nownovels Chapter 14 Mr. "Power" attends the meeting for the first time.
Chapter 14 Mr. "Power" attends the meeting for the first time.
"It's not about mastering, it's about digesting."
"It's not digging, it's acting."
"The name of a potion is not just a symbol, but also an image, and even more so, a key to digestion."
Miss Justice Audrey was just a novice in the realm of mystery. She was bewildered and at a loss when she heard the Fool's words, not knowing what Mr. Fool was talking about.
But when she looked toward the experienced and capable Mr. Hanged Man and Mr. Strength, whom she was meeting for the first time that day, she found that they both seemed stunned on the spot, and even looked somewhat out of sorts.
Mr. "Strength" immediately stood up and bowed deeply to Mr. "Fool," saying:
"Great Fool, your hints are truly invaluable. They have answered my long-standing questions and removed a great obstacle to our extraordinary future. You are so generous!"
Evan's intense actions and the meaning behind his words immediately inspired Mr. Hanged Man, who had grasped the "playing method," and Miss Justice Audrey, who was still somewhat confused but realized the importance of the information just now, to stand up together and bow to the unfathomable and exceptionally generous Fool in gratitude.
"This is just an advance payment; you don't need to be so formal. Please sit down!"
The Fool was quite pleased with himself for his successful show-off, and he used both hands to press down, making the three people who had stood up sit down again.
The advance payment… and the sensible Audrey immediately followed up on the Fool's words by asking:
"Mr. Fool, what do you want us to do?"
Alger, sitting opposite Audrey, quickly followed up and asked:
"Is there anything you need me to do?"
And Evan went even further, saying in an exaggerated and direct manner:
Please feel free to ask if there is anything you need.
His posture of going through fire and water for the fool drew the attention of both the Hanged Man and Justice.
"The Fool" Klein leaned back slightly, glancing to either side, and said in a deep, authoritative voice:
"Help me collect Russell Gustave's diary, even if it's just one page!"
Just as Alger was wondering why Mr. Fool was certain that Emperor Roselle's notes were a diary, Evan appeared extremely shocked and involuntarily looked up at Mr. Fool before quickly looking away.
Just as Alger and Audrey were wondering about Mr. "Power's" reaction, wondering why he was reacting so strongly.
Klein suddenly remembered that Evan had learned the name and Chinese pronunciation of "Fusheng Xuanhuang Tianzun" from the Antigonus family notes, so he was very likely to have seen the square characters of "Fusheng Xuanhuang Tianzun".
"Could it be that my mention of Roselle's diary made him connect the Chinese characters in it with the ones he's seen? Could he be mistaking me for Roselle himself, who is gradually coming back to life?"
Klein found the situation both amusing and frustrating, but upon reflection, he realized that such a misunderstanding was actually more beneficial than harmful to him, as it helped him maintain his mysterious image in Evan's eyes.
Klein was actually quite uneasy about playing the role of a god, after all, he had only been in this world for a few days and had only become an extraordinary being that morning.
Facing Evan, who seemed to know a lot about the occult, he actually lacked confidence, not to mention that he knew Evan in real life, which made him even more cautious to prevent his identity from being exposed.
Just as Mr. Fool was lost in thought, Miss Justice Audrey hesitated for a moment, but still cautiously asked the newcomer, Mr. "Power":
"Mr. Strength, can you tell me what you've learned from Mr. Fool's words? I can pay you a reward, how about 500 pounds?"
"500 pounds?"
Klein and Alger were both inwardly shocked, wishing they could answer the question themselves. However, Klein himself did not understand the role-playing method, and Alger had only vaguely grasped its essence. They dared not show their inadequacy in front of Mr. Power, whom they had just met today, and could only give up and watch helplessly as Mr. Power made this big deal.
Evan looked up at Miss Justice and Mr. Hanged Man, and said with disdain and arrogance:
"In the realm of mysticism, money is perhaps the most useless thing; there are many things that money cannot buy."
"You're talking nonsense!!!"
Klein and Alger were both inwardly cursing, but they were both capable of concealing their thoughts and did not lose their composure on the spot.
Audrey had never seen such a direct rejection, and she had only just begun to step into the realm of the extraordinary, yet she actually believed what Evan said. Embarrassed, she secretly fidgeted with her fingers and said awkwardly:
"That's not what I meant, I just..."
Before Audrey could finish speaking, Evan continued:
"But as a newcomer to the Tarot Club, I'm still willing to offer some answers. Consider the 500 pounds as the amount you owe me. Once you become an extraordinary person, you can help me collect some materials."
As for Mr. Hanged Man, he can also listen in; consider it compensation for me learning about the "audience" potion from you! And consider the price difference a discount!
Although it can be considered as selling another "audience" potion, and being able to learn Mr. "Power's" opinion on acting.
But the Hanged Man couldn't shake the feeling that Mr. Strength was being too blunt, was he implying that he had been too petty before?
