Free Web NovelChapter 354: Chapter 354: Maximizing Interests_1
At this moment, within Abigail’s summoning space, Aiden was staring at the Crystal Ball set on the table.
The image within the Crystal Ball showed the scene inside the room, where Joey was talking to the butler. freewёbn૦νeɭ.com
This surveillance spell was cast jointly by Abigail and Qiqimora. The scenes and sounds within the Crystal Ball were shared from Qiqimora’s senses, and projected into Abigail’s Crystal Ball by the credential of the Great Witch. From a sensory perspective, it was somewhat like watching a live broadcast filmed from Qiqimora’s first-person viewpoint.
"How interesting, it looks like the Smiling Balance has started to do business with the star’s stalker without her knowing. They plan to package and sell the star, huh?" Qiqimora’s voice came from inside the Crystal Ball, her commentary would not be heard by the butler on the scene, "Do you think they will hand over the real deal or a fake?"
"Either is possible," Aiden thought for a moment, "but that’s not the point."
"Indeed, the point is that these two poor girls have been discarded by their organization," Qiqimora clicked her tongue in commiseration. "It truly is an organization that devours without spitting out the bones."
"That’s the style of the Smiling Balance. They’ll sell anything, with profit as the highest principle," Abigail said as she twirled her freshly made noodles with a fork, "They’ll devour anything of value from a person. Did you see the wanted order that man just took out? Those are also values the Smiling Balance is ready to consume. Of course, Joey Lawson is also prey they have set their sights on, it’s just that the order of consumption is different."
"So, am I also included?" Aiden folded his arms.
"On this matter, Your Excellency may rest assured, even if they want to devour the value of their prey, they will only choose what they can handle," Abigail said slowly as she took a bite of noodles, "After I made my stance clear to them, they have not actively contacted me again—at least not overtly."
"What does that mean?"
"Their main targets are those lone wolves without organizations or backing, like Joey Lawson, a male witch who has touched power yet walks alone, is a prime example. They would not actively provoke conflicts with organizations or powerful entities. The Witch Conclaves, the former Harvest Mother Cult, the Blood Moon Cult controlled by Death, the progenitor of the Vampires and his children... With these entities, they would only make tentative contact and probe, but would not provoke excessively," Abigail explained slowly. "That’s why Joey said they’re like stray dogs scavenging for scraps of meat."
Aiden grasped Abigail’s implication—we know you have someone powerful behind you.
The divine path to godhood is essentially a cannibalistic path of ascension, where the Smiling Balance guides its clients to kill each other, with the organization itself continuously reaping the benefits.
But it seemed they would not attempt to control those they could not—such as organizations with certain powers, or powerful saints or even rulers.
In fact, Aiden did have such backing, but this backing... was precisely what he now sought to escape from.
Being known by the Smiling Balance was ultimately not a good thing.
"So, what should we do with the current situation? It looks like they haven’t come to a conclusion yet, and the perverted witch is getting ready to leave..." Qiqimora inquired, "Should I follow him?" ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom
In the image shown by the Crystal Ball, Joey got up and headed towards the secret passage, while the butler was preparing to see the guest out.
Aiden fell into thought. The Smiling Balance’s betrayal of Sophie Carter was certainly unexpected, but in reality, as long as Joey Lawson was dealt with, his and Sophie Carter’s deal could still proceed as planned.
If Sophie were told about this matter, she would surely be utterly disappointed in the organization supporting her, but whether she would completely sever ties with the group was still a question worth pondering. After all, as Susan had mentioned, actively cutting ties with the organization would mean having everything taken back, and Sophie’s self-interest was much stronger than Susan’s.
This could be an opportunity—such a thought suddenly emerged in Aiden’s mind.
Initially, Sophie simply feared that the organization was ready to abandon her friend’s life, but now it seemed that the Scales of Smiles was ready to sell her or Susan off as merchandise. This matter could become a bargaining chip for Aiden to request a higher price in this deal.
If Sophie continued to stay with the Scales of Smiles, Aiden could have her leak more of the organization’s gathered intelligence, which she would probably agree to—there was certainly no reason to remain even remotely loyal to such a ruthless organization.
In other words, he had the opportunity to turn Sophie into a free source of information in the future.
"Track Joey Lawson, pinpoint his location, at the end of the day, our task remains the same," Aiden replied, "I’ll go and talk to Sophie Carter again, tell her the truth, and we’ll have good reason to ask for more compensation."
"Alright, I’ll catch up later, but before that..." Qiqimora said as her gaze locked onto the old butler still in the hidden room.
Aiden sensed Qiqimora’s intention and immediately spoke out to stop her: "Qiqimora, wait a second..."
"You have no reason to stop me, Warden," Qiqimora replied nonchalantly, "The situation has developed to this point, I have a better solution..."
She took a puff of her cigarette and exhaled the smoke.
In merely a few seconds, the entire room was enveloped in white smoke.
"Hmm?" The butler immediately sensed something was amiss. He looked around, and then in the midst of the mist, he saw a half-human, half-beast figure standing rigidly beside him and couldn’t help but widen his eyes—Qiqimora’s smoke not only obscured the vision but also caused hallucinations.
"Pierce through the surface to touch the truth," Qiqimora intoned in the smoke, swiftly raising her hand toward the butler’s chest. Then, her hand effortlessly pierced through his clothes, skin, muscles, and bones, finally clutching his heart.
Aiden realized Qiqimora’s intentions; both the butler and Susan held a fragment of divinity. Qiqimora planned to kill the butler, take his divinity, then find Susan, reveal the truth to her and directly make a trade with Susan. She could compel Susan to hand over her divinity and also divulge information about the Hand of Oblivion.
Upon obtaining their divinity, Qiqimora would gain mastery over the divine words of oblivion, become a saint of the "Void" authority; by then, killing Joey Lawson would be a cinch.
From Qiqimora’s personal perspective, this was the approach that maximized her own interests, and she certainly would not pass up the opportunity.
"You’ve hit the jackpot, Qiqimora," Abigail said calmly.
Aiden couldn’t help but rub his forehead; Qiqimora’s actions could also complete the deal he had with Sophie Carter. Given the actions of the Scales of Smiles, he felt little compassion for the butler—the benefits of divinity were likely to be entirely scooped up by Qiqimora alone.
However, at that moment, Qiqimora, holding the butler’s heart, suddenly changed her expression.
