Sequence 0? A Sequence 0 above Sequence 1? Is Sequence 0 equivalent to a True God? Can there be only one Sequence 0 per path? That's the true meaning of the Divine Paths? As long as one consumes the appropriate elixir, performs the proper rituals, and masters the art of embodying extraordinary traits, ordinary mortals can gradually ascend to godhood? How deeply sacrilegious this all is... Might it eventually come to pass that the primary ingredient of the elixir itself is the divine essence, divine blood, and divine body of the eternal blazing sun? ...The journal entry on the final page contained so much information that Celine was nearly overwhelmed, struggling to think, and nearly making an extra physical gesture. Twenty-two Divine Paths correspond to twenty-two Sequence 0s... Sequence 0, "Sun"—that already sounds impressive... Perhaps there's also a Sequence 0, "Death"? I'm not sure what the Sequence 0 names corresponding to the Goddess and the Lord of Storms are... According to Emperor Roscel, part of it aligns with the Major Arcana, yet there are also differences—his "Disrespectful Cards" are based strictly on the names of magical potions... Can this still be considered a magical potion? Emperor Roscel regrets not having chosen the paths of "The Prophet," "The Apprentice," and "The Thief," since the corresponding Sequence 0 titles for those haven't yet been established? Why has the symbolic deity, "The Hidden Wise One," suddenly taken on a personified form? What grand plans is Roscel currently pursuing? It gives the impression that he faces opposition from all quarters, relying solely on that mysterious and ancient organization... Is "The Primordial Witch" indeed the Sequence 0 title for the Witch path? Klein gradually regains his composure, calming the fierce winds and turbulent waves within him. He knew he couldn't linger in this matter—he had to recover quickly and return to normal, or else "Justice" and "The Hangman" would notice something amiss: "The Fool" had been staring at that page of the journal for far too long! He longed for a "Sacred Inversion" card crafted by Emperor Rossel, to see what, beyond the divine elixirs and corresponding rites, was hidden within... Caine suppressed his astonishment and bewilderment, and the journal vanished from his hands. He tapped once on the edge of the bronze long table and turned toward the side. "Miss Justice, you've done splendidly—within just one week, you've resolved the matter of Beckland." "As per our agreement, what form of compensation would you like?" Beckland was dead? So swiftly? "The Hangman" Alje had been away from the island for several days and hadn't received any word, which had left him momentarily surprised—this news brought a sense of relief to "Justice" Audrey, who had been quietly observing the situation. — Even in the capital of the Rosedale Islands, "the City of Generosity," Bayam, it might not be timely enough to receive the news, as wired telegraph messages are limited in scope and often delayed several days for less urgent or less critical matters. At times, the colonial settlers on Rosedale could only learn of the "latest" developments on the North Continent after a month or two. Gathering his thoughts, the "Hanged Man" turned toward the "Knight" veiled in dense gray mist, speaking with respectful humility: "Sorry, I only just managed to assemble the right personnel—my assistance was limited." "This is a commission, not a favor. Please don't worry about it." Kline smiled gently, then turned his gaze back to the "Justice" lady, awaiting her request for payment. May the goddess protect us—her demands won't be too demanding, ideally repayable through knowledge... I've learned so many remarkable things from the journal of Rosel. Kline silently offered a prayer to the goddess. Of course, he was well aware that with the gray mist separating them, the Night Goddess would surely not hear his prayers. Audrey turned her eyes slightly, hesitating for a few seconds. Being honest and not greedy—Audrey, you must stick to your principles! She smiled gently, "No, it should be that I still owe you. No, I still owe you your due compensation." "The total reward for the 'Storm-Bringer' Zilings is 30,000 gold pounds. I should allocate 15,000 pounds to your followers—10,000 pounds specifically for the assassination of Beckland—and I will need to pay an additional 5,000 pounds. However, due to the matter involving Beckland, my financial situation has recently been rather strained. This compensation will have to be paid in installments over several months, Sir Fool—will that be acceptable?" After speaking, Audrey quietly exhaled, feeling the small weight pressing on her heart finally lift. Though discussing money and calculating compensation before the Sir Fool might not be the most suitable behavior, I cannot conceal the harvest of His眷者... Audrey sighed silently. As for the grand plantation valued at over 8,000 pounds, it stemmed from her gratitude toward the Duke of Negan, serving as a personal token of appreciation and thus not counted as a reward. 