Miao Miao was still looking down at the bronze table; this was her third time in Sefirah Castle, but she had not once looked directly at anyone. She feared that in the future, they—especially Klein—would surely recognize her by her eyes or facial structure.
To avoid this, she had let her front hair fall over her eyes so that her blue gaze wasn't clearly visible. Surely, such a hairstyle must look quite strange to the others.
Audrey requested a private discussion with Mr. Fool.
This girl... she is trying so hard to hide her identity from Fors.
Miao Miao recalled that in exchange for these three diary pages, Audrey had caught a glimpse of the "Black Emperor" card and understood the "Mystery of Divinity."
After reading the three pages, Klein reached a certain conclusion. The time gap between the Emperor's transmigration and his own in the modern world was only one year. But in this world, two hundred years had passed. And he had been transmigrated to this world because of a mysterious plate.
Miao Miao... as for her, she transmigrated to this world nearly four months after me. Just as I arrived through a ritual and the Emperor through a plate, she must have arrived through a specific object or action. I must uncover the mystery of this transmigration.
"You may trade among yourselves," Klein said with a smile, leaning back in his chair and tapping the table.
Fors took a deep, calm breath and said, "Exactly."
"I wish to purchase the stomach pouch of a Spirit Eater and 20 milliliters of Deep-Sea Marlin blood. I will pay in gold pounds."
"I have both materials," Miao Miao said, keeping her voice cold and alluring. She already had 1,435 pounds, 6 soli, and 3 pence, but she needed more money. She was alert, fearing that the 'virus' might attack again. To return to her world, she had to fulfill two primary missions.
The first was to protect Klein from the virus and any dangerous events or characters outside the story; in short, she had to save Klein. The second condition had not yet been revealed or created by the system, but whatever it was, she had to fulfill it. I... I want to return to the real world as soon as possible...
"You have both?" Fors was stunned.
"For the price in gold pounds... I want 700 pounds for them," Miao Miao added steadily. I'm sorry, Fors, I think I'm asking for too many pounds. I can't quite remember exactly how much you paid or how you traded for them. Besides, I want to see how helping you with these main ingredients now will change things for you in the future.
"Deal," Fors replied calmly, though internally she was jumping with joy. Looking toward the gray fog, she sighed in relief. This is the Tarot Club.
Then, Miao Miao pretended to think for a moment and asked with a tone of feigned ignorance, "But how shall we conduct this exchange?"
"Miss Lover, for that, a sacrificial ritual is required. Allow me to explain," said Audrey, who was more than willing to joyfully guide the new member.
Audrey drew a diagram, and a mysterious symbol featuring a " Pupil-less Eye " and a partially contorted line appeared.
"Prepare an altar, then draw this symbol in the center and place a candle upon it. You need a candle in the middle to represent the one performing the sacrifice. Follow the standard sacrificial ritual procedures, but there is no need to burn additional herbs or apply holy oils."
"The Fool that doesn't belong to this era,
You are the mysterious ruler above the gray fog;
You are the King of Yellow and Black who wields good luck.
Your devoted servant prays for your attention,
I pray for you to take his offerings.
I pray for you to open the gates to your Kingdom."
Audrey added with enthusiasm, "To receive an item from 'The Fool' using the dualist method, recite:
"Your devoted servant prays for your attention,
I pray for you to open the gates to your Kingdom.
I pray for you to give me strength."
One by one, Audrey detailed every ritual procedure provided by Mr. Fool. To Miao Miao, it felt as though she had just attended a masterclass on Tarot Club rituals.
"Thank you, Miss Justice," Miao Miao said softly.
From his seat, Klein listened to Miss Justice's enthusiastic breakdown. To him, it seemed Miss Justice was far more interested in Miss Lover than in the others. Hmm... Miss Lover's voice and stature are quite youthful; one could say Miss Justice and Miss Lover are likely close in age.
I wonder, what is her sequence? At such a young age, it is surely difficult to surpass Sequence 7. It is also possible she was born with inherent Beyonder characteristics.
As Alger, Fors, and Derrick listened to the re-explanation of the Tarot Club's advantages, they were once again reminded of how fortunate they were to be part of this gathering.
"Miss Lover, could you wait a few days?" Fors asked in a requesting tone. She was grateful to this Tarot Club and Miss Lover; she had been searching for the Trickmaster potion for so many years, and within a month of joining the Tarot Club, she had already obtained the Trickmaster formula and the main ingredients.
"Yes, of course. I will submit the materials to Mr. Fool. You can later deposit the money with Mr. Fool and take the materials at your convenience," Miao Miao said in a gentle and polite tone.
"Mr. Fool will surely be the witness to our transaction," Fors said gratefully.
Audrey noticed a glint in the corners of Fors's eyes—as a 'Spectator,' it wasn't hard for her to tell if it was relief or joy. Fors had been somewhat withdrawn, but after getting the assurance of the necessary materials, her spine seemed to straighten. Meanwhile, Miss Lover remained calm and composed throughout.
"Surely, Mr. Fool is a witness for us all," Audrey added with a sweet smile.
Klein, sitting in the seat of Mr. Fool, felt an invisible smile touch the corners of his lips. He noticed Miss Lover's intelligence. She hadn't just sold materials; she had very skillfully earned the trust of the other members of the Tarot Club.
Fors was mentally calculating that she currently had 430 pounds saved. She planned to borrow the remaining 270 pounds from Xio, which she would surely repay once her new book was released.
