Chapter 125 Important Revelation
The two of them walked out of the church together. Seeing that the street was mostly empty, Hobert asked Upton, "What are your plans?"
"I plan to vacation in Desi Bay," Upton replied with a smile. Now that he had regained ten years of freedom, he was filled with hope for life.
"Weren't you planning to become a businessman?"
"I'll think about that after my vacation."
Hobert nodded. "If I need to find you, I'll ask that great entity to contact you. If you ever need my help, you can pray to that great entity as well."
This was exactly why Hobert wanted to lead Upton out of the Harvest Church. While plotting an ambush or using the church as a meeting point would be overlooked by Bishop Utravsky, discussing "evil gods" inside the church could easily lead to the giant bishop's sword descending within moments!
Upton nodded grimly, feeling as though he had just crawled out of the pit his family had dug for him, only to fall into another.
However, he recalled that the "Creator" didn't seem to be like the evil gods of legend. It hadn't had any negative impact on him; in fact, it had strengthened his connection with the "masked man" before him, giving him a true backing.
After the two parted ways, Hobert met up with Xio and Fors for lunch. During the meal, they discussed how to approach the seller of the "Sheriff" potion formula.
A little after noon, they arrived at the meeting place.
The venue seemed to belong to a noble, with a spacious interior and luxurious decor.
As they settled in a corner, Hobert realized that Mr. A's gatherings were always held during the day.
Most gatherings for wild Beyonders happened at night.
Moreover, the venues for the two gatherings Hobert had attended both appeared to be noble properties.
Coupled with the fact that the royal family had been using these gatherings to recruit wild "Sheriffs" by selling the potion formula, Hobert realized something.
He had received clues long ago—the royal family had been entangled with the Aurora Order. However, without prior knowledge of the answer, it was difficult to connect all the dots.
At 12:30, the gathering began as scheduled.
Hobert, Xio, and Fors waited patiently until the meeting reached its midpoint. Xio then called over a servant and wrote on a piece of paper: "I would like to speak with the seller of the 'Sheriff' potion formula and purchase the main ingredients for the 'Sheriff.'"
The servant took the note, and after more than twenty minutes, returned. "The other party invites you to the reception room in the back for the transaction."
Xio said, "I'd like to bring my two friends with me."
"That's fine."
The three followed the servant out of the hall and into a small reception room.
Inside, a man in a black tailcoat was already seated. He wore a golden mask that covered everything except his eyes, nostrils, and mouth, making it impossible to imagine his original appearance.
"Sit," the masked man gestured to the two chairs opposite him, seemingly unfazed by the presence of a third person.
Hobert and Xio sat down, while Fors stood near the door, eyeing the masked man warily.
The masked man asked Xio, "It seems you already have the 'Sheriff' potion formula?"
Hobert stroked his chin, thinking the voice sounded familiar.
Xio replied, "Yes."
"May I ask where you obtained it?"
"Sorry, I can't disclose the source," Xio said, using the response she and Hobert had agreed on. "But I can assure you, I didn't steal or rob it."
The masked man nodded and didn't press further.
Xio then asked, "Do you have the main ingredients for the 'Sheriff'?"
"Yes, I have both."
"What's the price for each?"
"Three hundred pounds on average."
The price was fair, as Sequence 8 materials usually carried a slight premium, often selling for between 320 and 350 pounds. Particularly rare ones could go for over 400 pounds.
The masked man added, "Of course, you can also complete tasks I assign in exchange for the materials, which would be more cost-effective for you."
He smiled and said, "In fact, I sell the 'Sheriff' potion formula hoping that the buyers will complete tasks for me."
Xio asked in a serious tone, "Why are you doing this?"
"To select suitable assistants," the masked man replied.
Hobert, who had remained silent, finally recognized the masked man's voice. He smiled and said, "Did you turn the 'Secrets Supplicant' characteristic into a mystical item?"
Indeed, the man before them was the same one who had taken the "Secrets Supplicant" characteristic from Hobert at the mercenary club gathering.
Though the masked man had intentionally altered his voice, Hobert had still managed to identify him.
The masked man smiled and said, "So you recognized me after all, eldest son of the Jeffery family!"
His voice was brighter than before as he continued, "Since there's trust between us now, would Miss Xio be willing to become my assistant?"
Xio said, "Only if I have the right to refuse any task."
"Of course."
Xio glanced at Hobert, who nodded slightly.
Even if he hadn't recognized the masked man, Hobert knew he harbored no ill intentions toward Xio. After all, he had once served under her father. Not only would he not harm Xio, but he would also look out for her.
At the masked man's request, Hobert and Fors left the room first, allowing Xio and the masked man to privately arrange future meetings and communication methods.
As they left the gathering, Xio asked, "Hobert, how should I thank you?"
She didn't ask who the masked man was or how Hobert knew him. Since Hobert trusted him, Xio felt a basic level of trust as well, knowing that the man would hesitate before harming her.
"There's no need to thank me," Hobert said. "It's not a big deal—just think of it like a friend helping you pick out a dress at a department store. Oh, sorry, you don't like wearing dresses. Let's say I helped you pick out a pair of shoes instead."
Xio nodded. Indeed, she didn't like wearing dresses, as they made her look even more like a fifteen- or sixteen-year-old girl.
After saying goodbye to Xio and Fors, Hobert hurriedly took a cab to the Obsidian Bar.
While in the carriage, he reflected on the leisurely Monday he had, wondering why things always seemed to pile up at once.
By the time he arrived at the Obsidian Bar, Daly had already gotten there.
Hobert smiled and said, "Sorry I'm late."
Daly glanced at the clock on the wall. "At least you weren't late."
It was now 2:58, and Hobert wasn't sure if Daly was stating a fact or teasing him. "Let me buy you a drink."
The two ordered drinks, and Hobert got straight to the point. "I asked you to meet me for two reasons. First, I want to know how your investigation into Kate, who is suspected of being a 'Secrets Supplicant,' is going."
Bill and Kate's case would be heard tomorrow, so he wanted to know what state his opponents were in.
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