Sharron chose not to answer Altair. Instead, she looked at Maric, who lay slumped on the floor, his face filled with grief, anger, and pain. She shook her head, signaling that he needed to restrain himself and not act rashly.
Only after calming Maric did Sharron raise her head again and repeat her previous question without emotion. "What sort of cooperation do you want?"
Altair's eyes curved slightly. Though she wore a smile, her tone brooked no argument. "I need you to sell me all the Beyonder Knowledge Books you brought with you when you defected from the Rose School."
July 25, 1348, afternoon.
After finishing her thank-you letter, Altair picked up one of the books beside her, which Sharron had just delivered. They contained the Rose School's research into Beyonder matters.
Before long, however, she closed the book and prepared to put it back, giving up on studying it. None of this could provide her with any useful knowledge.
The Rose School's research into Beyonder knowledge primarily centered on the "The Hanged Man" pathway. Most of the books Altair had obtained taught newcomers to this pathway how to use their abilities effectively and create advantageous conditions in combat—the Temperance Faction's philosophy—as well as research into this pathway's high sequence advancement rituals.
But the research into advancement rituals was like an incomplete text. It only described the Sequence Four advancement ritual in detail. These books made no further mention of anything higher, such as Sequence Three.
A small portion covered "Sanguine" black magic, Beyonder potions, worship of the Primordial Moon, invocation rituals, and other related subjects.
These books were like a single spark left for future generations before a civilization collapsed. They did not record its former splendor and glory or preserve the prosperity and craftsmanship of its golden age.