Chapter 639 Confidential
On the eastern coast of the main island of Prit, in Tivyán.
During the night, at the junction of the southern and eastern districts of Tivyán, there was a small alley off the main road that was bustling with people and lights.
The alley had poor sanitary conditions; the floor was full of potholes, and countless pedestrians with various outfits walked on it, rubbing shoulders as they passed by. Temporary gas lamps hung on both sides of the road, flickering with different levels of brightness. In the inconspicuous corners along the alley, many ragged homeless people huddled there. Some looked coldly at the crowd, while others placed their hats upside down on the ground, their faces filled with pleading.
On both sides of the alley, many women with heavy makeup and elaborate dresses stood. They ranged from young to old, but most were young. Almost every one of them held a flower facing the crowd, winking and showing their charm. If any passerby took an interest in these women, they would go up to ask about the price of the flowers. If the two came to an agreement, they would enter the building behind her.
Almost all the buildings on both sides of this alley were lodging inns, occasionally interspersed with bars and restaurants. In one slightly luxurious bar, a man sat by the window, sipping wine while reading a newspaper.
This man was around twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, dressed in a distinctive suit with a dark red tie. A top hat was placed on the table beside him. He had short brown hair, and his well-defined face exuded a refined demeanor. His attire made it clear to anyone that he was a gentleman of status. His overall style seemed somewhat out of place in this chaotic alley, as if he shouldn’t be here.
As the man scanned the newspaper text on the table, he leisurely savored the red wine in his glass. He appeared completely at ease. At this moment, another person stood next to him in the aisle, a rather elderly woman.
“Mr. Vorn… please listen to me, Fiya is also a pitiful girl. Her father worked in a factory and got caught in the machinery and died. Her mother went to seek compensation but ended up with a crippled leg. She had to take care of an adult and two younger brothers at such a young age. She couldn’t bear it anymore and had to enter this line of work, relying on her limited beauty to make a living. She barely managed to support her family. Among all the girls we know, she is one of the most unfortunate ones…”
The elderly woman bent slightly and spoke earnestly, but the man called Vorn didn’t look at her. He continued drinking his wine and spoke.
“Ahh… Fiya… a good girl, nice face and figure. I never thought she had such a tragic fate. Life is indeed unpredictable…” Vorn said calmly, his expression unchanged. Seeing Vorn’s response, the elderly woman was momentarily stunned, then continued speaking.
“Mr. Vorn… since you know how difficult it is for Fiya, shouldn’t you…?”
“What should I do? Mrs. Mel.” Vorn replied, then gave the elderly woman a cold sideways glance. The elderly woman seemed to sense some fear in his gaze and involuntarily stepped back. After stabilizing herself, she continued speaking.
“She needs some medical expenses… Last time after you spent the night with her and left, Fiya almost died. Her bl**d was everywhere on the bed, and she was barely alive. It took us a lot of effort to save her, and now she’s still in the hospital. Not only can’t she get out of bed, but the daily treatment costs are also substantial…
“The money from her own family has run out, and we’ve been covering it. But we also need to make a living, so we can’t keep doing this forever. Mr. Vorn, you are a wealthy man… could you perhaps… help her a bit?”
The elderly woman pleaded earnestly with Vorn. Listening to her words, Vorn responded indifferently.
“What does Fiya have to do with me? I’ve already paid her the agreed amount. We have nothing to do with each other. If she’s in the hospital, what’s it got to do with me?”
“But, but Fiya is like this because of you…”
“Because of me? People in your line of work should know the risks involved. If you can’t even handle a little play, it might be better not to live at all. Surviving with such a weak body is already painful. It’s better to end it sooner…” Vorn said, then gave the elderly woman another dangerous look. Originally, she was ready to say more in anger, but the dangerous glare made her speechless.
“This… Mr. Vorn… sigh…”
Just as the elderly woman felt disappointed and was about to leave, Vorn’s originally dangerous gaze suddenly softened, becoming gentle and relaxed. After taking a sip of wine, he continued speaking.
