Mystery: Good Witch

Chapter 863: Transaction and Honor

Mr. K...

Sherman was no stranger to similar names. She had attended another underground party in the East District, which was organized by "Mr. X". The format was similar to that of today, requiring introductions and appropriate disguises. Transactions could be made freely or written on the blackboard by the waiter. The organizer was also mysterious, wearing a hood and not revealing his true face.

Moreover, "Mr. X" has been confirmed to belong to the evil organization, the "Aurora Society". According to her friend Hugh Dilcha, these gentlemen are all messengers of the Aurora Society and their status is not low. They probably have other intentions in organizing gatherings.

"Mr. X has just been dealt with, and now Mr. K has come. No wonder Miss Angelica asked me to keep an eye on the East District. It seems that these cults like to develop their influence in the chaotic and densely populated East District..."

Sherman thought secretly, trying her best to keep her expression and movements unchanged, so as to avoid being noticed by Mr. K, who was sitting in the middle of the room and watching the behavior of every partygoer.

While others were whispering or observing others, one waiter had already written down the transaction information on the mobile blackboard, while another was walking between the tables and chairs, asking in a low voice if anyone wanted to add new information to the blackboard.

Of course, if you are not afraid of exposing your identity and being targeted, you are allowed to directly ask for a transaction, but Sherman observed for a moment and found that there was no one so bold.

So she also wrote on a piece of paper some extraordinary materials she needed for making talismans and handed it to the waiter who was passing by.

These materials are not available only at underground gatherings. Many occult shops sell them privately, but the quality varies and some are even adulterated. They are not as reassuring as those sold at regular gatherings.

"These materials are all on consignment. If you need them, you can buy them directly. Star crystal is 10 pounds per 40 grams, and mummy powder..."

Listening to the other party's offer, Sherman frowned slightly: This is at least 20% more expensive than the market price.

"Please write your trade request first. If no one sells in the end, I will consider yours."

"The consignment price is indeed slightly higher, but this includes our handling fee to ensure that it is authentic. If you need to purchase the formula, you can also do it through Mr. K. He will act as an intermediary and 'notarize' the accuracy of the information. The cost is only 20% of the transaction amount."

The waiter seemed to know that this was Sherman's first visit and explained patiently.

"I can tell the difference between the real and the fake myself."

As a fortune-teller proficient in magic mirror divination, Sherman declined the waiter's suggestion. After the waiter left, he turned his eyes to the blackboard that was already filled with content.

"The recipe for the 'Corpse Collector' potion, with some ingredients, 350 pounds."

"The complete brain tissue of a water ghost, 20 pounds."

"Hunter's formula, 250 pounds."

……

"Purchase the Warrior Path Sequence 7 potion formula for 700 pounds."

"Seeking the subsequent potion formula or related clues from the 'Pharmacist'. Price is negotiable."

The information of sales and purchases was neatly arranged on both sides of the blackboard. Sherman wrote down the demand and corresponding price of each transaction in order to have a preliminary understanding of the "prices" here. The waiter who collected information walked forward and wrote the new content at the bottom of the blackboard. The information she submitted also appeared in the lower right corner.

As the blackboard was filled, Mr. K on the sofa said in a hoarse voice:

"It's time to start."

The waiter next to the blackboard holds a wooden stick and points to the transaction content one by one, and repeats it loudly three times. If someone wants to trade, he will directly propose it and decide whether to do it on the spot or go to a small room next to it for private communication. If no one responds, jump to the next one.

It was strange, there were many potion formulas for sale, some even came with some materials, but no one was interested in them, and the purchasing information was mostly concentrated on the subsequent sequences of various channels, or the extraordinary materials they required... Sherman did not plan to buy too many things this time, but focused on familiarizing himself with the occasion and collecting intelligence, but he found many problems while listening in on the transactions.

"According to Xio, there were hardly any formula sales in Backlund a year ago, but now they are just like shelves waiting for people to buy them. In contrast, the partygoers are not interested in these Sequence 9 'entry level' formulas, and they need more formulas and materials for subsequent sequences. This means that most of them, or even all of them, are Beyonders... Even in the capital of Loen, this situation is a bit abnormal..."

Sherman used his dark vision to secretly look around, taking in the figures of the other partygoers, and gradually came to a conclusion in his heart:
Basic occult knowledge, including supernatural knowledge previously controlled by the church and various secret organizations, is becoming increasingly cheap and is spreading among ordinary people.

This can be seen from the situation around Sherman herself. A year ago, she was still him, an ordinary person mingling at the bottom of the East District, but now she has become a Sequence 6 "Joy" witch, with three "Hunters" and "Pharmacists" under her, and is still looking for a female assassin to train. She has almost formed an official team of Beyonders.

After the smog was cleared, the "severe crackdown" ended, the trading market recovered, and the problem of the proliferation of Beyonders was also worthy of vigilance. Perhaps there were many secret organizations or individuals who were constantly spreading magic potion formulas and mystical knowledge. I just don't know whether it is good or bad for Backlund...

Sherman pondered this with some worry until her message was read out and responded to by other partygoers, who bought the necessary materials at a price much cheaper than Mr. K's offer.

As she completed the transaction with the waiter, the waiter next to the blackboard pointed to the last transaction information:
"Wanting to buy the 'Witch' potion formula, 1000 pounds or 24000 Fel Gold."

