In the windowless basement, Alger Wilson sat beside a long table cluttered with various vials and parchment scrolls.
Before him, a half-burned candle stood upright, its dim yellow flame casting flickering shadows across the objects on the table's surface, creating an eerie interplay of light and shadow.
Alger's hair, dark blue and nearly black, lay in a tangled mess like seaweed, and he wore a robe embroidered with lightning patterns. His hands were clasped, thumbs touching, as he leaned forward, gazing intently at a bottle of pitch-black liquid to the left of the candle.
Whoooosh! Whoooosh!
The sealed bottle occasionally emitted the sound of fierce winds, followed by the roaring surge of ocean waves. Above the unfilled portion of the black liquid, a thin mist swirled and shifted, as if forming eyes and a mouth.
Alger glanced at the clock on the wall and saw the hour hand pointing to three.
He pressed his temples, and his eyes turned a deep shade of black. The various objects on the table began to emit a subtle glow.
At that moment, he noticed a flood of deep red light emerging from nowhere, engulfing him entirely in a surge!
...
In Backlund, in the Queen's District, inside the luxurious Hall family mansion.
After seeing off her dance instructor, Audrey locked her bedroom door and sat primly in front of her dressing table.
Outside, the sun shone brightly, and flowers bloomed in vibrant colors. On the table lay a notebook bound with light brown, fine parchment, open and waiting. Beside it sat a golden-tipped pen embedded with red gemstones.
Audrey tested her grip, ensuring she could reach for the pen the moment she left the "gathering" to record the formula as quickly as possible.
"This is so exciting…" she took a deep breath, suppressing her excitement as she gazed into the mirror.
But instead of her reflection, she saw only deep red, an illusory glow bursting forth from around and within her!
...
Above the gray fog, inside the grand temple that resembled a giant's residence.
On either side of the bronze table, deep red light bloomed, rising like a fountain before cascading down, "sculpting" two hazy figures. Their positions were unchanged from the last gathering.
Audrey, with her golden hair flowing and tall frame, instinctively looked toward the head of the table. She saw the figure shrouded in dense gray fog leaning back, one hand resting on the edge of the table, while the other hovered near his chin, lightly pinching it in thought.
"Good afternoon, Mister Fool~!" Audrey called cheerfully.
Then she turned her head to the opposite side and, with the same tone, said, "Good afternoon, Mister Hanged Man~!"
This girl is so carefree… She's completely certain I'm a good person? Not afraid at all? The sheltered life of a noble, I suppose? Klein smiled slightly, maintaining his enigmatic demeanor.
"Good afternoon, Miss Justice," he replied, bowing his head slightly and raising his loosely held left hand to tap his brow twice.
In an instant, his vision shifted, and he saw the aura radiating from both Justice and the Hanged Man!
The surrounding gray fog and the deep red stars remained unchanged; nothing resembling an ethereal presence or a luminous essence with a semblance of life appeared.
Shifting his gaze slightly, Klein observed Justice's aura, finding that its colors matched Old Neil's descriptions precisely—red where it should be red, purple where it should be purple, blue where it should be blue, and white where it should be white. The aura was bright and appropriately dense, radiating the vitality of a young woman.
"Her emotional colors show hints of red and yellow—joy, passion, excitement…" Klein assessed, then turned his focus to the Hanged Man.
Like Justice, the Hanged Man's aura appeared ordinary in its colors, though his emotions showed a prominent blue, with touches of orange.
"Calm, thoughtful, cautious, and perhaps a touch of satisfaction?" Klein, attempting this for the first time, made a tentative conclusion.
Just as he was about to look away, he noticed something odd.
The Hanged Man's innermost aura layer appeared unusually unified in color and sensation!
Concentrating, Klein discerned that deep within the Hanged Man's ether body lay a shade of dark blue, like ocean waters, evoking the image of stormy winds and surging waves.
"His astral body? Or perhaps the outer layer of his astral body? If that's the case, he really is an extraordinary, and possibly even more powerful than Old Neil," Klein pondered, filled with curiosity. "Then again, it could just be this unique setting, my own domain, allowing me to see this. Perhaps Old Neil would exhibit similar signs if viewed here."
He glanced at Justice again, confirming that her aura also held the hallmarks of an extraordinary.
At this moment, Alger finished his greeting.
Audrey took a gentle breath, her voice filled with anticipation as she asked, "Mr. Hanged Man, did you receive the box of ghost shark blood?"
Alger looked over at Klein, who was tapping his brow as if lost in thought.
