Chapter 128: The Impoverished Fool
Translator: AtlasStudios Editor: AtlasStudios
After eating lunch, Klein only rested for half an hour before he rushed to the Shooting Club to practice with his revolver. He didn't dare to relax, not one bit.
After practicing his shooting skills day after day and expending more than a thousand bullets, he was finally shooting well enough to earn Dunn Smith's basic approval. He was pretty good at fixed-target shooting.
After practicing for a while, he put away his revolver and took the public carriage to a stop close to the house of his combat teacher, Gawain. Then, he walked for ten minutes before arriving at the door.
He changed into his knight training suit that had been left to dry in the sun. After running, skipping rope, lifting weights, squatting, and other exercises, not to mention footwork and punching training, he was covered in sweat and felt exhausted.
"Take a break for fifteen minutes." Gawain's blond white hair and deep facial lines made him look hard and stern. He took out his pocket watch and flipped it open to glance at the time.
Since they first began training, he had ultimately maintained his silence. He only spoke to Klein when there was a need to switch training methods or to correct one of Klein's mistakes whenever one arose.
Klein panted for air, but he didn't dare to rest straightaway. He paced back and forth slowly. The most direct feedback of his combat training was that he was much tanner. His skin had turned bronze under the sun.
Gawain put away his pocket watch and stood next to the crude training field behind his house. He crossed his arms as he watched Klein cool down. He was as quiet as a marble statue.
"Teacher, besides fighting with fists, would you teach me how to use a straight sword, broadsword, rapier, and spear?" Klein asked proactively. He was in a good mood, as he had just digested the Seer potion.
He had seen weapons like the straight sword and rapier in Gawain's collection room before. There was also chest armor and full body armor. He knew that Gawain wasn't only good at fighting hand-to-hand.
Bathed in sunlight, Gawain swept his gaze at Klein. He lowered his voice and replied, "It's useless for you to learn any of those. Those weapons have all fallen behind the times, and their only place is in museums or the private collections of collectors…"
He fell silent for a few seconds before adding with a voice that had experienced the vicissitudes of life, "They have been eliminated… You should focus on guns. Even combat is merely supplementary."
Klein looked at his listless teacher and chuckled as he spoke.
"I don't think so."
"Every minister, every Member of Parliament, every general, everyone of them thinks so," Gawain said, clenching his teeth.
Klein stopped and acted like he was a true keyboard warrior. He responded with ease and fluency, "No, they have merely retreated from the front lines of a battlefield. They still have their uses elsewhere.
"Why does combat have to be used against firearms? They could be used together. I believe a person who is more flexible, swifter in action, and quicker in response could use guns in a more effective manner."
When he saw Gawain's eyes suddenly sharpen, Klein turned smug and continued, "The other weapons aren't eliminated either. They only need some enhancement to be more portable…"
"… We could form a squad with high maneuverability. A group that's designed to circle the front lines and launch an attack from behind the enemy and fight right to their core. In such a small-scale surprise attack, a warrior who has outstanding hand-to-hand abilities and familiarity with various kinds of weapons could play an important role. You can imagine such a scene…"
Klein gave full play to his ability of knowing a bit of everything. He mixed and matched all the combat tactics the special forces on Earth had and described them to his teacher.
He wasn't sure when Gawain's breathing became heavier. He stood there without moving an inch, seemingly unwilling to break the scenes he imagined.
Klein stole a glance at the man's reaction. He felt smug in his head as he cleared his throat and said in a restrained manner, "Teacher, what do you think about my plan? Is there any possibility of realizing it?"
Gawain's body quivered as though he just awoken from a dream. He looked deeply into Klein's eyes and said, "Your break is doing you well. Repeat the whole set of exercises ten times."
Huh? Klein looked lost.
Very soon, he started running and snapped back to reality. He roared in his heart, Ten sets? Teacher, no!
I don't want to celebrate my complete digestion of the Seer potion like this!
Hey, didn't you gain any inspiration at all? …
Looking at Klein running towards the other side of the training field, Gawain suddenly uncrossed his arms and covered his face with one hand.
He closed his eyes tightly, and the wrinkles on his face were deep and obvious.
