“Xia De Hamilton, currently a Detective. Good evening, madam, I salute you.”
Xia De carefully chose his words, trying to make himself sound as proper as possible. Before knowing the other party's purpose, it was correct to cooperate and speak. Moreover, he truly felt sorry for what had just happened, even if it wasn't entirely his fault...
“I'll say it again, don't laugh.”
He said in his heart.
“Then, Mr. Hamilton, let's not discuss the matter of the out-of-control darkness box for now...”
Even if a High-Ring Sorcerer's power could quell the danger caused by the Poet Grade relic losing control, it was impossible not to be angry. It was just that the lady behind the door was very good at controlling her emotions.
Xia De was very glad that the other party was a reasonable person, otherwise his situation would have been dire.
“I knew it, being able to understand all languages is definitely not a good thing in this world. I must remember this lesson...”
Xia De thought to himself, and the woman quickly calmed down and continued speaking, her tone becoming gentle:
“Detective, there's no major reason for me to call you so suddenly. The darkness box was just an accident. I want to know from you where that statue is.”
“Excuse me, what did you say? Statue?”
Xia De, still pondering the previous events, was startled, but what came out of his mouth was confusion. He truly believed he had excellent acting talent.
“The statue of blood, or rather... the statue of the Old God Vampire Duke Loyaer, where is it, please?”
The woman's voice had completely returned to calmness, as if she were discussing tonight's weather with Xia De, but the pressure brought by her chilling tone was no less than before:
“A Ring術士, there's no need to lie. The Miracles you used on the first and second floors just now had an incredibly strong scent of blood.
But you are very clean, so I think you shouldn't be a follower of that Old God, nor a member of the Mercury Blood organization that possesses the statue.
Since you are a Ring術士... Orthodox Church? No, you don't look like a follower of a god... But your method of employment seems very formal... Miracle Academy? Which school's newly admitted Letter-based Ring術士 are you? That's even better, Letter-based Ring術士 have no loyalty to the academy.”
She seemed to know a lot about Letter-based Ring術士, but she didn't give Xia De a chance to speak before saying softly:
“Actually, none of that matters. I don't care about your identity, nor do I intend to delve into whether you have any secrets. Now, Detective, please tell me, where is the Old God's statue?”
Xia De looked at the slightly ajar door with some surprise, but he knew that the more critical the moment, the calmer he needed to be:
“Madam, I'm not quite sure what you're referring to. You also know I'm just a Ring...”
Tobesk was still foggy today. When he touched the statue in the alley, it was absolutely impossible for anyone to have seen him. He couldn't imagine that someone could smell the blood after he touched the statue. One must know, even the Blood Echo couldn't see any traces on him.
This should have been a very simple commission, and theoretically, releasing a Miracle could only be perceived at close range through the fluctuation of Ling and the gathering of elements. The doctor's notebook did not mention that someone could accurately smell the traces of a specific Miracle through two layers of ceiling.
Xia De knew he had really encountered an extraordinary person, but at least the other party wasn't from Mercury Blood.
“Is the other party a follower of a deity hostile to that Old God of Blood?”
He could only make such a guess for now.
“I possess a special Ling Rune and am very sensitive to the power of Old God, so there's no need to panic. Detective, do I need to emphasize my question again?”
The temperature in the room seemed to grow colder. Xia De shook his head, knowing that the other party could see him through the door, so he said:
“No, no need. The statue of the Old God Vampire Duke Loyaer... I did come into contact with it, just today.”
“That's good. Even if you're unwilling to tell me the location, I think I can investigate your whereabouts today. But we can save some time, can't we?”
The woman behind the door asked, her voice carrying a hint of pleasure, completely free from her earlier anger.
She was anticipating the Detective's answer and believed he would not disappoint her.
Xia De pursed his lips:
“Then, may I take this as... you commissioning me to find the statue containing the Old God's remnants?”
This wasn't him indulging in his Detective role-playing game, but rather a tentative inquiry, asking if the other party wanted to take it for free or trade. Although he was sorry for accidentally letting the relic lose control, it didn't mean he was willing to hand over a valuable item for nothing.
Of course, he was also willing to compensate the other party.
And the situation was better than Xia De had imagined:
“Of course, I can commission you. I always advocate for fair trade. Moreover, you and I have no enmity... except for what just happened. If possible, a trade is perfectly fine. So, Detective, how much do you require for the commission fee? Please state a number. If you agree to trade, I can forget about what just happened.”
The possibility of instant wealth was right before him. The woman inside the door didn't seem to be joking. Noblewoman, High-Ring Sorcerer—these two labels combined were enough for Xia De to imagine how wealthy she was, and it could also resolve the minor incident from earlier.
Xia De resisted the temptation of money, stopping his imagination of himself counting a stack of coins in a gas-lit study, illuminated by the desk lamp.
He had more important things to do:
“I am very sorry about the relic losing control.
That statue is in the alley diagonally opposite the Silver Parrot Milk Delivery Company. To the right of the entrance is a used bookstore. Go to the end of the alley, and in the dead corner between the pipes and the wall, you'll find the statue's location, but it requires a spell. You need to recite a six-syllable incantation for the statue to appear. This is my sincerity, I don't want money...”
Not wanting money was naturally a lie, but it could also be considered the truth. As for immediately revealing such important information, it was a tactic. On one hand, it showed his regret for what had just happened, and on the other, Xia De believed the other party could easily find the location by tracking his movements, so revealing it beforehand could gain her favor:
“I want to exchange the location of this statue and its manifestation spell for power that I can use. It doesn't have to be an equivalent exchange, as long as I can use it.”
The statue certainly couldn't be kept, and besides, Xia De had no intention of possessing such a dangerous item himself; he didn't even have the ability to take the statue away. Therefore, adapting appropriately and exchanging it for greater benefits was the best course of action.
The lady behind the door was right; trading the statue to the academy and trading it to her was essentially no different. Xia De still remembered what the doctor and Miss Writer repeatedly emphasized: they were only Letter-based, with no specific relationship with the academy.
Therefore, he wouldn't consider trading that statue to someone else as a betrayal of the academy. Moreover, Xia De also wanted to slightly compensate for the relic losing control. Trading with such a reasonable person, taking a small loss the first time, would be beneficial for the future.