Chapter 155: A Special Payment

Chapter 155: A Special Payment

The Hermit Cattleya was likewise dazed for several seconds, never expecting Emperor Roselle’s secret mausoleum to involve the Abyss.

Yet after thinking it over carefully, she found that, at that level of conflict, it was not strange for anything at all to be involved.

For one brief instant, she hoped the Queen would stop investigating the matter. In the end, however, she pressed that thought deep into her heart, because she felt that if their positions were reversed, she would likely make a similar choice.

As countless thoughts flashed through her mind, The Hermit Cattleya bowed toward the seat of honor at the end of the mottled long table.

“Thank you for your answer. I have no further questions today.”

The Fool Klein nodded slightly and looked around.

“You may begin.”

The moment his voice fell, The Magician Forsi, who had been gathering her courage all this time, spoke in the resolute manner of someone shutting her eyes and charging toward death.

“Mr. World, I have something I would like to entrust to you.”

Seeing The World Gehrman Sparrow’s gaze fall upon her, she hurriedly explained, “You won’t need to do much. At intervals, just throw me into an unfamiliar place, then come pick me up after a few days. If you’re truly very busy, you could also gather it all into one time and show me several instances of Travel so I can Record them.”

When Klein heard Miss Magician’s words, the first thought that surfaced in his mind was:

Wilderness survival?

I have far too many suitable places. The ruins of the battle of gods at the far eastern edge of the Sonia Sea, Calderon City in the spirit world, the City of Miracles Liveseyd inside Groselle’s Travels… each is ten times, a hundred times, even a thousand times more dangerous than any wilderness. I’m only afraid Miss Magician won’t be able to handle it… Klein did not have The World Gehrman Sparrow answer immediately. He controlled the false person to continue watching Miss Magician with a gaze full of pressure.

Forsi silently inhaled, steadied her emotions, and added in greater detail, “It’s like this. I’m currently Sequence 6 of the Apprentice pathway, a Recordkeeper. If I want to digest the potion, aside from Recording all sorts of Beyonder powers, I also need to Record the local scenery, customs, and folklore of different places. I hope to become a Traveler as soon as possible. Only then can I avoid most danger in the war.

“Mr. World, at present, I’ve only Recorded one instance of Travel. If I go somewhere else, I have no way to return on my own, so I can only ask you for help. I wonder whether you are interested, and what sort of payment you would like?”

So that’s it… Justice Audrey finally understood, and she felt Forsi’s idea was truly excellent.

Especially since Forsi was also a bestselling novelist. If she wrote the scenery and customs she Recorded into books and published them, it should greatly help her digest the potion… Audrey nodded inwardly and was sincerely happy for her friend.

However, as an experienced Spectator, how could she fail to notice Forsi’s fear and dread of Mr. World? She found herself rather looking forward to what would happen when the two formally interacted.

Audrey, that kind of mindset is not good! But this is precisely the mindset of a Spectator… Forsi would never imagine that the so-called crazy adventurer she fears is merely a mask, and that beneath it hides a gentle and kind heart… I also need to work hard to digest the Dreamwalker potion, and strive to wander through nearby dreams every night… Justice Audrey did not allow her expression or gaze to change at all, maintaining the attitude of a detached observer.

After hearing The Magician’s words, The Hanged Man Alger felt a wave of melancholy. Even this Apprentice was now beginning to strive toward Sequence 5, while he was still stuck at that same level.

The World and The Hermit are already Sequence 4. Justice, Sun, Moon, and Star are all Sequence 5. Aside from Magician, only Judgment, who joined later, is lower than me in Sequence… As thoughts surged within him, Alger felt a lump of frustration lodge in his chest, one that was difficult to dispel. He wished he could immediately find an opportunity, earn merit, and become the half-human, half-divine Disaster Priest.

He yearned for a high position. He yearned to grasp authority. He yearned to be recognized, respected, and obeyed. He did not wish to gradually fall behind even within the Tarot Club.

So that’s what she means… Just as Klein basically understood Miss Magician’s intention, he suddenly remembered something.

It was the identity she had once mentioned before Mr. Fool during a certain full moon:

Former surgeon, current novelist.

Uh, if she turns the horror legends I create into written stories and spreads them, would that help me further digest the Bizarro Sorcerer potion… Mm, the more shocking, terrifying, and unsolvable the stories sound, the better the effect should be… Klein suddenly gained inspiration and controlled The World Gehrman Sparrow to say, “This commission is very simple, but the payment I require is rather special.”

Hearing that Mr. World seemed inclined to accept, The Magician Forsi was both delighted and nervous.

“What payment?”

The World Gehrman Sparrow pondered briefly before saying, “Gather the ghost stories that have recently appeared in Backlund’s major hospitals, write them into a novel, and publish it either as a book or in a newspaper.

“The requirements for the novel are that it be as terrifying and bizarre as possible. It would be best if it becomes a bestseller.”

