Chapter 202 Opportunities and families.
The party was going great, just as Kevin had predicted. Dina and Tara were making their advances, turning every casual conversation into flirtation, subtly running their hands along his thigh and showcasing their ample cleavage.
They played with their eyes, inviting him to escape somewhere private, and Kevin, savoring the flavors of the alcoholic cocktails, relished in their flirty skills. He played hard to get, encouraging them to use their charm to the fullest.
Kevin considered taking their advances and finding some privacy, but just as he hesitated, a strong hand squeezed his shoulder. He looked over in surprise and found a stunning golden-haired woman gazing at him with a smile.
She commented, "It seems you're enjoying my grandma and her friends' company a lot, hmm?"
Tara acknowledged Keyara with a smile and asked, "You're here, dear Keyara. What took you so long?"
Keyara smiled at Tara and replied, "Just some work. Now, if you'll excuse me, can I take my grandma and this fellow for some work talk?"
Kevin wasn't sure what she had in mind, but he couldn't leave without enjoying the company of at least one of these ladies. He looked at Dina with hesitation in his eyes, and Dina, while also reluctant to let him go, said with a smile, "Well, just make sure to return him to me soon. We have some unfinished business to discuss." Keyara exchanged a meaningful glance with Dina and then with Kevin, who felt a lump in his throat.
"Apologies, Mrs. Benvar, but I don't think he'll be able to return. We'll be leaving here soon to Chernbogs' den." Keyara surprised everyone, particularly Viana, who asked, "Why so sudden?"
"We received some information about the merchant, and based on that, I've made the decision to leave early. You should tell your family to find it to, aunty Dina." Keyara explained, then turned to Arya and continued, "Aunt Arya, could you please find Aunt Ziana for me and take her to the meeting room?"
Arya nodded and headed off to locate Ziana, while Tara, filled with curiosity, inquired, "What's the information you've received?"
Keyara turned to her grandmother and responded, "Sorry, I can't tell you, as it would break our agreement with the merchant. But if you want to know, come to Chernbog's Den with us. I know I said you have to take care of things here, but a bigger opportunity awaits us there. Now, Grandma, will you come with me?"
Viana, with a curious expression, got up and nodded. Meanwhile, Kevin, under Keyara's compelling gaze, reluctantly rose and walked with her.
Soon, he found himself sitting at a large table that seemed to be set up for this meeting. Beside him sat Keith, who appeared confused, as did many others present, including Ziana, who seemed bit irritated as well.
In the meeting room, there were a total of ten people, including Kevin, Keith, her sister, and her grandmother. Two of them were Ziana and Arya, while the other four were men, and there was one masked woman. Kevin had seen the men at the party, but the masked woman was unfamiliar to him.
Naturally, he was curious about her, and also he had expected Kari to be present at the meeting. However, for some reason, she wasn't there.
"Are you all wondering why I've gathered you here?" Keyara asked with a knowing smile. None of them spoke, their curious expressions giving away their curiosity. Keyara continued, tapping on the table as she explained, "It's because of this. Our spy has returned with information about the merchant and why he needs our assistance."
Everyone's eyes were locked onto the holographic image of a black flower with a silver hue surrounding it. They all recognized it from its appearance, including Kevin, as it was a herb known as the Noxlight flower. It was a rare herb, though not exceedingly so, particularly in the environment of Chernbog's Dens where it thrived.
Many of those gathered were familiar with the Noxlight flower, but not its uses. A young man who appeared younger than Kevin but was actually older asked, "What about it? Do we have to find it and give it to him in exchange for money?"
Keyara smiled and replied, "Yes, Benny, but not for money. We're exchanging it for these resources." She tapped on the table again, displaying a list of resources with images in front of everyone, leaving them in shock.
Even Kevin was surprised as he saw immortal-grade qi potions listed, which were quite rare. There were tens of thousands of them available, and there was an exchange rate, with each potion costing four Noxlight flowers.
Among the listed resources were items far rarer than the Noxlight flower they were willing to exchange. Arya, however, remained suspicious and asked, "It seems great, but there must be some catch, right?"
"We tried to find one, but we couldn't. It's possible there isn't one, but who knows? We can't afford to waste time gathering more information because soon this knowledge will spread, making it even harder to find this rare herb than it already is. So we're going to act before it becomes widely known. And also, Kari, she's already on board, and we don't have to worry about her. The merchant has priced the safe transfer of her to be 20 of these flowers. I hope you all can contribute two flowers each for it in exchange for this information," Keyara explained with a hopeful expression.
All of them nodded in agreement, including Kevin, who realized he could easily locate the resources with his treasure radar once he got his hands on one of them.
A man with silver hair, who Kevin couldn't help but acknowledge as more handsome than himself, asked, "Can I tell my wife about this?"
Keyara replied, "You can tell her after we reach the destination or when we're on the way. Even though she's close to our family, we can't afford to lose this advantage, Uncle Ken. And I already give her a hint about it. She should be already looking around things now." Her uncle, whom Kevin suspected to be Dina's husband, Ken, also nodded in agreement.
"So, everyone, get ready, and let's go," Keyara said, and everyone at the table left to prepare. The exception was her grandmother, who gazed at Keyara with anger.
"Why didn't you tell me when Kari was leaving?" Viana questioned, her voice filled with anger.
Keyara didn't bother to look at her and kept her eyes on some digital documents. "She didn't want you to know."
This only fueled her anger further, and a hint of sadness appeared in her eyes as she asked, "Why? I am her family too..."
"We already said our goodbyes to her yesterday, and you don't have to get too emotional now, Grandma. We all know you don't consider this family as yours. If given the chance, you would run away to your own family this instant," Keyara replied with a touch of contempt, and Viana seemed to have no response.
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