Chapter 25 – "What do you want to buy? Potions?"
"It’s not goods, it’s information."
Patestrophy straightened her disheveled gown and stood up. She was tall, similar to Charles. She seemed to be around 180 cm tall.
"Hehe. Information? I like trading that kind of thing. Shall we talk at my workshop? You just need to go through that door."
"Sure."
The workshop appeared when they opened the door. There were beakers for strange chemical experiments and glass bottles containing unknown materials. The floor was covered with a plush carpet made of peacock feathers.
"Take off your shoes when you come in."
Patestrophy was already barefoot. As Charles took off his shoes, she faintly smiled and said, "You follow instructions well. I like polite people."
“…”
Charles closely observed the alchemist. She was not ordinary. If everyone has something necessary to protect, Patestrophy didn’t seem to have such restraints. This was the result of his ‘observation.’
‘She likes money. She has no discomfort regarding pleasure and luxury. You can tell from the luxurious carpet trampled on the floor. She enjoys it to some extent. And she shows a slight contempt for ignorant people. The way she looks at the women lying next to her earlier.’
The note seen in Vince’s basement warned against the alchemist. It advised not to show any weaknesses.
‘Vince was a minion of the Fragment Salvation Society. If Vince’s master saw her as an enemy, she likely wasn’t friendly with the society. However, since they trade goods, they probably take neutral positions. There’s no need to antagonize the alchemist immediately unless proven otherwise.’
"So, what do you want?" asked Patestrophy.
"Information about the owner of this medal I have."
Patestrophy looked back at Charles and laughed puzzlingly. That smile was very alluring.
“Didn’t the customer already have the medal? Did you rob it, by any chance?”
“Yes. Well, I picked it up.”
"I thought such cases might happen, but I didn’t know someone would actually lose it. This is the first time."
Patestrophy said with interest. "I don’t know exactly who owns the medal. I just treat the person who has it as a customer. If you had come here empty-handed, you might have been hit at the entrance or met some bad end."
“Did someone scatter it randomly?”
“That medal was made in a special way, known to few and given to specific people. My spiritual power is imbued in it, so I can sense it just by having it nearby.”
"Who are these specific people you’re talking about?”
Patestrophy took out a shisha instead of a pipe this time and started smoking. Apparently, she was a habitual smoker.
"You speak shortly, don’t you? Isn’t it obvious? Wild spiritualists like us need places to gather and trade. It’s dangerous if identities are exposed, right?"
Wild spiritualists are those who practice esoteric arts alone without belonging anywhere. These wild spiritualists often band together due to their limited abilities and form communities.
In such gatherings, they exchange mystical materials and share information. Charles understood it was such a group and spoke.
"So, there’s a meeting of wild spiritualists."
"Right. The medal was distributed to people at the spiritualist meetings. They qualify to trade with me just like you, customer. Interested?"
Charles nodded. He had no such networks among his connections. If there were a place like this, he could trade for goods and information not available at auctions.
"Of course. It sounds like a club for spiritualists."
"Well, it’s similar. But unlike other clubs, there’s a reason to keep secrets. As you know, we’re not treated well."
People of the secret world have some connections with the physical world but cannot appear openly. The reason is simple: the influence of the Light Church and the side effects of spirituality.
Spirituality grants great power but isn’t omnipotent. Too much exposure to it breaks one’s sanity, turning them into lunatics.
Moreover, spirituality, uncontrolled, often turns its practitioners into monsters, easily influenced by otherworldly realms. They are like walking bombs.
Hence, the Light Church dispatches paladins to capture and imprison wild spiritualists. Even though the Light Church’s influence has waned according to the settings, it still exerts strong power in the physical world.
"Hmm. I’ll write you a letter of introduction. There you might find out who the medal’s owner is."
"The price?"
"Hehe. How about spending a night with me?"
What? Charles was speechless for a moment.
"Sorry, but I refuse."
She was indeed a stunning beauty with a slim figure, but Charles knew how dangerous an alchemist could be. He had no intention of being vulnerable to someone dealing with drugs.
‘I don’t want to meet with a disaster while asleep.’
Charles told her to propose another condition. Hearing that, Patestrophy scratched her forehead with the tip of her cigarette.
“Hmm. But writing a recommendation isn’t difficult, is it? Okay then, come buy a lot of stuff later. Gaining customer goodwill is also part of business.”
"Alright. I’ll repay the debt later with goods."
"You’re prickly. But I like that, too."
Patestrophy handed over the recommendation, and Charles turned and left without looking back. Watching him, she felt somewhat unpleasantly familiar.
