When Audrey, Justice, posed her question, Julian, The Tower, did not rush to answer. Instead, he braced both hands against the edge of the table and leaned back firmly against his chair.
Only after deliberately setting the stage with this body language did he say:
"This knowledge involves a very important principle. What you paid earlier isn't enough to obtain the corresponding answer."
The orthodox Churches had several reasons for restricting the spread of the Acting Method. The most important of these was closely related to the Law of Conservation of Beyonder Characteristics.
This was among the most precious knowledge in the Beyonder world, and Julian had no intention of selling it casually.
"If there is anything you need, please feel free to ask. I will do my best to provide it."
Audrey, Justice, immediately spoke up upon hearing this, and Alger, The Hanged Man, expressed the same willingness.
"There are indeed some things I need..."
Julian paused before addressing the two expectant figures:
"Unfortunately, at this stage, I don't yet know the specifics of what I need."
"If it involves main potion ingredients, I can use my connections to make inquiries for you later."
As an experienced captain of the Church of the Lord of Storms, Alger, The Hanged Man, immediately guessed that Julian's needs most likely involved main potion ingredients.
Mr. Tower was probably preparing to advance, and he likely already had a fairly reliable way to obtain a potion formula.
However, he probably had not yet acquired that formula, which explained why he had said he needed something but did not yet know exactly what.
The Hanged Man's offer served both to test his conjecture and to extend goodwill toward Mr. Tower.
After all, Miss Justice had already struck a deal with this mysterious new member of the Tarot Club, who possessed a wealth of useful knowledge. Alger believed he should highlight his own advantages as well.
Although he had little money, he had experience, connections among Beyonders, and an intelligence network that Miss Justice could not match.
There was a strong chance these resources either did not overlap with Mr. Tower's own or overlapped only partially. Volunteering this information might make it easier for Mr. Tower to specify what he wanted in future transactions.
After all, even a few brief remarks had benefited The Hanged Man greatly, leaving him convinced that establishing a stable trading relationship with the other man would be immensely advantageous.
The Hanged Man's guess was correct. Just as with his earlier sale of the Psychiatrist Beyonder characteristic, Julian was indeed laying the groundwork for obtaining his Sequence 8 potion ingredients.
If he could not find those ingredients or afford to buy them, Julian could ask Audrey to provide money or Alger to provide information, helping him broaden his search.
If he could find the ingredients himself, he could instead exchange knowledge about the Law of Conservation of Beyonder Characteristics for other useful things.
"Certainly. Thank you very much, Mr. Hanged Man."
Julian, The Tower, nodded slightly. Alger's offer was exactly what he had hoped for, so he readily accepted the goodwill.
"We can continue this transaction at a future gathering."
"No problem."
Alger, The Hanged Man, immediately agreed. Then, knowing just what to do, he turned toward the Tarot Club's organizer, Mr. Fool:
"Honorable Mr. Fool, thank you very much for your guidance as well. Otherwise, we might have continued blindly down our narrow paths like blind men carrying lanterns, failing to see the truly precious knowledge before us.
"If there is anything you need me to do, please give your instructions at any time."
"Simply consider it payment in advance."
Klein, The Fool, emerged from his contemplation of the information Julian, The Tower, had just shared and answered with a soft chuckle.
Upon hearing this, The Hanged Man and Miss Justice immediately realized that this mysterious being had a task for them, so they took the initiative to ask what Mr. Fool needed.
Klein, The Fool, took the opportunity to mention his need for Roselle Gustav's diary, then began enjoying the surprise and shock The Hanged Man and Miss Justice displayed upon learning that Emperor Roselle's notes were actually a diary, and that Mr. Fool apparently understood the mysterious symbols invented by that Intis emperor.
Julian, The Tower, displayed a similar reaction-in fact, it fit perfectly with the impression Mr. Fool currently had of him.
After all, Klein had no idea that Julian was also a transmigrator, and Julian had revealed absolutely no clues to that effect. His surprise and shock were therefore entirely appropriate.
Afterward, all three agreed to Mr. Fool's request and cooperated with the mysterious being in an experiment involving writing information on paper and passing it along.
"By the way, although our transaction isn't complete yet, there is something I can remind you of... especially you, Mr. Hanged Man."
Once the experiment was over, Julian, The Tower, looked toward Alger, The Hanged Man, again:
"If you use the Acting Method to digest your potion after returning, there is a considerable chance that you will attract the Church of Storms' attention. You will then be forced to swear an oath of secrecy.
"In theory, however, before you swear that oath, sharing the knowledge you 'worked out on your own' with people important to you does not count as a violation... particularly those in circumstances similar to yours, who have consumed multiple potions without properly digesting them.
"Other than those who truly matter to you, I suggest you avoid passing the Acting Method on to anyone else, as this will bring you a great deal of trouble... the same applies to you, Miss Justice."
These words were not merely a reminder to The Hanged Man and Miss Justice. They also served to pass a message to Klein, The Fool.
After this Tarot Club gathering ended, Klein would very likely begin acting as a Seer. In about a month, he would fully digest his potion and gain the opportunity to advance to Clown.
At that point, he would have to swear an oath to keep the Acting Method secret, losing his opportunity to pass this knowledge on to Dunn Smith and the other Nighthawks.
Although, in the original story, Klein had discreetly told Dunn Smith about the Acting Method after a reminder from Daly Simone, by then it had already been too late. The negative effects of Dunn's excess Beyonder
characteristics had already accumulated beyond the point of recovery.
A month earlier, however, things would be very different.
This concerned not only whether Dunn could survive, but also whether Ince Zangwill could exploit Dunn's weaknesses to manipulate him.
Considering 0-08's side effects, the fewer problems this Nighthawks captain-who had the authority to retrieve Saint Selena's Ashes from behind the Chanis Gate-had, the greater the price Ince would have to pay to manipulate him.
For Julian, who wanted to avoid becoming a pawn and ultimately thwart Ince Zangwill's plan, this was extremely important!