When Driek, the "Sun," finished speaking, Caine nodded with the "World" in his hands, saying: "More detailed than I expected." "The transaction is complete." Before the "World" had finished speaking, Caine seamlessly deactivated the shields on "Justice," "The Turner," and "The Magician." The scene fell into brief silence, and then the "World" surveyed the room with a somber, dry smile. "I have no further immediate needs." At this point, Folth, having now grasped the process and its characteristics, eagerly expressed interest in purchasing the Sequence 8 "Master of Tricks" corresponding to the "Apprentice." She remembered clearly that Mr. The Fool had explained that his persistent full-moon murmurs stemmed from his relatively low life level—this discomfort would diminish as his sequence progressed. This insight spurred Folth to eagerly seek out the next set of recipes. Yet, this would reveal the extraordinary path I am on… Once everyone grows familiar with one another and knows each other better, the exposure will naturally become less significant. But in recent gatherings, I still need to mask it, lest the attendees use my grounded, real presence as a means to lock me in. Folshe thought calmly: "I would like the recipes for 'Pharmacist' and 'Master of Illusions,' and I will trade in money for them." Deliberately, she added the 'Pharmacist' recipe to her genuine needs, thereby distracting others' judgments. Should any member actually possess this recipe, she would simply consume it as usual, then later sell it at a premium to the long-anticipated Lord Grelint, who has been eager for it—she would certainly not suffer any loss, and might even profit handsomely. As for money, Furse is not currently short. Not only does the royalty and fee income from her best-selling books continue to accumulate steadily into her account, but she also has additional earnings—such as the £650 payment she received from Miss Audrey in connection with the two incidents involving the ambassadors, Beckland of Zilinger and Intis. Poor Hugh had personally covered the funeral expenses for the two families affected by the Larnuus tragedy, amounting to over £200, and he didn’t know whether Miss Audrey would reimburse him once the situation settled down. A note bearing the name of "The Fool" was found tucked inside the bookshelves of the Viscount of Grelint—had one of his ancestors once been a member of this gathering? Was this a meeting that had been convened on a regular basis for several decades, even centuries? Furse’s thoughts momentarily wandered. When Miss Audrey of "Justice," sitting only two seats away, heard Furse inquire about the recipes of "the Apothecary" and "the Magician," she merely paused slightly, then promptly grasped the essence of her request. "She's Firth! 'Master of Illusions' is a title she's claimed for herself, while 'Healer' is something she's sold to Grelint to divert attention and mislead others..." Audrey gave a barely perceptible nod, her conviction about the "Magician" identity now firm. Her sequence wouldn't be high—most likely an 8, possibly a 9—and she couldn't quite understand where the "Card of the Fool" gentleman had come from or what special qualities he possessed. The accent carried a Beckettland flavor, though it wasn't necessarily from Beckettland. "The Hanged Man," Aljer, was also observing the new member, assessing whether she posed any immediate threat. "The Sun," Deric, didn't dwell on it much, merely wondering whether the "Magician" belonged to the Silver City region or to the world where the "Justice" and others resided. As for Caine, he looked at the "Magician" with a mixture of pity, having little hope that she would succeed in concealing her true identity. When you encounter a "mind-reader" who is already quite familiar with you, even if you've previously known of their abilities and have taken steps to remain vigilant, you may still find it difficult to conceal your true thoughts—let alone when you know nothing at all. "The Fool" Klein sighed internally at the "Magician" lady. At the same time, he guided the "World," speaking in a hoarse voice: "I have the formula of a 'Healer'—230 pounds." "As for the formula of the 'Master of Tricks,' I will do my best to locate it for you, though I cannot guarantee success." It is not contradictory to both use the 'Healer' formula to secure funds and to cultivate a useful ally with it—both can proceed simultaneously. Thus, Klein prompted the "World" to speak first, to prevent being overtaken by the "Hanged Man" and the "Sun." As for the "Master of Tricks," he only had some ideas. In his view, the magical artifact known as the "universal key" is most likely connected to the Sequence 9 "Apprentice" corresponding to the "Master of Illusions." By divining its origin atop the mist, he might just uncover some clues. Indeed, the most convenient approach would be to ask the entity suspected to be the "Gate" person—this one who constantly murmurs during the full moon. Besides making appeals for help, he probably also teaches recipes and performance techniques to strengthen the target and enable them to accomplish challenging tasks. Yet, unfortunately, before the target grows strong enough, they simply cannot listen to his murmurs; upon hearing them, they collapse, showing signs of losing control—thus creating a dead cycle. Klein sighed with quiet admiration. Folth didn't immediately respond to the "World" person's words, but instead glanced around and noticed that neither the "Hanged Man," "Justice," nor "Sun" seemed inclined to speak. Clearly, none of them knew the specific recipes of the "Healer" and the "Master of Illusions." "Mr. World, I hope you can soon find the 'Master of Illusions'’s magical formula." Folshe silence for a few seconds, then added, "As for the 'Pharmacist’s' formula, I’m going to purchase it right now. How shall I pay you?" It seemed that the other man was