" The Hanged Man " Alger looked at " The Magician " Fors and asked in return:
"You were forced to drink the second dose of the ' Apprentice ' Potion?"
"Why did you guess it so easily... it's like you saw it on the spot..." Fors cleared his throat somewhat awkwardly and said:
"Yes, let's just say that..."
"What solutions do you have? What do you require me to exchange for?"
Alger, the " The Hanged Man," glanced furtively at Mr. The Fool, and seeing that he showed no reaction, replied in a calm, low voice:
"No compensation is needed, because it certainly wouldn't be able to meet your needs."
Before " The Magician " and Miss " Justice " could ask, he casually explained, " High-Sequence powerhouses can decide whether to pass on their Beyonder Characteristic traits to their offspring, and how much to pass on. Sequence 6 and Sequence 5 individuals will naturally inherit a portion, beyond their control. Although each time it's not much and won't affect their strength, if you have enough children, it can still cause you to regress."
"Such children are born with high levels of Spirit Intuition and certain imperfect, extraordinary abilities?" " Justice " Audrey suddenly realized, understanding the origin of certain special groups of people.
The Hanged Man nodded:
"Yes, they are equivalent to half a Sequence 9, possessing fixed characteristics. If they want to become Beyonder, they can only choose the corresponding path. Of course, such people are not necessarily inherited; they may also be favored by gods or corrupted by Evil Spirit. There are many factors that can cause the same effect. Also, the children of High-Sequence powerhouses may be born with Sequence 5. This is one of the very few ways to advance beyond one's rank without losing control."
"So that's how it is..." Audrey sighed contentedly.
For her, exploring more mysteries was more enjoyable than acquiring beautiful dresses or jewelry.
" The Magician " Fors also seemed to understand, and asked further:
"What about the Beyonder of Sequence 7, Sequence 8, and Sequence 9?"
"Theoretically, their Beyonder Characteristic shouldn't be passed on to their offspring, but that's not absolute. If there's an excess of Beyonder Characteristic, there's still a chance they can be inherited. In other words, if you conceive and give birth to a child, it can effectively reduce the residual Potion in your body. No, one might not be enough; three or four would give you a better chance."
Three, four? Fors was utterly dumbfounded.
Klein already knew these common-sense facts from Roselle's diary, and at this moment, he couldn't help but think of a joke:
Miss Magician, from now on you can tell your children, 'You were a gift from Potion!'
Although Mr. " The Hanged Man " said the burden would lessen the moment pregnancy occurred, a child still takes about ten months of trouble, no, more than that. We can't just give birth and then ignore it... With the Acting Method mastered, even if things become difficult later, two months is definitely enough to process it all again, maybe even less, after all, it's just the initial Sequence... Fors forced a smile:
"I understand, the best way is still to digest it through Acting."
Alger, the " The Hanged Man," gave an affirmative answer:
"This applies to Sequence 7 and below."
When the recovery process often takes a year and a half, two or three years, or even five or six years, having a child might be a simpler solution... he added to himself.
The scene fell silent for a few seconds as the two women processed the knowledge they had just gained.
This was the first time they had realized that having children could have such a purpose.
For " The Sun " Derrick, this was common sense. He adjusted his posture and said:
"I've been assigned an exploration mission again."
"Where to explore?" Alger, the " The Hanged Man," asked, tilting his head.
"It's still that half-destroyed temple of the Fallen Creator," Derrick replied, not with much seriousness.
That sounds like there's some level of security... " Justice " Audrey didn't interrupt.
The Hanged Man thought for two seconds and said:
"Is the ' Shepherd ' Elder still in the dungeon?"
"Yes, this expedition is being led by the 'Chief'." " The Sun " made no attempt to conceal anything.
"This way, the danger is much lower than last time. We can give it a try." Alger the Hanged Man couldn't help but glance at Mr. The Fool again.
Unable to glean any meaning from the other's blurred gaze, he continued speaking to " The Sun " Derrick:
"This should be the final assessment of you before the surveillance is completely lifted."
"The message you conveyed before was that Amon and the Fallen Creator are mortal enemies, and they are willing to expose themselves to thwart each other's schemes. During this exploration of the Fallen Creator's temple, as long as you do not show any abnormalities, the ' Council of Six ' can basically conclude that you are no longer influenced by Amon."
"Mr. The Hanged Man " is truly experienced, as if he were planning this operation himself... " The Sun " Derrick remembered this well, then asked:
"Besides this, what else do I need to pay attention to?"
At the head of the long bronze table, the " The Fool," who had been quietly observing, spoke:
"Flesh and blood, delirium."
Klein only provided two words, leaving the rest for the Tarot Club members to figure out on their own.
This is the demeanor of a great person.
