Fool

Klein didn't touch and summon anyone he first made a wish of large palace, sitting at

the head of a long table, and on a mysterious high-back chair

engraved with ancient patterns, while silently observing his

visitors?

As soon as this thought surfaced, the gray fog started to churn. In an instant, he saw a number of towering stone pillars

around them. Above them was a vast dome that encapsulated

them.

This entire edifice looked magnificent, grand and lofty, just

like a legendary palace for giants.

Directly under the dome where the gray fog gathered, a long,

bronze table appeared with ten high-back chairs on either side

in a symmetrical arrangement. The back of each chair dazzled

and shone faintly with crimson red, drawing the outlines of

weird constellations that differed from reality.

It is certainly fascinating… klein extended his right

hand and caressed the edge of the bronze table a little while

maintaining an unperturbed expression.

Then Klein extended his right hand

and formed an invisible connection, connecting him to the two

familiar crimson stars. As a result, this star burst with splendid light as well.

....

In the Loen Kingdom's capital, Backlund. Inside a luxurious

looking villa at the royal district.

Audrey Hall sat in front of a dresser. The markings on it were

antiquated and there was a cracked bronze mirror on the

surface.

"Mirror, mirror, awaken…

"In the name of the Hall family, I command you to awaken!"

…

She switched between many different sayings, but there was

no reaction from the mirror at all.

After more than 10 minutes, she finally chose to give up and

pouted her lips in grievance. She said in a soft murmur,

"Father was indeed lying to me. He always tells me that this

mirror was the treasure of the Roman Empire's Dark Emperor,

and that it is an extraordinary item…"

Her voice trailed off. The bronze mirror which rested on the

dresser suddenly glowed with a crimson light that shrouded

her completely.

…

In the Sonia Sea, a three-masted sailboat that looked like an

obvious relic was navigating through a storm.

Alger Wilson stood on deck, his body undulating with the

currents at sea, maintaining his balance easily.

He wore a robe embroidered with lightning patterns, and in his

hand was a quirky-shaped glass bottle. Bubbles billowed inside the bottle at times, frost turned into snow at times, and

signs of gusting wind could be seen at times.

"We're still short on the Ghost Shark's blood…" Alger

murmured.Then at this moment, a crimson burst appeared in the space

between the glass bottle and the surface of his palm. In an

instant, it enveloped the surroundings as well.

…

In the fog of gray mist, Audrey Hall regained her sight. She

started reckoning the situation in a state of horror and

confusion when she noticed the blurry image of a man on the

opposite side of her doing the same as well.

Immediately after, the both of them discovered at the very end of the long bronze table, a

mysterious figure shrouded in thick gray fog who seemed to

be overlooking everything from above.

"Sir, where is this?"

Audrey and Alger were startled at first, falling silent in the

process. Then, they immediately started speaking in unison.

"What are you planning on doing?"

After a few seconds of silence in the fog, klein

chuckled. With a low but not heavy tone, he calmly spoke as

though he was replying to the polite greetings from the

visitors, "An attempt."

An attempt… an attempt? Audrey Hall looked at the

mysterious guy veiled in the grayish-white fog, and the only

thought was that whatever was happening was absurd, funny,

horrifying, and weird.

She was at the dressing table inside her bedroom only

moments ago. But just by turning around, she had "come" into

this place that was filled with gray fog!

How inconceivable!

Audrey took a breath, revealing an impeccable, courteous

smile. She asked in a somewhat perturbed way, "Sir, is the

attempt over? Might you permit our return?"

Alger Wilson also had the intentions to probe Klein in

a similar fashion, but his rich experience made him statelier.

He held back his impulse and only took on the role of a silent

onlooker.

Klein nodded

mildly and looked at the blond, chuckling. "Of course, if you

make a formal request, you can return this very moment."

When she did not identify any ill intention from his tone,

Audrey heaved a sigh of relief. She believed that since a

gentleman who was capable of such miraculous things had

given his word, he would definitely abide by it stringently.

With her mind somewhat mollified, she surprisingly was in no

hurry to request her leave. She rolled her virid eyes left and

right, which sparkled with an abnormal radiance.

She said in an anxious, anticipative and tempted manner, "This

is such a wonderful experience… Yes, I have always been

hoping that something like this would happen. I mean—I like

mysteries and supernatural miracles. No, my point is—what I

mean is that, Sir, what can I do to become a Beyonder?"

She got more excited as she spoke, so much so she was

fumbling over her words. The dream that sprouted in her as a

result of listening to thrilling fantasies as told by her elders

finally saw the possibility of being materialized.

However, with just a few words, she had already forgotten all

her previous fears and horrors.

Alger inspected the surroundings, and after a few seconds of

silence, he suddenly opened his mouth, and answered

Audrey's question in place of Zhou Mingrui.

"Are you a Loen?

"If you want to become a Beyonder, join the Churches of

either the Evernight Goddess, the Lord of Storms, or the God

of Steam and Machinery.