But she would need more money in the future. Fors tilted her head back, staring up at the high dome. After a moment, she looked around and asked with keen interest, "Does everyone here know of good ways to earn money?"
As soon as she finished the sentence, she realized that everyone had gone silent. That silence belonged to the silent palace and the silent gray fog.
It seems everyone is troubled by this problem, and Mr. Fool has no need for money... Fors wisely remained quiet.
Is the best way to earn money not to own pastures, mines, fields, factories, or shares? Hmm, you could also go to the kingdom's reward posters and complete them according to the price and your ability... Audrey knew she had no practical experience in earning money, so she could only answer jokingly in her mind.
Learn more about the bicycle project… Klein resisted the temptation to control The World into speaking. Doing so might risk revealing his true identity.
Money... it seems the original script of the novel hasn't changed. Miao Miao placed her hands on her cheeks, looked toward the table with a bright smile, and said:
"Firstly, if you are good at combat, you should hunt pirates and fugitives. From what I know, this work is quite dangerous, but the rewards are excellent, even if you work within a team."
"And... secondly, one can work as an information gatherer—in short, a Spy. In the Beyonder world, information is worth more than gold. If you know what an organization needs or who holds secret documents, you can earn unimaginable pounds by delivering that information to the right place."
"You don't need to reveal the full truth; inform your target with a mix of half-lies and half-truths. You must intentionally present it to them as if you 'somehow' stumbled upon this information."
"Thirdly... there are many wealthy merchants who are constantly terrified of invisible forces. They don't know if ghosts or Beyonders are attacking their surroundings. If you simply inspect their homes and confirm there are no spiritual marks, they will gladly pay you a large fee. This could be called 'Spiritual Cleaning'."
"Fourthly... in many underground markets or gatherings, there is always a lack of trust between sellers and buyers. If you can establish a strong identity, you can act as an 'Escrow' or intermediary. Both parties' money and goods will be in your hands; if the transaction is successful, you get a 5% to 10% commission. This only requires a strong Beyonder aura and an image of neutrality."
"Fifthly... Beyonders are often afraid to send letters to each other, fearing they might fall into official channels or police hands. If you have any special travel abilities, you can offer a 'Secure Message Delivery' service. You can easily charge 2 to 5 pounds for delivering a highly important letter. Five such deliveries a day would mean an incredible monthly income."
"Sixthly... the city police department or ordinary detectives often face cold cases that no normal human can solve. They file them away. If you can anonymously collect those files and track down a Beyonder criminal, you can get a large commission from insurance companies in addition to government or private rewards. You could say this is a variation of the second method."
"Seventhly... if you disguise yourself as a common fortune teller and use actual 'Seer' or 'Spectator' abilities to give people perfect warnings, wealthy ladies of the city will line up at your door. It's safe and carries no risk of direct combat."
"Eighthly... running and hiding is a daily occurrence in the lives of Beyonders. If you can rent small rooms or basements in different boroughs of Backlund and secure them with 'Spiritual Walls,' a fugitive Beyonder wouldn't hesitate to give you 10 to 20 pounds for a single night's shelter. It's like an underground hotel."
"Ninthly... many Beyonders get into trouble by mispronouncing incantations. If you are skilled in Hermes or Feysac, you can hold 'Language Education' classes at small gatherings. You can earn several pounds per session in exchange for teaching correct pronunciation."
"Tenthly... Beyonders often need specific powers for a particular mission. If you have a 'Sealed Artifact' whose negative effects you can control, you can rent it out for a set time. It's risky, but you can earn 50 to 100 pounds in a single night. For that, you must have a collection."
"I feel like you are finding this quite fun to hear; no one felt the need to stop me. I can talk about even more jobs related to the Beyonder world if you wish. I can even advise on how to make money easily outside the Beyonder world," Miao Miao said in a steady stream.
"Thank you very much for sharing your methods. I will certainly think about them," Fors added with a joyful tone. "Actually, I liked the sixth method the best."
"You're welcome," Miao Miao said calmly. I was actually thinking of telling her to rob a bank... tsk, why didn't you say 'I want to hear more'?
Derrick, sitting at one side of the table, felt his head spinning after hearing that there were so many things one could do as a Beyonder. Hearing words like 'Safe House,' 'Spying,' or 'Insurance Commission' from Miss Lover's mouth made him feel as if he were listening to tales from another planet. His teenage mind wondered—is this how people live outside? Where every step involves a calculation of pounds and soli?
Audrey suppressed her emotions, but those ideas were swirling in her head like a storm. Although Audrey was the daughter of a Count and did not lack pounds, for the first time, she realized the Beyonder world wasn't just a battle of powers and potions; it was a massive underground economy.
Alger sat still in his chair, but a storm of amazement was brewing inside him. For years, he had seen Beyonder transactions on the blue waters of the sea and in the dark alleys of Backlund, but the way Miss Lover laid out precise business strategy after another was beyond his imagination.
What is this girl doing in this Tarot gathering? Alger thought to himself. She should be sitting in the council chamber of a great empire, determining policy!
Klein remained stunned in his seat as The Fool. Miss Lover's ten options were spinning in his mind like a hurricane. As a 'Seer' or 'Sherlock Moriarty,' he considered himself quite expert, but now he felt a bit of irritation with himself.
Why didn't I think of so many options before? Klein asked himself internally. I was just stuck on the bicycle project and minor detective work, while a gold mine was right before my eyes!
Klein wanted to give a loud round of applause for Miss Lover.