Ok?
Sherman's eyes suddenly widened under her cloak. As a witch of "joy", she was naturally familiar with the formula of the previous sequence of potions, and the other party's offer was much higher than the normal sequence 7 formula, which made her quite tempted.

But her years of experience and caution in the East District prevented her from responding. This deal was too wrong. According to what Sherman had learned, it was almost impossible for a wild "Assassin" to grow to the point where he needed to be promoted to Sequence 7 without the help of others. If he got help, he would not need to buy the formula himself, and at most he would just need to prepare the corresponding materials.

So, do those who are looking to buy the "witch's" formula really need the formula, or are they looking for "someone who knows the formula"?
Analyzing calmly in her heart, Sherman indifferently moved her eyes away from the blackboard and quietly observed the other party attendees to see if anyone had unusual expressions or movements because of this information, and if there were people like her who were secretly observing others.

Glancing around, Sherman was dismayed to find that no one responded to the message.

Did I guess wrong... She muttered, and inadvertently noticed that Mr. K, who was sitting on the sofa, raised his hood slightly, and his hawk-like eyes stayed on her for a moment.

Could it be that Mr. K posted this information himself? Is he looking for people from the "Witch Sect" or wild "witches"?
Sherman was feeling a little uneasy under his gaze when she heard him speak in a hoarse voice:

"My mission is the same as last week. I am looking for people who believe in The Fool. If you have any clues, please tell me directly. The reward will not disappoint you."

The Fool? Is that some evil god?

As Sherman recalled the contents of the parties she had attended in the past and tried to find out what the name represented, the partygoer next to her who had previously asked his companions not to mention Mr. K's name raised his hand and said:

"I found a clue. Half a year ago, there was a man who called himself the follower of the Fool in Enmat Harbor and preached in private, but he soon disappeared. Maybe there are the clues you need there. I..."

"That's fake," Mr. K interrupted calmly, "I went to Enmat Harbor to investigate. That guy was just a swindler. He died on the spot when he chanted the Honorable Name... You should pay attention to this and don't make the same mistake when investigating this person."

Ah, this "Fool" is so powerful that he can punish the fraudster who impersonated him on the spot? Many people cursed the "Storm Lord" and "Night Goddess" after drinking and nothing happened. Even the police in the East District didn't care... Is He more powerful than the real gods?
Sherman smacked his lips and took this matter to heart, preparing to explain it to his men, asking them to be careful not to provoke the followers of The Fool.

----

Returning to his residence not far from the canning factory, Sherman took off his hooded cloak, tidied up his messy long hair, tied it behind his head again, and entered the study on the second floor.

After the work in the factory got on track and reaped a lot of profits, Sherman was not in a hurry to move out of the dirty and messy East District. Instead, he rented a two-story building near Liv, Freya and Daisy's homes, and kept an eye on the living conditions of the three of them at all times to ensure that he would be able to arrive in time if something happened.

Of course, it can also protect the nearby cannery... Sherman added in his heart, drew the curtains, and began to organize the materials purchased today and carry out the daily routine of talisman making training.

The method of making talismans was taught to her by Miss Angelica, including spells such as "Sleep", "Requiem", and "Dream" that clearly belonged to the Church of Night, as well as how to use a mirror to pray to oneself to gain strength to fill the talismans.

To her surprise, Triss also had extensive experience in "praying to herself", and it seemed that every witch who did not belong to the "Witch Sect" regarded herself as the source of power.

Me too... Sherman chuckled and started making various talismans.

As thin silver sheets were scrapped under the carving knife, some finished products were also completed and placed on the table. Only when Sherman felt that his success rate had improved did he take out a flat iron sheet and engrave a new talisman that was much more complicated than before based on the symbols and patterns in his memory.

As the complicated spell gradually took shape in her hands, Sherman became more and more excited. She took the iron sheet, which had no power yet, and went to the basement. In the dim and damp room, she lit candles, sprinkled pure water and essential oils, placed a small mirror inlaid with gold foil, and built a simple altar.

Then, she placed the iron talisman in the center of the altar, closed her eyes, bowed her head and chanted in ancient Hermetic language:

"The queen feared by pirates, the master of the spirit ship, the nightmare of thousands of ships, the embodiment of pain and despair, the golden Angelica Thatch..."

----

In the captain's cabin of the Dawn, the three people whose conversation had come to an end were enjoying exquisite cream cakes and coffee with lots of sugar and milk, feeling the style of Intis two hundred years ago.

Although Angel's demand for food has decreased since he was promoted to Sequence 3, he still lacks resistance to delicious desserts.

What's more, even Anne, whose original body was a ship and had become an angel, happily accepted a portion of refreshments of her own, so she enjoyed it with peace of mind.

Just as Angel finished his late afternoon tea and was about to leave, Bernadette suddenly said:

"If you are planning to advance to Sequence 2, then from now on, you must prepare your own honorific name and spread it to a certain extent."

"My own honorific name?"

Angel asked back in confusion, but he had some guesses in his heart.

She thought about the part of Roselle's diary that Mr. Fool had translated as a thank you for her collection of the Card of Blasphemy, the relationship between the "gods" and the "anchors", and the madness that she might face after being promoted to Sequence 2.

Could the "Honorable Name" be related to this matter? Believers who can chant the Honorable Name and contribute devout faith are not only needed by gods, but also by Sequence 2 angels?
Thinking of this, Angel was about to say something when he suddenly heard an illusory, ethereal voice calling from his ear.

Someone is chanting her name!
(End of this chapter)