Chapter 31: The Acceptors

Chapter Thirty-One
The Acceptors

“What?”

Fors touched her earlobe, suspecting she had misheard.

Beautiful, innocent, curious, naive Miss Audrey had actually issued an assassination commission!

And the target was the ambassador of Intis, one of the great powers of the Northern Continent!

Xio was slower on the uptake in that respect. After a moment of hesitation, she answered, “Our strength is not—not enough to complete this mission.”

The first thing she measured was the mission’s difficulty.

Audrey ignored Fors’s question and allowed the two of them to imagine the reasons for themselves. With shallow dimples, she said, “I am not asking you to accept the commission personally. I hope you can find a Beyonder capable of completing it—someone like Mr. A. For this, I will pay a reward of four thousand gold pounds. Of course, that is merely my initial offer. The specific amount can still be discussed.

“If the matter ultimately succeeds, I will pay you five hundred pounds in fees. Even if it fails, there will still be two hundred pounds, because you will have borne the risk.”

Her accumulated annuity balance that had not yet been invested, together with the remainder of the bounty, came to roughly thirteen thousand pounds. But if she moved too large an amount at once, it would certainly draw Earl Hall’s attention, and Bavart Bank would likely conduct a certain degree of investigation as well. After calculation, she judged five thousand pounds to be the critical point—better not to exceed it.

Four thousand gold pounds…

Xio heard the heaviness of her own breathing. But very quickly, she became dispirited, because she knew perfectly well that there was no way she could accept such a mission herself.

Just using our names to invite another Beyonder, while keeping it confidential, earns five hundred pounds… Miss Audrey is the most generous, magnanimous, beautiful girl I have ever met!

Xio quickly returned to reality.

While Fors was tempted, her mind was filled with questions.

Why would Miss Audrey entrust such a mission?

Infighting among noble circles?

A prelude to deliberately provoking war?

Certain major figures represented by Earl Hall hoping for the situation to grow chaotic?

…

Through their agreed channel, the two soon contacted Mr. A. At three in the afternoon, when rare sunlight pierced the fog and lit all of Backlund, they arrived at the house where they had once attended a gathering and saw Mr. A seated with his hood up and one leg crossed over the other, somehow still giving the impression of looking down upon them from above.

“You said you had an important matter to discuss with me?” Mr. A’s gaze moved back and forth over the two ladies.

It is said that some female Beyonders have exchanged their bodies with Mr. A for potion ingredients… He really is a disgusting pervert…

The corners of Fors’s mouth curved faintly.

“There is a large piece of business. I wonder whether you would be interested.”

Mr. A swept his gaze over Xio’s face and laughed lowly.

“Speak. Let me hear what this large piece of business is.”

Resisting the impulse to draw her triangular blade, Xio spoke in the tone of an Arbiter.

“Assassinate the Intis ambassador to the Kingdom: Bakerland Jean Madan.”

Mr. A immediately sank into silence. Because his expression was hidden beneath the shadow of his hood, Xio and Fors could not guess what he was thinking.

After a while, he slowly leaned back and said in a deep voice, “Then what is the compensation?”

“Four thousand gold pounds. In addition, we will provide corresponding intelligence. For example, Ambassador Bakerland is Sequence 6 of the Hunter pathway—a Conspirer. He has an assistant who may be Sequence 5. And he has a weakness: women.”

Xio did all she could to make Mr. A feel that the mission had hope of success.

Mr. A gave a low laugh.

“I can accept this mission, but the compensation must be increased.

“The first option: a potion formula for Unshadowed, Cataclysmic Interrer, Prophet, or Manipulator. Of course, the value of those formulas exceeds this mission, so they need not be complete. A portion will do.

“The second option: ten thousand gold pounds. Heh. That is the bounty on Vice Admiral Hurricane Qilangos. Bakerland is certainly weaker than him, but he has a powerful assistant. And trust me, he definitely carries a mystical item.”

A reasonable price, but an exaggerated one too…

Xio and Fors exchanged a glance.

“We will go back and discuss it. We will give you an answer here tomorrow at this time.”

“Fine.”

Mr. A made a gesture of seeing them out.

After an attendant led them out of the house, Fors asked in a puzzled whisper, “Were those all high-Sequence formulas?

“To be honest, I find it very strange. I thought Mr. A would only ask for formulas or potion ingredients. Money should not be necessary to him.”

Xio turned her head and looked at her friend.

“Fors, you really are just a simple clinic doctor and writer. You have to understand: Mr. A must have many subordinates. They need houses to sleep in, food to fill their stomachs, clothes to buy, and desires to vent. All of that requires money. And for certain fallen nobles, as long as there are gold pounds, what cannot be sold?

“Mr. A without subordinates would still be just as terrifying, but his information would become very limited.

“Even the small gangs in the East Borough know this.”

Fors scrunched her face.

“Xio, you are not that stupid after all…”

At dusk, the two met that familiar golden retriever at the arranged location and passed Mr. A’s answer to Audrey.

After reading the note, Audrey not only did not feel troubled; she even breathed a long sigh of relief.

For the ambassador’s matter to be resolved with ten thousand gold pounds was simply wonderful to her.