…
After nearly puking from exhaustion, Klein took a shower, changed clothes, and bade a still silent Gawain farewell. He took the public carriage and left.
He didn't return home directly but headed to Evil Dragon Bar near the harbor. He planned to inquire about the price of Beyonder ingredients and buy items for making charms.
On the way, Klein kept his mind on his tiny stash that he was carrying with him. He forced himself to stay alert and reached his destination with great difficulty.
"I need to save four pounds for the remaining balance that I owe to the detective company. I can only use three pounds and five soli tonight…" He touched the paper notes in his pocket before grabbing his cane and alighting the carriage.
At that moment, the sun had already begun slipping below the horizon. All the houses were gradually tainted with a twilight luster. The boxing matches and rat-baiting with dogs were already warming up in Evil Dragon Bar.
After passing through the billiard room and numerous rooms, Klein finally entered the underground market.
He looked to the left and right, but he didn't see Monster Ademisaul who was always active around there.
"Didn't Old Neil say that Ademisaul only managed to survive because the boss of Evil Dragon Bar feeds him?" Klein asked himself curiously.
As a Nighthawk, he remained vigilant to matters like that. He approached the brawny man guarding the door and asked, "Where's Ademisaul?"
The brawny man replied without a smile, "I have no idea where he's sleeping. He's been like that lately. He lies down in shivers and chants 'Dead, dead, all corpses, everyone has to die.'"
What scenes did he see this time? What triggered him? Klein creased his eyebrows slightly and asked for more details. He wanted to know where Ademisaul was sleeping, but the guard didn't know either.
When I'm done, I'll look for him via divination to see what he's been through… After taking note of this, Klein walked towards one of the two rooms at the end of the trading market.
According to Old Neil, the room on the left was for loans and repayment, while the room on the right was for the buying and selling of precious items, including Beyonder ingredients.
When he opened the door to enter the room on the right, Klein realized that there was a partition that separated it into two spaces, the inside and the outside. There were another three customers waiting on the outside.
He lowered his silk top hat and queued behind the three customers. He leaned his body forward and supported himself with the cane as he waited in silence.
Soon, the door of the partition opened and a customer in a bluish-gray harbor worker uniform came out. He kept his head low and left in a hurry.
Klein lightly clicked his left molar twice and looked at the man with Spirit Vision. He then looked at the other three customers. There was nothing wrong with them other than the usual minor illnesses that people had.
After another ten plus minutes, it was finally his turn.
He opened the door and entered the room that was lit with a kerosene lamp.
He locked the door and took the seat that belonged to the customer. He looked towards the old man wearing a black felt hat opposite him.
"I'd like to know what Beyonder ingredients you have, and at what prices they are being sold."
The cheek muscles of the elder were droopy and the wrinkles at the corner of his eyes were deep, but his body was well-built. He didn't find Klein's request weird because many customers weren't willing to let another person know what they wanted to buy before they confirmed that the seller had it available. Generally, they wished to be introduced to all options.
The old man flipped to the newest pages of the notebook, stole a glance at Klein, and took a sip of his honey wine before he said, "Water Ghost's brain tissue costs from three to fifteen pounds depending on how intact it is. Star Crystal, 150 pounds per 50 grams. 200 pounds for one Queen Bee Grass. 170 pounds for an adult black-spotted frog… 280 pounds for Human-faced Rose, but there's only one…"
Klein controlled his emotional response. After he listened to the old man's introduction, he was surprised that an underground trading place like this had fewer than thirty Beyonder ingredients.
As he touched the notes worth seven pounds in his pocket and thought of Miss Justice's attitude towards a thousand pounds, he sighed.
"Unfortunately, there is nothing I want."
Without waiting for the elder to pose any further questions, he quickly turned around to open the door and made an exit.
He returned to the underground market and looked around blankly. He stood there for a while and sighed with a bitter smile.
I'm probably the poorest boss among all the secret organizations… That only steeled his resolve of getting ingredients internally from the Nighthawks or through exchanges with Justice or The Hanged Man.
