The suspended person Alje turned to the magician Fols, asking, "Were you forced to drink the second 'apprentice' potion?" Why did you guess it so instantly... as if you had seen it happen yourself... Fols cleared his throat awkwardly. "Yes, I suppose so." "What solutions do you have? What would you like in exchange?" Alje glanced discreetly at the gentleman of the Fool, seeing no response, and then replied calmly and quietly, "No compensation is needed, since your expectations are surely beyond what we can offer." "Without waiting for the 'Magician' or the 'Justice' lady to ask, he casually explained: 'High-sequence强者 can freely decide whether to pass on their exceptional traits to their offspring and how much to pass on. Sequences 6 and 5 naturally inherit a portion of these traits, beyond their control—though each inheritance is usually modest and doesn't affect their own strength. However, if you have enough children, this cumulative effect can eventually cause you to regress.' 'So children born with naturally high inspiration and certain incomplete exceptional abilities?' 'Justice' Odile suddenly understood, gaining clarity on the origins of certain special groups. "The Hangover" nodded. "Yes, they are effectively half of Sequence 9, possessing fixed traits. If they wish to become extraordinary, they must choose the corresponding path. Of course, such individuals aren't always genetically determined—they may also be favored by deities or afflicted by malevolent spirits. Numerous factors can produce similar effects. Moreover, children of high-sequence strong individuals might be born with Sequence 5 from the outset, which is a rare method allowing them to advance beyond their parent's level without significant instability." "Indeed, that makes sense," Audrey sighed with satisfaction. To her, understanding more mysteries was more enjoyable than receiving beautiful gowns or jewelry. "The Magician" Folshe also gained insight and asked further: "What about extraordinary individuals of Sequence 7, Sequence 8, and Sequence 9?" "Theoretically, their exceptional traits won't be passed on to the offspring, but this isn't absolute—should the exceptional traits exceed a certain threshold, there's still a chance they'll be inherited. That is, if you conceive and give birth to a child, you can effectively reduce the residual magic potion within your body. Not necessarily, though—success is more likely with three or four children." Three, four? Folshe was utterly astounded. Kline had already learned these common facts from Rosel's journal, and now found himself thinking of a joke: "Miss Magician," from now on you can tell your children, "You were born from the magic potion!" Although the "Emperor" seemed to suggest that the burden would ease right at the moment of conception, having a child still required quite a bit of effort—nearly ten months, if not more. After all, one couldn't simply give birth and then leave it at that. Once the role-playing method was mastered, even if things became difficult later, the couple could certainly absorb the experience within two months—perhaps even sooner, since this was merely the initial sequence. Fleur managed a weak smile. "I see. The best approach remains role-playing." The "Emperor" Aljer affirmed: "That's true for sequences 7 and below." For later stages, however—when digestion took a year or two, even three or five years—having children might actually be the simpler option. He added this thought to himself. The atmosphere remained quiet for a few seconds, as both women absorbed the new information. For the first time, they realized that childbirth could serve such a purpose. To "Sol," this was common sense. He adjusted his seat and said, "I've been assigned another exploration mission." "Where?" asked "The Hanged Man" Aljer, turning his head. "Still the half-ruined temple of the fallen Creator," replied "Sol" with a relaxed tone. That sounds fairly safe... "Justice" Odile remained silent. "The Hanged Man" thought for a moment and then asked, "Is the 'Shepherd' elder still in the dungeon?" "Yes, this time the exploration is led by the 'Chief.'" "Sol" offered no concealment. "Then the danger has significantly decreased from last time—worth a try." "The Hanged Man" Aljer glanced again at "The Fool" Mr. Unable to read any meaning in the other's vague gaze, he continued to "Sol" Deric, "This should be your final assessment before the monitoring is fully lifted." "Previously, you conveyed that Amen and the Fallen Primordial were bitter enemies, willing to expose themselves at great cost to undermine the other's plans. During this current exploration of the Fallen Primordial's temple, as long as you do not exhibit any unusual behavior, the 'Council of Six' will essentially conclude that you are no longer under Amen's influence." The Knight of "Temperance" truly has experience—seemingly orchestrating this very endeavor. "Sun" Deric remembered this and asked, "Beyond this point, what else should I be mindful of?" At the head of the bronze table, the one who had remained quietly observant, the Knight of "The Fool," spoke: " Flesh and murmured words." Klein had offered only two words—let the members of the Tarot Circle interpret the rest. That was the grace of a true leader. The Pendulum thought seriously for a few