Hmm, were my eyes playing tricks on me?
She looked away from him, then glanced back a few seconds later as though by chance. This time, the man did not turn around again in response to her scrutiny, but under Spirit Vision, his movements as he adjusted his face covering and collar still showed a noticeable lag.
Charlotte touched her earlobe to deactivate Spirit Vision, then narrowed her eyes and watched him closely. She soon noticed that, to her ordinary sight, all those stiff, puppetlike movements had vanished. The rise and fall of his shoulders and the shifting of his legs looked perfectly normal.
But in mysticism, the nonphysical parts of a person were divided, from innermost to outermost, into the Spirit Body, Astral Body, Mental Body, and Ether Body. Spirit Vision observed the outermost Ether Body, whose outline overlapped perfectly with the surface of the physical body. It should have been impossible for the physical body to move normally while the Ether Body lagged behind, unless that person's spirit and flesh had completely separated and he had become a corpse.
How could a dead man attend an underground gathering and even nod at me...? There might be something wrong with him. Perhaps his spirit body differs from a normal person's, or perhaps he's carrying a Sealed Artifact powerful enough to affect his own spirit body... Either way, the fact that he noticed my scrutiny instantly and located me means he's probably a Beyonder... Charlotte realized she could not keep observing him so rudely. She looked away again and waited for the trading session to officially begin.
Of course, she did not expect too much. From her observations earlier, she had noticed that although everyone here concealed their identities and put on an air of mystery, there were probably very few actual Beyonders. Otherwise, with their spirituality enhanced by potions, they should have reacted to her scrutiny much as that man had. Yet apart from this odd fellow whose spirit body chased after his physical body, none of the gathering's participants had noticed.
Still, the organizer is probably a Beyonder, and might even have ties to the Machinery Hivemind... No wonder Henri recommended this place. With the tacit approval of official Beyonders, few wild Beyonders, manageable risks, and relaxed rules, it's suitable for a newcomer to mysticism like me... While she pondered this, the hooded man at the round table had already motioned for the first person to his left to start naming her price.
The middle-aged woman, whose hands were tucked into her sleeves, looked around before saying:
"I'm selling two bottles of a stimulant with special powers. It keeps you in high spirits and full of energy for an entire day, without tiring. One hundred Verl D'Or per bottle."
As she spoke, she pulled her hands out of her sleeves, each holding a small glass bottle sealed with a cork. The dark yellow liquid inside glimmered in the dim candlelight.
As soon as she finished, several men nearby chuckled quietly.
Without tiring... Is this another world's version of Red Bull? Wait, then what are they laughing about...? It took Charlotte another moment to realize what the two bottles were actually intended for, and she immediately felt rather awkward.
Apparently, this was not the woman's first time selling medicine at the gathering. No one questioned its effects, and the two bottles of "stimulant" were quickly purchased, with the hooded organizer taking ten Verl D'Or.
With the first successful deal concluded, the other participants soon brought out the items they had prepared to sell. Someone offered bones wrapped in black cloth, claiming they were the remains of a monster that had been hunted down. Someone else sought a ritual that could change a person's luck, willing to pay a high price for the relevant steps or incantations... The trades covered everything from folk remedies to bizarre objects, with nothing particularly dangerous among them.
No wonder the Machinery Hivemind hasn't shut this place down... Charlotte pondered this and shook her head when the hooded man pointed at her, indicating that she had nothing to sell.
But the next participant's words immediately caught her attention:
"I'm selling a formula that can be used to brew a potion with miraculous powers."
A potion formula? Can those really be bought and sold so freely? Charlotte looked at the man to her left, who wore a brown cloak and spoke in a somewhat shrill voice. The others turned toward him as well. Clearly, even those who were not Beyonders understood the significance of a "potion" after attending a few gatherings.
The man in the brown cloak was pleased with their reaction. Lowering his voice, he continued:
"It's called 'Knight.' Once you drink it, you'll immediately gain the ability to tame and ride any animal, along with increased strength and stamina. It'll make you a true, unstoppable knight, or the center of everyone's attention on the hunting grounds.
"The price is one thousand Verl D'Or."
Knight... The same naming convention as Warrior and Assassin? If this is a genuine potion formula, isn't one thousand Verl D'Or too cheap...? Charlotte instinctively compared it with the other potions she knew, but kept Viève's warning firmly in mind and did not ask for details.
The man selling the formula waited a few seconds, his gaze drifting almost imperceptibly toward her before moving away again, as though trying to judge whether this young newcomer would be tempted by the miraculous potion.
Heh, so I'm his target... Charlotte laughed inwardly and pretended not to understand what the formula meant.
