Mystery: The Silver Key

Chapter 61: A Tumultuous Deal

"The Fool" Klein put down the six pages of his diary, tapped the edge of the bronze table lightly with his right index finger, and scanned the members on both sides of the table with his gaze.

It wasn't until he saw the somewhat embarrassed look on Sirion's face that he belatedly realized he had ignored this new member, who was most likely from his hometown.

...It must be the gray fog's rejection of him that affected me, making me ignore him.

He made up a random excuse for himself, withdrew his right hand, crossed it over his chest, and calmly said to the crowd:

"A new member has joined us today, Mr. 'Wheel of Fortune'."

"Also, Russell's diary just now mentioned some simple common sense that I don't think I've told you yet."

Feeling the gazes coming from the front and sides, Xireen straightened his body. If it weren't for the inappropriate occasion, he really wanted to say: Have you finally noticed me, the nobody?

If he continued to be ignored, he would begin to suspect that he was being secretly hidden by Klein using the power of the "Source Castle".

Across from him, Audrey, dressed in a gorgeous and elaborate long dress whose face was obscured, belatedly realized what was happening and took the opportunity to sized up the new member.

...He looked very young, wearing a white shirt, a black tuxedo, and glasses, like a recent college graduate.

...His clothing had a distinctly Rune style, and he seemed to belong to the middle class. He had a friendly demeanor, but was easy to overlook. Was it something special that came from an extraordinary path?

Audrey instinctively suspected that the new member's extraordinary abilities lay in being someone who was adept at concealing themselves, perhaps an assassin, or some other special type of assassin skilled in stealth.

Alger, the "Hanged Man," to Cyril's right was also sizing him up, and his thoughts were surprisingly similar to those of Miss Justice.

Only "The Sun" Derrick felt guilty for having overlooked the new member sitting next to him.

Previously, both Miss Justice and Mr. Hanged Man had been very friendly to him, who was attending the party for the first time. He felt that he should also be friendly to this new member who was attending the party for the first time. This was the example that seniors should set.

Cyril was unaware that some people had begun to suspect him of being an "assassin." He smiled and nodded to everyone present, chuckling softly:

"Good afternoon, everyone. You can call me Mr. Destiny, it's more concise that way."

"Justice" Audrey introduced him very enthusiastically: "I am 'Justice,' and next to you is Mr. 'The Sun,' and then Mr. 'The Hanged Man.'"

After everyone nodded to each other, "The Fool" Klein tapped the table lightly, continuing the previous topic:

"Some of you already know this knowledge, but as the convener of the Tarot Society, I think it is still necessary to tell you about it."

After a brief pause, he added, "This is just common sense; there's no need to pay for it."

Although he hadn't originally planned to charge, he couldn't help but glance at Cyrien when he got to this point, because this guy had actually come into contact with hidden beings, and with him around, it was even harder for him to pretend.

He sighed inwardly and began to speak calmly:

"The first common sense principle is the law of conservation of extraordinary characteristics: extraordinary characteristics will not be destroyed or reduced, but will only be transferred from one thing to another."

"The second common sense principle is the law of conservation of extraordinary properties within similar sequences: if there are more high-order sequences, there will be fewer low-order sequences, and vice versa."

...I could have explained it in more detail, but in order to maintain Mr. Fool's pretentious air in front of Mr. Fate, who has actually come into contact with the hidden existence, I can only wait for you to ask the questions yourselves.

Thinking this through, Alger, the "Hanged Man," just then raised a question: "What is a similar sequence?"

Upon hearing Alger's question, he curled the corner of his mouth into a smile, then leisurely replied:

What will you give up to get the answer?

After a slight hesitation, Alger, the "Hanged Man," asked, "Mr. 'The Fool,' what kind of reward do you desire?"

At the head of the long, weathered table, "The Fool" Klein tapped the surface lightly with his fingers, glancing subconsciously at Sirion as he pondered what kind of request he should make to maintain the image of "The Fool" in the other's presence.

...It can't be too difficult, but it also can't be too simple or too common. The Fool's real purpose is to take the opportunity to tell them some information about the mysterious world. Well, that makes sense.

He paused, then voiced a need that he was curious about but not particularly urgent:

"Information related to the Secret Order."

"The Secret Order..." Alger repeated "The Hanged Man" under his breath.

The secret organization information he once told Miss Justice included the Secret Order, but this was clearly not what Mr. Fool needed. What he would exchange for Mr. Fool would be more detailed, more in-depth intelligence, or even secret information.

His gaze swept over the three members besides himself, mainly Cyril, whom he felt might know information about the Secret Order.

Unfortunately, Sirion did not respond to his gaze, sitting listlessly in his seat, seemingly uninterested in the topic.

...Does he know what a similar sequence is? So can I just make a deal with him? No, I can't. Mr. Fool has already made his demands, and I must respond regardless of whether there are other options.

As the thought crossed his mind, he pursed his lips and carefully chose his words, saying, "I will accept this commission to gather information and investigate matters related to the Secret Order for you."

"Could you pay this 'compensation' in advance?"

At the head of the table, leaning back in his chair, "The Fool" Klein nodded slightly and said:

"Sure, if the information you gather exceeds the value of the answer, I will provide additional compensation."

Also interested in the problem of similar sequences, Audrey, the "Justice" girl, lit up and raised her hand, saying:

"I want to join this deal."

"Can."

"The Fool" Klein nodded leisurely, appearing unconcerned about such trivial matters.

Following closely behind, Derrick, "The Sun," sitting next to Cyril, also raised his hand and said:

"I'm willing to use the compensation I've accumulated in the past to get the answer."

Then, Cyril noticed that everyone's eyes were subtly glancing at him. Not wanting to appear out of place, he had no choice but to raise his hand and speak:

"I know some information about the Secret Order, but I also know about similar sequences."

"Dear Mr. 'Fool,' may I use this information to obtain some other assistance, um, within the scope of its value?"

At the head of the long, weathered table, "The Fool" Klein felt a cold sweat trickle down his forehead. His worst fears had come true: Sirion knew that both sides were planning a deal and had also made other demands of him.

But in order to maintain his image as a "fool," he has no choice but to nod reluctantly.

"Can."

"You can trade directly with each other; you don't necessarily have to go through me."

His subtext was that you could directly seek information from "Fate" through similar channels, and "Fate" could also delegate his needs to other members, so you didn't have to go to "Fool" for everything.

"Justice" Audrey's gaze wavered between "The Fool" and "Fate" for a moment before she quickly made her decision, looking at "The Fool" at the head of the table:

"Mr. Fool, I am willing to continue the transaction we just made."

She felt that the information given by such a great being as Mr. Fool must be the most complete and accurate.

Alger, the "Hanged Man," and Derrick, the "Sun," also made the same decision based on their own ideas.

"Yes." "The Fool" Klein nodded slightly.

However, as he spoke, he glanced at Cyril, fearing that the guy might use the secret information from the Secret Order to make demands that he, the "Fool," could not fulfill.

He sighed inwardly, feeling helpless, and began to explain the meaning of similar pathways: "Similar pathways refer to several pathways that can be interchanged in higher sequences."

"For example, the 'Gatekeeper' at Sequence 5 of the 'Death' pathway can, in addition to normal promotion, choose the 'Witcher' at Sequence 4 of the 'War God' pathway, or the 'Night Watcher' at Sequence 4 of the 'Night' pathway."

"This will not lead to the danger of getting out of control, nor will it accumulate madness, and it is not the same as taking the wrong potion."