An owl?
The owl had spoken?
Julian frowned slightly, staring intently at the owl.
Perhaps Susie, the "Dog of Imagination," had left too strong an impression on him. Despite how strange his speculation was, it did not feel out of place at all.
The owl paid no mind to Julian's stare and continued:
"Didn't Vladimir mention a batch of gemstones and minerals from the Plains of Evernight a few days ago? There's probably some Polar Light Stone in there. I just don't know whether it's old enough to meet the requirements."
"Now that you mention it, I think you're right."
Vincent nodded at her words. Only after noticing Julian's strange expression did he suddenly smack his forehead.
"Oh, I forgot to introduce her.
"This is Grace. She used to be the potion-making assistant of a Beast Tamer friend of mine. She's an intelligent owl with supernatural abilities... That friend has now entrusted her to me.
"Grace, this is Julian, one of my own kind. He fled from Lenburg to Loen."
"A snowy owl, not an owl."
Grace shook her head, correcting him in a remarkably human tone.
"Hey, that's interesting."
Julian looked at Grace with considerable curiosity. He knew that Beast Tamers could help animals become supernatural creatures as early as Sequence 8, a capability unique among the twenty-two Paths of the Divine.
"You're a supernatural creature? What Sequence are you?"
He voiced his question.
"I'm a Beast Tamer too... Vincent helped me find the Sequence 8 potion. That was how I advanced."
Grace answered.
"Interesting. You're the second animal I know of that became a supernatural creature by drinking a potion."
Seeing the curiosity written all over Julian's face, Vincent suddenly had an idea and said:
"By the way, Grace, haven't you been asking me to find new owners for your children these past few days? What do you think of this fellow?"
"Huh?"
Julian froze for a moment, looking at Vincent in bewilderment.
"Don't look at me like that. Don't you want a talking owl?"
Vincent pointed at the little owls resting with their eyes closed beside Grace.
"Because Grace is special, these little ones can all drink Sequence 9 potions.
"Trust me, having an animal assistant will make both your life and your work much easier.
"Especially an owl. They don't need much sleep, and they can fly. They're incredibly versatile."
"A snowy owl."
Julian frowned and corrected him on behalf of Grace, who looked displeased beside him. This earned a satisfied expression from the snowy owl.
Then he added:
"As for what you just said, uh... I wouldn't mind, provided Grace agrees."
"You're a polite gentleman, much better than Vincent."
Grace the snowy owl spoke in a young girl's voice.
"For that alone, you may choose one of my children. They can all drink Sequence 9 potions... But please try not to choose dangerous Pathways, such as Mystery Pryer or Criminal."
"Don't worry. I'll make the proper arrangements."
An idea stirred in Julian's mind. Following Grace's guidance, he chose the only male among the three little owls.
The bewildered little fellow was still so drowsy that he nearly fell off Julian's shoulder.
"You can give him a name."
Vincent offered a timely reminder.
"Let's call him Ethan."
In Loen's culture, Ethan was the name of a wise man, symbolizing integrity, endurance, and responsibility.
Considering that owls were associated with wisdom and insight in the cultures of every country on the Northern Continent, Julian thought the name was very fitting.
"A very good name. Thank you on Ethan's behalf."
"Thank you too, Grace."
After exchanging thanks with Grace, Julian turned back to Vincent.
"About that Polar Light Stone you mentioned earlier, can you get it?"
"There shouldn't be a problem. Two-thousand-year-old Polar Light Stone isn't all that hard to find. It might just be a little expensive.
"Lots of people in Backlund like collecting those colorful stones. Anything over a thousand years old is in high demand... They can even sell for around a thousand pounds at auction.
"But through my contacts, I can get it for about seven hundred pounds, including the intermediary fee."
In response, Julian said:
"That sounds reasonable... Still, try to bargain it down for me. Whatever price you think is good enough will do."
"Looks like you really have come into money."
Vincent raised an eyebrow.
"A little. Not that much."
Julian waved a hand.
"Then leave a two-hundred-pound deposit with me and come back tomorrow evening at six. We'll settle the balance then."
"No problem."
Once they had reached an agreement, Julian left with Ethan, then found a nearby inn that allowed pets and checked in.
The next morning, Julian left Ethan in the inn's care and headed straight for the delivery location he had arranged with Miss Justice.
Earlier, Julian had prayed to Mr. Fool to inform Audrey that he had already asked someone to bring the main ingredients for the Psychiatrist potion to Backlund. He had also mentioned that the package would most likely reach its destination before two that afternoon.
Taking Audrey's schedule as a young noblewoman into account, Julian figured she would only have time to collect it between two and four in the afternoon, while her parents were out.
The delivery address Audrey had provided was a parcel storage facility outside an office building. Julian suspected the property belonged to the Hall Family.
After depositing his neatly wrapped package at the storage facility, Julian left and went to a café across the street, where he ordered a pot of Desi Coffee.
In the afternoon sunlight, Julian sipped his coffee while watching the office building across the street.
Although meeting "offline" was taboo for members of a secret Beyonder gathering like the Tarot Club, that did not stop Julian from taking a look at Audrey's true appearance from a distance.
After all, the original novel had described Miss Justice's beauty as comparable to that of a high-ranking Demoness. Julian was very curious whether that description was true.
At around 3:46 p.m., he did indeed see a slender, graceful figure appear at the street corner.
She was clearly a young woman wearing a brown cloak, about 168 centimeters tall.
The young woman seemed a little nervous. With quick, short steps that nonetheless retained a dignified poise, she walked toward Julian's direction.
Even beneath the cloak, Julian could make out her exquisitely shaped nose and lips, along with the silky golden strands of hair spilling out and her perfect figure.
So this is Audrey... I can't see her whole face, but she really is beautiful.
He could not help marveling inwardly.
But before Julian could admire Audrey for more than a few seconds, he spotted a furtive figure behind her, following her at a carefully maintained distance.
It was a young man with handsome features, blond hair, blue eyes, and a tall, lean build.
Julian recognized him at first glance.
Isn't this the young man I saw outside Vincent's shop last night?
His eyes narrowed slightly.