Mr. Jimmy Cameron had just informed Shad that the person who sold him the box was not a friend from a tavern as Shad had imagined, nor was he one of Mr. Cameron's Rhode card partners. The person peddling the "Victor Box" came from a respectable background, just like him, and operated a spice shop in the West District of Tobesk.
Even though the discovery of the New World had enriched the spice market, spices remained expensive luxuries for this era. Mr. Krum, the owner of the spice shop, operated on a scale far smaller than Mr. Cameron's steam factory, but because he had connections in the New World and controlled special procurement channels, the spice merchant's personal wealth was actually greater than Mr. Cameron's.
According to Mr. Cameron's description, Mr. Krum was a relatively law-abiding merchant who disliked Rhode cards, smoking, and drinking. The two had met during a small gathering of shopkeepers in the West District during the autumn; during their idle chat, the spice merchant revealed that he possessed a remarkable box, which led to the subsequent transaction.
The spice shop was located in the northwestern part of the city. After leaving the hotel, the party of three took a carriage to their destination. Along the way, Shad reminded Dorothy and Princess Margaret to be prepared for combat, as there was no telling what might happen.
"Detective, do the commissions you accept often involve such dangers?"
The Southern Princess, sitting opposite Shad alongside Dorothy, asked. She was becoming increasingly curious about the life of a detective.
Shad shook his head while organizing his spell components.
"As I said before, most of the commissions I take are trivial matters, like finding cats. My uncle, Detective Spyro Hamilton, specializes in investigating extramarital affairs and cheating."
"Then what is the most dangerous commission you've ever accepted?"
Margaret asked curiously. Hearing this, Dorothy also looked at Shad with curiosity. Shad thought for a moment.
"A Baron friend of mine invited me somewhere to play cards and asked me to help him defeat his opponent. As for the outcome of that incident... I never want to recall it again."
He was referring to Baron Lavender inviting Shad to Lakeview Manor, which was the first time Shad had encountered an Evil God.
The wheels crushed the accumulated snow on the ground, racing through the silver-clad city's streets and alleys. The further they traveled toward the north of the city, the fewer steam factories there were, and the more sprawling the slums became. Their destination, "Krum's Spice Shop," was located at the boundary between the northern slums and the western factory district.
Great nobles would certainly not frequent such a spice shop, but the factory owners of the West District and the wealthy middle class loved using relatively cheap spices to accentuate their status.
When Shad pushed open the shop door and heard the crisp chime of the windbell hanging at the entrance, it was eleven o'clock on a Sunday morning. It was close to lunchtime; perhaps they could eat after finishing the investigation.
Incense was burning inside the spice shop. Various strange spice scents mingled together, creating a smell that Shad found nauseating, making him want to vomit, though the two young ladies were well-adapted to the scent.
The spices were not sold directly in baskets but were kept in specially customized glass jars lined up on shelves along the walls. There were quite a few customers in the shop on Sunday morning, but they did not see the owner. Shad let the two ladies browse freely while he took a lap around the shop. After confirming there were no traces of "elements," he proactively struck up a conversation with a young apprentice.
Shad naturally would not reveal his identity as a detective. He simply explained that due to a special purpose, he wanted to purchase a large quantity of stock and thus wanted to know when the shop owner would return.
The young apprentice, who looked to be only fifteen or sixteen, was not as cunning as an outsider; he unguardedly told Shad that Mr. Krum had gone to the warehouse to take inventory and would not return until the afternoon.
Immediately afterward, Shad left the spice shop and wandered through other street-side shops nearby. Finally, in a corner shop that sold old clothes and bedding and offered cotton batting services, he inquired about the location of the nearby large warehouses.
"Although I used eyeshadow to disguise my face, I don't know what will happen next, so I cannot leave too deep an impression on the apprentice. Spices are not goods that can be stored indefinitely, so the warehouse must be in the nearby blocks. It's better to ask other merchants for the location," Shad explained his motives to Princess Margaret, who looked enlightened.
As the three walked down the street, Dorothy said from the side
"While you were at that second-hand shop, I was at the bookstore next to the spice shop, inquiring about Mr. Krum's past behavior. He lives on the second floor of the shop. In the eyes of his neighbors, he is somewhat stingy, but he never has conflicts with others. His temperament is relatively peaceful, and there have been no abnormal behaviors."
"I've read in detective stories that the more ordinary a person appears, the more likely they are to be a criminal. Moreover, Ring-casters usually disguise themselves with seemingly normal behavior in their daily lives," Princess Margaret immediately added.
Shad shook his head.
"Let's not preset our positions before meeting the gentleman. Besides, that spice merchant doesn't seem like a Ring-caster."
Ten minutes later, they crossed through the slum alleys—which would have been very dangerous if not for it being daytime—and arrived at the warehouse, which was only one street away from the spice shop. The warehouses in the West District were mostly distributed in contiguous blocks; Mr. Krum had only rented the smallest type of warehouse. The old man guarding the warehouse yard originally disagreed with the three entering to find the owner, but when Shad "found" two shillings that had fallen on the ground, the old guard allowed them in, though they could only stay for a maximum of twenty minutes.
