"Eight hundred pounds," Xio replied, looking directly at Miss Justice. After all, the Sun didn't have access to the Northern Continent's common currency.
Derrick didn't mind this arrangement. He knew Justice would ultimately need to exchange this formula with him for the Psychiatrist formula anyway.
Eight hundred pounds... while I'm a bit short at the moment, I can scrape that together easily enough. And with New Year's coming up in a few months, I'll officially come of age and have much more financial freedom…
Looking forward to the "brighter" days ahead, Audrey answered in a cheerful tone, "No problem at all. I'll send the money right after the gathering ends."
Xio, imitating Audrey's usual demeanor, nodded demurely, then, with Mr. Fool's assistance, manifested pen and paper to transcribe the Solar Priest formula.
"Main ingredients: one red comb from a Dawn Rooster, one fruit from a Shining Covenant Tree. Auxiliary ingredients..."
Miss Justice accepted the formula and studied it carefully to ensure she'd memorized it. She then smiled and turned to Sun Derrick, saying, "I look forward to receiving the Psychiatrist formula."
Derrick nodded, replying earnestly, "I'll do my best to get it for you soon."
With their business settled, Judgment Xio raised her hand again and asked, "I need the Golden Feather of Gondola. Does anyone have any leads or connections for this?"
Thanks to her contributions to the Intis spy case and other recent operations, Vera had rewarded Xio with the Sequence 6 Judge formula.
Though a bit unorthodox given Xio's relatively short tenure, Vera's influence allowed her to grant such rewards without facing much resistance. Given that Xio wasn't really an outsider, those in the know chose to overlook it.
But while she now had the formula, she still needed to gather the main ingredients herself.
Unlike the formula, ingredients weren't in endless supply, and the military had a long list of deserving members in line for such resources. Even with Vera's support, Xio would have to find them elsewhere.
Of the two main ingredients, Xio already had a lead on the main eye of a Golden Magic Worm, though she was still short on funds. Even with the upcoming eight hundred pounds, she'd still fall short…
Looks like I might have to borrow a bit from Fors and Ebner... or ask Vera for an advance on next month's pay? While mentally tallying her options, Xio's thoughts were interrupted by Alger, the Hanged Man, who spoke first:
"I'll keep an eye out for it at the Pirate Congress... but if the price is high, I won't buy it on your behalf. At most, I'll get you the seller's details."
From the materials Xio requested, Alger had deduced that she was likely on the Arbiter pathway and probably a member of MI9, which aligned with her noble-lady persona. Alger knew that many aristocratic offspring served there.
"That will do. If you can bring back definite information, I'll be happy to compensate you." Xio replied with poise.
With the exchanges concluded, Klein considered enlisting Alger's help in acquiring a relatively safe Sun-pathway mystical item at the Pirate Congress in exchange for his knowledge. However, after hearing Alger's reply to Judgment, he realized Alger was likely spending a substantial amount on the two ingredients and didn't have the capacity for more. So, he reluctantly set the thought aside.
As the free exchange segment began, Alger, the Hanged Man, spoke up:
"Admiral Hurricane Qilingus' fleet has been subdued, and a new pirate admiral has emerged. She's a woman, formerly known as Maiden of Affliction, but after proving herself, she renamed Qilingus' ship the Black Death, earning the title Admiral of Affliction.
"The number of pirate admirals has once again reached seven."
Miss Justice, intrigued by all things related to the pirate admirals, smiled as she commented, "So four out of the seven admirals are now women. They're truly formidable—it's inspiring."
Meanwhile, Ebner was thinking off to the side: Does that mean there's now another volume in Gehrman's adventures with female pirates?
"No, Miss Justice, pirates are still pirates, and they're hardly as romantic as they sound. Even though Admiral Star, Admiral Iceberg, and Admiral Pale have good reputations, there's no telling what they're really like," Alger remarked, dousing her admiration in cold water. Satisfied as he saw Miss Justice thoughtfully nod in agreement, he continued,
"The Admiral of Affliction has mainly operated solo, specializing in curses, black fire, and frost. Anyone who opposes her inevitably falls ill with a variety of diseases. No one knows her exact pathway, but she's believed to be at Sequence 5."
Hearing this, Ebner added with a smile, "It sounds like she's a Witch."
"You may recall I once tracked a Witch of Pain, who can also be called a Demoness of Affliction since her abilities spread illness within a set radius. At first, those infected might only suffer from mild allergies, fever, or cough, but within twenty or thirty seconds, their conditions escalate to severe pneumonia or worse.
"Every Witch is skilled with black flame and frost."
