It wasn't just Tobesk that was raining today; it was raining in Middlesburg too. However, the sky had been very gloomy yesterday afternoon when Xia De was investigating at the academy castle, so he had prepared an umbrella in advance.
Fortunately, the abandoned tower didn't leak, so Xia De completed his last 100 sword swings of the week inside the tower before entering the City.
He first went to the House of the Blind. Sister Devlin's special blood wasn't ready yet, but Xia De received a letter from Captain Rades there, informing him of the follow-up to the serial murder case they had solved yesterday.
Although the culprit was injured and couldn't regain consciousness, the evidence was conclusive, so there were no surprises. Captain Rades took all the credit for this matter, and the City Hall was also happy to publicize the cooperation between a Royal Army Captain and the police in solving the serial murder case.
Xia De even saw a newspaper at the House of the Blind featuring a half-length photo of Captain Rades. This incident might become a topic of conversation for the citizens of Middlesburg throughout the autumn. Although Captain Rades wouldn't be promoted from a commissioned officer just for this, he would definitely receive an award.
In his letter, Captain Rades invited Xia De again to be his guest at the traveler's camp on Windy Path next Thursday. Next Thursday was Captain Rades's day off, and he could take Xia De for a tour of Sicar Mountain or go hunting together.
"Then I'll go into the mountains next Thursday to find that sword. I'm not familiar with the terrain of Sicar Mountain, and it won't be easy to find a specific cave in the mountains."
This was why Xia De had been wandering around Middlesburg without rushing into the mountains to search for the sword.
After leaving the House of the Blind, Xia De went to the Cassandra Auction House and met the Old Witch. Grandma Cassandra was busy today, and Xia De waited for half an hour before seeing her.
The Witch had already learned the whole story from Professor Dunn. She was very satisfied with Xia De's swift action, so she directly took out the bottle of blood she had promised Xia De:
"The blood of the third era Evil Spirit, the Devourer Sakarto."
"The blood of a demon..."
Xia De carefully took the bottle. Although it wasn't heavy at all, psychological reasons made Xia De feel that what he held was heavier than a shot put.
"Will this bottle of blood be dangerous?"
Because of Darkness and Human Pus, he was very wary of associating with demons unless absolutely necessary.
"This is blood I got from my teacher. She said it's not dangerous."
The Old Witch said with confidence.
But Xia De still decided to keep this bottle of blood in the god's gift box until he attended the last banquet on Sunday morning.
"Also, I originally planned to let you meet my current apprentice. But after thinking about it carefully, it's better not to let more Witches know of your existence."
Grandma Cassandra said again, her hand with an emerald ring gripping the armrest of the chair:
"I am very old. I won't interfere in the affairs of you young people. As long as you don't harm the interests of the Council, I won't reveal your existence to other members of the Council, young man, you don't have to worry about that."
"I understand."
"Also, last time after you asked me about the Chosen One with the death talent, I went to talk to Jialinna. She said she had fully told you the whole story of the whispering chapters."
"Yes, and about the Chosen One."
There was no need to lie about this. Xia De, sitting opposite the Witch, answered smoothly:
"Miss Jialinna's actions in Tobesk easily attract attention. Her female followers always have places where it's inconvenient to go, so when investigating Ivan Darkness, who was hiding in Tobesk, she once asked me to do some things, so I also know about this."
The Old Witch nodded, her kind and benevolent expression unchanged:
"Then let me tell you something:
A few days ago, the Speaker and I communicated about the intelligence of the third Chosen One. The only thing that can be confirmed at present is that the third Chosen One is definitely already in Middlesburg at this point in time."
This eliminates a large number of people.
"The Council has very little content from the chapters corresponding to the third Chosen One, and the Three Great Arcane Academies are the same. But the Five Gods Church, especially the Natural Church, seems to have crucial clues. There is reason to believe that the third Chosen One corresponds to 'death'."
This was consistent with Xia De's guess.
