Good thing I couldn't be bothered to make another trip to the Bravehearts Bar to buy a revolver of my own from Kaspars. Otherwise, I'd really have had trouble explaining this...
Tomorrow, I'll move my shooting practice to the morning, then take a couple of extra baths. I'll study Hermes at home in the afternoon and buy a gun after Mr. Eye of Wisdom's gathering ends in the evening...
Lorry's thoughts wandered as he slowly mapped out tomorrow's plans in his mind. His expression remained relaxed as he let the police officers and their dog inspect him from head to toe.
Three minutes later, the misunderstanding was cleared up.
"You can go now.
"Remember to carry this club's badge with you in the future." The two police officers offered the friendly reminder, then disappeared around a street corner with their dog.
Good thing this is the Hillston District. If this were the East Borough, I'd never have kept my wallet... The corners of Lorry's mouth rose, and he slowly exhaled.
He looked around and entered a restaurant with a fair number of customers.
After taking care of dinner, Lorry headed straight home.
His plan for tonight was still to continue studying the relevant Hermes.
In the early hours of the following morning, he closed his book and went downstairs to the first floor.
I'm making decent progress. In another day, I should be able to recite the incantation for the soundproofing ritual fluently... Yes, I can try the ritual tomorrow night...
Lorry lay in bed thinking, then slowly closed his eyes.
Tuesday, Hillston District.
Following yesterday's plan, Lorry practiced shooting at the Sugar Shooting Club in the morning, then holed up in his second-floor study to continue learning Hermes in the afternoon.
By the time darkness approached, he had successfully mastered this passage of the incantation.
After making do with a casual dinner, Lorry took a carriage to the Bridge Borough to attend the gathering convened by the elderly Mr. Eye of Wisdom.
The Apothecary doesn't seem to be here. Looks like his research isn't going too well... He discreetly surveyed the other participants but found no sign of that plump figure.
Soon, the hour hand pointed squarely at eight.
The gathering began.
Lorry remained silent for most of this gathering. Only when his turn to speak came did he try asking to buy an item capable of changing his appearance.
As expected, no one responded.
He had already prepared himself for this and gestured for the next person to continue.
Time flew.
The gathering soon drew toward its end, entering the free discussion stage.
"Everyone, I'd like to see some other Beyonder gatherings. Do you have any suggestions?" Lorry deliberately altered his voice as he asked the others.
For a moment, the sitting room fell silent.
The elderly Mr. Eye of Wisdom, seated in an armchair, spoke:
"You may not understand the current situation of unaffiliated Beyonders in Backlund.
"Heh, we're like rats in the sewers that never see daylight. We only dare poke our heads out for a breath of air occasionally, in the dead of night.
"If we don't remain highly vigilant, those cats might catch us the very next day-by cats, I mean the Beyonders of the Three Great Churches.
"Hmm... And those hyenas from MI9.
"So every gathering is extremely cautious about admitting new members. Only after earning their complete trust can someone act as a guarantor and invite a new member."
Just then, a man sitting near the curtains gave a low-voiced chuckle. "I'm entitled to invite someone to a Beyonder gathering."
"But not for free. How does ten pounds sound?"
Ten pounds? You've got some nerve. Kaspars only charged me three pounds. Ten pounds would buy me three revolvers... Lorry grumbled inwardly.
The elderly Mr. Eye of Wisdom sounded slightly displeased:
"Black Snake!
"That price is a little too high."
He seemed to be deliberately cautioning Lorry.
Black Snake chuckled. "Emperor Roselle said, 'You get what you pay for,' didn't he? I've stated my price openly. It's not as though I'm forcing him."
"Well? Do you want to make the deal?" He looked at Lorry and spoke in an enticing voice, then added, "Don't try to bargain. I'd rather forgo the money."
Black Snake... Something stirred in Lorry's mind. The alias sounded familiar.
While he was still racking his brain, the man called Black Snake chuckled again. "I can guarantee you won't regret spending this money."
"That gathering is bigger than this one, with more participants."
"And there's a gathering tomorrow night."
Now I remember. This Black Snake worships the True Creator and is suspected of belonging to the Aurora Order. Doesn't that mean he's talking about Mr. A's gathering...? It's worth paying for. Mr. A's gatherings are quite high-quality... Lorry feigned hesitation, then nodded lightly as the other man's gaze grew increasingly impatient.
"Deal."
The elderly Mr. Eye of Wisdom sighed and said nothing more.
Borrowing pen and paper from an attendant, Black Snake swiftly wrote down an address and a secret signal, then handed them to the attendant along with a round black badge.
"Take it to this place before eight tomorrow evening."
After the gathering ended, Lorry went to the Bravehearts Bar and bought a specially made revolver and a hundred rounds of ammunition from Kaspars for four pounds.
After returning home, he continued studying Hermes in his second-floor study.
The night soon passed.
Wednesday arrived.
Lorry's schedule today seemed copied and pasted from yesterday: shooting practice in the morning, Hermes study in the afternoon, and a Beyonder gathering in the evening.
The only difference was that he finally mastered that passage of the incantation today.
I can try performing the ritual when I get back!
"I'm rather looking forward to tonight's ritual. Hopefully, I'll be able to sleep well from now on." On the carriage ride to Mr. A's gathering, Lorry couldn't help letting his imagination wander.
Upon reaching his destination, he stepped out of the carriage with his bundle, slipped into an alley, and changed into a hooded robe and mask to conceal his appearance.
Arriving at the house where the gathering was being held, Lorry followed the signal Black Snake had left on the note, knocking twice in a rhythm of nine short knocks and one long one.
With a creak, someone inside pulled the door open.
A masked person covered entirely in a black robe emerged, looking down at Lorry with a scrutinizing gaze before extending a right hand.
Lorry hastily handed over the badge he had bought for ten pounds.
The masked person nodded and stepped aside.
In silence, Lorry entered the house. The masked person followed him inside, and with another creak, the door behind them slowly closed again.
"Write your request on a slip of paper and give it to an attendant. They'll help you transcribe
"it onto the blackboard without letting anyone notice."
The masked person offered this terse explanation.
Lorry followed the masked person's gaze and saw two blackboards standing side by side at the front of the living room, covered in lines of words.
"Sequence 8 Sheriff potion formula, 450 pounds."
"Merman swim bladder, 200 pounds."
Lorry skimmed through them, trying to find a Mystical Item that could change his appearance. Yet after reading only a few lines, he suddenly felt someone's gaze land on him.
At the same time, a chill shot up his back, and his spirituality frantically sounded a warning.
Through his spiritual intuition, he sensed the source of that gaze-a man sitting in an armchair, his entire body shrouded in a black robe.
The black-robed man nodded slightly, then soon turned his gaze elsewhere.
Only then did Lorry secretly breathe a sigh of relief. He felt as though he had just escaped a bottomless abyss, his loose robe soaked with cold sweat.
Mr. A?
Good thing he means no harm. He silently murmured to himself, then composed himself, raised a hand to summon the nearest attendant, and wrote his request on a slip of paper before handing it over.
"Seeking to purchase a Mystical Item that changes one's appearance." That was what he had written.
Before you continue