"No problem." Klein tried to keep his tone low and unchanged.
He rested his left elbow on the armrest of the high-backed chair, his fingers gently supporting his slightly tilted forehead, adopting a calm and attentive posture.
Alger considered his words carefully and said:
" The Antigonus are an ancient family whose history can be traced back to the Cataclysmic Era before the Fourth Age, and is associated with the second ' Blasphemy Slate '."
A second " Blasphemy Slate "? There can be a second " Blasphemy Slate "? How many are there exactly? Klein's eyes narrowed, and he almost changed his posture.
According to the previous statements of the " The Hanged Man " and " Justice," the " Blasphemy Slate " records twenty-two Divine Pathways!
There are two, or even more, of such an important item?
Twenty-two Divine Pathways... Sequence Pathway... uh, can these two terms be equated? Is each complete Sequence Pathway the road to the throne of God?
In an instant, Klein had a series of thoughts pop into his head because of the description of the "second ' Blasphemy Slate '". He believed that if it weren't for the thick gray-white fog obscuring his emotions, Miss " the Spectator " would have probably noticed them.
As for the term "Cataclysmic Era," he was familiar with it as a professional; it was a synonym for the Third Age.
After studying for a while, Klein even learned that the Tertiary Period was divided into two eras: the Glorious Age and the Cataclysmic Age.
"A second ' Blasphemy Slate '?" Audrey made no attempt to hide her doubt.
She had not yet calmed down and fully returned to being an " Spectator ".
"Good question!" Klein secretly applauded Miss " Justice."
This is a question that it's inconvenient for someone in the " The Fool's " position to ask.
Alger glanced at the Fool, seeing that the man's posture hadn't changed and he hadn't spoken to stop him, then thought for a moment and said:
"The first ' Blasphemy Slate ' appeared during the Dark Ages, the second era when humanity struggled to survive under the protection of the gods. The second ' Blasphemy Slate ' appeared at the end of the Third Era; one could even say that its appearance marked the end of the Cataclysmic Era."
"The information on these two ' Blasphemy Slate ' is strictly confidential information held by the seven major churches. I only know a little about it: that they both relate to the Divine Pathways, but I don't know the differences between them."
"Was it the first or the second Blasphemy Slate that Emperor Roselle looked at?" Audrey asked curiously.
Upon hearing this, Klein recalled Alger's description of the Potion names at their first gathering, where he mentioned that the names of Sequence Potion all came from the " Blasphemy Slate "!
"Similarly, the captain also mentioned that the formation and perfection of the Potion system depended on the emergence of the ' Blasphemy Slate '... This indirectly proves that the Divine Pathways is the Sequence Pathway!" Klein gave a silent answer to his earlier question.
At this point, Alger, the " The Hanged Man," said simply and directly:
"The second one."
Audrey's gaze returned to stillness, and she resumed her " Spectator " mode, refraining from further questions and focusing intently on the " The Hanged Man."
This made Alger quite uncomfortable. He suppressed his emotions and continued in a low, slow voice:
"During the Solomon Dynasty in the Fourth Age, the Antigonus Family, though a prominent noble family, did not leave behind any particularly memorable achievements until they supported the establishment of the Tudor Empire, at which point they truly stood at the center of the Northern Continent's stage."
"At that time, ancient names such as Antigonus, Amon, Abraham, Jacob shone brightly in the lands of mankind, but War of the Four Emperors, the Blood Emperor of the Tudor Empire fell, and they fell from their peak, now hunted down by the Seven Gods."
"I don't know the specifics of the process, I only know that the Antigonus Family was ultimately destroyed by the Church of Evernight. Mr. The Fool, if you want to know more, I'm afraid you can only get it from the Church of Evernight, or by contacting those ancient Concealment organizations. You know which ones I'm referring to."
I don't know... Klein nodded bitterly:
"Um."
The Secret Order counts as one, the Moss Ascetic Order that Captain America and Old Neil mentioned counts as another, and I'm not sure if the Psychology Alchemists counts...
As he silently tallied things up, Alger gave the final piece of information:
"I don't know which Sequence Pathway the Antigonus Family has mastered either, but two adjectives appear repeatedly in the related descriptions: bizarre and terrifying."
Bizarre and terrifying... Thinking about that notebook, and the experiences of the original owner, his classmates, and Riel Bieber's mother, it does seem quite fitting... Klein tapped the edge of the long table lightly with the fingers of his other hand several times.
Then, he spoke slowly:
"Very good, I'm very satisfied with this payment."
The reason he is tapping the long table repeatedly with his fingers is to reinforce this action, making " Justice " and the " The Hanged Man " believe that he has a habit of tapping, thereby concealing the activation and deactivation of his Spirit Vision.
"It's my honor," Alger said, not mentioning anything else.
