“What?” Fors touched her earlobes, wondering if she had heard wrongly.
Xio was slow on the uptake as she hesitantly said, “Our strength i-isn’t enough to complete this mission.”
The first thing she considered was the difficulty of the mission!
Audrey ignored her question and allowed her to imagine the reason. She said, with faint dimples showing, “I’m not asking you to take the job. I just wish for you to find a Beyonder with the strength to complete it. For example, Mr. A, I’ll pay you 4000 gold pounds for this. Of course, this is only my initial offer. The details are negotiable.
“If it eventually succeeds, I’ll pay you 500 pounds. Even if the mission ends up failing, you will receive 200 pounds due to the risk you have taken.”
Her uninvested annuity and the rest of the bounty was around 13,000 pounds. However, any large utilization of it would certainly attract the attention of Count Hall, and even the Varvat Bank would investigate. She had calculated that 5000 pounds was the tipping point, and it was best not to exceed it.
While feeling enticed, Fors’s mind was filled with questions.
…
The duo quickly contacted Mr. A using a previously agreed-upon channel. At three o’clock in the afternoon, when the rare sunlight shined through the fog and lit up the whole of Backlund, they arrived at the house where they had previously participated in gatherings. There, they saw Mr. A sitting with his legs up and his hood over his head, but he gave off a condescending air.
“You said that you have something important to talk to me about?” Mr. A’s eyes move back and forth between the two ladies.
Mr. A scanned Xio’s face and chuckled.
“Tell me. Let’s see what this large transaction is.”
Holding back the urge to draw her triangular blade, Xio answered with the tone of a tribunal, “Assassinate the Intis ambassador to the Loen Kingdom, Bakerland Jean Madan.”
Mr. A fell silent, but since his expression was obscured by the shadow of his hood, Xio and Fors couldn’t guess what he was thinking.
After a while, he slowly leaned back and said with a deep voice, “So, what’s the reward?”
“4000 pounds. In addition, we will provide the relevant information such as Ambassador Bakerland is a Sequence 6 Conspiracist of the Hunter pathway, or that his weakness is lust.” Xio tried her best to make Mr. A believe that there was hope in completing the mission.
Mr. A chuckled and said, “I can accept this mission, but the reward must be raised.”
“The first choice—the potion formulas to Unshadowed, Cataclysmic Interrer, Prophet, or Manipulator. Of course, their price is higher than this mission. There’s no need for the complete formula. A partial formula will suffice.
“The second choice—10,000 gold pounds. Heh, this is the bounty of Rear Admiral Hurricane Qilangos. Bakerland’s strength definitely isn’t as strong as he is, but he has powerful aides. Besides, believe me, he definitely has mystical objects on him.”
“Sure.” Mr. A made a gesture of farewell.
After being led out by an attendant, Fors murmured in puzzlement, “Those are High-Sequence Beyonder formulas?”
“Frankly speaking, I find it strange. I thought Mr. A would only want formulas or potion ingredients. Money shouldn’t be a necessity for him.”
Xio turned to look at her friend.
“Fors, you really are a naive clinical doctor and author. You must know that Mr. A has many subordinates. They need a house to sleep in, stomachs to fill, clothes to buy, and the need to vent their desires. All of this has to be bought using money. Besides, to some nobles who have declined, what wouldn’t they sell if there are gold pounds to be made?
“Without his men, Mr. A would be just as scary, but he will be rather lacking in intelligence.
“That’s what all the small gangs in the East Borough know.”
Fors frowned and said, “Xio, you’re not that stupid after all…”
In the evening, the two of them met the familiar large golden retriever at a predetermined location and passed Mr. A’s reply to Audrey.
When Audrey finished reading the note, not only did she not feel stumped, she even let out a long sigh of relief.
It was simply wonderful for her that she could finish the ambassador with just 10,000 gold pounds!
“The second option. An advance of 2000 pounds and the remaining 8000 pounds will be paid after the mission is completed.”
…
At 15 Minsk Street, Klein saw Mary Gale again at tea time.
He had initiated the meeting through Mrs. Stelyn Sammer.
“Madam Mary, I found out that your husband went to the Quelaag Club while tailing him. However, I wasn’t able to enter because I’m not a member of the club. Even so, according to my observations, about half an hour after your husband left, only one young lady came out. Her name is Erica Taylor, who lives at 126 New Year’s Street, Hillston Borough. She used to work at Coim for a period of time and is currently unemployed. I took a picture of her leaving the Quelaag Club.”
“She’s unemployed; yet, she can live in Hillston Borough…” Stelyn sneered.
Mary wore a gloomy expression as she remained silent for a few seconds.
“You have to obtain material evidence of them being intimate. Oh… The Quelaag Club, right? I’ll get two members to nominate you as a member, but you must fill in your particulars as ‘famous detective.’ I can’t get people to bring you in because it might not mesh well with the schedules of others.”
“Alright.” Klein hesitated, but still asked, “Who will pay the club fees?”
“I will be responsible for the initial fees. This is in return for your efficiency. If you wish to remain in the club, you will have to pay the annual fee of about 15 pounds yourself.” There seemed to be a fire burning in Mary’s eyes.
“I will provide you with the evidence as soon as possible.”
…
After dinner, Klein went out again and continued to the Bravehearts Bar in the Backlund Bridge area.
There were two reasons for this. First, he wanted to show his helplessness in front of the military’s special department and the police who were observing him in secret. He wanted to appear as though he was trying every method to save himself. Second, he also wanted to deceive the Mid-Sequence Beyonder from the Seer pathway under the Ambassador’s command.
In matters involving the gray fog, Klein believed that the gentleman or lady would never be able to succeed in a divination, including his own resurrection and past events, as well as how he had successfully created the Language of Foulness charm through the help of the True Creator.
Under the dark night, Klein entered the bar.
Before he could get a beer, he saw Kaspars, the old man with the brandy nose, standing in front of the rat-baiting ring with his arms crossed.
“Perfect timing. Maric is looking for you.” Kaspars spotted Klein and limped over.
“Maric is looking for me?” Klein asked in shock.
Instinctively, he touched the Azik’s copper whistle in his pocket and considered what excuse he could use to politely decline the meeting.
Before he could come up with an excuse, he saw Maric, his face pale and his eyes filled with malice, walking over. He wasn’t surrounded by any zombies.
Maric pointed to the card room and walked over there first. Klein looked into the distance and followed him since there were no zombies.
“What’s the matter?” Klein took the initiative to ask.
Maric, in a black vest and white shirt, sat on the card table and stared into Klein’s eyes.
“Does that job of yours still stand?”
“Huh?” Klein wasn’t able to react in time.
“I have a friend who is short on money and is willing to accept this commission. She’s stronger than me and should be able to protect you. However, she can only protect you for three days. The price is 1000 pounds,” Maric said in a low, slurred voice.
“Also, it’s best if the person protecting me is hidden. It must be confidential. As for the three days of protection, that is up to me. It’s definitely within these two weeks.”
As for money, he had already considered it from the beginning. If selling Meursault’s Beyonder characteristic wasn’t enough, he would ask Miss Justice for money. After all, he had made the preparations. Roselle’s diary still had a lot of knowledge that could be sold. Of course, if the price was simply unacceptable, he could forgo it.
