Above the gray fog, three figures appeared once more, outlined within the majestic temple that resembled the dwelling of a giant king.
Their seats were the same as last time.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Fool~" Audrey greeted Klein in a light, cheerful tone.
"Good afternoon, Miss Justice." Klein, charmed by her cuteness, smiled slightly. Keeping up his air of mystery, he gave a simple reply.
Then Audrey turned to the other two: "Good afternoon, Mr. Hanged Man~ Good afternoon, Mr. Devil~"
Sairuis smiled and waved at her in response.
At the head of the long bronze table, Klein opened his Spirit Vision and looked at the three below. His gaze shifted, and he saw that "Justice's" aura perfectly matched Old Neil's descriptions—red where it should be, purple where it should be, blue where it should be, white where it should be. The glow was bright, the thickness just right—clearly the aura of a lively, energetic young girl.
"Her emotional colors are red and yellow: happiness, passion, excitement…" Klein made his judgment, then turned his attention to "The Hanged Man."
Like "Justice," the Hanged Man's aura wasn't unusual, only tinged with blue and streaked with orange.
"Calm, thoughtful, cautious… and a little satisfied?" Klein wasn't entirely confident in his first attempt, but just as he was about to look away, he suddenly noticed something. The Hanged Man's innermost aura seemed unusually unified.
Focusing harder, Klein faintly saw a deep blue, ocean-like color within the depths of the Hanged Man's "ether body," giving off impressions of raging winds and crashing waves.
That, Klein thought, was something only Beyonders could have.
He shifted his gaze toward "The Devil," but found—nothing.
Nothing at all! Klein was shocked. He realized that if not for the gray fog's obstruction, he would have been exposed immediately, because in his Spirit Vision, "The Devil" looked exactly the same as before. If he hadn't already compared him with Justice and the Hanged Man, Klein might have doubted he'd activated Spirit Vision properly at all.
And that absence was the biggest problem.
By now, Sairuis and Alger had finished their greetings as well. Audrey took a breath, her voice holding a trace of excitement: "Mr. Hanged Man, did you receive the Ghost Shark's blood?"
Though Sairuis had promised to tell her the starting three sequences of the twenty-two divine pathways during this Tarot meeting, she still cared more about the formula for the Spectator potion.
Alger glanced at Klein, who tapped his brow lightly, as though preoccupied with other matters.
"Many thanks. It perfectly matches all my expectations. I didn't think you'd be able to deliver it so quickly. Ghost Shark's blood isn't just any extraordinary material," Alger said earnestly.
Audrey gave a modest smile. "I'm glad to hear it met your expectations."
From childhood, she had loved the mysterious. Even among noble circles, she had befriended others with similar hobbies, exchanging information, books, and rare items.
A few princes had even tried to woo her with potion formulas, hoping to make her their wife. Using things worth no more than Audrey's pocket money as bait—classic empty-handed scheming.
Now that the conditions of the trade were fulfilled, Alger prepared to reveal the formula.
Just as he opened his mouth, he stopped short, glancing toward Sairuis—his meaning obvious.
Sairelis waved casually. "Don't mind me. Isn't it just 80 milliliters of pure water, 5 drops of autumn crocus essence, 13 grams of ox-tooth peony powder, 7 petals of spiritflower, the eyes of one adult pair of Manhal fish, and 35 milliliters of ram-horned blackfish blood?"
Alger froze for a moment, but quickly steadied himself. "Yes," he said to Audrey, "that is indeed the Spectator formula."
He didn't intend to share any payment with Sairuis. The Devil had offered it freely—it wasn't part of their deal.
If it wasn't negotiated, it wasn't freeloading.
Thinking further, Alger added, "Low-sequence potions are simple to prepare. Just add the ingredients in the given order. But remember—the dosage should lean less, never more. An excess leads to disaster. You've surely heard of Beyonders losing control… Of course, 'less' doesn't mean carelessness. If you don't have help, I suggest you first practice with basic chemistry experiments."
"No problem, I have a tutor for that," Audrey replied with ease.
[Rich, beautiful girl… hungry, food…]
"Can you be more serious?"
[The point isn't the rich—it's the beautiful girl.]
"Ugh, private cravings…"
After repeating it several times, Audrey finally memorized the formula with Alger's help.
Then Alger explained the basics of meditation and Spirit Vision, reminding her to master the potion quickly, to dig into its symbolic meanings, and to explore more mysteries.
Sairuis and Klein listened silently. Klein hadn't planned to interrupt, only to memorize and learn quietly—until inspiration struck.
As Audrey prepared to ask some detailed questions, she heard a light tapping sound. She, Alger, and Sairuis all turned to the head of the table. The "Fool" Klein tapped his finger lightly and spoke in a deep tone:
"Not mastering, but digesting. Not excavating, but playing the role. The potion's name isn't just a symbol, it's an image—and above all, the 'key' to digestion."
Audrey blinked in confusion, not fully understanding. Alger, however, was struck as if by divine revelation.
[Hahaha! Epiphany! Heaven's Gate! White Jade Palace! Daoist master, I've ascended!]
"Hahaha, he bought it! Just a few true words and he's lost in it again—The Fool really is fun to mess with!"
"Digesting… playing the role… digesting, playing the role… digesting, playing the role, the key…" Alger muttered over and over, as though grasping something crucial—or falling under an odd spell.
After a while, he finally lifted his head, his voice hoarse:
"Thank you, Mr. Fool. Your reminder is as precious as my very life. It clarified so much for me, though I doubt I've fully understood it yet."
Klein kept his mysterious demeanor and smiled. "Consider it advance payment."
In truth, he himself wasn't entirely sure what he'd just said. He only knew Emperor Roselle had been stronger than most Beyonders—stronger than the Hanged Man.
Next, Klein requested that everyone help him collect Roselle's diaries. In response to Miss Justice's curiosity, he even invented the little trick of imprinting words above the gray fog.
(End of Chapter)