Chapter 60

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“No problem.” Klein maintained an even tone. He rested his left elbow on the armrest of his chair and lightly supported his forehead with his fingers, feigning calm attention.

After a moment of deliberation, Alger spoke, “The Antigonus family is an ancient clan. Their history can be traced back to before the Third Epoch, in the Age of Cataclysm. They’re also related to the second Blasphemy Slate.”

The second Blasphemy Slate? There's a second Blasphemy Slate?! How many in total are there?

Klein’s pupils constricted, and he nearly changed his posture.

According to what The Hanged Man and Justice had said previously, the Blasphemy Slate contained the profound mysteries of the twenty-two paths of the divine!

Now he's saying there are two of such important items or even more?

Twenty-two paths of the divine... Paths of the Sequences... Could these two mean the same thing? Could it be that every complete Sequence is a path that leads to a divine throne?

At that instant, a flurry of thoughts flashed through Klein’s mind at the mention of the second Blasphemy Slate. He believed that if not for the thick gray fog concealing him, his emotional reaction might have been obvious to Miss Spectator.

As an expert in his field, Klein was no stranger to the Age of Cataclysm. It was the name of the Third Epoch. His recent reviews of historical materials had even revealed that the Third Epoch was divided into two eras: the Glorious Era and the Cataclysmic Era.

“A second Blasphemy Slate?” Audrey, not bothering to mask her ignorance, inquired. She hadn’t yet returned to her full Spectator state, her emotions still raw.

Great question!Klein silently cheered her on.

It was a question he couldn’t ask as The Fool.

Alger stole a glance at The Fool and noticed that his posture remained unchanged, his silence unwavering. After a brief moment, Alger continued, “The first Blasphemy Slate appeared in the Age of Darkness—the Second Epoch—when we humans struggled to survive under the protection of gods. The second Blasphemy Slate emerged at the tail end of the Third Epoch. Its appearance might even be said to have marked the end of the Age of Cataclysm.

“The contents of both Slates are kept secret by the seven major churches. I only know bits and pieces—that they both relate to the paths of the divine. However, I’m not aware of any differences between them.”

“Was the Blasphemy Slate that Emperor Roselle saw the first or the second?” Audrey asked, her tone laced with curiosity.

At that moment, Klein recalled what Alger had mentioned about the potion names during their first gathering: The names of the Sequence potions were derived from the Blasphemy Slate!

Similarly, the captain also mentioned that the formation and completion of the potion system was thanks to the appearance of the Blasphemy Slate!... That indirectly confirms that the paths of the divine are the Sequence pathways!

Klein silently answered his earlier question.

Alger simply replied, “The second one.”

The glint in Audrey’s eyes quieted as she returned to her Spectator state. She asked no further questions, instead focusing her gaze on The Hanged Man. Her scrutiny seemed to make Alger uncomfortable, yet he suppressed his agitation and continued slowly, “In the Solomon Empire of the Fourth Epoch, the Antigonus family was considered a prominent part of the aristocracy. However, they left no memorable achievements until they supported the establishment of the Tudor Empire. Only then did they secure a place at center stage on the Northern Continent.

“In that period, illustrious names such as Antigonus, Amon, Abraham, and Jacob reigned in the human kingdoms. Yet after the Blood Emperor of the Tudor Empire perished in the War of the Four Emperors, they all fell from grace and were hunted down by the seven deities we now know.

“I’m not entirely sure what transpired, but I do know that the Antigonus family was destroyed by the Church of Evernight. Mr. Fool, if you want more details, I’m afraid your only options are to obtain information from the Church of Evernight or from one of those ancient secret organizations. You know the ones I am referring to.”

I don't...

Klein nodded, secretly frustrated. “Mm-hmm.”

The Secret Order is one. The Ascetic Order of Moss that Captain and Old Neil mentioned is another. I wonder if the Psychology Alchemists counts...

As he mentally ticked off the candidates, Alger provided the final pieces of information, “I similarly have no idea which Sequence pathway the Antigonus family held. There are only two adjectives that repeatedly appear in the descriptions—strange and terrifying.”

Strange and terrifying...Thinking back to the notebook and what happened to the original Klein and his classmates, as well as to what happened to Ryer Bieber’s mother, Klein thought the description couldn’t be more apt. He continuously rapped the edge of the long table with the tip of his finger as he pondered.

Then he slowly began to speak.

“Very well. I am satisfied with this payment.”

He lightly rapped the table with his fingers to emphasize the action—to instill in Justice and The Hanged Man that he had a habit of tapping on something. This gesture also served to conceal the fact that the same motion was used to activate and deactivate his spirit vision.

“It’s my pleasure,” Alger replied without further comment.

Audrey glanced at The Hanged Man and then at The Fool. With a small smile, she said, “Then I shall ask my second question. What is the name of the potion in the Sequence after Spectator? Where can I find the clues?”

