It must be his imagination.
Vincent shook his head with a wry smile and read on:
"To help you master the relevant abilities more quickly and fluently, I have compiled a complete guide to the powers of the Mystery Pryer Pathway — drawing on my own experience and understanding. I hope it proves useful, and it includes the answer to your specific question about how to close the Clairvoyant Eye."
Vincent picked up the thick sheaf of notes. It was organised by Sequence and by ability, laying out Bernadette's personal insights, her understanding of how each power worked, and the right moments to deploy them. A genuine crash course in being a Mystery Pryer.
"Your current location is a restaurant I own, situated in the city of Backlund — the capital of the Kingdom of Loen. Yes, I have left the Emerald City as you requested, so in a sense, you are now 'free.'"
"But I don't need to remind you — you already know that 'freedom' tends to come with hidden dangers. I gave you a rough overview of those dangers in my previous message."
"Beyond those, my identity itself is also quite dangerous. As you know, I am a pirate carrying an enormous bounty. Many people would very much like to bring my head to the relevant authorities in exchange for a reward."
"Additionally, I am the leader of a secret organisation. Though that organisation exists to oppose an evil god's cult, as far as official bodies are concerned, there is no essential difference between us."
"For those reasons, I would of course prefer you remain indoors as much as possible. But thinking from your perspective, placing excessive restrictions on your freedom would do neither of us any good. My only requirement, therefore, is this: whenever you go out, you must remember to disguise yourself properly, and avoid having your identity exposed."
"If you are unsure how to disguise yourself, simply find Vivienne. She is one of my subordinates here in Backlund, and the manager of the restaurant. She is highly capable and can handle most problems that arise."
Oh?
She's set me up with a capable aide?
Much obliged, Your Majesty.
"Of course, should you encounter a sudden emergency that Vivienne cannot handle, you may summon the Invisible Servant at any time and have it carry a message to my officers aboard the Dawn. They are all highly capable and skilled. (Their dossiers are included with the Mystery Pryer notes.)"
"I have also cleared the Invisible Servant's prior memories, so it will no longer feel any fear toward you."
Vincent laughed to himself. Was that a dig at me?
He picked up the personnel files and scanned through them. First Mate Crouch — Sequence 5, Wraith… Second Mate Stephen — Sequence 5, Chaos Instructor… Third Mate Angel — Sequence 5, Ocean Songster…
"Regarding the mysterious room you mentioned — I peered at its shadow through a crack in fate, but was unfortunately unable to see more, nor discern what it truly is."
"After repeated attempts over these past few days, I have concluded that only you can enter that room, and only you can 'benefit' from the ability bestowed by that scale. Therefore, if you wish to 'facilitate deals and cooperation,' you will simply have to do so yourself."
"That said, I will offer you some support where I can."
"This evening, Vivienne will take you to host a gathering of Beyonders. The purpose of the gathering is to facilitate the exchange of extraordinary items, intelligence, and the placing of commissions. According to my thinking, as the host of the gathering, perhaps every transaction and act of cooperation that concludes under your watch can count as something you facilitated."
Vincent's eyes lit up instantly. Bernadette really is reliable.
Most attendees at a Beyonder gathering would be Beyonders themselves, and the items traded tend to be of considerable value. One gathering alone should add a healthy load to the scale!
"Regarding your safety, I have also prepared three extraordinary items specifically for you."
"The first is the grey-white revolver to your right. It loads six rounds each time: three of them carry a guaranteed-hit effect, and the other three can inflict stunning, madness, or sleep on the target — even a near-miss will produce some effect."
"Its drawback is that after each use, you will be overcome by a powerful emotional state for approximately one minute. Carrying it, however, poses no problem."
"The second is the ring on your left ring finger. It can briefly put you in an invisible state, and when you take a hit, activate a Mirror Double to take the damage in your place. Its drawback is that using it will temporarily enhance your charm — trust me, that is indeed a drawback."
Vincent raised his left hand and found a black ring that appeared to be woven from strands of hair. No need to think twice — it was clearly an extraordinary item from the Demoness Pathway.
"The beaded bracelet on your right wrist is the third item. It grants you the ability to use 'Flash' — a teleport of roughly five metres — and has no negative effects. However, you may only use it three times per day, with full recovery the following day. Please use it sparingly."
"Now that you've read this far, I imagine you've noticed: every extraordinary item I prepared for you has been chosen with minimal drawbacks in mind, so as not to cause you harm in the very act of using it. Once you have sufficient ability, you can naturally begin using items that are more powerful — and correspondingly more dangerous."
Vincent gave a small nod. He had no objections whatsoever to Bernadette's arrangement. He remembered all too well that many extraordinary items came with drawbacks that were outright lethal.
"I have also left you a set of scrolls. A simple infusion of Spirituality is enough to activate them, and their effects are broadly similar to the magic of your world. The effects of each are as follows…"
"If you run out of scrolls, you may ask Vivienne to replenish your supply — but be aware that this is not free."
Vincent stared. "Huh?"
"The reason I charge for this, first of all, is that while Vivienne is my subordinate, she is only my subordinate. Even I could not ask anything of her without proper compensation."
"Second, I want you to understand: in the extraordinary world, nothing comes without a cost — be it knowledge, information, materials, or assistance. As that 'Fool' of the Tarot Club upholds: equivalent exchange."
"So, even between the two of us, so long as it does not involve a threat to life, this principle must be observed. I hope you understand."
Vincent pursed his lips. You're making it sound like I'm trying to freeload off you. I'm a perfectly self-sufficient man of principle, thank you…
"Of course, to make your day-to-day life easier, I have left you 1,000 pounds. As long as it doesn't involve extraordinary items, that's more than enough for most people to live out their entire lives in comfort."
Vincent's face broke into a broad grin. A wealthy woman really is something else.
He turned to the final page. Bernadette's tone shifted abruptly: "Regarding the Tarot Club and the 'Fool'… I can understand the situation that left you with no choice but to join."
"Yesterday, I attended this week's gathering. I now have a rough sense of the Tarot Club and of the Fool. Whatever He may be, whether a true evil god or otherwise, in the short term He would likely act out of some particular purpose and not harm us."
Vincent's mouth curved. Harm you? You're overthinking it. That 'Pauper God' probably hasn't made it out of the starting village yet. He's just a low-Sequence weakling.
To be continued…