After circling the underground market twice, Klein picked and purchased ingredients to make charms, such as a partially-finished silver piece, herbal powders needed for rituals, and natural ores. He spent one pound and fifteen soli in total.
My private stash of money only has five pounds ten soli left. Excluding the final payment to the detective, I still have one pound ten soli… After Klein silently did the math regarding his financial situation, he felt helpless.
Of course, he knew very well that he had only been working for just over a month. If the time span had been extended to a year, he should have been able to save up more than a hundred pounds.
"In another two weeks, I'll have to tell Benson and Melissa that I've gotten a raise to three pounds. We can hire a maidservant, but I won't have a private stash of money anymore…" Klein thought as he walked towards the exit of the underground market.
Just then, he saw Old Neil in his classic black robe entering slowly.
"Got everything?" Old Neil greeted with a chuckle.
"Yes," Klein answered frankly.
Old Neil tsked immediately. "You came really early."
"That's because I'm still hungry, but you've already had your dinner." Klein chatted casually with Old Neil.
After a while, the boss of Evil Dragon Bar, Swain, walked in with his navy officer uniform draped over him. He approached the two of them with a mask of solemnity and lowered his voice.
"I need your help."
"What happened?" Old Neil suddenly turned serious, and Klein couldn't help but feel a tug at his heartstrings.
Swain's brown hair was messy, and there was a strong smell of alcohol in his breath. He replied in a low voice, "A member from the Mandated Punishers has lost control nearby. We have to finish him before he harms any commoners!"This… He really is the experienced Old Neil… Klein placed the charm into his left pocket, reached into his holster, took out his revolver, and adjusted the hammer and drum.
"I don't feel that nervous anymore…" He had a gun in one hand and his cane in the other. He made his way up the steps with Old Neil and boarded the cargo ship.
This cargo ship had obvious signs of age. Although it was powered by steam and had a chimney, it retained its past fixtures such as its mast and sails. Furthermore, only its surface and some other portions were plated with metal; the remaining sections of the ship were still made of wood.
As the sounds of the battle intensified, Klein and Old Neil suddenly heard a loud noise amid the din while searching for a way to enter the cabin.
The wooden cabin was instantly shattered, its fragments flying everywhere. A figure fell through the hole and crashed onto the side of the ship.
Klein didn't have the luxury of time to evaluate the man's injuries. His gaze was focused on the monster which was charging towards the hole.
The monster was over 1.8 meters in height and was wearing a tattered shirt and trouser. Its ankles were covered with dark green scales, and a layer of skin had formed between its fingers and toes, as if they were the webbed limbs of an aquatic creature.
It had a head covered in wrinkles, still barely resembling a human. Its scales were coated with a sticky fluid that continuously dripped onto the floor.
Sizzle!
The sticky dark-green liquid corroded the deck slightly, leaving visible marks behind.
Bam! Swain punched the monster from the side, causing it to stagger two steps to the side.
Bam! Bam! Bam! Even with the ridiculous muscles Swain had, he was clearly inferior to the monster. Despite having his punches and kicks connect, they were unable to smash through its scales and cause physical harm. Swain was momentarily reduced to a wretched state as he staggered.
If not for Swain's astounding sense of balance and the efforts of the other Mandated Punishers to shoot and suppress the monster, Klein suspected that this blue-eyed elder would've been beaten to death by the monster.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Swain took multiple steps back, then advanced once again, like a moth to a flame.
But Klein could sense that he was accumulating something, waiting for something.
Bam!
Swain was sent to retreat, his body obscuring another Mandated Punisher's field of vision.
The monster took this chance to charge towards the opening.
It wanted to escape the ship and jump into the Tussock River!
Looking at the wrinkled, sticky head of the monster, Klein lifted his right hand and pulled the trigger.
Bang!
The silver demon hunting bullet hit the monster's body just as he predicted. But it had only hit its scales and failed to fully penetrate its body.
The monster let out a ear-piercing shriek before it exerted strength with its feet and pounced at Klein.
When a stinking fishy smell hit him, Klein suddenly hunched down and rolled to the side.
Clang! He felt the ship shake as fragments had hit it as well.
At the same time, he heard an old but deep voice recite an incantation in ancient Hermes, "Evernight!"
