Chapter 15 - 15: Win-Win Situation

Edward was stunned. Wasn't potion formula supposed to be rare and hard to come by? Then why did it seem like whatever he wanted just fell right into his hands? What kind of ridiculous luck was this? Wait, Luck? Suddenly, he recalled the last words that the limping boy had said to him— "Good luck, sir." Could it be that the boy had somehow bestowed good fortune upon him? "What's wrong?" After politely declining Mr. A's "kind offer" of other potion formulas, Audrey curiously leaned in. "Here." "You…Your luck is way too good!" Audrey could no longer maintain her Spectator state. At the same time, a strong sense of vigilance rose within her—such exaggerated good luck was absolutely abnormal in the world of mysticism. Her expression turned serious as she began considering how she could seek The Fool's help later. "My suggestion is to ignore them and leave as soon as the gathering ends." "But…" If this really was luck bestowed by the Snake of Mercury, wouldn't it be a waste to just walk away? Had he known this would happen, he might as well have asked directly which pathway he should choose. Should he find an excuse to go to the restroom and use the paper crane to ask? That crane had been sitting in his pocket for ages. He had debated over whether to keep it or not and ultimately decided to hold onto it. After all, he still didn't know why Will Auceptin had taken an interest in him. Keeping the crane at least ensured the possibility of future communication. Meanwhile, Viscount Glaint, who had been waiting in vain for someone to trade with him, was feeling rather disappointed. But then, he turned his head and saw Audrey whispering closely with Edward— "A close friend like this wouldn't just appear out of nowhere. Did Audrey find him outside…?" "Hiss! She even arranged for him to stay in a house several kilometres away…Is it for convenience? Does Earl Hall even know about this? This…This is simply unbelievable!" His gossipy instincts flared up, and his mind immediately conjured up all sorts of scandalous and melodramatic stories. But in the end, all his thoughts condensed into one sentence: "Oh, poor Earl Hall." ——— On the other side, Edward had already made up his mind— He didn't have time to wait around. He had to seize this opportunity! "If I don't have enough money, I might need to borrow some from you," he said, feeling a little awkward. "Consider it payment for teaching me English and magic," Audrey replied casually. Since Edward had already decided, she didn't press further. Instead, she heightened her vigilance, fully immersing herself in her Spectator state, keenly observing everyone's every move. "Ugh, don't even mention it. In your world, Beyonders have way too much resistance to magic. I can't even knock Susie down—it's so frustrating." "Magic isn't just for combat. Many spells are incredibly useful and convenient." ——— Over the next hour, Edward met with four different individuals one-on-one, negotiating fiercely. In the end, he successfully acquired the formulas for Hunter and Lawyer, as well as both the formula and materials for Warrior and Seer. Just as he was about to meet with the person selling the Apprentice formula, Fors approached him. "Actually, I have the Apprentice formula too," she admitted, lightly brushing a strand of her wavy hair behind her ear, still somewhat hesitant. "As for the ingredients, I still have some auxiliary materials left over from before. I also know where to buy the main ingredients, so…" Edward immediately understood. "Got it. I'll come find you after the gathering ends." "Mm. I know this is asking a lot, but… could you lend me 450 gold pounds in advance? Don't worry, I'll hand over the formula and the materials as soon as we get back. And I'll sell it to you for less than anyone else would." "Deal." Since he was going to buy it anyway, of course, he'd go for the cheaper option. Even though Fors was a notorious slacker, her reliability wasn't in question. In less than one night, the 2,000 gold pounds Audrey had given him were completely spent. Edward had successfully transformed from a wealthy man into a pauper, as if he had just ridden a financial roller coaster. Fortunately, he didn't feel too much about it—he had never experienced the struggle of scraping together pennies like Klein had. "At least these formulas and the materials I don't need can still be resold for money." ——— Half an hour later, the gathering finally came to an end, and people began to leave one after another. Just as Edward reached the door, one of Mr. A's attendants approached him and handed him another slip of paper. "This is a gift from Mr. A. He hopes to see you again next time." Unfolding the note, Edward's eyes widened slightly— It was the formula for Secret Supplicant! Great. Edward rubbed his temples. Collecting multiple formulas at once had definitely caught A's attention. No—more accurately, it had caught everyone's attention. Would he be targeted after this? As soon as he stepped outside, he voiced his concerns to