'Good afternoon, Mr Fool'
Miss Justice better known as Audrey bowed. Following that, she turned her head and looked at the person opposite her. With the same tone, she said, "Good afternoon, Mr. Hanged Man~!"
Klein smiled and maintained his unfathomable image.
"Good afternoon, Miss Justice."
Miss Justice paused as she noticed a new member. She began to observe him, he had moppy white hair and red eyes that pierced through the grey fog. His attire seemed somewhat blurry but it seemed to be of high quality, with a distinct Loen Kingdom style.
Mr. Fool then spoke drawing everyone's attention: "This is Miss Justice, and this is Mr. Hanged Man. The new member is Death"
"Good afternoon, Mr. Death" Miss Justice said with a smile. Mr. Death seemed like he was from a high class making Audrey feel somewhat close to him.
Atlas then smiled wickedly: "Let's see what we have here, a high-ranking noble from the Loen Kingdom and a Pirate from the Church Of The Lord Of The Storms. This gathering is diabolical"
Atlas's voice echoed throughout the grand hall, making Audrey, Alger and Klein's heart pound.
They quickly recovered from the shock but the damage was done. Audrey was the first to voice out her doubts: "Mr. Death, how did you find out our identities?"
Atlas smiled and replied: "First, you are wearing clothes that no common man can afford, the second thing is that some of these clothes can't be bought even with a viscount's pay. So I guessed you were a high-ranking noble"
Audrey slumped in her chair and said quietly: "So that's how"
Atlas took a breath before continuing: "Mr. Hanged Man on the other hand has blue hair, a common characteristic of being a Beyonder of the sailor pathway, which is strictly controlled by the church. So that was easy to guess."
Klein was stunned at his deduction skills: "Mr. Death seems like a high sequence Beyonder. Yes, he probably is one; when I first made contact with him, he said he was on the verge of losing control. So that might be the reason why; I have to be careful or my mask will quickly fall off'
Klein was a bit excited to try out his spiritual vision, he quietly lowered his head and tapped his gabella twice. He shifted his gaze to Audrey
'The colours of her emotions are red and yellow. That's joy, zeal, and annoyance…' The latter stumped Klein, he noticed how Audrey was giving a side-eye to the man farthest away from him.
'Of course, she's probably annoyed that he guessed everything about her.'
Changing his gaze to The Hanged Man, Klein saw nothing special. He then directed his sight to Mr. Death. Klein was sure that the grey fog would protect him from any danger coming from gazing at a high-sequence Beyonder.
But, when he activated his spiritual vision to look at Mr. Death. A dark fog emanated from his body and wrapped tightly around his Ether body protecting him.
'What is that?, is that the natural protection of a high-sequence Beyonder?' Klein was stumped at the appearance of the fog.
At that moment m, Audrey started speaking: "Mr. Hanged Man, did you receive the box of Ghost Shark Blood?"
Atlas smiled at her words, his intent to create drama flared: "Oh, Ghost Shark Blood huh?'
Atlas then directed his gaze to The Hanged Man: "So tell me Mr. Hanged Man, have you digested your sequence eight potion and have you gathered all of the ingredients for the seafarer potion"
Alger grit his teeth in frustration, he wanted to choke Death, but refrained due to the 'Great Existence' in front of him. 'Where did Mr. Fool find him, he's very well versed in Beyonder knowledge, is he a high-sequence Beyonder?'
'With one word, Mr. Death found out Mr. Hanged Man's sequence, he's terrifying. I underestimated him, I should be really careful. Seafarer, is that his sequence seven potion name?'
Before things escalated further, Atlas laughed and waved his hand: "Don't worry, I won't pry furthur."
Alger let out a sigh before he turned to look at the figure on the top: "Mr. Fool, is there any way to make our conversation private, I wanna tell Miss Justice her formula."
Klein panicked; he hadn't thought of this before. Thinking quickly, he controlled the grey fog and surrounded Atlas with it, this cut off Atlas from the conversation.
Atlas's lips twitched, "Fuck you Alger". Their conversation soon ended, Atlas soon thought of a good way to make money but he knew if he didn't say it quickly he would lose that ability.
He cleared his throat, attracting everyone's attention. "Miss Justice, Mr. Hanged Man, when I teased Mr. Hanged Man earlier. I remembered I didn't tell you something. This is a very big secret, this information is also very restricted —
Before Atlas could finish, Miss Justice interrupted him: "What information is it, Mr. Death?!" she asked curiously
Atlas's lips twitched before he regained his composure: " This information can boost your digestion by 90%, normally digesting a potion takes three years, but with this method it takes only a half a year. But this information is not free"
Audrey excitedly asked: "How much is it!"
Atlas smiled: "600 pounds"
Alger almost spit his saliva out after hearing it, he was very eager to hear this method but it cost too much. He carefully considered his words before he regretfully spoke
"I'll stay out of this deal"
But, Audrey didn't have any problems like that, she quickly said: "Deal"
Atlas smiled, 'As expected from the back of the tarot club. She throws 600 pounds like it's nothing. That money is enough for a family to live for an entire generation'. He could only shake his head at this.