also from Luon, accepting gold pounds... though gold pounds had consistently been more widely recognized than gold houns or intifels. While speaking, Folshe was assessing the origin of "World." "World" paid no attention to her observation, speaking in a low, steady tone: "Upon your return, make a cash offering to Mr. The Fool, and the transaction will be complete." "What exactly is the offering procedure?" Offering? Could Mr. The Fool even accept such a sacrifice? His life level had reached such a height? It was no wonder he described the owner of the moonlit murmurs in such a manner. Folshe listened, astonished, amazed, yet feeling it all perfectly logical, taking it all in. Having finished, Caine manifested the "Pharmacist's" formula before the "World," and had the dummy present it to the "Magician" lady: "The transaction is witnessed by Mr. The Fool—you need not worry it's fake." "I believe Mr. The Fool," Folsheim nodded immediately, unfolded the formula, and began to memorize it. At that moment, Odile, who couldn't bear to see her close friend so weary, gently suggested: "You may ask Mr. The Fool to help you recall during the sacrifice—no need to memorize it thoroughly. Should you encounter difficulties, you can simply invoke His name and pray to Him." Him? The "Justice" lady was using the pronoun for a divine being to refer to Mr. The Fool! Him, Him... Could it be—was it truly *Him*? Yet, why would He be willing to assist with such small matters... Well, actually, as long as the ritual magic is properly performed, the seven orthodox deities often respond to their devotees' requests as well... Fyrs turned her head to the deity of Justice and said, "Thank you for the reminder—your title reflects your character."... Audrey suddenly felt a bit uneasy. She then thought of another question and quickly asked, "Miss Magician, do you know of the 'Art of Playing'?" "The Art of Playing?" Fyrs looked at her with mild curiosity. She soon noticed that the members representing the Sun and the Hanged Man showed no particular reaction—clearly, they were already familiar with the term. Today's gathering made me feel like a country girl just arriving in Beckett... I've attended so many gatherings of the extraordinary ones! Fyrs thought, half-sad, half-joyful. She found herself wanting to write a novel based on this very feeling—something titled *Miss Fyrs's Dream Journeys*. "You seem to be entirely unclear," Audrey judged confidently based on the other's reactions and usual behavior. She turned her body and looked toward the head of the ancient long table, addressing the shadow enveloped in thick gray mist: "Mr. Fool, could you please convey the 'Method of Performance' to Miss Magician?" "If possible, what would she need to sacrifice in return?" Audrey had originally intended to ask directly whether she would still receive the new Roscel diary as before, but then remembered that her circle of exceptional beings overlapped significantly with that of Fothering, which would mean she would lose many opportunities to obtain the Roscel diaries. This isn't a particularly crucial matter. Folsom will eventually realize that the "Fool" needs Roscel's journal, and I'm certain to have other remarkable circles of individuals. However, she knows I possess several pages of Roscel's journal—should she be gathering them, she would certainly start with me. Yet, the journals I have, the "Fool" has already read through them... After this gathering, I must find an opportunity to tell Folsom that those pages of Roscel's journal were accidentally lost. "Justice" Audrey is carefully mapping out the chain of reactions, striving to convey her concerns through body language to the "Fool." What is she implying? Well, she knows Folsom, but doesn't wish to reveal her identity—meaning, she doesn't want my proposed compensation to cause any inconvenience in this regard. Klein smiled thoughtfully: "You decide. You explain. I don't want to repeat similar points." A gesture of respect to the goddess... He added this to himself mentally. Praise to the "Fool"! Audrey’s heart leapt with sudden excitement. Straightening her posture and lifting her chin slightly, she looked at Folth with a touch of effort, different from her usual demeanor, and said: “The ‘Method of Performance’ is a way to accelerate mastery of potions while significantly reducing the risk of loss of control.” “Would you like to know about it?” Is that truly real? Or just another fabrication? Such a distinguished figure as Mr. The Fool wouldn’t deceive someone on such a matter! Folth blinked his slightly lazy eyes, pursed his lips and replied: “Yes!” Any extraordinary being would naturally be eager to learn such a method! Folth suddenly felt a surge of enthusiasm. Audrey thought carefully and added: “Two conditions. First, the ‘Method of Performance’ must not be disclosed to anyone without Mr. The Fool’s explicit permission. Second, a payment of 200 pounds is required.” Her original plan was to settle the debt based on the number of pages of Roscelin's journal used by her and "The Hanged Man"—the more pages consumed, the higher the value. However, in reality, Roscelin's journal proved indecipherable and sold at a low price, often leaving the authenticity of entries uncertain, which made the calculated total feel underwhelming in comparison to the "Method of Performance." So, on top of that, she added some extra value. Hmm… If "The Fool" no longer needs funds, then I’ll take these 200 pounds, and later seek out journals to settle his debt. Audrey has already planned the follow-up arrangement. 200 pounds? Only 200 pounds for methods to reduce the risk of loss? That’s too, too inexpensive! Folly, both astonished and delighted, feared that the other party might back out, and thus spoke without hesitation: "Deal!" Only after saying this did she begin to feel the pinch, realizing her bank balance was visibly declining.