Alvin sat down in the cafe inside the market as he ordered some coffee.
He saw a whole bunch of extraordinary materials, charms, ingredients and mystical items being sold, in every tent. He wanted to buy a lot, and he had a lot of money, but he was worried he would catch someone's eye if he started spending a lot.
Thus, he was mentally going over a budget, and the things he would buy with it. As he was waiting for his order, he felt someone approach him from the side.
"Ah Alvin! We never formally introduced ourselves! My name is Kevin James" said the man who Alvin recognised from the guy who he saw earlier.
"Alvin Jonas. Pleased to meet you" said Alvin.
"Actually, there are some private rooms where we can converse. And I get to use them for free. How about we move there?" he asked, to which Alvin agreed.
In the private room, Alvin removed his mask as he sat across from Kevin. He was not that against other people knowing his face, as this was not his real face in the first place. He was just putting it on out of some misgivings, but it would be rude to wear it in front of Kevin, especially when he was invited to a private room with the internet of making friends.
"So, I can't really access the internal records of the Nighthawks, but those who can tell me what a brilliant and valuable asset you are to them! They have nicknamed you the X factor! I admit I am highly intrigued by you, and was determined to meet you today" said Kevin.
"It was just a mixture of luck and caution" said Alvin humbly.
"Haha. Don't be modest Alvin. You are going to go up in the world. I can feel it" said Kevin.
The both of them spent the next few minutes with small talk.
"So I hear you can get some materials if needed" asked Alvin after a point where he would not appear rude
"Indeed. Due to being trusted, I can act as the middleman if there is a seller who has the item you want. I do take a cut of course, but I will also personally vouch for the deal" said Kevin.
"I am interested in finding a Flame of Pure Yang and Dense Cuboid Pus. Would this be possible to procure? I have sufficient reserves of cash" said Alvin. Even though he did not need those items anymore, he still had to go through the motion to find them, as the Nighthawks still believed he was Sequence 8. If he purchased the two items from Kevin, he could store them in the Red Castle and sell them in the future anyway, as he was doing with many Beyonder characteristics and ingredients as of now.
"Ah! The main ingredients for the Pyromaniac potion. I heard that you were at Sequence 8. Although I am unsure if how far you are from possessing the qualification to attempt to advance to Sequence 7, it is never a bad idea to start gathering early" said Kevin. "But unfortunately, the items of this pathway are very rare, as the ruling class of both the Intis Republic and Feysac Empire follow this pathway. The premium for this item is very high" he continued thoughtfully.
"Actually, you should try to redeem these from the church. I heard the Nighthawks got a huge haul of ingredients related to the Hunter pathway two months ago? Surely you can redeem it with your contribution?" asked Kevin.
"I used up all my contribution to redeem a rather useful mystical item. I am unsure if I can get such contributions again anytime soon. Plus, I am worried the church might disapprove of me seeking Sequence 7 ingredients so early" said Alvin.
"I understand. I can help you ask around. But I don't expect the price to be less than 1600 pounds when you factor in my fee" said Kevin.
Alvin decided not to sell any of the numerous mystical items and Beyonder ingredients he had piled up for now. He could gradually sell portions of it after a few weeks, when he was more familiar with Kevin.
"I understand" said Alvin.
"Actually, there is going to be a gathering hosted in the large tent very soon. If you are lucky, an agent of the church may be there looking to get rid of some of the inventory of items if the Hunter pathway. Except for a few ingredients just in case, most of it is useless to them after all, and they could always use funds" said Kevin.
"Is there a gathering? I thought that that tent was for free exchanges?" asked Alvin.
"It indeed is. But despite the major forces only allowing trusted Beyonder, there may be some misinformed or unpleasant ones who manage to get entry, who might have fake formulas, items, and ingredients for sale. Hence, every other hour, one of the churches host a simple gathering. It is mainly to provide a suitable appraiser for everyone who wants to use their services, for a small fee of course. The next gathering is hosted by the Evernight Church, so they may get rid of those items of the Hunter Pathway. I know for a fact that they sold some Sequence 8 and Sequence 9 characterises last month. If you are lucky, you will get it at 1400, or maybe less" said Kevin.
"And don't worry. I will buy it on your behalf and give it to you at the same price I bought it. No one would know that I bought it for you, as I have many many customers, and I pride myself in keeping secrets, so I won't tell anyone. Haha, this time, I won't take a cut, but in the future, if you want me to do similar things, I am afraid I will have to charge you" continued Kevin.
Alvin thanked him, and having finished the coffee, he put the cup down and followed Kevin out into the tent where the gathering would be starting soon .