One thousand Verl D'Or sounded like a considerable sum, worth more than forty Gold Louis, but if this truly was a Sequence 9 potion formula, the price was absurdly low.
Even official Beyonders had to make sufficient contributions before earning the opportunity to drink a potion. Could she really buy one at an underground gathering in the Harbor District for the equivalent of a silk worker's annual income?
If there really were such a cheap way to become a Beyonder, the Machinery Hivemind would probably have come knocking long ago, and "Knight" might well have been among the Sequence 9 potions available to Roselle.
It looks like I need to confirm the names of the twenty-two pathways as soon as possible. Otherwise, I can't even tell whether a potion formula is real... Charlotte pondered this, watching impassively as the man in the brown cloak reluctantly repeated the Knight potion's effects and price. In the end, no one responded, and he sat down in disappointment.
After him came the black-haired man who had struck Charlotte as unusual.
He picked up a long object wrapped in dark cloth from beside his feet, unwrapped it, and placed it on the round table.
It was a brass stand covered in a rust-colored patina. Its shape alone resembled a three-branched candlestick, but after turning it over in her mind, Charlotte realized that it did not seem suitable for either a tabletop or a wall. If she had to find somewhere to put it, perhaps hanging it upside down from the ceiling, with the candles burning downward, would be the correct way to use it.
"An antique from the Tudor Dynasty, for just five hundred Verl D'Or. Perhaps someone can use it to uncover certain secrets of the Fourth Epoch."
The man's voice was surprisingly gentle as he introduced it, as though he were teaching history to a group of students from a lectern.
Someone at the opposite end of the round table scoffed and said:
"This is a gathering for studying mysticism and supernatural matters. What people need is knowledge, medicine, and things with genuine power. You should try a museum in the Bols District and see whether anyone there wants to buy it."
"Quiet, unless you're negotiating a price."
The organizer issued the warning.
When no one offered to buy it, the black-haired man shook his head, wrapped the candlestick up again, and set it beside his feet.
The next few rounds of trading ended quickly, and the gathering moved on to open discussion. The somewhat stifling atmosphere in the room immediately relaxed. Several people who clearly knew one another leaned close and conversed in low voices. Some rose and went to a corner to inspect materials that had failed to sell, while others simply remained seated, seemingly eavesdropping on everyone else.
Charlotte had intended to take this opportunity to approach the black-haired man with the abnormal spirit body, but the moment she stood up, the man in the brown cloak selling the Knight potion formula came over first.
"Madam, you seemed quite interested in that formula earlier," he said in a very low voice tinged with an inexplicable urgency. "This is your last chance. I might not come here again. If you're concerned about the price, I can let it go for nine hundred Verl D'Or."
Did you memorize those lines beforehand? I haven't even said a word, and you're already lowering your own price... Charlotte nearly laughed. Just as she was about to expose his clumsy lie, the black-haired, blue-eyed man approached them, still carrying the antique candlestick from the Tudor Dynasty.
"I've attended several gatherings like this. A genuine Sequence 9 potion formula costs at least four thousand Verl D'Or. If the ingredients are included, the price doubles," he said gently. "If you're trying to scam someone, remember to ask for more next time."
"You..."
The man in the brown cloak was visibly angered. His shoulder shifted, and he raised his clenched right fist, but then he quickly glanced at the organizer seated at the table in the center of the room. Remembering the rules the man had stated earlier, he ultimately refrained from striking. Instead, he gave a cold snort and turned to leave.
Charlotte looked at the man whose expression was hidden behind his face covering. Resisting the urge to rub her earlobe and activate Spirit Vision, she gave a slight nod.
"I was about to expose him myself, but thank you for the warning nonetheless."
"I could tell you weren't like those people desperate to buy a potion." The man accepted her less-than-sincere gratitude, then unwrapped the oddly shaped candlestick. "Since you don't seem like someone who would lose money to a fake formula, would you consider buying this? It really is an artifact from the Fourth Epoch. Its value is far beyond what you imagine."
Do I look like someone desperate to study the history of the Fourth Epoch...? Charlotte grumbled inwardly. She was about to shake her head and refuse when she suddenly remembered the history books in the office of Morvan Durand, the lawyer who had just become her business partner, and the furtive glances he had cast at her on several occasions. An idea stirred, and she said:
"I'm willing to believe you, but five hundred Verl D'Or is still too expensive."
The black-haired man answered quickly, as though he had known she would bargain:
"Two hundred and forty Verl D'Or. I'll cover the transaction fee as well."
Charlotte froze, her gaze shifting from the candlestick to his covered face, where only his deep blue eyes were visible.
The money in her pocket amounted to exactly two hundred and forty Verl D'Or-not a coin more or less.