Klein rolled over two more times. He couldn't care about his cane as he lifted his head and revolver in a fluster. All he saw was Old Neil tossing out his charm calmly, despite being incredibly close to the monster.
The piece of silver was instantly swallowed by a dark red flame and released the faint sound of an explosion.
A deep, serene power spread forth. The monster, who had almost destroyed the side of the shop, rocked. Its movements became sluggish.
Swain charged out from the cabin. He approached the creature and pulled back his arm, hitting the monster like a jackhammer. His punches connected with the head of the monster.
But he could barely inflict a wound, let alone cause any fatal damage. But Klein could sense that whatever the blue-eyed elder was accumulating had finally reached its peak.
Boom! The monster seemed to recover. It flailed its arm and made Swain take five steps back in retreat. Each of his steps caused cracks to form on the deck.
Seeing that the monster was about to turn around and jump off the cargo ship, Klein took out the Slumber Charm from his pocket in a hurry.
After which, he expertly recited the phrase in Ancient Hermes, "Evernight!"
Suddenly, Klein felt the silver charm in his hand turn ice-cold, as if it was made from snow.
He didn't think too much about it. He injected his spirituality into the charm, then pulled his arm back before throwing it forward, sending the charm flying towards the monster.
Meanwhile, the fish-and-human monster had jumped into the air.
The dark red flames illuminated the surrounding darkness and the faint explosion was like a prelude to a slumber as it quickly radiated outwards.
Bam!
The monster fell onto the dock, squirming into a ball. It was temporarily in a half-asleep state.
Klein was just about to rush to the side of the boat and shoot at the monster's head when he suddenly saw Swain charge out and jump over, his navy uniform already long gone.
He changed his posture in the air, his muscles tightening.
Using his spiritual perception, Klein could feel something that had been suppressed erupt. Swain descended from the sky and slammed into the body of the monster. He then straightened his back and landed a heavy fist on the head of the monster.
Crack!
The monster's skull shattered into pieces. Dark red blood and grayish brain matter laced with the green sticky liquid splattered all over the ground.
"This is one of the abilities of a Folk of Rage?" Klein muttered to himself as he stood near the broken side of the ship.
Old Neil held his left arm and leaned over to look at what had happened below.
At that moment, Swain was standing straight. He stared at the monster under his feet that had just lost its life.
He took out a metal flask and opened the lid. He drank a good half of the liquor before tilting the flask, pouring the remaining liquor onto the monster.
After finishing this, Swain looked like he had aged considerably, his back hunching a little.
Old Neil sighed as he looked at the scene below. He whispered to Klein, "I know this Mandated Punisher who lost control. He had followed Swain for almost thirty years, once clearing water ghosts who had been killing people on the shore. He also captured evil Beyonders who were trying to escape through the Tussock River…"
He didn't continue, but Klein understood what he wanted to say: A guard who had made many contributions and killed countless monsters ended up becoming a monster himself.
This was not an isolated incident. It was a possible outcome that many members of the Nighthawks, Mandated Punishers, or Machinery Hivemind would one day face.
Chapter 130: Backlund's Secret Gathering
Translator: AtlasStudios Editor: AtlasStudios
Klein looked at Swain standing before the monster's corpse before looking sideways towards the Mandated Punisher who was helping his semi-conscious partner up by the arm. Klein suddenly felt an indescribable sadness.
It was almost impossible for members of the Nighthawks, Mandated Punishers, and the Machinery Hivemind to be known as heroes. The things they did were never made known to the public but only hidden in confidential dockets. But the danger and pain they endured were ever so real.
Perhaps there would be a day when my enemy will be one of my teammates… Klein sighed silently. He felt the heavy weight that all Nighthawks, Mandated Punishers, and Machinery Hivemind carried.
At that moment, Old Neil let out a sigh.
"Let's go. Let's not disturb them."
"Okay." Klein picked up his cane. Just as he widened his stride, he suddenly noticed that Old Neil was still holding his left hand. He asked, concerned, "Are you hurt?"
Old Neil chuckled briefly before saying, "I got stabbed by one of the shrapnel earlier. If I was still young, I definitely would've been able to dodge it. Luckily, it's just a small cut."
