At the mention of Sunflowers and occult knowledge, the figure called Vodka shifted slightly before speaking:
"I only have one."
Graveyard, seated on the other side, followed up:
"I've got one as well."
"By the way—if you're not paying in gold pounds, what kind of knowledge are you offering in exchange?"
That question made Mozo hesitate.
Relying on his dream-world memories, he did possess a vast amount of rare and valuable occult knowledge. The problem was—his recollection was selective. What remained were mostly fragments: either extremely important or particularly interesting pieces.
Worse, most of it was… high-level.
For a gathering like this, he wasn't even sure these rogue supernatural practitioners could fully grasp what he knew.
Still, he needed Sunflowers. They were the core material for the Sequence 10 he had chosen. With them, he could not only become a Sequence 10 Beyonder, but also gain an ability perfectly suited to him.
There was no backing out now.
After a long pause—just as the two were starting to grow impatient—he finally said:
"How about… the next Sequence in your respective pathways?"
He had asked Audrey beforehand. Most rogue Beyonders, she said, were stuck precisely because they lacked knowledge of their own pathways.
This kind of information should be valuable to them.
Vodka glanced at Audrey before turning back to Mozo.
"Mr. Lucky… how do you know my pathway?"
"I'm afraid I can't disclose that. But—are you willing to make the trade?"
Vodka exchanged a few quiet words with Graveyard before standing up.
"Alright. Let's talk in the side room. Graveyard will go after me."
Inside the room, Vodka shut the door and took out a small box from beneath his robe.
He opened it.
Inside, resting in a glass container, was a crimson flower—stem, petals, and all.
A Sunflower.
"Alright, Mr. Lucky," Vodka said. "I've shown you mine. Your turn."
Mozo carefully examined it, confirming it matched his memory.
"First, I need to know your pathway and current Sequence."
Vodka's tone sharpened immediately.
"You don't know my pathway? Do you understand what you're asking?"
For a Beyonder, pathway and Sequence were among their most guarded secrets—especially for rogues.
"Of course," Mozo replied calmly. "That's why I'll put down a deposit—one hundred gold pounds. If I can't provide your next Sequence, you keep the money."
Vodka lifted the box slightly, muttering:
"For a hundred gold pounds… you could've just bought it outright."
That made Mozo realize—his offer might've been a bit too generous.
Still, it didn't matter. To him, low-level occult knowledge was practically worthless compared to what he knew.
"I'm Sequence 7 of the Puppet Pathway. A Puppeteer."
So it was him.
Mozo immediately replied:
"In that case, your next Sequence is Puppet Master."
Mentioning that pathway made Mozo think of its Sequence 0 deity—and he couldn't help twitching at the memory.
Honestly, it wasn't his fault.
Who would expect a true god to hide among puppets… and somehow end up being sold?
Ever since, Mozo had developed a mild aversion to puppets.
(Not that he could afford them anyway.)
"I already know the name," Vodka said flatly. "You understand that's not what I'm asking for."
"Of course."
"The potion requires vampire fangs, the heart of a Molodo lizard, and the blood of a banshee."
"As for the ritual—become the greatest puppet craftsman in a major city, then drink the potion amidst widespread acclaim."
Vodka fell silent, comparing it to what he already knew.
After a while, he sighed.
"That ritual is… difficult. Is there another way? I've heard Sequence 6 doesn't strictly require rituals."
"That's true, but—"
Below Sequence 5, rituals weren't strictly necessary. With just the potion, advancement was possible—though the success rate dropped significantly.
Over time, people had developed enhanced potion formulas to compensate.
At a cost.
A very steep one.
Mozo knew the enhanced formula.
But he wasn't about to give it away for free.
He simply rubbed his fingers together.
Vodka shrugged, handed over the Sunflower—and produced another one hundred and fifty gold pounds.
"Deal?"
Mozo accepted both, satisfied.
"For the enhanced version, you'll also need a Moonflower, another Sunflower, and powdered skull of a Goblin Hero."
Vodka nodded at first.
Then froze.
"…A Goblin Hero? Can't that be replaced?"
"If you can find a Goblin King, that's even better."
"…That's worse."
Vodka left, visibly frustrated.
Mozo understood why.
In his dream-world memories, there had been multiple large-scale goblin purges during the eras of the Sun King and Cromwell.
These creatures were… unpleasant, to say the least.
Now?
Finding even a single goblin would be difficult—let alone a Hero.
Soon, Graveyard entered.
Seeing the Sunflower in Mozo's hand, he whistled.
"I thought negotiations failed, judging by Vodka's face. Guess his advancement hit a snag."
"That's good news for me."
He produced his own Sunflower—this one still potted.
Mozo had no idea where he'd been hiding it.
But fresh was better.
After repeating the same process, Mozo successfully traded with Graveyard as well.
Back in the main hall, silence returned.
White Dove glanced around, then collected fifty gold pounds from each participant before declaring the gathering over.
Mozo and Audrey were asked to leave first.
Afterward, Mozo asked Audrey if he could borrow her alchemy workshop.
To his surprise, she took him straight to the university's alchemy lab.
Cromwell University had no curfew, but the alchemy building was locked at night due to valuable materials.
To Mozo, though, it was more like a storage of radioactive and toxic substances.
Still, Audrey skillfully picked the lock with a hairpin.
Inside, the lab was clean—just equipment, no dangerous materials.
Audrey patted a distiller proudly.
"I used to buy my own equipment—expensive and low-quality. So I switched to this. Turns out, state-owned stuff really is better."
Mozo sighed.
"Miss Hepburn."
"Just call me Audrey."
"…Audrey. If your admirers saw this, their illusions would shatter."
She grinned.
"That's fine. If I get caught, I'll just say you forced me."
"…You're unbelievable."
Ignoring her, Mozo began extracting and concentrating the Sunflower essence.
As expected, the liquid turned red—and under light, shimmered with gold.
A genuine Sequence potion.
The next day, Mozo consulted a professor and obtained detailed maps of the Old District and its sewer system.
His Sequence 10 required not only the potion—but also an ancient ruin for the ritual.
An elven ruin was perfect.
That night, he began his infiltration.
Audrey's warning about official Beyonders lingered—but if his memories were correct, it wouldn't be an issue.
And if they weren't?
He'd simply turn back.
At the same time, deep within the sewers of Hawk Street—
A group in trench coats stood before a breach.
"Captain," one reported, "this is a layered structure. The outer layer is a Cromwell-era ruin, built over an older elven site."
"Likely a noble discovered it back then but was executed before exploiting it. The site remained buried ever since."
The captain nodded—then added quietly:
"…Best not speak ill of that duke anymore."