Chapter 307
When Lucy saw this card layout during her divination, it indicated that the money she was about to earn would be at least over £2000... If she could make it, why not?
“Is it Aobode?”
Lucy set down her teacup, slightly suppressing the smile at the corner of her lips. “I heard he recently moved out of Bell Tower Lane? Apparently, he looked quite disheveled, covered in mud and sporting a scruffy beard.”
Though she knew it wasn’t Aobode, Lucy didn’t mind humiliating him in front of Miss Russell; it might even boost her favorability a bit.
“It’s not him…”
Aivina shook her head and turned to the bookshelf, saying, “Xia’er? We have a guest.”
Xia’er?
Who was that?
Which noble? What surname? The daughter of a wealthy merchant? A mysterious extraordinary being?
The moment she heard the name, a flurry of possibilities raced through Lucy’s mind, familiar faces of prominent figures spinning rapidly, yet she still couldn’t find a match.
Wait a minute?
Had there always been a fourth person in the study?
Aside from Aivina in front of her and Nia waiting by the door, Lucy hadn’t sensed the presence of a fourth extraordinary being at all.
Tap, tap...
The sound of footsteps approached, and Lucy turned to see a red-haired girl wearing a silver mask that covered even her eyes, walking toward the sofa.
Who... is this?
An ordinary person?
Could she be the one begging for mercy after her family lost everything in the casino and fell into debt... No, Miss Russell wouldn’t associate with someone so lowly.
When the red-haired girl sat down across from her, Lucy took a deep breath, ready to speak, but the girl beat her to it.
“Miss Xilufa.”
The girl’s voice emerged slowly, a dull tone resonating from behind the iron mask. “Nice to meet you. I’m Xia’er. I was also present at the Dedun Manor that day... As a member, I have some opinions I’d like to share with your company.”
A member? She was at Dedun Manor during that incident with the Holy Ascendancy?
Lucy suppressed her curiosity and replied, “We sincerely apologize for what happened that day... As for your opinions…”
“The method of the Death Roulette is a bit too cliché,”
The girl behind the iron mask spoke with a hint of amusement. “I have a few immature suggestions here for Miss Xilufa to consider…”
As the girl elaborated, Lucy gradually set aside her doubts and began to focus.
A new version of the Death Roulette? Adding props... even allowing players to see whether the next shot is a blank or a live round? It certainly increased the entertainment value for the spectators…
This also made gambling lean more towards strategy, which would definitely help in digesting the “Gambler” potion.
However, the girl’s later ideas about the “Dedun Game” left Lucy utterly impressed, and she immediately began jotting them down in her notebook.
The specifics of the games didn’t matter; what was crucial was the entire framework... This was a perfect model for producing “Gamblers.” Anyone who survived the game, as long as they had a bit of wit, could almost certainly digest the “Gambler” potion and become extraordinary.
Moreover, the stakes outside the game could also bring Dedun Manor a significant extra income... Those noble merchants would surely be very interested.
This was a perfect fit for Dedun Manor, a new-age “Colosseum.”
“Thank you so much, Miss Xia’er,”
Lucy set her notebook down, speaking sincerely. “I’ll send these suggestions to headquarters tonight. If they’re adopted, there will definitely be a handsome reward. May I ask for your address, Miss Xia’er?”
At this moment, Lucy was already considering how to recruit the girl named Xia’er.
This girl could definitely digest the “Gambler” potion perfectly.
As long as she could endure the grueling “Harbinger of Misfortune,” becoming a “Destined One” was just a matter of time.
If she could learn Xia’er’s address, she would have a clearer understanding of her background in reality.
“Let’s skip the reward,”
Xia’er still wore a smile, but now her hand rested on her mask as she slowly spoke. “Miss Lucy, please be prepared; your spiritual alert might... ring a little.”
Lucy: “Huh?”
In her line of sight, the iron mask was slowly removed, revealing dark red pupils...
The moment she locked eyes with those pupils, everything before her blurred, and the once-normal girl transformed into chaotic lines. A violent buzzing echoed in Lucy’s mind.
Thud—
Lucy suddenly straightened up, her right hand instinctively reaching for her waist, but she quickly gasped and sat back down.
Unbeknownst to her, her back was already drenched in cold sweat as she stared incredulously at the girl before her.
Now, looking directly into those dark red pupils, the initial shock of their first encounter had faded, but the lingering fear in her heart remained.
“Sorry, I... lost my composure.”
Lucy reached for the cup on the table and downed the tea in one gulp.
At that moment, Aivina glanced at Lucy, then at Xia’er, puzzled.
Xia’er wasn’t carrying any sealing items; why did Miss Lucy stand at attention?
Lucy herself felt it was absurd... to develop a fear of an ordinary person; no one would believe such a thing if she told them.
Had she inhaled too much snuff and started hallucinating? Did the small workshop’s product get spiked?
The girl before her, with a friendly smile, seemed far more approachable than Aivina, yet Lucy couldn’t shake the fear in her heart and had to avoid prolonged eye contact.
“Miss Lucy, let’s talk about business now.”
Seeing that Lucy had somewhat recovered, Xia’er continued, “The ‘Subverter’ from the Pleasure Society has arrived in Bole City.”
Lucy: “Huh?”
Just as she was regaining her composure, Lucy’s mind momentarily stalled again.
Hearing the term “Subverter” from an ordinary person felt a bit jarring, but...
“How could the ‘Subverter’ from the Pleasure Society possibly expose their whereabouts... Miss Xia’er, where did you get this information?”
Lucy shook her head, clearly skeptical.
Did she think “Subverters” were as common as cabbages, just wandering around?
Many historical events were only understood long after they occurred, revealing the potential presence of Subverters behind them... If their whereabouts could be traced, that “Subverter” might as well be dead.
“According to reliable intelligence from the organization... it’s true,”
Xia’er replied. “The ‘Subverter’ codenamed ‘Keybearer’ has indeed arrived in Bole City.”
“Org... organization?”
Lucy looked at Aivina, puzzled, and asked, “What organization?”
Aivina glanced at Xia’er, and upon seeing her nod, turned back to Lucy and said:
“The organization behind Miss Xia’er has exceptional intelligence capabilities; they even had prior knowledge of the Holy Ascendancy’s presence at Dedun Manor…”
“Ah?”
Lucy shifted her gaze from Aivina to Xia’er, exclaiming, “You knew in advance? But why didn’t you inform the group…”
“The group has a mole, Lady Lucy,”
Xia’er simply smiled and shook her head, explaining, “We’ve taken measures to minimize casualties while helping you deal with those cultists.”
You... dealt with them?
No wonder so many cultists died on the spot; it turned out there was a secret organization conspiring behind the scenes.
And from the expression on Miss Russell’s face, it was clear she completely trusted the mysterious Xia’er, likely having witnessed the capabilities of her organization firsthand...
Wait...
Xia’er had mentioned she was also present at Dedun Manor when the incident occurred...
So Miss Russell and Miss Xia’er intervened in that matter together? No wonder they hadn’t found anything after so long of investigation...
She was definitely not an ordinary person...
In an instant, Lucy connected the dots.
She looked up at the smiling red-haired girl, suppressing the inexplicable fear surging within her, took a deep breath, and said:
“I won’t speak of our conversation this afternoon, Miss Xia’er.”
Setting the stage for her invitation, demonstrating abilities she didn’t fully understand, and revealing such confidential matters... it was clear that everything that had just transpired was merely a test of her character.
She had already learned the secret of that hidden organization, and it seemed they didn’t mind her knowing; Lucy was certain they had a backup plan.
Otherwise, how could it be that until now, there had been no news about this organization?
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