Mystery: The Traveler Who Holds the Star Key

"General Tracy, who is suffering from illness?"

Audrey repeated the name softly, her emerald eyes filled with curiosity.

For a noblewoman who was part of the social circles of Backlund.

The pirate general on the high seas is like the villain in a chivalric romance novel—distant and alluringly dangerous.

"Yes."

Alger nodded slightly, his tone grave:

"She absorbed the remnants of Zilingus's forces with cruel and insidious methods. Her arrival disrupted the original balance."

"In order to redefine spheres of influence, this pirate extravaganza held in the Sunia Sea will likely attract the forces behind the 'Four Kings and Seven Generals'... and even the Morse Penitentiary."

When Alger mentioned the storm-ravaged sea, a rare solemnity, typical of a sailor, appeared in his eyes.

That was awe for that merciless, vast ocean.

however.

Mr. "The Tower" sitting opposite him was completely lost in thought at that moment.

The sea?

free?

Romance for men?

Orion rolled his eyes inwardly.

He tilted his head slightly, his gaze seemingly piercing through the gray fog, looking at that non-existent, illusory ocean.

For a current Sequence 8 [Master of Tricks]

The ocean signifies only two things:

First, there is not a single safe, absolutely still piece of land there.

For a player like him who always wants to take control of his own life, this is a "survivalist" type.

The feeling of uncertainty that your feet might crack at any moment is a nightmare.

Secondly, and most importantly...

He gets seasick.

Yes, seasickness.

This is probably the greatest shame for a future "great traveler".

Just thinking about that shaking sensation, like being thrown into a washing machine.

Orion's stomach began to convulse, the nausea even more intense than the stench of a sewer.

People always prefer to stay in their comfort zone.

Orion withdrew his gaze, admitting to himself without any psychological burden that he had followed his heart:

"No one will be able to trick me onto the ship until I become a Sequence 6 'Record Officer,' or even a 'Traveler' with mastery over long distances!"

"Even if there were mountains of gold and silver there, I wouldn't go."

"After all, fighting while vomiting... that's just too undignified."

I forcibly suppressed the urge to vomit that I had imagined.

Orion adjusted his posture and tapped his fingers lightly on the table.

The topic was steered from "situation popularization" back to "business transactions".

"Chaos is a good thing, Mr. Hanged Man."

His voice was steady, without a trace of seasickness or weakness:

"This level of chaos signifies a top-tier market."

It seems they were drawn in by the term "top market".

Alger paused for two seconds, then proactively offered his chips:

"In that case, I'm quite confident that I can collect all the items you commissioned last time—'Meteorite Crystal' and 'Lava Octopus Blood Crystal'—at this grand event."

"No, only the latter is needed."

Orion tapped the table lightly, correcting him in a relaxed tone:

"I've got the meteorite crystal sorted out."

Through his monocle, he swiftly redefined the pricing in a shrewd and efficient business tone:

"Bring me the 'Blood Crystal of the Lava Octopus' and I'll give you the recipe for Sequence 6 'Wind-Cherisher'."

"Of course, a Sequence 7 material is not as valuable as a Sequence 6 recipe."

"Put the remaining price difference on your tab. I'll allow you to pay in installments."

"make a deal."

Alger agreed without the slightest hesitation.

For him, who urgently needed to improve his skills.

You can get the recipe you've been dreaming of ahead of time by paying in installments.

This is absolutely the best thing I could ask for.

Look at this high-end transaction, finalized in just a few words, and even allowing for "buying on credit".

Audrey, who had been listening in the background, now had a deep question.

Looking at Alger's tense and meticulous manner, scrutinizing every ingredient and recipe, she couldn't help but ask:

"Mr. Hanged Man, I have a question."

"Why is the trade of potion recipes so rare among extraordinary individuals?"

"Or rather... why is everyone hesitant to buy?"

In her opinion, as long as you have money, isn't it a matter of course to buy a recipe?

She obtained the recipes too easily at the Tarot meetings, whether from Mr. Fool or Mr. Tower.

It's as easy as buying a new seasonal dress at a department store.

A brief silence fell over the long table upon hearing this question.

Alger glanced at the aloof noblewoman, a mocking and bitter smile playing on his lips:

"Miss Justice"

"Because potion recipes are very easy to fake."

"No one dares to gamble with their own life."

"Could it be that you can gather two sets of extraordinary ingredients and then test it on an animal first?"

"No one can afford that cost."

"..." Audrey's expression froze for a moment.

Her mind instantly conjured up the image of her golden retriever, Susie.

Hmm... it seems like it drank too much magic potion...

A feeling called "guilt" began to bubble up in her heart.

"Moreover, the cost will be even greater than that."

Alger, seemingly to shatter the young lady's naive illusions, continued seriously:

"Animals are often more likely to lose control than humans after ingesting the potion."

"You'll need to hire a few more extraordinary individuals to protect yourself, lest you lose your life halfway through the experiment."

"..." Audrey felt even more guilty.

She realized that Susie hadn't lost control, and lately her eyes were becoming more and more human-like...

So... it was such a dangerous thing?

Did I just walk my dog ​​around on the verge of death?

puff.

A very soft, barely suppressed laugh came from the other side.

Looking through his monocle at Audrey's expression, which resembled that of a primary school student who had done something wrong, Orion almost lost his composure and maintained his aloof demeanor.

He knew perfectly well what this young lady was feeling guilty about.

Susie.

That golden retriever that will become a "psychologist" in the future.

Watching Alger earnestly explain the "extraordinary cruel iron law".

Then look at Audrey, who has the expression of "I accidentally broke the ironclad rule and succeeded."

Orion found the whole scene utterly absurd and laughable.

Some people do everything they can just to survive.

Someone fed a dog, and it produced an extraordinary one.

This is the diversity of the world.

"Mr. Tower?" Audrey looked over in a bit of a panic, thinking that her thoughts had been seen through.

"It's nothing, Miss Justice."

Orion suppressed the hint of amusement in his eyes and spoke lazily:

"Stop wearing that 'I did something wrong' look."

"It looks like something that's hard to digest."

He held up one finger and pointed at Alger across from him:

"Mr. Hanged Man was referring to the rules for the 'normal passage'."

"That's for those who struggle and persevere on that thorny path."

Then he pointed to Audrey:

"And you..."

"You purchased the 'VIP Fastpass'."

"That's fair."

"In this world, 'luck' and 'gold' are themselves a form of power."

He leaned back and gave his conclusion:

"As long as the result is good, it doesn't matter how outrageous the process is."

Even if your "experimental subject" is a dog...

"That was also a dog with gold trim."

Although these words were meant to comfort her, Audrey felt that something was off about them.

It's like saying: Since you're a pay-to-win player, don't sympathize with the hard work of those who grind; just enjoy your VIP service.

Although it hurts, it does seem to have comforted me?