Thinking about it more carefully, it didn't really make much difference.
Miss Audrey was only worried that the slave mark might be discovered and exploited by the wrong people. In that case, now that she had become his exclusive servant, no one else could possibly control her through that mark.
And as long as he said nothing and did nothing… wasn't that basically the same as removing it perfectly?
I'm a genius.
Mozo kept repeating that to himself, desperately trying to convince himself that what had just happened wasn't a mistake, but a different kind of success.
Even so, he still felt incredibly guilty.
After all, he had just unknowingly dragged a beautiful young girl into something far more serious than she realized…
But why did it turn out like this?
Right… I'm not just Saint John. I'm also the Sun King.
But that didn't make sense either. If John succeeded, it could still be explained as divine favor. But the Sun King should require pure elven blood and the blessing of the Twin Sacred Trees.
So what exactly went wrong?
And more importantly—why was Miss Audrey branded with an elven slave mark in the first place?
If today's success proved that the dream world was real, then why had all his previous attempts failed?
Was there some hidden condition he hadn't met before… and somehow triggered today?
For example…
Mozo's gaze slowly shifted to Audrey, whose face was still filled with joy.
A Beyonder?
Audrey noticed his expression and asked a little uneasily,
"Is there something you need?"
Did he regret it? Was he going to ask for more payment… or something else?
Her thoughts immediately drifted in a dangerous direction.
But Mozo's next question left her slightly disappointed.
"Miss Hepburn, you're a Beyonder, right?"
"Yes," Audrey replied, a hint of disappointment in her tone. "I'm Sequence Nine. But I can't tell you my pathway."
Mozo nodded in understanding.
What he really wanted to ask was why the Beyonder world seemed so separated from ordinary society.
In his dream world, Beyonders were widely known.
But after a moment of thought, he held that question back.
Even though he and Audrey had established a basic level of trust, just as she wasn't willing to reveal her pathway, he also had his own concerns.
The more he thought about it, the more he felt that today's encounter had been far too reckless.
If the dream world was real, then everything connected to it—people, power, history—was unimaginably dangerous.
That kind of secret absolutely couldn't be exposed.
Fortunately, even in his excitement, Mozo had maintained a certain level of caution.
In Audrey's eyes, he should appear as someone from a hidden family—knowledgeable, mysterious, and backed by an unknown force.
As for his background as an orphan… that could actually work in his favor. A perfect cover. A clean identity that no one could see through.
Mozo quickly shifted his thoughts and looked for a way to steer the conversation.
After a brief pause, he said,
"As you can see, the current situation is rather troublesome. People like us in the Beyonder world always feel… restrained somehow."
He chose his words carefully.
Audrey nodded in agreement.
"Exactly. Other places don't have these restrictions, but here they had to create a 'special zone' and trap us inside it. It's honestly infuriating."
Her tone grew slightly annoyed.
Materials that cost a few dozen gold pounds elsewhere could be sold for hundreds—or even thousands—inside the Special Zone.
Special Zone? Other places don't have this?
Mozo's mind immediately raced.
So this separation between Beyonders and ordinary people… only exists in the Empire?
Why?
And could that also be related to his previous failures?
Since Audrey spoke as if it were common knowledge, Mozo didn't press further, even though he was extremely curious.
Instead, he continued,
"Do you happen to have any special channels for exchanging materials or information?"
Audrey's expression immediately turned cautious.
"Why are you asking that?"
"Expanding one's connections is always a good thing, isn't it? Miss Hepburn, I believe we have that level of trust."
Audrey hesitated, then said apologetically,
"Sorry. The authorities have been cracking down hard lately. And the way you asked… sounded a bit like their interrogation methods."
Mozo smiled lightly.
"That's understandable. So… your answer?"
Audrey studied him for a moment before asking,
"Do you want to join our gathering? Or are you looking for me to act as an intermediary for certain requests?"
"Join," Mozo replied without hesitation. "I trust you, but some things are better handled face to face."
Audrey thought for a moment.
"…Alright. I can recommend you, but the other members need to agree. Otherwise, they might not only expel me, but also retaliate."
"How long would that take?"
Mozo felt a little disappointed, though not surprised.
"Probably until next month."
Next month?
That was a bit too long.
He hesitated before asking,
"Is there any way to speed it up?"
To his surprise, Audrey nodded.
"There is. But… you'll owe me a favor."
There was a hint of slyness in her tone.
Almost instinctively, Mozo covered the pouch containing his hundred gold pounds.
Not already, right?
He had just gotten the money—he wasn't about to lose it that quickly.
Seeing his reaction, Audrey chuckled.
"Relax. You've helped me a lot. I'm not asking for more money. I just hope that during the gathering, if I need help, you'll back me up a little."
Mozo immediately relaxed.
"That's no problem. So how much earlier can it be?"
Audrey thought for a moment.
"Because of the mark incident, the organizer actually owes me a favor. If I use that, I should be able to bring you to the next gathering."
"When is that?"
"If nothing unexpected happens… tomorrow night."