If the Fool simply mentioned that Roselle's Diary contained some basic common sense, Alger the Hanged Man might not have been willing to pay the "reward" for the answer. This was partly because the description of simplicity was very detrimental to curiosity, and partly because he was always wary of exchanging things with the Fool, as it would remind him of those instances of making deals with Devil and demons.
Now that he knew the contents of so-called simple common sense, he had developed a strong interest in it, but he couldn't understand some of the descriptions, let alone connect them to reality and grasp them deeply. So, unable to contain himself, yet with absolute respect, he asked:
"Mr. The Fool, what kind of reward do you hope to receive?"
"Mmm!" Audrey, the " Justice," nodded slightly but frequently, indicating that this was also what she wanted to ask.
Although " The Sun " Derrick remained silent and made no extra body language, his unconscious glances at " The Fool " said it all.
Klein, who was waiting for a similar response, smiled and said:
"Information related to the Secret Order."
" The Secret Order... The Hanged Man," Alger muttered to himself.
He was no stranger to the term; he had been paid to explain many Concealment organizations to Miss " Justice," including the Secret Order.
Audrey and Derrick both frowned instinctively, one because her knowledge of the Secret Order was limited to what the " The Hanged Man " had told them, and the other because she had never even heard of the organization.
Klein had long anticipated and was not surprised by the " The Sun's" feelings. In his speculation, the area where City of Silver was located became the " Forsaken Land of the Gods " between the appearance of the first and second Blasphemy Slate Blasphemy Slate, which belonged to a certain stage of the Third Era. It might even be the direct cause or manifestation of the Cataclysm. The Zaratul Family only came to the stage of history in the Fourth Era, and the creation of the Secret Order even more of a matter in the latter half of the Fourth Era. There was no possibility of the two overlapping.
If " The Sun " knew about the Secret Order, Klein would be shocked and would have to overturn some of his assumptions and reconstruct his understanding of the City of Silver, the Forsaken Land of the Gods, and the Zaratul Family.
After a silence of more than ten seconds, " The Hanged Man " Alger looked at " The Fool " in the Gray Fog and carefully spoke:
"I will accept this commission to gather information and investigate matters related to the Secret Order for you."
Can you pay the 'reward' in advance?
It was not surprising that a being resembling a god would be interested in an ancient and Concealment organization, and Alger had no doubts about it.
More importantly, after many gatherings, he gradually came to a guess in his mind that Mr. The Fool's state was not perfect, and that he might be in a certain predicament. All the attempts he made and the actions of his Blessed in the Northern Continent were to free him from constraints and limitations.
This might even involve the great secret that the Seven Gods no longer descend upon the real world after the Fourth Age... Alger's thoughts flashed through his mind, and he trembled slightly, feeling as if he had entered the realm of the gods.
Upon hearing the " The Hanged Man's" request, Klein leaned back in his chair and nodded slightly.
"No problem."
"If the information you gather exceeds the value of the answer, I will compensate you extra."
As for what constitutes exceeding the value of the answer, that's naturally up to the esteemed " The Fool." If he has the ability to pay extra, then it counts; if not, then it doesn't... Klein silently added in his mind.
" Justice!" Audrey's eyes lit up, and she raised her hand, saying:
"I want to join this deal."
Klein smiled and said:
"Can."
To be frank, his main target was actually Miss " Justice," because she was a local strongman in Backlund and had infiltrated several circles of Beyonder. Her information network in the " Land of Hope " surpassed his own when he first arrived in the capital, and even exceeded that of the " The Hanged Man," who had long been active at sea.
Based on the revelations from previous Divination, Klein believed that clues to the Secret Order would appear in Backlund, and not somewhere else.
" The Sun " Derrick listened silently, thought for a moment, and then said:
"I'm willing to use the compensation I've accumulated in the past to get the answer."
In the previous three-way deal, he traded the Sequence 8 " Mind Reader " recipe for the Sequence 9 " Bard " recipe. Klein promised to compensate him, but his choice at the time was to accumulate the recipes and prepare them for future Potion recipes and main ingredients.
Klein nodded and gave the explanation he had prepared beforehand:
"Similar Sequence refer to several pathways that can replace each other at High-Sequence."
"Let me give you an example. The ' Death ' pathway's Sequence 5 ' Gatekeeper ' not only allows for normal advancement, but also the option to choose the ' Giant ' pathway, which is the ' God of Combat ' pathway's Sequence 4 ' Demon Hunter '."
"This won't lead to loss of control, nor will it breed madness; it's not the same as taking the wrong Potion."
"Of course, if the Sequence aren't similar, being half-mad is the best outcome."