“Although Fiya couldn’t withstand even a little trouble and dying wasn’t much of a loss. But thinking back, when we played together, she did bring me some joy.
“I don’t usually help others, but today I’m in a good mood, so I’ll show some mercy and give you something.”
Hearing this, the elderly woman was taken aback. After standing there in disbelief for a moment, she gratefully said,
“Ah… this… there’s so much! Mr. Vorn! Thank you for your kindness! Thank you… Thank you…”
Looking at the money in Vorn’s hand, the elderly woman was stunned for a moment before hurriedly expressing her gratitude. Clearly, she hadn’t expected Vorn’s attitude to change so quickly.
“Before my mood changes, quickly put away the money… Oh, and take this too, give it to the girl. It might help her recover a bit.”
While the elderly woman hesitantly accepted the money, Vorn took out another item from his clothes. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a small piece of dried meat. Although the elderly woman looked confused, she accepted it nonetheless.
“Thank you for your concern, Mr. Vorn. May the Holy Mother watch over Fiya. She will surely recover soon. May the Holy Mother protect you…”
After accepting the dried meat and praising Vorn again, she bid farewell and left. For a moment, only Vorn remained seated, continuing to savor his wine.
Having given a generous tip, Vorn continued drinking with interest, occasionally scanning the bar with his eyes. Watching the lively scene before him, when his gaze fell on a few cocktail waitresses in the distance who seemed to be pointing at him, they all quickly fled in fear, scattering to other areas.
Facing this scene, Vorn wasn’t angry. Today, he was in a good mood and didn’t want to argue with the cocktail waitresses. Instead, he slowly savored his wine. Soon, a figure approached him quickly along the aisle and stopped at his table.
“Excuse me, sir. Could we share the table?”
A voice came from beside Vorn. Turning to look, he saw a man in a trench coat, thin-faced, with deep-set eyes and a hooked nose, wearing a low-crowned hat. He stood there, looking at Vorn and waiting for a response.
Listening to the man’s words, Vorn glanced around and found that the bar was indeed full.
If it were any other day, Vorn would have refused such a request without hesitation. There was no reason to get close to a stranger. However, today he was in a good mood and didn’t mind it.
“Sure, you can sit here.”
“Thank you, sir. May the Holy Mother bless you.”
Hearing Vorn’s response, the man sat directly across from him. After ordering a drink, he began silently waiting. During this process, he occasionally glanced at Vorn, who was sipping his wine and reading the newspaper. Then, seemingly out of boredom, he asked:
“Sir, we meet here, it must be fate. Could I ask for your name?”
“Vorn Hunt,” Vorn replied simply, then continued reading the newspaper. The man across from him pondered after hearing the name and continued speaking.
“Vorn Hunt… somehow, this doesn’t seem like a real name.”
“Yes, it’s not my real name. My real name is Bill Max. Generally, I don’t reveal my true name casually. Don’t tell anyone else after I tell you, okay?”
“Why not? I’m in a good mood today, so I’ll say whatever I want. Who cares?”
Vorn continued. After listening to this, Ed nodded slightly and introduced himself.
“My name is Ed. Nice to meet you.”
Ed extended his hand forward. Vorn paused for a moment, then shook hands with Ed.
“You can call me Vorn directly. Don’t use my real name in public. You can just call me Vorn.”
After withdrawing his hand, Vorn said to Ed in a slightly serious tone, to which Ed immediately responded.
“Of course, Mr. Vorn. So, may I ask why you use a fake name? Are you hiding from someone?”
“Of course not. If I had enemies, they’d be dead already. I use a fake name to better hide myself in Tivyán. I was sent here by my organization to infiltrate, so I need to disguise myself.”
While sipping his wine, Vorn continued. After hearing this, Ed asked curiously.
“Mr. Vorn’s organization… is it your company?”
“How could it be a mundane thing like a company? My organization is a society, the famous Secret World society, the Wolf bl**d Association! Don’t compare it to anything else.”
