noveltune Chapter 134 Negotiating Cooperation and Target Location
Chapter 134 Negotiating Cooperation and Target Location
Chapter 135 Negotiating Cooperation and Target Location
Hick stood silently at the cave entrance, watching Lilith and Hughes return, their expressions filled with embarrassment and a hint of barely concealed fear. For a moment, he felt a sense of absurdity and didn't know what expression to make.
Having finally gotten rid of those two troublemakers and breathed a breath of free air for less than a day, he was preparing to turn his attention to the upcoming wizarding fraternity, which looked quite interesting, and calculating what benefits or fun he could gain from it.
And what happened? Less than a day later, they're back! And they look even more disheveled and desperate than before.
"so----"
Hick finally spoke, his voice so calm that it revealed no emotion whatsoever, yet it carried a pressure that made Lilith and Hughes' hearts tighten.
"Are you... lost in the Silent Forest and can't find your way out? Or have you suddenly found the scenery of my dark canyon particularly beautiful, making you want to linger and even return?"
A hint of barely suppressed embarrassment and annoyance flashed across Lilith's beautiful face, but she quickly suppressed it; now was not the time to worry about saving face.
She took a deep breath of the cold air, trying to make her voice sound as calm as possible, even managing to squeeze out a hint of sincerity: "Your Excellency Hick, please forgive us—we encountered some unexpected situations after leaving, completely beyond our control."
Hughes nodded hurriedly in agreement, his smile even more cautious than before, carrying a clear, almost humble, fawning quality, as if afraid of offending the other party: "Yes, yes, Lord Hick, please calm down! After we returned—uh, after more in-depth analysis and some special verification methods, we discovered—we discovered that our previous judgment might—might have been a bit too hasty and wrong."
"Oh?"
Hick raised an eyebrow with an air of menace, deliberately drawing out his words. He leaned back slightly, languidly resting against the cold, rough rock wall, watching their performance with amusement.
His eyes held no emotion, only a faint hint of amusement.
"How exactly did you make such a hasty mistake? Did that cold corpse suddenly come to life and tell you personally that you've got the wrong person? Or did that high and mighty sanctuary behind you suddenly change its mind and issue new orders?"
Lilith gritted her teeth, knowing that further concealment and manipulative tactics in front of this person were pointless and would only make her appear foolish and ridiculous. So she simply went all out and said, "You are very perceptive. It's not that there's anything wrong with the corpse itself, but rather—the true target we are pursuing is far more complex and cunning than we initially anticipated."
She spoke faster, her voice tinged with helplessness and anxiety.
"As mentioned before, the true entity seems to have been transferred or hidden at a deeper level through some means that we cannot understand or even detect!"
She pointed to the compass in Hughes's hand, which now seemed incredibly heavy: "Based on that corpse, although Vidis infused it with new power and provided directional guidance, but—"
Hughes chimed in at the opportune moment, his tone filled with genuine helplessness and a clear hint: "But the new target area—that place is completely unfamiliar to us, and we have almost no intelligence base at all."
With our current strength and means, it's unlikely we can achieve anything within the timeframe they've demanded, and—Vidis emphasized—time seems extremely tight.
As he spoke, he carefully observed every subtle change in Hick's expression, his heart pounding like a drum.
Hick remained silent, his slender fingers unconsciously tapping lightly on the uneven rock face, producing a soft, rhythmic sound.
The soft tapping sounds were exceptionally clear in the silence, each one like a tap on Lilith and Hughes' taut nerves.
He fully understood their unspoken message: the mission had been botched, the new target was even more difficult, the higher-ups were pressing for action, and he had no chance on his own. So he could only sheepishly turn back to him, the "local bigwig" and "extremely dangerous element," to seek cooperation once again.
It's true—they use people when they need them, and discard them when they don't.
These guys who call themselves "Sanctuary" are quite flexible and humble when it comes to asking for favors.
"so----"
Hick spoke slowly, his voice filled with undisguised cold mockery.
"You mean, the seemingly generous reward before was just for a wrong, worthless answer. Now, if you want the right answer, you need to pay extra from me?"
His tone was light and casual, yet it struck Lilith and Hughes like a whip.
Lilith and Hughes's faces instantly turned increasingly grim, alternating between pale and flushed, but they were unable to refute it, because the truth was indeed so unbearable.
"Lord Hick!"
Lilith braced herself, feeling her throat go dry.
"We acknowledge that the previous transaction—due to errors in intelligence and changes in the situation—has deviated significantly."
But this precisely proves how challenging our target is, and how much greater the value it may hold than we imagined.
We sincerely hope to cooperate with you again. This time, the church is willing to offer even greater and more substantial support.
"A greater show of sincerity?"
Hick seemed to have taken a liking to the word.
"For example, besides those meditation methods and experimental manuals that you promised but haven't delivered on yet, what other more attractive things can your unfathomable sanctuary offer?"
Or rather—are you willing to reveal more of your core secrets, about yourselves and about being "outsiders," to me, the wizard of the Silent Forest?
His questions were as sharp as ever, getting straight to the heart of the matter, with an undisguised sense of inquiry and strong pressure.
Lilith and Hughes exchanged a glance, both able to see the struggle and weighing of options in each other's eyes.
Clearly, they may have received certain authorization and guidelines before coming, but they still need to be extremely careful about how much they can reveal and how much they can give, as saying the wrong thing could have disastrous consequences.
"This will largely depend on the extent and decisive assistance you can provide this time, and—"
Whether we can ultimately achieve the result we want.
Lilith carefully chose her words, trying to stabilize the situation.
