"We’ll be troubling you for a while then, Mr. Sopea."
Elise said, "If you get any news about his identity, Mr. Sopea, you can have soone inform us."
Sopea would search for the man in the Void Technique Space, while the Dawn Council would handle the search for the real person offline.
"Alright."
With their business concluded, Sopea went straight to the third floor. If he said he’d wait, he’d wait.
Koni, anwhile, went to prepare for the dream-entry procedure, while Sean and the others also left the Void Technique Space and returned to reality.
Sean and Charles had exchanged numbers at the book signing. This head of the hater fan club, the one who sent him razor blades, was now one of the few people he could trust.
After all, Charles had risked his life trying to help him escape. If he couldn’t trust soone like that, he couldn’t trust anyone. So, when it ca to the Magic Potion, Charles was the first person Sean thought of.
Koni’s willingness to help him with Entering the Dream for free was already a huge favor. He couldn’t also ask her to provide the Forgetfulness Potion; he didn’t want to be too indebted to others.
Elvire found this both admirable and worthy of a sarcastic remark.
In essence, this whole affair was Sopea doing her a favor; it had little to do with Sean and Koni, the actual parties involved. And her ’face’ was worth far more than a single Forgetfulness Potion. Even if Sean showed up empty-handed, Koni and Sopea wouldn’t have said a thing.
But Sean just had to call Charles, wanting to handle it himself.
Elvire couldn’t help but think, ’Are all n so concerned with saving face?’
「On the other side.」
Charles was extrely cautious when he answered the phone.
The Florist Family had deactivated Sean’s previous phone number along with his ID. Fortunately, he had prepared in advance and bought several phone cards. The one he used to call Charles this ti was one of his backup numbers. The two of them went back and forth with their "code words" several tis before Charles was convinced it was really Sean—
"Where did we first et?"
"Holy Temple Square."
"What about the other first ti?"
"The book signing."
"At the signing, a female fan asked you to sign her thigh. What color was she wearing?"
"?"
’How the hell would I know?’
’I’m a perfect gentleman!’
Beside him, Elvire shot him a look one might give to a bottom-feeder. "You even signed a girl’s leg?"
Sean explained, "I didn’t actually sign it. I just drew a tally mark."
Elvire: "?"
Now Charles was certain it was Sean on the other end of the line.
Because he had accidentally glanced over at the ti, and it was indeed a tally mark.
Charles didn’t ask who the pleasant female voice on the phone belonged to and got straight to business. "What Magic Potion do you need this ti?"
He’d been very busy lately, with a backlog of existing orders. He had also just gotten a call from his master, telling him to fly out of town in a few days for the Day of Abstinence. He was to study Alchemy on-site and be introduced to a few important figures. It was an opportunity he couldn’t miss, so he’d been working overti. He was even taking Sean’s call at his kitchen door, a pot of herbs stewing over the fire and emitting purple smoke.
"Forgetfulness Potion. Do you have it?" Sean asked.
Charles: "?"
"Are you overestimating ?"
That was a Tier Four Magic Potion. He might be a genius, but not that much of a genius!
Sean quickly said, "You misunderstand. I’m not overestimating you at all. I was just wondering if you knew a channel to buy one."
Charles: "..."
’I think I’d prefer it if you kept misunderstanding.’
’What kind of thing is that to say? What does he an, "not overestimating you at all"?’
"My master should have so. How much do you need?" Charles asked. "General or local anesthetic?"
The Forgetfulness Potion contained a neurotoxin with properties similar to an anesthetic. In the business, forgetting was commonly called "anesthesia." "General anesthesia" ant wiping the brain’s hard drive, forgetting everything. "Local anesthesia" was selective amnesia, with the amount forgotten depending on the potion’s potency.
The advantage of this kind of jargon was that it made it harder to expose your identity during outside communications.
"One bottle is enough. The kind for Entering the Dream," Sean said.
"You found a Wizard who cultivates dreamscapes?" Charles instantly knew what Sean was planning but didn’t press for details. He just ntioned it in passing and replied, "Market price is fifteen. If I get it from my master, I should be able to get it for ten."
Sean had a bad feeling. "The numbers you’re quoting... they aren’t in units of ten thousand, are they?"
Charles: "What else?"
Sean: "..."
A hundred thousand for one potion? At that rate, you’d drink away a seaside mansion in no ti.