"Then do you need me to help you investigate some things in Middlesburg?"
He asked again.
"Not for now. I just want you to know some things to prevent accidents during your stay in Middlesburg."
The old woman smiled and shook her head, then said slowly:
"Considering my age, the Council, after repeated consideration and discussion, decided to send another Great Witch here next month to assist me in the investigation."
This was probably not only because Grandma Cassandra was only a Hexacle and old, but also because the event of Darkness descending on Tobesk made the Ring術士 organizations in the material world realize the greater importance of the Chosen One.
"May I ask which one?"
Xia De decided to deal with the matters in Middlesburg as soon as possible in the remaining days of this month and come here less next month.
"Don't worry, it's Xi Wei, Hivi Aurora."
The old woman said with a chuckle, obviously knowing that Miss Aurora knew about Xia De's affairs:
"To avoid suspicion, she won't come at the beginning of next month. The specific date hasn't been set yet, but I think she will be very happy to see you here."
Miss Aurora was very friendly to Xia De, and she was the third seat of the Council, a Hexacle sorcerer and a Hexacle Witch, and also the first person to bring Xia De into the Witch Council. If this Witch was here, then the matters in Middlesburg would be much simpler.
"May I ask if the Council has decided how to deal with the matters underground in Middlesburg?"
Xia De asked again. As a Great Witch permanently stationed in this area, Grandma Cassandra couldn't allow this City to turn into a ghost realm.
"Of the three passages in the Gap, the door at the foot of the mountain was suspected to have been temporarily sealed by a High-Ring Sorcerer on the day you rescued your friend; the one at the top of the mountain is guarded by an Ancient One, and the Orthodox Church will find a way to deal with that; as for the passage on the mountainside whose location was hidden by a Witch Emperor, the Council's idea is for us to find its location and reinforce the seal."
In other words, the one at the foot of the mountain is temporarily fine, the one at the top is the responsibility of the Church to reinforce, and the one on the mountainside is for the Witches to find. It seems that even if the problem of the Gap cannot be completely solved, at least Middlesburg will not be destroyed by an outbreak of death this autumn.
The Old Witch sighed:
"The Witch Emperors likely left some things near the passages in the Gap, and perhaps even fragments of the whispering chapters, so those young girls are very serious about it."
"Grandma Cassandra, so you not only have to find the third Chosen One, but also the mountainside passage in the Gap? Oh, that's really not easy."
"Yes, the young girls in the Council really don't consider me, an old woman."
She shook her head with a smile, this was not a complaint but a tease:
"So Hamilton, before Xi Wei arrives, I might entrust you with other things. Jialinna said that although you are only a Four Ring, you are very reliable when it comes to getting things done."
Xia De was actually more curious about what else Miss Jialinna had said about him:
"No problem, I am willing to serve you."
Nothing new happened in the next few days. Since he knew that the disaster in Middlesburg was being taken seriously, Xia De lost his enthusiasm for exploring the secrets of Between Life and Death.
The matters he needed to deal with in the Middlesburg area were almost all concluded. Since he wasn't in a hurry to find the sword, he visited the address recorded on the note by the serial killer Henry Val on Friday.
As expected, it was indeed the address of the so-called "Boy who could see the date and method of death."
When Xia De knocked on the door of Building A, No. 8 Pig Tail Lane, in the manner described on the note—three long and two short, then three short and two long—he learned from the person who opened the door that this was the address of the "Crow Club."
Xia De knew about this club. In the local situation provided by Sister Devlin, this small Ring術士 organization was mentioned. This organization was very small; it was not comparable to the Spiritual Cultivation Order, which spanned the entire Old Continent, and was even smaller than the Mercury Blood, which was hiding here and there.
Of course, pretending not to know the truth about this club, he still used the alias "John Watson," claiming to be a Writer who needed material and had heard an interesting local rumor in a tavern, and therefore wanted to meet the Boy who could see others' death dates.
