"I thank The Fool for providing me with breakfast." After tapping four points on his chest to draw the pattern of an inverted cross, Snow finished his prayer to Mr. Fool and began to enjoy his meal.
Poking the half-cooked yolk with a fork, letting the rich liquid flow out to mix with the sauce and spread over the bread, Snow savored the soft texture while playing with "Made in Heaven." Compared to the previous day, the small figure on the artifact had lost some of its masculine muscle definition, and its facial features had softened considerably. However, the most striking feature was its eerie, pitch-black eyes.
This transformation occurred after he had fed the Marionettist mystical item, which he had seized from Bakerland, to the artifact. Unlike his initial assumption, "Made in Heaven" wasn't essentially a single mystical item; its abilities were divided into two parts.
The anti-divination and spirit-flesh blade belonged to the item itself, while the "grazing" came from the evil spirit residing within it. While its high level allowed it to graze Beyonder characteristics directly,and even crush Sealed Artifacts,it wasn't like a "Shepherd" who could conveniently switch between abilities.
The capacity was more akin to the evil spirit "accommodating" things. Due to the uniqueness of the Hanged Man pathway, it could accommodate most Beyonder characteristics. In return, even though it currently held characteristics for Hunter 9-6, Seer 9-5, and Lawyer 9-6,a total of thirteen characteristics,it could only use the abilities of a Marionettist.
In other words, it could only use the highest Sequence among the accommodated characteristics. It wasn't even compatible with the lower Sequences of the same pathway. If he wanted to switch, he had to have it spit out the characteristics of a higher level first.
This wasn't a major issue for Snow. For him, having the Beyonder characteristic meant he could use the corresponding ability. Beyond the True Creator's evil spirit, the artifact's greatest value to him was its role as a "nutcracker" for crushing mystical items.
'I wonder if Klein has finished off Rosago yet.' Snow gently stroked the pink vertical eye at the center of the artifact. A pitch-black eyeball was coughed out by the small figure. If Klein hadn't killed Rosago yet, he would have to use "God's Profanity" to pollute this characteristic and then sacrifice it to The Fool.
It wasn't that he was being a babysitter; it was just that without the "The World" persona, he had no way to trade with Mr. Fool!
'Thinking about it, I seem to have quite a few Beyonder characteristics on hand...' Snow sighed. He had the full sets for the lower Sequences of Hunter, Seer, and Lawyer. Through divination, he could obtain the corresponding formulas. This meant that aside from the Marionettist characteristic he was saving for Klein, he could train three Sequence 6 Beyonders.
But he had no intention of doing so.
Quickly finishing his breakfast, he inserted the artifact into a specially carved notch next to his phonograph, allowing the evil spirit to enjoy the music while hanging upside down. Despite the spirit's somewhat prideful protests, he walked out of his house.
...
In Hillston District, Snow, dressed in formal attire, arrived at a relatively small bookstore. Seeing a clerk engrossed in a copy of "Collected Poems of Roselle," he spoke while his lips twitched slightly.
"Hello. Do you have a copy of 'After the Dawn' published in 1314?"
The librarian put down his book. Behind his thick lenses, his eyes flickered. He thought for a moment before speaking slowly. "Wait a moment, please."
"Thank you." Snow watched as the clerk expertly navigated to a shelf and pulled down a large, leather-bound volume.
"Three soli, please."
Snow's eyes twitched. He thought that it was lucky he was the one here. If it were Klein, the man would have probably died of heartache.
Paying the bill, he watched the clerk flip to the last page and stamp it. With the stamped book in hand, he navigated several turns before entering a modest library.
"Sir, you cannot bring outside books inside, but I can temporarily hold it for you." A sweet-smiling literature student stopped him, pointing to a sign by the door. Snow nodded and handed over the heavy volume, which could easily serve as a mace if attached to a chain. In return, he received a numbered tab.
Sensing the unique scent of the library, Snow made his way to the second floor. He pulled a random book from a shelf and found a seat against a wall. About ten minutes later, a young man who looked to be in his twenties walked over with a book and sat down with his back to Snow. Although they didn't exchange glances, a faint whisper entered Snow's ears as the man sat.
"Sir, how can I help you?"
"I need an Artisan Beyonder characteristic. A main ingredient for the potion or a corresponding mystical item would also work." Snow didn't waste any time.
The voice paused for a moment. "Are there any specific ability requirements for the item?"
"As long as it belongs to the Artisan pathway,or rather, contains an Artisan characteristic,it's fine." Snow didn't lower his voice. Under the power of Relativist, only the young man behind him could understand his intent.
"There are two Sealed Artifacts of the Artisan pathway available. One has the ability to repair any pure mechanical creation, but the side effect is that the user's body will slowly become mechanized,joints turning into bearings, muscles into hydraulic rods. The price is 5000 pounds. The other is a sketchbook of blueprints. Every time it's opened, a different mechanical blueprint appears. Even for those not on the Savant pathway, they can follow the blueprints to create machinery at an expert level. However, a single glance at a blueprint will impact one's mind, forcing them to study without rest until they starve to death, die of exhaustion, or learn at least one blueprint. The price is 7000 pounds."
The young man quickly listed the performance and prices. Snow didn't hesitate. "The first one will do. Do you accept checks?"
"Of course." The young man replied decisively, then added, "You enjoy the highest level of treatment. If you don't have cash, you can choose to pay in installments. Alternatively, we accept bank transfers under the guise of direct donations to the library."
"That won't be necessary." Snow shook his head. He pulled out his checkbook, quickly signed a series of numbers, and left it casually on the table while he continued reading his book.
About half an hour later, Snow stood up. The young man and the check had vanished. He returned the book to its shelf and walked downstairs. As he reached the exit, the sweet-smiling girl from before approached him, holding out the book.
"Sir, your book."
"Thank you." Snow returned the tab and left the library with the heavy volume worth 5000 pounds and three soli. He weighed it in his hand; indeed, it carried the weight that money should.
When Bakerland attended the ball, he had always carried that Marionettist item. Therefore, its side effects should be very low,or nonexistent when not in use. This suggested it was a mystical item crafted directly from a Marionettist characteristic, rather than a Sealed Artifact left behind after a loss of control.
[Translated and Rewritten by Shika_Kagura]
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Sorry for the late chapter, im editting all the error i can spot, anyway bonus 1 chapter across all the fics i translated, also if u found an error i skipped, please do tell, ill fix it asap or next week!