I'd also like to ask so directly, but different choices lead to different difficulties...

Klein said nothing and instead cast his gaze toward The Hanged Man.

After a few seconds of silence, Alger answered, “I’ll answer the question for free since I’m the one who led you onto this path. The next rank in the Sequence after Spectator is rank eight, Telepathist. The archaic name of rank seven is Psyche Analyst, but it is now called Psychiatrist. That is what I learned from a member of the Psychology Alchemists. I think they should have quite a number of potion formulas for this Sequence.”

The Psychology Alchemists... Spirit Medium Daly was rather approving of their ideas, though Captain thought of them as evil and crazy...

Klein listened, deep in thought.

“Do you know the whereabouts of that particular Psychology Alchemists member?” Audrey asked, her eyes sparkling. Whether Telepathist or Psychiatrist, both names clearly appealed to her.

Alger gave a rare laugh. “I do. He’s drowned in the sea near Sonia Island—I put him in there with my own hands. If you would like to look for the Psychology Alchemists, I must apologize. The trail is cold.”

He wasn’t worried that Justice would deduce his identity from his description because he had been alone throughout that entire process; nobody saw him.

“Drowned...” Audrey was momentarily at a loss for words. She drew a deep breath and, suddenly failing to maintain her Spectator state, asked bashfully, “My third question. If—and I’m saying if—an ordinary animal were to drink a Sequence Nine potion, what would happen?”

What kind of a question is that?Klein tapped his brow discreetly with the finger supporting his forehead.

Very quickly, he noted changes in color and saw that Audrey’s emotions were a mix of panic, nervousness, and embarrassment.

Could she really have done something so reckless? Klein was astounded, though he wasn’t entirely surprised. After the past two gatherings, he was certain Miss Justice was capable of such a thing.

Alger, clearly dumbfounded as well, took a moment to reply.

“Ordinary animals do not possess human-level intellect. They wouldn’t be able to learn meditation immediately. Therefore, the potion would most likely cause their death on the spot or reduce them to a monstrous state. However, if they survived the initial ingestion, they might become an extraordinary creature. If the potion enhances their intelligence, they could even become smarter.”

“I see,” Audrey breathed out a silent sigh and nodded in mild relief. “I have no further questions.”

Alger considered for a moment and said nothing regarding the Aurora Order or the Listener. He shook his head and added, “Nor do I.”

“I have something.” Klein didn’t change his posture but said with a smile, “It will require your cooperation.”

He had yet to turn off his spirit vision, and he immediately noticed that The Hanged Man was showing signs of nervousness, and the usually dauntless Miss Justice also appeared a little cautious and apprehensive.

Before they could reply, Klein consoled them, saying, “Don’t worry. It’s a trivial matter. If it’s successful, it will be very beneficial to you, so I won’t ask for any extra remuneration.”

“Please go ahead,” Audrey said, instinctively entering the Spectator state, though she couldn’t see through the thick gray fog surrounding The Fool, no matter how hard she tried.

“As you wish,” Alger replied, composing himself.

Klein moved his fingers and smiled. “Previously, I mentioned that I would try something to enable you to request leaves of absence. That way, you won’t have to worry if you need to be somewhere unsuitable on a Monday afternoon.”

“That is indeed our wish,” Audrey replied, loosening her tightly knit eyebrows.

Alger considered for a moment before asking, “What do you need us to do?”

“You could try a magical ritual at your convenience. It need not be too formal, as long as you’re in an environment free from disturbances. Place four brand-new candles on the altar—one in each corner of a square. It’s best if they are sandalwood-scented. Then position a loaf of white bread near the candle in the top left corner, a bowl of Feynapotter noodles by the candle in the top right, paella by the candle in the bottom left, and a Desi meat pie by the candle in the bottom right. Finally, use a silver knife to create a sealed spiritual environment.”

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Klein proceeded to describe his modified version of the luck-turning ritual, teaching Miss Justice how to create a spiritual environment for free.

To be frank, since the ritual was targeted at himself, Klein believed that the sacrificial part—intended to attract and please an external entity—could be omitted entirely. However, he still made every effort to ensure the process appeared legitimate. Of course, it wasn’t entirely in line with what Old Neil had taught about gods occupying two spots and adding the “self” as a third.

“...Distill a mixture of moonflowers, gold mint, slumber flowers, bergamot, and cistus, and then extract its essential oil. Instill one drop onto each candle...”

Audrey listened with keen interest as she diligently noted everything he said. When he was finished, she asked, “What about the incantation? Mr. Fool, what is the corresponding incantation?”

At that moment, Alger ceased writing with his fountain pen and turned his head to look at The Fool.

Behind the gray fog, Klein lightly tapped the edge of the long table with his finger and answered steadily in Hermes, “The Fool not of this era, you are the mysterious ruler above the gray fog. You are the King of Yellow and Black and the Lord of Good Luck...”