Mr. K...
Shermane was no stranger to names like that. She had attended another underground gathering in the East Borough, organized by "Mr. X." Its format had been similar to today's: participants needed an introduction and appropriate disguises, and they could trade freely or have attendants write their requests on a blackboard. The organizer had been just as mysterious, wearing a hood and concealing his face.
Moreover, "Mr. X" had been confirmed to belong to the evil organization known as the Aurora Order. According to her friend Xio Derecha, these men who called themselves "Mr." were all Oracles of the Aurora Order, held fairly high positions, and most likely had ulterior motives for organizing gatherings.
Mr. X was only just dealt with, and now there's a Mr. K. No wonder Miss Angelica asked me to keep an eye on the East Borough. It looks like these cults all like expanding their influence in this chaotic, lawless, densely populated district...
Shermane pondered this silently, doing her utmost to keep her expression and movements unchanged, lest Mr. K, seated in the middle of the room and watching every attendee, notice anything amiss.
While the others whispered among themselves or observed their neighbors, one attendant had already begun writing trading requests on a movable blackboard. Another moved between the tables and chairs, quietly asking whether anyone wanted to add anything to the board.
Of course, anyone unafraid of exposing their identity and drawing unwanted attention could also call out their requests directly. But after observing for a while, Shermane found that no one was quite that bold.
She therefore wrote down some Beyonder ingredients she needed for making charms and handed the slip to a passing attendant.
These ingredients were not available exclusively at underground gatherings. Many mysticism shops sold them discreetly, but