Fors was thrilled, but Klein, the one at the center of it all, wanted nothing more than to sink into the floor and disappear.
As the master of the Sefirah Castle, Klein could naturally discern the contents of the paper Alaric handed to Fors. That's why he instantly recognized that the "Great Detective" in the story was modeled after him.
As for the "Doll Girl"… could it be Miss Sharon?
Klein's mind raced with guesses, a mix of embarrassment and mortification washing over him. He couldn't fathom what Jack was up to but couldn't ask in front of the Tarot Club members. He had to endure until the meeting ended.
Once he left the Sefirah Castle, Klein wasted no time. He stormed out of his room, knocked on Alaric's door, and, when it opened, asked with a mix of exasperation and confusion, "What's with that book you commissioned from Miss Magician?"
Alaric blinked, his expression unruffled. "I just got tired of the usual romance novels, so I thought I'd have something new written."
"Don't play dumb! You know exactly what I'm asking." Klein said, glaring at Alaric. "That Great Detective is me, isn't it?"
"There's a saying: art imitates life. Using people around you as inspiration for stories is perfectly normal. It's definitely not about finding amusement at your expense." Alaric said confidently.
"…"
You jerk! You just admitted it!
"I knew there was something fishy about how eager you were to get Miss Magician into the Tarot Club…" Klein sighed, realizing he'd let his guard down. Then, another thought struck him, and he looked at Alaric helplessly. "Jack, if you want to mess with me, fine, but dragging Miss Sharon into this? Isn't that going too far?"
"But Sharon already agreed!" Alaric spread his hands as if he'd anticipated this, pulling out an "authorization letter" from his pocket. The document confirmed that Sharon had given Jack permission to use her likeness for literary creation.
Klein froze, took the letter, and read it carefully several times, still incredulous. "Why would Sharon agree to this?"
"Because I traded stories for it!" Alaric said matter-of-factly. "I gave her ten stories in exchange for her permission. So, really, you're the only victim here."
He paused, looking at Klein earnestly. "But we're such good friends, you'll forgive me, right?"
"…"
At that moment, Klein was at a loss for words. He sighed helplessly and said, "If I don't forgive you, what am I supposed to do? Beat you up?"
"Great!" Alaric clapped his chest as if relieved, then grinned. "So, Klein, you wouldn't mind if I commissioned someone to write a genderbent version of you falling in love with a Demoness, would you?"
A giant question mark practically materialized above Klein's head.
"What?" It was hard to tell if Klein was laughing or fuming. He glanced at his fist, suddenly feeling it shouldn't just sit there unused.
A few minutes later...
Lil' Amon, who had been sulking on the living room sofa, suddenly heard a commotion from the second floor, accompanied by familiar voices:
"Stop running! Today, you'll learn what a friendship face-breaking punch is!"
"Klein, we're best friends… ow!"
"Hah, sorry, but the Klein you knew is gone. You made your choice! Now you're facing Klein the Avenger!"
"Wait, what's that noise? Who's playing music?"
The chaotic sounds of a scuffle, mixed with some inexplicable music, made Lil' Amon turn toward the second floor. He saw Jack Jones sliding down the staircase railing, with Klein hot on his heels, fists raised and teeth gritted.
What was going on?
Lil' Amon was puzzled, but for some reason, the scene sparked an odd excitement in him. A restless instinct surged within, and he muttered under his breath, "Fight! Fight!"
This caught the attention of Medici, who was fiddling with a phonograph nearby. He glanced at Amon, shook his head, and scoffed, "Some things never change, do they?"
Even with his memories gone and his mind regressed to that of a child, Amon's instinct for chaos and spectacle remained.
Just then, Alaric darted behind Medici, using him as a shield while peeking out at Klein, who had paused. "If you're not happy with the Demoness, I can change it to a Hunter instead."
Klein let out a genuine laugh, torn between amusement and exasperation. He wasn't sure if Jack was doing this on purpose or genuinely oblivious to how much he was pushing his buttons. With a forced smile, he said, "Why don't you write a genderbent fanfic about yourself?"
"I could do that!" Alaric nodded without a hint of shame.
While genderbending himself was out of the question, everyone knew Nyarlathotep had an avatar named Nyaruko. Rounding it up, writing about Nyaruko was basically writing his own genderbent fanfic. No problem there.
Klein froze, clearly not expecting that response.
As he hesitated, Alaric seized the moment, saying righteously, "Klein, this attitude won't do. If you can't even handle genderbent fanfiction, how will you ever digest the Faceless potion?"
"What, so to digest the Faceless potion, I'd have to cross-dress?" Klein stared at him, deadpan.
Alaric blinked and said, "Who's to say?"
"…"
What?
For a moment, Klein couldn't tell if Jack was serious or just spouting nonsense.
"Are you two that bored?" Medici finally snapped, unable to watch these two bicker any longer. "If you've got so much free time, how about cleaning up? Do I need to remind you how much stuff you just knocked over?"
In an instant, Medici radiated the commanding aura of a seasoned caretaker, the kind honed by managing a household's daily chaos.
Klein, suddenly sheepish, grabbed a nearby broom. "I'll clean up right now."
Alaric, with a nervous grin, stepped out from behind Medici. "I'll help."
And just like that, the two who had turned the house upside down moments ago set to work cleaning up the mess.
"Tch!" Medici clicked his tongue, then noticed Lil' Amon staring at him with sparkling eyes. He raised an eyebrow. "What are you looking at?"
"Red Mommy, you're amazing!" Lil' Amon said, his expression bordering on admiration.
Medici couldn't deny that the praise from Lil' Amon felt good, but the nickname made him scowl. "Hold on, who taught you to call me that?"
"Brother Jack did." Lil' Amon replied without hesitation. "He said you're the man who could be the mother of this household."
"Hah!" Medici let out a wry laugh at the unsurprising answer. He glanced at Lil' Amon, a sly smile creeping onto his face. "Lil' Amon, want to be like me?"
***
Every 100 Power Stones and 5 Reviews will earn you a Bonus Chapter.
And if you want to read up to 50 chapters ahead, don't hesitate to visit our patron: pat reon . com / XElenea (remove space)