"You're telling me you couldn't see Leonidas' memories, Erythromara? You do know if I find out you're lying. It'll end up getting you kicked out of the Academy."
Theolian narrowed his eyes. Erythromara had woken up earlier than expected and looked like she had just awakened from a nightmare.
"No, I wasn't able to see his memories... Something was blocking me from absorbing his Vitin."
The man raised an eyebrow; he had expected Erythromara to try and blackmail Luciferis with his memories, but the Vampire was saying she couldn't see them?
"Odd, huh? I don't really care about Leonidas' memories, but boy is it strange... And convenient for you. Though I'll let you off the hook. Because I think I know why you couldn't access the Vitin Landscape of Leonidas to steal his memories."
Erythromara's eyes widened in intrigue and a bit of confusion, if Theolian knew why she couldn't access Luciferis' memories, then why berate her for the last 10 minutes?
"The Guardian Spirit of the Orchels, poor guy's basically forced into being a tool for every pure blooded Orchel's Test. I think he's now near Rank XVII, so if I fight him right now..."
Theolian sighed softly.
"It's a maybe if I can beat him or not. So it was obvious why he was easily able to resist you entering the Vitin Landscape."
He slowly stood up from his office chair. He had caused more problems than expected, but it was time to actually solve them one by one.
"Erythromara, I've been lying to everyone to keep you here since you're the last surviving descendant of the House of Blood, and you almost blew the cover. I can only do so much, ya know."
Erythromara's head bowed in shame like a puppy, earning a bit of pity from Theolian, who reached out to pat her head, stopping just a few inches before and retreating his hands.
'She deserves a bit of time on her own. I don't wanna be a dad to her.'
He walked out of the office, Erythromara still sitting in the chair in front of his large desk.
'Come on, Ery, do better. Theolian has been pulling strings for you for 9 years, and you bear such a heavy lineage... Live up to it.'
(...)
Mime began boiling water inside a kettle for Luciferis and William, who hadn't awoken just yet.
His movements were methodical and practised as he precisely cut up a few golden leaves and put exactly a hundred grains inside each of the boys' cups.
Meanwhile, Luciferis was once again inside his Vitin landscape. It seemed that the Will of Vitin had deemed him worthy of an attempt at another Rank Up, this time to Rank V.
'If I manage to pull this stunt off, I'll finally be able to use more of my Elemental Vitin, I'll probably be able to beat everyone in my age group.'
He smirked, the wind around him picking up as he slowly got lifted into the air, leaving the island floating beneath him.
'Seems like this isn't an actual test for my physical capabilities. Let's see what Vitin has planned for me.'
He flew more and more into the sky, the temperature freezing the tips of his fingers and toes.
'If it wasn't for the ceremonial robe I have on right now, I would've died.'
The robe fluttered in the high winds. From now on, whenever Luciferis was deemed worthy of a Rank Up, he would have to wear this stupid white robe; he couldn't wear anything else.
Finally, he reached where the Test would happen, a single table with two chairs in the sky.
'Huh?' Luciferis was forced to sit on the chair, as a sheet of paper appeared in front of him.
[For this test, Luciferis, now Leonidas, will have to resist the coldness of the environment, alongside trying to convince a retired Divine Joker to continue their duties. Luciferis will be provided with a weapon if things are to escalate, but he can not be the aggressor.]
'Sounds simple enough. But a Divine Joker? Aren't they basically on the level of those Saints? I've killed many before, but to think I'll need to convince one to continue his servitude.'
The paper faded into the air as something humanoid materialised in front of Luciferis, wearing bizarre, colourful clothes with mismatched fabric. It made Luciferis feel nauseous just by looking at them.
"Yellow, I mean, hello human brat. I've been basically forced by the Will of Vitin to come here."
"I see..." Luciferis looked at the simple black porcelain mask of the Joker, who seemed to be a woman. But Divine Jokers were shapeshifters, gender? They changed that for the sake of a punchline.
"What's your name, if I may ask, and why'd you quit performing?"
Luciferis felt the immense cold settle inside his bones; his hands began to turn a shade of blue, but he resisted it, burrowing his hands into the robe's pockets.
"Oh? My name? It's Whimsical swamp of the High Court of Entertainment and Amusement."
"Sorry? W-Whimsical swamp?"
"I said, my name is Fool, I was just joking!~, now I quit performing because uhhh I got bored."
Luciferis stared at Fool, a deadpan expression on his face as he let out a laugh so dry, he was sure that Fool would choke on it.
"I see... So uh, Fool. Why were you bored?"
The Joker's golden eyes gleamed underneath its mask like it was suddenly serious for a moment.
"Well, if you're the one entertaining and making sure everyone feels loved, whose the one doing that to you?"
"Yourself? Maybe friends?" Luciferis leaned forward onto the table, resting his arms on top of it.
"Don't make me laugh, brat, I'm super lonely!"
Luciferis raised an eyebrow, which seemed a bit off. Divine Jokers are usually incredibly chatty and want to make new friends 24/7, or at least it looked like that on the surface.
"It's lonely because when your whole identity is being reduced to nothing but being funny and smart, you have to be that! I'm more! So much more! I've been more than a Joker for 3 millennia!"
They slammed their fist on the table. They were boiling with anger, and their bottled-up emotions were slowly pulling the curtain of nonchalance and laughter off.
"I see... I understand. I think you have friends? But you just float around them?"
Fool paused for a split moment, their jaw slacking for just a moment before they recomposed themselves.
"Yes. I'm... Somewhat angry, it's like they always prefer for me to not be included. I'm a young Joker, so they've known each other for a while. I feel the need to shut up when they're conversing, even if I have something to say."
"Have you talked to them about it?"
"It's not that easy."
"It never is."
Luciferis sighed. He had been losing sensation across all of his body, but he was starting to have a positive effect on the Joker. Maybe he could coerce him into performing his duties once more.
"Maybe if you tried performing with the truth on your tongue, you might be able to make sure everyone knows-"
"Alright, the joke's over. I was just trying to see if I still had the ability to improvise~ Now, since I can fight you, I'll do just that." Fool got up, their abrupt change in mood was a bit unsettling but Luciferis expected this.
"Well... Fine, I guess. But you're limited to what? Not even one tenth of your power right now."
Luciferis readied himself, a sword appearing in front of him as Fool hummed to themselves, looking up at the sky.
"Alright, first hit is yours, Leonidas."