Doctor Clay was a middle-aged man, somewhat older but not yet fifty. His build was a bit portly, but he managed to stay just under the limit of “obese.”
However, he had no hair on his head, so he wore a very obvious brown wig, which made one’s gaze involuntarily drift upwards when speaking to him up close.
“Doctor Schneider absolutely won’t be back today?”
Xia De, holding the cat, confirmed unwillingly. The orange cat Mia had probably never been to a place like this before, and now she was excitedly widening her eyes and looking around.
“Yes, when the Earl’s butler came to invite Bill, he already stated the time for this house call,” the doctor repeated.
“Then, do you know Doctor Schneider’s friend, Miss Louisa?” Xia De asked again. “Do you know where she lives?”
If he couldn’t find the doctor, then other Ring術士 in the same group would also work. Since it concerned the Old God statue, he had to find someone who could handle the matter cautiously.
“Yes, of course, I know her. She’s a regular at our clinic, often coming in for anorexia and insomnia problems… but I cannot disclose patient information freely,” Doctor Clay said apologetically.
Xia De also knew his request was a bit much, so he could only choose to leave a message for Doctor Schneider.
Although the Old God statue, containing remnants of an Old God, was not a relic, its value was still quite significant.
Even though Saint Byron's Comprehensive College did not recommend Ring術士 obtain the Four Elements by contacting such strange items, those professors at Saint Byron's Comprehensive College who were Nine Ring or above and held tenure might be able to write down the story belonging to the Old God using powerful language through the Old God remnants.
Doing so would definitely be much safer than Xia De being directly affected by the Old God remnants today. Therefore, whether it was out of concern for Mrs. Lasoya’s intentions or simply wanting to contribute by reporting this matter, it was necessary to let Doctor Schneider know about it as soon as possible.
But since the doctor wasn’t present, he could only wait patiently. Xia De couldn’t report this matter directly to the Church, not because he was concerned about the statue of the Blood Old God being taken away by the Church, but because he simply didn’t know how to report it anonymously.
“But the doctor will be back tomorrow. Waiting one more day probably won’t cause any problems.”
With this thought, he left the doctor’s psychology clinic, holding the cat. But a sense of unease constantly lingered in his heart, making Xia De, distracted, almost get hit by a carriage at an intersection on his way back to Saint Delan Square.
Xia De had left home early in the morning, but because the search for the orange cat was so smooth, it was only two in the afternoon when he returned home.
Both he and Mia had eaten lunch outside, so for now, there was nothing to do.
Xia De put the cat down at home. Mia adapted well to the unfamiliar environment, rolling around on the sofa or exploring various corners of the room.
Xia De, meanwhile, meticulously recorded the entire process of this cat-finding commission in the Detective’s ledger and record book, strictly following the previous Detective’s format.
After writing, he flipped through the Detective’s past records, planning to complete the remaining two simple commissions—the runaway girl and the search for the doctor—in the coming days as well.
This way, after receiving the textbooks from the College on Wednesday, he would have time to investigate Sparrow Hamilton Detective’s old acquaintances and search for any secrets Sparrow Hamilton might be hiding.
So Xia De spent the afternoon organizing all of the former Detective’s relics and appraising his own property. In the evening, he took the cat out to eat again, and on the way back, he bought some breadsticks at a bakery near the Square to have with tomorrow morning’s milk for breakfast.
Of course, he couldn't forget about the high-end cat food. Since he had been paid, Xia De would diligently take care of the little orange cat.
Thus, having been in this world for only two days, Xia De became a young Detective living in the central square of the kingdom’s capital, with a cat and a job.
“Thinking about it this way, my luck isn’t bad… I just don’t have any money.”
The evening was spent continuing to study 【Time-Space】 and 【Silver Moon】. Because he had come into contact with the Old God remnants today, the accumulated Miracle elements had transformed into more Spirit, making the silver light at his fingertips even more dazzling.
But it still had no offensive power; it was sufficient for illumination, though.
Xia De also tried out his ability to ignite paper, an ability that was also enhanced by the gain in power. Although the young orange cat was startled by the warming paper in Xia De’s hand and hid in Xia De’s arms, refusing to leave, Xia De was very happy about it.
This study session was interrupted around nine o’clock that night. Xia De was sitting in the study, reading the Doctor’s notes, perplexed by the Doctor’s cursive handwriting, when he heard the bell downstairs being rung.
The cat, which had been lying dormant on the desk, immediately darted under the desk, as if startled.
Xia De comforted the timid Mia, then walked out of the room in confusion and went downstairs to the first-floor entryway.
“Could the Doctor have returned to the city early and seen my message?”
But it was not. When he opened the door, outside stood a somewhat nervous, short, blond-haired middle-aged man in a black overcoat, a client who had come to find Sparrow Hamilton Detective.
Xia De’s first official commission had arrived.
The man’s name was Raggett Franklin, an accountant living in the west of Tobesk City, employed at “Hunter and Lola’s Textile Factory.” This was not his first time coming here for a commission, and he was also acquainted with Sparrow Hamilton Detective. Therefore, after Xia De invited him in and offered him black tea, he was very shocked by the former Detective’s death.
“A sudden illness, and he didn’t even receive effective treatment.”
This was the former Detective’s explanation for his death. Medical care in this era was not advanced, and doctors’ methods of treatment had only just moved beyond the routine of “bloodletting” and “enemas,” so it was not uncommon for an acquaintance to die from a sudden, severe illness.
“I am the Detective’s nephew from his hometown. I have inherited this Detective agency. Uncle Sparrow entrusted this place to me before his death,” Xia De introduced the fabricated identity the former Detective had created for him.
Seeing that Mr. Franklin believed his story, he then asked:
“Although Uncle Sparrow is no longer here, I can still complete the commission… and complete it more cheaply. May I ask, why have you come so late?”
Whether it was moved by Xia De’s sincerity or the promise of “more cheaply,” the middle-aged accountant hesitated for a moment before speaking about his situation.
Although they lived in the capital, Raggett Franklin’s family was just an ordinary one in this Northern Pearl of the Old Continent. Mr. Franklin, as the husband, made a living as an accountant, while Mrs. Franklin had a job as a copyist at a nearby private Library.
The couple’s only child, Little Franklin, was their biggest headache. He had once been considered a good child in the family, but ever since he met a group of bad friends on the street, he spent all his days with them and gradually picked up the bad habit of gambling, frequenting night clubs and underground casinos, and stealing money from home to squander.
Mr. Franklin had come here twice before for commissions. The first time was to ask Sparrow Hamilton Detective to find Little Franklin, who hadn’t returned home for three days, and he was found in an underground casino in the northern slums of the city. The second time was to ask the Detective to retrieve Little Franklin, who had been hanging out at the Lucky Southern Cross Club for three days.
The main business of that club was alcohol, but at night, it turned into an underground casino.