Alger's body shook, his head lowered as the words reverberated in his mind.
'An evil god.'
Although he already had an idea that it could be the case, hearing it directly felt different.
Alger had never heard of the Fool before. However, instead of a high sequence beyonder or a hidden existence, He had introduced himself as an evil god.
What would He do to them now that He had said this? Were they done for? Would He kill them? Use them as sacrifices? Why did He tell them that He was an evil god?
Did he not know of the Fool because everyone who had come in contact with that existence died?
Beside him, the blond young lady was similarly frozen.
'An evil god?'
Embarrassed, Audrey looked at the Fool, then at the scared Alger, and calmed down.
He appeared trustworthy and didn't seem to have any ill will toward them. Moreover, she reasoned that since He was so strong that He could make a table appear out of thin air, they would've already been dead if He had intended to kill them.
It was a train of thought she could have only because she was still naive and ignorant of the Beyonder world.
Meanwhile, the Fool watched them, resigned to his fate.
Right, was it too much to say that he was an evil god?
This moment was already over. He wouldn't be able to talk to them anymore. Maybe he shouldn't have told them that after all.
He only got what he deserved.
Should he send them back now?
The Fool didn't want to admit that he felt slightly disappointed.
Snapping him out of his thoughts, the young lady hesitantly spoke.
"Then, are you not going to send us back?"
Alger stared at her in horror. How did she dare to ask such a question?
He trembled even more, thinking that the Fool would kill her for her insolence.
However, contrary to his expectations, the Fool replied to the brave young lady.
"Uh… I'll still send you back?"
Of course he would. Didn't he already tell her that?
Satisfied with his answer, Audrey clapped her hands, a relieved smile forming on her face.
"Great. Then nothing has changed, has it?"
Alger stared at Audrey, shocked.
'She's still alive.'
The Fool hadn't struck her with lightning.
This young lady was truly ignorant.
The Fool was also stunned, wondering what kind of strange person he had brought into Sefirah Castle.
Did she really just believe him? Just like that?
She wasn't scared?
Wow, she would die fast. She seemed so naive that it was worrying.
Although he wasn't the type to go back on his word, was it really okay to accept the words of an evil god without any doubt?
With his spiritual intuition, he could see that she was still slightly scared, wary and on guard, but this wasn't nearly enough.
On the contrary, the other guy…
'Why is he so scared?'
What kind of strange thoughts was he having? The Fool didn't show any sign of hostility, did he? Then why was the other man acting as if he would be killed at any moment? Wasn't this reaction going a bit overboard?
Nevermind, this was still a far more normal reaction compared to Audrey.
Well, it wasn't his business if the young lady was so naive that she got scammed in the future. She seemed rich anyway.
Audrey stood up, held up her skirt slightly and bent her knees, curtseying to the Fool.
"Honorable Mr. Fool, would you please permit me to take the liberty of requesting you to be the witness of our trade?"
'Because the trade is still ongoing?'
The Fool decided to just accept the situation and glanced at Alger.
The person in question was frozen, probably thinking that their previous conversation was invalid due to the sudden strange introduction of the Fool.
However, he remembered the young lady's words and regained his composure.
That's right. Although the Fool had presented Himself as an evil god, nothing had changed. It's just that it was verbally confirmed, that's all.
Despite the lingering doubts in Alger's mind as he reconsidered his life's choices, the previous atmosphere of fear seemed like a lie.
Staring at the scene, the Fool also reconsidered his life's choices, but since nobody knew it, that was also fine.
He just resigned himself and nodded.
"Okay."
"It's our honor, Mr. Fool." Alger stood up as well, hiding his shaking. He bent his back slightly with his right palm over his chest.
The Fool looked at the two of them, silence settling in, after finally intervening when he saw that the two didn't seem to have any intention of sitting back down.
"…You don't need to be so polite."
The cheerful young lady smiled and took it as permission to sit down, the other man following suit.
While she couldn't feel completely comfortable being in the presence of a god (Alger even less), she still relaxed slightly.
As expected, how could a gentleman who acted like that be an evil god? That didn't suit the stories she read at all!
Moreover, she was amazed to be able to speak to such a high-ranking existence.
'I didn't know gods would be so polite… No, Audrey, that's rude!'
The Fool glanced strangely at Alger who seemed to tremble even more, his mind full of conspiracy theories, and decided to ignore it.
"Shall we continue?"
Alger still stared as Audrey in horror, but seeing that the evil god didn't stop them, he finally recalled at what point their previous conversation had stopped.
"If you can obtain the Ghost Shark's blood, get someone to send it to the Warrior & Sea Bar at Pelican Street, in the White Rose Borough of Pritz Harbor. Tell the boss, Williams, that it's what the 'Captain' wants."
The Fool didn't mention the sacrificial ritual that would make this trade far easier.
"Once I acknowledge receipt, will you be giving me an address to mail the potion formula to or do you want me to tell it to you here directly?"
Audrey thought for a moment before saying with a smile, "I will choose the more secure method. Let's do it here, although it's a test of my memory."
Since Mr. Fool had agreed to bear witness for the trade, it also represented that there would be a similar 'gathering' the next time.
With this in mind, she suddenly turned her head as she looked at the Fool with sparkling eyes. With a tone of interest, she suggested, "Mr. Fool, would you mind making a few more 'attempts' like this?"
As for Alger, he was slightly hesitant. Yet, seeing the young lady's expectant gaze, he also insisted, "Mr. Fool, don't you find such 'gatherings' interesting? Although your powers exceed our imaginations, there has to be certain domains that you don't understand or excel in. The person across me is obviously a young lady of lofty stature. I also have my unique set of experiences, insights, mediums, and resources. Perhaps there will come a day when both of us can help you complete something trivial that might be inconvenient for you."
From his point of view, the fact that he had been pulled into this space without any warning or any means to resist meant that the mysterious Mr. Fool was in control. Participating in the 'gatherings' was not necessarily something he could refuse. Therefore, it was better to reap the benefits of this encounter as much as he could to make up for his passive and disadvantaged state.
No, what was he saying, how could a god be unable to do something? Was he too rude?
But He was still an evil god, so He couldn't act in plain sight and His influence should be restricted…
A young lady of lofty stature… Was my behavior and accent that obvious? Audrey stared blankly, mouth slightly agape, but she soon jolted back to her senses and nodded her head without any hesitation.
"Mr. Fool, I think it's a very good suggestion. As long as this gathering becomes regular, you can totally leave certain things that are inconvenient for you to us. Of course, it has to be something within our capacities."
The Fool stared at them blankly.