Seeing her friend shrink back into her seat, Xio almost facepalmed but also felt a bit touched. She was nearly moved to give up her materials to Magician, sacrificing her own gains in honor of their friendship.
However, after thinking it through, she realized that such an act would not only waste the materials used in the Sacrifice Ritual but also make her the subject of Ebner's amusement.
More importantly, it would be disrespectful to Mr. Fool.
At this moment, Ebner noticed that no one else was speaking, so he turned to The Hanged Man Alger beside him and said thoughtfully:
"Thank you for your assistance with that previous matter... And it was my lack of foresight. In hindsight, having you collect that bounty wasn't the best idea."
What did Mr. Tower and Mr. Hanged Man do privately? Justice, Judgement, and Magician all perked up their ears at these words.
"It's not an issue... Besides, just those three men brought me over 1,000 pounds in income," Hanged Man Alger shook his head. Compared to the bounty, he now valued his relationship with Tower far more.
After all, Tower was not only well-informed and powerful but also well-connected and seemingly favored by Mr. Fool. Both professionally and personally, Alger wanted to maintain a good relationship with him.
Sometimes, taking a small loss now might yield greater rewards in the future.
Hearing this, Ebner pondered for a moment before saying:
"But you still bore some risk on my behalf... How about this: I'll share a piece of information with you as compensation for the Silver-Tongued's portion of the bounty."
Alger initially wanted to refuse, but seeing how serious Tower was, he swallowed his words and asked instead,
After organizing his thoughts, Ebner explained,
"You should know that consuming a Sequence 5 potion requires a corresponding ritual..."
Seeing everyone except Magician nodding in agreement, Ebner continued,
"The information I'll provide is the ritual requirement for the Ocean Songster. This way, you can prepare in advance... After all, your promotion speed is quite fast, and you might not report your progress to the Storm Church, which means you can't use their official ritual."
Alger was both surprised and delighted. Although he hadn't yet gathered the materials for Sequence 6, he was confident that he would eventually become an Ocean Songster. And as Tower mentioned, he did indeed plan to conceal his advancement speed.
"Thank you for your generosity..." Alger no longer declined and instead asked calmly,
"What are the ritual requirements?"
"Do you need a private exchange?" Ebner glanced around and asked with a smile.
"No need," Hanged Man Alger shook his head. After all, this was free knowledge, and no one else in the Tarot Club followed the Sailor pathway. There was no need to be overly secretive.
"The ritual involves consuming the potion inside the belly of an Obnins." Ebner said casually.
Sitting at the head of the table, The Fool Klein noticed Tower's slight change in mood and couldn't help but be puzzled: Why does Mr. Tower seem even happier about this than The Hanged Man? Does he really enjoy flaunting his knowledge that much? No... maybe sharing information is part of his acting.
In truth, Klein wasn't entirely wrong. Ebner's willingness to "free wool" not only repaid a favor to Alger but also reinforced his image as a scholar in the minds of the Tarot Club members.
Meanwhile, Alger's mind quickly conjured up the corresponding data:
Obnins are ancient sea monsters capable of swallowing entire sailing ships. They have enormous, twisted bodies, up to three heads, and numerous intertwined tentacles. They are the stuff of many maritime legends.
No wonder the Church controls Obnins rather than other sea monsters... And no wonder the Sailor pathway rarely produces Sequence 5 Beyonders among pirates. The few who do either inherit their powers or are subordinates of the King of Five Seas or the Queen of Mysteries...
Alger furrowed his brows, but he wasn't too troubled. After all, he still had time before he reached Sequence 5 and could plan a way around the Church's monopoly.
"Thank you. This information is extremely valuable to me," Alger said sincerely.
Ebner smiled and replied,
"It's your compensation."
Then he turned to the three ladies across the table and asked,
"Ladies, could you help me purchase a new steam engine? It doesn't need to be very powerful—16 horsepower will suffice."
Justice Audrey blinked. Although she frequently went shopping, she had never purchased a steam engine before. She had no knowledge of specifications or performance metrics and was momentarily at a loss for words.
Similarly, Magician Fors, despite being a follower of the God of Steam and Machinery, was equally clueless about mechanical matters. She had never paid attention to such topics in newspapers and had no idea where to start looking.
Only Judgement Xio, after thinking for a moment, asked:
"Would you accept a second-hand machine that's still in good condition? MI9 recently confiscated a batch from a corrupt businessman colluding with gangs. It's the latest Bolton-Donald Type 2. I can try to get one for you."
"Second-hand... How much would that cost?" Ebner's eyes lit up.
"The internal price shouldn't exceed 100 pounds," Xio replied without hesitation, clearly familiar with the matter.
A brand-new machine of this model costs over 500 pounds. That's indeed a bargain!
After some consideration, Ebner nodded:
"Please help me secure one as soon as possible. I'll sacrifice the money to you after the Tarot meeting."
Considering that Xio had just spent a significant sum on materials, Ebner decided to pay upfront.
When his issue was settled, Magician Fors took a deep breath and said cautiously:
"I'd like to purchase Deep Sea Swordfish blood. I can pay in gold pounds."
Even though my savings are gone, I can still borrow from Xio and repay her when my new book comes out...
Fors silently encouraged herself.
Money truly is one of the biggest obstacles for Beyonders. How did Ebner afford all those materials back then? He's the famous Hero Detective, but it seems like he hasn't actually solved that many cases...
While she was lost in thought, Hanged Man Alger chuckled and said:
"I've seen Deep Sea Swordfish blood at one of the big pirate gatherings, but unfortunately, you missed that chance. Wait... no, you weren't even in the Tarot Club back then."
Then why are you mentioning it now? Are you just showing off your seniority?
Fors inwardly rolled her eyes and said sincerely:
"Mr. Hanged Man, please keep an eye out for me. I can accept a price between 300 and 400 pounds."
So... I'm on my own again? But buying materials in Backlund means they won't offer credit...
Fors nearly tilted her head back to stare at the high dome. After a moment, she looked around earnestly and asked:
"Everyone, do you know any good ways to make money?"
As soon as she spoke, an awkward silence filled the room. Only Ebner smiled and replied:
"If you're strong enough, you could try hunting bountied pirates or wanted criminals. It's dangerous, but the rewards are often substantial."
Sure... but I'd probably just become another casualty.
Fors wisely chose to shut her mouth.
She realized that aside from Mr. Fool, most of the Tarot members seemed just as strapped for cash as she was.