Xio naturally had no idea that the young man before her was letting his thoughts wander to who-knows-where. Having learned basic information about him through Williams' abilities, she sized him up and quickly formed some judgments...
He likely came from a decent background, at least middle-class. His profession was unclear, but it probably wasn't manual labor. He didn't seem malicious.
Hmm, there didn't appear to be anyone else around who was with him. It seemed safe enough.
Xio let out a small sigh of relief. While she didn't think anyone would go out of their way to cause trouble for her, and she had confidence in her own abilities, she was still wary of someone who'd approached her out of the blue. Now that she'd confirmed he didn't seem to pose any threat, she nodded and said, "I'm Xio. You're Jack Jones, right? Let's step outside to talk."
If she wasn't waiting for someone, she would've left this bar ages ago.
Evah had no objections, and the two left the bar, heading to a nearby café where they booked a private booth.
After each ordered a coffee, Xio set down the menu and looked at the young man across from her, getting straight to the point. "What do you want to commission me for?"
"I'd like to join some gatherings of Beyonders. I was hoping Miss Xio could introduce me to one," Evah replied just as directly.
Xio's eyes narrowed instantly, her hand slipping under her sleeve to grip a triangular dagger. She studied the young man again, her voice cold. "Who sent you to find me?"
"Miss Xio, you're quite well-known in the bounty hunter circles of the East District," Evah said, seemingly off-topic, before explaining, "My ancestors were once a beyonder and left behind some records. Though my family has fallen on hard times by my generation, I still know a thing or two about Beyonders—like Arbiters."
Evah didn't elaborate further, but Xio understood his implication—he'd likely heard about her and guessed she was an Beyonder on the Arbiter pathway.
This left Xiu a bit exasperated. After a moment's thought, she suddenly asked, "Which pathway are you on?"
"I'm a Seer," Evah replied. "If you know anything about this pathway, you'd know I don't have much combat ability, so there's no need to be too wary of me, Miss Xio." He gave a wry smile, as if he meant it.
"Seer…" Xio muttered, her mind recalling what she knew about Seers.
This pathway was rare, but since her father had once been part of an official organization, Xio had heard a bit about Seers. She knew they were often associated with the Night Watchers of the Church of the Evernight Goddess and that their pathway indeed lacked combat prowess.
This eased her guard slightly. After a few seconds of consideration, she said, "I can introduce you to some Beyonders gatherings, but what's in it for me? You know, helping you join these gatherings comes with risks for me."
Evah was prepared for this. "I can pay you 50 pounds as compensation," he said.
Though he didn't have much money and only has around 1,000 pounds total, Evah wasn't stingy when it mattered. Making a good impression on Xio would benefit their future interactions.
"Deal," Xio agreed almost immediately. Fifty pounds was no small sum for her, and simply introducing someone to an Beyonder gathering for that price was an offer she wouldn't refuse.
"Pleasure doing business," Evah said with a smile, pulling ten pounds from his wallet and handing it to her. "This is a deposit. I'll pay the rest incrementally as I join each gathering. If any of them particularly impress me, I'll throw in a bonus."
Generosity didn't mean being a pushover, and a bit of caution was still necessary.
Xio took the ten pounds, unsurprised by his approach, and nodded. "How do I contact you later?" She thought for a moment and gave an address. "If you need to reach me, leave a message here, and I'll know."
Evah gave an address in return. "You can send letters to this address."
After confirming how to contact each other, Xio relaxed further. She was now fairly certain the man across from her bore no ill, will or threat. Thinking of his Seer identity, her curiosity got the better of her. "Can Seers divine anything? Can you predict the future?"
"Well, divining small things is no problem, but if it involves major events or powerful figures, the results can be unreliable," Evah said with a smile, then added in a half-complaining tone, "Even when the divination is accurate, it can be pretty frustrating. For example, if I divine whether investing in something will make money, the result might say I'll profit but in reality, I could lose a ton in the short term and only make money years, maybe decades, later."
"Ouch, that's rough," Xio said, instantly grasping the frustrating nature of being a Seer. She gave Evah a sympathetic glance.
"But being a Seer has its perks. At the very least, it helps me avoid most dangers," Evah said with a smile. "For instance, before coming to meet you, I divined that this deal would be safe."
Xio raised an eyebrow, her curiosity deepening. After a moment's thought, she couldn't resist asking, "Can you do a divination for me?"
"Sure, what do you want to divine?" Evah agreed readily, nodding.
"Hmm… how about whether I'll face any danger in the next two months? That should be doable, right?" Xio said after a second's thought.
Evah nodded and pulled a crystal pendulum from his pocket—a prop he'd prepared before meeting Xio. If he was going to pose as a Seer, he had to play the part convincingly.
Besides, his Beyonder abilities did include divination, and he needed to practice various divination techniques anyway.
Evah deftly performed the divination with the pendulum. After observing its swing, he frowned. "The divination shows that you'll face a life-threatening danger within the next two months."
This wasn't a lie—his divination genuinely revealed a life-threatening danger for Xio in that timeframe.
Xio's eyes widened. She glanced at Luo Lin, then at the pendulum in his hand. Her first thought was, Is this guy a scammer trying to con me out of my money? But she quickly dismissed the idea and asked seriously, "Can you divine where the danger comes from?"
"I can try, but I can't guarantee results," Evah said, his expression equally serious. Instead of using the pendulum again, he pulled out an astrolabe. After asking Xiu a few necessary questions, he began marking the astrolabe, then said, "The divination suggests the danger is related to money and the sea, but I'm sorry—there's too little information, and I can't divine anything more specific."
(End of Chapter)