Although he suspected that Mr. "Power" was subtly mocking him, Alger was, after all, an adult and wouldn't be controlled by so-called petty emotions. In the end, he still thanked Evan while holding his nose.
"Mr. Fool's words reminded me of many things. There are many wild extraordinary beings in the Northern Continent. Most of them hide among the crowd, keep a low profile, and hope not to attract the attention of the official extraordinary beings, so as to avoid being killed."
However, there are still many extraordinary individuals who commit crimes in a frenzy, acting with extreme arrogance, as if afraid that others will not be able to find them. Moreover, their methods are bloody and cruel, causing strong public unease. The serial murder case that occurred in Tingen City of the Kingdom of Rune sixteen years ago is a typical example. The murderer was eventually arrested by the Night Watchers and disappeared without a trace, which I find very difficult to understand.
But after hearing Mr. Fool's suggestion, I remembered that the name of the sequence potion I collected for this killer was "Serial Killer." Could it be that his insane crimes were simply a way of "playing" and "digesting" the potion?
"Because the potion's name is 'Serial Killer,' so in order to 'digest' the potion, we have to become like a serial killer? This, this, this is just too much!"
Following Evan's train of thought, Audrey muttered a summary to herself, feeling a chill run down her spine. At the same time, she couldn't help but worry that the potions she had chosen for the audience route might contain such a deceptive potion.
Alger's understanding of "playing a role" was deepened by the examples Evan gave. He was also glad that he had chosen the "Sailor" sequence, so he wouldn't encounter such a pitfall. After all, he was someone who wanted to climb up to the upper echelons of the Storm Church. He wanted to gain power and the recognition of others, not to become an antisocial criminal and a person despised by everyone.
Meanwhile, Klein, the "Fool" sitting at the head of the table, who seemed to have everything under control, was also deeply moved. He was going to reveal the records about acting from Emperor Roselle's diary in order to gather everyone's wisdom and ask for their help in understanding the corresponding meaning. At the same time, he sighed inwardly:
"The serial killer incident from back then really left a deep impression on the city of Tingen. Mrs. Oriana, the treasurer of the Night Watch squad, was one of the survivors. The original owner's mother often used this story to scare the three siblings."
"Thank you for sharing. I owe you a credit of 500 pounds. You can ask for it anytime, and I will do my best to help you fulfill it."
Miss Justice Audrey thanked Evan again, because even though she was a novice in the occult, she could tell that there was a lot of useful information hidden in Evan's words, which would be of great significance to her future path as an extraordinary person.
Evan simply nodded casually, clearly not taking the 500 pounds seriously.
Afterwards, everyone shared the information they knew. The Fool was shocked to learn that the Antigonus family had been destroyed by the Church of the Night. Audrey's words about the defeat of the Kingdom of Rune in the competition with the Fusak Empire on the east coast of the southern continent, and the dissatisfaction of the upper elites of Rune with the government structure and the low administrative efficiency caused by the chaotic elections, attracted Evan's attention.
This question also fell into Klein's area of expertise, and he immediately brought up the so-called "civil service system" from his previous life, which drew gradual admiration from Miss Justice Audrey.
Evan also discovered something he could exploit from this.
Although he will definitely go to Backlund soon thanks to the combined efforts of Adam and 008, according to the original owner's memories, his older brother Robert Horn might still keep him under his watchful eye, which would greatly limit Evan's space for movement.
According to the original work, after Audrey became an audience member, she promoted corresponding reforms in the upper echelons of Loen. Because the reform plan was good and catered to the needs of the noble rulers, the reform measures were implemented very quickly, and it took only half a year to enter the implementation stage, with remarkable results.
Perhaps I can take advantage of this opportunity to propose appropriate measures to my brother, establish the impression in his mind that "my younger brother has grown up," and thus make him relax his supervision of me.
Seeing that no one wanted to exchange information, Klein ended the tarot session.
However, instead of leaving the gray fog as before, he stayed behind, reflecting on everything that had happened that afternoon.
First came the information brought by Evan, a wealth of details, but also shocking revelations about the mastermind behind it all.
The mastermind's scheme has clearly only just begun, and the purpose is still unknown. However, according to the prophetic vision that Evan saw in his dream, if the mastermind succeeds, Tingen will surely be a scene of bloodshed.
Even though he possessed the Gray Mist and could occasionally break free from its arrangements, the mastermind behind the scenes naturally had the ability to revive the plot, which made Klein feel very powerless.
The ability to orchestrate everyone's fate without anyone noticing is clearly a power only a high-ranking expert possesses. Why would such a powerful being plot against Tingen? Does Tingen hold something for him? Or is it merely a matter of 'playing a role'?
Thinking of the examples Evan had just given, Klein couldn't help but make this guess.
"Could there be a high-sequence potion named 'Writer' or 'Director'?"