That was a crucial question, but it was not one they needed to resolve right away. As far as Alice could tell, the day when the dream became reality was still far off.
So Alice merely made a mental note of it, then tried to remember what they had been discussing before.
...Strange. How did we get onto this subject?
Alice scratched her head, remembered Justice Audrey's question, and turned to give her a slightly more formal answer:
"What I said just now... I was joking.
"Bernadette is Roselle's eldest daughter and the Queen of Mysteries at sea... Oh, right, I think she also founded the Elements of Dawn!
"Hmm..."
Alice frowned and glanced at Cattleya of the Moss Ascetic Order. Then something suddenly occurred to her.
The child she raised joined a rival organization. No wonder she got angry and kicked her out... Hmm? Wait. Why does that sound like a rebellious teenage girl running away from home?
Alice blinked and raised a serious question:
"Does becoming a Beyonder slow or even halt your mental development?"
That...
The Hanged Man Alger hesitated, then looked at Alice.
Alice met his gaze in confusion. As the implication in his eyes dawned on her, she pointed at herself and asked, blinking:
"...Me?
"But my situation... Uh, what I actually meant was, do Mid-to-Low Sequence Beyonders experience anything similar?"
She looked around the table. Cattleya, who had not understood what she was asking, answered her question:
"Not usually."
So Miss Hermit wasn't a rebellious girl who ran away from home?
A little disappointed, Alice shook her head and leaned back in her chair.
That meant she was done talking. Klein glanced at Alice, then had the World turn toward the Sun Derrick and say with a low chuckle:
"I have the Notary Potion