"So... the poison within mystical knowledge has a tempting allure, and some societies use it to corrupt others?"
Inside the library, Dorothy summarized Aldrich’s earlier statements and posed her question. Aldrich nodded slowly and replied.
"Exactly. The cognitive poison within mystical knowledge can trigger a craving for the associated mysticism. When controlled and administered in small doses, knowledges infused with such poison can function similarly to drugs, stirring people’s desire and reverence for the corresponding mysticism. Many societies employ this tactic to corrupt others.”
"For instance, if an ordinary person is lightly influenced by the toxicity of a ’Chalice’ knowledge, they will develop a profound curiosity about the ’Chalice’ and wish to learn more. As they consume more of the ’Chalice’s poison, this curiosity morphs into reverence. Their ability to think critically deteriorates, and their psyche and character become warped, making them easier to control. Some societies use this method to cultivate fanatics—followers so devout they would sacrifice themselves for the society."
After speaking, Aldrich leisurely sipped tea from the cup on his desk. Meanwhile, Dorothy reflected on his explanation.
"Small doses of poison can ignite curiosity and reverence for mysticism in ordinary people, mentally breaking them down to the point where they become controllable zealots... Those coachmen who risked their lives that day were probably trained like this."
Considering this, Dorothy recognized the dangers of corruption. She then continued to inquire.
"Is there any way to guard against corruption?"
Aldrich finished his tea and, without a change in expression, uttered the familiar price.
"Ten pounds..."Hearing this, Dorothy hurriedly opened her wallet to retrieve the payment. After rummaging for a while, however, her brow furrowed deeply.
"Damn... I’m broke..."
Looking at the pitiful six pounds left in her wallet, Dorothy couldn’t help but curse inwardly. In such a short span, she’d spent 60 pounds on just a few pieces of information, reducing her finances to poverty.
"Ha ha... Miss Mayschoss, it seems you’re in a bit of financial difficulty. In that case, perhaps you should save further questions for another time," Aldrich chuckled, noting Dorothy’s expression. She snapped her wallet shut with a disgruntled look and returned it to her pocket.
"Sigh... I’ll have to figure out a side hustle soon. Mysticism is a money pit, ” Dorothy lamented internally.
Seeing that Dorothy had run out of funds, Aldrich stood up and prepared to leave. But just then, Dorothy suddenly asked him another question.
"By the way, sir, do you know any specific information about the Crimson Eucharist?"
Dorothy figured if Aldrich sold knowledge, perhaps she could directly purchase intelligence about the Crimson Eucharist and save herself a lot of effort.
Hearing her question, Aldrich hesitated momentarily. Then he slowly turned back to face her.
"The Crimson Eucharist, huh... Of course, I know plenty about them—more than the Serenity Bureau could ever hope to. But if you’re planning to buy information about the Eucharist from me, then I’m afraid I’ll have to decline. According to the rules, once someone does business with us, they become a client. And no matter how much money is offered, we won’t sell our clients’ information."
Aldrich continued smiling as he spoke, while Dorothy pressed on.
"You’ve mentioned before that you dislike the Crimson Eucharist. So, you’d still do business with them?"
"Ha ha... Miss Mayschoss, as I’ve told you before, by the rules of the Craftsmen’s Guild, we must always remain neutral, never taking sides. Refusing a transaction is, in itself, a form of stance-taking. So, even though I personally dislike the Crimson Eucharist, the guild’s rules take precedence over my personal feelings. Thus, I cannot refuse their transactions."
Aldrich explained further. Dorothy smiled wryly at his response.
"Rules, huh... It seems the ’Stone’ societies are quite fixated on their rules. No wonder some people say you’re stubborn," she remarked, recalling that the Serenity Bureau’s reports described Grayhill as inflexible.
"Indeed, we are. After all, ’Stone,’ in its conceptual essence, embodies rules, contracts, and trade. As a society of ’Stone,’ we naturally uphold the characteristics of ’Stone.’"
"Well then, Miss Mayschoss, farewell. I have other areas to tidy up."
With that, Aldrich picked up his feather duster and left the library. For a moment, the quiet room was occupied only by Dorothy, who sat at the desk deep in thought.
"’Stone’s’ nature... While it can be frustrating, it also feels reassuring," Dorothy mused.
Aldrich’s refusal to sell information about the Crimson Eucharist didn’t disappoint Dorothy. Instead, it put her mind at ease. If Aldrich truly adhered to his claimed rules—valuing them above all else—it was the best-case scenario for her.
After all, if Aldrich could sell out the Crimson Eucharist for money, he could just as easily sell her out for the same reason. Loyalty bought with money would always crumble under the weight of greater offers.
And besides, Dorothy herself was currently broke—what leverage did she have for a "money offensive"?
Organizing her thoughts, Dorothy turned her attention to the envelope on the desk before her. She had spent 40 pounds on divination techniques. Now, she was considering using them to discern the Crimson Eucharist’s movements.
Opening the envelope, she pulled out the paper and scanned its contents. Instantly, she was faced with a dilemma.
Her money hadn’t been wasted—Aldrich had written down various simple divination methods, including coin divination, tea leaf reading, pendulum divination, and staff divination. The methods themselves were straightforward, but they all required specific tools.
No matter the form of divination, ‘Lantern’ and ‘Revelation’ were essential spiritual elements. While Dorothy had plenty of ‘Revelation,’ she had none of the ‘Lantern’ needed.
She had no idea where to obtain ‘Lantern’ knowledges or items. If she were to ask Aldrich, it would undoubtedly come with a hefty price tag—likely in the hundreds of pounds.
"Sigh... You only realize how little money you have when you need it," Dorothy sighed, clutching her thin wallet.
Her only option now was to hope for a freebie in the Dreamscape. She had been venturing into the Dreamscape every few days but, apart from her initial encounter with the fox and the mystical knowledge it had given her, she’d returned empty-handed every time.
"I need to figure out a way... either to obtain spiritual resources or to catch those people without relying on divination," Dorothy muttered as she organized her intelligence and strategized her next steps.