He moved his right hand slightly to let Klein see the tiny wound that was still lightly bleeding on the back of his left hand.
After he confirmed that it wasn't a big issue, Klein walked off along the gangway as he sighed.
"Mr. Neil, you're much calmer than I imagined. Despite being less than two meters away from the monster, you could still chant the incantation calmly and use the charm."
Although the rampaging Mandated Punisher had leaped towards Klein in the form of a monster, Old Neil was physically very close to him the entire time.
Old Neil chucked at the compliment.
"I'm an experienced Nighthawk. Among the dangerous things that I've done, what happened just now isn't even in my top ten. Once, when I was patrolling Raphael Cemetery with Dunn, I had no idea that a corpse had turned into a zombie and left its tomb to lie in ambush in the shadows of the trees. I passed by without noticing it at all since I was looking for some hidden spot. Heh, you know what I mean. In the end, he leapt onto my back and seized my throat."
Klein felt gripped by terror when he heard the recollection as he voiced out his guess.
"And under such a situation, you were still calm enough to use a charm? Or did you use some spell that a Mystery Pryer could cast quickly?"
Old Neil stole a glance at him and chortled. "No, Dunn managed to drag that zombie into a slumber in time. I'm telling you this story to tell you that, as a Nighthawk, you not only have to believe in yourself, you also have to trust your teammates too."
Klein fell silent for a few seconds. Then, he replied both sincerely and jokingly, "Mr. Neil, you are so wise today."
Old Neil did a tiny hop and found his footing on the pier. He replied in disdain, "That's because you only get to know the most trivial side of me usually."
The two of them left the harbor and walked towards Evil Dragon Bar.
Klein put away his revolver, set his cane aside, and took off his jacket. Under the light of the gas street lamp, he started checking if there was any damage to his jacket.
"How lucky. There are only a few splinters and a patch that got dirtied…" He removed the splinters and roughly patted the dust away. Then, he put it back on.
Old Neil looked at him with a smile and mimicked his tone by adding leisurely. "What a pity, there's no way to claim compensation."
Klein was temporarily at a loss for words.
I'm not such a person! He emphasized in his heart.
As the public carriage arrived, Klein took out his silver vine-leaf pocket watch and flipped it open to check the time.
"If there's nothing else, I have to head home," he turned to tell Old Neil.
Old Neil nodded slightly and said, "Enjoy your dinner at home. You don't need to think about the Slumber Charm. I'll get Swain to compensate me. He's a rich man after all. Of course, I won't go today. I have to consider his mood."
Klein opened his mouth, but in the end, he only said, "… Thank you for your generosity."
He boarded the carriage quickly and returned to Daffodil Street. It was already past seven in the evening, and the sky had already grown dark.
Klein took out his keys to open the door and saw Melissa taking off her fishnet hat and setting it on the clothes rack. He smiled and did small talk.
"You just got back?"
Then, his mixed emotions suddenly vanished, and he felt relaxed and warm.
"There was a practical lesson in school today," Melissa explained seriously.
Klein sniffed and smelled the fragrance of food. He was stunned and asked subconsciously, "Then, who's cooking dinner?"
The moment he finished his sentence, both of them answered the question in unison, "Benson!"
Their tone had a hint of alarm.
Benson, who had heard their conversation, walked out of the kitchen. While wiping his hands on an apron, he said, "Do you have no confidence in my cooking? I remember that before Melissa learned how to cook, you two would wait for me to come home and watch me cook with anticipation. Actually, cooking is so easy. You want potato beef stew? Put in the beef first, then the potatoes, then add some seasoning…"
Klein and Melissa exchanged glances and remained silent.
Putting aside his cane and took off his hat, Klein turned around and smiled.
"I think it's time to hire a maidservant. It's very unhealthy to not eat dinner on time."
"But I don't want to have a stranger next to us when we chat. That'll make me feel uncomfortable," Melissa said, subconsciously finding an excuse to object.
Klein spoke with a smile as he took off his jacket.
"I don't mind…"
Just then, his expression froze, and he stopped what he was doing.