"Can they be interchanged? Justice!" Audrey blurted out, both surprised and delighted.
What surprised her was that the Sequence Pathway was not completely fixed, and it was not only possible to follow the original path. Changing it did not necessarily require paying the price of half-madness and being unable to advance any further. Among the twenty-two Divine Pathways, there were special cases and similar Sequence!
What delighted her was that she would have the opportunity to choose again, just like picking out items she was interested in at Philips Department Store —it was a wonderful experience!
So that's how it is... Alger muttered to himself, feeling that he suddenly understood many things and resolved many doubts that had accumulated in his previous personal experiences.
This news is truly invaluable! As expected of Mr. The Fool, even his simple common sense is enough to shock and disorient most of the Low-Sequence Beyonder, and they benefit greatly from it! He sighed to himself.
" The Sun " Derrick was slightly disappointed because he had no intention of changing his Sequence; he wanted to become the " The Sun " that illuminated the darkness and dispelled the curse.
However, he soon recalled an event from the City of Silver:
The former chief, a powerful figure most likely to break through the limitations of the " Demon Hunter," built himself a mausoleum deep underground, then moved in and made it his home.
After that, he appeared less and less, until the gates to the mausoleum could no longer be opened.
At the time, the people of City of Silver believed that the chief had gone Lunatic during his promotion, nearly losing control, and ultimately took his own life.
Now, combining the description of " The Fool," " The Sun " suddenly thought of another possibility:
That chief might be trying to advance to a similar Sequence!
During one of his explorations into the depths of darkness, he obtained the recipe for the " Death " pathway, and the mausoleum might have been a special requirement... But in the end, he still failed? Why didn't he turn into Monster? What exactly happened to him in that dark mausoleum?
Does City of Silver lack Sequence Potion recipes after " Demon Hunter "?
Amidst a flurry of ideas, Derrick was suddenly startled awake by Miss Justice's feignedly reserved voice:
"Mr. The Fool, I would like to ask, which pathways can the ' Spectator ' pathway interchange with in High-Sequence?"
Sequence 4 " The Demon Hunter," sounds great... This suits me perfectly, it suits " Justice " perfectly! Audrey was very pleased with the first High-Sequence name she knew.
I'd also like to know... Regarding Miss " Justice's" question, Klein really wanted to answer it like this.
Before he could speak, Audrey added, albeit weakly:
"I... I can pay a fee to buy the answer to this question. How many gold pounds do you think would be appropriate? I think... I think your Blessed will need some operating funds..."
At this point, she suddenly remembered that Mr. The Fool's Blessed had easily killed the pirate general Qilangos, who possessed " Creeping Hunger," clearly High-Sequence powerhouse. She almost blurted out, "Excuse me, Mr. The Fool, never mind."
But now that she'd already asked, she couldn't back down! Come on, Audrey, maybe the " The Fool " has some weaker relatives? Audrey quietly bit her lip, silently encouraging herself.
"Gold pound? "Klein thought for a moment and said:
"We'll proceed with this transaction once we've gathered enough intelligence on the Secret Order."
As he spoke, he thought of his informant within the Psychology Alchemists, Duster Guderian.
The captain and I both... sigh... Duster's informant identity can no longer be confirmed. I don't know if this is a tragedy or a comedy... It's a pity we can no longer contact him, otherwise it would have been the most convenient way to get the relevant information from him through the " Spectator " channel... Klein curled the corners of his mouth.
"Okay," Audrey replied cheerfully.
The conversation between the two silenced the " The Hanged Man," who had tried to ask similar questions, as he waited for enough information about the Secret Order to be gathered.
After a brief silence, Audrey glanced at Mr. The Fool and raised her hand slightly.
After receiving an affirmative nod, she looked at the member opposite her and asked expectantly:
"Mr. ' The Hanged Man,' my intelligence allowed you to take down Lieutenant General 'Hurricane.' Are you ready with the complete pituitary gland of an adult Rainbow Salamander?"
This is one of the reasons I returned to the sea... Alger nodded slightly and said:
"I have obtained the extraordinary material you desired."
But how can I give it to you?
How can you give it to me? How can you give it to me...? Audrey was stunned and fell into deep thought.
I can't just give them my address directly... nor can I go through Hugh and Fors, that would expose the fact that I'm Beyonder being... Well, it's not impossible. As Emperor Roselle said, when both options have drawbacks, choose the one with the lesser disadvantage...
Just then, Klein's heart stirred, he tapped the edge of the long table lightly with his fingers, and smiled:
"Miss, sir, would you be willing to cooperate with me in making an attempt in this matter?"