Mystery: The Silver Key

Chapter 25 The Garden of Eden

At Cyril's home on Wildy Street in the South Bridge area, Cyril, who was playing with the children, suddenly froze for a moment.

He saw the familiar room and the mischievous little Thomas lying on top of him rapidly fading away, replaced by a bustling modern city, except that the people here were somewhat unusual.

They were either crocodiles dressed in suits and bow ties, carrying briefcases; or elegant white Western dogs dressed in gorgeous gowns, their faces meticulously made up with makeup; there were also frogs dressed as coachmen, pythons resembling cunning businessmen, and stray crows...

"...Garden of Eden?"

After a brief moment of stunned silence, Cyril quickly recovered and retrieved information about the place from his memories.

Deep within the realm of the mind lies a peculiar place, seemingly born under the influence of Adam.

The thought had barely crossed his mind when he heard a familiar voice beside him: "It seems you already know this place, so I don't need to tell you anything more."

"While this place cannot disregard the distance between people like the Twilight Hermits' Society, it can still allow two people, or even more people, who are far apart to complete face-to-face communication and transactions to a certain extent."

"I've been at sea lately, and it's been inconvenient for me to return to land to meet you and make a deal. So I asked the chief for some help and had him bring you here. I hope my actions haven't caused you any trouble."

As soon as the voice appeared, the corresponding figure and the purpose of the person seeking him spontaneously appeared in Sirion's mind.

The member of the Twilight Hermits, the one who accepted my request to help find the ingredients for the potion, has obviously already collected all four of the rarer ingredients.

This efficiency is truly befitting of a leader of a faction.

Just a few words from him were enough to evoke so much in my mind; the "audience" is really something else!

After a few moments of internal reflection, Sirion turned to look at the carriage that had appeared and stopped behind him, and gave a slight nod to the gentlemanly elderly man whose upper body was visible through the carriage window:

"Of course not. Rather, it was a pleasant surprise that showed me that there is a mysterious and unpredictable place in the mysterious world."

The gentleman in the carriage seemed quite satisfied with his answer, his face beaming with a warm smile that added a few more wrinkles.

"If you like it here, I can give you a beacon. With it, you can come in here on your own when the time is right."

Cyril was taken aback for a moment, not expecting the other party to say that, but he quickly recovered and chuckled:

"Thank you... Um, sorry, I don't think I know how to address you, sir."

The gentleman in the carriage chuckled and nodded: "Barros Hopkins, that's my most frequently used identity now."

"Barros Hopkins..." Sirion murmured to himself, then seemed to react a beat later, exclaiming in surprise:

"Baros Hopkins, the 'King of Black Throne,' one of the Four Pirate Kings?"

"What an incredible identity! I never imagined I would meet such an important person one day."

Barros Hopkins' expression remained unchanged as he calmly and amicably said, "Child, compared to a king of the five seas, you have already met some truly great figures in this world, and more than one."

He emphasized the last part, seemingly implying that the important figure he was referring to was not just the convener of the Twilight Hermits.

That's interesting. If he hasn't read my memories, then the important person he's talking about is Hermes, who has already become an angel.

Hmm, it seems that even if they read my memories, I've only ever met and spoken with these two angels.

Can I interpret this as Hermes's suggestion or instruction that he helped me find the ingredients for the potion?

He quickly gathered all his thoughts. Thinking too much in front of a high-ranking "audience" is not a good thing. You can't tell which thoughts are your own; they are just what you think are your own.

Inside the carriage, Barros Hopkins looked at him calmly, and seeing that his thoughts had stopped wandering, he slowly said:

"I've gathered all the extraordinary materials you need. I've come to ask you when you'd like to complete the transaction?"

Sirien hesitated for a moment before asking, "Is tonight okay? I don't have enough cash on me; I need to go to the bank."

Barros Hopkins nodded noncommittally: "No problem."

"How about 10 p.m.? When you do, take this and say the name Adam, and we'll meet here."

As the other person spoke, a pure white fox mask appeared in his hand, the fox's lips curling into a cunning and sinister smile, as if it were looking at him with ill intent.

But it's not terrible; the lack of enough pure white masks makes it seem more like an unfinished work.

Upon receiving the mask, Cyril instantly felt a sense of rejection from his surroundings, and his figure rapidly retreated until he faded out of the Garden of Eden.

In reality, Cyril, who was placing a hand on Thomas's head, suddenly snapped back to reality.

He glanced down at Thomas, who was trying to run and jump while holding his palm in his hands; it seemed as if only a short moment had passed.

Then he looked at his other hand, and there it was, a pure white fox mask.

"That's really amazing!"

He sighed softly, bent down, picked up little Thomas, and handed him back to Beth, who was talking to Havin in the living room downstairs. Then, he made an excuse to take a nap and went back to his bedroom upstairs, closing the door behind him.

After telling Beth to get some rest, she took Thomas from him, while Havin, standing to the side, looked at him with a suspicious expression.

How long did this guy suffer from insomnia last night that he can sleep so well today?

Should we prepare some calming herbal medicine for him?

Back in his room, Sirion fiddled with the blankets and pillows on the bed, making it look like he was sleeping with his head tucked under the covers.

Although Harvin and the others probably won't bother him after the door closes, it's still better to be prepared given the unpredictable nature of Isaiah Thomas.

After doing all that, he changed his coat, peeked out the window, found an inconspicuous corner, and then walked through the wall to the corresponding location. He turned the ventilated window into a "door" and flipped himself out.

Bang!

In the alley behind the house, Sirion stretched his ankle, which was easier than he had expected.

Although "Apprentice" is not a magic potion specifically designed to enhance the body, the mere height of the second floor is no challenge for an extraordinary individual.

After traveling some distance from his home, Sirion flagged down a horse-drawn carriage by the roadside and headed to the bank.

"I made £400 selling the recipe at a gathering organized by the 'Eye of Wisdom' gentleman. Although I used some of it later, I still have about £350 left."

"There's also the £113 deposit from Havin, plus the £150 loan I should be able to get from the bank given my status, which is just enough to pay for the main materials for 'The Magician'."

"Then go to Owen's place and tell him to collect all the auxiliary materials for the 'fortune teller' this afternoon. They are all common items and not too difficult. Also, make sure to prepare the £200 for his materials."

Arriving at the bank by carriage, with the attentive and enthusiastic service of the tellers, Sir Ryan successfully obtained a loan of 150 pounds. He also withdrew Harvin's savings at the same time and then hurried to Owen's house.

After explaining things to Owen and receiving the £200 for the materials, he rushed home and, relying on his "apprentice's" abilities, quietly returned to his room.

He glanced at the unchanging bed and, after confirming that no one had come in after he left, breathed a slight sigh of relief.

.....

At 10 p.m., I successfully obtained the potion ingredients from Barros Hopkins.

Since he had already slept enough during the day, Sirion could only chat with Haven, Beth, and the others in a "full of energy," occasionally teasing little Thomas.

Only after everyone had returned to their rooms, either to sleep or to focus on other things, did he have the opportunity to sneak out of the house with the ingredients for the "Diviner's" potion.