“Civilization?”
Xia De pondered the meaning of the word, and Old John said with a smile,
“Yes, it’s very close to your answer. Every item here bears the imprint of society and civilization, the traces of people from different social strata. Every old item has experienced different stories with different people, and for me, this is the best commodity.”
“So, you are proficient in the brass-colored element of inspiration?”
Xia De asked with a hint of surprise.
According to the common knowledge of Ring Arcanists he knew, although the inspiration element originated from civilization, people were more inclined to acquire inspiration through books. For example, Miss Louisa’s Ring Arcanist system leaned towards fairy tales, connecting the first Four Rings and constructing Sublimation Words through a classic ancient fairy tale, with a clear and simple Context.
However, Ring Arcanists who purely approached the inspiration element from the perspective of civilization itself were extremely rare.
This was because it required strong talent, wisdom, and perseverance, as well as a bit of elusive luck, which was not something ordinary people could achieve. But generally speaking, Ring Arcanists who enlightened themselves through civilization itself would also be quite powerful, possessing many unimaginable and unique Miracles.
“Yes, Detective. For an old man like me, this kind of life is the most beautiful. My hobbies can be satisfied, I can continue to advance on the path of a Ring Arcanist, what could be better than this?”
The old man said contentedly, then looked him over before Xia De could ask more questions:
“Speaking of which, Detective, have you heard about the Lakeview Manor incident?”
It seemed that all the Ring Arcanists in the city enjoyed discussing this matter.
“Of course I’ve heard about it. That day, I was even at Lakeview Manor, playing rhode cards with others.”
There was no need to hide this matter.
“You were there too?”
Old John said suspiciously, probably thinking of the Silver Moon Orb, but Xia De was too weak, so he didn’t make any connection:
“What a coincidence, the Thirteen Ring Sorcerer rumored to have appeared is also proficient in Silver Moon, just like you. I heard that he displayed the posture of a Hanged Man under the moonlight, and then casually injured the Silver-Eyed One with a single kick. I bet the Hanged Man posture is a specific stance required for casting.”
“Hmm…”
It seemed that the people of Tobesk had various misunderstandings about Xia De's performance that day.
“Probably, but the other party was truly too strong.”
He praised himself.
“Yes, Thirteenth Ring, three complete Sublimation Words, this is a height that many people will never reach.”
Old John sighed, putting his reading glasses back into their case, and didn’t forget to remind Xia De:
“Detective, since the other party acted so high-profile, he might still be in Tobesk. Perhaps, we will all have a chance to see him again in the future. Such a High-Ring Sorcerer must be very rich. If you know him, remember to introduce him to buy things from me. I can give you a commission. Old John's Pawnshop has everything.”
After chatting about these things, they finally discussed the reason Xia De came here. He was, of course, here to buy something:
“I’m looking for a relic that has the function of extracting energy, or similar entities, whether tangible or intangible, from a living being itself, and then injecting it into the user’s body. As long as it has this function, it’s fine. Whether it’s the primary function, or whether there are severe side effects, these are not considered for now.”
He described his requirements as detailed as possible.
Although the request sounded a bit strange, Old John didn’t ask many questions:
“Harming others to benefit oneself… Hmm, what’s the price this time?”
He felt his pocket, confirming that “no money in the pocket” was not his imagination, and then Xia De said,
“You quote a price first, and give me some time to raise the money.”
The price of a relic wouldn’t be cheap, even with the former Detective’s wallet, it certainly wouldn’t be enough, and he had just spent a large sum.
“Your new bargaining strategy? That’s not bad, but wait a moment, I need to check.”
He turned and left the counter, entering the pawnshop’s backyard through the back door. This time he didn’t leave for too long, returning empty-handed in just ten minutes:
“Indeed, there is one, but it’s not my item. It’s being sold by a friend through someone else. The quoted price is 300 pounds. If you accept, I can arrange for you to meet, and you can discuss the price yourselves.”
“300 pounds?”
Xia De calculated how many Mias that would be, but if he sold Founding · Silver Moon, it should be enough. However, after the Lakeview Manor incident, he somewhat wanted to keep that card, so he hadn’t made a decision yet.
“Looking at your expression, I can tell you can’t afford it.”
Old John shook his head, then said,
“In that case, I will help you keep an eye out for similar relics during this time. If there’s any news, I’ll write to your address. Remember to raise the money soon, otherwise, I’ll sell it to others.”
“Of course… Actually, I can accept anything up to fifty pounds.”
This was the limit for selling the Saint Delan Square furniture and the Detective’s relics without affecting his life, which was around fifty pounds.
“That makes it much easier. Then just wait for my news. This time it’s not that I don’t have what you want, it’s that you can’t afford it, so don’t say my shop’s goods are incomplete.”
This sentence, on the contrary, made Xia De suspect whether the “300-pound relic” truly existed.
Because the time calculation was just right, it was only six o’clock when he returned to Saint Delan Square. Although he was in a good mood today, for the sake of saving expenses, Xia De did not eat at a restaurant. He had eaten very full at noon, so it was fine not to eat dinner.
But Mia’s dinner could not be skipped. Not long ago, after Miss Gaode remitted money, Xia De had already prepared cat food for the cat. High-end cat food of this era already exceeded the price of ordinary people's meals.
But Xia De wanted to be honest, so the cat food he chose for Mia was quite good; at least, the young orange cat loved to eat it.
He had not been home all day, so visitors naturally couldn’t find him and could only leave messages. Xia De saw two letters slipped under the door: one from Sir Lavende, who wanted to discuss the ancient fairy tale - match girl with Xia De; the other from Captain Rades, who, after sobering up, deeply regretted his behavior at the banquet and wanted to apologize to the Detective, but did not mention the antique revolver.
“How did the Captain know I live here?”
Xia De thought suspiciously, then realized that the business card he had distributed at Lakeview Manor had worked.
He didn't arrange any further outings that night, instead learning the Miracle Gluttony's Feast. The learning of this Miracle was very simple, but the materials were complex. Among them, “the stomachs of three female viviparous animals that died from overeating” and “the fetal hair of a male infant born under the waning crescent moon of a red moon” were the hardest to find, which was also the main destination of the money Xia De spent on materials.
