Next came Audrey and Alger's discussion about potions and official Beyonders. Not only did the two of them fail to obtain any useful information from Klein, but instead ended up giving "Mr. Fool" a proper crash course on the common knowledge of the Beyonder world.
Finally, Alger shattered the young girl's fantasy with a single line: "There's no such thing as becoming a Beyonder without paying the price." Audrey puffed up her cheeks in frustration.
After another dozen breaths of silence, Alger could no longer hold back. With "Mr. Fool's" permission, he cautiously said:
"I actually have two Sequence 9 formulas in my possession."
Audrey, clearly aware of what Sequence 9 meant, lit up with excitement under Klein's bewildered gaze.
"Really? Which two?" she asked.
Alger then solemnly explained some background about the pathways, and introduced the Sailor and the Spectator Sequence 9 potions.
At this moment, Sairuis — who had been squabbling with the husky and quiet for a while — suddenly raised his sense of presence:
"Gentlemen, I also happen to have several Sequence 9 formulas. Let me think… Seer, Bard, Corpse Collector, Hunter, Apothecary… roughly those."
He wanted to see if, under his slight interference, Miss Justice would still choose to walk the Spectator pathway.
Though he hadn't memorized them deliberately when reading, he could recall them when necessary. Over on the Honkai Star Rail side, there were plenty of nifty items akin to Harry Potter's Pensieve, and extracting memories was hardly difficult.
Revealing five different potion formulas at once instantly stunned everyone present. The atmosphere carried the same vibe as those old-school "overpowered protagonist" webnovels. If only Alger had jumped out at this moment to play the "face-slapping rival," it would have been perfect.
Unfortunately, he did not. Alger simply looked quietly at Audrey, waiting for her choice.
[Alger, Alger… look at you. Where's the momentum of a Storm path Beyonder? You should've studied more from Master Ro!]
Faced with this "selection ceremony," Audrey's gaze shifted back and forth between Cerys and Alger. After much hesitation, she finally said:
"I think I seem to like the feeling of the Spectator more." She turned to Alger. "What should I use to exchange with you?"
Miss Justice had ultimately chosen Spectator. So, was this because Audrey truly liked it, or was it fate… or interference from some higher existence? Cerys leaned on one hand, pondering the question.
As if prepared, Alger answered in a deep voice:
"Ghost Shark blood. At least 100 milliliters of ghost shark blood."
Audrey first nodded excitedly, then asked worriedly:
"If I can obtain it — I mean if — how should I give it to you? And how do I ensure that once you receive the blood, you'll actually provide me with the formula, and that the formula is real?"
Alger replied calmly:
"I'll give you an address. Once I receive the ghost shark blood, I'll send the formula back, or tell you directly here. As for assurance… with this mysterious gentleman here as witness, I think both you and I can rest easy."
As he said this, he turned his gaze toward Klein seated at the head of the table.
"Your Excellency, you can draw us here with power we cannot imagine. With you as witness, neither she nor I would dare break our word."
[What's this? A test?]
"Pretty much. He's probably probing whether Klein can summon him again, and testing Klein's tolerance for business negotiations. Audrey is simply naive, but Alger… Alger was reckless this early on."
[Sailor pathway. Have some sympathy.]
"Yes!" Audrey's eyes lit up, thrilled. She had no inkling that she was being used. In her view, such an unfathomable, mysterious gentleman was indeed an "authority" fit to witness. Neither she nor Alger had the guts to lie to him!
Audrey half-turned, gazing sincerely at Klein:
"Your Excellency, please witness our transaction. And… how should we address you?"
Alger also nodded solemnly:
"Your Excellency, how should we address you?"
Klein froze for a moment. His fingers lightly tapped the bronze table as a certain divination resurfaced in his mind.
[Ohhh, here it comes… the classic scene!]
Leaning back, hands clasped under his chin, Klein smiled:
"You may call me…" He paused, tone calm and even.
"…The Fool."
[Ahhh, yes! Filled to the brim with the Fool's legendary moment! I can die happy now~]
"Oh, this cringe-inducing humming… It's as awful as Uncle Jack's apple pie next door. Say another word like that and I swear I'll kick your drum with my boot. Believe me, I will."
[Hey pal, your translation voice is as disgusting as old Mrs. Ewan's fishnet stockings. Merlin's JK skirt, you're revolting.]
