Thus, on this autumn night, after an exciting card game, the Outsider truly earned the title of “the City player · 1853 tobesk champion”.
After the game, the formal award ceremony was held according to protocol. Xia De later recalled that he could no longer remember how many people he had shaken hands with. He only remembered people cheering and applauding for him. He held the golden trophy inscribed with “the City player · 1853 tobesk champion”, shook hands with the vice president of the Prophet Association Headquarters, and then received a 3,000-pound money order, as well as the special rhode cards, star 12 【the City player · 1853 tobesk champion】.
Other rewards sponsored by local clubs and shops required Xia De to sign some documents at the Association within a week to claim them. As for the trophy, Xia De planned to place it in his living room so that every guest and client who visited could see it.
As for that special card, the rules for all “Great City Player Champion” series cards are the same: when this card is drawn, the player has the right to view one of the opponent’s face-down cards. This rule is jokingly referred to by card players as “the Champion’s Authority”.
Although not comparable to the 【Founding】 series, compared to other various strange rules Xia De had seen, the “Great City Player Champion” rule was truly quite simple and useful.
Moreover, the significance of this card lies not only in its value but also in its honor. And if Xia De was willing to sell this card, the selling price would definitely be greater than the prize money.
After all, every 【Great City Player Champion】 series rhode cards is, in the true sense, a rhode cards that will absolutely never be re-issued.
The only surprise during the award process was that the Association, as per custom, wanted to take a solo photograph of Xia De to hang in a separate room at the Prophet Association Headquarters, alongside other past champions. Although Xia De didn't want his appearance to be displayed too much to strangers, upon hearing that the photo would be placed in a separate room and not open to all visitors, he agreed.
After all, this was a sense of ritual, and it was also the most profound mark the Outsider had left in this world so far.
After the competition, Xia De, relieved, attended the subsequent banquet with the cat and Miss Servite.
Although Tifa often accompanied Miss Jialinna to various banquets, most of the time she appeared as a maid. Opportunities like this, to attend a banquet as a participant, were very rare.
Both of them enjoyed the banquet very much, and they left together only after dancing the last dance.
Miss Jialinna arranged for a carriage to pick up Tifa at Saint Delan Square, so they walked together towards Saint Delan Square in the night.
But as soon as they entered the square, they saw two carriages parked at Xia De's doorstep. The smoking coachmen were standing together chatting, while Xia De's superior, Chief Anlos, was looking up, observing the lights in the buildings around Saint Delan Square.
“Xia De!”
He waved to Xia De, and after the two approached, he cautiously greeted Tifa:
“Miss Servite, it’s a pleasure to see you here.”
“Sir Anlos, good evening.”
Tifa responded politely, handing him Xia De’s coat draped over her shoulders. She blinked and kissed the young Detective’s cheek:
“Tonight was truly delightful. Goodbye, Xia De, sweet dreams.”
“Sweet dreams!”
Xia De and Tifa waved goodbye. Tifa even reached out to touch Mia on Xia De’s shoulder, but Mia’s small paw blocked her.
Miss Servite got into the carriage, and after saying goodbye to Xia De again from the window, the carriage carried her away from Saint Delan Square. During this time, Chief Dak Anlos stood quietly behind Xia De, making no comments.
“I remember, your neighbor here is Mr. Smith?”
After Tifa left, the first thing this gentleman said sounded like casual conversation.
“Yes, I remember he used to be a secretary in the Royal Treasury Department.”
Xia De said, taking out his key to open the door, but Chief Anlos stopped him:
“I won’t go up. Congratulations, Xia De, the card game was splendid.”
He clearly hadn't been to the Prophet Association, yet it was as if he knew everything.
“Thank you.”
“So, has Virgil Cameron made any unusual moves? He bought a train ticket for tomorrow morning and will return to the Principality of Set tomorrow. If there are no anomalies tonight, I’m afraid there won’t be any more opportunities.”
Despite being a crucial question, Chief Anlos still managed to mention it in a very steady tone.
The two stood between the carriage and the doorway, the shadow of the carriage obscuring them. Xia De was very cautious:
“Other than me, Virgil Cameron didn’t have any contact with anyone during the competition. Of course, this is just my opinion, perhaps the other party has some special means.”
He spoke truthfully, then added:
“If Gray Headed Eagle truly appeared, then he must have conveyed information to Cameron when I closed my eyes.”
“Closing eyes” here is a metaphor, meaning when Xia De was not paying attention.
“As expected, the other party is, after all, an ace spy.”
Chief Anlos said softly.
“However, it’s not without any gains.”
Xia De pretended to hesitate for a moment before saying:
“During the card game, I had some contact with Virgil Cameron. When we chatted about Middlesburg, he seemed a bit unusual.”
