Chapter 153: The Quota

Mavis could only look at Peka and Harry with a dazed expression, her eyes revealing a trace of fright.
"Go ahead and ask!" Mavis continued in a very low voice.
"Miss Melfan, the upcoming questions might make you feel somewhat resentful, but please cooperate fully with our work!" Peka motioned for Harry beside him to close the shop door.
With the closing of the shop door, the entire interior became even dimmer. Seeing this, Mavis could not help trembling slightly.
"Don't be afraid, Miss Melfan, we just want to ask you a few simple questions!" Seeing Mavis's reaction, Peka nodded slightly; her series of reactions completely matched the information in the dossier.
"Mm." Mavis responded and fell silent, remaining obediently off to the side.
"When did you return to Holy Circle City? Furthermore, I would like to know the whereabouts of your mother, Gurt, and Ryan!" Peka's thoughts were simple: as long as Mavis's answers differed significantly from Hugh's, he could use that as a pretext to arrest Hugh.
"I returned to Holy Circle City the day before yesterday. If you don't believe me, you can go ask Hugh; he's also in Holy Circle City, and I've contacted him!" Mavis spoke somewhat eagerly, wanting to prove that everything she said was true.
"Uh-huh! Please continue!" Peka signaled Mavis to go on.
"My mother and the others went to visit an old friend, so I came back first. I don't know where they went specifically, and I can't contact them right now!" Mavis said in a low voice, stealing glances at Peka from time to time.
Such little actions naturally could not escape Peka's notice. Knowing that the Melfan before him was somewhat frightened, he did not pay too much mind to it.
"Then did they say when they would be back?" Peka continued to press. If things were truly as Mavis said, their investigation would still be yielding nothing.
"No, Uncle Gurt just told me to help look after the shop when I have time!" With that, Mavis took out a key—the very key to this shop, which she had deliberately searched for after entering the premises.
Peka took the key and handed it to Harry. Understanding Peka's intention, Harry quickly compared it with the lock on the shop. Indeed, it was the key to this establishment.
Peka returned the key to Mavis. Looking at her constrained appearance and unable to think of anything else to ask for the moment, he prepared to leave.
"My lord..." Mavis suddenly called out to Peka, who was about to leave.
"Is there anything else, Miss Melfan?" Stopped in his tracks, Peka turned around and looked at Mavis.
"Earlier by the seaside, we saw a demonic disc octopus. Its aura was extremely bizarre, but it was too far away, so we couldn't be certain!" Mavis said with some hesitation.
"A demonic disc octopus? Isn't that a Tier 2 creature?" Peka was jolted by this piece of news from Mavis. He felt that even if it couldn't be confirmed, he should report the matter; right now, the entire Holy Circle City could not afford the slightest negligence.
"Thank you for the information you provided. We will take our leave now!" With that, Peka hurriedly left the shop with Harry.
"Hmph, did they just brush past it like that?" Once they had left, Mavis resumed her usual personality and sat lazily in a chair.
"Hey! There might be good things inside this old man's shop!" Mavis suddenly sat up straight and began rummaging through the shop inside and out.
Perhaps because Mavis's news caught the attention of the upper echelons of Holy Circle City, Peka and his group did not bother Hugh and Mavis for the next few days.
To avoid attracting unwanted attention, Mavis could only stay obediently inside the shop. She had found some water element energy crystals in Gurt's shop and was just about to absorb them when a thought struck her: she intended to absorb the bloodline of the Purgatory Serpent in the future, and since the Purgatory Serpent belongs to the fire and darkness elements, absorbing water elements now would be completely useless later anyway!
After pondering this, Mavis gave up on absorbing the energy crystals. In any case, relying on her powerful soul, the witchcraft she could cast was not weak, and self-preservation was well within her reach.
During this period, she had also contacted Hugh once, and the outcome was simply for her to wait for notification. With nothing to do, Mavis could only calm her mind and organize the knowledge she had acquired.
