452 Bensons Decision (1/2)

Townshend Street, in between Empress Borough and West Borough.

Xio Derecha was standing in a dark, secluded alley. Even without looking up, she could see the countless magnificent palaces and tall Gothic towers in the distance.

It was the highest district in the whole of Backlund, and it was also where the Loen royal family resided.

It shared the same or even slightly higher status as the White Maple Palace of Intis and the Aurmir Palace of the Feysac Empire in the Southern and Northern Continent and in the entire world, but its name was neither romantic nor ancient.

It was called the Sodela Palace, and in ancient Feysac, it meant ”balance.”

Xio looked away from the famous ”Bell of Order” and directed her sight to the other side of the alley.

In the shadows where the street lamps didn't shine, a figure slowly walked out.

The figure wore a golden mask that revealed the lower half of his face. He was none other than the mysterious person who had previously sold the Sheriff formula to Xio and had occasionally entrusted her with some tasks.

When Xio and Fors discussed in private, they both suspected that the person was from MI9.

”Any progress this week?” the man wearing the gold mask asked as per usual.

Xio shook her head.

”No, I don't think anyone was keeping tabs on Capim before the incident.”

She paused for a moment, then she reluctantly asked, ”Do you still want to continue investigating this matter?”

The masked man was silent for a moment.

”There's no need, but if you hear anything related in the future, then contact me right away.

”Today, I'll give you a new mission.”

”What mission?” Xio was completely in her bounty hunter state, ready to assess the risks.

The masked guy laughed.

”This is a very simple mission, and it's one that you've been dreaming of doing.

”Seek to purchase the Sheriff and Interrogator main ingredients in all your circles, especially a special ingredient that can be directly concocted into a potion. If someone responds to it, we will pay for it.”

”The purchased ingredients will belong to me?” Xio blurted out a response.

This was her greatest concern.

”No, do you believe that such a simple mission would have such a high reward? Of course, if you're able to fish out the person we're looking for, it's not impossible to negotiate and let you obtain the main ingredients,” the masked man said with a chuckle.

”But I don't know the main ingredients of the Interrogator potion…” Xio hesitantly said.

”I'll tell you later. This is also our advance payment. Even if we don't find the target, you'll have the main portion of a Sequence 7 potion formula, worth more than 600 pounds. I think you're fully aware of our generosity,” the masked man said in a bewitching tone.

Generous indeed… Who's their target, and why are they willing to pay such a high price to find them? Well, if he were from MI9, taking advantage of this mission to retrieve the Beyonder ingredients of the Arbiter pathway on the market should also be one of his goals. There's no problem about wasting money… As quite an experienced bounty hunter, Xio instinctively thought of a few things.

After some deliberation, she nodded and said, ”I'll take this commission.”

”Very good.” The masked man's tone turned relaxed as he surveyed his surroundings and said, ”The Interrogator potion's main ingredients are the horn of a Flash-patterned Black Snake and dust of a Lake Spirit.”

After saying that, he slowly retreated and melded into the shadows, disappearing into the corner of the alley.

”He really told me the main ingredients of the Interrogator potion…” Xio was momentarily stunned.

Only at that point did she clearly realize how much importance the masked man's faction placed on this mission.

I wonder who their target is. It seems to be focused on some special ingredient that can be used to directly concoct a Sheriff or Interrogator potion… With this in mind, Xio suddenly froze up.

She remembered one thing. When she advanced to Sheriff, she had used a special ingredient she had bought through Fors, one that could be used to concoct the corresponding potion!

This… Is that their target? Xio instinctively decided to keep silent on this matter, to never tell the masked man anything.

She rubbed her fat baby cheeks and walked towards the street outside, ready to take a public carriage back to Cherwood Borough.

At that moment, she saw a brown carriage drive past. Her eyes were instantly attracted by the coat of arms on the carriage.

The coat of arms consisted of a single flower and two rings. There was nothing special about it, but Xio stared at it in a daze as though her gaze had frozen.

It was only when the carriage was far away, did she withdraw her gaze. Her mood immediately reached rock bottom. It didn't turn for the better, even when she returned to the shared rented house.

Seeing that her friend was in a bad mood, Fors poured two glasses of red wine and brought them to her.

”What happened?” She sat across her and pushed one of the glasses toward Xio.

Xio looked down at the red wine. After a full two minutes of silence, she said in a slightly hoarse voice, ”On the way back, I met someone I used to know.”

”Who?” Fors asked, cooperatively.

”Viscount Stratford,” Xio replied to any question she received without elaborating.

Fors thought for a moment and then she said, ”This Viscount seems to be the captain of the royal guards?”