"This is..."
Before setting off, Isaac held the twenty-sided die that Carlo had given him and asked in confusion.
This twenty-sided die is different from the dark gold ten-sided die. It is a black crystal with white numbers on each side. However, the numbers do not seem to be engraved on the surface, but rather appear to be patterns that seep out from inside the crystal.
"This is my private, exclusive dice," Carlo said.
"Isn't this die meant for you to use? Why are you giving it to me?"
Isaac had heard about the existence of this twenty-sided die from the mercenary Fenn, and Carlo had also told him that it was a die that only Carlo himself could use, but this was the first time he had ever seen the real thing.
"When it's in my hands, it can serve as a substitute for a testing instrument." Carlo leaned back in his chair. "But this thing also has another function: it connects to the perspective of the employee with whom I have continuous contact. If you have it, I can see what you see... well, not exactly accurately, because it's in the third person."
"It has this effect?"
"That's right, I call it the Keeper Perspective."
Isaac didn't understand. "What's KP?"
"Tabletop role-playing game terminology."
What is a tabletop role-playing group?
"A game. The key point is that for this die to function, two conditions must be met: First, it must be a formal employee with a signed investigator contract for me to connect. Second, the investigator needs to maintain continuous spiritual contact with it; well, for someone who hasn't practiced, the most direct way is to keep it in their hand."
"As long as this die remains in contact with you, I can sense your surroundings, enough to assess the situation and remotely deploy Check Domain. This is suitable for situations where I need to make a check but it's inconvenient for me to show myself directly."
"There must be some inconveniences to this ability, otherwise you wouldn't have only brought it out now, boss," Isaac guessed.
"There are definitely inconveniences," Carlo shrugged. "It gives me a headache, or rather, it gives me a headache."
"For me, the Keeper Perspective can be very burdensome if it lasts too long, just like continuously expanding the Check Domain. Also, because my attention is focused on the third-person perspective there, I can't do anything on my side and can only lie down. So I only let my employees use it when necessary."
"So, you'll have to decide when I need to intervene. If I leave the connection running for too long, I might disconnect you."
Isaac understood and put the dice into his pocket.
The dice are small enough to fit in a pocket, allowing you to easily slip your hand inside and touch them without looking awkward.
Glen, who had been tricked by the All Checks, stared at Isaac, pondering a solution.
Rather than dragging this kid out, it's better to back down a few steps.
" The Cult has a stronghold in the west of the city," Glen said. "There are people in charge there who can temporarily house you."
"How many people are in the stronghold in the west of the city?"
"That's not a question you should be asking."
"If there are only one or two people in the outpost, or even just me, what's the difference between that and kicking me out?" Isaac said. "I need to make sure that the outpost is actually being operated, and not just an empty shell."
"... There's an officer at the base who's in charge of the Cult's affairs. Once you get there, someone will hand you over the reins."
"What kind of cadre?"
"One of the Cult's high-ranking members in Vista," Glen said impatiently. "If you want to see someone influential, this level should be enough."
Isaac whether the stronghold Glen described was a trap, but firstly, Carlo's assessment showed Glen had regressed, putting the situation in his favor; secondly, continuing to drag things out was not a solution.
"If the officer you mentioned is indeed at the stronghold, I can accept this arrangement," Isaac said.
Glen stood up. "Let's go."
"If we arrive at the base and find that the officer you mentioned isn't there, or if that person doesn't seem like an officer to me, then I won't stay there."
Glen clenched his teeth. "There is indeed an officer in the stronghold. I'll let you see him. As for whether he's willing to talk to you, that depends on your abilities."
Isaac nodded. "Okay."
Glen walked towards the door, and the two went outside. Seeing them emerge, Joey stubbed out his cigarette. "Mr. Glen, are you leaving?"
"You stay here and tell the Boot Gang that tonight's events are over, but don't spread it around."
Joey was taken aback, not expecting to be asked to comfort Boot Gang: " Boot Gang... do I not get back?"
"You're still worried about the Boot Gang?" Glen scoffed. "You were just a gofer over there anyway. If you leave, you leave. Do you think they're going to hunt you down?"
Joey's expression froze for a moment, his mouth moved as if he wanted to say something but then he swallowed it back.
Glen walked towards the other end of the alley, and Isaac followed. As he passed Joey, he noticed that the somewhat slick expression he had managed to maintain in the warehouse was gone, replaced by an inexplicable bewilderment.
Joey paused for a few seconds, then quickly caught up. "Mr. Glen, what's next for me? Will the Cult assign me other work?"
Glen didn't even turn his head. "Just wait and see what's in store."
"How long will I have to wait? My lodgings here... I can't go back to the Boot Gang anymore. Could the Cult find me a place to stay first?"
"First, keep things under control on the Boot Gang side and prevent them from spreading rumors. Other matters will be communicated to you later."
"How long after that? I...?"
Glen stopped and turned around, his impatience undisguised. "Can't you understand me? Just wait, don't ask so many questions."
Joey didn't say anything more and slowed down.
Isaac and Glen walked out of the alley one after the other and turned into a slightly wider street.
"What are Joey's plans for the future?" Isaac asked.
Glen didn't even turn his head. "What arrangements?"
"He was an informant for the Cult, wasn't he? He couldn't stay with the Boot Gang anymore, and the Cult just abandoned him like this?"
"He was just a gofer anyway. Once he'd done his errands, he'd go back to his own business."
Isaac thought to himself that Glen didn't care about Joey at all, and didn't even bother to put on an act in front of him, the person who was about to be "accepted".
Joey ran errands for him as an inside man, and now that his identity has been exposed, he doesn't even have a place to stay, yet Glen won't give him a straight answer. This attitude doesn't even seem like he hasn't thought of any arrangements yet; it's more like he simply doesn't think Joey is worth his trouble.
This reminded Isaac of Glen's earlier remarks in the coffee shop, where he used terms like "immortals" and "short-lived species," adopting a very high-handed attitude.
This division is a real class division within the Cult. In the eyes of Glen, who has mastered the " Great Arts," a "short-lived" errand boy like Joey is probably not even considered an outsider, but merely a tool that can be replaced at any time.