But he was stopped by the Middle-Ring man he was communicating with:
"You can, but you need an appointment."
The man looked as if it was a matter of course, not suspecting the reason given by the "Writer" in front of him.
"Huh? An appointment is needed?"
Xia De, standing on the steps at the entrance with an umbrella, was a bit surprised:
"Is something wrong with that Boy?"
"No, but he only sees guests twice a day; that's the rule. And, we charge for it. It's 10 pounds per session, and you can bring up to two friends. For each additional person, the price doubles, so three people would be forty pounds. We don't issue receipts, and don't even think about haggling."
This made them sound less like a Ring術士 organization and more like local scammers. Xia De had originally wondered why the Witches and the Church hadn't found anything on this group; now he understood.
So he composed himself:
"Alright, I'll make an appointment. How long do I have to wait? Can I pay to cut in line?"
"Of course not. We have rules, and there aren't many people ahead of you anyway. Next Sunday, you can come after nine o'clock in the morning. But if you don't show up before one o'clock in the afternoon, you'll have to make another appointment."
Today was only Friday, which meant there were over a dozen people waiting to see this Boy. There must have been Ring術士 among them, but Xia De felt there were definitely more ordinary people.
"Alright, next Sunday, I might bring friends. Please remember John Watson's appointment."
He was about to leave, but was called back:
"Wait, you need to pay a deposit, 5 pounds."
The man twirled his fingers towards Xia De, who was holding an umbrella.
"Huh?"
Xia De looked at him in surprise.
"Otherwise, if we turn away other guests' appointments for you, wouldn't we be at a loss?"
If it weren't for the truly accurate predictions the Boy made regarding Henry Val's matter, Xia De at this moment would genuinely suspect he had fallen into a scam.
Taking a deep breath:
"Fine, I'll pay."
So he received a metal brooch with a crow mark as proof of the appointment. But as he turned to leave with his umbrella, Xia De still felt that he would continue to suspect he had encountered a scam until he actually met the Boy next Sunday.
On Friday, after only confirming the appointment with the Boy who could foresee death in Middlesburg, he returned home. Although it was still raining in Middlesburg, the sky in Tobesk had already cleared.
In the afternoon, a new client arrived at his home: the Drax family, residing in Tobesk West District, entrusted Xia De with finding their lost pet cat. The twelve-year-old Boy of the family had been crying constantly, feeling extremely guilty for accidentally letting the cat run out when he opened the door.
The Drax family was referred by the old lady Midra, who had previously entrusted Xia De with finding a cat. They owned a shop and a small factory in the South City, specializing in manufacturing and selling metal bolts and nuts for steam engines. Although their product range was limited, their goods could even be exported to Carson Rick, making them a relatively wealthy family.
When Xia De signed the commission contract, he requested a high fee of 13 pounds. This was partly because the lost cat was a very valuable breed, at least more valuable than a common City tabby cat like Mia, and partly because Xia De promised to find the cat within three days; otherwise, he would refund the deposit and not take a single penny.
For him, it was just a waste of some time, which was why he dared to make such a promise.
But Xia De didn't even need three days. He successfully found the cat on the roof three streets away from the Drax family on the morning of the second day, which was Saturday morning.
More precisely, as Xia De walked past below the roof, the dark blue cat, which looked very similar to what Outsider's hometown called a "Persian cat," immediately jumped from the top of the apartment building to the second-floor window sill, then onto the soft canopy of the street-side shop, and finally came to the ground, meowing affectionately around Xia De.
"If Sparrow Hamilton is a Detective specializing in mistress investigations, then I am a Detective specializing in finding pet cats."
Xia De thought to himself as he received the commission fee. And after completing this commission, Xia De continued to maintain his perfect investigation completion rate.
"Speaking of which, I've almost met everyone I could possibly know in Middlesburg, but I haven't met Miss Black, who went on vacation."
This was the last commission left by Sparrow Detective, involving the missing sister of Miss White, Miss Black. Of course, she wasn't actually missing; she just had a falling out with her sister and went to live elsewhere.
