Chapter 244: Appointee

"What?" Fors touched her earlobes, wondering if she had heard wrongly.

*The beautiful, naive, curious, and scatter-brained Miss Audrey actually

assigned an assassination mission!?*

*Furthermore, the target is the ambassador of Intis, a powerful country

in the Northern Continent!*

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 Earl 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.

4000 gold pounds... Xio heard her own heavy breathing, but she

quickly became depressed, knowing full well that she wouldn't be able to

complete the mission herself.

*Just 500 pounds to seek out other Beyonders in our names while

maintaining it a secret...* Miss Audrey is the most generous and

beautiful lady I've ever seen! Xio quickly returned to reality.

While feeling enticed, Fors's mind was filled with questions.

Why would Miss Audrey delegate such a mission?

Is there some internal strife among nobles?

Is this the precursor to inciting a war?

*Is Earl Hall representing some important figure in a bid to make the

situation turn chaotic?*

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.

*I heard that some female Beyonders would use their bodies to trade for

potion ingredients with Mr. A... He's really a disgusting

pervert...* Fors curled her lips and said, "There's a large

transaction; I wonder if you're interested in it?"

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 an Arbiter, "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 Conspirer 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 Vice

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."

A reasonable price, but that's also an exaggerated price...

Xio and Fors looked at each other and said, "We shall return and discuss

it. At this time tomorrow, we'll give you our answer."

"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!

*For the time being, I can only use 5000 pounds. I'll still have to pay

Xio and Fors 500 pounds... Well, first of all, I'll borrow 6000 pounds,

no---8000 pounds from Glaint. I can't expose any problems with my daily

expenses. Then, I'll pay him back over four to five months, with

interest of 1000 pounds... Before the new year, I will be quite poor,

having only 1000 pounds to use a month...* Audrey quickly made

her decision. Then she burned the original slip of paper and wrote on a

new piece of paper.

"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.

*The fee is fifteen pounds a year, and the initiation fee is at least

fifty pounds... A high-end club... Madam Mary, you sure are

generous!* Klein immediately nodded.

"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.

*This is definitely a powerful item that can affect my

opponent.* Klein had to maintain his act of feeling unsafe and

his act of madly grasping at all kinds of straw to mislead his opponent

in order to increase his chances of victory.

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.

*Or could it be that wrapping the copper whistle with one's spirituality

wouldn't cause any zombie-like phenomenon? It wasn't like Mr. Azik

hadn't been to the cemetery before, nor had any corpses attacked

him...* Klein tensed up.

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.

Where are his zombies? Klein thought with a mixture of

puzzlement and relief.

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.

*Why is a Beyonder willing to accept the commission only after I

acquired the Language of Foulness... However, this is good as well. This

will be able to confuse the ambassador's Beyonder. After he

painstakingly defeats Maric's friend, my chances of success will become

extremely high... The only problem is determining if Maric's friend is

trustworthy... Hmm, I'll go above the gray fog to divine it...*

Klein pondered for a moment and said, "Give me time to consider it and

save up the necessary funds. It's not a small sum.

"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."

Of course, the Seer would definitely be aware of it... Klein

silently added.

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.

*Now, although Meursault's Beyonder characteristic had become the

Language of Foulness charm, I still have Miss Justice! She still owes me

the money needed for Sequence 8 Light Suppliant as well as the

intelligence regarding the Secret Order. Combining those together, 1000

pounds would be enough!*