Secrets Suppliant

At Kronos's words, everyone felt an aura wash over them-the aura of someone filthy rich. This was definitely a major customer.

But no one spoke. For any Beyonder, their potion formulas and Beyonder items were the foundation of their livelihood, so naturally, they had to think carefully.

There were only a handful of people at this gathering, mostly Sequence 9, with a few at Sequence 8. If they sold their potion formula, the buyer could immediately create another version of them. Many still found that unacceptable.

As for Beyonder items, they might not have any at all, let alone any to sell. That was why Kronos had looked toward "Eye of Wisdom."

Since no one spoke, they moved on to the next person.

The next few people traded Beyonder ingredients, none particularly valuable, so Kronos had little interest and remained silent.

"A Slumber Charm. It can be used three times and forcibly puts someone to sleep. Its effectiveness depends on the opponent's strength. Ten pounds."

Finally, something interested Kronos. Naturally, he bought it, then asked a question.

"Do you have any other types? This should fall under the Evernight Goddess's authority. Anything from the Lord of Storms or the Eternal Blazing Sun?"

His question startled everyone present. It was the first time they had encountered someone who addressed gods so directly by their honorific names.

"Your Excellency, the knowledge you're referring to is far too advanced. He probably obtained this charm by chance and doesn't know how to make one," Eye of Wisdom said.

Kronos glanced at the seller, then at Eye of Wisdom. His body, which had straightened up in earnest attention, sank back into the sofa.

After he bought the Slumber Charm, none of the subsequent items interested Kronos either. They even included Beyonder weapons with a limited "durability."

He would have been interested if their effects were good enough, but they were all heavy swords, enormous axes, and the like, completely at odds with what he considered his personal style.

Still, Kronos had something to ask. "Can I order a custom weapon from you?"

Unlike the woman in the original novel, the person selling these weapons sounded like a middle-aged man.

"Yes," he answered. "But we'll need to settle on its shape and functions before forging it, and then you'll need to pay a deposit."

"So you don't make them yourself? You just sell them?"

"That's right," the middle-aged man replied.

Kronos turned to Eye of Wisdom. "Could the two of us stay behind for a little while afterward? I'd like to sort out the custom weapon."

Eye of Wisdom gave a slight nod. "No problem."

Once the three finished their conversation, trading resumed.

"I'm selling the Secrets Suppliant potion formula. Any buyers?" The question was addressed to everyone, but the speaker's gaze was fixed on Kronos.

Kronos straightened at that. Selling a Secrets Suppliant formula-this had to be someone from the Aurora Order, utterly unconcerned about revealing his pathway.

He remembered someone like this in the original novel. The man had even sold Klein an item left behind by a Sequence 8 Listener of the Secrets Suppliant Pathway after losing control, which had saved Klein's life at a critical moment.

But he seemed to have been killed off pretty quickly, dying in the sewers. His name was probably Black Snake.

"Sorry, I wasn't quite clear earlier. I don't want potion formulas from the Secrets Suppliant Pathway, but I'll buy Beyonder items from that pathway at Sequence 7 or higher."

"Heh, coward. Sequence 7, he says. I don't even know what Sequence 7 is called." Black Snake said little else, merely tossing out that sneer.

Kronos didn't mind. A coward was a coward. Never mind that he couldn't change pathways now-even if he could choose, there was no way he'd pick Secrets Suppliant.

Was the True Creator someone ordinary people could afford to mess with? Who would dare listen to his rap? And don't bring up Ouroboros or Medici. They're Kings of Angels.

If I ever become a King of Angels, forget listening to his rap-I'll dare to become sworn brothers with the True Creator.

Seeing that Kronos truly wasn't interested, Black Snake began his real transaction.

"A considerable quantity of blood has gone missing from East Borough Hospital. Someone has commissioned a search for the thief. Five pounds for each lead."

Kronos suddenly sat upright, drawing everyone's attention with that single movement.

"I'm just guessing, so you don't have to take it seriously or pay me. Quite a few Sanguine live together in Backlund. They're not bad people, but when they need blood, they might choose to steal it from a hospital."

Black Snake stared at Kronos in surprise, not expecting such a lead. "Do you know where they live?"

"Uh, I'd advise you not to go looking," Kronos said out of humanitarian concern. "There are several demigods among them. If you go, you'll just be another dish on the table. They might even throw a barbecue party in your honor."

Everyone was stunned, and Black Snake was even more bewildered. "A little missing blood could involve demigods?"