Though brief, the answer echoed long in Alger and Audrey's hearts, rippling waves through the grand hall and thick fog.
Yes — a mysterious figure like this should bear such a title. It perfectly embodied the enigmatic, the powerful, the bizarre!
Sairuis suddenly laughed aloud, cutting off Audrey's next words:
"Aha! My dear Mr. Fool, what a wonderful coincidence! You see, you are 'The Fool,' and I am a Masked Fool. Perhaps, millennia ago, we were even kin!"
"Masked Fool…" Alger repeated under his breath. Then, as if struck by revelation, he turned sharply toward Cerys:
"Perhaps… this Masked Fool is an organization once founded by Mr. Fool. It seems he doesn't recognize him… so their ties must have been severed for some reason. And now Mr. Fool summons him again, maybe to reclaim that organization… Truly befitting a great figure!"
Klein and Audrey were both momentarily stunned. Audrey glanced blankly at Mr. Fool, hoping for clarification.
Klein's mind raced. He gave a faint chuckle and answered ambiguously:
"Who can say for sure?"
Sairuis looked disappointed.
"Oh, alright then… I just…" He glanced at Audrey and Alger. "No, nothing."
[Hehe, being a riddler is fun.]
Glancing at Alger's reverent expression, Sairuis whispered inwardly to the husky:
"He bought it. He really bought it."
[Fun indeed, boss dice, fun indeed.]
To break the awkward silence, Audrey stood and curtsied with a polite bow:
"Honorable Mr. Fool, may I humbly beg you to witness our transaction?"
"A trivial matter," Klein answered with fitting gravitas.
"It is our honor, Mr. Fool." Alger stood, hand to chest, bowing. To keep with the group, Sairuis also rose and saluted.
Klein pressed his right hand down lightly, smiling:
"Please, continue."
Alger nodded and sat, glanced briefly at Cerys, then turned back to Audrey:
"If you can obtain the blood, send it to the Warrior and the Sea tavern, Pelican Street, White Rose District, Pritz Harbor. Tell the owner Williams: this is for 'the Captain.'"
He paused.
"Once I confirm, would you prefer I mail the formula to your address, or tell you directly here?"
Audrey pondered, then smiled brightly:
"I choose the more secretive way — here, though it will test my memory. Since Mr. Fool agreed to witness, that means there will be more meetings like this."
Eyes shining, she looked at Klein with curiosity:
"Mr. Fool, would you mind if we had more 'gatherings' like this?"
Alger too was moved.
"Mr. Fool, don't you find this kind of 'meeting' fascinating? Though your power is beyond imagination, there are surely areas you are less familiar with. That lady is obviously of noble background, and the so-called Masked Fool may assist in some matters. I myself have unique experience, knowledge, and resources. Perhaps we can, at times, help you with trivial tasks that are inconvenient for you to handle directly."
He reasoned: if one could be summoned here without resistance, then the initiative lay entirely in Mr. Fool's hands. It was impossible to refuse. Better to seize the benefits than dwell on passivity.
Different backgrounds, different resources, different channels of knowledge — if they could cooperate, the effects would be immeasurable.
For instance, resource exchanges. Or, if he wished to kill someone, he could let unrelated "members" of this meeting do it, perfectly diverting suspicion.
Audrey was briefly startled at Alger's mention of her noble background, but quickly recovered.
"Mr. Fool, I think this is an excellent proposal. If the 'gathering' becomes regular, then there are many things inconvenient for you to handle personally that we can take on — as long as they're within our ability."
"Yes, Mr. Fool. We Masked Fools are famous for clean, efficient work. And think about it — a Masked Fool helping The Fool! Isn't that amusing?" Sairuis chimed in.
[Efficient? Where the hell did you learn that? Is this really the Masked Fool?]
"Famous… famous where?" Alger pondered. "Could it be an organization from the Fourth Epoch? Or even older… maybe the Forsaken Land?"
[Non-canon +1+1+1.]
Klein, weighing pros and cons, realized more gatherings would let him gather Beyonder knowledge, useful both for returning to his world and for navigating his current life. Yet more meetings also meant more risk of exposure.
Glancing sideways at Sairuis, remembering his earlier hesitation, Klein felt uneasy. Was he impersonating some great figure?
