Glaint looked away.
Audrey smiled faintly and quickly slipped into her Spectator role.
---------------------------------
Hastur's gaze also turned, glancing at Susie.
Susie, who was lying on the ground with her fur taut, stood up, looked around for a while, then shook her body, moved to the other side where Hastur couldn't see her, and lay down again to rest.
'So sharp… but why does it feel like Susie is very afraid of me?'
'I haven't done anything heinous to her, have I?'
'Although I once thought of finding it a male dog, in the end I gave up on the idea and never acted on it.'
Hastur was slightly surprised, withdrew his gaze, and looked toward Audrey tonight.
The moment Audrey stepped into the study, he sensed she had already become an Beyonder- Sequence 9, Spectator.
"I've recently developed quite a few medicines beneficial to the human body. Perfect for you all to try."
Glaint said this as he opened the box in front of him, inside were seven or eight bottles of unknown medicines.
As everyone's eyes turned to him, Glaint straightened his back, wore a confident smile, and began to introduce his recent gains one by one.
For example, the Body-Strengthening Concoction, which could be taken even by healthy people to improve fitness and effectively replenish blood and energy.
The Anti-Alcohol Concoction, a kind of pale green liquid with a pungent herbal smell, was something Hastur had previously guided him to research.
There was also a Brain-Tonic Concoction, said to enhance memory and improve intelligence.
Then there were some topical special medicines that could stop bleeding and regenerate flesh.
Xio was more interested in these types of medicines, since in the course of arbitration work, she would occasionally come to blows with people, bumps and bruises were inevitable.
Audrey and Fors, however, were interested in one particular medicine that could effectively repel mosquitoes and insects.
It was a medicinal powder; once ignited, it released wisps of smoke that, when smelled by mosquitoes and other crawling insects, acted like poison, quickly taking their lives.
Hastur's heart stirred, wasn't this basically modern mosquito coils?
He hadn't expected Glaint to also have the spirit of a scientist.
If this could be mass-produced at a low cost, it would surely be popular. Perhaps he could use this to start a small business and earn a little extra income.
As tonight's host, Glaint was very pleased.
He even shot Hastur a look, hinting that he still had some good stuff yet to reveal.
Seeing Glaint's smug expression, Hastur immediately understood what those "good things" were.
They must be medicines that could effectively maintain Glaint's dignity as a man.
Hastur thought for a moment, then asked: "Do you have any medicine that can treat middle-aged baldness?"
He was actually asking on behalf of Professor Wayne, since recently he'd noticed Wayne showing signs of it.
"Not for now, but I'll definitely be able to develop it in the future." Glaint didn't think it would be a big problem.
Hastur gave him a long look, thinking that by the time Glaint managed to develop such a medicine, Glaint himself might already need it.
"The Apothecary's abilities are truly enviable." Fors sighed.
In her eyes, the future for an Apothecary was bright; as long as their skills were solid, they could definitely earn a lot of money.
A life of just staying at home making medicine and earning money, how wonderful.
"It's just average." Glaint sounded modest, but his brows were practically pointing to the sky.
Audrey quietly observed, noting all of their subtle expressions.
Even without being an Spectator, she could have guessed Glaint's character.
Miss Fors seemed short on money, her posture lazy, as though uninterested in most things.
She was probably the type who liked staying at home all year round.
Miss Xio, though small in stature, had a spirit and energy that even men like Glaint couldn't compare to.
Her personality likely leaned toward impulsive and irritable, since she was an Arbiter, she probably fought often.
Mr. Hastur… hmm… he seemed quiet, always with a gentle smile on his face. But in his eyes seemed to lie a deep pool of water, impossible to gauge, and difficult to read his heart through the windows of his soul.
Strange, it was hard to see much from Mr. Hastur at all. Though he acted casual, upon closer observation, one would find he hid himself very thoroughly, making it difficult to truly glimpse anything.
Could it be that Mr. Hastur already knew she had become an Spectator, and was deliberately concealing himself to counter her observation?
Then Mr. Hastur must also be an Beyonder?
Perhaps his Sequence was even higher than hers. But unlike Glaint, he didn't like flaunting his abilities.
Such a character matched her inner image of a true Beyonder.
Facing Audrey's subtle gaze, Hastur looked calm on the outside but sighed inwardly.