"I probably won't meet her in Middlesburg. When Miss Black returns to Tobesk, I'll have to finish this commission no matter what. I hope the client, Miss White, hasn't also gone on vacation. Come to think of it, I still don't know what these two ladies look like."
Xia De thought to himself as he walked along the street towards home, planning to go to the doctor's for a meeting after lunch.
Carriages passed by him, and most people on the street had changed into autumn clothes. Tobesk South City could be considered Tobesk's industrial area. The population here was mixed; one could see upper-class gentlemen in formal attire with canes, middle-class clerks in decent clothing, and urban laborers with patched clothes on the streets.
"So, what if she can't come back?"
"She" asked softly beside his ear.
The street was hazy with thin fog. Entering autumn, due to the influence of monsoons and temperature differences, the City's fog and haze conditions were even worse than in Summer.
"Are you referring to Miss Black, and that she might also encounter an accident because of the events in Middlesburg? Oh, that's certainly possible; it's too dangerous there now."
Xia De fell into thought, but didn't forget to pick out some fruit at the fruit stand at the street corner. He planned to take a few bottles of fruit wine as gifts for the other members of the group.
The autumn semester was slightly more boring compared to the Summer semester, when exams were approaching. At the study meeting on Saturday afternoon, unexpectedly, no one had any need to contact the Academy. And after Priest Augustus was safe, the Academy no longer informed Doctor Schneider about the matters in Middlesburg. The doctor, who didn't know what exactly happened there, naturally wouldn't inquire, which led to the study meeting that afternoon lasting less than an hour.
Luvia shared with everyone the current status of her autumn astrology activities and worried that the recent rain and cloudy skies would delay her progress; Xia De reported on Priest Augustus's recent situation in Middlesburg and distributed the brought fruit wine to everyone; the doctor had already calculated the full yellow moon phase and planned to officially hold the ceremony to advance from PentaCircle to Hexacle around the end of next month. Dorothy, however, was a bit faster; her Four Ring advancement to PentaCircle ceremony didn't require such strict moon phases, but because the connected Sublimation Words were related to "the little match girl," she hoped to get Xia De's help.
Dorothy had already prepared all the ritual materials and arranged with Xia De to perform the ritual at Saint Delan Square Six on Sunday evening, which was tomorrow evening.
Before the group meeting ended and they left, Xia De also had a private conversation with the doctor, asking him about demons:
"Doctor, do you know the Evil Spirit demon - Devourer Sakato?"
The blood Grandma Cassandra gave Xia De was this demon's blood.
"Of course, I do."
The doctor, who possessed extensive Knowledge of demons, looked at Xia De in surprise by the corridor window:
"Why are you asking about this?"
"What would happen if I drank its blood?"
"Hmm?"
The doctor was even more surprised:
"Detective, are you mad? You want to drink a demon's blood?"
"I just want to know what would happen if I drank this demon's blood?"
Xia De asked cautiously.
"Wait a moment, let me think. This is a truly strange question."
The blue-eyed doctor made a gesture of listening intently:
"Theoretically, drinking a small amount of demon blood wouldn't be a big problem. After all, those Evil Spirits of the third epoch, though bizarre, aren't entirely poisonous. As for the demon you mentioned, it's not famous. Its most famous deed was in the distant fourth era, when it tricked the king of a small country into sacrificing all his subjects, devouring an entire country through a transaction."
Xia De immediately clicked his tongue:
"What an appetite. So, where is it active now?"
The doctor said with a smile:
"I know this one; it's a very famous story. Around 230 years ago in the sixth epoch, when it was active in the material world, it encountered another great one and then disappeared."
"Who did it encounter?"
"The one who appeared in this City in Summer."
PS: Happy New Year, everyone! Wishing you all a happy new year! May all your wishes come true and everything go smoothly in the new year!
Requesting votes at the beginning of the month.
