Chapter 44: “2-081”

Chapter Forty-Four
“2-081”

…A godlike reason…

Upon hearing the Apothecary’s answer, even Klein, a Clown, failed to control the change in his expression. Fortunately, an iron mask still covered his face.

The Apothecary did not notice Klein’s reaction, nor the old gentleman Eye of Wisdom’s. He continued rambling on his own.

“That is why I like Backlund so much. There are so many streetwalkers here. They haunt the areas outside music halls and theaters. They wait in streets and alleys. Some are professionals, some are part-time, originally factory girls or maids, each with a different flavor. It is said that in certain parts of the West Borough, occasionally even bankrupt noble young ladies appear. Truly something to yearn for.”

“…”

Klein pushed the iron mask covering the upper half of his face and quickly changed the subject.

“Did your teacher have objections to your choice?”

The Apothecary shook his head slightly.

“No. After he finished teaching me herbal knowledge, he kicked me out of the door and told me to travel the continent and experience life. Damn it, he did not even tell me where to find the potion ingredients for the later Sequences!”

At this point, the Apothecary looked toward Klein and added, “If you know where there are pith crystals from the Elven Spring, please be sure to tell me. I will pay compensation. Of course, you can also buy them first and sell them to me at a higher price. You are a lucky fellow. Perhaps you can help me fulfill my wish.”

“All right,” Klein casually agreed. Thoughtfully, he asked, “At that time, can I exchange it for the Apothecary potion formula?”

In his view, Apothecary was an extremely useful support profession, one that could be used to cultivate helpers.

The not-quite-fat, merely rather round Apothecary swiftly shook his head.

“No!”

“I can only teach my students.”

Is this a rule of the Life School of Thought? Perhaps there is even an oath sworn under the witness of some hidden existence…

Klein thought without surprise.

Just then, the Apothecary gave a heh.

“But I can tell you where you can obtain the Apothecary formula. It is right here in Backlund.”

“Excellent.”

Klein found this quite a pleasant surprise.

Seeing that the old gentleman Eye of Wisdom seemed about to speak and see them out again, Klein hastily asked, “Mr. Apothecary, do you have any potions that treat mental frenzy and similar problems?”

Klein was acting this out for Miss Bodyguard, making her even more certain that he had suffered a slight influence from the True Creator, had become a potential madman, and was now working hard to seek treatment.

“Yes. Sedatives. Ten soli each. I will bring you four at the next gathering. Believe me, they are absolutely far more useful than the hospital kind. I add some spiritual materials,” the Apothecary answered without hesitation.

That is really expensive… In Tingen’s underground market, hospital sedatives cost one to two soli each. Varieties flowing from the Nighthawks, Mandated Punishers, and Machinery Hivemind squads were four to five soli each…

While thoughts flashed through Klein’s mind, he acted the part to the end and turned toward Eye of Wisdom.

“Honored sir, may I attend the next gathering?”

“Yes. Your performance these two times has proven your good will. Young man, pay attention to the Backlund Morning Post every day. When the fifth page has an advertisement about Ernst Firm purchasing goods, that means there will be a gathering here at eight o’clock the next evening. The weight of the knocks and the intervals between them are determined by the offered price. The first number is the number of heavy knocks, the second is the number of light knocks, the third is the number of long pauses, and the fourth is the number of short pauses. Anything after that is meaningless.”

The old gentleman Eye of Wisdom nodded.

After describing the information, he sighed.

“Beyonders who are not official and have no organization do not live as beautifully as you imagine. On one hand, we must conceal our secrets, hide from officials, and maintain caution and vigilance at all times. On the other hand, we must fight loss of control and resist madness. Too many of our kind die from those two things.

“Even if we smoothly avoid official attention and escape loss of control and madness, we can still fall at any moment into the predicament of lacking materials, failing to find desired items, and being unable to obtain sufficient knowledge. The reason I organize gatherings like this is so everyone can help one another.

“Unfortunately, this is an era where mysticism is in short supply. Many Beyonder materials rarely appear anymore.”

Yes. But I have Mr. Hanged Man, who knows the coordinates of certain primitive islands, and Student Sun, who is constantly fighting all kinds of monsters in the depths of the darkness in the City of Silver. Some Beyonder materials can be obtained through them…

Klein politely half rose and bowed to the old gentleman Eye of Wisdom.

“Your character is admirable.”

After sitting down again, Klein suddenly thought of something. Weighing his words, he asked, “Gentlemen, do you have any mystical items? Something like the item Black Snake sold me—but without overly severe, overly negative problems. I wish to have some ability to protect myself.”

His plan was first to find objects that interested him and learn their prices, then set goals based on that.

Although I do not have money right now, that does not mean I will not in the future… Does having no money mean I cannot ask the price?

Klein silently added that sentence in his heart.

The Apothecary spread his hands, indicating that he did not have any—or, even if he did, he would not sell them. The old gentleman Eye of Wisdom chuckled.