seconds, then addressed the Sun, who had thanked him, saying: "Specifically, you should not look at what you shouldn't, listen to what you shouldn't, eat what you shouldn't, or come into contact with what you shouldn't." "What exactly counts as 'shouldn't'?" asked Drik, the Sun, puzzled. "All that you see once you enter the temple," the Pendulum replied, lowering his voice. "Then how am I supposed to explore?" Drik asked, astonished. "Isn't there still another team member? Isn't there still the 'Chief'?" Indeed, that was the Pendulum's style... Audrey, the Justice, instinctively reached for her face, but her ingrained education and habits reminded her that such a gesture was not graceful, so she deliberately changed her approach, smoothing her cascading hair and brushing it behind her ears. "...", Drik the Sun found this method rather difficult to accept. Noticing his reaction, "The Hangman" Aljere muttered under his breath and said: "My point is, simply follow the instructions of the 'Chief'—do only what he asks you to do. At all other times, absolutely don't take matters into your own hands." "I understand, thank you, Mr. The Hangman!" "The Sun" instantly felt at ease. Huffing out a breath, Aljere turned to the lady across from him: "Madam Justice, I'd like to know how the political situation in Beckland has changed since the Duke of Nigan passed away." Audrey recalled the recent news she had either directly or indirectly heard: "The Duke's death has caused a division in the House of Lords. Although his eldest son is set to inherit the title and become a member of the upper house, his prestige is not sufficient to quell the disputes. "Nearly ten Lords have jointly proposed that newly granted nobles also be given fixed seats in the House." "In short, it means enabling those who have been granted noble titles through political donations, charitable contributions, and the purchase of appropriate land to serve as members of the upper house." Hearing this, "The Hangman" Aljer smiled: "Don't the established noble families, with long-standing histories, hold the most contempt for those who attain their titles through unconventional means? Isn't their greatest pride—their final, hereditary, secure seat in the upper house—the very thing they most value?" Underscoring the subtle irony in "The Hangman"'s tone, "Justice" Audrey calmly explained: "When you carry debts of tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of pounds, you'll make the same choice." While debt isn't a fatal threat to many nobles, the other party can petition the courts to use their land as collateral. Once their land falls below the minimum required for noble status, their noble identity begins to waver. "And then what?" Aljer asked, no longer dwelling on the earlier point. Audrey roughly outlined: "These disputes have delayed numerous initiatives, including but not limited to raising workers' wages, improving working hours, and revising the Poor Law. It's encouraging that the government-wide employee examination continues to move forward without interruption, and that investigations into the air quality in Beckett are deepening." "There won't be a war in the near term," the 'Turned Card' murmured, then turned to discuss other matters with the other members. Concerned that lingering too long in the restroom might raise suspicion, Klein declared the session of the Tarot meeting concluded shortly after. ... Back in the room, Audrey didn't immediately rise; instead, she quietly organized her next steps. She gazed at the mirror before her, playing with the pendant on her earlobe, a soft smile lingering on her lips, murmuring silently: "There's a psychology class scheduled for this afternoon. I can tell Miss Islanter that I've encountered someone within an extraordinary circle who's seeking a person's skin with the shadow-like properties—someone who's offering an exceptionally generous compensation. I wonder if psychological alchemy might be interested... And don't forget Roscel's journal and the 'Wind-Keen' potion recipe... Ah, I must swiftly gather materials for the 'psychologist.' Odile, you can't slack off! Suzy has already reached Sequence 8—she can't be left behind!" ... Forths paced back and forth in the room, finally making up her mind, and pulled out a chair. She retrieved a sheet of paper and a steel pen, paused for nearly a minute, then began writing a letter to Dorian Gray. She described the chance discovery of the skin-shadow properties and the need for the 'Wind-Keen' potion recipe, and expressed her curiosity about Roscel's notes. ……… The capital of the Rosethorn Isles, a city of generosity. Aljer Wilson stepped out of the hotel and made his way toward a hidden underground market. His goal was the hair of the deep-sea Naiads. If anyone there possessed the traits of a human shadow, he would not miss it. …… ……… Money was tight… Cain sat in the living room, sighing once again. He still lacked sufficient cash to purchase the next trail of human shadow traits directly when they emerged. Cain had pondered for a long time whether to seek alternative channels to sell the extraordinary traits left behind by the "Inquisitor," rather than wait for Miss Hoo to regain her funds. After an indeterminate length of time, the rhythmic sound of the doorbell broke the afternoon's quiet.