmigration and following death in Tingen! Recalling his past divinations at the Club, he wondered, is my fate simply so strong that a complete novice can read it, or was this just a coincidence? He controlled his expression, nodding thoughtfully. “This is true… I’ve experienced some losses in the past.”
Seemingly bolstered by the accurate reading, Lily flipped over the next tarot card with renewed vigor. She was a bit too excited, however, and her hand slipped - the card landed sideways.
The image depicted a person with their back to the viewer, facing seven cups holding various objects: The Seven of Cups.
“Ah- I’m sorry!” Lily stammered. Her hands hovered anxiously over the deck. “Should I redo the reading?”
Klein shook his head. “I believe that even this is a sign. If it’s possible, could you interpret the card as-is?”
“Yes, I’ll try! Let’s see…” Lily examined the card carefully. “The Seven of Cups represents symbolizes choices, imagination, and delusion, and it’s linked with Temptation in both the upright and reverse. The upright and reverse meanings are actually similar! They both mean you should be cautious of your choices, as some may have catastrophic consequences. Some might not be real choices at all, and you may be struggling to make a decision due to lack of clarity and dead ends…” Lily paused. “When it comes to love, it often represents too many choices. Do you have multiple suitors, perhaps?”
What is with this extreme variation in accuracy? Is the deck trying to compensate for being too precise earlier? Klein thought with some exasperation. Suitors? Let's see… I have the Ince Zangwill and 0-08, the True Creator, Mother Tree of Desire, the Secret Order, half the Demoness Sect, Jahn Kottoman, and Amon… yes, I do indeed have many suitors, he jested.
As John Doe, he simply coughed awkwardly and said, “the third card?”
Lily turned over the third card. It revealed an upright figure in the center, dancing with a wand in both hands. A wreath circled around the card, with a different creature in each of the four corners - a dragon, a giant, a beast, and an angel.
Lily clasped her hands in joy. “It’s The World upright! It symbolizes unity, completeness, and the fulfillment of cycles.” She explained excitedly, “you’ll likely find your true love and spend a happy life with them. You should choose carefully amongst your suitors, and follow your heart when making a decision.”
In another sense, does this mean I might achieve my goal of returning home? Klein wondered. The World can also represent perpetuity, however... or perhaps even ‘myself’ as Gehrman Sparrow. “This does seem to be a rather good sign,” Klein agreed aloud.
He stood up, bowing lightly as he set three pence on the table. “Take this as a tip. Your divination cleared up many things for me.”
Lily beamed, clutching the three pence close to her chest as she stood up to see him off. “Thank you so much! Honestly, hearing that means more to me than anything else… Mr. Glacis and I truly believe that if our divinations can allow people to live their lives with more confidence, that is worth more than any amount of money.”
Glacis truly has changed, Klein mused. I wonder if it was a ripple effect of ‘Klein Moretti’s’ death, or the result of having an apprentice? Though he truly admired this demeanor befitting of a Seer, a part of him disparaged, If you don’t care for money, I would like a refund…
He didn’t voice that last thought aloud, however. “That’s a truly admirable ideology,” he replied instead. “I made the right decision, choosing you as my diviner for today.” He tipped his hat with a sincere smile. “Please give your master gratitude on my behalf as well.”
Klein exited the topaz room. He walked back towards the foyer, nodding to Angelica as he passed by. “Miss Lily is an excellent diviner. Thank you very much for your help.”
Angelica smiled. “Of course. Our Divination Club is always open for new visitors.”
Klein neither confirmed nor denied this as he left.
The door closed behind him with a small jingle, and ‘John Doe’ vanished from the establishment without another word.