Chapter 119: The Leak of the Toxin-Clearing Ability
Cillian Forrest looked up, his gaze dark and deep as he watched Sophie Wexler in the corner below. In the end, he said nothing, merely reaching out to touch the wristband on his arm.
After sending the message, Sophie Wexler sat there for a while and started to feel a bit bored.
Everyone else was gathered in small groups, and staying by herself for too long would attract attention, so she got up and moved.
The venue for the matching banquet was massive, with both indoor and outdoor areas. The outside featured a large garden. Since the event had just started, most people were still inside, leaving the outdoor area relatively empty.
Sophie Wexler grabbed a drink and slipped outside. She happened to spot a swing in the distance and decided to walk over and sit there.
Meanwhile, back inside, many people were looking for Sophie Wexler—or to be more precise, for the Level 3S Healer-class individual.
The list of recommended candidates was not short; besides Evan Adler and his group, there were others as well.
They paced back and forth through the venue, trying to find Sophie Wexler, little knowing she had already slipped out.
The same went for Evan Adler and his friends. They had put in so much effort before the banquet, showing all the sincerity they could, but they never expected the application they submitted tonight would still be rejected.
Evan Adler stared at the message on his wristband. It was the first time the esteemed Healer-class individual had ever replied to him.
Sophie Wexler: [Thank you for your kind intentions, but I’m sorry.]
It was a clear rejection. Evan Adler looked at the message, his gaze lowering.
The next second, he sent a message to the others.
A moment later, while nearly every candidate was trying their best to get in touch with the Healer-class individual, a strange scene unfolded at the matching banquet.
Several grown men were standing together, staring at one another.
For a moment, they were all speechless.
Finally, Evan Adler’s eyes darted. ’What if I said Miss Wexler accepted my application? I’ll try bluffing them.’
He cleared his throat and began his tentative lie. "So, uh, Miss Wexler replied to my message. She said..."
"She said thank you for your kind intentions, and then she’s sorry," someone next to him added airily before he could finish.
The man then raised his eyes to glance at Evan Adler, his expression full of a knowing look that saw right through him. "You weren’t about to lie and say Miss Wexler accepted your application, were you?"
Evan Adler choked, then laughed it off the next second. "Of course not. I was also going to say that Miss Wexler sent me her regrets."
’These guys, honestly. This is the downside of knowing each other too well. They see right through you in an instant.’
"Anyone could figure out you’re not that stupid. After all, if Miss Wexler had really accepted your invitation, you’d have gone to meet her long ago. Would you still be standing here talking to us?"
Evan Adler: "..."
’He’s not wrong, but did he have to say it out loud?’
"Alright, enough joking around," Evan Adler said, his expression turning serious. "So, we all received a rejection from Miss Wexler?"
"Looks that way," one of them confirmed, crossing his arms and nodding.
Evan Adler scanned the faces of the others and undoubtedly got the same answer from their expressions.
The very fact that they were all standing here said enough.
"If Miss Wexler didn’t choose any of us, then who did she choose?" Evan Adler asked, looking at the four men before him.
They had all been selected by the Marshal. The intention couldn’t have been more obvious: they were all on Your Majesty’s side. If any one of them matched with Miss Wexler, it would be advantageous for the current Royal Family.
If Miss Wexler didn’t choose one of them, then it could only be...
The same thought occurred to everyone at the same time.
’It couldn’t be Shane Thorne, could it?!’
After all, he was the only one who had been in contact with Miss Wexler these past few days.
Everyone’s expression instantly hardened. If that were the case, the situation would be very unfavorable for them.
If Shane Thorne successfully matched with Miss Wexler, his faction’s supporters would multiply. No one wanted to be tormented by the pain of the Disorder Period, especially not those of High Rank.
"No, we still have to fight for it," Evan Adler said. "We can’t just give up."
"We want to fight for it too, but how? Do you know Miss Wexler? Do you know what she looks like? Do you know where she is right now?"
The barrage of questions left Evan Adler speechless. "..."
He didn’t know.
’No, wait.’
Evan Adler looked up, a cryptic smile on his face. "I may not know, but someone else does."
The moment he finished speaking, the others present almost instantly realized who he was talking about.
"You mean... Shane Thorne?"
"Exactly." Evan Adler snapped his fingers.
Even if he hasn’t gotten Miss Wexler’s approval yet, as the only person who’s been in contact with her, he definitely knows what she looks like.
Knowing his personality, he’s bound to be looking for her.
’All we have to do is follow him.’
The men exchanged a look and instantly made up their minds.
’Let’s do it!’
And so, the target of their search switched from Sophie Wexler to Shane Thorne.
Once the target changed, finding him became much easier.
After all, they all knew Shane Thorne.
And just like that, they soon spotted Shane Thorne.
The man was standing not far away, staring at the information on his wristband. The application he’d sent had vanished without a trace, receiving no response whatsoever.
Shane Thorne’s brow furrowed deeply. His profile was on the system, and it clearly stated he was from a branch of the Royal Family. Among the candidates, his status was already quite high; most people wouldn’t refuse him.
But for some reason, he had received no reply at all.
’If she won’t reply, then I’ll find her myself.’
He picked up his communicator, about to make a call, but before he could, an incoming call came through.
Shane Thorne answered it.
Just as he was about to speak, a voice came from the other end.
"You must find that Healer-class individual immediately and match with her!"
Shane Thorne was a little confused by this. ’Isn’t that what they said before? Why repeat it so emphatically now?’
But the next words left him completely stunned. "That Healer-class individual can very likely neutralize Starbug toxin."
Shane Thorne: "What?!!"
’She can neutralize Starbug toxin!’
"The intel is still being confirmed, but now that we have this information, you must match with her no matter what!"
Shane Thorne: "I understand."
"Find her location for me now."
’Although no one is allowed to spy on a Healer-class’s location by any means during the matching period... desperate times call for desperate measures.’
’As long as I can successfully match with her, even if this gets discovered, is there anyone who could possibly undo our match?’
At the same time, Cillian Forrest also received a message. "Marshal, the information about Miss Wexler being able to neutralize Starbug toxin may have been leaked."
As he made the report, Ethan Cross’s heart was filled with apprehension. He never expected such a slip-up to occur.
Cillian Forrest’s fingers paused sharply. When he looked up, his eyes were frigid.
He shot up from his seat. When he looked down again, Sophie Wexler, who had been sitting there just moments before, was now nowhere to be seen.