In a small alley in the Backlund Bridge area, Xio once again met the MI9 personnel who were in charge of contacting him.
"This is the reward you got for your meritorious service, a total of 2,500 pounds. Haha, I helped you get 500 more pounds." The man wearing the golden mask threw a bulging envelope to Xio.
Xio caught it accurately, without counting, and instinctively pressed it and spoke sincerely:
"Thanks."
The man in the golden mask waved his hand and said:
"You're welcome. This is a good thing for me. If you still dwell on the past, I'm worried that I'll end up in a military court one day.
"Will you stay in Backlund next?"
"Yes, I've gotten used to life in a big city. When the war stops, I'll bring my family here." Xio said what he had thought of long ago.
"Wait until the war stops..." The man with the golden mask repeated Xio's words in a slightly strange tone, then smiled and said, "May God bless us all to live until the war ends."
The Lord here refers to the "Lord of the Storm".
"I believe in the goddess." Xio replied seriously.
"You know what I mean." The man with the golden mask waved his hand and said, "Then do you still plan to accept the commission from MI9?"
"I won't refuse an opportunity to make money." Xio scratched his slightly rough hair and said half-truthful words.
"Yes." The man with the golden mask nodded and said, "During the war, the main thing is to deal with spies from various countries. If there is a mission suitable for you, I will find you."
"Okay." Xio responded, and without stopping, he cautiously and carefully retreated from the dark alley.
After watching her disappear, the man with the golden mask looked towards the shadow in the corner and said:
"She was probably just used by some force, and was abandoned after they stopped investigating the original incident."
From the shadows in the corner, a deep voice came out:
"On the surface, it looks like this, but there is no need to investigate or worry about what it actually is. Even if she can find out the truth and spread it, it will not affect the affairs of His Majesty the King. Haha, the Church of Darkness has already acquiesced."
"This is for the best..." The man in the golden mask breathed out silently.
Back at their residence on the edge of the East District, Xio said to Fors, who was sitting on the edge of the bed reading a newspaper:
"I took 2,500 pounds."
Fors put down the newspaper, his eyes moved slightly, and he concentrated on calculating:
"That's enough."
Hugh had more than 600 pounds in savings, and with this 2,500 pounds, after deducting necessary living expenses, he still had 3,100 pounds to spend freely.
The formula for the "Judge" potion cost her 2,000 pounds, and the Beyonder characteristic cost her 3,500 pounds, which meant she still needed 2,400 pounds, which Fors would lend her.
After lending this money, Fors's savings will be reduced to 780 pounds. However, this has little impact on her. She has the subsequent potion formulas and main materials, and there will be no major expenses for a long time. Occasionally, she can make some money by renting out "Lemanno's Travel Notes".
"Yes." Xio nodded. "I will complete the transaction as soon as possible and strive to advance to Sequence 6 as soon as possible."
Seeing that his friend's matter had been finalized, Fors turned to worry about himself:
"I don't know when my 'Recorder' potion will be completely digested. Now that the war has broken out, it will be much safer to have the ability to 'travel'."
"The focus of the 'Recorder' must be on 'recording'. When I become a 'Judge', you will have a new extraordinary ability to record repeatedly, which should speed up the digestion of the potion." Xio pulled a chair and sat down, thinking.
Fors sighed:
"I suspect that in addition to 'recording' extraordinary abilities, we also need to 'record' the scenery and customs of different places, so that we can match them with the subsequent 'travelers'. But now that the war has broken out, it's okay to go inland, but going to other places must be difficult and dangerous. Hey, the price of bread has risen, and it has risen by nearly a quarter of a penny per pound. It's more expensive than before the repeal of the Corn Law!"
"Indeed." Xio thought about it carefully and agreed with Fors's conclusion.
The two of them fell silent. After about ten seconds, Xio suddenly had an idea:
"Actually, there is a very simple way."
"What?" Fors sat up straighter and asked.
"You can pay him to take you on a 'travel'." Xio was very careful not to mention the specific code name or name. "Every time, he will drop you off in a strange place for three or four days or even a week before picking you up again. It won't take long for you to record all kinds of folk customs. In addition, you can also rent some magical items from him or them to 'record' extraordinary abilities. This can not only enhance you, but also help you digest them."
"Yes!" Fors' eyes lit up when she heard it.
Only then did she realize that her use of the Tarot gatherings was only at a very superficial level.
After the surprise, Fors's brows gradually furrowed, because this method meant that she would have to frequently deal with the "world" Gehrman Sparrow, and she trembled a little when she thought of that crazy adventurer.