I almost took off my jacket. I still have a revolver at my armpit…
Ahem. He cleared his throat and pretended nothing happened. "Don't mind her. When we get home, we can let the maidservant rest in her room. I doubt any maidservant would dislike resting. Hmm, we must find a maidservant who's willing to learn how to cook."
He didn't want to endure the torture of a cuisine that left him guessing in the future.
Benson stood at the kitchen and nodded in agreement.
"When we have time, we can go over to Tingen Family Servant Assistance Association. They have a great deal of experience and many resources in this field."
"Alright, it's decided then!" Klein ignored Melissa's unwilling look.
…
Backlund, Empress Borough, Viscount Glaint's residence.
Audrey Hall left the party with her personal maid, Annie. They came to the second floor and entered the bedroom that the Viscount had prepared.
She took off her glamorous dress and her lightweight dancing heels slowly with Annie's assistance. She then put on a black hooded robe that she had prepared ahead of time.
Pulling up the hood, Audrey stood before the full mirror and examined herself.
She saw that more than half her face was covered by the shadow of her hood, and only her beautiful lips were clearly exposed.
Long black robe, face hidden by shadows, a mysterious feeling… This is something I've been dreaming of wearing all this time! Audrey thought to herself happily.
Worried, she added a blue boat-shaped soft hat under her hood. With the fine checkered fishnet drooping down, her facial features became even more indiscernible.
"Not bad, that's it!" Audrey stuffed her feet into leather ankle boots, looked to the side, and told Annie, "Wait for me here. No matter who comes, do not open the door."
Annie looked at her helplessly and said, "But you have to make sure that your trip doesn't take more than an hour."
"You should trust me. I have kept my promise every single time in the past." Audrey smiled and leaned in towards her personal maidservant. She hugged her and kissed her cheek as etiquette demanded.
Then, she walked quickly and pulled up her hood. Turning around, she exited the bedroom through a secret door.
She walked all the way down and came to the side door of the viscount's residence where she saw that there was already a carriage waiting there.
Glaint stood amidst the shadows as he glanced at Audrey and complimented sincerely, "By dressing up like this, you are really, yeah—like the description Emperor Roselle often used—very cool."
"Thank you." Audrey pulled up an imaginary skirt and curtsied elegantly.
The two of them got into the carriage and left the villa. They arrived at a house about ten minutes away.
Outside the house, Audrey saw Apprentice Fors Wall and her friend, Tribunal Xio Derecha, whom she had been seeing recently.
Fors's slightly wavy brown hair and her light blue eyes showed a natural laziness. She pointed at Xio Derecha next to her and said, "She's an excellent persuader, capable of helping you get things that you want."
Xio Derecha was slightly shorter, about 150 cm at most. Her facial features were soft, but she seemed pretty young and immature.
Although her shoulder length blond hair was messy and unkempt, and she was in a traditional knight training suit, she carried an indescribable look of dignity and a convincing charm.
Audrey had met her a few times. She smiled faintly and greeted, "Miss Xio, can I trust you?"
"You don't have to worry at all." Xio Derecha smiled and gestured with her hand.
Just as she walked to follow Audrey and Viscount Glaint, they heard a sudden thud.
Audrey looked towards the source of the sound and saw that a triangular blade coruscating with a cold glimmer had fallen beside Xio Derecha's leg.
Audrey and Xio Derecha exchanged looks, simultaneously at a loss for words.
After nearly twenty seconds, Xio Derecha quickly squatted and picked up the triangular blade and hid it on her body.
"We have to prevent the occurrence of an accident. Some people lack rationality, and they aren't convinced easily," Xio Derecha explained seriously.
Audrey nodded and replied with a clear voice, "I believe you…"
"These are tools to convince those b*stards to talk to us calmly," Fors added, looking sideways at the grass plains.
The quartet didn't continue conversing and walked a few steps forward. They knocked on the wooden door with three long and two short knocks.
The door squeaked and opened. Slowly, using her Spectator state, Audrey looked into the house that had many people sitting around randomly. They employed various methods such as hoods or masks to conceal their looks. Some didn't even bother and exposed their faces openly.
