Unexpected Windfall (2)

Green cleared his throat and gave the woman a slight nod. "Hello, beautiful lady. I'm Green Wilson."

"My lord, my name is Isabella, but you may call me Isa. Miss Franton sent me." The woman rose and returned his greeting with impeccable manners. She took a finely made leather handbag from beside her, removed a small wooden box, and placed it on the coffee table. "Miss Franton asked me to bring you this. Please have a look."

Green smiled and lifted the lid in front of her. Inside, a crystal pendant rested on a velvet lining.

Green was no longer a complete novice. One look told him the pendant was a magic crystal, and a faint halo of magic shimmered around it. He held it in his hand and fed it a little magic. It reacted at once. The once clear, colorless crystal glowed faintly blue, projecting a thick ancient book before him. At a thought from Green, its pages even turned!

The book contained the Gelfis Meditation Method, Third Edition.

Green withdrew his magic, and the projected book vanished at once. He looked at Isabella. "Did Miss Franton have any other instructions?"

"Miss Franton said your soul was fascinating," Isabella replied. "It has a color she's never seen before. She hopes to see you again, and she wishes you luck."

Green's heart sank. What does that mean? Can that woman see through people's souls? Did she notice something different about mine? Could she tell I came from another world? The thought broke him out in a cold sweat. But after a shiver, he calmed down. No. This world doesn't even have a concept of crossing between worlds. Even if she noticed something unusual about my soul, she wouldn't suspect that. And that woman behaves strangely. She gave me a Meditation Method for nothing, but she doesn't seem to mean me harm...

Still, no one offered favors for nothing. Green was not naive enough to think that mysterious woman was a living ** who had fallen head over heels for him at a glance and come all this way to show him kindness.

He had a feeling that whatever the woman named Elizabeth Franton gave him now, she would someday take back tenfold, with interest.

That brought a legendary being to Green's mind—a demon!

Demons did exist in this world, and they were **, greedy, treacherous, and vicious!

Legend said demons dwelled in purgatory. They were embodiments of evil who tempted humans into depravity and unforgivable crimes, then claimed their sinful souls. But those descriptions were not necessarily true. To Green, the talk of "embodiments of evil" was probably a lie. Demons were more likely a supernatural race inclined toward chaos and evil.

Seeing Green's furrowed brow, Isabella gave a mysterious smile. She said nothing more, rising to take her leave.

Green did not press her. He sensed there was more to this woman than met the eye, and questioning her would probably get him nowhere. He might as well wait and see. At least he now had a Meditation Method to meet his urgent need. As for what Miss Franton wanted, Green no longer cared. Demon or not, he was confident that with the Graveyard, he needed only time to grow. A powerful Necromancer feared no enemy.

After reassuring himself, Green finally began to read the Gelfis Meditation Method, Third Edition in earnest...

At around the same time, in a spacious, luxurious reception room inside Landon City's City Hall, thick velvet curtains covered the windows. A huge crystal chandelier cast brilliant light across the white marble floor, its reflections almost dazzling.

The mayor, the City Council Chairman, the president of the Magic Association, the Police Station Director, the commander of the Garrison Knights, and aristocratic capitalists led by Viscount Paul—barely a dozen people, yet together they made up Landon City's true ruling class.

They sat around a huge solid-wood table. The seating order ran from the mayor and the Council Chairman at the head, down both sides toward the door. Nearest the entrance sat the Chamber of Commerce president and a relatively young baron, marking them as the lowest-ranking members of the group.

As a leader of the nobility and a major capitalist, Viscount Paul sat just below the president of the Magic Association and the commander of the Garrison Knights. He wore a well-tailored black tailcoat. His graying hair was combed without a strand out of place, and his thin lips were pressed together in a stern expression.

No one around the table spoke. An eerie silence settled over the room, broken only by restrained breathing.

Only after more than ten minutes did the commander of the Garrison Knights finally speak.

He was a tall, bearded soldier and only an Intermediate Apprentice Knight. But he came from the nobility, and his family connections had kept him in command of Landon City's garrison for more than a decade. The commander pursed his lips, his beard twitching. "Mr. Mayor, I'm afraid I can't comply with your request. The Garrison Knights are Kingdom troops. Without orders from my superiors, I can't deploy them. Besides, the eerie beings that have appeared in Landon City lately are beyond my men. Some are even Formal Rank. This is work for the Anomalies Bureau, not us."

The mayor and the Council Chairman looked grim. But the garrison did not answer to them, so they had no authority over the bearded commander. All they could do was try to persuade him.

Unfortunately, the commander was determined not to deploy the Garrison Knights. No matter how eloquently they argued, he refused.

Everyone else remained silent, each harboring private motives and unwilling to take a stand.

As time passed, the mayor's face grew darker and his tone sharper. "Gentlemen, we agreed together to bring the Yin Spirits down upon Landon City. We even went so far as to cooperate in secret with a cult like the Tower of Yin Spirits. If this comes to light, it will shake the Kingdom and become its greatest scandal. Does anyone at this table think they'll escape unscathed? There's no turning back now. We must complete the descent of the Yin Spirits! Once they descend upon Landon City, their Psychic Energy will permeate the area and create a vast number of magic items. I needn't tell you what those are worth. The choice is yours!"

When the mayor finished, no one moved. But some expressions had changed.

Viscount Paul finally spoke. "The mayor is right. But the people of the Tower of Yin Spirits are completely out of control. A few days ago, they even tried to kidnap my daughter. Those cultists are deranged. We cannot rely on them alone to summon the Yin Spirits. We need another plan in reserve."

The others nodded. The mayor then picked up the thread. "And we must find those three missing elves. There's no time to look for other sacrifices. That bastard Lonanks and his perverse little obsession! Not only did it cost him his life, it caused us a great deal of trouble."

"I may have a way to find the missing elves." A timid voice came from near the door as soon as the mayor finished. It was the president of the Landon City Chamber of Commerce, a fat, lecherous old widower whose presence had barely registered until now. Everyone turned to look at him.

The Chamber of Commerce president shifted his bulk and smiled. "I know a very capable detective in Faerun City. He specializes in criminal investigations and is excellent at finding people. His fee is high, though, and he's arrogant about his talent. He rarely leaves Faerun City. If we want him here, Mr. Mayor will have to write him a letter personally."