Chapter 182: Chapter 111: The Hell? You Again?

After signing a trade agreement with the two Wizards, Lance and Sico, via the Nightmare Worm, and arranging to complete the transaction after the gathering, Wei’en casually strolled around Partition 49 with Flanta.

"Thank you for your help this time, Your Excellency Faceless."

Wei’en smiled, paying his gratitude no mind. Instead, he said, "I brought some Enlightenment Potions today, but they are all perfect-grade. Do you still need them?"

"Of course. Please, you must trade them to me."

Flanta sighed internally. ’Some people brew Enlightenment Potions for a whole month and might not even produce a single perfect-grade bottle, while others offer nothing but perfect-grade from the get-go...’

"Alright. We’ll wait until the gathering is over," Wei’en said casually, sizing up the surrounding Wizards.

At this point, aside from Nana Mage and the others gathered on the central high platform, the rest of the Wizards had already scattered into groups of two and three.

Most were conversing in low voices, either trading items, exchanging information, or discussing the research report on the red moon that had been announced today.

Although he couldn’t see the Wizards’ faces clearly, it wasn’t hard to tell from their blurry and exaggerated gestures that they were all getting a great deal out of the gathering.

’Speaking of gains... no matter how great their gains were, could they possibly be as much as 1,600 gold pounds?’

This unexpected windfall made Wei’en all the more certain that choosing Magic Potions was the right path.

In contrast, knowledge related to runology was a constant money pit.

This was especially true for Mechanical Puppets. A single one cost several dozen gold pounds, and when you added weapons and equipment, the total could even exceed 100 gold pounds.

’He sometimes wondered if the Mechanical School was mostly filled with Modified Wizards—otherwise, where would they get so much money to buy materials for making Mechanical Puppets?’

Just then, Flanta pointed to the base of a stone pillar in the corner. "Your Excellency Faceless, look over there."

Wei’en followed his finger and saw seven Wizards gathered at the base of the pillar, accounting for almost a third of the attendees at this gathering.

"What’s going on over there?"

"They’re exchanging information. If you don’t have anything specific you want to trade, shall I take you over for a look?"

"Information?"

Wei’en’s interest was piqued. This was his old line of work, after all, and it was a good opportunity to find out what kind of information Wizards paid attention to.

One of the Wizards, who was clearly a Mechanical Transformer, saw the two of them approach. He gestured for the others to pause, then walked over to Flanta.

"We meet again, Flanta. Have you had a chance to verify the information I gave you last time?"

"It was somewhat useful, but it still fell a bit short of what I needed." Flanta nodded. "Luo Ke, what kind of information are you all exchanging today?"

"What do you think? The hot topic these last two days has been that Saintess from the Dawn Church... And I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure?" Luo Ke noticed Wei’en standing beside him.

"This is His Excellency Faceless. He is extremely well-versed in Magic Potions."

"Well-versed in Magic Potions? That’s a discipline that requires immense talent."

Luo Ke sized up Wei’en, his gaze landing on the number 34 on his forehead. "Hello, I’m Luo Ke, from the Mechanical School. And you are?"

"Faceless, Spiritual Mystery School."

Wei’en hesitated for a moment, but ultimately decided not to tell the truth.

He still remembered the hostility that Jilman Wizard, the Mechanical Transformer he’d met in Basil District, had shown toward the Ghost Soul School.

"Spiritual Mystery School? Are you with Nana Mage?"

"No, I’m not formally part of the school."

"I see," Luo Ke said, still inviting them warmly. "I don’t suppose you have any information, knowledge, or items of equivalent value to share about the Dawn Saintess? If you do..."

Flanta cut in bluntly, "Luo Ke, when it comes to that Saintess, surely no one knows more than our Blood Spirit School, right?"

"I almost forgot. You Wizards from the Blood Spirit School ’deal’ with the Dawn Church so often. In that case, come and join us."

Luo Ke shot Flanta a mischievous look and led the two of them into the information-sharing circle.

"We were just saying that the Dawn Saintess’s name is Xizi Sepulda, from the Carlton Empire on the Eastern Continent."

"Hmm, the Sepulda Clan?" Flanta mused. "Do people from that family also believe in the Dawn Church?"

"We’ve already covered that."

Luo Ke explained simply, "She was reportedly fostered by the Dawn Church from a young age. She’s an extremely devout fanatic."

’The Sepulda Clan?’

Wei’en had never heard of them, but the name of the Carlton Empire did ring a bell from his predecessor’s memories.

The Carlton Empire was the hegemon of the central Eastern Continent. It wasn’t far from the Drake Republic, where his predecessor had lived, and it controlled nearly 170 city-states, making its power truly terrifying.

As the group chattered on, each contributing bits of information, his impression of the Dawn Church’s newly crowned Saintess began to sharpen.

One could say that Saintess Xizi was an even more devout and pure Dawn Believer than Kali. She was passionate about combat and often led Holy Professionals on campaigns to vanquish heretics.

"By the way, does anyone know about the Heroic Authority? I’m willing to pay 100 gold pounds for information." Luo Ke looked at Flanta, seemingly certain he could provide some answers.

’100 gold pounds?’

"Luo Ke, that price is a little low."

Before Flanta could speak, a short Wizard standing nearby spoke up in a sinister tone, "I’m willing to pay 200 gold pounds, just to know what weaknesses... the Saintess who obtained the Heroic Authority might have."

"Hmm?"

’Weaknesses?’

Hearing such a pointed word, everyone couldn’t help but turn to look at the short man who had spoken. The number 21 on his forehead didn’t seem to belong to someone who would ask such a question.

Luo Ke asked tentatively, "Rudi, don’t tell me your Shadow School has designs on her?"