the group. Xio and Fors, who had originally planned to leave separately, immediately changed their minds. "We'll go back with you." ——— On the way back, everyone remained extremely cautious, but thankfully, the journey was smooth and uneventful. Upon returning to Viscount Glaint's villa, Edward left with Fors and Xio. Audrey had originally intended to go with them, but Glaint blocked her way with the excuse, "It's too late, the Earl will be worried." Internally, he was muttering to himself, My dear cousin, the Earl knows you're at my place, but if I stand by and watch as you stay out all night with a man, who knows if he'll take it out on me? ——— [Near Backlund Bridge] This was the new apartment Fors and Xio had just rented yesterday. As soon as they stepped inside, Fors casually handed Xio a slip of paper, as if she were offering a cigarette. "Here, it's for you." Xio took the note in confusion, but the moment she read it, she jumped up in shock—though, unfortunately, she still wasn't as tall as Fors. "You—you bought it?!" "You've been an Arbiter for almost a year now. You should be able to advance to Sheriff soon. If you miss this chance, who knows how long you'll have to wait?" Xio was both excited and anxious. "But…" "The money is a loan—make sure you earn it back and pay me!" Xio immediately clenched her small fists, psyching herself up. "I'll pay you back as soon as I collect the bounty on that guy at the inn!" Edward: "…" Cough, cough. He cleared his throat twice. Fors quickly went to the table, picked up a pen and paper, and said apologetically, "Right, I'll write down the formula for you now." "Is there a washroom?" Since leaving the gathering, Edward hadn't taken any more Polyjuice Potion. By now, the effect was about to wear off, so he needed to go to the bathroom to pretend to remove his disguise. "To be honest, I was in disguise when I attended the gathering," he admitted. "After spending the evening together, I think we can be considered friends now. And friends shouldn't keep secrets from each other." That statement was half true. Making friends was genuine. But revealing his true appearance had two purposes—one was to find out who had put a bounty on him, and the other was simply that he didn't have enough Polyjuice Potion to maintain this face indefinitely. In the wizarding world, there were three main ways to change one's appearance. The most common was Polyjuice Potion, but it was difficult to brew and time-consuming to prepare. The second method was being a Metamorphmagus, but that was an innate ability. The third and most difficult method was using Transfiguration to alter one's appearance—however, that required an extremely high level of mastery, and as far as Edward knew, only Gellert Grindelwald had ever achieved it. "By the way," Edward added before heading inside, "no matter what you see in a moment, don't act impulsively." Fors was confused. "What does he mean by that?" "Maybe he's so ugly it makes people want to throw up?," Xio speculated. ——— A few minutes later, Edward stepped out of the washroom. "You're…so young?" Fors had barely finished her thought when Xio, without hesitation, grabbed the nearest chair and hurled it at him. However, before the chair could hit him, it transformed into a venomous snake, coiling around her wrist and flicking its tongue at her. Shocked, Xio instinctively let go, flinging the snake away. But the next second, she was already looking around for another weapon. "Stop, stop, stop! I already told you—don't act impulsively!" Fors was still trying to make sense of the situation. "What's going on, Xio?" Xio stepped in front of Fors, her eyes fixed warily on Edward. "He's the guy from the inn!" Edward raised both hands. "If I really wanted revenge, I had countless chances to attack you both earlier, didn't I? And even if you don't trust me, you should at least trust Audrey, right?" The two women exchanged glances but didn't lower their guard. Xio said coldly, "How do I know you won't kill us to silence us after revealing your true face?" Edward chuckled. "How do you know this face is even real?" He turned to Xio with a smirk. "Miss Xio, I simply want to know who's trying to target me. If you're willing, I'd appreciate it if you could tell me." "I only received the arbitration request at a pub. The client claimed you had committed serious offences and wanted you captured as soon as possible," Xio explained. Edward thought for a moment before asking, "Is there any way to find out who issued the request?" "They were anonymous…unless…" Xio's eyes suddenly lit up. "If I turn you in." "…" Xio's expression was completely serious. "Think about it—if you let me hand you over, I get the bounty, and you find out who wants to capture you. It's a win-win situation." Edward rolled his eyes. "Oh, sure, I sell myself, and you get all the money. Win-win? More like you win twice." Xio scratched her messy hair and reconsidered. "Alright then…how about we split the bounty fifty-fifty?" ——— [Note]: Don't forget to VOTE. It keeps me motivated.