Almost instantly, Audrey noticed a black-robed man on a single seat sofa.
That man wore a hood too, hiding his looks under a shadow.
He looked at all the guests in silence, giving people a feeling that he was somehow in a commanding position.
He is very confident, but his gaze is very disgusting. His gaze moved up and down my body like two slippery tentacles wanting to tear off my clothes… Audrey's senses were sharp. She carefully observed and made a judgment calmly, but she nearly had goosebumps.
Fors introduced him.
"That's Mr. A, a powerful Beyonder, the leader of this secret gathering."
Chapter 131: Transaction
Translator: AtlasStudios Editor: AtlasStudios
Mr. A? That sounds more like a code name for a criminal rather than a powerful man of mystery. It can't be compared to The Fool at all… No, only gods or demigods can be compared to Mr. Fool… Audrey felt a sense of superiority as she thought about this.
She looked calmly at Mr. A and spoke to Fors and Xio Derecha with a hushed tone, "Are there any stories about this man?"
The hooded Viscount Glaint was equally curious.
Xio Derecha replied sternly, "There were several such incidents in the past. Sequence 8 Beyonders, some even at Sequence 7, have targeted and tried to deal with Mr. A, but they've all mysteriously disappeared."
"So he truly is a powerful Beyonder," Glaint marveled.
They walked into the room as they spoke. The guards immediately closed the door behind them.
After adjusting to the gas lamp's light in the room, Audrey saw two blackboards with several phrases written across them right in front of her.
At that moment, Fors, who had an unlit cigarette in her hand, whispered, "Those are the requests of the members of this gathering. You should be able to understand that many people do not wish for others to know what they possess to avoid being a target of greedy people. Thus, they write their requests, or what they are selling, as well as the rough price on the blackboards anonymously."
Audrey nodded. She didn't care to observe the members of the meeting; instead, she shifted her gaze to the words on the left board.
"I need a pair of eyes from a mature Manhal Fish."
"The dust left behind by vengeful spirits, 165 pounds."
"Three pages from Emperor Roselle's notebook, 20 pounds."
Audrey couldn't maintain the state of her Spectator when she saw that. She was as shocked as she was excited.
These prices… these prices are too… too cheap! She thought in excitement and joy.
As she walked, her gaze shifted as she saw other notices.
"Tears of an Infant flower, 200 pounds."
"Mummy Powder, 10 grams, 5 pounds."
"Fishman Secretion, 30 ml, 29 pounds."
"Formula for Sequence 8 potion Sheriff, 450 pounds."
…
Too… just too cheap! The Beyonder ingredients all cost less than 300 pounds!Audrey's eyes sparkled as she found a place to sit together with her companions.
Xio Derecha leaned over and whispered into her ear, "Do you have anything you want?"
Audrey breathed heavily. Emperor Roselle's famous quote flashed through her mind: "I want it all!"
She had two elder brothers, rendering her eligibility to inherit the aristocratic title and the main portion of the inheritance null. But as a lady adored by her parents and brothers, she had property, farmland, pastures, mines, jewelry, stocks, and bonds to her name. Together, they were valued at 300,000 pounds.
This was a part of her inheritance, but she only possessed them in name before her father, Count Hall, passed away, or when she got married. Every year, she received a corresponding amount from a trust fund.
But even so, she could receive 15,000 to 25,000 pounds a year, making her one of the richest women among the nobles in the entire Loen Kingdom.
Of course, she had expenses she couldn't avoid as a noble. And now that she was receiving annual payouts, she could no longer pester her parents for money all the time.
She controlled herself and answered with reservation, "For the time being, I have my sights on Emperor Roselle's notebook. I adore him, and I think that the special symbols and literature he created hold a mysterious power; it's just that we haven't found the correct way to decipher them."
Audrey, you are becoming more and more hypocritical… She added in her heart.
Just as she had said that, a young man in a white shirt sitting near them stood up excitedly. He agreed with Audrey, "Yes! That's true! I've finally met someone who shares the same opinion as me!
"I'm the person with the three pages of the notebook, and I can sell them to you right now!"