Of course, the fact that two shillings could solve the problem was also related to the fact that Shad's companions were two beautiful ladies. Even if Shad were truly a thief daring enough to steal in broad daylight, there would be no reason to bring along two ladies who clearly came from noble backgrounds.
When they met Mr. Krum, the spice merchant was directing workers to move goods out of the warehouse. They were temporarily moving empty boxes out to rent them out; merchants would not let items in their possession waste away in a warehouse for nothing.
"Looking for me?"
Scanning the attire of Shad's party, the spice merchant, wearing black leather boots, took off his hat and asked in confusion. He looked to be in his forties, with somewhat dark skin but very shrewd eyes.
"I wonder what the matter is? Do you wish to discuss business?"
The excuse of "discussing business" worked fine to fool a young apprentice, but it was somewhat inappropriate to bring it up now.
"No, no, we aren't here for business. There is something else we seek your help with," Shad said with a smile, reaching out to shake hands with Mr. Krum.
[Ordinary person.]
"It's like this: do you happen to know Mr. Jimmy Cameron?" Shad asked. He also took off his hat; his demeanor confirmed to the spice merchant that this handsome young man definitely came from an extraordinary background.
"I do. We've met a few times."
"I am also a friend of Mr. Jimmy Cameron. I heard about the Victor Box from him; it truly is a miraculous box," Shad praised. Mr. Krum nodded in agreement and gestured for them to speak to the side.
"Yes, my wife originally thought I had been swindled. But I've had that box for a month now, and the accumulated banknotes have already exceeded the principal cost of purchasing the box. It is truly a miraculous technology. However, didn't I tell Jimmy that he shouldn't tell others casually?"
He looked at Shad inquisitively, and at this moment, Dorothy could no longer smile. If such boxes truly leaked out in large numbers, they might actually cause a massive shock to the currency and prices of Delarion.
"I didn't ask Mr. Cameron; he told me proactively."
Shad maintained a smile on his face.
"Actually, we met at a banquet. Are you aware of Princess Margaret's visit to Tobesk? My uncle knows the envoys in the visiting delegation and can introduce southern sales channels for Mr. Cameron."
The Princess behind him certainly didn't know that Shad wasn't lying—at least, not regarding the "uncle" part.
The spice merchant looked enlightened, realizing that Jimmy Cameron had revealed the secret in order to climb the social ladder toward the nobility.
"Since that's the case, you've come to me because..."
"I also wish to possess such a box."
Shad allowed himself to show a perfectly measured expression of bashfulness, then introduced
"These two ladies—one is a distant relative of the royal family, and the other is from Cavendish. They are both ladies of noble birth. We all wish to possess such a miraculous box. Therefore, Mr. Cameron suggested we find you. I wonder if you could introduce us to the merchant who sells the boxes?"
The spice merchant was clearly hesitating.
"Mr. Bunny allows me to introduce friends to him, but he doesn't let me just..."
"Sir," Dorothy said with a smile, her voice very soft and gentle, "I believe we are all trustworthy people. Even if you don't know our professions, our addresses, or even our names, do you not know our gender?"
The voice was so convincing that the spice merchant immediately nodded.
"Yes, I already know your gender. That is quite a significant piece of privacy."
Princess Margaret glanced sideways at "Dorothy," suspecting that the young writer often used this method to collect material for her stories.
"Is that not enough? I believe this is sufficient for you to fully understand us, trust us, and tell us Mr. Bunny's address."
The spice merchant opened his mouth, still somewhat hesitant, so Shad added
"I can also tell you a secret about myself: I like beautiful girls."
Mr. Krum froze, then nodded without the slightest hesitation this time.
"Since you've told me such a secret, yes, I can tell you the address."
Princess Margaret kept a straight face, wanting to laugh but knowing she couldn't.
"Can you tell us about him?" Dorothy asked softly. Mr. Krum trusted her completely now, because what she said made perfect sense.
"Mr. Victor Bunny is the creator of those miraculous boxes. He is a very amiable man, and not only does he make money himself, but he also allows us to make money. He stipulates that each person can only buy one box, but if we can introduce business to him, he gives us a commission. I earned a 10-pound commission by introducing Jimmy to him."
Dorothy glanced at Shad, and Shad nodded.
"Then where does he live? Or does he have his own factory?"
"Mr. Bunny is a manual craftsman. He is not a local; he's from the Eastern Islands region. After coming to Tobesk, he rented a room in a hotel, where he assembles those miraculous boxes daily. He only occasionally goes out for a walk; he has a great craftsman's spirit."
Shad, who was very sensitive to that phrase, curled his lip. Dorothy continued to inquire
"Then the address of the hotel is..."
"North District of Tobesk, Anthem Square, Three Cats Hotel. Mr. Bunny usually doesn't see strangers; he will only see you if you say I recommended you."
"The Three Cats Hotel again?"
Shad sighed softly in his heart, but the Three Cats Hotel was indeed the most famous hotel in the north of the city; otherwise, it wouldn't have been one of the merchants qualified to sponsor the Rhode card tournament during the "Big City Player" period.
(End of Chapter)