The Legendary Fool

“My name is Aleph Longstradia and I am the last living scion of the fallen Noble House, Longstradia. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance,” Aleph offered Tom an amiable smile as she extended her palm for a handshake.

Warily meeting her gaze, Tom found himself at a loss for words for a few awkward seconds.

“Are you as forthcoming with every acquaintance you introduce yourself to, Ms. Longstradia?” He finally asked, eyeing her open palm with a hint of fear— as if he expected a crystal shard to impale his hand the moment he shook it.

“Mmm, nope,” Aleph playfully replied, retracting her outstretched hand before resting it upon her chin. “Hm, you see, if it were anyone else I would probably have to have, erm, silenced them.”

The nonchalance with Aleph spoke of killing another person while tapping at her chin ponderously sent a chill down his spine.

“But you don’t have to worry about that!” She offered him a winsome smile that lacked even the slightest trace of hostility.

‘Stop acting so darn cute, you barbarian woman!’ Tom protested inwardly, though he wouldn’t dare voice his thoughts aloud. Not even if he was given a hundred lifetimes to live out.

“You see…,” Aleph began, her tone turning a little serious as she raised her outstretched palm towards the sky.

Ten crystals bloomed from individual translucent seeds that he hadn’t been able to perceive before, the process again far too quick for him to interfere or impede in any manner.

“.... the nature of my power is tied to my identity,” Aleph explained, her tone sounding a little melancholic. “Needle,” she muttered casually and Tom watched with muted horror as the crystal’s lattice folded onto itself, compressing to a frightening degree. In place of ten crystals was now ten, incredibly sharp crystal needles.

Only then did the true difference in their abilities truly sink in.

If those needles were directed towards him with killing intent… none of the cards in his possession, not even [The Fool] could save him from certain death.

Even [Maya].... He didn’t have enough SP to cast [Maya] on Aleph and even if he could…. he wasn’t sure if his resolve could trump hers.

With a wave of her hand, the needles shattered.

“So, what do you want from me?” Tom barely managed to put forth a mask of stoicism, closeting away the blend of fear and adrenaline coursing through his veins for now.

“What I’m trying to say is that the source of my power is a well-known one. A power that others would and, in fact, are trying to kill me for. But what about you? Where did you come from? Why are you so strong?” Aleph asked, her eyes expressing her puzzlement.

“How do you not know that I’m not a Noble like you?”

Aleph winced. “A Fallen Noble. And you’re not, otherwise we wouldn’t be having this conversation right now.

‘Scary.’

“What if I don’t want to answer?” Tom asked, though his tone lacked any real defiance. For better or for worse, he understood his current situation.

“Then don’t,” Aleph shrugged.

Tom blinked.

“Excuse me?” Tom asked, clearly befuddled.

“Like I said earlier, I was watching your fight with Zakeran. And yes, I know him by name because I was tracking him. Your Soul Power approaches mine, yet you fight like a complete novice. Although you clearly lack a proper tutelage, you are unfazed by actual combat. You wield gear you should not be able to, yet your selection in armour is a baffling one. In our fight earlier, I was trying to force you to reveal your [Soul Card]--- but even when you knew the outcome of the duel would not end in your favour, you didn’t. That leaves only two possibilities,” Aleph broke down and stripped away almost every aspect of the facade he had spent care in crafting, to the point where he felt like he had completely bared himself.

“Either you are someone far stronger than me sealing your strength or your [Soul Card] isn’t any use in actual combat.”

Tom’s eyes twitched.

“The second one then. Well, the first was a pretty make-believe scenario, anyhow.”

Tom felt genuinely aggrieved.

“So, if you wish to leave, I will not stop you. You have nothing to gain from reporting me—- your own talents equal mine in value and the secret behind your absurdly high Soul Power is something those Nobles will do anything to acquire.”

“And what about you? Are you not interested?” Tom replied, not buying the woman’s words.

“Nothing you possess will help me surpass those who I wish to surpass. Cards are valuable, yes— but they are not absolute. A sharp sword in the hand of a novice swordsman is worth far less than a tree branch in the hands of a master swordsman.”

“I’ll ask again. You clearly want something from me, so just tell me what it is.”

Aleph sighed.

“I am afraid that you will not believe me, even if I tell you.”

Tom let out a laugh.

As a man who had arrived upon Artezia from a different world, the mere thought of him— of all people— not being capable of believing in a revelation was just hilarious.

“Try me, lady,” Tom replied, completely self-assured in his own ability to believe in the bizarre.

A Fallen Noble… it seemed that all his luck had evaporated along with his acquisition of a [Soul Card] that everyone but him seemed to want.

‘She’s definitely going to ask me to help in a revenge plot, right? Something like killing the king. Usurping the throne. Or maybe she wants to burn down the entire Noble District.’

“I want…,” Aleph trailed off as she bit at her lower lip, almost as if she couldn’t bring herself to say those words aloud. A droplet of blood, the only wound that had been inflicted upon her since their battle, tricked down her chin, her confident gaze now replaced by a haze of uncertainty. It was almost discorting to see someone so powerful so vulnerable, that Tom worried for the magnitude of the secret that she was about to reveal.

.

.

.

“.... a friend.”