"Including the one in Mr. Mark's hands, seven of the twelve pledge golds have been recovered. The remaining five should still be in the hands of the higher-ups of the Holy Light Church."
Vicky whispered.
Xingyue closed her eyes again, as if the previous conversation had consumed a lot of her energy, or perhaps she no longer cared about Vicky's answer.
Only the subtle crackling sound of burning incense in the incense burner echoed softly in the silent wooden house.
"It's almost there..." She whispered almost silently, her figure gradually becoming blurred in the swirling smoke, and then slowly disappeared into the wooden house.
Soon after Kyle and Ruby went to the Adventurer's Free Market outside Osborne Town to find the intelligence dealer based on the information they had obtained, a commotion that was incompatible with the desperate atmosphere in the camp quietly grew at the entrance of the temporary camp in the northern part of Osborne Town.
A simple cart pulled by two strong beasts of burden creaked into the quarantine zone with the tacit approval of several Dragon Slaying City guards.
The car was filled with potions in rough crystal bottles, with a few large, crooked words written on the low-quality straw paper labels - "Holy Light Purification Potion".
A middle-aged man wearing a dusty gray robe and smiling broadly stood beside the car. His voice was so loud that it almost drowned out the suppressed groans in the camp:
"My fellow suffering adventurers! Good news! Great news! I, on behalf of the Holy Grace Magic Apothecary, have been commissioned by the benevolent Dragon Slayer City merchant to provide relief!"
He picked up a jar of potion and uncorked it. A scent mixed with special spices and a faint breath of holy light wafted out. It was not pure, but it was enough to perk up the nerves of the tortured adventurers.
"Everyone, look! This is the 'Holy Light Purification Potion' our pharmacy has just developed! It's specifically formulated to combat the darkness eroding within you! Just a small sip will provide immediate relief! Holy Light, be merciful to all, will never abandon any innocent person! We're giving it away free of charge today! First come, first served!"
"Free? Holy Light Purification Potion?" This news was like a stone thrown into a stagnant pond, instantly causing a thousand waves among the numb and desperate crowd.
The adventurers' cloudy eyes gleamed with disbelief.
The pain of isolation, the fear of the future, and the resentment towards the "suppression therapy" of the Church of Holy Light, which was losing confidence day by day, seemed to finally see hope.
Especially the middle-aged man’s words “never abandon any innocent person” accurately hit the deepest pain points in their hearts.
"Does it really work?"
"Holy Grace Magic Potion Shop? Is that the 'Holy Grace Magic Potion Shop' under the Holy Grace Trading Company of the Lily Kingdom? Have they also opened a branch in Dragon Slaying City?"
"Free? It's not a scam, is it?"
"Who cares! It's better to try than to wait for death!"
"Give it to me! Give me a can!"
The crowd began to riot and rushed towards the cart. The guards had to draw their weapons to maintain order and shout loudly.
The camp manager, a dark-complexioned burly man wearing the uniform of the Dragon Slaying City guard captain, and a bald middle-aged man with his chin slightly raised and wearing the standard priest robe of the Dragon Slaying City parish, hurried over upon hearing the news.
"What's going on? Who allowed you in?" Edgar Brandon, captain of the Osborne Town Guard, frowned, his sharp eyes sweeping over the drug dealer and the guard at the door. "The situation here is very complicated. Any foreign medicine must undergo strict inspection!"
"Captain Edgar, Father!" the drug dealer immediately put on a more humble smile and bowed deeply. "I'm only delivering this life-saving potion at the behest of our company and several kind-hearted priests who are concerned about this matter. You see, the guards also received permission from higher-ups before letting us in."
He nodded at the guards with gleaming eyes beside him and took out a gold-stamped pass from his pocket.
Edgar looked at the badge on the pass and frowned.
It is not the seal of the Dragon Slaying City Lord's Mansion, but the family emblem of the Lisbon family of Dragon Slaying City.
Although the city lord belongs to the Lisbon family, the Lisbon family cannot represent the city lord!
But he was just a small border town guard captain. Let alone the Lisbon family, he could not underestimate even the third-rate family forces in Dragon Slaying City.
What's more, what about the guards under his command!
He couldn't stop the man and could only look at the bald priest beside him.
This bald priest is none other than Father Linus Bode, one of the leaders of the Holy Light Church stationed here by Dragon Slaying City.
He walked forward with dignity, picked up a bottle of potion, put it under his nose and sniffed it, then shone it into the holy light lantern in the hands of a priest accompanying him.
The liquid in the crystal bottle was a turbid golden color, mixed with tiny white spots, emitting a faint but real aura of holy light.
"Hmm...it does indeed contain the power of Holy Light." Father Linus nodded slightly, a hint of subtle satisfaction on his face. "How effective is the medicine? Has it been verified?"
"Father, please understand!" The druggist immediately pointed at an adventurer who had just squeezed out of the crowd and eagerly gulped down a large gulp of potion. "Look at that brother!"
Everyone's eyes focused on the past.
All I saw was the adventurer with black lines wriggling on his arms and a painful and listless expression.
A moment after the medicine entered his throat, the pain on his face was actually relieved a lot, and the restless black lines on his arms seemed to have calmed down a bit. Although they did not disappear completely, the symptoms were indeed suppressed!
And judging by his condition, the potion seemed to still be taking effect.
He was stunned for a moment, then his face showed ecstasy. He knelt down in the direction of the drug dealer and Father Linus, shouting incoherently:
"Thank you! Thank you, sir! I feel much better! Holy Light bless you! Holy Light bless you!"
This scene was like a spark thrown into a frying pan, instantly igniting the hopes of more adventurers.
The sounds of begging, crying and fighting became more intense.
"Captain Edgar," Father Linus said, his voice filled with unquestionable authority. "The Holy Light has indeed shown mercy to these poor people. Although this potion wasn't made by the Church, it's certainly effective."
"Since it has the support of the merchant houses and kind-hearted priests, and has been approved by the guards, I think it can be distributed to relieve everyone's suffering as soon as possible. This is also our responsibility."
Edgar Brandon's expression remained solemn. He stared at the adventurer whose symptoms had eased, and there was indeed nothing else unusual.
But this potion was neither developed by the investigators of the Magic Association nor prepared by the priest in the camp. Why was it made and sent by a pharmacy in the unrelated Dragon Slaying City?
He lowered his voice and said to Father Linus, "Father, this matter is of great importance. Brother Kyle and Sister Ruby have just left to investigate the source. They are most familiar with the situation here. Sister Ruby, in particular, specifically instructed before she left that any outsiders or potions must wait for her return for verification."
"Should we... wait for their opinion? Or at least let Mage Harold from the Magic Association test the potion's ingredients first?"
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