Wizard Earl

Chapter 461 Margaret's Speculation

"This time I obtained about 23,000 raw magic stones from the Tunguska magic stone mine. According to our agreement, I will be responsible for refining them, you will bear 10% of the losses during the refining process and pay me an additional 10% commission, and you will take 30% of the refined magic stones. So this is the 7,000 magic stones you deserve. Count them!" In an abandoned factory in the western suburbs of Rune, Connor took out a spatial ring from his pocket and handed it to Margaret, who was wearing a purple veil in front of him.

After returning to Rune with the magic stone, Connor originally intended to have Leoni pass on Margaret's share to her, but for some reason, Margaret refused his suggestion and specially arranged this meeting today.

Margaret took the spatial ring from Connor's hand and, seemingly trusting him completely, placed it directly into her pocket.

Seeing Margaret's actions, Connor knew he was right. Margaret had come specifically to see him, and taking the magic stone was just a side thing!

After putting away her spatial ring, Margaret pondered for a moment and asked Connor, "Connor, have you had any news about the Skull and Bones Society lately?"

"News from Skull and Bones?" Connor's eyes flashed with surprise upon hearing Margaret's question. He had guessed that Margaret had something to discuss with him this time, but he never expected that it would be related to Skull and Bones. Connor had thought that Margaret wanted to ask about the replica of the silver pendant that he had promised to research for her, but now it seemed that Skull and Bones was up to something again in Rune.

"Margaret, you know I've been at the Tunguska Refining Magic Stone Mine for the past few days and just returned to Rune. I have no idea what happened. Of course, if you need it, I can try to find out for you, but I can't guarantee I can get you the information you're looking for..." Connor's eyes flickered as he cautiously answered Margaret's question.

Connor's bland answer clearly didn't satisfy Margaret. She glared at him angrily, then could only say helplessly, "Reliable sources say a group of Skull and Bones assassins have already smuggled themselves into Rune. That old bastard Edel gave me a team of Arbitrators and told me to find these Skull and Bones assassins as soon as possible. I've been searching Rune for days with this team of Arbitrators, but we haven't found a single clue!"

"The Skull and Bones Society is sending assassins to Rune? What are they up to?" Upon hearing this information from Margaret, Connor immediately took notice. If he remembered correctly, the Skull and Bones Society's Grand Alchemist, Southgate, was about to lead his demonized knights to join the secret society Reyes's faction.

"Who knows? I don't know their numbers, their purpose, or their strength. All I know is that they're here. I'm searching everywhere like a headless fly, and that old bastard Edel keeps urging me to hurry up!" Margaret complained to Connor about the church with a bitter face.

"Didn't your church's intelligence department support you? You've planted so many Storm Eyes and informants in Rune, haven't you?" Connor asked, frowning with some doubt. He knew all too well how deep the Storm Church's intelligence network was in Rune. Back then, when he was in the safe house, he only slightly leaked some energy fluctuations, which were detected by the Storm Eyes in the nearby church. The Arbitrators came knocking on his door that very night. If Connor hadn't decisively abandoned that safe house in time, he might have been captured on the spot.

Connor's question seemed to remind Margaret of some unpleasant memories, and she said with a hint of irritation, "The intelligence department is now focusing its main efforts on other things. The intelligence they've provided me has not only been extremely broad in scope, but its accuracy is also appallingly low. I've organized several manhunts, but I haven't even seen a trace of the assassin!"

"I'll ask around for you and try to get an answer within a week!" Connor replied to Margaret after a moment's thought. In three days, it would be the time he and Varga were supposed to meet. He might as well ask Varga for Margaret then. Besides Varga, he really didn't have anyone else to ask. After all, he couldn't very well ask Martina and old Victor.

Just when Connor thought his meeting with Margaret would end like this, a remark from Margaret once again caught Connor's attention.

"Connor, you said that great alchemist Southgate, isn't he in Loen?" Margaret's eyes, hidden behind her veil, were fixed on Connor as she asked mysteriously.

Margaret's question immediately made Connor's eyes widen. After a moment, Connor seemed to realize what she meant, and with a furrowed brow, he said to Margaret, word by word, "You mean to say that the Skull and Bones assassins are after Southgate?"

"The news that the Skull and Bones Society sent assassins to Rune came from the Church headquarters, the Black Organization. The message didn't mention the number of assassins, their strength, or their purpose, but one piece of information is very intriguing: the Skull and Bones Society had been preparing to send these assassins to Rune for at least a month!" Margaret didn't directly answer Connor's question, but instead asked meaningfully:

After carefully considering every word Margaret said, Connor had to admit that at first glance, the idea of ​​the Skull and Bones sending a group of assassins to kill a formal wizard and a great alchemist seemed absurd, but upon closer examination, it was not without logic.

Southgate is not only the third-ranking member of Skull and Bones, but also a Grand Alchemist. A Grand Alchemist is an extremely valuable asset to any dark wizarding organization or a white wizarding organization like the Church of Storms, the Ninth Bureau, or the Cult of Earth Gods.

It is foreseeable that if Southgate, as a great alchemist, really leads his enchanted knights to leave the Skull and Bones Society and join the Secret Society, it will undoubtedly be a major blow to the Skull and Bones Society. If the Skull and Bones Society's second-level wizard, Skeleton King, had any temper, he would definitely not stand idly by and watch Southgate betray him and join the Secret Society without doing anything!

Since I can't stop you from leaving me, I'll just destroy you and let others know the price of betrayal—a warning to others! This kind of logic is not uncommon, and quite normal, in a wizarding world that worships strength and respects the strong.

(End of this chapter)