"Perhaps we can talk about something more practical first? Do you know anything about that area—the one the compass is now pointing to?"
Or do you possess other information channels or resources in this area that are unknown to us?
She tried to steer the conversation toward specific geographical information and practical needs, avoiding prematurely revealing her true intentions and the church's real purpose.
Looking at their cautious and deliberate manner, Hick suddenly smiled, but without a trace of warmth.
"Understand? Of course, a little bit."
He spoke slowly and deliberately, his tone carrying a sense of composure as if he were in complete control.
"After all, broadly speaking, this area is practically my backyard." News of everything, big or small, happening within hundreds of kilometers always gets through. But—"
His tone abruptly shifted, his gaze suddenly sharpening like a knife, as if it could pierce through one's heart: "Before discussing any form of cooperation, I think we urgently need to clarify one fundamental principle:
I hate trouble, especially trouble caused by fickleness and broken promises. If you still harbor any illusions and want any form of help from me, then this time, all information, all action steps, and all decisions must be led by me.
"You, and the hidden sanctuary behind you," must cooperate unconditionally and have no objections.
If you agree to this premise, then we can discuss in detail what price you are willing to pay. If you do not agree—”
Hick shrugged and made an extremely perfunctory "go ahead" gesture, his posture lazy yet exuding absolute confidence, the meaning of which was self-evident: the door was over there, and he was not welcome to see him off.
The atmosphere inside the cave instantly became extremely tense, like a string stretched to its limit.
Lilith's expression changed several times, clearly indicating that she was going through a fierce internal struggle.
Finally, as if all her strength had been drained, yet also as if she had made a firm decision, she gritted her teeth with extreme difficulty and squeezed out the answer: "—Alright! This time, all actions will be led by you, Your Excellency! We—we just need to find our target!"
Hearing Lilith's answer, which was almost forced out of her throat yet incredibly clear, Hick's icy expression seemed to soften slightly, and he nodded almost imperceptibly.
His gaze then fell, focusing on the compass in Hughes's hand, which emitted faint energy fluctuations and whose pointer trembled slightly.
"How far is the location you're pointing to from here?"
Hick's voice returned to its previous calm and began to get down to practical matters.
Lilith breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Hick finally start asking for details, but her tone was still uncertain: "Based on the energy attenuation and azimuth angle feedback from the compass, it is roughly estimated to be about 1,300 kilometers."
To pinpoint the exact location, we'll probably need to get closer and use a compass to determine it.
Hick's gaze fell once again on the compass needle, which was constantly making slight adjustments, and his fingertips unconsciously continued to tap lightly on the cold rock wall.
The mental energy in the mind operates at high speed like the most precise surveying instrument, rapidly calculating and cross-validating based on location, distance, and detailed maps stored in the brain.
1300 kilometers — northeast — this distance and direction —
A few breaths later, the result of his calculations made him slightly taken aback. Then, a strange, coldly ironic understanding welled up in his mind.
Anse Academy! It's actually Anse Academy?
He raised his head and looked at Lilith and Hughes, who were anxious and expectant as they awaited an answer. A mysterious, enigmatic smile appeared on his face.
"Ansai Academy."
Hick calmly uttered the name as if stating a simple geographical fact, but his sharp eyes, like those of a hawk, carefully observed the two men's subtlest reactions.
"Your new target, or rather, the true master your sanctuary is truly seeking, is very likely hiding within Anse Academy."
"Ansai Academy?!"
Lilith and Hughes exclaimed almost simultaneously, their faces instantly filled with astonishment and bewilderment. This answer was completely beyond their expectations!
Hughes instinctively lowered his head sharply, staring intently at the compass in his hand, as if trying to see something extraordinary in it. Then he abruptly looked up at Hick, stammering, "Are you...are you sure? Is it that—the White Wizard faction—Anse Academy? How could that place—"
"Direction, distance, all parameters match perfectly."
Hick's tone was firm and unquestionable, yet his eyes gleamed with a calm, thoughtful light.
"1,300 kilometers northeast of the Silent Forest, there is the largest and most famous gathering place of wizards in that region. Apart from Anse Academy, I can't think of any other place that fits the criteria."
He paused, a hint of amusement in his voice, "This is interesting—your Holy Church has gone to such lengths to pursue its target, yet it has ended up in the heart of the wizarding community."
Was it a coincidence? Or—some kind of deliberate adventure? Or was there a reason he had to go there?
As if he had thought of something, he continued to speculate, his gaze becoming increasingly profound, as if he had already seen some possibility further away.
"Furthermore, if my sense of time is correct, two days from now is the day of the grand wizard social gathering jointly hosted by Anse Academy and the Eternal Tower."
Hick's voice carried a hint of cold amusement.
"At that time, various forces will gather, a mixed bag of people will emerge, and there will be a huge flow of people—it will truly be an excellent opportunity to fish in troubled waters, conceal your tracks, or, for you, complete your mission." Of course, it will also be the riskiest time.
Lilith and Hughes exchanged bewildered glances. The news was so sudden and shocking that they were momentarily at a loss, their minds struggling to process it.
The target was hidden in a heavily guarded wizarding academy filled with experts?
Or is it at a time when a grand gathering is about to take place, and sensitivity and vigilance will soar to their peak?
The difficulty, complexity, and potential variables of this task have instantly increased by more than one order of magnitude!
It sent chills down their spines!
Hick took in the incredible range of shock and worry on their faces, while several thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant.
Anse College — Fellowship — Arnold —
This sudden change, ironically, created a strange, almost fateful connection with some of his original plans and curiosities.
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