5,000 pounds? Can I really secure 5,000 pounds? The total reward for Zilingsheng is no less than 30,000 pounds! Klein was momentarily stunned. Then, he plunged into intense internal deliberation. By principle, I should pay the compensation to Mr. Azk, yet I have been unable to reach him for a long time... Simply letting the money sit idle would be a waste... It would be better to use it to enhance myself, and then offset the cost with the assistance I provide. After three seconds, Klein made his decision and gently nodded to the "Justice" lady: "Agreed." Upon hearing the "Jester"'s response, Audrey maintained her graceful posture, yet her mind settled completely. At the same time, Klein, leaning against the back of his chair, remained silent, subtly guiding the trumpet from above with an air of superiority. "Now," the "World" cleared his throat, "may I speak?" Audrey glanced at the Jester, who showed no sign of objection, and with a slight nod, said, "Certainly." In the meantime, she refreshed her information and formed her judgment on the newly arrived member, the "World." When I mentioned the assassination of Ambassador Beckland at the time of receiving my commission, he had shown no surprise or astonishment... Either he was unaware of the significance of the event, or he didn't grasp the weight of a diplomatic ambassador, or he was exceptionally composed, skilled at concealing his emotions and bodily gestures... His mouth movements did not match the words he spoke—likely translated by Mr. The Fool—and thus I was unable to capture his natural speech patterns or determine the language he used on a daily basis. Thoughts flickered through Audrey's mind, accompanied by the hoarse voice of Mr. World: "I wish to obtain the true heartwood of the Mistwood Tree, at least sixty milliliters of the corresponding sap, and the crystalline essence of the Elven Spring, as well as the complete spinal fluid of the Shadow-Striped Leopard." "Who among you can provide these, or has any relevant clues?" "What would you like me to offer in exchange?" Klein included the extraordinary materials that the pharmacist needed in his own commission, ensuring that the members of the Tarot Circle wouldn't suspect the core ingredients of the recipe. Before the "Justice" and the "Hanged Man" could react, the previously silent "Sun" spoke up: "I know where to find the mist-tree people, and I can help you secure the materials—though I must first complete my promotion, gain sufficient strength, and join the corresponding patrol squad." Recently, he has been steadily accumulating merits and rewards in order to procure the primary materials of the "Luminous People" from both the official Silver City institutions and private trade markets, but the current gap remains significant. Indeed, the Silver City—home to so many monsters and with such a hazardous environment—deserved no less praise than that. Klein silently admired this, then asked the "World": "What would you like to receive in return?" Derek of the "Sun" answered without hesitation: "A weapon suited to me—one that enhances my combat capabilities." He didn't mention the materials corresponding to "Luminaries" because the Silver City already had them—materials that could be obtained through one's own efforts. Upon hearing this request, Caine immediately recalled the runic steel sword that had appeared in the extraordinary gathering organized by the elderly gentleman known as "The Eye of Wisdom." It was sharp, possessed protective and purifying properties, usable for three years, valued at 500 pounds—perfectly matching the description of "The Sun." How could he have thought of this earlier? It had already been purchased! Caine silently observed the members present, while "The World" nodded in agreement: "I will soon find a weapon that meets your requirements. This transaction shall be witnessed by Mr. 'The Fool'?" Caine gave a slight nod, indicating his assent. At that moment, "Justice" Audrey glanced at "The Sun" and added: "Beyond the sap of the mist-tree people, all the materials requested by Mr. 'The World' are extraordinary items of sequence 7, valued roughly between 500 and 700 pounds." She felt that "Sun" was naive, worried he might be deceived by the more profound "World" gentleman using relatively undervalued weapons. Though the Fool was fair and championed equivalent exchange, if both parties agreed, he couldn't very well intervene—after all, some items were of modest value but urgently needed, and premium pricing was entirely natural... that was what Audrey thought to herself. "The Sequence 7 formula is around 800 pounds," added "The Turner" Aljer. He instinctively felt a sense of resistance toward the new members. Kain struggled with the translation, as he didn't know what the pound unit corresponded to in the Silver City, only drawing an analogy to the Sequence 9 potion formula. "I understand," said "Sun" Deric, nodding slightly, and then quietly added, "Thank you." "World" remained in his reserved tone, offering no comment on what had just happened, and instead turned to "Justice" and "The Turner," waiting for their responses. Audrey thought for a few seconds. "The elixir recipe of the 'Psychologist,' the corresponding extraordinary materials—ah, this is the Sequence 7 of the 'Audience' path." "You can gather information first; no need to rush into purchasing right away. Wait until I have leads on the Shadow-Striped Leopards and the Elven Spring's Crystalline Essence. As for the gold pounds—should you wish to exchange these leads for gold, you may purchase at any time." Though I haven't had much money recently, I can still raise a decent sum if I absolutely need to use it—Audrey reassured herself internally. "The Pendulum" Aljer mused, "The elixir recipe of the 'Seamstress of the Water Path,' Sequence 6—the cost of the extraordinary materials required exceeds even the total of what you need." "If you can find them, think ahead about what additional compensation you'd like to offer." "I can't guarantee that I'll be able to secure any of those materials—neither one, in fact—so you needn't commit anything in advance." "Hmm," the Man of the Pendulum and the Church of the Storm Master should have a very close relationship... shouldn't he? He should normally be able to secure the recipe for the Wind-Graced, right? Is he trying to conceal the fact that his own potion of the Navigator is rapidly being consumed? Caine was momentarily stunned. "Very well," the World replied in a low tone, shifting to say, "I also have another commission."