The reason Klein only mentioned the recent events in Backlund’s major hospitals was that Miss Magician, as a local writer who often moved in doctors’ circles, could reasonably learn about those legends and use them as material without arousing suspicion. If she somehow knew of ghost stories that had only just appeared in the Rorsted Archipelago, the Fog Sea, and East and West Balam, then Zaratul’s marionettes would certainly come to “visit” her.

Ghost stories that recently appeared in Backlund’s major hospitals… After hearing The World Gehrman Sparrow’s words, Justice Audrey froze for nearly three seconds.

She had originally thought those legends had been caused by Church Beyonders secretly treating the wounded, and that the mushrooms and weeds were the negative effects of some mystical item. She had not expected things to be otherwise.

Audrey had privately wondered whether Dwayne Dantès might have been responsible, since that gentleman had heard from her about those injured in the air raid, and he was a wealthy gentleman with a kind heart. However, without any further clues or evidence, she could only believe the Church was more likely.

At this very moment, she could almost confirm that the Clown Angel was The World Gehrman Sparrow—or, if not him, then someone very deeply connected to him.

Mr. World wearing a mask of mushrooms and weeds is the same as Gehrman Sparrow wearing the mask of the crazy adventurer… Why does he dress up like that when doing good? Is it because he needs that terrifying, grotesque feeling and the corresponding feedback? Justice Audrey made a few guesses inwardly.

The Star Leonard and The Hanged Man Alger, meanwhile, respectively thought of the urban legends recently discussed by the Nighthawks under Saint Samuel Cathedral and the horror stories their subordinates had heard or experienced.

Uh, I’ve truly never heard of this kind of payment before. It isn’t as if I’m writing a biography… Although war has broken out recently, newspaper and novel sales actually seem to have gone up. My previous editor has been urging me about a new book… Mm, my identity must be carefully concealed. I’ll need to persuade the editor to use a different pen name, with the excuse that different styles of novels should use different pen names… The Magician Forsi had no time to overthink. After weighing things briefly, she answered, “All right. No problem.”

The World Gehrman Sparrow then gave two low chuckles. In his hoarse voice, he said, “If you complete it well, I will give you an opportunity to Record a demigod-level Beyonder power.”

“…No problem!” Forsi swept away her usual laziness and answered firmly.

For her, Recording a demigod’s ability could not only improve her ability to protect herself, but also very effectively help digest her potion.

This made Justice Audrey, Judgment Xio, The Star Leonard, and the other members involuntarily sigh inwardly in similar fashion:

Recordkeepers are truly enviable…

Once there was a demigod-level powerhouse as support, a Recordkeeper could display astonishing strength. They would not be inferior to Sequence 5, and at certain moments might even be stronger!

After this transaction was completed, the scene fell briefly silent, because the other members of the Tarot Club currently had no pressing needs.

The Star Leonard had only recently become a Spirit Warlock and had not yet fully summarized his acting principles. As for subsequent advancement, he still had the possibility of obtaining it from the Church of Evernight. Regarding mystical items, he had already bought Word of the Sea, and in special circumstances could still apply to use the Church’s sealed artifacts.

The Moon Emlyn was reading daily through the Sanguine’s internal research materials regarding the moon domain, trying to make Crimson Scholar better match reality. As for the Sequence 4 potion formula for Shaman King and its Beyonder ingredients, he would not need them for a long time, nor could he afford them.

The Sun Derrick had only just mastered the powers of a Priest of Light and was still far from advancement. Meanwhile, he already held the main ingredient for Unshadowed.

Similarly, Justice Audrey and Judgment Xio had both advanced recently. One was working hard to help Mr. World, accumulating contributions. The other carried a large debt and was eager to pay it off.

The Hanged Man Alger belonged to the Church of Storms and had to hide his secret. At the moment, he was in a rather awkward position. He would need an opportunity before he could advance, and he had already obtained the Disaster Priest potion formula from The World.

The Hermit Cattleya had just become a demigod and was currently delving deeply into all kinds of secrets and all manner of mysticism knowledge. What pleasantly surprised her was that not long after her advancement, when she recalled the knowledge and hidden matters she had previously grasped, she discovered that she had directly digested quite a bit of her potion. Among the contributing factors, the various things she had heard at the Tarot Club had played no small role.

The transaction segment quickly ended. The members began free exchange.

The Moon Emlyn looked around, and his gaze finally landed on The Star Leonard’s face.

“If you were an official Beyonder, how would you handle, during wartime, an enemy faction’s clergyman within your jurisdiction? He has not done anything bad, nor does he intend to.”

Although Feynapotter had not yet directly gone to war with Loen, it had invaded Loen’s ally, Lenburg. This made the believers and civilians around the Church of Harvest look at Bishop Utravsky in an increasingly unfriendly way.

The Star Leonard thought about it rather consciously.

“Protective custody.”