Still, with control over summoning and dismissal, the risks were manageable. Benefits outweighed costs.
He tapped the table lightly, then smiled:
"I favor equivalent exchange. I won't let you help unconditionally. Every Monday, 3 p.m., try to be alone. After I test a few more times and understand things better, perhaps you'll even be able to excuse yourselves beforehand, avoiding awkward situations."
That was his acceptance.
Audrey, brimming with girlish excitement, clenched her fists before her chest.
"Shouldn't we also give ourselves code names? We can't use real names here."
"Agreed," Klein said lightly.
Audrey's mind bloomed with ideas.
"You are Mr. Fool, from the Tarot. Since this is a regular, hidden gathering, our titles should match. I'll also pick from the Tarot."
Her voice grew cheerful.
"I've decided. My title will be… Justice!"
Miss Justice was officially online.
"What about you two gentlemen?" she asked brightly.
Alger frowned, then relaxed.
"The Hanged Man."
Another Major Arcana.
Then, both looked at Cerys.
[The Empress! The High Priestess!]
"Then I'll be… The Devil," Sairuis said, stroking his chin.
"Alright! Then we're the founding members of the Tarot Club!" Audrey exclaimed, then glanced nervously at Klein. "That's okay, right, Mr. Fool?"
Klein chuckled and shook his head.
"Such a trivial matter, you may decide for yourselves."
"Thank you!" Audrey beamed.
[You spoil her, old man.]
Then she turned to Alger:
"Hanged Man, could you repeat the address just now? I'm afraid I'll forget."
"Of course," Alger said, pleased by her seriousness, and repeated it.
Audrey murmured it three times, then asked with interest:
"I heard Tarot cards were just Emperor Roselle's invention for a game, and have no divination power?"
"No. Often, divination draws on oneself. Everyone has spirituality, able to connect to the spirit world, but ordinary people can't perceive or interpret it. Tools present these hints more clearly. Dreams and dream-interpretation are simple examples. Tarot cards are such tools, with symbols that help us interpret. They do have power," Alger corrected.
Klein, appearing casual, listened intently. Normally, his spirituality should have run out by now, but with Sairuis' earlier help, he only felt a faint ache between his brows.
"I see." Audrey nodded. "I didn't mean to question Tarot. I heard Roselle actually made another deck — secret, representing unknown forces, twenty-two cards in total. Afterward he used it as reference to create the Tarot's twenty-two Major Arcana for a game. Is that true?"
She looked at Klein expectantly.
Klein smiled but stayed silent, sweeping his gaze over The Devil and The Hanged Man, as though testing them.
[That day, Sairuis remembered the terror of being questioned by Doctor Of Truth.]
"Shut it, or I'll test you next."
Alger straightened instinctively, like a student called on in class.
"Yes. It's said Roselle read the Blasphemy Slate. That secret deck contained the twenty-two pathways to godhood."
"Twenty-two pathways…" Audrey repeated with longing.
"Do you know what they are?" she pressed eagerly.
"This… I only know a few, not complete… and they may not be accurate…" Alger admitted with embarrassment.
"I know them," Sairuis interjected. "But what will you give me in exchange? Mr. Fool said — equivalent exchange."
By now, Klein's brow ache had turned into a headache.
"Hmm… would gold pounds suffice? If so, how much?" Audrey asked tentatively.
"No need, sister. If you only want the names, I can tell you the first three Sequences of each pathway." Cerys smiled innocently — though no one could see.
"Really?" Audrey was delighted, then doubtful. "But… isn't it supposed to be equivalent exchange?"
Alger silently judged: What a swindler…
"I don't remember all of them, anyway." Cerys waved a hand at Mr. Fool. "Forget it for now. Next gathering."
Klein's headache worsened, the link with the crimson star and gray fog beginning to waver.
"That's enough for today," he said decisively.
"Yes, dear Mr. Fool~" Cerys rose, taking a bow.
"As you will." Alger rose and saluted.
"As you will," Audrey echoed. She still had so many questions, so many thoughts, she hated to end it.
As Klein severed the link, he smiled:
"Let us look forward to the next gathering."
The crimson star flared, then its light receded like water. The three silhouettes blurred, turning faint and unreal.
Within a second, the "projections" shattered. Silence returned to the gray fog above.
(End of Chapter)