Above the gray fog, Klein listened to Alice's prayer, suppressing the strange feeling he had upon hearing her last sentence. Instead, he focused on the issue Alice had raised.
Cattleya… possibly leaked information?
As Alice mentioned, it wasn't exactly a leak. After all, Bernadette had long been aware of the "Fool" and the non-existent Tarot Club. She also knew they were suspected of collecting Roselle's diary and the "Cards of Blasphemy."
However, Mr. Fool shouldn't just ignore this completely… No, he should verify it first—Alice's tone made it clear she hadn't even bothered to confirm anything and was just stirring the pot!
After using divination to confirm thatCattleya had indeed contacted Bernadette immediately after the Tarot meeting ended, Klein thought for a moment. He then edited Alice's prayer, cutting the latter part, and sent it over.
fogy Sea, inside the captain's cabin of the "Future."
Cattleya suddenly saw a gray fog appear before her eyes. Within it, the blurry figure of Miss "Destiny" leaned against what seemed to be… a window? The sea was visible behind her… Was she on a ship?
The thought flashed through her mind before she quickly heard that familiar, cheerful voice:
"You just said one thing and then immediately contradicted yourself. If there's no reaction at all, wouldn't that be too embarrassing?"
"teach her a lesson, Mr. Fool!"
...Why does this tone sound like someone calling a pet?
The irreverent thought barely surfaced beforeCattleya forcibly pushed it aside, focusing on Alice's words instead.
The information in them made her uneasy, prompting her to recall the content of her letter.
She hadn't actually revealed the existence of the Tarot Club—just mentioned that someone was collecting Roselle's diaries. That should be… fine, right?
The punishment she feared never arrived. Instead, she realized that relaying Miss "Destiny's" words served as Mr. Fool's warning.
That meant…
Recalling Mr. Fool's attitude in the last Tarot meeting,Cattleya suddenly grasped something even more terrifying—Mr. Fool might not have intended to punish her, but he also seemed to have no intention of stopping Miss "Destiny" from giving her trouble.
That was far scarier than divine punishment.
The Saint Fran was expected to take three days to reach Tiana Port, meaning it would arrive by Tuesday night.
—Assuming nothing unexpected happened.
Of course, accidents weren't easy to come by. The misfortune Alice casually cast upon the ship hadn't taken effect, even as Monday's Tarot meeting approached.
Alice had to admit—she was getting incredibly bored.
When she opened her eyes above the gray fog, she didn't wait for Audrey's usual greeting. Instead, she smiled and looked atCattleya, her tone light and teasing:
"Good afternoon, Lady 'Hermit'~"
"Justice" Audrey, who had just been about to stand and greet everyone, shut her mouth.
She immediately realized—Miss "Destiny" seemed to be looking for trouble with Lady "Hermit."
But… why?
Alice never seemed the type to hold grudges; she always retaliated on the spot. So… what had Lady "Hermit" done this past week?
Now at the center of attention,Cattleya suddenly regretted her earlier decision. She had intended to bring this matter up in the Tarot meeting anyway, since it wasn't far off.
Unlike Alice, she had never quite developed the habit of treating Mr. Fool like a mere message relay.
Cattleya didn't glance at Mr. Fool, who acted as their transmission hub. She figured if he wanted to stop this, he would have done so already.
She hadn't yet considered the possibility that Mr. Fool might not be able to stop it.
After careful thought,Cattleya finally responded:
"Good afternoon, Miss 'Destiny.'"
Alice stared at her for a few seconds, then sighed in disappointment:
"Looks like some people didn't take my words seriously at all… How infuriating, don't you think, Lady 'Hermit'?"
Cattleya dared not respond.
She knew exactly who Alice meant by "some people"—and she was certain that if this were the real world, she'd be drenched in cold sweat by now.
Even though the version of her in the gray fog lacked the ability to sweat or have her hair stand on end, she still found herself momentarily speechless.
Only when Alice, losing interest in the silence, withdrew her gaze did Cattleya feel some relief.
Alice slumped lazily against the chair, drawling:
"Tell Bernadette that if she wants information, she should be prepared to pay for it."
"What I told her back then wasn't for free."
"Of course, if she doesn't want to pay up for now, that's fine—but later, what price I take will entirely depend on my mood~"
Now,Cattleya wasn't the only one breaking out in metaphorical cold sweats—Alger began seriously recalling whether he had ever tried to deceive Miss "Destiny."
In this atmosphere of collective unease, Audrey clearly no longer felt like greeting everyone either.
Alice glanced around at the unusually quiet Tarot meeting, then thoughtfully asked:
"Everyone, do you happen to know… if there's any Sequence ability that lets you taste food without actually getting full?"
"Huh?" Audrey was the first to voice her confusion. Though the others didn't speak, their expressions mirrored hers.
"No?" Alice blinked twice.
*"…I've never really paid attention to that," the well-informed "Hanged Man" Alger replied diplomatically. "Normally, we don't use supernatural abilities for such things."
*"…I never considered it either,"Cattleya added, sneaking a glance at the Fool in the gray fog.
Since the two most knowledgeable members of the Tarot Club had no answers, the others certainly wouldn't either.
That left only one possible source of insight—Mr. Fool himself.
Thinking about it… if Miss "Destiny" was always asking questions like this, it was no wonder Mr. Fool struggled to maintain his composure…
This thought crossed the minds of the Tarot Club members as they discreetly turned their gazes toward the gray fog.
After a moment of contemplation, Klein, controlling "The World," finally asked:
"Miss 'Destiny,' are you… perhaps a bit too idle lately?"
Alice paused slightly.
She recalled Klein's previous question and turned back with a wary look.
"I'm not."
"But anyone stuck at sea for nearly a week would be bored, right? There's nothing here but—"
Alice bit her lip, swallowing the word "phones."
Then, she continued firmly:
"Anyway, I am NOT going to school, so don't even think about it!"