He then turned towards Klein and spoke: "Honourable Mr. Fool, could you cut off Mr. Hanged Man from this conversation.
Klein nodded
With Alger cut off, Atlas spoke with a measured amount of speed
"The key to a potion is not grasping it but digesting it."
"It's not about discovery, but acting"
"The name of the potion is not only symbolic but also imaginary, it is the key to digestion"
Atlas then cleared his throat and stopped speaking like Klein.
"Anyways this knowledge is hidden by churches and also secret organisation because they wouldn't be able to control Beyonders if they got to powerful'
Klein's doubts were cleared when he heard this, he had been wondering the reasons why The Church hid this method. It was surprising that Mr. Death knew this, Klein's assumption about him being from a Beyonder family increased.
He had originally wanted to give this knowledge for free, to showcase his power but Mr. Death had snatched it up. But, Klein wasn't mad; he respected Mr. Death's hustle.
Audrey seemed stunned after hearing this. She repeated the words like a possessed woman, "Digesting, acting... Digesting, acting... Digesting, acting, key…"
"Anyways, I'll also add something for free. This information is worth almost 200 pounds so pay attention. It's also one of the reasons why The Church prohibits acting"
Audrey's head instantly shot up to meet his gaze, she listened intently.
"Remember that you're only acting. If you forget this, the chance of corruption shoots up higher than what my dog after he did three tons of coke"
Audrey was stunned when she heard this. "What's coke?" she asked curiously.
Atlas shrugged his shoulders "I'm not telling"
Audrey pouted at his words but nonetheless obliged. But Klein who was spying was stunned
'Did Mr. Death just say coke?, that only exists on Earth, is he a transmigrator like me?' Klein quickly composed himself before deciding to test Mr. Death on some knowledge of Earth to check if Death was actually a transmigrator.
Klein focused on the other thing that Mr. Death had said: 'Remember, you're only acting!. I wonder what would have happened to me if I didn't hear this. Mr. Death has his own disadvantages and advantages'
Klein then looked to them and asked: "Can I include Mr. Hanged Man now?"
Both of them stood up and uttered "By your grace"
Klein then brought The Hanged Man back to the table. At that time Audrey posed a doubt
"Mr. Death, how should I send you the money?"
Atlas thought for a bit before responding: "You hold onto it for the time being. I'll claim it later" He then thought for a bit before adding
"Miss Justice, could you please explain the value of the information I shared to you to The Hanged Man?"
Audrey nodded and turned to him. "Mr. Hanged Man, the value of the knowledge Mr. Death provided is very valuable. I advise you to get on it"
Alger thought for a bit before nodding his head. '600 pounds is a good deal, if in exchange I get to digest my potion earlier. The time I would save is tremendous'
He then turned to Atlas and said: "I accept"
Atlas looked amused before shaking his head: "You see it's currently 800 pounds now"
Alger's eyes popped out of his skull: "What?!"
Atlas nodded his head: "You see the extra 200 pounds is needed because of one extreme rule of acting. It was free for the first exchange but for my second not so much."
Alger grit his teeth in annoyance, he took deep breaths and calmed himself down. 'Mr. Death is probably not going to ask for the money right now. I can save some money to repay him, I think I have a month before he asks for his money. By that time, I think I can save enough money.'
Alger nodded his head much to his frustration. "I accept"
"The key to a potion is not grasping it but digesting it."
"It's not about discovery, but acting"
"The name of the potion is not only symbolic but also imaginary, it is the key to digestion"
Atlas repeated his words, "Remember that, you're only acting or the chances of corruption would skyrocket"
Alger seemed shook, his eyes were unfocused, he then uttered "Thanks for the information"
Atlas nodded his head: "No problem!"
Audrey then hesitated before asking: "Mr. Fool, is there any mission we should execute"
Klein leaned back slightly as he glanced at the two of them before saying in a soft and pleasant voice, "Collect Roselle Gustav's secret diary on my behalf, even if it's just one page of it."
"Diary? That's a diary?" Alger frowned slightly as he keenly noticed this tidbit.
Klein interlocked his fingers and said in a relaxed manner: "Let's review it as a diary"
'Being mysterious eh Klein?' Atlas did not call Klein out on his B.S because he too was a countrymen like him.
Audrey was first taken aback before she realised that she found it nothing surprising.
Audrey glanced at Atlas and found he was not surprised. 'Does Mr. Death already know that it's a secret diary?'
Even Alger and Klein noticed this tidbit. Alger stole a glance at Death "Mr. Death has a profound knowledge in mysticism"
But Klein's suspicions grew even more with this. 'He might be one of my countrymen, even if he's not we would still be from Earth.
Audrey had heard the children of other nobles mention the matter. However, she had never really learned much of it. With her curiosity piqued, she asked, "It's said that Emperor Roselle's, well, diary was written in a cryptic language or symbols he invented."