"Thank you very much. It met all my expectations perfectly. I truly didn't expect you to get it to me so quickly; ghost shark blood isn't just any extraordinary material," Alger responded sincerely.
Audrey smiled modestly, "I'm glad to see it worked out."
Having been fascinated with the mystical since childhood, she'd formed connections with others in noble circles who shared her interests. They would exchange information, books, and rare items. However, none of them had ever gained supernatural powers or become true extraordinaries. A few princes had hinted that, should she wish to become a princess, she would receive whatever gifts she desired.
Audrey had managed to procure the ghost shark blood directly from her family's treasury. Since the inventory listed it as a "large bottle," without specifying milliliters or whether it was full, she was confident that siphoning off a small portion would go unnoticed. Even if it were somehow discovered, she was sure her parents wouldn't make an issue of it.
Alger gave the Fool a deep glance through the dense gray fog before turning back to Audrey with a slight smile.
"According to our agreement, I'll now tell you the formula for the 'Audience' potion."
Audrey took a deep breath, focusing all her attention. "I'm ready. Please begin."
"Low-sequence potions are quite simple to prepare; just follow the order precisely. But remember, always err on the side of using slightly less rather than more. Too much can lead to disastrous results. You've heard of the danger of losing control, so I won't repeat it," Alger began with a warning.
Audrey nodded lightly. "I fully understand."
As she spoke, she glanced at Mister Fool, curious if he had anything to add. However, in her gaze, the Fool remained seated quietly, like a statue.
Alger continued, "Using less doesn't mean deviating excessively. If you don't have assistance, I suggest spending some time familiarizing yourself with basic chemistry procedures."
"I have a tutor for that," Audrey replied without hesitation.
Alger went over some more detailed tolerances, then smoothly recited the formula:
"'Audience,' Sequence 9 potion. You'll need 80 milliliters of pure water, 5 drops of autumn crocus essence, 13 grams of bovine peony powder, 7 petals of elven flower, a pair of adult Manhar fish eyes, and 35 milliliters of horned blackfish blood."
"The last two are the primary ingredients, both sourced from extraordinary marine species. Handle them with care."
"Got it." Audrey mentally repeated the list, "80 milliliters of pure water, 5 drops of autumn crocus essence, 13 grams of bovine… bovine…"
"Peony powder," Alger reminded her.
With his help, Audrey gradually committed the formula to memory, though she continued murmuring it to herself for reassurance, repeating it several times.
"Do you know how to meditate?" Alger asked. Seeing her nod, he continued, "I'm not sure what type of meditation you practice, so let me describe this: after ingesting the potion, begin meditating immediately to control your spirituality and power. It's essential to practice daily to truly grasp the potion's power, to unlock its symbolic meaning and hidden mysteries. Only through this can you minimize the risk of losing control. The potion's symbolic meaning lies in its 'name'—like 'Audience'!"
Klein had been listening quietly, not planning to intervene, simply memorizing and learning from their conversation. But as he heard this, a thought struck him.
Audrey was listening intently to the Hanged Man's explanation and was just about to ask a few follow-up questions when she suddenly heard a tapping sound on the table.
She and Alger both turned to look at Klein, who sat at the head of the table. The mysterious figure tapped his fingers lightly, then spoke in a deep voice:
"It's not about mastering; it's about digesting."
"Not about unlocking; but playing the role."
"The name of the potion isn't just a symbol—it's an image, and it's the key to digestion."
Audrey was left both stunned and confused, not entirely grasping what Mister Fool was trying to convey.
Out of reflex, she glanced at the Hanged Man, only to see him shudder and freeze in place, as if struck by a sudden and thunderous revelation.
"Digest… play the role… digest, play the role… digest, play the role… key…" Alger murmured repeatedly, as though he had stumbled upon a crucial revelation or had fallen under a strange enchantment.
After a moment, he finally raised his head, his voice hoarse. "Thank you, Mister Fool. Your guidance is as precious to me as life itself. This has clarified many things for me. Of course, I realize I don't fully understand yet."
Maintaining his air of mystique, Klein gave a slight smile and said, "This is the advance payment."
In truth, Klein himself didn't fully understand the exact meaning of the words he had just spoken. He was only certain that Emperor Roselle had far surpassed the average extraordinary, even someone like the Hanged Man.
Advance payment… Audrey noted the Hanged Man's reaction, realizing the value of the hint just given. Reflecting on it, she asked, "Mister Fool, what would you like us to do?"
Alger nodded from across the table. "Do you have a task for us?"
Klein leaned back slightly, glancing at each of them before speaking in a low, steady voice:
"Help me collect Roselle Gustav's secret diary, even if it's just a single page."