NOVEL NEXT Chapter 789 Identity Test
Hearing the welcoming voice, Richard's eyebrows twitched slightly but he didn't make an exaggerated cautious gesture like Bobbobovic. With a calm expression, he walked through the door.
Upon entering, he saw that the interior was a typical Gravekeeper's Cottage, furnished quite simply: a wooden bed, a cupboard, a wooden table, several wooden chairs, a stove, a copper kettle, a water storage container, and a box for sundries.
The copper kettle was on the stove, boiling, "puff puff puff," sending out a lot of white steam, the lid being jolted "clap clap clap," and the spout emitting a sharp whistling sound, "shoo shoo shoo."
An old man with dark skin walked to the stove, lifted the copper kettle, and poured the water into a chipped grey ceramic bowl.
Then he took down a heavy, dark loaf of bread from the cupboard, held a somewhat rusty knife in his right hand, and sawed off a slice about half a centimeter thick with difficulty, "creak creak," as if using a saw.
He forcefully broke the sawn-off breadcrumbs into small pieces, dropping one into the bowl containing boiling water. It was visible to the naked eye that the dark bread softened slowly upon contact with the boiling water, and after a while, it turned from hard to tender.
The old man with dark skin sat on a chair, speared a piece of bread with a fork missing one prong, blew on it, and then chewed vigorously a few times before swallowing, with a satisfied expression on his face.
Afterward, the old man submerged more pieces of bread in the hot water. While waiting for the bread to soften, he finally raised his head and looked at Richard and Bobbobovic, who had been in the room for some time.
"I'm very pleased to meet you," said the old man. "I apologize for making you wait a while before speaking to you. But considering that you were over half an hour late, I think we're even."
Bobbobovic's face went slightly red, fully aware of who was to blame for being late. He opened his mouth but was too embarrassed to explain.
The old man didn't seem to mind the issue, and spoke again, "Okay, now that you've come, let's cut the chatter. You must have seen my phantasm at your residence, so you should already know my name is Oscar, and I won't introduce myself again. Let's talk about the matter at hand instead.
The reason I've sought you out is simple: I know you're about to join a rather mysterious organization. I'm somewhat interested in that organization and hope you can be my insiders, collaborate with me, and gather information about it. What do you think?" the old man asked directly.
"The organization you're talking about, is it the Truth Society?" Bobbobovic asked.
"Yes, that's the one. Any problems?" the old man inquired.
Bobbobovic fell silent, his eyes darting around, his expression changing rapidly.
More than problems? Big problems!
He had absolutely no idea who the old man was, whether he was genuinely interested in the Truth Society or if he was someone from the Truth Society testing them. A wrong answer could lead to serious trouble.
While thinking this, Bobbobovic couldn't help but turn his head to look at Richard, hoping to see if Richard had any good ideas.
Richard had the same concerns as Bobbobovic but looked relatively calm as he glanced at the old man and asked, "You want us to be your insiders, I understand. However, there's one issue. What exactly is your identity? I'm a bit suspicious, maybe you're someone from the Truth Society testing us, in which case we can't agree to your terms."
"So, you think I might be from the Truth Society?" the old man shook his head. "But I'm not from the Truth Society. Actually, I'm not even from the Southern Free Federation; I'm from the North. I just have some interest in the Truth Society, which is why I'm staying here for a while before I leave.
If you two truly doubt my identity, I can provide proof, but it will take some time. In any case, regarding my identity, both of you can rest assured, I won't deceive you."
Richard looked at the old man, acutely feeling that the temperature of an ornament on his chest remained unchanged, neither hot nor cold. Suddenly speaking up, "Rest assured? Well, after hearing what you've said, indeed, I feel assured. But now that I am, perhaps you should start worrying."
"What about?" the old man with dark skin inquired, somewhat perplexed, "What should I be worried about?"
"Don't you think, the timing of our appearance in your sight is too coincidental? You're looking for insiders, and here we are, showing up and cooperating by coming here, as if it was all prearranged."
Richard stared at the old man and continued seriously, "Maybe you truly are not from the Truth Society, but... have you not considered that we could be from the Truth Society? You're interested in investigating the Truth Society, and they might also become aware of your existence and take countermeasures.
In your eyes, we might be potential insiders, but in the eyes of the Truth Society, we might just be bait, specially designed to lure you, a big fish from the North. What do you think about that?"
"I—!" The old man with dark skin uttered in surprise after hearing Richard's words, his face instantly changing. However, because his skin was too dark, the change wasn't very clear; only his gaze gradually sharpened.
Richard felt it more tangibly, as an item beneath his shirt suddenly burst forth with a winter chill, causing his goosebumps to rise.
The old man with dark skin stared at Richard, looking as if he was ready to act at a moment's notice. Bobbobovic stood nervously to the side, his hand stealthily reaching into his coat, ready to pull out a potion to deal with any conflict.
Yet Richard appeared somewhat 'thick-skinned,' revealing a smile as he looked towards the old man.
The old man paused, suddenly understanding something, and spoke out, "No, you're not bait from the Truth Society. You're testing me, right?"
"Ha," Richard responded. "It seems my unrefined tactics have been seen through by you. Not bad, indeed I'm not bait from the Truth Society. On the contrary, both the person beside me and I are enemies of the Truth Society."
"Oh?" The old man seemed intrigued, "Enemies? Can you tell me why?"
"Simple, the Truth Society hurt people close to us," Richard stated earnestly, pointing at Bobbobovic. "For example, his friend was killed by the Truth Society. And a comrade of mine was harmed by them to the point of remaining comatose.
Because of this, we want to take revenge on the Truth Society, but the more we learn about them, the clearer it becomes that we can't act blindly as their organization is extensive and shrouded in mystery. Maybe it's best to hide our identities, infiltrate their organization, and understand their true nature before making a move."
The old man with dark skin was skeptical, looking at Richard for confirmation, "Is that true?"