Chapter 376: The God of Luck
At the head of the table, Klein glanced sympathetically at Miss Magician, sighing inwardly:
Among the people gathered here, including myself as the Fool, there are three who already know your identity... two of them are your friends...
And it's unlikely you'll fool Miss Justice either. Against a mind reader deeply familiar with you, it's nearly impossible to conceal your true thoughts, even if you're aware of their abilities and take precautions—let alone when you're completely in the dark.
Shaking his head subtly, Klein controlled the World, whose raspy voice broke the silence:
"I have the Apothecary formula. It's 230 pounds.
"As for the Trickmaster formula, I'll do my best to find it for you, but I can't guarantee success."
The universal key he obtained from Bishop Utravsky was likely connected to the Apprentice pathway, which included the Sequence 9 Trickmaster. Divination in the gray fog about the key's origins might reveal some clues.
The reason Klein mentioned the formula without certainty was to prevent others from swooping in.
There was no need to worry about the Hanged Man or the Tower, but even Sun had recently been active in seeking formulas. Competition abounded.
Fors didn't immediately respond to the World's offer. Instead, she scanned the group but saw that the Hanged Man, Justice, Tower, Judgment, and Sun had no intention of speaking.
The Hanged Man Alger, Justice Audrey, and Sun Derrick simply didn't have the two formulas Fors sought, so they remained silent.
As for Ebner, he knew the Trickmaster formula but hadn't been able to pass it to Fors before she joined the Tarot Club, fearing that without Mr. Fool's guidance, she might be corrupted by whispers during her ritual. After she joined, he had been away from Backlund, so the opportunity hadn't arisen.
Since the World volunteered to search, Ebner decided not to compete for the task. Besides, given that Klein had already saved Fors's life, it was only natural for him to make some profit from her.
Judgment Xio had also recently gained some harvests during interrogations but hadn't managed to secure a complete Trickmaster formula.
After a brief pause, Fors replied to the World:
"Mr. World, I hope you can find the Trickmaster formula soon. As for the Apothecary formula, I'll purchase it now. Is the payment made through a sacrificial ritual?"
The World nodded and explained in a low tone:
"Yes, the process is as follows..."
After detailing the sacrificial procedure, Klein manifested the Apothecary formula in front of the World, who then passed it to Miss Magician.
Fors accepted the formula eagerly, spreading it out to memorize it.
Judgment, sitting beside her, opened her mouth to offer advice but hesitated. Remembering her "arrogant noble" persona, Xio stopped herself, fearing that speaking out might reveal her own identity through familiarity with Fors. Instead, she turned to Ebner with a look, silently urging him to step in.
Receiving the signal, Ebner immediately understood what Xio meant. However, before he could say anything, Justice Audrey, having already deduced Miss Magician's identity, kindly offered a reminder:
"You can ask Mr. Fool for assistance with recall when making the sacrifice. You don't need to memorize the formula so meticulously. If you encounter difficulties, you can also pray to Him by chanting His name."
Him? Fors froze. Miss Justice referred to the Fool with the term reserved for gods and angels... Him... Could the Fool really be... Him? But why would He bother with such mundane requests? Then again, proper ritual magic often gets responses from the Seven Orthodox Gods too...
Thoughts whirring, Fors turned to Justice and said:
"Thank you for the reminder. Your title truly matches your character."
Audrey felt slightly guilty at the compliment.
A moment later, another thought occurred to her, and she asked:
"Miss Magician, do you know the Acting Method?"
Fors nodded after a brief consideration. "If you mean the method for accelerating potion digestion and minimizing the risk of losing control, then yes, I do."
Ebner had explained the Acting Method to Xio the very day they met. After verifying its effectiveness, Xio had obtained his permission to share it with Fors.
Fors knows the Acting Method? Then Xio must know it too? No wonder she advanced to Sheriff so quickly. Audrey was unaware that Xio had already reached Interrogator.
Was it that Hero Detective who told them?
