Chapter 229: Exploration Mission

Chapter 229: Exploration Mission

The Hanged Man, Alger, looked toward Magician Fors and asked in return, “You were forced to drink a second Apprentice potion?”

Why did you guess it right away… as if you saw it happen with your own eyes… Fors cleared her throat a little awkwardly.

“Yes. You can think of it that way…

“Do any of you have a solution? What should I exchange for it?”

The Hanged Man, Alger, stealthily glanced at Mr. Fool. Seeing that He made no indication, he answered in his calm, deep voice, “No payment is needed, because it certainly cannot satisfy your need.”

Before Magician or Miss Justice could ask, he casually explained, “High-Sequence powerhouses can decide for themselves whether to pass Beyonder characteristics down to their descendants, and how much to pass down. Sequence 6 and Sequence 5 Beyonders naturally pass down a portion of their characteristics. They cannot control it themselves. Although it is never much each time and does not affect their own strength, if they have enough children, they can still regress.”

“Such children are born with higher spirituality and certain incomplete Beyonder abilities?” Justice Audrey suddenly understood, realizing the origin of certain special groups of people.

The Hanged Man nodded.

“Yes. They can be considered half a Sequence 9, possessing fixed characteristics. If they wish to become Beyonders, they can only choose the corresponding pathway. Of course, similar people do not necessarily come only from inheritance. They may also have been blessed by deities or corroded by evil spirits. Many factors can produce the same effect. Also, the child of a High-Sequence powerhouse might be born directly at Sequence 5. This is one of the very few methods that allows one to skip Sequences without being especially prone to losing control.”

“So that’s how it is…” Audrey sighed in satisfaction.

To her, learning more about the mysticism world was an even greater pleasure than obtaining a beautiful dress or jewelry.

Magician Fors also gained a measure of understanding and pressed further.

“Then what about Beyonders at Sequence 7, Sequence 8, and Sequence 9?”

“Theoretically speaking, their Beyonder characteristics will not be inherited by their descendants, but this is not absolute. If there is an excess of Beyonder characteristics, there is also a chance of inheritance. In other words, if you become pregnant and give birth to a child, you can effectively reduce the potion residue within your body. No—one might not be enough. Three or four would provide greater certainty.”

Three or four? Fors was utterly dumbfounded.

Klein had already learned this common knowledge from Roselle’s diary, but at that moment, he could not help thinking of a joke:

Miss Magician, in the future, you can tell your children, “You came free with the potion!”

Although, from Mr. Hanged Man’s wording, the burden might lessen at the moment of conception, one child takes almost ten months of trouble. No, more than that. It’s not as if you can give birth and then ignore them… Since I know the acting method, even if things become more difficult afterward, two months should definitely be enough to digest it again. Perhaps it wouldn’t even take that long, since it’s only an initial Sequence… Fors barely managed a smile.

“I understand. The best method is still to digest it through acting.”

The Hanged Man, Alger, gave an affirmative answer.

“At Sequence 7 and below, yes.”

Later, when digestion easily takes half a year, a year, two or three years, five or six years, having children might be the easier solution… he silently added in his heart.

The scene fell quiet for a few seconds. Both ladies were digesting the knowledge they had just obtained.

This was the first time they had learned that having children could have such a use.

As for the Sun, Derrick, this was all common knowledge. He adjusted his sitting posture and said, “I have been assigned another exploration mission.”

“Explore where?” The Hanged Man, Alger, turned his head and asked.

“Still the half-destroyed temple of the Fallen Creator,” Derrick answered, not too gravely.

It sounds like there is a certain degree of safety guaranteed… Justice Audrey did not interrupt.

The Hanged Man thought for two seconds.

“Is the Shepherd elder still in the dungeon?”

“Yes. This exploration will be led by the Chief,” the Sun answered without concealing anything.

“In that case, the danger level is much lower than last time. You can try it.” The Hanged Man, Alger, once again could not help glancing at Mr. Fool.

Unable to read anything from the other party’s hazy eyes, he continued speaking to the Sun, Derrick.

“This should be the final examination before your monitoring is completely lifted.

“The information you passed out before was that Amon and the Fallen Creator are mortal enemies, and that they were willing to expose themselves in order to sabotage the other party’s scheme. During this exploration of the Fallen Creator’s temple, as long as you do not reveal anything abnormal, the Six-Member Council can basically determine that you are no longer under Amon’s influence.”

Mr. Hanged Man really is experienced. It is almost as if he planned this operation himself… The Sun, Derrick, firmly committed the advice to memory and asked, “Other than this, what else do I need to pay attention to?”

At the very head of the long bronze table, the Fool, who had been quietly watching, spoke.

“Flesh. Ravings.”

Klein gave only two words and left the rest for the members of the Tarot Club to understand on their own.

This was the bearing of a great figure.