Vorn said seriously. Hearing this, Ed couldn’t help but express admiration.
“Wolf bl**d Association… I’ve heard of it. It’s one of the three major societies, worshiping the Gluttonous Wolf. I never thought you were a member. Truly unexpected… you’re not directly a member of the Wolf bl**d Association, are you?”
“I am a member of the Wolf bl**d Association and a White Chalk tier werewolf,” Vorn said proudly. Hearing this, Ed expressed even more admiration.
“White Chalk tier… That’s truly impressive. Usually, people at this level are high-ranking officials within a society. Is that the case for you, Mr. Vorn?”
“Of course. I used to have many subordinates, but this time, to avoid being detected by the Church or the An Yin Bureau due to a large organization, I came alone. Now, many small tasks require my personal attention, which is troublesome.”
Rubbing his wrist, Vorn complained. Ed then asked:
“The Wolf bl**d Association sent you, a White Chalk tier werewolf, to infiltrate. Surely, the person sending you is a higher-ranking existence.
“Indeed. The person who sent me is Elder Duval, one of the seven elders of the Wolf bl**d Association. He’s a Red Tier ‘Fear-eating Demon Wolf.’ All our activities in Tivyán fall under his jurisdiction. I am his trusted subordinate, so I was dispatched here to execute a mission.”
Vorn continued calmly. After listening, Ed nodded slightly and asked further.
“Sending such an important person like you to carry out a solo infiltration mission indicates that Elder Duval’s plan must be very significant. Do you know what his plan is specifically? Or where he is now?”
“Elder Duval is currently outside the city in the far suburbs of Tivyán, but I don’t know exactly where. This information often changes. As for his plan… I only know that he wants to seize a secret transmission from the church in Tivyán. But why he wants it and how he plans to do it, I don’t know. He assigned me to Tivyán to connect with an informant within the church. Only Elder Duval knows the full details of the plan. He rarely explains things when giving us missions.”
While sipping his wine, Vorn continued responding. Listening to this, Ed furrowed his brows and asked further.
“So… you have absolutely no idea about Elder Duval’s plan?”
“Well, not entirely. From the orders Elder Duval gave me, I can guess some of his general intentions. For example, he definitely intends to take the secret transmission openly rather than steal it. But how he plans to do it, only he knows. Also, Elder Duval’s operation will take place within the next few days. Once the exact timing is confirmed, I will be notified because I need to join the operation.
“I think Elder Duval is waiting for more intelligence about the St. Hymn Cathedral. My informant inside the cathedral will send similar information soon. I will pass this information to Elder Duval. After he combines this information with what he has gathered through other channels, he will likely make a judgment and act immediately. I expect I will receive more detailed information…”
Leaning back in his chair, Vorn said leisurely. Listening to this, Ed couldn’t help but ponder, then said with a smile.
“So that’s how it is… Thank you for sharing this valuable information with me. But, telling such crucial secrets to a complete stranger like me… isn’t that a bit risky?”
“Secrets? These can be called secrets? Aren’t they just casual talk? What’s the big deal? I’m in a good mood today, and I feel like talking, so I did. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
Spreading his hands, Vorn said nonchalantly with a dismissive expression. Seeing this, Ed smiled and asked further.
“In that case, may I ask you one more question, Mr. Vorn? What did you have for dinner today?”
Hearing this, Vorn’s brows rose sharply, and his face instantly became solemn. He immediately began to guard against Ed, speaking in a very serious tone.
“Mr. Ed, that’s a bit too much. Asking me such a direct question… Isn’t that a bit rude? Indeed, all those previous irrelevant questions were just your probing, right? What I had for dinner… that’s what you really care about… Indeed, you’re not simple…
“Sorry, I won’t answer any questions about that, no matter how trivial. That’s my bottom line.”
Facing Ed, Vorn said with utmost seriousness, determined to keep the secret at all costs. Far away, Dorothy, who was experimenting with her new abilities, felt a mix of amusement and frustration.