Sitting opposite an Spectator was truly exhausting, one careless slip, and his real thoughts would be exposed.
Especially since Audrey had only just become an Spectator, she was eager to observe others with her new perspective.
Thinking it over, he decided to raise a topic to attract her attention, so she wouldn't keep secretly observing him.
"I've also recently become an Beyonder."
Audrey, Fors, and Xio weren't surprised; they had already suspected as much.
Glaint, however, reacted more strongly, asking: "Hastur, what Beyonder pathway did you choose?"
"I'm now a Sequence 9 Lawyer. Recently, I opened a law firm in Hillston District."
Glaint froze for a moment, then foolishly asked: "So becoming a lawyer means you have to open a law firm?"
'I know this question!'
Audrey cheered inwardly. A little version of herself impatiently raised her hand high, even standing up and waving so she wouldn't be overlooked.
Back at the second Tarot Gathering, Mr. Fool had told her and Mr. Hanged Man:
"It's not mastery, but digestion."
"It's not becoming one, but acting like one."
"The potion's name is not only symbolic, but also an image, and the key to digestion."
Take Mr. Hastur as an example: becoming a lawyer wasn't just the potion's name, but the key to digesting it.
Opening a law firm was to better act the role of a real lawyer, thereby accelerating digestion.
This was high-level mystical knowledge. Even the experienced Mr. Hanged Man had been shocked by it, and had owed Mr. Fool a favor because of it.
For Mr. Hastur to know such profound mystical knowledge, his learning must be vast.
Hastur smiled: "My teacher is Professor Wayne at Backlund University, a professor of law. I've learned much from him, and this was my chance to open a law firm."
"I think becoming a lawyer helps deepen my understanding of the Lawyer pathway." He didn't directly mention the acting method, just hinted at it.
"I see. No wonder when I first started developing medicines, my head would feel especially clear and comfortable, no more headaches or hearing strange whispers."
Glaint had a sudden realization.
Audrey wanted very much to tell him: this was the key to digesting the potion, the key to advancing to higher Sequences, the acting method!
But she forced herself to hold back, feigning curiosity: "So for the Lawyer pathway, one has to become a lawyer. Then wouldn't the Apothecary pathway require becoming a doctor?"
Her gaze fell on Fors and Xio, leaving them to think it through themselves.
Xio thought for a moment and said: "I've always strictly required myself to act in line with the Arbiter's identity."
Fors frowned. Her Sequence 9 was Apprentice, did that mean she had to become a real apprentice?
Being an apprentice, wasn't that far too exhausting?
As a novelist, she often went out for material, and she understood well how harsh the lives of apprentices in various trades were. Such a life was simply too grueling.
Glaint asked again: "Hastur, why did you choose to become a lawyer?"
"In my eyes, a lawyer is someone who understands and masters rules and order. They have the right to interpret the law. Glaint, don't you think such people are cool?"
Hastur once again used the topic to give a hint to Glaint, Fors, and Xio.
Whether they understood or not was up to them.
Fors and Xio seemed thoughtful, while Audrey put on an innocent face as if saying: "What are you talking about? I don't understand at all."
As for Glaint… he didn't even realize the message hidden in those words. Instead, he laughed: "I still think an Apothecary's abilities are cooler."
"An Apothecary can help treat illnesses, but you don't look like a doctor who saves lives." Hastur gave him another nudge, after all, he was the one who had brought him into this, and though his comprehension was lacking, he wasn't beyond saving.
"I don't lack money, and my family has doctors. I'd rather just focus on researching new medicines, it's more interesting."
Seeing that Glaint's reasoning process was wrong but his result not too far off, Hastur didn't push further.
The topic shifted, and Xio began talking about some things she had heard or experienced recently.
Among the five present, her experiences were the richest, after all, she fought on the frontlines as an Arbiter.
She mentioned the Beyonder gatherings hosted by Mr. A, saying that Mr. A had suddenly disappeared recently, and the gatherings couldn't be held.
But a few days ago, news came out that Mr. A had returned and was preparing to hold gatherings again.
Audrey was intrigued, she wanted to see what other Beyonder gatherings were like, and how those Beyonder compared to Mr. Fool and Mr. Hanged Man.
Glaint also muttered about wanting to go. Last time, he hadn't been able to go with Hastur, and he had always wanted to make up for that regret.
Hastur, however, kept his distance from the matter.