When her mood darkened, a trace of Alice's aura leaked out unconsciously, making Xio feel an oppressive force bearing down on her. She slowed her breathing and called cautiously:
"Miss Fortune..."
"Ah." Alice came back to her senses. "You said someone from MI9 asked you to investigate Viscount Stratford?"
Xio nodded, then added:
"At first, I merely guessed that he was from MI9. We first met at a gathering held by Mr. A of the Aurora Order. He promised to give me assignments, through which I could earn rewards and exchange them for Potion formulas and Potions. My Pathway, Potion formulas, and Beyonder Characteristics are mostly controlled by the royal family.
"Besides, some of the assignments he gave me also made me suspect he was from MI9. However, he always wore a golden mask whenever he contacted me, so I'm not clear on who he really is. But when he commissioned me to investigate Viscount Stratford, he invited me to join MI9 and told me...
"That I could retain my current identity and remain active in the East District."
"Oh~" Alice drew out the sound. "They need an informant in the East District."
"Judgment" Xio decided that she would later correct some of the information "Magician" Fors had given her. For example, Miss Fortune might simply disdain certain things rather than genuinely not understand them, lest Fors suffer for it someday.
Alice put away her careless expression and warned her:
"For now, don't tell the masked man about the unfamiliar woman appearing around Viscount Stratford.
"Hmm, someone from MI9... Forget it. I'll talk after I finish getting our stories straight with 'The World.'"
Getting their stories straight...?
Alice's wording left Xio looking bewildered. After hesitating for a moment, she returned to her original question:
"Miss Fortune, does Viscount Stratford... have