After hearing Miss Temperance's explanation, the other members at the long table fell into thought.
The two words were naturally antonyms, so using them to describe opposing methods of acting made perfect sense. The problem was that this meant a potion's name and symbolism could be interpreted in completely opposite ways. Wouldn't that lead to confusion in acting, or even a loss of control-or was this something unique to Miss Temperance's pathway?
A moment later, Mr. Tower seemed to forget that he had just opposed sharing knowledge for free. He broke the silence first and asked, "Could you explain the difference between these two approaches? Can completely opposite methods of acting really digest the same Sequence's potion?"
"Of course," Temperance, who came from the Southern Continent, replied with a nod. "My pathway is closely connected to desire and madness. After drinking a potion, Beyonders must not only resist the lingering mental influence within it, but also confront their own desires as they act.
"In the Southern Continent, some people choose to suppress these desires, letting them accumulate deep within until they erupt at a critical moment, producing terrifying power. Others believe that consciousness itself is born of various desires. Since that is the case, rather than suppressing those desires, they consistently indulge them and let them burn. This not only strengthens their will, but also allows them to accomplish all sorts of incredible things.
"Their practical experience has shown that both approaches can indeed digest potions through acting, but they produce entirely different personalities and ways of handling matters."
So that's it. Both 'temperance' and 'indulgence' are directed at desire itself; they merely handle it differently. One is
*an eruption after suppression, while the other follows its natural course-so different methods of acting still need the same anchor, rather than