Your Friend Hit the Jackpot

When Audrey noticed that Wilt had caught her watching him, she hurriedly looked away.

She reproached herself inwardly. Audrey, that was so rude of you. How could you use your Beyonder Ability to observe someone so openly?

Even if I wanted to observe him, I should at least have done it secretly and carefully, without letting him notice...

I wonder if Mr. The Lovers will be angry about it?

Meanwhile, Klein fell silent as he looked at the last sentence in Roselle's Diary:

"December 23rd. Perhaps I should consider that suggestion and leave myself a way out beyond the Church of the Artisan God. For example, should I join that ancient, secret organization that influences world affairs from the shadows?"

Klein turned his gaze to Wilt. Wilt had mentioned this organization yesterday and was also an outer member of it.

But Klein had been entirely focused on the Western Continent at the time, so he hadn't paid it much attention. Seeing Roselle's Diary now reminded him of it.

I remember Wilt saying that mentioning this organization in any form would alert them. Since he's also a member, I didn't ask him to tell me its name.

Now Emperor Roselle is writing about it just as vaguely in his diary. Could writing it down in Chinese characters also alert them?

Then the leader of this organization must be at a very high level, quite possibly an Angel!

Klein put his thoughts aside and said to the three people below, "You may begin!"

Audrey was the first to speak, apologizing to Wilt. "I'm sorry, Mr. The Lovers. I was wrong just now. I shouldn't have used my Beyonder Ability to observe you."

Wilt shook his head. "It's all right. I don't mind."

"Besides, what you observed was false."

Audrey: ???

Audrey wasn't the only one confused. Klein and Alger were equally baffled by Wilt's words.

After a few seconds, Audrey asked hesitantly, "Mr. The Lovers... what do you mean by that?"

Rather than answer directly, Wilt asked, "Miss Justice, if I'm not mistaken, you should be a Beyonder of the Spectator Pathway, and only at Sequence 9."

"Ah!" Audrey exclaimed.

"Mr. The Lovers, how did you know?"

"I observed it," Wilt said with a chuckle.

"Could it be that you're also a Beyonder of the Spectator Pathway, Mr. The Lovers?"

If that were true, and Mr. The Lovers was at a higher Sequence than she was, everything would make sense.

But Wilt's next words immediately disproved her guess:

"No, we're not of the same Sequence. I'm a Beyonder of the Marauder Pathway."

"Marauder?"

"Yes. This Pathway is relatively obscure, so it's normal that you haven't heard of it."

After all, Amon had basically monopolized it.

"Sequence 8 of my Pathway is called Swindler. The swindling involved isn't what ordinary people understand it to be, but deception on the level of the Beyonder world."

"For example, just now you used an ability of the Spectator Pathway to observe me and obtain information about me. But I used an ability to deceive you, making everything you observed false."

"A Swindler also possesses the ability of outstanding observation, which can be used to observe a target's micro-expressions and small movements. Although it isn't as powerful as a Spectator's, it was enough to grasp your state just now."

"I used outstanding observation to deduce that you were a Beyonder of the Spectator Pathway."

All of that was pure nonsense. Wilt hadn't done anything just now; he'd simply wanted to tease Audrey.

"Amazing!" Audrey's eyes lit up. "I didn't expect your abilities to be so powerful, Mr. The Lovers!"

Then Audrey heard Wilt caution her, "Emperor Roselle once said that those who swim well drown, and those who ride well fall. We mustn't rely too heavily on our abilities."

"Different Beyonder Abilities can counter one another. Trusting your abilities too much could very well put you at a disadvantage in the future."

"We should always remain in awe."

Audrey immediately straightened her attitude and said earnestly to Wilt, "Thank you, Mr. The Lovers. I'll be sure to remember your teaching."

Right after that, Audrey heard Wilt say, "So here's the question."

"Do you think I said all that because I sincerely wanted to warn you, or was it another form of deception?"

Audrey froze, but she quickly understood what Wilt meant. Mr. The Lovers means that what I observed at first was correct, but he deliberately said all that to deceive me and make me think what I observed was wrong.

No, no. If Mr. The Lovers said that last sentence to deceive me too, wouldn't that mean what I observed at first was wrong, and now he wants me to think it was right...?

I can't do this. My head is such a mess! Which of the things Mr. The Lovers said were true, and which were false? I can't tell them apart at all now!

Klein looked at the bewildered Audrey and sighed inwardly.

As expected of a Swindler. With just a few words, he made Miss Justice question everything.

Alger, who was beside them, also took note of Wilt and put him on his list of people not to be trifled with.

At that moment, Wilt spoke up. "Miss Justice, you don't need to dwell on it so much."

"The reason I said those things just now was simply to make you understand that the Beyonder world isn't simple, and that you shouldn't casually pry into others unless you're absolutely certain."

"Also, at the beginning, you seemed a little confused and uneasy. Have you run into some difficulty?"

"If so, you can tell us. Perhaps we can help you."

Right, Susie!

Audrey instantly remembered the matter at hand. She put the things she'd been puzzling over aside and prepared to ask for help, but when she opened her mouth, she didn't know how to begin.

In the end, Audrey turned her gaze to Wilt.

Judging by how he acted just now, Mr. The Lovers is very familiar with the Beyonder world, and his Sequence must be quite high. Perhaps I can ask him first.

So Audrey asked hesitantly, "Mr. The Lovers, do you know about Beyonder creatures?"

"I don't mean creatures that are born as Beyonder creatures, but ordinary animals that become Beyonder creatures by drinking a Potion."

"I do." Wilt nodded. "It's very rare, but it does happen."

"I see!" Audrey breathed a sigh of relief inwardly. "Actually, here's what happened. I have a friend."

"After this friend prepared a Potion, she let her guard down for a moment, and her pet drank it and ended up becoming a Beyonder creature..."

Before Audrey could finish, Wilt said approvingly, "Then your friend hit the jackpot!"

"Hit... hit the jackpot?"