Mr. A? It sounds more like a criminal's designation than a title befitting a mysterious powerhouse... Compared to "The Fool," it's nothing short of mediocre. No, those who could truly compare with Mr. The Fool would have to be deities or beings of near-divine stature. The thought struck Audrey, and suddenly she felt a surge of superiority. She calmly glanced at Mr. A and, speaking softly to Folsom and Hugh Dillchar, said, "What notable achievements does this gentleman have?" The Viscount Glarint, who was similarly dressed in a long cloak with a hood, was equally curious. Hugh Dillchar responded seriously, "There have been several instances where exceptional beings from Sequence 8, even Sequence 7, have targeted Mr. A, attempting to undermine him—yet all of them simply vanished without a trace." "Indeed, a truly powerful exceptional being," Glarint remarked, echoing the earlier introduction. As they spoke, the four entered the house, and the gatekeeper promptly closed the door. After adjusting to the glow of the gas lamps, Audrey noticed two blackboards standing upright at the front, each displaying rows of words. At that moment, Furse, holding a cigarette but not yet lighting it, murmured softly: "Those are the members' individual needs—something you should easily understand. Many people don’t want others to know what they possess, out of fear of being targeted by greedy individuals. So, they write down their desires or items they wish to sell anonymously on the blackboards, specifying the approximate price and the kind of items they're looking for." Audrey nodded gently, not pausing to observe the attendees, and immediately scanned several entries on the left blackboard: "A pair of mature Manhara fish eyes." "Residual dust from a spirit, 165 pounds." "The notes of Emperor Roscel, three pages, 20 pounds." By this point, Audrey could no longer maintain her role as a passive observer—she was both stunned and exhilarated. How reasonable, how reasonable these prices were! She thought, filled with both excitement and emotion. As she walked, her gaze shifted and revealed more entries: "Whimpers of Infants, doz., £200." "Mummy Powder, 10g, £5." "Merfolk Mucus, 30ml, £29." "Sequence 8: Potion Formula for the Constable, £450." ... Oh, they're so cheap! No extraordinary materials exceeded £300! Audrey's eyes sparkled as she followed her companions to a seat. At that moment, Hugh Dillchar leaned in close to her ear and whispered: "What would you like?" Audrey's breath quickened, and instantly her mind flashed back to the famous declaration of Emperor Rossel: "I want everything!" She had two brothers, so she wouldn't inherit the title or the primary estates, yet as a beloved daughter to both parents and brothers, she held assets worth £300,000—real estate, farmland, pastures, mineral deposits, jewelry, stocks, shares, and bonds. This was considered her share of the family estate, but it was only nominal—she held it in name until her father, Lord Hol, passed away or until she married. Each year, she received a corresponding annuity. Even so, she earned between 15,000 and 25,000 pounds annually, placing her among the top-ranking female nobles in the kingdom of Roon. Of course, as a noblewoman, there were many essential expenses that could not be avoided, especially since she now relied on her annuity and could no longer constantly depend on her parents. She controlled herself, remaining composed and replied with dignity: "For now, I am particularly drawn to the notes of Emperor Roscel. I am a devoted admirer of his, and I believe the special symbols—or script—he invented possess a mysterious power. The only challenge we face is that we have yet to find the correct way to combine them effectively." Audrey, you're becoming more and more insincere... she thought silently. As soon as she finished speaking, a young man wearing a white shirt and black jacket, seated nearby, eagerly agreed: "Yes!" That's it! I've finally encountered someone who shares my views!" "I'm the one who owns those three pages of notes—I can sell them to you right now!" ...At first Audrey was茫然, then responded with a warm, smiling tone: "Allow me to express my gratitude." She handed over two ten-pound bills to the other person and received the three pages of Roscel's diary—though no one knew they were actually diary entries, only referring to them generically as notes. Upon receiving them, Audrey flipped through them and confirmed that the handwriting was similar to the ones she had previously obtained. Folding the notes, she quietly asked休.