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Hobert didn't know what Xio and Fors had discussed, but after they regrouped, Hobert felt that Miss Magician had significantly reduced her hostility towards him.
The three of them, guided by a servant, met with Viscount Glaint.
Glaint looked at Hobert, "Have we met somewhere before?"
"Yes, Viscount," Hobert smiled and said, "I had the honor of witnessing the Viscount's grace on the dance floor at a banquet."
Christian, being a commander, of course attended or hosted some banquets, and Hobert had encountered Viscount Glaint at a few of them.
However, one was a noble and the other the child of a commander, so they had no interaction and were only familiar with each other's faces.
Glaint laughed, "Next time at a banquet, I will be sure to notice you."
Then he asked, "And you, are you also...?"
Hobert smiled and said, "Yes, I am also a mysticism enthusiast."
Glaint revealed a smile that said, "I understand."
At this moment, the butler appeared at the door and said, "Young master, Miss Audrey has arrived."
Glaint personally went to the door to greet her, "Dear Audrey, every time I see you, you possess a different kind of beauty."
Audrey, wearing a hood and leather boots, entered, "Glaint, your compliments are becoming more and more like the way elders praise others."
"Oh, Mr. Hobert, I didn't expect you to be here as well."
Hobert stepped forward to greet her, "Hello, Miss Audrey."
He explained, "I just completed a commission with Xio, and we're heading to attend a gathering together."
Suddenly, Glaint exclaimed, "I remember now! You're the lawyer who managed to bail out Miss Xio in just one day!"
Audrey shook her head with a smile, "Viscount, your memory is becoming as unreliable as the elders'."
Everyone burst into laughter.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the five young people went together to attend Mr. A's gathering.
This gathering was unlike the one hosted by the Mercenary Club; it wasn't as safe. So, Hobert borrowed a hooded cloak from Glaint and entered the venue wearing it.
Audrey and Glaint were here to purchase potion formulas, but unfortunately, they were unsuccessful—no one was selling the "Spectator" or "Apothecary" formulas.
Hobert came mainly to check the quality of the Beyonder materials being traded.
Comparatively, the materials traded at gatherings initiated by the Mercenary Club were of a higher grade, even including Sequence 5-level materials, while those traded here were mostly Sequence 8 or Sequence 9 materials.
Of course, at such gatherings lacking trust, any good items would typically be traded privately.
At this moment, a piece of transaction information loudly announced by the waiter caught Hobert's attention.
The waiter said, "A gentleman is seeking a way to defeat his past self!"
Someone at the gathering laughed twice, "Strangling oneself might be the best way to defeat oneself!"
This remark drew a lot of laughter.
However, after Mr. A cast a cold glance at them, the laughter abruptly stopped, as if they'd fallen into an icehouse.
After order was restored, the waiter continued reading other transaction information.
Hobert stroked his chin: Defeating one's past self, now that's interesting.
He raised his hand and beckoned the waiter, "I'd like to trade with the gentleman seeking the method to defeat himself."
Xio and Audrey were slightly taken aback. They too had heard the information and felt the mystery of the Beyonder world—could there really be a method to defeat one's past self?
Hobert's response also surprised them slightly. Could this lawyer already know how to defeat one's past self?
Xio hurriedly reminded Hobert, "This is not a game. If you deceive other participants, you'll face punishment from Mr. A!"
Hobert smiled wryly, "Do I seem that unreliable to you?" As he spoke, he glanced meaningfully at Fors.
Xio was momentarily stunned. Hobert had indeed shown his reliability yesterday—it's Fors who had always told me not to trust him, and now I find myself losing faith in him. Yet, he's a Beyonder who even knows ritual magic.
Audrey suddenly said, "I'd like to observe this transaction."
During Xio's case, Hobert had left a deep impression on her. More importantly, she was also curious about what method there could be to defeat one's past self.
Oh heavens, that's one's past self!
How could one defeat it?
Hobert said to the waiter, "Please relay my companions' wishes."
The waiter nodded and went towards a closed room. After a short while, he returned, "The gentleman has agreed to your request. Please follow me."
Hobert walked in front, with Audrey following closely, and Xio and Glaint also tagging along—they were all curious about how one could defeat their past self.
Fors muttered, "You always act like you know everything." Saying that, she also followed.
The venue had many small enclosed rooms specifically for participants to conduct one-on-one transactions.
The person they were about to meet clearly hadn't expected so many observers. His first reaction was to stand up and run, but after seeing the waiter and realizing that the others meant no harm, he awkwardly smiled, "This reminds me of an old surgery case—only one patient on the bed, but so many people watching."
Hobert smiled, "Apologies, your question is quite complex, so we might need to have some necessary discussions."
The other party, wearing a hood, only revealed his chin, but from the voice, he sounded quite young: "Indeed, this problem is not easy to solve. I've attended several gatherings, but I haven't found the answer I'm looking for yet. I hope you won't disappoint me."
Hobert nodded, "Can you explain in more detail? Why do you want to defeat yourself? Which aspect of yourself do you want to defeat?"
He spread his hands, "We all know that a person can't go back in time to defeat their former self—that would be meaningless.
"But in the occult world, defeating one's past self can have many interpretations. For instance, overcoming a past psychological shadow could also be seen as defeating one's past self."
Xio and Glaint didn't quite understand Hobert's meaning, but Audrey and Fors seemed to catch on, their faces under their hoods showing thoughtful expressions.
The other party straightened up, "You seem very professional, and that raises my expectations for your answer."
He continued, "There is a gentleman who, in his youth, committed many crimes, but one day, under the guidance of a deity, he had a moral awakening.
"Since then, he has abandoned a life of murder and arson, becoming a priest and spreading the light of the gods, helping many people through difficult times.
"However, his younger self has always tormented him, preventing him from finding ultimate redemption. So, he wants to defeat his past self."
Hobert's first reaction was: A Giant Bishop from the Church of the Earth Mother?