Seeming to guess at Sean’s predicant, Charles said loyally, "I can front you the money."
Alchemists had been a lucrative profession since the Era of Polymath, and they still were. With his master recomnding jobs, Charles had saved up a good bit of money this year. He couldn’t say he had a lot, but he could still co up with a hundred thousand.
"No need. I have a way to get the money. I’ll send you an address in a bit. It would be best if you could have it delivered within two days," Sean said.
Charles: "OK."
Elvire watched Sean with a playful, intrigued look.
A hundred thousand for a Forgetfulness Potion was already very cheap. Charles was a good partner and wasn’t ripping Sean off, but it was still no small sum.
The main thing was that Sean didn’t want to be indebted to others, but he still needed to get the money. She was curious to see just where this guy was going to rustle up a hundred thousand within a day.
But then she saw Sean hang up the phone and hold out his hand to her. "Let borrow your phone."
Elvire: "You want to call Kate?"
"No." Sean shook his head. "I promised you I wouldn’t get mixed up with Kate."
Besides, he didn’t need Elvire’s phone to call Kate; he had her private number morized.
Elvire asked, puzzled, "Then what do you need my phone for?"
Sean: "You’ll see."
"Really not Kate?" Elvire asked, handing him the phone doubtfully.
The next second, Sean called Elise.
"Hello, is this Miss Elise?"
"This is Sean. Lend a hundred thousand."
Elise: "?"
She was montarily speechless.
It wasn’t that she couldn’t afford it, nor was she unwilling. It was just so sudden. There was no foreplay, no attempt to build rapport or offer pleasantries—he just ca right out and asked for a hundred thousand. Anyone would have been stunned.
The most crucial point was, hadn’t she already hinted to Sean that he should ask Elvire?
’Could it be that Mr. Author here couldn’t bring himself to ask?’
Sean stated matter-of-factly, "Miss Elvire told to call you. She said you’re very rich."
Elvire: "..."
Elise: "..."
’I get it. My dear sister is using as a shield again.’
’No wonder this call ca from Elvire’s phone.’
"Alright," Elise said with a laugh. "Are you trying to buy sothing? Do you want cash, or should I transfer it for you?"
"A transfer," Sean replied. "I’ll send you the account number."
"Okay. Tell the recipient to check for the funds in three minutes," Elise said.
Elvire didn’t say a word the entire ti. She didn’t explain anything to Elise, nor did she stop Sean from borrowing the money.
This was sothing she had promised, and she wouldn’t go back on her word. Forget lending—giving the money to Sean directly would have been fine. For her... oh, no, for Elise, a hundred thousand was nothing. The Magic Potions they used to increase their Magic Power at their Tier each cost more than that.
But—
"Didn’t you say you didn’t want to be indebted to others?" Elvire asked, her tone deliberately mocking. "What, does a favor from not count as a favor?"
"Of course, it counts."
Sean took the young woman’s hand, returning the phone to her, and looked gently into her eyes. "But you’re not ’others’."
Elvire: "...?"
"WHOO!"
The kettle boiling on the table suddenly whistled.
"The-the water’s boiling. I’ll go pour it..."
Elvire snatched her hand back as if she’d been shocked, avoiding Sean’s gaze as she went to get a cup.
The hospital room window, left open for ventilation, was still ajar. Half of the windowsill was filled with the beautiful evening glow from outside, where the distant mountains and waters, painted in the twilight of the setting sun, looked like an exquisite oil painting. The other half was glass, reflecting the flustered, busy figure of the young woman inside. Sean felt that this scene was in no way inferior to the oil painting.
’So... why exactly did she use to hate ?’
’I’m clearly a guy who knows how to win a girl’s heart.’
’Hopefully, Koni can help find the answer.’
Void Technique Space, Hall of Truth, Church Saintess, Elvire and her sister... Four keywords. That wasn’t too many. It shouldn’t be hard to construct a dream with them.
Charles’s efficiency was as high as ever.
The next afternoon, the paperboy brought the Forgetfulness Potion along with the delivery.
After a simple dinner, Sean went to the church in town.
Koni was already waiting for him, holding the Dream Potion.
"Are you ready, Mr. Sean?"
The young woman blinked. "You might be asleep until tomorrow."
"Let’s do it."
Sean downed the potion in one gulp, took off his shoes, and got into bed.
...
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