迪尔查 and Folsom: "If the notes are forged, who should we approach? Mr. A?" "Yes, Mr. A insists that no fraud be allowed in the gatherings he organizes. Indeed, I can personally mediate for you." Mr. Dillach was eager to offer assistance. "I understand," Audrey said, entering the role of an observer and beginning to assess the extraordinary individuals and those in the process of becoming extraordinary present at the gathering. Because of the younger man's excitement, many people had noticed this area, glancing at Audrey and Glarinth either openly or subtly—yet none had managed to pierce through the brims of their hats. The sofa, chairs, and coffee table were scattered, all oriented toward the blackboard—rather plain, indicating that Mr. A, the召集者, was not a noble and that he was notably relaxed in this regard. Indeed, given his evident confidence, he wouldn’t have deliberately adopted such an unpretentious demeanor. Audrey turned her eyes steadily, observing with calm attention. Mr. A surveyed all the ladies present, often lingering on those with particularly attractive appearances—he was clearly quite fond of the ladies. Yet why did he keep looking at me? Could he really see through the brims of the hats? By the time Audrey reached this conclusion, she was startled—so suddenly that it felt as though she had swallowed a fly. But soon she reassured herself, for she noticed that Mr. A never looked directly at her or at the other women—this indicated that his eyes could not penetrate the fabric; his vision was indeed exceptional, as if he were closely examining her face up close, in which case the hood played only a minor role. Audrey quietly observed the transactions unfolding around her and gathered partial insights into the circumstances of the people present. At that moment, Mr. A’s attendant approached and whispered to the four of them: “You may write down your requirements on paper for me, or during the break period later, you can go to the small room and list the items you wish to sell on the blackboard.” Forths inhaled her cigarette, scanned the room with cautious attention, and asked: “Have you decided on the sequence 9 formula you’d like?” During this period, she had fulfilled her promise to share with Audrey and the Viscount Glaringt all the sequence pathways information she had come across. Audrey pretended to think for a moment, then said, "I'd like to be a 'viewer'—yes, and also the 'viewer' who comes after. A 'reader of minds.' " She considered that she would be meeting Furse and Hugh Dillcher frequently in the future, and sooner or later they would inevitably realize she was no ordinary person, a 'viewer,' so she decided to make this transition now, bringing the whole matter into the open and thus fully concealing the existence of the Tarot Circle. Though it would mean a financial outlay, it was well worth it—Audrey quietly praised herself. Meanwhile, she noticed Hugh Dillcher occasionally glancing at the board, alternately eager and discouraged. "Hugh mentioned that the sequence 8 corresponding to 'Arbiter' is 'Constable'—is he looking at that recipe worth 450 pounds?" Well, it's clear she's very eager for the 'Constable' potion... "She's been serving as an 'Arbiter' for over a year, consistently playing that role unconsciously—she must have already absorbed the potion by now..." "All of this points to one conclusion, Hugh: we're short on funds!" While making these assessments quietly, Lord Glaerint announced his own choice: "Physician—I need the Sequence 9 'Physician' recipe!" Noticing the expectant glances from Audrey, Firth, and Hugh, he chuckled and added, "For me, health—being able to withstand most illnesses and injuries—is the most important thing!" "A rational choice," Firth sighed with a smile. "That was also my dream." She carried a relaxed, somewhat worn air. Once their decisions were made, Audrey and the others wrote them down on slips of paper, handed them to the servant, and then watched as he circled the room, asking each person individually and gathering several more slips. The attendant handed the slip mixed in with others to his colleague in charge of the blackboard, asking him to record the information. "We need the recipes for the 'Spectator' and 'Mind-Reader' potions—pricing to be discussed on the spot..." Each time a note was written, the attendant read it aloud three times, and if anyone showed interest, they would quietly request a room and complete the transaction with the attendant's assistance. Mr. A glanced at the note, said nothing, and remained quietly silent, gazing steadily at the gathering members. But Audrey noticed keenly that the note began to burn gently, turning to ash and falling to the ground. Fifteen minutes later, Mr. A spoke: "We'll now enter the rest period—feel free to chat and mingle." At that moment, the young man who had sold the journal approached Audrey, excitedly saying, "I've deciphered part of the special script of King Roscel and have inscribed it on my body, which has granted me notable abilities." "Would you be interested?" Audrey immediately recalled having asked the Fool earlier whether the special characters in King Roscel's journal possessed magical powers, and the Fool's response had been that unless some deity suddenly took an interest. She looked at the young man before her, paused, and tentatively asked, "What kind of abilities have you gained?" The young man replied enthusiastically, "I'm stronger and healthier!" Audrey looked at him with sympathy and said, "I'm sorry, but I place more trust in my own research." Throughout the rest of the gathering, she observed the attendees but gathered only limited useful information, making only a general assessment that included professionals such as doctors and lawyers. Half an hour later, Audrey and the others left and returned to the Viscount of Glairint's villa, where they stayed until the ball ended. Around ten o'clock at night, Audrey returned home, preparing to have her maid bring hot water, when suddenly she noticed the large dog, Susie, giving her a look. It gave me a look... and suddenly Audrey's feelings became complex.