Sure enough, nothing comes without a price... In order to digest the potion, she had no choice but to take the risk... In the end, Fors made up her mind and planned to make a request at the Tarot meeting next week.
…………
In an apartment several streets away from where Xio and Fors lived.
Klein, who had returned from Serenzo Restaurant, was sitting at the table, quickly flipping through today's newspaper and summarizing the more important intelligence:
"The Sonia Sea Fleet of the Feysac Empire evacuated Pritz Harbor and disappeared..."
"Admiral Amyrius of the Ministry of Defense said that coastal defense will be strengthened, and the three major ironclad fleets will not be too hasty to return, and will take more detours to avoid ambushes..."
"The Feysac two-headed giant army invaded the Amanda Mountains in Winter County and encountered fierce resistance, and failed to pass through several major fortresses..."
"The Feysac conquest fleet attacked heavy industrial cities such as Constanton on the east coast of the Sea of Break, and a large-scale naval battle broke out with the Kingdom's Sea of Break Fleet. Both sides suffered losses..."
"The Feysac and Loen colony armies in East Balam are fighting in multiple locations..."
"The other countries have not yet made clear statements. In their respective capitals, ambassadors are rushing around to make contacts and urgently conduct diplomatic mediation... Radio waves carry all kinds of important news, crossing between different cities in the southern and northern continents..."
It was still the early stages of the war... Klein was not optimistic that those diplomats could end the war, so he put down the newspaper and thought about how he could collect intelligence related to George III's "Black Emperor" ritual:
"According to normal logic, before Blood Emperor Alistair went crazy, he was more rational in his actions. In other words, it is impossible for him to build nine mausoleums in one secret place. It would be easy for someone to 'take him down in one fell swoop', leading to a failed resurrection.
"So, there should be eight similar mausoleums in the area around Backlund and in other parts of the kingdom. They have not yet been exposed and may not be as well protected as Ruins No. 1. This may mean there is an opportunity...
"The Red Angel ghost might know something, but I can't contact him now. Putting aside the question of whether reciting his name would be dangerous, this action alone would expose my intention to prevent George III from becoming the Black Emperor. For a terrible conspirator, there are too many things that can be used.
"The 'Mysterious Queen' may have some channels and clues, but I can't just rely on her... The Church probably doesn't know how many secret relics of the 'Blood Emperor' there are and where they are...
"Start with the key figures around the king, such as the royal demigods who are deeply involved in this matter? They must be on guard accordingly, and the angels of the Augustus family and the angels of the ancient secret organization will most likely be watching them openly and secretly... In addition, as long as a royal demigod encounters an accident, George III will definitely guess that someone wants to prevent him from becoming a god...
"Oh, by the way, 'White Witch' Katarina, she is easier to deal with than the royal demigods, and less 'noticeable'...
"Well, theoretically speaking, George III, who has already received the tacit approval of several major churches, no longer needs to cooperate with the Witch Sect. There is no need for that. If it weren't for some reason that the two sides have been completely tied together, the first thing he has to do now is to cut ties with the Witch Sect.
"Of course, they probably won't betray the Witch Cult directly. On the one hand, the witches are also good at conspiracy, so they will be on guard against this. On the other hand, if they anger the top leaders of the Witch Cult, George III's Black Emperor ritual may not be so safe. This is a secret organization with true gods, '0' level seals, and angels.
"As long as George III is still sane, the correct thing to do is to follow the agreement, give all that should be given, and then send the members of the Witch Cult away. During this process, use the power of the angels in the spiritual realm and even the angel king to erase the key memories of the participants of the Witch Cult.
“In this way, even if the ‘White Witch’ Catalina ‘disappears’ for a while, it will not arouse George III’s vigilance, and he won’t even know about it.
"From the perspective of the Witch Cult, the matter is over. The major churches have acquiesced. The White Witches no longer need to hide as they did before and can move around more freely. This provides an opportunity for me and the Mysterious Queen.
"Well, Vice Admiral Disease is likely to appear again. Judging from her appearance and the attitude of the White Witch, she and Katarina should have a certain blood relationship..."
Thinking of this, Klein exhaled, looked out the window, and muttered to himself silently:
"I hope Anderson and Danitz can find the pirate general as soon as possible...
"I hope that the 'City of Miracles' in Groselle's Travels can effectively destroy the influence of the spiritual realm..."
All he can do now is wait patiently.
…………
Raging Sea, Theros Island.
Danitz said to Anderson with joy:
"I heard a piece of news. To the southwest of here, on an unusual route, there is an island with few resources but is quite secretive."