I can temporarily use only five thousand pounds, and still need to pay Xio and Fors five hundred pounds… Mm. I will borrow from Glaint first. Six thousand? No, eight thousand pounds. My daily expenses cannot expose any problem. Then I will repay him over four to five months, with one thousand pounds of interest… Until the New Year, I will be quite strapped. I will only be able to use one thousand pounds each month…

Audrey swiftly made her decision. Then she burned the original note and wrote on a fresh sheet of paper:

“The second option. Two thousand pounds paid in advance. The remaining eight thousand will be paid after the mission is complete.”

…

15 Minsk Street. During afternoon tea, Klein once again met Mary Gale.

He had taken the initiative to ask Madam Stelyn Sammer to arrange the meeting.

“Madam Mary, after following your husband, I discovered that he went to Cragg Club. Because I am not a member, I could not enter. However, according to my observations, half an hour after your husband left, only one young lady came out. Her name is Erica Taylor. She lives at 126 New Year Road in Hillston Borough. She once worked for Cowim Company for a period of time and is currently still unemployed. I took a photograph of her leaving Cragg Club.”

“Unemployed, yet still able to live in Hillston Borough…”

Stelyn gave a cold laugh.

Mary’s expression was gloomy. She remained silent for several seconds before saying, “You must obtain substantial evidence of their intimacy. Mm… Cragg Club, is it? I will find two members to recommend you for membership, but your information must say ‘famous great detective.’ Having someone bring you inside each time may not work timewise.”

“All right.”

Klein hesitated, but still asked the question aloud.

“Who will pay the membership fee?”

“I will cover the initial fee. This is my thanks for your efficiency. After that, if you wish to remain in the club, you will pay the annual dues yourself. They should be about fifteen pounds.”

It seemed as though fire burned inside Mary’s eyes.

Fifteen pounds for annual dues. Then the initial membership fee is at least fifty pounds… A high-end club indeed… Madam Mary, you truly are generous!

Klein immediately nodded.

“I will give you the evidence as soon as possible.”

…

After dinner, Klein went out again and continued toward Bravehearts Bar in the Backlund Bridge area.

This was, first, to appear frightened and helpless before the military’s special department and the hidden police, as though he was trying every possible self-rescue method. Second, it was to deceive the mid-Sequence Beyonder of the Diviner pathway under the ambassador.

For matters involving the gray fog, Klein believed that gentleman or lady would certainly be unable to divine anything: his own resurrection and past, and the Words of Filth charm he had successfully made with the help of the True Creator.

This was a powerful item that could absolutely affect the other party. Klein had to keep himself in a state of lacking security, madly grasping at every straw, using that to mislead the other side and improve his odds.

Beneath the dark-black sky, Klein entered the bar.

Before he had time to order a beer, he saw Kaspars, the old rosacea-nosed man, standing with arms folded before the dog-catching-rats platform.

“Just in time. Maric is looking for you.”

The moment Kaspars saw Klein, he immediately limped over through the crowd.

“Maric is looking for me?”

Klein asked back in astonishment.

Instinctively, he touched Azik’s copper whistle in his pocket, considering what excuse he should use to refuse.

Or perhaps, if I use my own spirituality to wrap around the copper whistle, it will not trigger the living corpses’ mutation? Mr. Azik has been to graveyards before, and I never heard of corpses attacking him…

Klein’s mind abruptly tensed.

Before he could come up with an excuse, he saw the pale-faced Maric with malice seemingly hidden in his eyes walking over from the other side. No living corpses clustered around him.

Where are his living corpses?

Klein was half puzzled and half relieved.

Maric pointed toward the card room and led the way. Klein looked from afar and saw that there were no living corpses inside. Only then did he follow him in.

“Is there something?” Klein asked first.

Wearing a white shirt and black waistcoat, Maric sat down heavily on the card table and stared into Klein’s eyes.

“Is your commission still valid?”

“Ah?”

For a moment, Klein failed to react.

“I have a friend who has recently been short on money and is willing to accept this commission. She is stronger than me and should be able to protect you. However, she will only protect you for three days. The price is one thousand pounds.”

Maric’s voice was low and indistinct.

Why does a Beyonder willing to accept the commission only appear after I have Words of Filth… Still, this is good. It can further mislead the ambassador’s Beyonder. Once he exhausts himself defeating Maric’s friend, my chance of success will become extremely high… The only problem is how to confirm that Maric’s friend is reliable… Mm. I can divine it above the gray fog…

Klein pondered briefly.

“Give me time to consider and gather the money. This is not a small amount.

“Also, it would be best if the protection is hidden. No one else can know. As for which three days she will protect me, that will also be decided by me, certainly within the next two weeks.”

Of course, a Diviner will definitely notice…

Klein silently added.

As for money, he had considered the matter from the beginning. If selling Meursault’s Beyonder characteristic was still not enough, then he would ask Miss Justice. In any case, he had already laid the groundwork, and there was still plenty of knowledge inside Roselle’s diary that could be sold. Of course, if the price truly exceeded what he could bear, then he could only give up.

Now, although Meursault’s Beyonder characteristic had become the Words of Filth charm, Miss Justice was still there. She still owed him the value of the Sequence 8 Light Suppliant formula and information on the Secret Order. Combined, those two were worth a thousand pounds!