Kronos hurriedly explained, "That's not what I said. The upper ranks of the Sanguine have their own hospitals, and those with a little standing buy their blood. The thieves are probably at the very bottom. But even the lowest among them are Vampires, Sequence 7 of the Apothecary Pathway."

Before Black Snake could react, the Apothecary beside him grew excited. "You're saying Sequence 7 of the Apothecary Pathway is Vampire? Then could I get the Sequence 8 and Sequence 7 potions by finding them?"

Kronos thought for a moment, then said, "It's possible, but you'd better not. It's dangerous. Some Sanguine hate humans on this pathway. If you approach the wrong one, things could end badly."

After that, Kronos said no more and simply held out both hands toward Black Snake and the Apothecary. "Pay up, pay up. I've revealed plenty. That should be enough."

The Apothecary and Black Snake exchanged a glance but said nothing else, each taking out ten pounds.

Then everyone heard Kronos muttering, "Information about a supernatural race and several demigods for just twenty pounds. What a loss, what a loss."

Everyone agreed with that, but they were even more astonished. None had expected this newcomer to have such extensive connections or know so much.

Before long, everyone's transactions were finished.

Under Eye of Wisdom's direction, they left one after another, leaving only Kronos and the middle-aged man selling Beyonder weapons.

The middle-aged man spoke first. "What kind of weapon would you like to commission?"

Kronos considered it. "A dagger. Something nimble and sharp. A poisonous effect would be even better."

"Understood," the middle-aged man said. "I can ask when I get back and give you a quote at the next gathering. But there's one more thing I'd like to mention. We're looking for the Lawyer potion."

At that, Kronos was certain. This was the Artisan who sold weapons in the original novel, because two years later, that woman would need the Barbarian and Briber potions.

"What incredible luck you have!" Kronos said with exaggerated enthusiasm.

The middle-aged man's face lit up. "You have it? We can trade weapons or money for it."

"No, you've misunderstood. I have nearly ten different Sequence 9 potion formulas, but Lawyer happens to be the one I don't have. Would you consider switching?"

The man's excitement was instantly cut short. He looked at Kronos irritably and said, "I'll have to ask when I get back. We'll talk at the next gathering."

Then he ignored Kronos, signaled to Eye of Wisdom, and left.

Kronos wasn't embarrassed. He said to Eye of Wisdom, "Look, he's actually angry. I was just trying to liven things up!"

Even Eye of Wisdom's refined, easygoing composure nearly cracked. "Tell me, what do you want? You've been deliberately showing off. It seems you wanted to talk to me?"

"Exactly." Kronos snapped his fingers. "This gathering isn't much use to me, but I know you have plenty of good things. Anything you're willing to part with?"

Kronos went straight to the point. There should be plenty of Beyonder items at home, but who would complain about having more?

Yet Eye of Wisdom gave him the very same response. "Until their abilities start overlapping, who would complain about having too many Beyonder items?"

"Fine. But if you ever decide to sell anything, please think of me first." Kronos didn't press him.

Eye of Wisdom considered it. Since he had nothing to lose, he agreed.

Kronos could actually have exposed his identity outright and taken complete control of the conversation, but he hadn't. It was hard to predict what a frightened person might do, and things could easily spiral out of control.

After leaving the gathering, Kronos had nowhere else to go, so he headed toward the Grizzly Bear Bar.

At the entrance, he saw Violent Bear and Gner having a drinking contest. Whenever those two met, they competed, and whenever they competed, they drank too much. Gner was fine, but Violent Bear sometimes made a fool of himself when drunk. Kronos had already experienced it several times.

So Kronos decided that this time, he absolutely would not go inside and suffer through it. As for what would happen if Gner got drunk?

Gner is an independent individual. We shouldn't restrict his freedom to develop as he pleases. If he wants to sleep in the street after getting drunk, why must we confine him to a little room?

It wasn't that late yet, so Kronos hailed a public carriage and headed straight for the villa in West Borough.

If Gner really managed to make it back to the villa in Empress Borough, Kronos wouldn't have to worry about him anyway. Out of sight, out of mind.

As the carriage passed a hospital, Kronos suddenly remembered something: fresh blood had been prepared in advance at the Empress Borough residence to supply two Beyonder items.

But the other houses had none. He would have to get someone to prepare it. He couldn't forget this, or the moment he put on the mask tomorrow, it would start sucking his blood and wouldn't let go until it had its fill.