"Yes," answered Alger simply. "Some people believe that it is a unique set of symbols from mysticism. Others believe that it is a hieroglyph. But up to today, no one has found the correct way of deciphering it. At the very least, that's all I know."
With that said, he turned his head at Klein in a bid to get some confirmation or show his suspicions.
But Klein just smiled at his words.
After hearing The Hanged Man's description, Audrey said in a stumped manner, "We can't understand the symbols or the words... Then, how are we to pass the information to you, Mr. Fool? Or are we to mail it somewhere?"
At that moment, Audrey and Alger saw Mr. Fool slowly sat up amid the thick grayish fog.
"Miss Justice, let us give it a try. Imagine a paragraph of text and give it the emotions of writing it with urgency. Yes, pick up the fountain pen beside you and write on the piece of paper."
Before Klein finished his sentence, Audrey saw a piece of yellowish-brown goatskin parchment and a dark red fountain pen in front of her.
She picked up the fountain pen both curiously and doubtfully. In accordance with the instructions, she imagined a poem Emperor Roselle once wrote:
"If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind 1 ?"
After scrutinizing the text, she picked up her fountain pen and imbued them with the desire of projecting them out.
Klein sensed the emotions and using the fountain pen as a medium, he guided her.
The moment Audrey landed her fountain pen, she saw a line appear on the goatskin parchment.
"If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?"
"Goddess, how fascinating!" Audrey exclaimed in astonishment while feeling rueful.
Following that, she looked at Klein with some fear.
"Mr. Fool, can you read what I'm thinking?"
"No, I'm only guiding you. I simplified the process of writing for you and made it become an imprint. If you did not wish to express it, nothing would appear." Klein placated her with a low tone
Is that so... Then we can only memorize the symbols or the way the cryptic text looks like. Then, we can present it directly as we wish?" Audrey heaved a sigh of relief as she asked in enlightenment.
"Yes." Klein answered.
"That's not a bad method. Miss Justice, do not doubt your memory. After becoming a Spectator, you will receive immense improvement in this aspect." Alger had watched the attempt from the side, fully coming to the realisation that The Fool was more powerful and mysterious than he imagined.
As for his memory, he believed that the next advancement would improve it sufficiently.
Regarding this, Audrey nodded in delight.
"Mr. Fool, I will work hard to complete your mission. I will do my best to gather more of Emperor Roselle's secret diary."
"I mentioned before that I'm a person who likes a fair and equal exchange. The advanced payment I gave is only equivalent to two pages of the diary for each person. If there are more, I will give additional in return," Klein said calmly, like he was an adult who did not take advantage of children.
As for where the additional payment could come from, it was naturally from the newly acquired Emperor Roselle diary pages. This formed a virtuous cycle.
"You are truly a generous gentleman." Alger fell silent for a few seconds before bowing slightly with his hand by his chest.
After a few seconds, Alger sighed before saying, "It seems like there's nothing else?
"Perhaps we can have a casual chat. We can talk about things happening around us. Perhaps it is something very normal to you, but in the ears of others, it might be a very important clue."
"Sure." Klein snapped back and nodded slightly.
He was already planning to attempt to act as a Seer. After all, it did not seem like there were any negative effects from doing so.
"Then, shall we begin with you, Mr. Hanged Man?" Audrey agreed in excitement.
Alger thought for a moment before saying, "The infamous pirate who calls himself Lieutenant General Deweyville has begun his voyage to explore the eastern end of the Sonia Sea again."
"Oh? The owner of the Black Tulip?" returned Audrey with a question after some thought.
"Yes," Alger replied with a nod.
Klein caressed the side of the bronze table with his fingers before replying
"According to what I know, the Secret Order has lost an Antigonus family notebook."
"An Antigonus family notebook?" Alger repeated before smiling with a shake of his head. "I'm really curious as to what reaction the Church of the Evernight Goddess will have if they learn of it."
Atlas chuckled, "I'm also curious!"
At that moment, Audrey asked out of curiosity, "Why are you curious? What sort of special reaction would the Goddess's church have?"
Alger smiled and said, "The Antigonus family was destroyed by the Church of the Evernight Goddess."
"I'm not really sure if it happened at the end of the Fourth Epoch or the early stages of the present epoch."
Atlas with a smile spoke, "It was at the end of the Fourth Epoch."
"Their family is special because their ancestor once tried to ascend and failed to become a True God."
"The ancestor is still alive but he's gone half mad and lives on the top of the Hornacis Mountain."
Death's words made Klein's blood freeze.
" 'Hornacis Mountain' that's what I heard when I first took the Seer potion. What is it about him trying to become a God?."
Klein would have already jumped and beaten Death if he didn't want to ruin his image.
Alger was stunned at Atlas's words.
'How does he know all of this?. Was he alive during that time or does he have some powerful family?'
'Close to becoming a God' but that's blasphemy." Audrey wanted to faint right there when she heard this.
"Mr. Death, what do you mean by 'Close to becoming a God' ". Audrey asked brimming with curiosity
Atlas's smile dropped
"That is not something you should worry about right now!"