After losing a gold coin, Klein ultimately couldn't bring himself to throw that friendship-breaking punch at Alaric's face. He shot Alaric an exasperated glare and pressed on with the reckoning. "So, when did you figure out I was a transmigrator?"
Alaric blinked, pocketing the gold coin while flashing an awkward smile. "Probably the first time we met?"
Klein's expression froze. He hadn't expected Alaric to have seen through him so early. In disbelief, he asked, "How did you know?"
He was sure he hadn't let anything slip during their first meeting.
Alaric took another bite of his apple and said slowly, "What if I told you I chose the name Jack Jones specifically to quickly identify people like me?"
Klein paused, then it clicked.
If Jack were truly a naive sweetheart, picking such a name might've been for fun or nostalgia. But since Jack was a cunning schemer, the name clearly had a purpose... like screening for transmigrators.
When Klein first heard the name, despite trying to control his reaction, he wasn't a Clown yet. It was only natural for him to let some tells slip.
As for "Jack Jones" being a fake name, Klein wasn't surprised. It was obviously as fabricated as his own "Sherlock Moriarty." chosen for convenience.
Realizing Alaric had pegged him as a transmigrator from their first meeting, Klein connected some dots and looked at him. "So that's why you were so eager to answer my questions about the Antigonus family. It wasn't just enthusiasm... you were trying to confirm my identity."
"Isn't that normal? When you spot someone who might be like you, you double-check. You did the same, didn't you?" Alaric said without a hint of guilt, his tone utterly justified.
Because it was true. He'd known Klein was a transmigrator from the start but pretended otherwise. But Klein had done the same.
Klein was speechless, instinctively feeling guilty, when Alaric continued, "I mean, I couldn't be sure if you were a good guy or a bad one. What if you were a scoundrel like Roselle? I didn't want to get stabbed in the back by a transmigrator."
"Uh, Roselle's a scoundrel, sure, but I don't think he'd stab a transmigrator in the back." Klein instinctively countered. Having benefited from Roselle's diary, he felt obliged to say something in the senior's defense, especially since he didn't believe Roselle would betray someone from their world.
"Just an example." Alaric said, waving a hand. He took another bite of his apple, chewed, swallowed, and continued, "You had the same concerns, didn't you?"
Klein fell silent for a second before nodding honestly.
He'd indeed held back from revealing himself as a transmigrator upon suspecting Jack's identity, precisely for those reasons.
Then Klein thought of something else. "So that's why you pretended to be a naive sweetheart?"
"Exactly!" Alaric nodded, clearly picking up on Klein's thoughts. His smile carried a hint of smugness. "A seemingly naive transmigrator is the fastest way to figure out if you're a good guy or a bad one, right? Plus, that persona lowers people's guards, making it easier to blend into unfamiliar circles."
"But…" Klein's voice took on a melancholy tone. "Didn't you just say you pegged me as a good guy from the start and had no defenses against me?"
Alaric didn't flinch. He took another bite of his apple and looked at Klein. "My instincts told me you were a good guy, but who trusts instincts completely? You still have to verify."
Klein was convinced by the logic. He wasn't the type to blindly trust instincts either, especially on something this big. A bit of probing was reasonable.
Alaric continued, "And after I was pretty sure you were a good guy, I didn't really keep up the naive act, especially after we left Tingen. Like with Red, I wasn't acting like a naive sweetheart at all. I thought you'd notice."
Klein was speechless again. Could he admit that his early filter was so strong he'd rationalized Jack's behavior?
Stereotypes were a dangerous thing.
"So, when it comes down to it, it's your fault for putting such a thick naive sweetheart filter on me. You should've seen I was a cunning schemer ages ago!" Alaric boldly shifted the blame.
Klein didn't know what to say. He rubbed his temples, feeling a faint headache from the information overload.
Then another thought struck him. "If you're not a naive sweetheart, why did you use the Stone of Time on Mr. Azik…" As soon as he asked, Klein realized the answer.
Alaric looked at him, puzzled. "Is it weird to help a friend reunite with his family?"
"Not weird. Sorry, I shouldn't have asked." Klein said, shaking his head with a hint of apology. The question practically doubted Jack's feelings for Mr. Azik.
"No worries. I'm a con artist, after all!" Alaric said magnanimously, waving it off.
His attitude put Klein at ease but also left him exasperated. After a moment's thought, he asked, "What about the Fool's honorific name? With your personality, you wouldn't accidentally recite it, would you?"
If Jack were a naive sweetheart, such a blunder would be plausible. But since he wasn't, Klein needed to know the intent behind it.
Alaric's expression turned serious. "It wasn't an accident. I recited the honorific name on purpose."
"Why?" Klein asked, a mix of curiosity and nervousness, dreading an answer like, "Because I knew you were the Fool."
That would be social death.
Alaric could tell what Klein was thinking, and it tempted him to tease, but he decided to save that for later. He just looked at Klein and said, "This era shouldn't have a Fool. And that honorific name… don't you think it's oddly specific? I told you I dreamed of that gray fog. The moment I saw the Fool's honorific name, I knew it had to be tied to transmigrators somehow. So I tested it."
***
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