"I'll pay!" Xio spoke up almost immediately after Snow stated the price. only then did Fors react, asking with a hint of confusion, "Can you explain what 'one thousand times' means?"
"Simply put, I calculate the value of intelligence based on the number of Beyonder tasks performed. Taking a Sequence 9 Beyonder performing a risk-free task as the baseline, one 'time' is equivalent to one pound. For example, having a [Seer] perform a divination, or an [Apprentice] opening a door at a specific location. At the same time, I adjust for task difficulty and duration. For instance, the protection mission Miss Xio recently completed was worth ten 'times'."
Snow looked down at Xio. Seeing she had no intention of interrupting, he turned his gaze back to Fors.
"If you possess mystical items or Beyonder materials, I also accept them at market value. For example, I've priced this intelligence at one thousand pounds; you are free to pay in items or favors. Of course, even if you choose to repay the debt in favors, you can later settle it with mystical items equal to or higher than your own sequence rank. However, I do not accept gold pounds."
Snow then explained the details of debt conversion upon advancement. Fors listened, her eyes sweeping over Xio, before she nodded and said, "One thousand times, then. I accept."
"Fors! I said I would,"
"You asked about the full moon ravings for me too, didn't you?" Fors shook her head, her usually lazy face wearing a look of non-negotiable resolve. Xio nodded reluctantly, and Fors turned back to Snow.
"The difficulty of the tasks will be stated in the contract, correct?"
"Naturally," Snow replied. "You can refuse any task valued at more than a hundred times the baseline or any that poses a mortal threat. This is written into the contract. Furthermore, my evaluation of task difficulty is also subject to contract notarization, so you can rest easy."
Snow picked up a fountain pen and quickly drafted the contract on a sheet of plain white paper,free of any patterns or watermarks. Once Fors signed her name, he tucked the contract away and smiled.
"The issue of the full moon ravings is something I've mentioned before. It is a connection based on the mystical level. To solve it completely, you would need to eliminate the source of those whispers, which is virtually impossible for you. However, if you only wish to remain unaffected, finding a High-Sequence existence to temporarily block the whispers when the full moon arrives would suffice to end your suffering. In that regard, The Fool can undoubtedly achieve this."
"And the consequences of praying to him? Will his mind be polluted, leading to gradual insanity like other evil gods? Or will he be bombarded with information like the Hidden Sage?" Fors was asking about the moon ravings as a side-note now; her primary concern was Xio's condition.
Last night, Xio had dreamed of a figure in the mist,a clear sign of being "gazed upon."
"No. At least, not in the short term." Snow shook his head gently, his voice soft.
"Based on current intelligence, The Fool is a relatively safe Great Existence. To date, there are no recorded cases of madness resulting from his faith. Of course, this might be because his followers are too few and secretive for us to know, but at the very least, he is not as dangerous as famous evil gods like the True Creator or the Hidden Sage."
"In other words, you aren't certain?" Xio asked, somewhat testily. Snow merely spread his hands with a smile.
"Who can say for certain when it comes to deities? Remember, the Hidden Sage was once merely a symbolic concept. No one can guarantee that a god who is neutral and benevolent one moment won't suddenly go mad the next. That is why I can only tell you that he is currently safe. Honestly, if it weren't for this uncertainty, you couldn't get this intel for a mere thousand pounds. You should understand the enormous price one pays for testing a god's nature."
"You're right." Xio nodded reluctantly, feeling terrible that her rashness had saddled her friend with debt.
"Oh, it seems you've encountered 'The Fool' through other means and accidentally established contact? Let me guess... did you come across the mystical language of that entity's honorific name and accidentally mutter it in your heart?"
There was a hint of faint schadenfreude in Snow's tone. Xio's face flushed red instantly. Seeing this, Snow's smile grew more malicious. Just as Xio was about to snap at his punchable face, he suddenly turned serious.
"If you truly did that, then I believe I must remind you of one thing."
"What?" Xio was caught off guard by the sudden shift. Fors, more composed, was the one to ask.
"As I said before, information regarding 'The Fool' is incredibly scarce. Therefore, anyone who chants his honorific name becomes exceptionally conspicuous. Do you understand?"
Xio's face turned pale. The last lingering hope that "last night was just a nightmare" vanished completely. Snow laughed again. He set down his teacup, stood, and paced around the living room before looking at them both.
"Actually, in a way, this is a good thing. If you run into trouble, praying to him might be more effective than praying to a True God. Regarding the full moon ravings,if you wait until you can't bear it anymore to pray to a True God, you'll probably be dead before they even remember you."
Xio and Fors looked at each other, speechless. As they prepared to leave, Snow's somewhat eerie voice drifted from behind them.
"Miss Fors, tomorrow is the night of the full moon. I believe you should consider your future. After all, once you're dead, nothing else matters."
"Tomorrow?!" Xio snapped her head toward Fors, only to see an "I'm well aware" expression. Unlike Fors, who felt like she died once every month, Xio had lost track of the date.
At that moment, Xio felt like a student who thought the exam was the day after tomorrow, only to realize the papers were being handed out right now.
Even though it wasn't her exam, a decision suddenly formed in her heart...
[Translated and Rewritten by Shika_Kagura]
T/N: "One Thousand Times" (一千次) - Snow's internal debt unit.
T/N: "Schadenfreude" (幸灾乐祸) - Taking joy in someone else's misfortune.