Klein, seated at the head of the table, nodded as he listened, having made a similar deduction. Watching Mr. Tower casually share his insights, he couldn't help but wonder: Mr. Tower seems to know a lot about witches—always tangling with them, even using a weapon crafted by a Witch. Could he have, like Roselle, personally "investigated" one?
Unaware that Klein was quietly speculating about him, Ebner would have happily drawn a witch-themed gift basket in return, as if to say, "You've encountered plenty of witches yourself, Mr. Fool!"
"So, the 'pain' in Pain Witch's name refers to the torment of disease?" Alger, the Hanged Man, mused aloud thoughtfully.
Actually, it could also mean "ruining happiness and gaining pain"… but that's part of the Witches' acting method, and there's no need to spread that around. Ebner kept his thoughts to himself.
"Thank you both, Mr. Hanged Man, and Mr. Tower." Audrey expressed her gratitude, then continued, "A serial murder case recently occurred in Backlund, with eleven victims so far. One has been confirmed to be a copycat, but the original murders targeted women who previously worked as streetwalkers but now have legitimate jobs. The killer has been eviscerating them and removing all their internal organs."
"That sounds demonic—related to a cult, perhaps? The Blood Worshippers? Or maybe an associate of the serial killer from Tingen, killing people to obtain one of those 'Blasphemy Card' rewards Mr. Tower once mentioned?" Alger instantly speculated.
"I think so too," Audrey agreed, glancing at Mr. Tower.
After a moment's consideration, Ebner replied, "The killer may indeed have been drawn to Backlund by the Blasphemy Card, but his motive for the murders isn't what you think."
"Then what is it?" Audrey asked, perplexed.
Before he could answer, Derrick the Sun blurted out, "It's for the ritual to advance to Sequence 5."
He knows? Well, considering that before the Cataclysm—and especially in the Second Epoch—demons were a scourge on the world, despised by giants and dragons alike, it's natural for Silver City to have records on them… Their history was never hidden, rewritten, or broken… Klein pondered, casting a thoughtful glance at the Sun and then at the Tower and Judgment. From what they'd discussed in the past, it was clear they, too, were well-versed in demonology.
But why wouldn't Ms. Judgment, as an official MI9 agent, simply arrest him? She's got a strong sense of justice.
And as Mr. Tower, a student of Detective Stanton, he hasn't shown any intention of helping his mentor with the case either…
There must be a reason I'm unaware of.
On the other side of the table, Derrick proceeded to explain the ritual in detail, ending with, "The minimum number of victims needed is thirteen, and the maximum is forty-nine. The more complete the ritual, the greater the chance of advancement.
"The interval between killings must be at least three days to avoid losing control, but it can't exceed nine days, or the ritual resets."
"Horrifying…" Audrey muttered, genuine fear in her voice. "The sooner he's caught, the better."
Xio, seated beside her, sighed and remarked, "It's not so simple… catching a devil depends entirely on luck. Bait and traps are useless."
"Why?" Audrey turned to the usually quiet member with a curious gaze.
"Devils can sense and perceive anyone harboring ill intent toward them, so they can always avoid official ambushes…" This was something Xio had learned from Ebner and later confirmed in MI9's files.
"Yes, different devils may have different types of premonitions, but they can all detect where the danger lies and who poses it, allowing them to kill or retaliate in advance…" Derrick echoed Xio's explanation with a textbook-like cadence.
That's a terrifying skill… but it's more like a "hunch" that only warns them of threats, unlike the combat-sense instinct of a Clown. It reminds me of the "premonition" abilities in fantasy novels from my past life… I wonder if, with the unique protection of this mystical Gray Fog, I could interfere with or even block this "intuition"? Klein leaned back in his chair, mentally weighing the idea.
"How could he be caught, then? Are we to wait until he completes the ritual and stops killing?" Audrey winced, even imagining the outcome felt too horrific.
In truth, Ebner didn't have a foolproof solution either; otherwise, he'd have shared it with his mentor already. In fact, he had taken to the streets at night since advancing to Polymath, hoping to stumble upon the demon hound—though with no success.
Xio was in the same situation. Although she was only an Interrogator, Vera allowed her to carry a Grade-2 Sealed Artifact on patrol, so she was confident she wouldn't lose a fight with the demon.
With no further ideas, the topic drifted to an end. Then, when Sun asked about a discovery Silver City had made during their last exploration—a naked man nailed upside-down on a cross—he received a reply from the Fool himself: the Fallen Creator.
Upon hearing this, Derrick was reminded of Elder Lovia and grew anxious for Silver City's safety. After all, in a past Tarot meeting, he'd learned that the Fallen Creator was another name for the True Creator and wielded control over the Shepherd Pathway.
At that moment, having gauged his remaining spirit energy, Klein used World to ask one final question:
"Has anyone heard of the Genie's Lamp?"