Chapter 2868: The Exceptionally Enthusiastic Pafen

The city guard took the Badge, half-doubting, but this was not a matter a mere city guard could handle, so he whispered a few words to his companion and then left the guard post with the Badge Xia Duo had given him.

Xia Duo was temporarily arranged in a Xiu Xi Shi to wait; during the wait, he felt somewhat uneasy. In his recent conversation with the real estate agent Laisiwitiao, the other party mentioned that the Diviner Pafen had always had a very good reputation.

But the Badge Xia Duo provided was, after all, a forgery, and he was not sure if the other party would recognize it, or if the rumors of being kind to others were true, or if he would be seen because of a Divine Sword Mark.

As for whether a Prophecy Ritual would be performed before seeing him, Xia Duo was not too worried; if the other party decided to see him, there would simply not be enough time to perform a Prophecy Ritual.

And if the other party did not want to see him, then his current actions would have already alerted the enemy, in which case he would choose to storm the manor, but the commotion would be too great.

……

Just as Xia Duo was waiting anxiously, over at Pafen Manor, the city guard had already met the manor steward. After handing over the Badge provided by Xia Duo, he did not dare to say more, keeping his head down and remaining silent.

When the steward saw the familiar-looking Magic Mark on the Badge, his eyes tightened, but he remained calm. After a careful inspection, he found nothing unusual. He could not make the decision himself, so he asked the guard a few more questions, especially regarding the description of Xia Duo, and then walked into the manor with the Badge.

Inner chamber.

The renowned Diviner Pafen was currently pruning excess branches from a bouquet of fresh flowers with a relaxed expression. He remained unmoved after the steward entered, and only after trimming the bouquet to the shape he desired and placing it into a vase did he turn around, casting his deep gaze toward the slightly uneasy steward—

"What matter is it that you cannot resolve?"

"My lord, a visitor who appears to be from the Sword Family has arrived outside, but I cannot be certain, so I had to come and disturb you."

As he spoke, the steward handed Pafen the wooden Badge that had already passed through several hands. Pafen glanced at it before carefully taking it into his hands. The surface of this Badge was carved with a cluster of flowers, with dark patterns of longswords interspersed among them.

And at the top, a very inconspicuous crown was hidden. Of course, this was just the body of the Badge; anyone could make such a badge. For a Spellcaster, the essence to look at was still the Magic Mark attached to it.

Or more accurately—the Divine Sword Mark.

Pafen had seen the Divine Sword Mark a few times before; he recognized that unique aura almost the moment he saw it. It was just that the mark on this one represented the Sword of Ruling. Could it be that the Crown King wanted to see him?

No, impossible. Pafen did not care about the rumors outside, but he himself knew that if the Crown King wanted to see him, there would be no need to send an Envoy with a Divine Sword Mark to invite him; in fact, his long-term residence in Saibohomu was precisely because he was looking forward to the Crown King's summons.

"Did the visitor state his specific identity?" Pafen asked.

"The visitor calls himself Asuosi, but he did not state his specific identity." The steward noticed Pafen's expression and realized that this Divine Sword Mark was likely real, and that his master had therefore developed the idea of seeing the other party.

"My lord, shall we see him?"

"Let me consider it."

At this moment, Pafen had not yet truly made up his mind. The other party's unknown identity made him very cautious. He had the intention to perform a Prophecy Ritual, but then he heard the steward say—

"That visitor is still waiting for our reply!"

That's right! Pafen only then realized that the other party had already come, and he had even seen the Divine Sword Mark sent by the other party. Whether it was a good thing or a bad thing, he had already been drawn into it. Not seeing him at this time might instead bring unfavorable consequences.

Thinking of this, Pafen instructed the steward, "Invite him over. Be respectful in your attitude. I will wait for you at the viewing platform by the lake."

"Yes, my lord, I will go right away."

……

After the steward left, Pafen glanced at the flower arrangement he had just finished. A trace of irritation rose in his heart; he had been disturbed after all, and failed to reach the state he wanted.

So Pafen waved his hand, sweeping the elegant and exquisite porcelain vase along with the flowers inside into the corner of the room. The next moment, a flash of light appeared in that corner, and the ruined flowers and shattered porcelain vanished without a trace.

Afterward, Pafen changed into outdoor attire and came to the viewing platform by the lake. By this time, servants had already prepared tea and snacks, but Pafen did not touch them, instead contemplating the visitor's true purpose while facing the calm lake.

Was it to seek foreign aid for the internal strife of the Crown King Family, or was there some private business he wanted to ask him, the diviner, to help with?

But regardless, this was an opportunity, an opportunity to truly break into the interior of the Crown King Family, and he had waited for this opportunity for too long!

In the past, he had tried to find ways to "accidentally" meet Prince Saier, who only lived in the Lieyang Community for a short time each year, but the other party's attitude toward him was to keep him at a distance. After noticing this sign, he never tried to "accidentally" meet Prince Saier again.

……

Just as Pafen was pondering how to hook up with the Crown King Family through Xia Duo, Xia Duo also arrived inside the manor under the guidance of Pafen's steward.

Then they walked all the way to the lake. At this time, there was only one Gold Elf on the viewing platform. The moment he saw the other party, Xia Duo recognized that he was the one he had seen in the Prophecy Ritual!

And while Xia Duo noticed Pafen, Pafen also sensed Xia Duo's gaze. He turned his head and saw the strange visitor brought by his steward.

He was certain that he had never seen the other party before today, but that air of a high-ranking Elf was something that an ordinary Elf would find difficult to imitate.

But for some reason, the moment he saw the other party, his heartbeat actually skipped a beat. Perhaps it was because he finally saw hope after a long period of anticipation, or perhaps it was because the purpose of this visitor's trip might have a tremendous impact on his destiny.

Thinking of this, Pafen's heartbeat could not help but accelerate quite a bit. He immediately stood up to welcome him, "Lord Asuosi, please forgive the neglect. Welcome to Pafen Manor."

"Lord Pafen, I don't know why, although this is our first meeting, I have a feeling that we have known each other for a long time."

Xia Duo looked at the other party and said with a smile. At this moment, he was very relaxed because he had already seen the other party, and the two were only a few steps apart; he could now say that the overall situation was settled!

Naturally, he was quite relaxed.

"I also feel that Lord Asuosi is quite familiar. Perhaps this is what the Easterners call 'fate'. I am very much looking forward to our upcoming cooperation!"

"Oh? I haven't said it yet, and Lord Pafen already knows that I came here this time to seek cooperation?"

"Of course, I am a diviner!"

Pafen's attitude was kind, almost sycophantic. Seeing this, Xia Duo was actually somewhat amused. He raised his eyebrows, almost unable to keep a straight face, "Then I hope our cooperation will be pleasant!"