The Hanged Man pondered for a few seconds, then said to the Sun, who had thanked Mr. The Fool:
"Specifically, it means: don't look at what you shouldn't see, don't listen to what you shouldn't hear, don't eat what you shouldn't eat, and don't come into contact with what you shouldn't come into contact with."
"What should we not see or hear?" The Sun asked Derrick, puzzled.
The Hanged Man his voice and said:
"Once inside the temple, everything belongs to this category."
"Then how am I supposed to explore?" Derrick asked, taken aback.
The Hanged Man chuckled.
"Aren't there other team members? Isn't there still the 'leader'?"
Sure enough, this is Mr. The Hanged Man's style... " Justice " Audrey subconsciously wanted to cover her face with her hands, but her ingrained upbringing and habits told her that such a gesture was not elegant, so she forcibly changed course, smoothing down her stray hairs and tucking them behind her ears.
"..." Derrick, the " The Sun," found this method somewhat unacceptable.
Noticing his reaction, Alger the Hanged Man cursed under his breath and said:
"What I mean is, you listen to the 'Chief's' orders, only do what he tells you to do, and absolutely do not make decisions on your own the rest of the time."
"I understand, thank you, Mr. ' The Hanged Man '!" " The Sun " instantly felt relieved.
Alger sighed and turned to look at the woman opposite him:
"Miss Justice, I'd like to know about the political changes in Backlund after Duke Negan's death."
Audrey recalled the news she had heard recently, directly or indirectly:
"The death of the Duke Negan caused a split in the House of Lords, and although his eldest son was about to inherit the title and become a member of the House of Lords, his prestige was not enough to quell the dispute."
Nearly ten members of the House of Lords jointly proposed that newly knighted nobles also have the opportunity to obtain permanent seats.
"Simply put, it allows those who have been granted noble titles through political donations, charitable contributions, and the purchase of corresponding land to become members of the House of Lords."
Upon hearing this, Alger, the " The Hanged Man," chuckled.
"Don't noble families with a long history despise those who obtain titles through illegitimate means? Isn't their greatest pride and ultimate glory a hereditary, permanent seat in the House of Lords?"
Ignoring the unintentional mockery from the " The Hanged Man," " Justice " Audrey calmly explained:
"You'll make the same choice when you have tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, or even more debt."
For many nobles, being in debt is not a fatal threat, but the other party can apply to the court to use their land to settle the debt. Without the minimum amount of land required for a title, their noble status would be in jeopardy.
"And then?" Alger, the " The Hanged Man," didn't dwell on the question from before.
Audrey described it in general terms:
"Such disputes have led to the shelving of many proposals, including but not limited to increasing workers' wages, improving working hours, and revising the Poor Law. It is reassuring that the unified examination for government employees is still progressing steadily and has not stopped, and the investigation into air pollution in Backlund is also in-depth."
"There won't be any war anytime soon..." the Hanged Man murmured, then turned to discuss other matters with the other members.
Fearing that lingering too long in the restroom would arouse suspicion, Klein announced the end of the Tarot Club after they finished talking.
Back in her room, Audrey didn't rush to get up; instead, she quietly sorted out what she needed to do next.
She gazed at herself in the mirror, fiddling with the jewelry on her earlobes, a faint smile playing on her lips, and murmured to herself:
"There's a psychology class tomorrow afternoon. I can tell Miss Islante that I met someone in a circle of Beyonder who's looking to buy the Human-skinned Shadow trait. He's promised an exceptionally generous reward. I wonder if Psychology Alchemists be interested..."
"Also, Roselle's diary and the recipe for ' Wind-blessed ' must not be forgotten..."
"Yes, we need to gather information on the ' Psychiatrist ' as soon as possible. Audrey, you can't slack off! Susie's already at Sequence 8, we can't let her catch up!"
Fors paced back and forth in the room a few times before finally making up his mind and pulling out a chair.
She found some stationery and a pen, hesitated for almost a minute, and began writing to Dorian Gray.
She described the properties of the Human-skinned Shadow that she had learned by chance and the requirements for the " Wind-blessed " Potion recipe, expressing her curiosity about Roselle's Notebook.
The capital of the Rorsted Archipelago, City of Generosity.
Alger Wilson left the hotel and headed towards a Concealment underground trading market.
His target was the hair of the Deep-sea Naga.
If there Human-skinned Shadow figures there, he wouldn't miss it.
"I'm short of money..." Klein sighed again as he sat in the living room.
He still needs a significant amount of cash to ensure he can directly purchase any subsequent clues related to the Human-skinned Shadow trait.
Klein thought about it for a long time, considering whether he should find another way to sell the Beyonder Characteristic left behind by the " Interrogator " instead of waiting for Miss Hugh to have money again.
After some time, the quiet of the afternoon was broken by the clanging of the doorbell.
P. S.: It's Monday, the end of the month, please give me your recommendation votes and monthly tickets!