Ugh... Aside from the two of us veterans, every new member of the Tarot Club seems to know this supposedly rare secret...
The Tower is inherently knowledgeable. Sun has a unique background. Judgment is friends with the Tower... I can accept all that. But even Mr. World hasn't shown any interest or curiosity about the Acting Method—he must already know it.
Audrey suddenly felt like a country bumpkin in the mystical world.
The Hanged Man Alger, on the other hand, thought to himself, As expected.
Mr. Fool never invites ordinary people to the Tarot Club. Although this lady is probably only Sequence 8, she must have some unique background. Either she belongs to a secret organization or comes from a family of Beyonders. Judging by her demeanor, the latter is more likely.
I wonder if I can leverage her resources, just as I have with Sun.
While Alger indulged in his theories, Derrick Sun finally voiced a question that had been gnawing at him:
"I want to know who the Seven Gods are and their general details."
The long-standing enigma burned within him no longer.
I know this one! Audrey nearly leaped at the chance, raising her hand slightly to indicate her willingness to answer.
At the same time, the Hanged Man, Judgment, and World also signaled they could respond. Even Ebner hesitated briefly before raising his hand.
His intent wasn't to exploit Derrick; he knew most of what Derrick did. However, his persona in the Tarot Club was that of an erudite scholar. Declining such a straightforward question would contradict his established character.
Only Fors sat dumbfounded, unable to comprehend why Sun, who had earlier sought information about the True Creator, was now asking such a basic question that even children knew.
Noticing her confusion, Alger helpfully clarified: "Sun comes from the Land Abandoned by God."
Fors's first reaction was disbelief, but with the Fool presiding over the meeting, she couldn't imagine Alger lying. Accepting the truth, she thought: This secret gathering is far more bizarre than I ever imagined. And the Fool is much more formidable than I'd assumed.
Audrey, observing Fors's reaction, nearly succumbed to the urge to flaunt tales of Admiral Hurricane, the Intis Ambassador, or Lanvus, all linked to the Fool. She refrained only to avoid exposing her own identity.
Seated at the head of the table, Klein smiled faintly at the competition and asked:
"Mr. Sun, with whom would you like to trade?"
Derrick hesitated briefly before replying:
"I'd like to trade with each of them individually.
"As payment, I'll answer one question within my ability."
This arrangement would ensure the broadest range of information. Over time, Derrick had matured, shaped by Silver City's harsh environment and recent expeditions.
The group agreed without objection and began taking turns privately trading with Sun.
For Klein, this was delightful. As the Fool, he could hear every answer to every question.
When Ebner's turn came, he memorized extensive excerpts from the Seven Gods' holy texts—such as The Revelations of the Night and The Book of Storms—and practically dictated them to Derrick.
Why had Ebner studied so many divine scriptures? As a devout follower of the Fool, wasn't it only natural?
Derrick, staring at the stack of parchment before him, felt dazed but grateful. Thankfully, Mr. Fool can assist with memory recall...
In truth, Klein himself was relieved: Thank goodness I've advanced to Magician. Otherwise, my spirituality might not have sustained such extensive memory recall. If it came to that, I'd have to buy a set of Seven Gods scriptures to "grant" him... What kind of "evil god" grants their follower the scriptures of orthodox deities?
While Klein indulged in his thoughts, Ebner posed his question:
"Does Silver City still possess the heart of a gem dragon?"
Derrick shook his head firmly. "Gem dragons were already hard to find before the Fall of the Creator. They've long since passed into legend. In over a millennium of exploration, Silver City has never uncovered materials from a gem dragon."
Glancing at the mountain of parchment before him, Derrick added hesitantly:
"Mr. Tower, you can ask a few more questions."
So honest… Ebner mused. After some thought, he asked about a particularly enigmatic subordinate of the Elf King Soniathrym, one speculated about by readers in his previous life but never definitively explained:
"What do you know about the subordinate of the Elf King, the God of Luck?"
(Chapter End)
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