No wonder she single-handedly bankrolled the Tarot Club's economy... she's practically radiating wealth. I can see why Bernadette was dazzled.
Alaric silently withdrew his gaze, chuckling inwardly, as Fors stepped forward to introduce them.
"This is Xio… and this is the gentleman from an ancient family I mentioned, well-versed in knowledge."
Audrey first greeted Xio, then turned her attention to Alaric, clearly intrigued by the mention of an ancient family. She smiled warmly. "Hello, sir. How should I address you?"
As she spoke, Audrey instinctively slipped into her Spectator state, observing the young man before her.
He was as striking as she was, likely not of high birth but certainly not low, well-educated, no smoking habits, and likely trained in some form of combat… Hmm, he didn't seem overly complex... perhaps a straightforward personality?
"No need for formalities, Miss Audrey. Just call me Jack." Alaric replied with a smile. As a seasoned Joker, he was already in character, using his potion's abilities to control his emotions and avoid any slip-ups under a Spectator's scrutiny.
"Very well, Mr. Jack." Audrey nodded graciously.
Viscount Glaint greeted them as well, then eagerly asked, "Are we heading to the Beyonder gathering now?"
Seeing his impatience, the group didn't dawdle. They soon boarded a carriage and arrived at the designated location... Mr. A's gathering.
Perhaps by coincidence or the inevitability of fate, despite the different time and place from the original story, Xio had still brought Audrey and Viscount Glaint to Mr. A's event.
The gathering followed a familiar pattern to Alaric's last visit. Once they settled in a corner, Xio turned to Audrey and Glaint. "Have you decided which Sequence 9 formulas you're looking for?"
Viscount Glaint, without hesitation, answered, "Apothecary." It was his unchanging goal.
Audrey, after a moment of feigned thought, said, "I want to become a Spectator. If possible, I'd also like to purchase the subsequent Telepathist potion formula."
"Spectator?" Alaric chimed in at the right moment, looking at Audrey. "I have the Spectator potion formula, as well as the Telepathist one. Are you interested?"
Alaric wasn't about to pass up the chance to profit from a wealthy patron.
He was, after all, quite short on funds.
"Really?" Even Audrey, composed as she was, couldn't hide her genuine excitement, lacking the Telepathist formula. "Please sell them to me. How much?"
"Six hundred pounds." Alaric said. While eager to capitalize on Audrey's wealth, he kept the price reasonable to avoid overreaching.
After all, it cost him nothing to provide.
"Done. Thank you, Mr. Jack." Audrey, ever the affluent noble, didn't haggle. The transaction was completed swiftly.
"Jack, just how many potion formulas do you know?" Xio, witnessing the deal, couldn't hide her envy.
"It depends on how much my ancestors recorded in their notes." Alaric replied with a smile.
"That's enviable." Viscount Glaint said, eyeing Alaric. "Mr. Jack, do you have the Apothecary potion formula?"
"Apothecary…" Alaric paused, as if recalling, then shook his head apologetically. "I'm sorry, Mr. Glaint, I don't have the complete Apothecary formula. But I do know its main ingredient. Would that help?"
"I'll take it. How much?" Glaint nodded eagerly. Knowing the main ingredient wouldn't let him craft the potion immediately, but it would allow him to prepare, speeding up his advancement once he had the full formula.
"One hundred pounds?" Alaric suggested. A complete Sequence 9 formula typically cost 200 pounds, so 100 for just the main ingredient was fair.
"No problem. You're a fair man." Glaint said, unbothered by the price despite being less wealthy than Audrey.
Another transaction was swiftly completed, leaving Xio and Fors visibly envious.
This Jack must know a ton of formulas. What ancient family is he from? Audrey wondered, her Spectator instincts kicking in. Curious, she asked, "Mr. Jack, is your family one of those legendary lineages from the Fourth Epoch?"
"I don't know much about it myself. My family's fallen on hard times, but our records do mention some Fourth Epoch history." Alaric said, letting a hint of wistfulness and loss creep into his tone.
"I'm sorry…" Audrey said, sensing his genuine melancholy.
"It's fine. It's not a secret." Alaric said, shaking his head.
Fors deftly changed the subject. "Jack, are you looking to buy anything this time?"
"Not really." Alaric replied, then added as if struck by a thought, "Though I plan to inquire about the Fool. A gathering this size might yield some leads."
Audrey, still in her Spectator state, nearly faltered at the mention of the Fool.
But as a noble accustomed to high society, her expression management was impeccable. She maintained her composure, showing just a touch of curiosity. "The Fool? What's that? Are you talking about tarot cards?"
"No, I mean a mysterious entity." Alaric said, shaking his head. His acting was flawless, amplified by his Joker potion to ensure no cracks appeared. "It's not a secret…"
He recycled the story he'd told Xio and Fors, tweaking the curse angle to "my ancestors were tied to the Fool." He ended with a worried look. "I wasn't in a rush to investigate the Fool, but a friend of mine seems directly entangled with them, and I'm concerned…"
The friend, of course, was Klein... the Fool himself.
***
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