The Hanged Man thought seriously for a few seconds, then said to the Sun, who had thanked Mr. Fool, “More specifically: do not look at what you should not look at, do not listen to what you should not listen to, do not eat what you should not eat, and do not touch what you should not touch.”

“What belongs to things I should not look at or listen to?” the Sun, Derrick, asked in confusion.

The Hanged Man lowered his voice and said, “After entering the temple, everything belongs to that category.”

“Then how am I supposed to explore?” Derrick asked back in astonishment.

The Hanged Man chuckled.

“Do you not have other team members? Do you not have the Chief?”

As expected of Mr. Hanged Man’s style… Justice Audrey subconsciously wanted to raise a hand and cover her face, but her deeply ingrained education and habits told her that such a movement was not elegant. Thus, she forcefully changed direction, smoothing a lock of hair that had fallen down and tucking it behind her ear.

“…” The Sun, Derrick, felt that such a method was somewhat unacceptable.

Noticing his reaction, the Hanged Man, Alger, cursed inwardly, then said, “What I mean is: listen to the Chief’s orders. Only do what he tells you to do. At all other times, absolutely do not make decisions on your own.”

“I understand. Thank you, Mr. Hanged Man!” The Sun immediately became relaxed.

Huff. Alger exhaled and turned to the lady opposite him.

“Miss Justice, I would like to know the political changes in Backlund after Duke Negan’s death.”

Audrey recalled the news she had recently heard, directly and indirectly.

“Duke Negan’s death has caused a split in the House of Lords. Although his eldest son will soon inherit the title and become a member of the upper house, he does not have enough prestige to quell the disputes.

“Nearly ten members of the upper house have jointly proposed that newly ennobled nobles should also have the chance to obtain fixed seats.

“To put it simply, nobles created through political donations, charitable donations, and the purchase of corresponding land would be allowed to become members of the upper house.”

Hearing this, the Hanged Man, Alger, laughed.

“Do nobles whose families possess a certain amount of history not despise those fellows who obtained their titles through improper channels the most? Wasn’t the greatest pride and final glory they possessed the hereditary, fixed seat in the upper house?”

Ignoring the trace of mockery that had slipped unconsciously into the Hanged Man’s words, Justice Audrey calmly explained, “When you have debts of tens of thousands of pounds, hundreds of thousands of pounds, or even more, you will make the same choice.”

For many nobles, owing money was not a fatal threat. But creditors could petition the court and use their land as debt repayment. Once they no longer possessed the minimum land required for their title, their noble status would begin to totter.

“And then?” the Hanged Man, Alger, did not dwell on the previous question.

Audrey roughly described, “These disputes have caused many bills to be shelved, including but not limited to increasing workers’ wages, improving working hours, and revising the Poor Laws. What is comforting is that the unified examination for government employees is still steadily advancing, without being halted, and the investigation into Backlund’s air pollution is also deepening.”

“In the short term, there will be no war…” the Hanged Man muttered, then began communicating with the other members about other matters.

Worried that staying in the washroom too long would arouse suspicion, Klein announced the end of this Tarot Gathering once their exchange reached a pause.

…

Returning to her room, Audrey did not hurry to stand. She first quietly sorted out what she needed to do next.

Looking at the mirror before her, she toyed with the earring hanging from her earlobe, smiling faintly as she silently muttered to herself:

“Tomorrow afternoon is psychology class. I can tell Miss Islant that, in a Beyonder circle, I encountered someone wishing to buy a Human-skinned Shadow characteristic. He has promised an unusually generous payment. I wonder whether the Psychology Alchemists would be interested…

“Also, I can’t forget Roselle’s diary and the Wind-blessed formula…

“Mm, I need to gather the materials for Psychiatrist as quickly as possible. Audrey, you cannot slack off! Susie is already Sequence 8. You cannot let her catch up!”

…

Fors paced back and forth in her room a few times. At last, she made up her mind and pulled out a chair.

She found letter paper and a fountain pen. After nearly a minute of preparation, she began writing to Dorian Gray.

She described the need for a Human-skinned Shadow characteristic and the Wind-blessed potion formula, both of which she had learned about by chance, and expressed her own curiosity toward Roselle’s notes.

…

The capital of the Rorsted Archipelago, the City of Generosity.

Alger Wilson walked out of an inn and headed toward a hidden underground market.

His target was the Deep-sea Naga’s hair.

If a Human-skinned Shadow characteristic happened to be there, he would not let it slip by either.

…

I’m short on money… Sitting in his living room, Klein sighed once again.

He still lacked a fair amount of cash before he could guarantee that, once a clue regarding the Human-skinned Shadow characteristic appeared, he would be able to buy it immediately.

Klein thought for a long time and began considering whether he should find another channel to sell the Interrogator Beyonder characteristic, rather than continuing to wait for Miss Xio to have money again.

After an unknown length of time, the clear sound of the doorbell broke the afternoon quiet.