Transaction

"Thirty gold pounds each? And you ordered three at once?! Mr. Devil is more affluent than I imagined, claiming to be a fallen noble... Could being a veterinarian be that profitable? If this money comes through, it'll not only solve the potion problem but also leave me with a surplus of four hundred gold pounds! That's enough to buy a house on Daffodil Street with a lease of twenty years!"

Upon hearing the amount Mr. Devil reported, Klein's eyes immediately turned into gold pounds. However, he quickly thought of another issue:

"It's fine to notify 'my beneficiary' now, but what if Mr. Devil asks me to relay messages to others in the future? I definitely can't do it as The Fool; that would lower my status. Hmm... Perhaps I can try directly materializing the images and sounds? Yes, worth a shot!"

With that thought, Klein returned to reality and tried imitating Mr. Devil's mannerisms to offer a prayer to himself. Then, he returned to the Gray Fog, edited, censored, and processed his prayer until he was certain his identity couldn't be exposed. Only then did he package it and transmit it to the Crimson Star that symbolized Mr. Devil.

Inside a mansion in Backlund's west district, Sno was spreading yesterday's Backlund Morning Post on the table, frowning as he analyzed its contents.

As the tense atmosphere in Backlund gradually eased, advertisements for Ernst Trading Company's procurement of goods began appearing in the Backlund Morning Post.

Just as he finished translating the secret code and meticulously memorizing it, everything before his eyes suddenly felt illusory. A dense, grayish-white fog continuously emerged. And within this seemingly endless fog, there was a high-backed chair that seemed to exist there forever, with a faint figure seated on it.

While Sno was wondering if Mr. Fool would choose a less dignified way to communicate, not expecting projection technology, a blurry figure in a double-breasted long frock coat suddenly appeared in the grayish-white fog. He clasped his hands together at his forehead and repeatedly said:

"I accept this transaction. However, as a price for Mr. Devil providing a diary to Mr. Fool, one of them will be free. The talisman crafting will likely take one to two weeks."

"Praise Mr. Fool," Sno said, gently touching his chest and bowing towards the high-backed chair deep within the Gray Fog. Then, he returned to his home.

Only after the fog before his eyes completely dissipated did Sno take a breath and chuckle, "Mr. Fool is still too shy. At a time like this, he should have given me an anonymous account and asked for a deposit first!"

Thinking this, he couldn't help but shake his head. He first had a hearty dinner at a nearby Intis restaurant, then went to the Chowder District to change his clothes, and finally arrived at the Brave Man Bar around seven o'clock.

"Didn't I tell you not to think about going to that gathering recently?"

Casper's expression immediately turned grim when he saw Sno enter the billiard room. Sno, however, merely chuckled and then took a coin-sized pendant from his pocket, tossing it to Casper.

Casper caught the pendant with some wariness and said strangely, "What is this thing?"

"A small protective charm. It can automatically trigger a protective barrier. For revolver bullets, it can block three shots. As for anti-magic... oh, I don't think anyone would shoot anti-magic bullets at an old guy like you, right?"

Sno exaggeratedly spread his arms. Casper immediately pocketed the charm and then frowned, "You've become one of those people?"

"Mm," Sno nodded, but didn't say anything more.

Casper looked at him with a strange expression for a while before nodding, "Alright, consider this your introduction fee! But that gathering is still a while away, I'll go say hello first."

After speaking, Casper retrieved a half-face iron mask and a hooded cloak from under the billiard table, handed them to Sno to wear, and then left the room with a limp. About ten minutes later, he returned to the billiard room. Seeing Sno already wearing the hood and mask, he nodded lightly, then led him out through the back door of the bar. After circling a small alley, they arrived in front of a dark house.

"I don't need to tell you what to do and what not to do when facing these people, right?" Casper said, looking at Sno again at the door. After receiving an affirmative reply, he took two steps forward and carefully knocked out the secret code Sno had seen in the newspaper. As the wooden board on the door was pulled open, a pair of brown eyes appeared behind it.

"Bringing a newcomer at a time like this? I really don't know what you're thinking!" the person behind the door admonished in a somewhat unpleasant tone. However, the other party still opened the door, glared fiercely at Casper, and then motioned for Sno to hurry inside.

Passing through the dim living room, the two entered a study on the first floor. A candle was lit on the coffee table, casting the room in flickering, dim light.

Seven or eight people dressed in hooded masks sat on the sofas and chairs around the coffee table. An elder, whose skin condition suggested some age, sat on a single sofa, subtly becoming the center of the room.

No one in the room spoke; everyone stood there quietly, like statues. After about five more minutes, the old gentleman softly coughed twice and said, "It seems these are all the people who came today. Let's begin."

The old gentleman's voice fell, but the room remained somewhat quiet. A moment later, finally, someone whose silhouette indicated he was a fat person spoke, "I want to buy the Medullary Crystal of the Spring of Elves. Does anyone have it?"

"This fatty is already in Backlund?" Sno's eyebrows slightly raised. Although no one responded, the silence was broken by him, and the transactions slowly began.

There were fewer than ten people participating in this transaction, and not many items were available for sale. After two transactions, Sno finally spoke, "I want to purchase a Contract. The binding force doesn't need to be too strong; it just needs to be effective against those below Sequence Six."

No one responded to Sno's words. After all, a Notary was considered an Extraordinary of Sequence Six. Although the requirement was lowered to be effective against those below Sequence Six, making it possible to use some extraordinary items for its creation, it was still not something the participants of such a small gathering could provide.

However, Sno's original target was not them.

After a brief silence, Old Master of the Eye of Wisdom seemed to find an opportunity to show off his collection. He looked up, his deep and wise eyes fixed on Sno: "How much are you willing to pay for it?"

"Anything below five hundred gold pounds is negotiable." Sno quoted the price for a one-time extraordinary item of Sequence Six, proactively adding a thirty percent premium. The Old Master of the Eye of Wisdom nodded slightly at his quote: "I happen to have a Mysterious Item that can be used to create Contract Paper for signing Contracts. Once both parties to the Contract read the text on it and leave their spiritual imprint, the Contract will take effect. Those who violate the Contract will suffer considerable damage, and the other party to the Contract will be immediately alerted. However, this paper must have the Contract written on it within three days; exceeding the deadline will turn it into ordinary white paper, and it cannot be used to establish overly complex Contracts. Such a piece of Contract Paper is worth 200 gold pounds. Do you want it?"

"Of course."