In Alger's view, since this gentleman knew about the profane slate, he must possess a deep understanding of the Beyonder world. Moreover, although the robe he wore appeared simple, Alger—an experienced sea captain—could tell at a glance that the fabric was of exceptional quality. Such clothing was not something an ordinary person could afford.
"You should be Loenese, right? If you want to become a Beyonder, you can directly join the three major Churches."
The automatic translation provided by the Gray Mist was surprisingly accurate. Alger heard Eli Walker speak in an authentic Old Loen accent, the same Backlund intonation as Audrey, without the slightest anomaly.
"Gentlemen, I know that, but I don't want to lose my freedom."
Audrey was well aware of the strict official control over Beyonders. She didn't want to be watched by the Nighthawks—even if they wouldn't immediately do anything to her.
"Various Churches, Beyonder nobles, secret organizations, wild Beyonders—there's always one that suits you, right?"
Eli Walker summarized in a calm tone.
"He's very right."
"Since you don't want to undergo the Church's trials, you might consider the royal family, ancient noble families with Beyonder legacies, secretive organizations, or even wild Beyonders who may possess potion formulas," Alger added, trying to steer the conversation toward a sale.
But Eli ignored him entirely, turning slightly to stroke the back of his high-backed bronze chair with curiosity, as though seeing it for the first time.
Though the motion was subtle, there were only four people present. Naturally, the others turned to see what he was looking at. Etched into the back of his chair was a composite symbol: secrecy and prying, seamlessly woven together.
That's... Arrodes?
Shouldn't my back have the Storm pathway's symbol—waves, lightning, and gales—like Alger?
Ah... this isn't my official identity. Right. This is an illegal login.
Eli accepted it with little surprise.
He was now also a little curious. When Ms. Hermit arrived in the future, what would her back symbol be like? Would it differ from his?
"What is this?" Audrey asked, leaning slightly.
"I don't seem to have one on my back?"
Though eager to know, she didn't abandon her noble etiquette. She merely turned sideways and asked softly, peeking slightly over her shoulder.
"This is some kind of symbol, right?"
Eli glanced once before turning back around. He saw Klein and Alger also watching him and nodded lightly.
"You have one too. It's on your back."
Upon hearing that, Alger instinctively turned and peeked, his face quickly returning to composure.
Do you realize how rude that is? Klein muttered inwardly.
From his position, Klein had originally been the only one who could clearly see the marks on everyone's chairs. Now that the others started looking too...
He even sensed that both the "man" and "woman" beside him were about to glance behind themselves—only stopping halfway, subdued by a sense of dread. They feared offending the mysterious figure.
But even if they dared, they wouldn't see it—wrong angle.
Audrey, a bit slower than the others, made brief eye contact with the "Mysterious Gentleman" and nearly froze. Her heart seemed to skip a beat. She stiffly turned away and looked at Eli Walker with a silent plea for him to change the subject.
"Sir... why don't I have the symbol you mentioned?"
"That simply means you haven't awakened Beyonder powers yet."
"Your Excellency, am I right?" Eli added, turning toward Mr. Fool at the head of the table.
Can't you all just talk among yourselves? I turn once, and you all follow like ducks.
Eli felt suffocated by how formal this meeting had become. Every movement seemed to trigger a chain reaction.
Klein was helpless too. What else could he do? He nodded slightly, trying to act as though he found all this perfectly ordinary.
"You're all Beyonders?"
"I should've realized earlier. Thank you, gentlemen, for your guidance."
Audrey felt immense relief that the mysterious gentleman hadn't reprimanded her for earlier. Taking the chance, she sincerely expressed gratitude and looked at Eli with a complicated mix of apology and thanks.
Her earlier plea had merely been an instinct to escape the awkward glance. She hadn't expected this gentleman to go so far as to actively ask Mr. Fool for confirmation. That left her feeling deeply in his debt.
"It's nothing. In the Beyonder world, we're all just beginners," Eli replied modestly.
The other three nodded quietly to themselves.
Especially Klein—who had leaned back relaxed earlier but now sat stiffly upright. With Eli's interference, he dared not lean back again, lest anyone notice the complete lack of runes on his own chair's back.
He was the only real rookie here.
Even the golden-haired girl beside him had known about Beyonders for some time.
Only he was completely in the dark.
Eli, oblivious to Klein's inner thoughts, turned to Audrey and said, "You could consider buying a potion formula from that gentleman over there. As long as you can afford the price, I doubt he'll refuse."
His unspoken message: don't look at me. I'm not selling anything.
This Tarot gathering had come together unexpectedly. No one was prepared, including Eli. Even if he snatched Alger's business, what would he do? Send the payment to Klein's address?
"I have two Sequence 9 potion formulas," Alger said plainly. "One for Sailor, the other for Spectator."
Sequence 9 abilities are generally obvious from their names. Most of the time, their utility is self-explanatory.
Klein and Audrey listened with great interest.
"Sailor" sounded quite exciting. Audrey lit up at first, even recalling that its ancient name was "Sea Blessed."
But in the end, she quietly chose the more unassuming "Spectator."
Eli Walker smiled quietly to himself.
Smart girl.
What use was Sea Blessed?
A little strength enhancement? A bit of balance? A patch of imaginary scales to resist damage and mosquito bites?
Temporary underwater breathing? Movement spells in water?
Spectator, now that was something. Spirit enhancement. Observation. Foresight.
Definitely the better choice.