Secrets: Priestess

Chapter 17 First Contact
If the person above is really a god, and if this suspected god senses the aura of other gods on her, he will definitely be repelled by her.

Of course, all this is just speculation.

Claire felt overwhelmed by her limited vision due to her low Sequence.

But this feeling of helplessness immediately turned into an urge to explore.

Just like when she chose the potion, in addition to various practical considerations, there was actually a very simple, emotional reason -

She likes the name "generalist".

"Is there no other way?" The blonde girl's tone sounded a little lost and unwilling.

Claire saw a bit of herself in it, the self who longed to embark on an extraordinary journey.

The Sequence 9 potion recipes in her hand include three types: "Generalist", "Assassin", and "Secret Peeper".

But she belongs to the Night Watch and needs to abide by the confidentiality regulations.

Moreover, based on her current understanding of each sequence, none of these three sequences are suitable for being pushed to others.

The "Comprehensive" is the foundation of the Church of Steam and Mechanicus. Leaking it into the wild would inevitably provoke those mechanical hearts keen on wielding firepower. The Temple offered her the option of "Comprehensive" potion, and the price of a holy relic as a disguise. The Goddess of Night must be plotting something behind this.

Before becoming a chess player, once you have entered the game, becoming a chess piece in the hands of the Goddess of Night may be an opportunity.

Moreover, without the holy relic "Sword of the Goddess", Claire was certain that drinking any potion would trigger the contamination of the Hidden Sage and turn her into an inhuman being.

From this perspective, the temple or the goddess extended her life.

Considering this, the "universalist" is not suitable for others. Moreover, she herself must not reveal the "universalist" potion formula.

As for the "Assassin", the characteristic of turning male into female when reaching Sequence 7 will almost cause psychological collapse of a large number of men who stray into this path.

So logically, this should be a sequence pathway suitable for women.

But considering that woman would rather try the "reincarnation technique" and pray to the evil god like the Hidden Sage, and start the assassin's path again in a male body... If you think about it carefully, men will be trapped by this path, but the hidden dangers of female assassins may be even greater!

As for the "secret peeper"...

Claire narrowed her eyes. The taint of the Hidden Sage sealed within her made her even more sensitive to its presence. She could already smell a strong hint of it from Old Neil, the "Secret Peer."

After becoming an Extraordinary, Claire rediscovered the meaning of what Sheen had said to her: "a group of pitiful creatures who are constantly fighting against danger and madness."

On this extraordinary road, every intersection is a choice between "madness" and "another madness".

Even many people who embark on extraordinary journeys without knowing the truth have no choice.

The person sitting at the top was still watching quietly, so the blue-haired man sitting opposite the girl spoke again:

"I have two Sequence 9 potion formulas."

"Really? Which two?" the blonde girl asked in surprise.

"The first one is 'Sailor'..." The blue-haired man introduced the advantages of this sequence, but did not say that this was the way for the Storm Church to master the complete sequence.

Those Mandated Punishers are all pretty grumpy dudes...

Just as Claire was about to warn him, the girl asked expectantly, "Sounds great... Is this the Storm Lord's 'Sea Blessed'?"

"In ancient times, it was indeed called 'Sea Devoted Ones'." The blue-haired man confirmed without deliberately concealing it.

The girl's family might know more about Beyonders than the Meazza family. Claire concluded this while listening to this conversation.

Based on this, it is likely that it is a noble family that ranks higher than the Meazza family in the kingdom.

There aren't many left...

Considering her blonde hair, tall figure, and girlish features, coupled with her exceptionally clear memory...

After sorting the names, Claire had only three candidates left in her mind.

The girl, unaware that Claire was guessing her identity, couldn't wait to ask, "What about the second copy? What's the second copy?"

"'Audience', this potion can give you outstanding spirit and keen observation..." The blue-haired man explained in detail his understanding of the 'Audience' potion.

