novelraw Chapter 170: Lying Low
Chapter 170: Lying Low
“Speaking of which,” The excitement on Nicole’s face cooled a little, replaced by something more serious. She leaned in, dropping her voice. “What’s your plan for now?”
Her eyes stayed on Pandora’s face.
“From what I hear, Aldrich is on the hunt. He’s trying to find and smoke out the ‘Scarred Woman.’ Their whole intel network is moving. But he’s got nothing so far.” Nicole gave a slight shake of her head, her tone taking on the professional assessment of a broker. “Echo Quarry is interfering, of course. Old rivals. Messing with each other’s intel is just business as usual. So, progress is slow.”
She paused, watching Pandora’s reaction, then went on. “The ‘Scarred Woman’ situation is eating most of his focus. Short term, he won’t have the focus to spare for your little problem. But…” Nicole’s brows knitted slightly. Her voice grew quieter, carrying a thread of worry. “Ascension Road is their home turf. They’ve been here too long. Their contacts run deep. I’m worried they might…”
“Don’t worry.”
Pandora’s calm voice cut through Nicole’s concern. Her gaze stayed steady, showing little ripple.
“The potion business on Ascension Road… I’m putting it on hold for a while.” Her tone was flat, like she was discussing the weather.
“As for me…” Pandora looked up, the corner of her mouth lifting in a faint curve. “You see what I look like right now.” She meant the careful makeup altering her features. “For now, I’m lying low. I only came out today because I had a deal scheduled. Had to make the trip.”
She wasn’t lying to Nicole. This was her actual plan. To her, the Ascension Road potion trade wasn’t the lifeline others might think. It was just a steady, but exposed, income stream. Stopping it meant tightening her belt for a bit—less target practice, fewer non-essential materials. It even freed up time. She could finally get back to the alchemy studies she’d shelved, building her knowledge and reserves from the ground up. All that could be picked up again.
The only thing that would cost her real capital was one item: a Meditation Method. A real one, suited to her, that could organize her Spirit, temper her Will, and build a foundation for climbing higher. But once she had a solid lead, trading for it through safer, quieter channels was possible. She still had the stash of Blood-Weep Worms from the Garden, after all. Refining that into third-rank potions—the hard currency of the Ruined Capital—could buy what she needed.
The problem wasn’t money. It was finding the right lead.
Thinking of that, Pandora sighed inwardly. That “Fifth-Rank Meditation Method” old Poxman had dangled in front of her… she wanted it. Badly. It was probably the key to a smoother, higher path. But it was also, most likely, in The Blood Tonic Aldrich’s vault. Getting it from a veteran third-ranker was like pulling a tooth from a live wolf. Better to hope Nicole’s network found a different, safer trail.
Just as her thoughts drifted, an unusual noise filtered in from outside the window. A mixed sound—raised voices, the scuff of many feet, the dull thud of something heavy being moved or knocked over. It was distant, muffled, but distinct enough to catch the ear.
Both Pandora and Nicole stopped talking at the same time, their heads turning toward the sound.
“Over there…” Nicole murmured. “What’s going on?”
Their line of sight pointed toward Ascension Road’s territory. This flower shop was on the edge of their sphere, not far from its busy core. From the second floor, they had a partial view of the area’s main street.
The noise from that direction was growing. The usual flow of people on the street seemed to be pulled toward a single point, clustering. Something was definitely happening.
The commotion outside continued. At first it was just a blurred rumble of crowd noise, but as it went on, sharper shouts broke through, along with more of those heavy, dragging thumps.
Nicole, already keyed up from her storytelling, got freshly stirred by the sudden disturbance. She put down her honey water glass, its sides slick with condensation, and stood up. She hurried to the booth’s small side window that faced the street, going up on her toes to lean out for a better look.
Pandora followed her gaze. The familiar area she used to frequent was now a swarming anthill. Not the usual orderly bustle, but a tense, agitated crowd.
She frowned slightly.
“I’m going to check,” Nicole said over her shoulder to Pandora, her tone urgent with curiosity. She moved for the door to the hallway.
Before she could push it open, Pandora’s calm voice added, “If it looks messy, just watch. Don’t get too close.”
Nicole, her back already turned, gave a vague wave. It was hard to say if she’d listened. Her figure vanished down the stairs, leaving only the sound of hurried footsteps behind.
Quiet settled back into the booth, leaving Pandora alone.
Her thoughts turned toward the source of the noise. The direction Nicole had looked…
A faint intuition pricked at her.