Compared to the idle Mavis, Hugh had been extremely busy these past few days. Seeing the situation in Holy Circle City deteriorating day by day, Hugh knew he had to accelerate his progress. He had no choice but to brew potions day and night and then head to the Silver Rose to gather information.
Carrying a leather suitcase, Hugh walked down the street. The case contained thirty Dragon Potions. As he walked toward the public center, very few people were in sight, with armored guards patrolling at regular intervals.
After showing his identification, Hugh used the teleportation array to arrive at the Silver Rose once again.
Upon reaching his team's laboratory, Hugh saw Kairu talking to Brenda, the head of their organization. The two of them spotted Hugh almost immediately.
Having been seen, Hugh had no choice but to step forward and greet them with a smile.
"Hey, Hugh, you know what? You're the first one from our group to arrive these past few days!" Brenda seemed to be in a very good mood and greeted Hugh warmly.
Kairu, standing beside him, merely nodded and then looked at Hugh with a complex gaze. He had received news that the people who previously went to investigate the Nether River Valley had returned; there truly was a teleportation array there, but it was completely dilapidated and beyond repair.
Knowing this, Kairu had initially felt somewhat unwilling and wanted to continue the investigation, but Holy Circle City's sudden massive mobilization meant Hugh's matter had to be temporarily set aside.
"Alright, I've said what needs to be said, I'll be leaving first!" Kairu seemed reluctant to linger and departed immediately after speaking.
"Is there something you need?" Watching Kairu leave, Brenda turned to Hugh.
"I'm here to turn in my assignment!" With that, Hugh opened the leather suitcase in his hand.
Thirty vials of Dragon Potions lay neatly before Brenda's eyes.
"Hahaha, wonderful! You actually managed to brew the potions so quickly. I'll reserve a quota for you!" Brenda looked at Hugh with pleasant surprise. This newcomer who had just joined had genuinely given him a pleasant shock.
"A quota? What quota?" Hugh guessed that Kairu's conversation with Brenda earlier might have been about this very quota.
"Here's the thing: you probably already know about the situation in Holy Circle City. What happened in the Lost Realm this time is no trivial matter, and our Holy Circle City must unite as one. Therefore, every wizard organization will dispatch people to various defense lines to fend off the invasion of sea monsters.
Although we have combat team members in the Silver Rose, this incident is the first of its kind in the history of the Lost Realm, and no one dares to lower their guard. Consequently, some members of the Potion Team will also be sent to the defense lines."
"No way!" Hearing this, Hugh's heart instantly turned cold. Had he prepared for so long just to be sent to the frontlines?
"You don't need to worry. Didn't I just say I'd give you a quota?" Seeing Hugh's reaction, Brenda chuckled, assuming Hugh was frightened.
"Ah? So that's how it is!" Hugh smiled somewhat sheepishly.
"Phew!" Hugh breathed a sigh of relief internally; it turned out this quota meant he didn't have to go to the defense lines.
"Yes! From now on, the Silver Rose enters a state of Level 1 alert. All members of the Potion Team must go all out to brew natural potions for the wizards on the defense lines to use. Therefore, I have high hopes for you!" Brenda patted Hugh on the shoulder, knowing that the natural potions were contributed by Hugh, meaning his individual output in brewing was equivalent to at least two people.
"I'll do my best!" Hugh hadn't expected the Silver Rose's reassigned task to be this, but it happened to suit his own plans.
"Good. I'll be contacting some of the other members of our group shortly. If you don't wish to stay, you're free to go!" With that, Brenda awarded Hugh his contribution points.
"A total of two hundred contribution points. You can save them up!" Brenda handed the badge back to Hugh.
"So little!" Hugh suddenly recalled what that person had told him last time when he was redeeming items.
"Oh right, how many people will the Silver Rose send to the defense lines this time?" Hugh asked casually.
"This? Probably about two-thirds of them!" Brenda was attempting to contact other wizards and, not thinking much of it, answered offhandedly.