036 A straightforward question

Audrey, recalling conversations between her father and brother about the state of affairs, ventured:

"They believe that the current government structure is too chaotic. Every time there's a change in party after elections, there's a complete reshuffle from top to bottom, making things a mess and efficiency extremely low. This not only led to military defeats but also caused great inconvenience to the populace."

Klein understood well that, without a reference point, the Rune Kingdom at this point hadn't evolved a civil service examination system. The party governance form was still in its nascent stage, so after winning elections, many so-called administrative positions were often rewarded to members and supporters.

Hmm, it's quite unlike Emperor Russell not to have invented such a system in Inditi. Could it be that later he shifted his focus elsewhere?

Upon hearing this, "Hanging Man" Alger interjected with a low laugh:

"They believe? They're rather slow on the uptake, aren't they? Maybe it takes them a year after being bitten by black mosquitoes to feel itchy."

Black mosquitoes were a species native to the southern Rune Kingdom, notorious for their potent venom that left people itching for days.

Audrey covered her mouth with her hand, ignoring Hanging Man's mockery, and emphasized the crux of the earlier message:

"Unfortunately, they can't find a good alternative to this system for the time being."

Listening quietly, Klein felt the conversation veering into his domain of expertise and smiled slightly, saying:

"This is a simple matter."

The Great Eating Empire and its learning, Corrosion, both have very successful experiences in this regard.

"Simple?" Audrey asked, slightly surprised.

Though her upbringing didn't include politics, she often overheard discussions among her father, brother, and others on similar matters, so she had a decent understanding in this area.

Klein felt as if he was back in his old forum days, calmly continuing:

"Exams, much like university entrance exams, held for the public, divided into two or three rounds to objectively select elites."

"But..." Audrey vaguely understood what opposition this would bring.

Without giving her a chance to articulate, Klein continued:

"Subsequently, these elites would fill administrative positions in cabinets, county governments, municipal governments, and various townships, i.e., positions directly involved in governance, such as senior cabinet secretaries."

"Different requirements for different positions could be assessed separately in the second or third rounds, leaving specialized matters to be handled by professionals."

"As for ministers, county governors, and mayors—these political positions are left to the winning parties after elections, which is their rightful share of the pie."

Alger, who lacked sufficient interest in this issue, inadvertently turned his head and listened intently. Audrey, meanwhile, furrowed her brow, lost in thought.

"Don't rush to replace everyone at once; the cabinet and various levels of government would grind to a halt. Instead, hold exams annually or every three years, gradually replacing personnel. Then, based on the kingdom's expansion and vacancies due to resignations or aging, quota adjustments can be planned systematically." Klein fully embraced his role as an armchair politician, concluding with a shrug, "This design would maximize the inclusion of knowledgeable elites in the government, and regardless of which party comes to power or who the ministers are, civil servants would ensure the kingdom's basic and relatively efficient operation."

Of course, the downside is the birth of bureaucracy, that undead demon.

Audrey, still pondering, asked with a hint of confusion:

"So, even if those ministers turn into baboons, it won't have much impact?"

"No," Alger interjected, "I think baboons would be a better choice than the current ministers."

He paused and added:

"After all, baboons only need to eat, sleep, and mate. They won't give stupid ideas or insist on brainless plans."

"Mr. Hanging Man, sounds like you have a rather unpleasant boss..." Klein sat at the head of the table, shaking his head with a smile.

Audrey, still contemplating Mr. Fool's earlier description, exclaimed after a while:

"This sounds like it might actually work..."

"A simple yet effective solution!" She looked at Klein earnestly and praised, "Mr. Fool, you must be a wise elder with rich life experiences!"

...Klein's lips twitched slightly as he looked at Justice and Hanging Man, then fell silent for a few seconds before saying:

"Let's end today's gathering here."

If Miss Justice could influence her relatives and push this matter forward, I'll guide Benson in advance to give him a chance to become a "civil servant."

Upon careful consideration, Benson does seem quite suitable for the job.

But Justice probably won't take the initiative because if she does, by asking around, Hanging Man and I could probably guess her true identity.

Of course, she could go about it more discreetly.

"Understood," Audrey and Alger both rose.

Klein leaned back, severing the connection, and the faint, ethereal figures of Justice and Hanging Man quickly shattered and dissipated.

Above the mist, in the grandiose hall akin to the abode of gods, only he remained seated quietly at the head of the bronze long table.

Unlike last time, Klein didn't plunge into the mist and leave this place, for as an extraordinary, he still had enough energy.

The reason he ended the Tarot Club's meeting early was because he learned of the Night Watchers' true attitude toward the Antigonus Family's notes. He decided to appear serious about searching later, rather than just lying down to sleep. Otherwise, Dunn Smith and the others might suspect him of doing something at home.