"The majority of us will not meet a Beyonder our entire lives.

This has caused churches, and even some clergies within some

of the biggest churches, to suspect the same. While this is the

case, I am certain to tell you that Beyonders still exist in

courts, tribunals, and execution agencies. They are still

fighting against the dangers that grow in the dark, only that

their numbers are much fewer as compared to before and

during the early days of the Iron Age."

Audrey silently listened to Alger finish his sentence before

sighing.

"Mister, I know all about what you just said; I even know

more than that, including the Nighthawks, the Mandated

Punisher, and the Machinery Hivemind, but I don't want to

lose my freedom."

Alger gave a low-sounding laugh, and said vaguely, "You

can't become a Beyonder without sacrifices. If you don't

consider joining churches and accepting their given

challenges, you can only seek the royal families and the few

nobles with family histories of more than a thousand years. If

not, you can rely on your luck to search for clandestine evil

organizations."

Audrey puffed her cheeks subconsciously and looked around

in a fluster. After confirming that both the "mysterious man"

and Audrey did not notice her tic, she pressed, "Are there no

other solutions?"

Alger sank into silence. About half a minute later, he turned

around to look at the "mysterious man" who was watching the

two of them in silence.

Realizing that Zhou Mingrui had no plans to make any

comment, he looked back at Audrey and said with

deliberation, "I have two sets of Sequence 9 Potion formulas."

Sequence 9? Zhou Mingrui muttered to himself.

"Really? Which two sets?" Audrey clearly knew what the

Sequence 9 Potion formulas meant.

Alger leaned back slightly, and replied unhurriedly, "As you

know, humanity can only depend on potions to become real

Beyonders, while the names of potions come from the

'Blasphemy Slate.' After constant translations into Jotun

,

Elvish, ancient and modern Hermes, and ancient Feysac, they

have undergone changes to match the day and age of that era.

The essence is not in their names, but whether they portray the

'core characteristics' of the potions.

"I have a Sequence 9 Potion named 'Sailor.' It enables you to

have excellent balancing capabilities. Even if you were on a

boat in a rainstorm, you will be able to walk about freely as

though you were on land. You will also gain immense strength

and illusory scales under your skin. They will enable you to

swim like a fish and be difficult to catch. You will move

agilely underwater just like marine animals. Even without any

equipment, you will be able to easily submerge underwater for

at least ten minutes."

"Sounds great… the 'Keepers of the Seas' from the Lord of

Storms?"

"It was called by that name in the past." Alger did not pause

and continued. "The second set of Sequence 9 Potions is called

'Spectator,' although I am not sure what it was called in the

past. This set of potions enables you to have an exceptionally

sharp mind with acute observational abilities. I believe you

can understand by what 'spectator' means from watching

operas and plays. Just like an audience, spectators judge the

'actors' in the secular world, catching a glimpse of the real

thoughts of them through their emotions, conduct, and

mantras."

At this point, Alger emphasized, "You must remember,

regardless of whether you are at an extravagant banquet or a

crowded street, spectators can only be spectators forever."

Audrey's eyes shone as she listened, and spoke after a long

while, "Why? Alright, this is a follow-up question. I-I think I

have fallen in love with this feeling—of being a 'spectator.'

How can I get this potion's formula? What can I use to trade

with you for it?"

Alger looked like he was already prepared as he said in a deep

voice, "The blood of Ghost Sharks, at least 100 milliliters of

it."

Audrey nodded her head excitedly, but subsequently asked

worriedly, "If I can get it—and I'm saying if—how do I hand

it to you? How can you promise me that you can give the potion's formula to me in return for the Ghost Shark's blood,

as well as the authenticity of the formula?"

Alger said calmly, "I'll give you an address. I'll mail the

formula to you, or tell you directly here, once I receive the

blood of the Ghost Shark."

"As for promises, I think that both you and I can feel rest

assured under the witness of the mysterious sir."

As he said this, he swept his eyes towards klein who

was sitting up straight at the Seat of Honor.

"Sir, the fact that you brought us here shows that you have

tremendous strength unimaginable to us. Neither one of us

would dare violate a promise with you as witness."

"That's right!" Audrey's eyes sparkled and agreed with

excitement.

From her perspective, the mysterious gentleman who had

unimaginable abilities was definitely an "authoritative"

witness.

How could I or the guy opposite me dare trick him!

Audrey half-turned her body and looked at Klein

earnestly.

"Sir, please be the witness of our trade."

At that moment, she then realized that she was all too impolite,

having forgotten all along to ask a particular question. She

asked hurriedly, "Sir, how should we address you?"

Alger nodded slightly, and echoed the same question in a

serious manner, "Sir, how should we address you?"

He leaned back, withdrew his right hand, and crossed his ten

fingers, placing them below his chin. He gave the duo a faint

smile.

"You can address me as…"

Upon saying this, he paused for a moment. He said amiably

and calmly, "The Fool."