This was the plot involving Lanevus, which held little interest for Neph. To her, the scene of Klein laughing wildly after killing the swindler was probably more worth looking forward to.
-for some things, seeing the actual scene was always more impactful than reading about it.
Unfortunately, I won't get to see it...
Neph sighed, thinking how nice it would be if she could fast-forward through this part of the plot.
That dream failed to come true. Neph had no choice but to wait until this part of the plot ended. During that time, she only glanced at Lanevus's portrait, as a sort of memento.
Once the matter was settled, the World looked around and asked in that hoarse voice that gave Neph goosebumps:
"Mr. Fool told me I could post requests and gather materials here. Is that right?"
"Yes," Justice Audrey said with an elegant nod, "but you must wait patiently. The next part is Mr. Fool's reading time."
Neph glanced at the World, who was adopting a thoughtful pose, and couldn't help shaking her head before turning to look at the Hanged Man, Alger.
He had still handed over six pages of diary entries, with one final page remaining. Neph closed her eyes again and waited for Mr. Fool to finish reading.
Neph remembered that this batch of diary entries contained information about Sequence 0 and the Cards of Blasphemy. She thought she might soon be able to tell him that the Seer pathway's Sequence 0 was called the Fool.
But for now...
After finishing the diary entries, Mr. Fool reached out to tap the edge of the long table. Neph seized the opportunity and tapped the table at the same time.
Thump-
The lingering sound spread from two directions at once. Klein was momentarily bewildered. Using his Clown Beyonder ability to keep his expression under control, he quietly raised his head to look toward Neph. She snatched her hand back and spoke as though nothing had happened:
"Please continue."
Klein realized she was simply bored. He turned to Audrey and said:
"Miss Justice, you did very well. You dealt with Beckland in less than a week.
"As agreed, what would you like as your reward?"
At those words, Alger could hardly conceal his surprise. Neph looked at Alger, then at Audrey, and ventured:
"...Is Miss Justice really that terrifying?"
"..." Klein gave her a quiet look, but still translated the remark.
Alger composed his expression at her remark. Audrey felt an indescribable awkwardness, and the little thrill of secret delight she had felt vanished. She smiled and said:
"No, I should still owe you-no, your Blessed-a reward.
"The bounty on Vice Admiral Hurricane Qilingus totaled thirty thousand pounds. I should give your Blessed fifteen thousand pounds. Of that, ten thousand pounds was spent on assassinating Beckland, so I still need to pay another five thousand pounds. However, because of the Beckland incident, my finances haven't been particularly good lately. This payment will have to wait a few months. Would that be all right, Mr. Fool?"
That's not how you work out the accounts, Miss Justice. He asked you to assassinate Beckland, so he should reimburse the expenses and then provide an additional reward, or include the expenses when calculating the reward...
Neph shook her head but did not point it out. After all, a share of those five thousand pounds belonged to her.
-although money didn't seem to be of much use to her at the moment.
Klein hadn't considered it from that angle. The enormous sum of five thousand pounds left him reeling, filling him with delighted surprise for an instant. But he soon grew conflicted again, because logically, he ought to give that money to Mr. Azik-perhaps along with the ten thousand pounds spent on assassinating Beckland.
That realization left Klein somewhat alarmed. He suddenly felt he would have been better off paying with the Unshadowed potion formula back then. But it was too late for regrets now, so he merely nodded to Miss Justice and said:
"That is fine."
Ten thousand pounds... I couldn't come up with that even if you killed me. I'll write to Mr. Azik first, explain what happened, and see what he thinks...
Once the conversation ended, the World beside Neph gave a light cough and said:
"May I speak now?"
"You could speak all along," Neph replied. "Mr. Fool hasn't turned you mute... At worst, you just won't be leaving this place today."
Audrey, who had been about to speak, closed her mouth. Alger quietly shifted his gaze away from this young lady and toward Audrey opposite him.
The World spoke instead. "I wish to obtain a marrow crystal of the Elven Spring."
Neph realized this was the World's procurement business. She glanced at Klein, and after everyone had shaken their heads, she asked again about leads on her two main ingredients:
"Little Sun, have you gotten that sword yet?"
-Klein had told her about the Rune Steel Sword afterward.
"I've already gotten it," Derrick said with a delighted nod. "It suits me very well, just as I imagined. Uh, I mean, I haven't saved up enough merit points yet."
Neph gave a noncommittal nod. Alger likewise indicated that he had yet to obtain the materials, so Neph turned to Audrey and said:
"I've obtained the Psychiatrist potion formula... But from the sound of it, your finances don't seem to be doing very well?"
Neph had obtained it from Narani. Moon City did not keep its potion formulas secret. Since lifting the ban on mutants becoming Beyonders, anyone who wanted to become a Beyonder could see all the Sequence 9 potion formulas, learn the names of the next few Sequences in each pathway, and get a general idea of their abilities.
In addition, they could learn which formulas and materials Moon City had in stock for that pathway, and use that information to decide exactly which pathway to take.
However, they still had to earn the merit points required to exchange for the materials themselves.
Audrey looked slightly embarrassed and ventured, "Miss Pure White, could I buy it on credit?"
"Sure." Neph did not hesitate at all.
After all, if she dragged this out until Miss Justice joined the Psychology Alchemists' Society, it would be too late.
"I have your potion formulas all the way up to Demigod." Her eyes shifted as she dangled the bait.
The Sequence 6 Hypnotist formula also came from Moon City. Moon City had no records of the later formulas, but the original novel did. Thus, Neph really could provide Audrey with potion formulas all the way up to Demigod, though Audrey would have to find the potion ingredients herself.
At that moment, however, Audrey wasn't worrying about any of that. She looked at Neph in delighted surprise and promised, "Miss Pure White, I'll pay you once I've paid off those five thousand pounds... Uh, how much are you asking?"
"Just the market price," Neph said frankly. "I heard the market price for a Sequence 7 potion
"formula is eight hundred pounds?"
She looked at Alger, then turned to Audrey after he nodded. The price was not at all excessive for Audrey, who hurriedly nodded in agreement. Then the World spoke again:
"I have another request."
Before you continue