And today's harvest wasn't bad either.

Sitting on the high-backed chair at the head of the bronze table, Klein rested his arms on the armrests, fingers interlaced, and gazed solemnly at the boundless mist. He felt the vast emptiness and silence here, as if no one had set foot in this place for tens of millions of years.

When he established the connection and "summoned" projections of Justice and Hanging Man, he keenly noticed something.

As an extraordinary, he had the capacity to touch another "Scarlet Star"!

"So, that means I can summon another one?" Klein recalled the feeling and almost confirmed it to himself.

But he hadn't impulsively tried it before because he didn't know what identity the newcomer would have or what attitude they would take. After all, not everyone could integrate as quickly as Justice and Hanging Man due to their unique personalities, willing to conceal their true intentions. If he summoned someone like Dunn Smith, his newly established "mysterious organization" would immediately be exposed to the "Church's scrutiny."

As the "evil" organization's big boss, he faced an uncertain future.

Klein knew that this mist was very special and understood that it couldn't be "cracked" by ordinary extraordinary people like Dunn Smith's sequence. But the problem was, now that he had extraordinary powers, he had to consider the existence of gods.

Klein currently cautiously believes that the seven orthodox gods do exist. However, he leans more towards the notion that these gods are just slightly stronger and more powerful than high-ranking sequences, and are subject to some strict limitations. At least since the Fifth Epoch, apart from a few prophecies, they have not demonstrated any deeds.

"Heh, forcing people into things is never a good idea. No one wants to get inexplicably involved in mysterious events... Let's wait and see for now..." Klein sighed and stood up.

He unfolded his spirituality, sensing the presence of his body, and then began to mimic the heavy feeling of rapid descent.

The light and shadow in front of him immediately changed, and the mist and deep red vanished in an instant. Klein seemed to penetrate an endless film of water and finally saw the world of reality, with dimness filling the room.

This time, he was completely awake and earnestly experiencing the process.

"Weird... the mist world is still somewhat different from the real world..." Klein moved his hands and feet, feeling the reality of his flesh.

He pondered for a while, then shook his head and walked to the desk, reaching out to grab the curtain.

Swish!

The curtain retracted, letting sunlight in, brightening the room.

Looking at the street outside the convex window and the passing pedestrians, Klein took a deep breath and murmured to himself:

"It's time to get to work."

"How should I play the role of 'Fortune Teller'?"

"I shouldn't rush this... I still only have clairvoyance for now..."

...

Becland, Queen Borough.

Audrey Hall saw herself in the mirror, with cheeks flushed with excitement and eyes so bright it was almost blinding.

She didn't have time to scrutinize these details and quickly recalled what she had just thought of. Then, she picked up the gem-encrusted pen and began to write down the formula for the "Audience" potion on the exquisite parchment:

"80 milliliters of distilled water, 5 drops of autumn daffodil essence, 13 grams of cow parsley powder, 7 petals of elf flower, the eyes of a pair of adult Manaher fish, and 35 milliliters of blood from a black-horned sheepfish."

Phew... Audrey breathed a sigh of relief, repeatedly read through it several times, and finally confirmed it was correct.

She felt an urge to dance but told herself to remain composed.

After thinking for a moment, she began to write the names of various chemical substances around the potion formula, disguising this page as a complex and chaotic scientific knowledge.

Hmm, as long as it's not read carefully, casual browsing won't reveal the hidden details... Great! Audrey praised herself and shifted her thoughts to acquiring the materials:

"I'll start by searching in several family treasuries. If I can't find everything there, I'll try to exchange for the missing parts from others..."

"If that doesn't work, I'll have to ask Fool and Hanging Man for help at the next gathering... What should I offer as compensation?"

After considering for a while, Audrey closed the notebook, placed it on the small shelf in her bedroom, then briskly walked to the door and opened it.

A golden retriever was sitting obediently outside.

Audrey's lips curled up, revealing a smile as bright as the sun:

"Suzie, you've done a great job!"

"In the serialized detective stories in the newspapers, the detectives always have an efficient assistant. I think behind a true 'Audience,' there also needs to be a big dog by their side~"

...

In a basement illuminated only by a flickering candlelight, Alger Wilson raised his palm and examined it carefully.

After a long while, he sighed:

"It's still so mysterious, completely unable to grasp the details..."

Even though he had made thorough preparations in advance, he still couldn't see how Fool completed the "summoning"...

His gaze shifted downward to the parchment scroll on the long table.

At the top of the yellow-brown parchment, dark blue ink inscribed a line in Hermes:

"7, Navigator."