Chapter 33: The Potioneer, Arrives!

The major theft case involving the Evil God cult and the terrifying evil spirit that had taken place in the Bay District a few days earlier had already spread throughout the entire city of Augland.

Ansel had naturally heard about it.

Ethel even knew that it was the damn evil spirit’s attempt to leave its mark on Augland.

However, the case had occurred in the Bay District, so it naturally fell outside the jurisdiction of the police station in the Mist District.

But at this very moment, the important files in his hands allowed him to see many things from an entirely different perspective.

They contained detailed transaction records, photographs, file stubs, and more.

The money-laundering accounts, the funds, the time of every transaction, the location of each bank—every detail could be verified with absolute certainty.

These crucial documents recorded the contraband smuggled between the mafia controlled by Viscount Brynn and the Evil God Esoteric Sect.

They were enough to send Viscount Brynn to prison for the rest of his life.

The evil spirit that had carried out the blood sacrifice was certainly terrifying.

But the people who had died were all members of the mafia. Their deaths were hardly worthy of pity.

The hypocritical Viscount Brynn, who had cried out to catch a thief while being one himself, was the true accomplice of the Evil God—the real “devil.”

After examining the documents for a long while, Ansel gritted his teeth and spat viciously,

“That damned beast won’t be eating prison food. He’s going to eat a bullet—and there’ll be plenty to fill him up!”

………………

After watching the tomboyish newspaper girl hand the documents over to Ansel, Zorn boarded a carriage bound for Adolf Monastery.

Amid the rhythmic clatter of hooves and wheels, Zorn closed his eyes and rested.

Viscount Brynn was not someone Zorn could deal with at present.

But Zorn could make use of the official authorities to strike him a devastating blow.

That would draw both the Church and the authorities of Augland into the matter. Even if the influence was only indirect, it would still help Zorn expand his “Stigmata.”

By handing the documents to Ansel, Zorn had already achieved his objective.

Since Viscount Brynn had transported contraband from the depths of the sea to Augland and traded it with the Evil God Esoteric Sect, some of those resources had undoubtedly fallen into the hands of the evil spirits within the sect.

Zorn had severed that supply route.

To a certain extent, he had curbed the sect’s dealings while also restraining, to some degree, the growth of the other evil spirit bosses operating in the same field.

If Zorn’s guess was correct, the Evil God Esoteric Sect that had traded with Viscount Brynn certainly included the fanatical organization known as the Forbidden Bloodline.

And the outbreak of this Rat Plague—

………………

was not being secretly driven forward solely by those lunatics from the Forbidden Bloodline.

There was also another fellow boss who possessed the remains of an Evil God and was meddling with the power of the Forbidden Bloodline.

Otherwise, the Stigmata of the “Evil God’s Revelation Rite,” which involved only a handful of people, could never have produced such astonishing effects.

It was precisely for that reason that the Rat Plague’s area of influence had become so vast.

This time, Zorn had cut off an important source of resources.

It should be enough to slow and weaken the destructive force of the Rat Plague to a certain extent.

Zorn was uncertain how the fellow boss within the Forbidden Bloodline would ultimately come into being.

Would the “Golden Rat King,” who fought his way through countless rat kings, devour the remains of the Evil God and become the terrifying Golden Crown: Calamity Rat King?

Or would that other unfortunate soul, likewise toyed with by fate, touch the forbidden power of the bloodline, mutate into a lesser aberrant species, and be absorbed by the Golden Rat King—becoming the terrifying Bloodsource: Lesser One: Rat King Knight?

Regardless of which form emerged, one thing was certain: the Rat Plague had already arrived, and it was about to grow increasingly severe.

The authorities had already taken notice.

And Zorn also needed to make his preparations.

Amid this calamity that was soon to sweep across the entirety of Augland, he intended to profit enormously and fill his coffers to bursting.

The other evil spirits were all enjoying the generous funding provided by the Evil God Esoteric Sect to nurture their growth.

Zorn naturally could not afford to fall behind.

………………

At four in the afternoon, the bells of the Holy Blazing Sun Church rang in the distance.

As the carriage turned onto Goro Long Street, the coachman bathed in the sunlight and the ringing of the bells. He crossed his hands over his chest and offered a brief prayer to the great Holy Blazing Sun.

He praised the greatness of the Lord and gave thanks for their safe return from the depths of the Gray Mist.

He had not wanted to make the journey in the first place, but the respectable and generous customer had paid far too much.

Fortunately, they had returned safely.

Inside the carriage, Zorn held the monster chest and was extremely satisfied with what he had gained from this trip to the Witch Monastery.

He had spent roughly one hundred and sixty pounds.

The resources he had purchased were more than ample.

Many of the miscellaneous materials required for various rituals could not be bought anywhere else.

Theresa, the bishop known as the “Grandmother of Spirit Witches,” made a living from this very trade, and she possessed a truly enormous stock of resources.

Tonight, Zorn would be able to set up traps to capture the plague rats.

In addition, Bishop Theresa had told him that the first batch of Purpleblood Luminescent Grass would arrive soon.

As soon as he stepped down from the carriage, Zorn saw Vanessa waiting by the entrance.

“Master Zorn!”

A smile lingered at the corners of her eyes. Wearing a short maid’s skirt and flat leather shoes, Vanessa hurried toward him with light steps, eager to help him carry the chest.

Yet even after exerting all her strength, her fair face flushing slightly red, she still could not lift the brown monster chest Zorn had placed on the ground.

“I’ll carry it myself.”

Zorn smiled.

The brown monster chest had a sizable interior, and it was packed with quite a few things.

“Very well!”

Vanessa nodded obediently and followed behind him.

“Master Zorn, Grandpa Gronk has returned. There’s also a very tall gentleman here to see you. He arrived not long ago and is waiting in the parlor.”

“Oh?”

Zorn raised his brows slightly, already having a vague idea of who it was.

When he entered the hall, he saw the visitor in the parlor beyond the decorative greenery.

The man wore a white shirt beneath a well-fitted black formal suit, with a tall black top hat on his head.

A silver pocket watch hung from his chest, making it clear that he was a man who valued punctuality.

Just as Vanessa had said, he was very tall. The old butler Gronk was already far from short, yet this gentleman still stood half a head taller than him.

His eyes were a pale golden hue, his nose high-bridged, his cheekbones prominent, and his gaze composed.

When Zorn entered the parlor, a calm smile spread across the man’s face. He rose and greeted him courteously.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Zorn.”

“I had not expected you to be so young. You are still in school, are you not?”

A faint smile curved Zorn’s lips.

He had guessed that this potion master, Mr. Vladimir Korkin, had spent the past few days investigating him.

Since the man intended to cooperate with him, there was nothing unreasonable about learning more about Zorn’s background.

And by using age as his opening, the man was clearly expressing a degree of concern.

Youth suggested naivety, ignorance, immaturity, insufficient experience and patience, and a tendency to make mistakes.

“Mr. Potion Master of Sequence Two, contrary to your concerns, I believe youth grants me limitless possibilities.”

Zorn’s words caused the potion master Vladimir’s expression to change abruptly.

His supernatural sequence was that of a Potion Master—a closely guarded secret known to very few.

The moment the young nobleman had entered, he had carefully examined him.

The Potion Master’s judgment was that the young nobleman was most likely an ordinary person.

Yet the other man had seen through his true identity at a glance.

Moreover, Potion Master Vladimir noticed a detail.

The old butler standing nearby had shown no expression of surprise.

“He is a supernatural being as well.”

“And a powerful supernatural being who excels at concealing his strength.”

In an instant, Potion Master Vladimir became cautious and vigilant.