"There's currently no 'Star Worm'… so I need to pay attention to what else those seeking to buy 'Star Worm' might need…" Fors scanned her teacher's letter and silently breathed a sigh of relief.
But thinking about the upcoming operation to hunt the "Secret Saint" Butis, she grew nervous again. After all, this was a semi-divine being—a Sequence 4 Saint a year or two ago, and by now might even have reached Sequence 3.
"Although the operation is led by The Hermit, being a decoy does require worrying about one's safety… and behind the Aurora Order there's still the 'Savage Rose', and angels, and an Angel King…" Fors didn't regret agreeing to Gehrman Sparrow's request; it was something she wanted to do anyway. But because the risk was high, she couldn't help feeling a bit flustered and uneasy.
This made her involuntarily imagine another possibility:
"If Mr. World could participate and take the lead, then I definitely wouldn't be so nervous and worried."
This wasn't because Fors doubted The Hermit's strength and experience, but because of Mr. World Gehrman Sparrow's accomplishments—he had hunted and killed more than one or two demigods, and just thinking of him executing a similar mission was reassuring.
Xio, sitting by the fireplace, glanced at her friend and asked:
"Are you about to start the hunt?"
"Yeah." Fors nodded seriously, then said, "Not so soon. Everyone needs some preparation time."
Hunting a demigod wasn't like autumn fox hunting in the countryside—you can't just grab your gear, gather your friends, and set out. It required absolutely rigorous and detailed planning. Fors believed that The Hermit would have to come to Backlund in person, or to some other predetermined battlefield, stay for a while, get a clear picture of the situation, before she could devise an effective plan.
And Miss Justice was still accelerating her digestion of the "Dreamwalker" potion, which might take another one or two months, or even longer.
For Fors, she could afford to wait, because she also wanted to finish digesting the "Record Officer" potion before the formal operation and perform a ceremony to become a "Traveler".
The only thing she couldn't be sure about was whether Mr. World, Gehrman Sparrow, would rush things.
I'll try to convince him, or better yet, let Miss Justice convince him—that's a Spectator's forte… Fors had just muttered a couple of lines when she saw Xio turn around and speak a little hesitantly:
"That liaison officer from MI9 suggested today that I formally join them. He said that with the new king on the throne, many previous concerns are no longer necessary, and people like him and me have a chance to be valued."
Fors listened carefully, then considered and said:
"Didn't they launch an investigation against us?
"They should have discovered that there's some force behind you."
Xio nodded: "They think that after that last incident, I was abandoned. Also, they suspect that the force belongs to the Church, the Church of the Goddess of the Night."
Xio herself believed in the Goddess of Evernight, and when she said "the Church," she naturally referred to the Church of the Goddess of the Night, but considering her friend was a believer in the God of Steam and Machinery, she added a clarification to avoid ambiguity.
"Ha, Mr. World made us fake that," Fors said with a light laugh, smoothing her hair.
She then turned serious and mature:
"Xio, this is an opportunity for you. The acting of the 'Judge' clearly requires official support. Relying solely on yourself to act as the judge of Backlund's underworld—your strength and level are not enough, and you lack sufficient assistance.
"If you can actually work in the magistrates' court, circuit court, or criminal court for a few months, your potion should be fully digested. Oh, and I heard that within MI9 there is an 'Abnormal Affairs Tribunal' that specializes in handling Beyonder cases. If you become a judge there, maybe by February or March next year you can advance to the rank of 'Punishment Knight'."
Seeing Xio clearly tempted, Fors hastened to add:
"Once you accumulate enough merits, you might be able to restore your father's reputation to a certain extent. After all, George III is dead. As long as you don't drag the issue in a direction that affects his reputation, Gwyndon II will not necessarily stop it."
Gwyndon is the eldest son of George III, who has succeeded as the Loen king and wears the Balam crown.
Xio was silent for a long time, then finally nodded slowly: "I'll give it a try."
"Yeah, once things settle down, you can bring your mother and brother to Backlund. Even though the situation is tense and food prices are skyrocketing, you'll have a quota inside MI9 to support them," Fors said, getting more convinced that joining MI9 was a good thing.
After convincing Xio, Fors entered her bedroom, prayed to Mr. Fool, and asked Him to convey her words to Mr. World.
Then, Fors summarized her teacher's reply and expressed her hope that Gehrman Sparrow could be patient.
As soon as she finished her prayer and was about to leave the room, her vision suddenly blurred. Deep red tides surged from the void, instantly engulfing her.
Fors then found herself in the ancient palace, sitting on her usual high-backed chair, but without the majestic figure shrouded in grayish-white mist at the head of the bronze table.
At this moment, only she and Mr. World, Gehrman Sparrow, were around the mottled table.
"…" Fors's nerves abruptly tightened, and her thoughts became active, racing quickly. "Mr. World, what I meant now was that it would be best if you were patient—it would make things simple. If not, that's okay; we'll start the hunting operation as soon as possible."
Klein let out a low, hoarse laugh: "No need to be nervous. I'm not in a hurry."
With the ultimate goal now being an angel-level potion formula and a Grade 0 sealed artefact, he had enough patience in this matter.
"Ah…" The Magician Fors breathed a sigh of relief and asked in confusion, "Then what business do you have with me?"
Klein replied with no fluctuation in his tone: "Don't you want to digest the 'Record Officer' potion as soon as possible?
"Besides 'recording' different local customs and practices, I think you should also 'record' all kinds of Beyonder powers, and the higher the level, the better the digestion effect might be."
Fors's eyes lit up: "Yes!"