“Where have I felt this feeling before?”
At that moment, someone emerged from a bookshelf behind Patestrophy’s lab. It wasn’t a door but a bookshelf because it hid a secret space.
“Do you know who that man who just left is, Celine?”
“No, it’s my first time seeing him. At least he hasn’t been to my shop.”
The woman called Celine had bright blonde hair and blue eyes. The reason she emerged from the secret space was that she was Patestrophy’s ‘associate.’
“Hmm. Really? So you know everyone who comes to the shop?”
“Of course. There isn’t anyone I don’t remember.”
Celine, in her alluring dress, was the madam of the ‘Jack & Celine’ bar. Although labeled a bar, it traded prostitutes like Patestrophy’s place.
During the day, she worked as a pimp but had a different role at night.
“Wow. Witches have good memories.”
“You’re losing memory because you use too much dope. How about quitting smoking?”
“Nah. How could I quit something this good?”
Patestrophy chuckled and suddenly asked, "By the way, what happened to the guy you were working on?"
“Oh, that detective named Louis? I managed to take him down.”
“And?”
Celine recalled her memories. She didn’t immediately recognize the detective who came to the bar. If Patestrophy hadn’t hinted, she’d have completely missed him. The Metropolitan Police Department was a powerful institution, and Celine decided to lure him in.
“But nothing’s been effective after that.”
“Why?”
“Seems he was caught by his wife.”
“Our Celine can’t win over a normal woman?”
“That’s not it.”
Celine was confident in her charm. Being a witch, alluring men was easy for her. She had been attractive enough to seduce men even before becoming a spiritualist.
“He wasn’t a spiritualist, and there were no magical tools around, but suddenly my allure didn’t work. As if he was enchanted by someone else.”
“Is there a woman around?”
“There shouldn’t be. I think he had contact with another spiritualist.”
Patestrophy exhaled a puff of smoke from her cigarette and said, “So, you lost?”
“No!”
Celine shouted with a distorted face.
-Why didn’t you sleep with that woman?
-Are you crazy? There was a weird madness in her eyes. It wouldn’t end well if I got too close to her.
-Hehe. If so, it’s fine.
Charles felt puzzled at Faginarecor’s subtle manner but just kept quiet. After finishing their conversation, Charles returned home. He decided to use the recommendation in his secret study to see if it was dangerous.
Charles prepared for the divination, placing the contact number written on luxurious paper in the center. He didn’t need any particular tools for this divination ability as it was a superpower in its own right, not requiring magical items or relics.
Divination is a cheating skill desired by spiritualists in this world. Though it can be blocked by counterpart spirituality or negated through special methods, it provides information in an unusual way.
‘If there was an evil god, I could use their power for more detailed divination, but I have to rely on my spirituality. It’s rather difficult.’
Charles decided to use candles for his divination. He had some votive candles at home, so bringing one to the study wasn’t a big deal.
Sitting among three candles, he focused his mind. When you look at bright light and close your eyes, an afterimage remains. This afterimage fades after the light disappears but stays for a while.
Charles maximized this afterimage for divination. He focused on the candles, then closed his eyes.
He saw a dark black background. In front of it was a glowing light. Charles’s spirituality shone brightly, urging him to ask his question.
‘Would I be in danger if I went to the place this recommendation indicates?’
He asked internally. The afterimage from the candlelight began to move. It formed an ‘O.’ Though it would be better to get more details, it seemed unwise to go to this place.
When Charles opened his eyes, he thought that his spirituality could only provide divination of this level. Then he suddenly thought of the Imaginary World. Wouldn’t it be possible to perform divination there using the power of the Silent One?
With the Silent One’s power, he could break through most divination barriers.
“Ah, but can I take items into the Imaginary World?”
Charles decided to try. Clutching the recommendation, he entered the Imaginary World, strongly willing to bring the item. Arriving there, he found the recommendation still in his hand.
‘Success!’
This was a remarkable achievement. Charles believed that objects brought into the Imaginary World would disappear from reality. This means dangerous items, guns, or rifles could be brought there.
‘It can also serve as a type of inventory.’
It felt like regaining the inventory function from games lost in reality. Putting aside his happiness, it was time to do the next task.
Charles returned to reality, fetched the candles, and continued the divination. The afterimage grew as he asked the same question.
‘Would I be in danger if I went to the place this recommendation indicates?’
This time, instead of showing ‘O’ or ‘X,’ the afterimage’s flame began to grow rapidly.
