Backlund, Empress Borough.
Having changed his appearance with the Disguise Cufflink, Lorne followed the directions Mrs. Griffin had given him and arrived outside an inconspicuous ordinary house.
According to Mrs. Griffin, a Beyonder gathering was held here every week, and its organizer was someone quite formidable.
Lorne raised his hand and gently knocked on the heavy wooden door in the special rhythm Mrs. Griffin had taught him: three long knocks and two short ones.
Creak-
The front door slowly swung inward.
Lorne saw quite a few people sitting scattered around the room. Some concealed their true appearances in various ways, such as with large hoods and cold masks, while others openly displayed their faces without a care.
His gaze instinctively settled on the man in black robes sitting alone in an armchair at the far end of the room.
The man also wore a large hood, hiding his face entirely in shadow. Even so, he exuded an air of looking down on all living things from on high.
That must be... Mr. A.
"A dangerous fellow." Lorne recalled Mrs. Griffin's warning before he left.
He's definitely stronger than me. Probably somewhat stronger than the Captain, too, Lorne judged after giving him a cursory appraisal.
Feels like a lunatic.
Two enormous blackboards stood at the front of the room, covered with rows of words written in white chalk.
[Residual wraith dust, 165 pounds.]
[Black Centipede antennae...]
Just then, an attendant approached and told Lorne he could let him know if there was anything he wished to buy or sell.
Lorne immediately wrote the main ingredients he needed for the Instigator potion-the heart of demon throat honey and the venom sac of a Dark Stalker-on a slip of paper and handed it over.
Since this was his first time attending the gathering,