Quevedo frowned at Erich's words, then quickly realized something, "Oh! Right! I forgot, our Beyonder gatherings also sell potion formulas. I remember one called 'Sleepless' and another called 'Sailor'. If you prefer those, then you could come with me to the next gathering Karl..."
Erich, unfazed by his own oversight, added coolly, "Quevedo, you know as well as I do that without strong guarantees, the formulas sold at those gatherings might be fakes. If you drink a counterfeit potion, death would be the best outcome you could hope for. At least the formulas we're offering now won't harm him."
Quevedo smacked his forehead, "Ugh, you're right. I've only ever seen people buy those formulas... I've never heard of anyone actually succeeding. My bad..."
Florent chimed in, "Though for a real potion, once brewed, it should solidify into a cohesive mass, leaving nothing behind in the container. That could be one way to verify its authenticity."
Quevedo and Erich spoke in unison: "No."
Exchanging glances, Quevedo continued, "That alone isn't enough. If a fake formula also produces that effect, Karl would be walking into a trap. We can't take that risk. Besides, the three of us already have three different authentic formulas. That's plenty."
Florent realized his mistake. Though he knew many high-level secrets about potion sequences, he lacked practical knowledge of their rules... enough to make fatal errors...
Chagrined, he admitted, "You're right. I was being naive."
All three turned to Karl who had been silently weighing his options.
After considering their discussion, he understood his choice was now among three. Closing his eyes briefly, he made his decision.
Facing Erich, Karl bowed, "Mr. Erich, I'd like the 'Reader' potion formula. I believe it suits me best."
Erich simply nodded, then glanced at the other two, now superfluous.
Quevedo and Florent began heading for the door, though Quevedo grumbled under his breath, "Tch. Of course he picks Erich's Pathway just because they're close. Who wouldn't want 'Savant'? The entire 'Church of Steam and Machinery' would cheer for it! 'Reader' is so narrow... Karl, you're making a mistake..."
Had this been a tavern in the commoner district, the atmosphere might have turned jovial. But alas, they were outside a café's private room... no knockout punchline here.
Florent internally facepalmed at his friend's childish antics.
Oblivious to Florent's mental roasting (which would've shattered his ego), Quevedo was simply being his unfiltered self, a side he only showed to those he truly trusted.
People only revealed their vulnerabilities to those they considered kindred spirits...
Of course, Florent considered that Quevedo might just be a phenomenal actor, but he quickly discarded that train of thought... He refused to think so cynically.
Like autumn leaves drifting down, the brief silence was poignant yet fleeting. Soon, Karl opened the door, nodded at the two outside, and returned inside.
Quevedo had gone quiet after his initial muttering, a rarity that drew more attention than his usual chatter.
The sudden stillness felt unsettling to Florent, though he dismissed it as paranoia when Quevedo perked up again after Karl's nod.
Rejoining the others, Florent noted Karl's expression... no joy or excitement at gaining extraordinary power. Perhaps it was just his natural reserve.
Karl rang a bell to summon a waiter. After a whispered exchange, the room lapsed into silence.
Quevedo, ever the social savior, shouldered the burden of keeping the mood alive, "Karl, even if you didn't pick 'Savant', 'Reader' is still a great choice! Anyway, my point was that I want you all to join the extraordinary world like I did."
He launched into a rambling tale of his own Beyonder origins; how he'd stumbled into a dubious gathering, met a mysterious figure, and recklessly chugged a potion without proper preparation. Which, in hindsight, was incredibly dumb.
His self-deprecating anecdotes and exaggerated exploits i.e escaping the Church of Steam searches... Brawling with Beyonders of the Church of the 'Eternal Blazing Sun'... Even arm-wrestling dragons...
Though that somehow made the atmosphere between two stoics and a mild introvert almost... lively.
*Knock* *Knock* *Knock*
Then, a knock interrupted Quevedo's epic.
"Come in," Karl called.
Four waiters entered, each carrying a tray of unfamiliar items.
Without needing instruction, they arranged the objects on the table, bowed in unison, and filed out...