Audrey was at a loss at first before she replied with a smile, "Then please allow me to express my gratitude."
She took out a pair of 10-pound notes and handed them over to the man, then received the three pages of Emperor Roselle's diary in exchange. Of course, no one here knew that they were part of his diary, and thus everyone generally called them his notebook.
Audrey flipped through the pages after she received them and confirmed that the writing was similar to the previous pages that she had come across.
She put away the diary and asked Xio and Fors softly, "Who can I look for if the notes are fake? Mr. A?"
"Yes, Mr. A will not allow any fraud to take place in his gathering. And I could help you mediate this privately too," Xio Derecha replied eagerly.
"I understand." Audrey entered her Spectator state and surveyed the Beyonders and Beyonders-to-be around her.
There were many people looking over because of the excitement of the young man just now. They were observing Audrey and Glaint, some making it obvious while others were more discreet, but Audrey and Glaint's hoods covered their features well.
There are sofas and chairs strewn all around the venue, all facing the board. The material of the furniture is rather normal, indicating that the person who gathered them here, Mr. A, isn't a noble and doesn't care much about the venue… Yes, with the confidence he displayed, he need not be overly pretentious with the venue… Audrey looked around and calmly observed.
Mr. A looks at all the ladies present, his gaze often lingering on those who have above-average looks… He's lecherous… Why is he looking at me so frequently? Can he see through my robe?
Audrey was shocked at this deduction. She felt disgusted, as if she had just eaten a fly.
and harm is the most important thing!"
"A rational decision. I once dreamed of becoming an Apothecary." Fors sighed while smiling.
She had a rather languid demeanor.
After making the decision, Audrey and the rest wrote their requests on pieces of paper and handed them over to the facilitator. They looked on as the facilitator made his way around the venue and asked the other participants, collecting several other slips of paper.
This facilitator then shuffled the notes and handed them over to his partner in charge of the blackboards, asking him to transcribe the information onto them.
"I need the formulas for potions Spectator and Telepathist, the price will be negotiated face-to-face…"
The facilitator would repeat the request three times after he wrote it onto the blackboard. If someone was interested, they could apply for a room in secret. There would be facilitators helping them complete the deal.
After waiting for a while, Audrey and Glaint didn't receive a request for a deal. They were rather disappointed.
At this moment, a facilitator walked over to Audrey's side and handed her a folded piece of paper.
"It's from Mr. A," the facilitator said softly.
Audrey unfolded the slip of paper and took a look.
"Are you interested in the formulas of other Sequence 9 potions?"
Audrey curled the ends of her mouth disdainfully and wrote on a blank spot: "I am only interested in Spectator."
She folded the piece of paper and handed it back to the facilitator, then watched as he passed it back to Mr. A.
Mr. A took a glance and didn't say anything, continuing to look over the rest of the members silently.
But Audrey sharply noticed that he had secretly burned the piece of paper and allowed the ashes to fall to the floor.
Fifteen minutes later, Mr. A said, "Now we will have a break. You can interact with other participants freely."
At this moment, the young man who sold Emperor Roselle's diary approached Audrey and said in excitement, "I have already deciphered a portion of the Emperor Roselle's special characters and tattooed them onto myself, allowing me to gain some remarkable abilities.
"Are you interested?"
Audrey suddenly recalled that she had asked Mr. Fool if the special characters in the Emperor Roselle's diary possessed any unique abilities. Mr. Fool's answer was that they were useless unless a deity suddenly took interest in them.
She looked at the young man in front of her and thought for a moment. She then probed, "What remarkable abilities?"
The young man answered excitedly, "I have become stronger and more healthy!"
Audrey looked at him in pity. "I'm sorry, I have more trust in my own research."
In the remaining time, she continued observing those who came to this gathering, but didn't obtain any more information. All she had was a rough deduction that some of them were doctors or lawyers, ordinary occupations.
Audrey and the rest left the venue after another half an hour and returned to Viscount Glaint's mansion as they waited till the ball ended.
Audrey returned home at about 10 that night. She was about to get her maidservant to prepare some hot water when she saw her dog Susie shoot her a look.
My dog just shot me a look… Audrey's emotions became complicated.