Audrey glanced at the " The Hanged Man," then at the " The Fool," and smiled faintly:
"Now for my second question: what are the names of the subsequent Potion for ' The Spectator '? Where can I find clues about them?"
I wanted to ask that directly too, but different choices bring different challenges... Klein didn't speak, instead turning his gaze to the " The Hanged Man."
Alger paused for a few seconds and then said:
"I'll answer this question for free, because I was the one who guided you onto this path."
" The Sequence 8 following ' The Spectator ' is called ' The Mind Reader,' and the ancient name for Sequence 7 is ' Psychoanalyst,' now described as ' Psychiatrist.' This is what I learned from a member of a Psychology Alchemists; I think they should possess quite a few Potion recipes for this path."
The Psychology Alchemists... " The Spirit Medium " Daly quite agreed with some of their theories, while the captain considered them evil and insane... Klein listened thoughtfully.
"Do you know where that member of the Psychology Alchemists is now?" Audrey asked, her eyes shining.
Whether it's " Mind Reader " or " Psychiatrist," both fit her aesthetic perfectly.
Alger chuckled, a rare occurrence for him.
"I know, it sank near Sonia Island. I sank it myself."
"If you're looking for the Psychology Alchemists, then I'm sorry, the trail has gone cold."
He wasn't worried that " Justice " would confirm his identity through the description he had just given, because he had done it alone.
"Sigh..." Audrey didn't know what expression or words to use to respond.
She took a breath, suddenly losing her composure as an " Spectator," and said somewhat shyly:
"The third question is, what would happen if—and I mean if—an ordinary animal drank Sequence 9 Potion?"
What kind of question is this...? Klein subtly tapped his brow twice with the fingers that were supporting his forehead.
He quickly discerned from the change in color that Audrey was somewhat flustered, nervous, and ashamed.
Could she have done something similarly foolish? Klein thought, slightly taken aback but not entirely surprised.
After the two previous gatherings, he was certain that Miss " Justice " had the genes for this.
Alger, the " The Hanged Man," was clearly stunned as well, and it took him a while to speak:
"Ordinary animals don't have human minds and can't learn Cogitation immediately, so they'll most likely die on the spot or break down into Monster. But if they survive, they should be able to become extraordinary beings. If the Potion can enhance their thinking abilities, they might even become smarter."
"Okay." Audrey breathed a silent sigh of relief and nodded in a relaxed tone. "I have no other questions."
Alger thought for a moment, then shook his head, not mentioning the " Aurora Order " or the " Listener," and said:
"I don't either."
"I have something to ask," Klein said with a smile, maintaining his posture, "This requires your cooperation."
Even before he shut down his Spirit Vision, he immediately noticed that the " The Hanged Man " was visibly nervous, and the once carefree "Miss Justice " was now showing more fear and caution.
Before they could speak, Klein Placate them:
"Don't worry, it's a small matter. If it succeeds, it will be a great help to you, so I won't pay any extra compensation."
"Go on," Audrey instinctively entered the " Spectator mode," but no matter how she looked, she couldn't see through the thick Gray Fog surrounding the " The Fool."
"As you wish," Alger said calmly, regaining his composure.
Klein twitched his fingers slightly and smiled as he spoke:
"As I mentioned before, we'll be experimenting with ways to allow you to ask for leave in advance so you don't have to worry about being in an inappropriate situation on Monday afternoon."
"That's exactly what we wanted." Audrey's brows relaxed.
Alger thought for a moment and said:
What do you need us to do?
"You can try a Ritualistic Magic in your spare time. It doesn't have to be too formal; just have an undisturbed environment... Place four new candles on the altar, one in each of the four corners, preferably the kind that smells of sandalwood... Place a piece of white bread near the upper left candle, a piece of Feynapotter pasta near the upper right candle, paella near the lower left, and Desi pie near the lower right... Use a silver knife to create a sealed Spirituality environment..."
Klein described his Ritualistic Magic, a modified version of the " Luck Enhancement Ritual," and taught Miss " Justice " how to create a Spirituality environment for free.
Frankly, since the target is himself, Klein believes that the earlier part, that is, the sacrificial part that arouses the interest of the corresponding beings and pleases them, can be directly omitted. However, he still tries to make the process look like it is real—of course, it does not conform to what Old Neil said about two gods and three gods plus himself.
"... A blend of the Moon, peppermint, deep sleep flower, citronella, and rock rose is distilled to extract the essential oil; one drop is added to each candle..."
Audrey listened with great interest, taking Record, and finally asked:
"And what about the incantation, Mr. The Fool? What is the corresponding incantation?"
Alger also stopped writing and turned to look at the Fool.
Enveloped in a grayish-white mist, Klein tapped the edge of the long table lightly with his fingers and replied calmly and without emotion in Hermes:
" The Fool That Doesn't Belong to This Era, you are the Mysterious Ruler Above the Gray Fog, you are the King of Yellow and Black who holds the key to good fortune..."