“I do have some. What sort do you hope to buy? Give me a rough range.”

Some… He is most likely a Beyonder of the Savant pathway who relies on external objects…

Klein did not conceal his envy as he said, “Something stronger than I am myself. Not something that merely improves fighting ability. Ideally, something with mystical abilities.”

He did not speak too specifically, maintaining the image of a newcomer.

Eye of Wisdom laughed.

“I have one item that suits your requirements very well. Its former code name was 2-081.”

“2-081?” Klein asked in puzzlement.

His confusion was merely surface disguise. Inside, he was more shocked.

Is this a Sealed Artifact that flowed out from the Church of the Goddess, from behind Chanis Gate?

Klein had never imagined he would encounter a familiar numerical code here.

Eye of Wisdom casually explained a few things.

“Many mystical items have rather obvious hidden dangers and can cause certain harm. Therefore, the seven orthodox Churches all collect and seal them. They call them Sealed Artifacts and distinguish them with numerical codes.

“After long dispute and communication, the seven Churches formed a unified naming method, using 0, 1, 2, and 3 to mark different levels of danger. Among them, Grade 0 is the most dangerous. They are said to be terrifying items capable of destroying nations, even the world.

“The seven orthodox Churches inform one another regarding Grade 0 and Grade 1 Sealed Artifacts, telling the others which ones they themselves possess. Therefore, Grade 0 and Grade 1 codes do not repeat. As for Grade 2 and Grade 3, each Church orders its own separately. Different Churches may possess the same code.”

Klein had long known the general situation from within the Nighthawks, but there was one point he truly did not understand.

“They inform one another of the codes of their Grade 0 and Grade 1 Sealed Artifacts?”

Is that not revealing their own hand? It allows other Churches to know how many trump cards they possess!

Of course, this could also be viewed as a kind of strategic deterrence, avoiding direct conflict between the seven Churches…

Klein considered possible reasons.

“Yes. Although I cannot understand why they do this, it truly happened. It is said to have been an agreement reached by the seven Churches at the end of the Fourth Epoch and the beginning of the Fifth Epoch,” the old gentleman Eye of Wisdom said at an unhurried pace. “My 2-081 comes from the Church of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom. It can let you know a great deal and understand a great deal. Even if it is an enemy’s Beyonder ability, you can swiftly identify the specific situation, understand its strengths and weaknesses, and have a chance of imitating it to a certain degree. The stronger the opponent, the higher the chance of failure. Of course, even if successful, it will definitely fall far short of the original.”

That sounds very strong… Empirical proof that knowledge is power? Developed to the end, would omniscience equal omnipotence? Mm… I withdraw my previous judgment. The old gentleman Eye of Wisdom may not necessarily be an Appraiser. His identification of objects might rely on Sealed Artifact 2-081…

Klein clicked his tongue inwardly. Quite interested, he asked, “Then what price must I pay to buy it?

“And what are its flaws?”

“It keeps your mind operating at high speed at all times. Once you exceed the limited duration, you will become an idiot,” Eye of Wisdom answered simply, his description not especially detailed.

At that moment, the Apothecary beside him muttered, “Perhaps your head has already been damaged by it. You are always talking about your collections. Sooner or later, someone will rob you and kill you!”

Sir, the things you say when persuading people are always so unpleasant to hear…

Klein could not help lampooning inwardly.

Eye of Wisdom, however, laughed loudly.

“How do you know I am not saying it deliberately, deliberately waiting for greedy people to make a move?

“Mm, just like the fishing law enforcement Emperor Roselle once described.”

When his laughter stopped, he patted the armrest of the sofa and sighed.

“As someone who loves collecting, being unable to show off one’s collection to others is a very painful thing.”

He then looked toward Klein.

“My apologies. I will not sell 2-081. It is my best collection. I bought it back then for 6,800 pounds. Sealed Artifacts of this level range from four thousand to twenty thousand pounds, depending on their specific effects and hidden dangers. However, most of the time, even if you have money, you cannot buy one.”

Then why did you say so much…

Klein controlled the twitch at the corner of his mouth.

The old gentleman Eye of Wisdom seemed to perceive his reaction and gave a chuckle.

“What I truly wanted to recommend are two items. One is a brooch, which can grant you the ability to exorcise, purify, and use certain spells of the Sun domain. Its flaw is that as long as you wear it, you will never feel coolness. You will forever be in the scorching summer of the south.

“The other is a hat that can change shape. After wearing it, you can move freely underwater for at least half an hour and use some spell-like abilities from the domains of water and wind. Its flaw is that you will crave water, and once you walk upon the earth, you will grow weaker and weaker.

“Items of this sort are priced between 1,500 and 3,500 pounds. Similarly, sometimes even if you double the price, you may not be able to buy one, because they rarely appear. I spent more than thirty years collecting only a few.”

Klein nodded lightly.

“I will consider it, and decide at a later gathering.”

Having said that, he deliberately smiled.

“And besides, I do not have that much money right now.”