So, Xia De recounted the fabricated narrative he had prepared, which was Mr. Cameron’s abnormal reaction when he heard “Middlesburg”.
Chief Anlos frowned as he listened, finally narrowing his eyes and nodding:
“Middlesburg? That City is very close to the Principality of Set. I understand, this is very useful.”
He did not inform Xia De of Six Divisions’s attitude towards this information:
“But there’s no need to take such risks in the future. If something happens to you, I won’t be able to explain it to Miss Jialinna.”
“Since I am a member of MI6, I naturally have to work for Six Divisions.”
Xia De said very solemnly, and these words brought a smile to Chief Anlos’s face:
“It would be great if all my subordinates were like you.”
“Like me?”
Although Xia De’s expression didn’t change, the woman in his ear had already chuckled.
“Alright then, Xia De, I should leave too. Remember, this matter has nothing to do with you; don’t get involved.”
Chief Anlos patted Xia De’s shoulder:
“Someone will notify you about the salary increase in a few days. Very good, the 1853 Great City Player Champion.”
He smiled and nodded, then also left Saint Delan Square by carriage.
Xia De, with his hands behind his back and the cat on his shoulder, stood under the streetlamp at his doorstep, watching Chief Anlos’s carriage disappear from the square’s intersection.
Instead of going home immediately, he squinted and looked up at the moon above his head:
“Is my identity becoming more and more complicated?”
【Outsider, as you wander this world and witness these stories, the direction of your destiny is all your own choice.】
“Yes.”
Xia De sniffed, then noticed the cat on his shoulder batting at his collar with its paw. Xia De reached out in surprise and actually pulled a long black hair from his collar. Xia De only knew one black-haired girl, so this hair must have been Tifa’s.
He hesitated and sniffed it, and indeed, there was the scent of that special perfume, “Witch’s Scent.”
“This action makes me look like a pervert… but it’s certainly an interesting souvenir.”
He shook his head and reached out to open the door.
The hair and the 3,000-pound money order were tucked into Xia De’s study drawer, the trophy was placed on the cabinet in the living room, the special coin “bought” from Mr. Cameron was first put into the gift box in the basement, and the pen with the intelligence would be delivered tomorrow.
After tidying everything up, Xia De stood in the living room and let out a long sigh. He decided to give himself a break tonight, not to read until dawn, but to go to bed early and rest. He would plan the schedule for the next half-week when the sun rose again from the east.
He had quite a lot to do; the key from 3014 had already been delayed for three days, and by his calculations, Priest Augustus should have already arrived in Middlesburg. He was still waiting to receive a postcard from the Priest.
“Today, nothing will disturb my good mood anymore.”
While brushing his teeth in the washroom, looking at himself in the mirror in his pajamas, Xia De thought, he was in a very good mood.
【Is that so?】
She sighed softly in his ear:
【Don’t you feel like a similar conversation has happened before?】
Xia De, with his toothbrush in his mouth, looked at the mirror in front of him. In the mirror, there was no one behind him:
“Of course I remember, before the second descent of Lord of the Blood Banquet, we had a similar conversation. But it’s impossible for an evil god to appear tonight; there’s no sign at all. So, even if I have a nightmare like ‘Xia De dies in a fight with Mia’ later when I go to sleep, it won’t affect my mood.”
He thought happily.
After washing up, checking the doors and windows of the house, extinguishing the bedroom gas lamp, drawing the curtains, and then climbing onto the soft bed. Mia had already jumped onto the bed, pacing back and forth beside the pillow, as if looking for the softest spot.
Xia De sat on the bed and waved his hand towards the bedroom desk. A stack of 54 rhode cards placed at the corner of the desk flew over in order, then arranged themselves into four rows in front of Xia De. There were 13 cards in each row, with the King and Queen floating to the side.
Mia, standing by the pillow, looked up at the floating cards. Xia De’s hand lightly tapped each special card in turn:
“This is really good.”
He waved his hand, and the cards flew in order to the bedside table, stacking into a pile on the cabinet. Xia De burrowed under the covers, smiling as he stroked Mia by the pillow, as if saying goodnight to the cat. He reached out to extinguish the gas lamp on the bedside table, patted his pillow, lay down, closed his eyes, and soon fell into peaceful sleep in the darkness.
Consciousness fell into a daze. In the safety of his home, even the vigilant Outsider could enjoy sleep. However, in the dream, a low and ethereal, illusory and hoarse voice, repeated again and again, sounding little by little:
“Xia De Hamilton, quickly open your eyes. I am Ratt Augustus. This is my last will, sent to you from the world of the dead.”
