“Shard Hamilton, currently a detective. Good evening, madam, and my respects to you.”
Shard carefully chose his words, striving to speak properly. Before knowing the other party’s intentions, it was correct to speak cooperatively. Besides, he truly felt sorry for what had happened earlier, even if it couldn’t be entirely blamed on him.
“I’ll say it again, don’t laugh.”
He said in his heart.
“So, Mr. Hamilton, let’s not talk about the runaway [Black Box] for now.”
Even though the power of a High Ring Sorcerer could quell the danger caused by this Poet-level relic’s loss of control, not being angry was impossible. However, the lady behind the door was very good at controlling her emotions.
Shard was relieved that the other party was someone who reasoned; otherwise, his situation would be precarious.
“I knew it, understanding all languages in such a world is definitely not a good thing. I must remember this lesson.”
Shard thought to himself. The woman quickly calmed down and continued speaking, her tone becoming soothing:
“Detective, summoning you hastily wasn’t for anything major. The Black Box was just an accident. I want to know where that statue is.”
“Excuse me, what did you say? A statue?”
Still pondering over the previous events, Shard was startled, but his spoken words expressed confusion. He really believed he had excellent acting talent.
“A blood statue, or should I say, the statue of the Old God, the Vampire Duke Lowell. Where is it?”
The woman’s voice completely regained its composure, as if discussing tonight’s weather with Shard. However, the cold tone brought pressure, not any smaller than before:
“A One Ring Sorcerer, no need to lie. The spell you used just now on the first and second floors had such a strong bloody smell.
But you are clean, so I think you are not a follower of the Old God, nor a member of the [Blood of Mercury] organization holding the statue.
Since you are a One Ring Sorcerer, are you from the Orthodox Church? No, you don’t seem like a believer. Your employment way seems very formal. Arcane Academy? From which school are you a newly enrolled correspondence ring sorcerer? That’s even better, correspondence ring sorcerers have no loyalty to the academy.”
She seemed very knowledgeable about correspondence ring sorcerers but didn’t give Shard a chance to speak and softly said:
“Actually, this is all unimportant. I don’t care about your identity, nor do I intend to explore if you have any secrets. Now, detective, please tell me, where is the Old God’s statue?”
Shard looked surprised at the slightly ajar door, but he knew it was crucial to stay calm at this moment:
“Madam, I’m not sure what exactly you are referring to, you know I am just a One Ring.”
Today’s Tobesque was also foggy as he touched that statue in the alley. It was absolutely impossible for anyone to see. He could not imagine someone could smell the blood on him after touching the statue. You should know, even the [Echoes of Blood] couldn’t see any traces on him.
This should have been a simple commission, and theoretically speaking, releasing a spell would only be felt through close-range spiritual fluctuations and element gathering. The doctor’s notebook did not mention anyone sniffing a specific spell’s trace through two ceilings.
Shard knew he really encountered an extraordinary person, but at least the other party was not with the [Blood of Mercury].
“Could the other party be a follower of the Old God’s opposing deity?”
For now, he could only guess like this.
“I have a special spirit rune, very sensitive to the power of the Old God, so no need to panic. Detective, do I need to emphasize my question again?”
The room’s temperature seemed to drop even more. Shard shook his head, knowing that through the door, she could see him and said:
“No, no need. The statue of the Old God, the Vampire Duke Lowell, I indeed came into contact with it today.”
“That’s good. Even if you were unwilling to reveal its location, I think I could investigate your whereabouts today. But we can save some time, can’t we?”
The woman behind the door asked, her voice carrying some pleasant emotion, completely detached from the previous anger.
She eagerly awaited the detective’s answer, believing the detective wouldn’t disappoint her.
Shard pursed his lips:
“So, can I take this as you commissioning me to find the statue containing the Old God’s remnants?”
This wasn’t indulging in a detective role-playing game but probing if the other party wanted it for free or preferred a transaction. Although he was sorry for accidentally causing the relic’s loss of control, it didn’t mean he was willing to hand over something valuable without compensation.
Of course, he was also willing to compensate the other party.
And the situation was better than Shard had expected:
“Of course, commissioning is possible. I always advocate fair trades. Also, we have no personal grudges, except for what happened just now. If it can be done as a transaction, I have no problem with that. So, detective, how much commission fee do you need? Name a number. If you agree to the transaction, I can forget what happened just now.”
The possibility of sudden wealth was right in front of him. The woman inside the door didn’t seem to be joking. Nobility, High Ring Sorcerer, these two labels combined were enough for Shard to imagine how wealthy she was and could rectify the recent small incident.
Shard resisted the temptation of money, stopping from imagining himself counting stacks of coins in his study with the gas lamp off by the light of the desk lamp.
He had more important matters:
“I am very sorry for the relic’s loss of control.
The statue is in the alley diagonally opposite the Silver Parrot Milk Delivery Company, with an old bookstore on the right side of the entrance. Enter the alley; the statue’s position is in the dead corner of the pipe and wall at the end. But you need a chant, a six-syllable chant to make the statue appear. This is my sincerity; I do not want any money.”
Not wanting money was naturally a lie, but it could be counted as a truth. As for immediately revealing such important information, it was a strategy to show his genuine apology for the earlier matter. Shard believed the other party could still find this place by investigating his whereabouts, so revealing it early could gain favor:
“I want to exchange the statue’s location and chant for a power I can use. No need for an equivalent exchange, just something I can use.”
The statue definitely couldn’t be kept, and Shard didn’t intend to hold on to such a dangerous item. He didn’t even have the ability to take the statue with him. Appropriate flexibility, exchanging for greater benefits, was the best approach.
The lady behind the door spoke very correctly; trading the statue with the academy or her made no difference. Shard still remembered the repeated words from the doctor and the writer lady, emphasizing they were correspondence, having no specific relationship with the academy.
Thus, he didn’t think trading the statue with someone else would be a betrayal to the academy. Besides, Shard wanted to make up slightly for the relic’s loss of control. Trading with reasonable people, suffering a minor loss the first time could be beneficial for the future.