Claire had gained all this knowledge from the information behind the Chanis Gate. This path seemed quite promising based on the description. At least it ranked lower on the Orthodox Church's wanted list.

After the blue-haired man finished introducing the "product," Claire, impressed by the girl's initial impression, spoke up: "Sequence 9 'Audience', Sequence 8 'Mind Reader', Sequence 7 'Psychologist'."

The concise words attracted everyone's attention.

Even the mysterious man at the head of the table turned to look over. This was also Claire's intention.

And she guessed that the blue-haired man, who was also a Beyonder, should have similar thoughts.

The man may have guessed that the mysterious man might be a god.

Unfortunately, this man hid his personal information very well, and it was impossible to find out his bottom line.

Claire continued, "This is a low-sequence path that lacks direct means of defeating the enemy. 'Spectator' observes the target and can provide covert guidance. 'Mind Reader' observations can penetrate into mysterious realms like the aura and etheric body. And Psychologist can directly influence the target, such as healing or disturbing their mind."

"Beautiful and knowledgeable lady, do you have these potion recipes?!"

As expected of a girl from an aristocratic family, she has such a sweet mouth.

Claire sighed inwardly and shook her head, saying, "I don't have the formulas for these potions. If you want to become a Beyonder, you still have to trade with this gentleman. I just happen to know these, so I'm sharing them for your understanding and reference."

"Thank you for your kindness."

After a brief pause, the blonde girl asked the blue-haired man, "Sir, how can I obtain the Audience formula? And what can I exchange with you for it?"

The man said calmly, "Ghost shark blood. At least 100 milliliters of ghost shark blood."

Is this... a request for 'materials'? While it's unclear what the materials are for, considering the two recipes on the other party—this material might be related to 'sailors'.

"I'll give you an address. Once I receive the ghost shark blood, I'll send you the formula, or tell you right here."

"I think with the testimony of this mysterious Excellency, both you and I can rest assured."

The two discussed the details of the transaction and both planned to bring in a mysterious person to witness the transaction.

"Sir, what shall we call you?"

Claire also looked up and heard a calm voice: "You can call me The Fool."

Regarding the two people's request, he said calmly: "It's a small matter."

The blonde girl stood up, lifted her skirt slightly, bent her knees and saluted.

The blue-haired man followed suit, placed his right hand on his chest, and bowed.

Seeing this, Claire fell silent. The seat was a little prickly at the moment...

Fortunately, Mr. Fool only used his right hand to let the two continue to refine the details of the transaction.

Claire heard some very specific words such as "Pelican Street in the White Rose District of Pritz Harbor", "Warrior and Sea Bar", "Williams", and "Captain".

The blonde girl, contrary to Claire's impression of her naiveté, chose to memorize the potion formula here during the next gathering.

The blonde girl took this opportunity to make another request to Mr. Fool: "Mr. Fool, would you mind trying this a few more times?"

"As long as the 'gatherings' become regular, if there are things that are inconvenient for you to attend, you can completely transfer them to us. Of course, it must be within our capabilities."

As the blue-haired man echoed his sentiments, the girl’s light and graceful words actually touched The Fool.

Mr. Fool smiled and said, “Every Monday at 3 p.m., try to be alone.”

Watching all this, Claire felt deeply moved. This noble lady maintained her innocence while also being intelligent enough.

Moreover, his negotiation ability is almost maxed out, and the other party might be a perfect match for the "audience" sequence.

As Claire was thinking this, the blonde girl, with the tacit approval of The Fool, even decided on her own codename:

"justice"!
Innocent, intelligent and with lofty ideals!
Claire was touched for the first time in a long time. This young and charming girl was truly...

Inexplicably, Claire thought of the title of one of the three girls she had guessed:

"Backlund's most dazzling gem."

Inspired by the girl, the blue-haired man also chose his own code name from the twenty-two main cards of the Tarot deck: "The Hanged Man".

Facing the gazes of the others, Claire thought briefly and made her choice:

"You can call me..."

"'Priestess'."

(End of this chapter)