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The person described sounded a lot like that giant bishop with a name that ends in "sky" Hobert guessed it must be him. There couldn't be so many people in Backlund who had turned over a new leaf in such a way.
Hobert decided to probe the other party, "I think I understand. The person you mentioned is trying to defeat the evil and bloodthirsty side of his past self, correct?"
The other party shifted excitedly in their seat, "Your description is spot on. Could you please tell me how to solve this problem?"
"Before that, let's first talk about compensation," Hobert replied.
"How about 120 pounds in cash?" the other party suggested.
Xio's eyes widened. One hundred and twenty pounds, just like that? She had seen someone selling a Sheriff potion formula earlier for 450 pounds! Even though she could make a large profit from the commissions completed with Hobert, it still wasn't enough to cover 450 pounds.
But how did this lawyer earn money so quickly?
However, Hobert said, "I'm more interested in getting the 'Apothecary' potion formula from you than cash."
Everyone in the room was momentarily stunned. Xio and the others immediately looked at Viscount Glaint and then at the hooded figure sitting opposite them.
The hooded figure stood up as if ready to flee. "How... how did you know?"
Audrey, observing the person's body language, deduced that they felt very insecure, more like a fugitive, as though someone might appear at any moment to arrest them for a bounty.
Hobert had already gathered the information he wanted. Based on this reaction, there was no doubt it was the giant bishop!
At the same time, he understood why the person felt so insecure. After all, the Loen Kingdom was not a major region of worship for the Earth Mother, and Earth Mother priests and followers wouldn't easily trust heretics here.
Hobert quickly reassured him, "A friend of mine is a follower of the Earth Mother. I heard about the bishop's experience from him, though I forgot the bishop's name. I only remember that it had a Feysac Empire ring to it, something like 'sky'!"
The person breathed a sigh of relief and sat down again. "It's Bishop Utravsky."
Then he asked, "What's your friend's name?"
In Backlund, there were quite a few casual followers of the Earth Mother, but only a few dozen devout ones, and he knew most of them.
Hobert blurted out, "Emlyn!"
The man was visibly confused, "I don't recall a follower by that name." If Hobert hadn't said it so quickly, he would've thought the name was made up.
Hobert waved his hand, "That doesn't affect our deal, nor does it affect the trust between us."
The man nodded, pausing for a moment before saying, "Your asking price is too high. My limit is 150 pounds, and the 'Apothecary' potion formula is worth at least 230 pounds."
"Perhaps we could arrange a three-way deal," Viscount Glaint interjected. "I could pay Mr. Hobert 150 pounds in cash, then pay you 100 pounds, and you provide me with the 'Apothecary' potion formula.
"That would mean I'm effectively buying the formula for 250 pounds, while you each receive your compensation—150 pounds for one and 100 pounds for the other.
"After that, you can proceed with your own transaction, and no one owes anyone."
The man, however, shook his head. "Apologies, but we are here to spread the Earth Mother's light, not to sell potion formulas."
He added, "Bishop Utravsky indeed has permission to exchange potion formulas for an opportunity for self-redemption, but we cannot sell them. We can only conduct mystical transactions.
"Of course, if you begin to sincerely believe in the Earth Mother's light and contribute to the church, there will be opportunities to obtain the formula."
The man was a servant of the bishop who had followed Utravsky to Backlund, so he knew all the details.
Viscount Glaint appeared disappointed. "I don't wish to convert because of this."
Hobert said, "In that case, we can do this: you can owe me the payment for now, and when I assist Bishop Utravsky in the future, he can pay me with the 'Apothecary' potion formula."
For instance, bringing Mr. Moriarty, who could completely resolve the issue, to the giant bishop would be an easy task for him—although he would have to wait until the beloved "Fool" advanced to Sequence 7.
Audrey suddenly found Hobert's "you can owe me" quite familiar, but after thinking about it, she couldn't recall owing him anything.
The man thought for a moment. "Agreed."
"I'll now tell you how to defeat your past self," Hobert said. "You will need the help of a mid-sequence Beyonder from the Spectator Pathway or an equivalent mystical item, along with a mid-Sequence combat-capable Beyonder to assist.
"The specific method is for the Spectator to separate Bishop Utravsky's evil, bloodthirsty personality, then hypnotize both the separated personality and the combat-capable Beyonder, or draw them into a dream world together.
"In the dream world, the combat-capable Beyonder only needs to kill the separated personality for the bishop to be truly redeemed."
After Hobert finished explaining, the room fell silent.
Audrey's eyes sparkled. She hadn't expected to have such a mysterious ability once she became a mid-sequence Beyonder.
Xio and Fors felt like they were learning about the Beyonder world for the first time. Could you really defeat yourself this way?
Viscount Glaint, on the other hand, appeared thoughtful, now viewing Hobert with a slightly different attitude.
After a few moments, the man said, "This method sounds very feasible, but where will we find a mid-sequence Beyonder from the Spectator Pathway?"
Could it be that Bishop Utravsky hasn't acquired the "Mental Terror Candle" yet?
Hobert realized that if the bishop had the Mental Terror Candle, he wouldn't be seeking a way to defeat himself.
With that in mind, Hobert spread his hands, "If I help you find the person, the payment won't just be the Apothecary formula."
The man nodded, "You're right."
He added, "Your answer is indeed worth 150 pounds!"
Hobert smiled. "I'm Hobert, a lawyer.
"When I go to assist Bishop Utravsky and collect the debt, I'll mention my name and profession."
The man stood up and said, "You are a generous and trustworthy gentleman!"
The transaction concluded, and Hobert and his group of five left the gathering, heading to Viscount Glaint's carriage. Xio couldn't help but ask Hobert, "Aren't you afraid Bishop Utravsky won't honor the debt?"
Hobert smiled, "He can run, but the church can't. If he doesn't pay up, I'll just sell off his church's belongings to settle the debt."
Though he seemed careless about the transaction's payment, it was because he knew the bishop was committed to his self-redemption and wouldn't easily deceive anyone over such matters.
That's why Hobert felt at ease leaving the debt unpaid for now.
Hobert added with a smile, "Besides, this is the only way I'll get the Apothecary potion formula."