Chapter 211: Hello Again~

Xio blinked a couple of times. 

"What?"

Adryan laughed at the question. Quite amused at the woman's reaction.

"You want me to repeat it? If that's the way you want it no problem for me. The complete sheriff potion formula and 1,000 pounds for you." He said pointing at her "And another 1,000 for you." He added pointing to Fors who had frozen.

"It's a good deal isn't it?" Adryan finished with a chuckle under his mask.

Xio took a few seconds to recover. And when she did she couldn't help but stare in surprise at the man in front of her.

He had managed to get the full Sheriff formula? 

"1,000 pounds... 1,000 pounds..." 

Listening as her friend repeated the number over and over again made Xio's brow twitch and she couldn't help but remember how empty her piggy bank was.

Recovering. She let out a shaky sigh and straightened her back.

"What's the catch?"

Something so good always came with something just as bad.

"Is that a yes?" Adryan asked mischievously tilting his head slightly to the side. His lips lifted.

"Depends on your answer."

Adryan smiled sideways and nodded.

"This time it's not that there's cheating but quite the opposite. You'll have a chance to save your friend's life."

Xio's pupils shrank and her fist clenched.

"What?" 

Fors also came out of her trance and gripped her friend's arm tightly while squeezing the stone marble in her hand a little tighter.

"Of course, this friend is also in the hunting plan so as payment for his help I'll give him about 500 pounds. Fair enough don't you think?" Adryan continued amused.

"Holmes stop playing games! What do you mean saving a friend's life?" Xio spoke, anger dancing in her tone.

Was someone close to her in danger? What was this lunatic trying to say?

"That drunken friend of yours who hangs around bar to bar and you used him to investigate Qilangos." The red-haired man replied calmly.

Realization hit Xio who widened his eyes in horror.

'Darkholme!'

Recovering quickly, Xio's expression became much, much colder and the aura of majesty she emitted became stronger.

Adryan smiled at this, not feeling the least bit pressured.

"How do I know you're telling the truth, Holmes?" 

Rolling his shoulders, the redhead glanced to the side.

"I can't confirm it. I have no evidence to confirm what I'm saying."

"...Are you fucking kidding me?" Xio almost spat the words out, a vein beginning to throb wildly in her neck.

Returning his attention to the duo, the masked man added seriously.

"I would never lie about this miss."

"..." 

Xio fell silent at this, calmed down and looked seriously at the man. 

"What makes you so sure that my informant is in danger then?"

"You don't have to be a genius to see the signs. It's been a few days since several of the people investigating Qilangos have been slowly disappearing. By sheer logic, it's only a matter of time until your informant is next." Adryan replied calmly.

"..." Xio fell silent and lowered her head in a daze. She didn't know that.

Adryan's own team didn't know this and they looked at the man's back in surprise.

"... So that's why you were so sure she would accept... You're cruel princess." Flora finally spoke.

Adryan ignored the looks and words of his passenger and looked seriously at Xio and continued.

"Who knows? Maybe Qilangos already has his sights on your informant and is just waiting for the ideal moment to strike. We don't know."

"But considering how much your informant went out of his way to seek information. It wouldn't be strange if he's in his sights already."

Xio after long 15 seconds of silence spoke, her tone questioning and distrustful.

"...Why are you telling me this? If it is as you say it is. Asking for my cooperation is not necessary, you would only need to use my informant as bait and catch Qilangos. I don't affect your plan at all."

"Because he is someone close to you. That's why I decided to tell you this first and ask your permission." Adryan replied calmly. 

'Besides, if I were to use your friend as bait I doubt you would have forgiven me... Also because there's something you have that I want and this is the best chance to get it.' He added in his heart the redhead as he looked discreetly at Fors.

The duo of friends were taken by surprise at this response. Her emerald eyes widened and she couldn't help but feel bad.

'I guess after everything we went through together I misjudged him a little...' the sheriff thought.

'Maybe you're not as bad as you look...' Fors thought looking in a new light at the masked man.

After a few moments in awkward silence. Xio opened her mouth.

"On one condition."

Adryan raised an eyebrow at this but nodded.

"I thought my offer was juicy but I seem to be missing something. No problem tell me what you want and I'll try to fulfill it."

"Your plan is to use my informant as bait right?" 

At the accusation, Adryan smiled under his mask.

"Always smart lady. It wasn't as if I had hidden this detail as I would tell you with the plan but yes, a decent part of the plan is to use your friend as bait."

Xio wasn't bothered at this. She just nodded with a flat face.

"If we're going to risk my friend's life I have to be able to trust you."

The red-haired man held a hand to his chest in pain.

"You hurt me miss! After all we went through together you still don't trust me?!"

Xio ignored the man's drama performance and continued.

"I trust you Mr. Holmes but not enough to risk a friend. For me to do that you have to do this one thing and I will trust you."

"That's blackmail you know? I'm proud of you, tell me what you want." Adryan commented pretending to be offended then commented amused.

A yellow eyebrow twitched but controlling herself, Xio made her request.

"Tell me who you are. If you do I will entrust my informant's life into your hands."

Adryan froze for a second.

"Hey, that's already a lot." Hazel growled standing next to her teacher.

"Do you have any idea what you're asking for midget?" Sasha said annoyed accompanying the only other female on the team.

"I think you crossed a line missy." Charlotte commented seriously.

Fors started shaking and prepared to use the stone.

"Xio you went overboard this time! Couldn't you ask for something else?!" She whispered loudly at her friend's request looking fearfully at the group in front of her.

There was no way they could win if they fought, the only option was to escape.

'We'll have to live somewhere else since Holmes already knows where we live... I don't want to spend the rest of my days running away!' Fors cried in her mind.

Xio ignored her friend's anxiety and looked at Holmes, ignoring everything else, her emerald eyes collided with the holes in the mask.

After a few seconds in tense silence, a laugh full of amusement rang out.

"Hahhahagaha! I didn't expect that miss! Hahahahahahha!" Adryan laughed loudly, almost guffawing like mad.

'He's not angry?" everyone present thought dumbfounded.

Wasn't the secret identity the most important thing about a hero?

Shaking his head, Adryan smiled hugely under his mask.

"If it's just that then there's no problem. But I'm warning you though, you're in for a surprise miss~" 

The man said as he raised his hand towards his mask.

Fors paled and felt her stomach turn.

'Surely he says that because his face is horribly deformed and scarred! Surely Holmes is a hideous man! Why else is he so cruel?' Fors' writing mind danced, trying to get an idea of how horrible Holmes might be.

'I bet he has a bald head capable of reflecting... ' 

"Huh?"

Fors blurted out unwillingly watching as the man first pulled down his hood revealing long straight red hair, vibrant with life.

'It can't be...' the woman's eyes widened as a possibility popped into her mind.

And that possibility became real as the man removed his mask, revealing the most handsome face she had ever seen in her entire life.

Full lips lifted in a small sideways smile; beautiful ruby eyes that glowed like embers from a campfire in the night; a gorgeous nose and a face without imperfection. 

'Oh no! He is hot!' Fors thought dumbfounded and with her mouth hanging. She had never seen anyone so beautiful, not even the Most Dazzling Gem of Backlund could compare to him!

Still stunned, she looked down and watched as Xio froze, confused she returned her attention to that beautiful face and looked at him in better detail.

"...?" 

Why did he look so familiar?

Something clicked in her mind and Fors couldn't help but exclaim in shock.

"Adryan Kenway?! You're alive?!!!" 

Smiling and showing his white teeth, Adryan winked.

"I'm glad you remember me miss~" 

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Here are the first 4.

I'm correcting the other 4, they should be posted in a few hours.