Bab 56: Chapter 56: The Advance Deposit
Chapter 56: The Advance Deposit
"I'll try my best to develop the ability to kill monsters independently before we set sail," Alice said, steering the conversation in a different direction despite understanding the Hanged Man's meaningful glance.
Alger's actions made it clear he refused to continue talking with Alice, so she fell silent and began to seriously consider what else she might have forgotten.
Seizing the opportunity, Audrey addressed Derrick: "Could I exchange information with you about dragons?"
"Certainly. In return, I'd like the formula for the Sequence 8 potion of the Bard pathway," Derrick replied hesitantly, rejoining the conversation.
"I'll find the Sequence 8 Bard potion formula for you as soon as possible, but not today. Is that acceptable?" Audrey carefully phrased her response, then glanced towards the head of the ancient long table. "We can ask Mr. Fool to witness our agreement."
At this point, Klein smiled and said, "Miss Justice, perhaps I could provide the Priest of Light formula on your behalf."
Audrey's eyes lit up at this. "That would be wonderful! What should I offer you in exchange?"
"There's no rush. My blessed may need assistance in the future," Klein replied, not having thought it through yet.
"Of course, I'll do my best to help them!" Audrey promised cheerfully.
After receiving and memorizing the potion formula from Klein, Derrick turned to Audrey and said, "Miss Justice, we can now discuss the dragon matter."
Audrey raised her hand and said, "Mr. Fool, I request a private conversation."
Alice glanced at Mr. Fool, who was hidden behind the gray fog, freeloading on the conversation. However, Mr. Fool unhesitatingly treated Alice the same way he had treated Alger, blocking her from the discussion as well.
Looking at Alger, who was also excluded, Alice finally remembered what she had forgotten: "Do you have any magical items that allow free movement underwater?"
Indeed, she had suddenly recalled that she couldn't swim.
"...I'm a Beyonder of the Sailor pathway," Alger replied after a moment of silence, stating the obvious fact.
Realizing this, Alice was at a loss for words and frowned in distress.
"If you're only worried about issues after we set sail, I can handle that aspect," Alger said conscientiously.
Alice looked at Alger in surprise, noting his vastly different attitude from before. She couldn't help but say, "Actually, if there's anything you want to know, you can just ask directly."
Alger was taken aback by Alice's words. Didn't he want to ask directly? What could he ask? Should he inquire if she had known Mr. Fool before?
He had already realized that Miss Fate's background was quite unusual. She seemed to have a deeper connection with Mr. Fool, beyond that of a blessed, more of a relatively equal relationship.
But this immediately raised more questions for Alger.
Firstly, Miss Fate's sequence must not be high, while Mr. Fool, even if not yet a god, was certainly a great figure approaching godhood. He couldn't understand why these two would have a relatively equal relationship.
Secondly, Alice's personality traits were too obvious; one could tell at a glance that she was an unworldly child. Moreover, previous events had revealed her close ties to official circles. He couldn't figure out how Alice had become a Beyonder or how she had advanced.
Lastly, of course, there was the recent incident—how had she provoked an angel of the Fate pathway? Why did that angel want to kill her yet also send her a Beyonder characteristic? And... why was she so certain that the angel couldn't manipulate her fate?
If Alger had recognized that part of the symbol representing "The Fool" belonged to fate, he might have considered whether this was Mr. Fool's blessing—though this would have been an incorrect answer as well.
Unfortunately, Alger couldn't recognize this, so he could only continue to ponder, trying to piece together Miss Fate's background from the scarce information available.
Even though the premise he was working with was incorrect.
...
After Audrey and Derrick finished their private chat (actually a group discussion), the group exchanged a few more words before the Tarot gathering concluded.
Returning to the real world, Alice blinked in confusion—she had thought Klein would keep her behind.
Alice's puzzlement was resolved when she received the contents of Roselle's diary from Klein through a ritual: Oh~ so Mr. Fool didn't have enough spirituality left~
The Fool, who had returned to meditate and recover his spirituality, was unaware of how gleefully Alice had laughed after he left.
After finishing her laugh, Alice opened Roselle's diary.
"He says he's a Sequence 2 'Miracle Invoker'..." Alice read this sentence aloud, unable to help but ponder, "So the Sequence 2 of the Diviner pathway is 'Miracle Invoker'... But what is a miracle?"
This was a question still too distant for Alice's current level. She continued reading, her gaze soon coming to a halt.
"I cautiously asked Zaratul again, whether the so-called miracles were miracles of fate? Whether the Diviner pathway was about gradually understanding fate, mastering fate, and manipulating fate?
"Zaratul skipped the first question. He told me that fate was only a part of the Diviner pathway, not even the main part. The pathway that truly represents fate is 'Monster'.
"He gave several examples, all potion names from the Monster sequence. Sequence 7 'Lucky One', Sequence 5 'Winner', Sequence 2 'Prophet', and at the top, that Sequence 1, 'Mercury Snake'! Also known as the 'Fate Snake'."
Alice recalled the giant snake from her dream, that white, scaleless serpent.
The fact that the "Monster" pathway was the "Fate" pathway was not surprising to Alice; King Charliehad already revealed this information to her.
Both the Sequence 5 "Winner" and the Sequence 2 "Prophet" were indeed names very fitting for the "Fate" pathway—understanding fate, mastering fate, manipulating fate.
What truly caught Alice's attention was the Sequence 1 "Mercury Snake".
That snake that appeared in her dream, that unknown angel of the "Fate" pathway, its true identity was a "Mercury Snake"!
"Sequence 1..." Alice murmured, her eyes betraying her confusion. Unaware of the existence of Sequence 0, Alice still couldn't understand what the final scene of being swallowed by the giant snake in her dream symbolized.
Of course, her invitation to Alger during the Tarot gathering to hunt down King Charlietogether in the future was not just a jest.
Upon realizing the Mercury Snake's intention to fatten her up before killing her, Alice understood one thing—King Charliewas the Beyonder characteristic sent to her by that entity!
Alice had no doubt that King Charliewould die before her eyes someday in the future, even if she didn't kill him herself.
Just as King Charliehad said at the beginning—this was the advance deposit.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone