Mystery: A Spark

"I see, little one. What's the question you're curious about?"

"I wanted to ask, is the notebook that Fors sent over a magical item?" Arthas asked, voicing his curiosity.

They actually realized that? But even under these circumstances, they still sent over "Lemanor's Travel Notes"... Dorian's expression became somewhat complicated, and he said:

"Yes, you guessed right, it is indeed a magical item."

"The sequence of recorders?" Arthas pressed.

"You actually know that?" Dorian opened his mouth, but finally nodded and said:

"Yes."

“I knew it.” Arthas nodded, then Fors carried him away.

Chapter 196 The Painter's Tavern Debut

Since Dorian still had some work to finish, Fors was asked to wait in the adjacent lounge.

He also provided black tea and snacks, as well as newspapers and magazines, to help Fors and the talking little white dog pass the time.

After Dorian left the lounge, Fors leaned close to Arthas and asked in a very low voice:

Why did you ask those two questions just now?

“Because if we didn’t ask, how would Mr. Dorian know that we know the value of this notebook?” Arthas replied matter-of-factly.

"So what if he knows we know the value of this notebook?" Fors didn't quite understand what he meant.

“That way he’ll know that even knowing the notebook was extremely valuable, you still kept your promise and returned it.” Arthas smiled like a little fox.

Fors paused, then frowned and said:

"Isn't this a bad idea?"

Arthas shook his head and said:

"Fors, your integrity is evident in your unwavering commitment to your promises, even in the face of treasure."

"And letting Dorian know about this was my method."

"Judging things by their actions, not their intentions, because if we judge things by their intentions, then there will be no good people in the world. Since you have done good deeds, you should receive the corresponding reward."

"While doing good deeds anonymously is certainly admirable and praiseworthy, I believe that it is more reasonable to expect benefits for doing good deeds, as this can encourage more people to do good."

"But I still feel like this is a kind of taking advantage of someone's kindness." Fors was still somewhat hesitant.

"Why do you feel like you're taking advantage of someone's kindness? Fors, you didn't mean to say this. I was the one who pointed it out to Mr. Dorian."

"I'm just a little puppy, so naturally I don't understand any social etiquette. I just say whatever comes to mind. Do you think I have any bad intentions?" Arthas spread his little paws and said innocently.

Fors glanced at it speechlessly and said:

"You little thing, you're even more cunning than me, and you're still pretending to be stupid here."

"Hehehe." Arthas gave a silly, goofy grin.

Fors couldn't help but rub his forehead and said:

"Hey, your appearance is so deceptive, it's like you're a deadly trap."

……

After settling things over with Fors and the little white dog, Dorian returned to his office.

He hesitated for a moment before opening a hidden cabinet, inside which was an item.

It was a crystal ball that shimmered with brilliant light in its purity.

Dorian was about to take the crystal ball out when he suddenly stopped.

"Ah, they were so honest. Even after guessing the value of Lemanor's travel notes, they still followed Lawrence's dying wish. I shouldn't have doubted them, since Lawrence's wish was actually not binding at all."

"But this concerns the future of the family, so I must be careful. The family can no longer afford a second rebellion."

"Well, as long as the divination doesn't reveal any major problems, it's considered a pass..."

Dorian made up his mind, took out the crystal ball, drew the curtains to make the office dim, and then sat down.

He held the crystal ball in his left hand, his right palm lightly touching the top, stroking it back and forth, while he kept whispering, as if murmuring.

Gradually, the sparkles inside the crystal ball grew brighter and brighter, becoming more and more distinct, as if the stars in the night sky were casting their reflections.

The stars that are often used to determine the course of fate and the trajectory of life appear one after another, forming a three-dimensional star chart, mixed with many spiritual revelations that seem to be symbolic.

Dorian Gray finally stopped what he was doing and buried his head in his work.

"They weren't lying. The events unfolded exactly as they described... However, there were some parts that were unclear, which must have been the fortuitous encounters they were referring to... It was probably some kind of secret extraordinary gathering, otherwise it would have been impossible for both their master and pet to advance to the level of magic masters, as extraordinary materials would be a huge expense."

"Furthermore, their arrival seems to bring some positive changes to the Abraham family." The light from the crystal ball gradually dimmed, and Dorian stood up, having already made his decision.

……

Lunchtime, in a private room at the Four-Winged Bird Restaurant.

“Mr. Dorian, it’s just lunch, is it really necessary to book such an expensive private room?” Fors looked around at the furnishings and felt that everything exuded an aura of gold.

"Hehe, it's not actually that expensive. I'm a regular customer of this restaurant and have a good relationship with the owner. This private room is specially prepared for acquaintances like me."

“And the topic I’m about to discuss with you, Ms. Wall, involves some extraordinary factors, which are not suitable to be discussed in public,” Dorian said with a smile.

"I see. Mr. Dorian, please ask whatever you wish to ask." Fors looked up at the starry sky in front of him, and couldn't help but push the fish head over, cut off the tail, and cover the bulging fish eyes.

Dorian glanced at Arthas, who was eating his separately prepared food, and asked while picking up his knife and fork:

"My question is, Ms. Wall, how did you guess that the notebook was a magical item related to the Recorder?"

“Actually, I’m not entirely sure either. I just happened to learn at an extraordinary gathering that the Recorder is a sequence in the Apprentice Path, and then I saw that passage on the cover of this notebook, which is why I made this guess,” Fors said, repeating the explanation he had just discussed with Arthas.

“I see.” Dorian nodded; this was roughly what he had guessed. “Then, Ms. Wall, your knowledge of the occult must be quite extensive, right?”

“No, I wouldn’t call it profound; in fact, it’s quite barren,” Fors shook his head.

"Oh? How could this be?" A hint of joy flashed in Dorian's eyes.

Fors answered frankly:

"In fact, almost all the occult knowledge I know comes from the books and notes left by Mrs. Anlissa, and a very small part comes from the extraordinary gatherings I attended during my travels over the past two years."

I see. Although Ms. Wall has advanced to Sequence Eight and even owns a pet of the same sequence, strictly speaking, she is still a novice in the Extraordinary World… Dorian nodded slightly and smiled:

"In that case, Ms. Wall, would you mind asking me for some knowledge of the occult?"

"Is this alright? I do often feel a lack of knowledge about the occult, and it would be wonderful if I could receive your guidance, sir." Fors was overjoyed.

"Of course, compared to the help you, Ms. Wall, have given to our family, this knowledge of the occult is nothing."

“So, my real thank-you gift is actually this.” With that, Dorian took a folded piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to Fors from the dining table.

Arthas, who had been engrossed in eating as if oblivious to everything around him, paused for a moment, then continued his ravenous inhalation as if nothing had happened.

Fors curiously took the paper, opened it, and asked in surprise:

"Mr. Dorian, is this the astrologer's potion recipe?"

“That’s right, Ms. Wall, this must be what you want most right now,” Dorian said with a smile.

“Thank you, Mr. Dorian, this is indeed a great help to me. How much do I need to pay for it? Or is there some other reward?” After her initial joy, Fors began to worry that she didn’t have enough money to buy the formula.

Dorian looked at the somewhat uneasy Fors and laughed heartily:

“Ms. Wall, as I just said, this is my thank-you gift.”

“But…” Fors was about to say something when Dorian interrupted him.

“Ms. Wall, don’t refuse. You’ve returned the Lemanor travel notes and brought back information about Anlisa and Lawrence. You deserve it.”

"Lemano's Travel Notes? Is that the notebook?" Fors asked curiously.

Although she knew that the notebook was a magical item corresponding to the Recorder, she was not clear about its functions.

After all, Arthas had only told her the name "Recorder" this morning.

"That's right, Lemanor's Travel Notes is actually a very powerful magical item. This doesn't mean that its power is so great, but rather that its negative effects are easily neutralized. Considering both aspects, it is very valuable."

"It allows you to record what you've witnessed as an extraordinary ability. This record is then fixed to a page in your notebook and preserved for a long time. You can use it whenever you need it, but remember, after each use, the corresponding page will become blank again, waiting for you to record it again," Dorian explained in detail.

Since Fors had already guessed the sequence corresponding to this magical item, yet was not blinded by greed, he naturally had no need to hide it.

"That's an amazing ability," Fors exclaimed sincerely.

Compared to the shepherd described by Little Sun, it's really hard to say who is stronger.

“Yes, so don’t refuse my gift of gratitude for your noble character, Ms. Wall,” Dorian said with a smile.

“Well… thank you for your generosity, Mr. Dorian.” Fors didn’t stand on ceremony anymore, after all, she really wanted the recipe.

Next, the two began to talk about knowledge related to the occult.

Since one person was willing to teach and the other was eager to learn, the meal was a very pleasant one for both host and guests.

……

Friday, Queen Backlund, Viscount Greenington House.

Inside the study, Grelint was examining the purplish-red crystal in his hand, an uncontrollable smile playing on his lips.

This is the "Crow Jellyfish Venom Crystal" that he bought at the extraordinary gathering hosted by Mr. A, accompanied by Hugh, Fors, and Audrey. It is one of the main ingredients for the Apothecary's potion.

The other main material—the horn of an adult Pegasus—was found by Audrey in the family treasury, and she obtained one under the guise of conducting a biological experiment.

Of course, it's not free.

In return, Grylint needs the help of several of Duke Negan's children to ascertain the condition of the dragon specimen in his vault.

Unfortunately, although it was a Thousand-Faced Hunter, there were no points of light within it.

That's why Klein turned to Sharon for help in finding information about the Thousand-Faced Hunter.

“Grelint, it seems you’ll soon be promoted to apothecary,” Audrey said with a reserved smile.

Two days ago, with the help of Mr. Fool, she passed the induction screening of the Psychological Alchemy Society and successfully joined this secretive and extraordinary organization, so she was in a pretty good mood.

“This is all thanks to your help.” Grylint put down the venom crystal in his hand, looked at the petite woman sitting next to him and asked with a smile, “By the way, Hugh, I heard that you seem to have made quite a name for yourself in the East District recently.”

"The security team is just doing small-scale operations, nothing special," Hugh said modestly.