The Blood Clan's Request

"Elaine Frey?"

Carlisle looked at Lynn with a strange expression. "How do you know Elaine Frey?"

From his tone, it seemed he knew Elaine too? After making that guess, Lynn tentatively offered an answer.

"I received a commission from her to find someone for her."

Carlisle seemed to have expected as much. After hearing it, he took an emotional step forward, even forgetting the danger at his side.

"Are you looking for a woman named 'Charlotte Fenrir'?"

Lynn, however, fell silent at just the right moment, looking as though he intended to keep his employer's secret.

Carlisle took it as tacit confirmation. His crimson eyes filled with surprise and urgency. "Mr. Lynn, if possible, I'd also like to commission you to find her as soon as you can, confirm that she's safe, and while you're at it... while you're at it, help me deliver a letter to her..."

He gradually grew hesitant. If not for the natural pallor of a vampire's complexion, he might already have started blushing.

"I'll write that letter and bring it over tomorrow. As for payment, use that bottle of Fate Potion to cover it—no, if you really can find her, I'll give you another bottle on top of that!"

There's a good thing like this? Lynn was somewhat surprised. He had already decided to help Elaine find the person anyway; Carlisle's commission was purely an unexpected gain.

To avoid any misunderstanding, he confirmed, "How do you know Ms. Charlotte Fenrir?"

Carlisle's eyes instantly began to drift, and even his tone warped a little as he said, "Actually, that lady and I are not formally acquainted. It's just that I've happened to run into her many times at social occasions, and happened to hear some news about her..."

He deliberately emphasized the word "happened," making himself seem even more unnatural.

"In short, she is a young woman of elegant bearing and noble temperament, with hair as beautiful as gold. I... I happen to have some matters I'd like to discuss with her."

Friend, your crush is written all over your face... Lynn saw through it but did not expose him, merely giving a slight nod.

"No problem. Once I find her, I'll give her your letter and pass the news on to you."

Carlisle immediately broke into a smile and said excitedly, "Thank you so much, Mr. Lynn!"

In private, he had already been searching for Miss Charlotte for a very long time, but there had never been any result. Even though he knew Elaine Frey and she were close friends, the gates of the city lord's household were not something he could easily step through.

He had never expected that this mage, with whom he had done business by chance, could actually take on Elaine Frey's commission. Just who exactly was he?

Moreover, that concentration magic he had just used was also extremely unusual—so refined, so long-lasting. His attainments in magic were nothing like what someone his age ought to possess!

The look Carlisle gave Lynn could not help but gain a great deal of curiosity, even reverence. He even began to suspect that behind Lynn stood a mysterious and powerful magic teacher, an existence he absolutely could not afford to provoke.

Along with that came some regret over having spoken rudely to him several times before, and his attitude immediately became much more respectful.

"Mr. Lynn, if the commission is completed, you'll be able to enjoy a discount on any potions you purchase from me. Also, for limited potions like Fate Potion, if you need them, I can supply them to you first!"

Lynn only gave a faint "Mm," then put away the Frost Ring. "If there's nothing else, please leave. I still need to rest."

Dawn was about to break. He basically had not slept properly tonight, and waves of drowsiness were washing over him.

"Oh, yes, yes, I'll leave at once." Carlisle still did not use the front door. He could not even be bothered to glance at that somewhat strange front door piled with tables and chairs. With nimble hands and feet, he climbed onto the windowsill. Gray mist enveloped him, and in an instant he became a small bat.

"Mr. Lynn, please, you must find her!" the little bat said solemnly. Only then did he flap his wings and fly out through the half-open window.

"Phew—" Holding back his exhaustion, Lynn quickly shut the window, drew the curtains, then locked the Fate Potion into the cabinet where he kept his money. He pressed the key beneath his pillow, and the moment his head touched the pillow, he fell asleep at once.

Early the next morning, Lynn was awakened by a brisk knock at the door.

After he laboriously moved aside the tables and chairs blocking the door and opened it, what greeted him was a fresh, delicate face wearing a sweet smile.

"Good morning, Lynn. Ah, you look like you didn't sleep well at all yesterday!" Elaine's smile quickly turned into surprise.

She carefully covered her mouth with her hand and looked over Lynn's heavy dark circles with concern.

"Did, did something happen?"

Only then did she notice Lynn's somewhat messy room, as well as the door whose copper handle had been destroyed.

Lynn weakly waved a hand, scratching his messy hair in passing, and asked, "Is something the matter?"

Elaine opened her mouth, finally remembered her purpose, and forced the corners of her lips up as she hesitated. "I wanted to invite you to have breakfast with me. Are you... free right now?"

On the first-floor dining hall of the Iris Inn, Lynn set down his utensils in satisfaction.

If there was anything more comfortable than a hearty breakfast, it was Elaine's [Sobering Spell]!

Though it was only a 0-ring cantrip, after she lightly waved her wand, it made his sluggish thoughts regain clarity, as if he were greeting the morning in the state one had after a full sleep.

"But this spell can't be used repeatedly. It does feel like you've recovered your clarity, but the body is honest. Fatigue will keep piling up, so you have to truly rest properly!"

Elaine warned him seriously.

Taking advantage of breakfast, Lynn told her about how Gray had suddenly appeared last night, then had been stopped in time and taken away by Barton.

After all, this matter was closely related to her too, and there was no need to hide it. As for the sudden visit from the potion merchant Carlisle, there was no need to mention that.

Lynn felt Elaine most likely did not know there was such a vampire who had been quietly paying attention to her friend all this time.

Elaine was very shocked after hearing it. Thinking back to how yesterday, out of sympathy for the Orc's circumstances, she had even tried to persuade Lynn to help him, she could not help feeling somewhat ashamed.

"I didn't expect Gray really was a participant in this accident. The Corruption Cult... I seem to have heard this name before. They originated from the Green Tower, which advocates nature and harmony, but their ideals run completely counter to the Green Tower's—chaos, breeding without restraint..."

As she spoke, she shivered, seeming to have thought of some image that would kill one's appetite.

Lynn, meanwhile, was somewhat surprised. He had not expected that Elaine, as a noble young lady, would actually have come into contact with so much knowledge about evil cults. This was a little different from the noble daughter he had imagined.

However, after gaining a preliminary understanding of the Frey Family, he quickly figured it out.

Elaine was no hothouse flower who had been kept high in a pavilion since childhood. She had clearly dabbled often in magical knowledge and social interaction, actively absorbing nourishment from the outside world.

Otherwise, for a noblewoman of her age, coupled with her status as a healing mage, it would have been impossible for her to appear in the wilds where Demonic Beasts gathered.

She probably has quite a few trump cards to protect herself too, just like the Shield Spell Barton cast on me... Lynn thought silently.

"The Magic Association has already taken him away for interrogation. There's no shortage of mages skilled in mental-type magic, so I believe we'll have results very soon."

Seeing Elaine's green eyes flicker, as if she were looking forward to the outcome of the interrogation, he said with a smile:

"Though it may not be that fast, we can go ask first. Also, there's something I'd like to ask Mr. Barton's help with."

"What is it?" Elaine blinked and asked curiously.

"I have a bottle of potion. I'd like to ask him to appraise it for me."