The Cycle of Fate

Chapter 118: Sincerity

Gardner Martin gave Lumian a somewhat surprised glance and, after a brief pause, said, "Let's talk in the carriage."

Upon hearing this, the butler Faustino took the initiative to sit at the front of the carriage, next to the driver.

Lumian silently followed Gardner Martin into the carriage and sat down opposite him.

Once the vehicle began to move slowly, Gardner Martin looked at Lumian and asked, "Why did you advance such a large sum of cash?"

Lumian responded candidly, "Because I had the opportunity to strengthen my abilities. I want to become a Sequence 7 Pyromaniac."

Gardner Martin hadn't expected such an honest response. After two seconds, he smiled and asked, "Is 20,000 verl gold enough?"

"And the 80,000 verl gold you gave me last time, along with my previous savings," Lumian answered without blinking.

Gardner Martin slowly nodded. "Did you come across someone selling the main ingredients for the Pyromaniac potion somewhere? Do you have the formula for the Pyromaniac?"

"Yes," Lumian replied without hiding anything.

Gardner Martin chuckled. "You're actually telling me all this? Shouldn't these kinds of things be kept secret?"

Lumian sincerely said, "I feel like I'm ready to take the Pyromaniac potion, and maybe I'll advance to Sequence 7 soon.

"When that happens, if a conflict arises, I won't be able to hide the changes in my strength, and you'll find out eventually. So, why not tell you now?"

Additionally, the dance hall manager, René, worked for Gardner Martin, and advancing 20,000 verl gold would inevitably be reported to him.

After a pause, Lumian continued, "That's one reason.

"The other reason is that I've wandered the streets, lived in the countryside, and been a fugitive. Now, I believe in only one thing: whoever treats me well, I'll treat them well in return."

This statement wasn't meant to demonstrate loyalty, as Jenna had said. Given that Lumian had only met Gardner Martin once, such loyalty would seem overly extravagant and unconvincing. His main goal was to express his desire to pledge allegiance.

Similarly, Gardner Martin couldn't have failed to understand Lumian's reasons for confessing ahead of time. Lumian's real purpose was to show that he was someone with a clear head.

Gardner Martin slightly tilted his head back and laughed heartily. "Very good. Who among Brenner, Saw, or Cristos doesn't have their own secrets? They just assume I don't know."

"You have a clear understanding of your situation, the development of your future, and my attitude. That shows you're smarter than them. Often, sincerity is the most effective strategy."

"Sincerity?" Lumian echoed with genuine sincerity, saying, "Boss, I've found clues for the main ingredients, but I still don't know where to find the auxiliary ingredients.

"Could you help me keep an eye out for Fire Salamander blood, Magma Stone powder, and Scarlet Crown Impatiens?"

In Lumian's view, Gardner Martin, who was likely a Sequence 6 or even Sequence 5 of the Hunter pathway, would be more likely than Franca to find the auxiliary ingredients for the Pyromaniac potion.

It was possible that when Gardner advanced to Pyromaniac, he might have had leftover auxiliary ingredients.

According to Aurore's notes on witchcraft, with the proper methods, spiritual auxiliary ingredients could be preserved for a long time.