“The pearl you mentioned—is it on that horrific corpse, or within the undersea city? Or perhaps in the hands of the Scarlet Cult's ritual officiant?”
Shad asked again.
“I am not sure about that.”
A look of regret appeared on Mr. Edmund's face
“I am not a merman, nor have I ever been to the seabed. These are all recorded in stone tablets and documents; I cannot even be certain if that pearl is a 【Relic】. However, you certainly won't mistake it—it is a golden pearl, roughly half the size of a fist.”
Shad frowned in thought. It seemed that only by finding a way to directly touch the pearl Mr. Edmund spoke of could he determine if it contained the thing he desired.
“I have one more question. Besides the spawn of the evil god, are there any other dangers in Coldwater Port? I am worried that other things might happen when the time comes.”
“The circle caster factions of the New and Old Continents have gathered in Coldwater Port to find a single person; does that count as a danger? Aside from that, there are rumors of fishermen in the outer seas sighting mermaids, but those xeno-races are peaceful. That is all for now...”
The old man considered for a moment longer
“Of course, this land is not lacking in ancient legends, and there are plenty of modern ones as well. For instance, a Level 0 Relic once appeared here; or that this land was once polluted by desire and sin, which is why it became a paradise for smugglers and stowaways in the present day. The light of civilization always attracts strange things... but I suspect these have nothing to do with the current matter.”
“Alright.”
Shad nodded again and stood up, preparing to take his leave.
“But if the mermen really have it...”
The thought continued to echo in his mind.
【...You will do whatever it takes to get your hands on it.】
She whispered in his ear, as if her arms were wrapped around his neck, murmuring behind his ear.
Not only did Shad want to leave, but Mr. Edmund also urged him to depart quickly, as the Orthodox Church might send people here, and these old lighthouses were still somewhat useful.
Thus, carrying his umbrella, Shad returned to the carriage beneath the sea cliff and had the driver take him to the edge of the city. Since Coldwater Port did not allow carriages to enter, he planned to walk into town.
Moving through the night under the rain, Shad was indeed not stopped. Although the city was under martial law, strict controls were only in place near the docks; Shad was still able to find a carriage to take him toward the Aurora family estate.
The Aurora family's local estate was located at the end of Harbor Street by the coast. The estate bordered the sea, facing the city in front and the beach in back—a true "ocean-view estate." While it couldn't compare to the royal Sophia Mansion, it was still an exceptional building in Coldwater Port.
As expected, the area around the Aurora estate was strictly blockaded by the Church and the police, forbidding anyone from entering. Although it was raining and Shad possessed illusions for nighttime use and the miracle of spatial movement—he could even swim from the seabed and land on the beach—he did not rashly intrude upon the witch's estate to avoid being perceived as a strange person.
Observing from the shadows of the street, he ultimately decided to first take shelter from the rain at a tavern on the coastal Conch Avenue where the estate was located, and while there, inquire about the events happening in the city tonight.
Despite it being four in the morning, business at the Green Algae Tavern was quite good. While not every table was full, at least a quarter of them were occupied.
A poet from some unknown place sat against the wall, strumming and singing with a lute. A few idlers gathered around to listen, with occasional sounds of laughter and discussion as they egged the poet on to sing vulgar folk ditties from the countryside.
Just as Shad pushed open the tavern door, a bolt of thunder streaked across the night sky outside. The people near the entrance instinctively turned toward the door, seeing a strange man dripping with water, pushing the doors open with both hands, his shadow cast long across the tavern's stone floor by the lightning illuminating the sky.
It was clear they were startled, but once they saw Shad step into the light of the tavern's gas lamps, shutting out the torrential rain and thunder, they breathed a sigh of relief and mocked their companions' cowardice.
Sniffling, Shad walked to the long counter. First, he ordered a hot drink to ward off the cold, then asked the bartender for a dry towel.
He usually didn't drink alcohol, but he had been frozen through by the rain this time, so he didn't insist on plain water. He expected the bartender to give him a shot of strong liquor, but to his surprise, the man served an amber-colored beverage with a herbal scent.
“This is our exclusive recipe: half ale, half herbal liqueur, infused with ginger and chili. It's guaranteed to drive out the cold. It's very famous locally and has a nice name: Warm-Fire Medicinal Wine. Many sailors buy several barrels of this from us before setting sail.”
The bartender introduced it with confidence.
Though Shad was skeptical of the ingredients, he took a sip. The taste was quite peculiar; with one gulp, the flavors of herbs, alcohol, chili, and ginger water simultaneously assaulted Shad's taste buds. The chili, in particular, made Shad immediately feel a layer of sweat break out on his forehead, and once he wiped the sweat away, he felt a warm glow throughout his body, though his mouth felt slightly uncomfortable.
“Not bad.”
He looked with surprise at the remaining liquid in the cup. The gray-haired bartender wore a smug expression
“It's our signature drink. But on a rainy day like this, what are you doing outside? Martial law is in effect right now.”
“Oh, my luck was just terrible today. I lost at cards all night, and as soon as I stepped out, I was questioned by the police. I can only hide out here for a bit, hoping those damn cops leave soon.”
Shad spoke in a coarse tone, and the bartender responded with some sympathy
“Then you'll have to wait a while. In the first half of the night, gunfire rang out continuously for half an hour outside—yes, right near that estate at the end of this street. Then the police arrived. Although the shooting stopped, no one dares go out now.”
He pointed to the guests in the tavern
“These are all people who stayed behind, planning to leave only once it's light.”
“What exactly happened outside? Damn, the soundproofing at my friend's gamb... place is just too good.”
Shad said, sounding quite troubled.
“Not sure, but judging by the density of the gunfire, it sounded like a war? Maybe the damn Carsonricians have landed.”
The bartender shrugged, amused by his own joke.
“What about the people in the estate? Did anyone come out? If those noble lords dare to leave, I imagine we can too.”
Shad asked again.
“The estate was very lively tonight; it seemed they were holding a banquet. But no one has come out yet. They probably value their lives more than we do.”
The bartender shook his head, then tried to pitch a wine to Shad that could treat hemorrhoids. It wasn't for external application but for direct consumption—a new formula developed from long-standing local folk herbalism, and it was very cheap.
This sounded horrifying, and since Shad had no need for it, he refused immediately.
Having understood that a merman attack had also occurred nearby, and though he didn't know why the people in the estate hadn't left after the danger receded, Shad decided that once his body warmed up, he would enter the estate to check the situation.
Just as he shifted the topic to Rhode cards, wanting to see if this tavern that sold miraculous medicinal wines had any precious cards, the tavern door was pushed open again.
Cold wind and rain burst into the wine-scented tavern along with a splashing sound. Shad glanced back, then immediately turned around, pretending to see nothing.
The guests entering were an elderly gentleman wearing glasses and a middle-aged man, also wearing glasses and sporting a mustache.
The elderly man with round-rimmed glasses wore formal black attire and was even taller than Shad. A pocket watch chain extended from his chest pocket, fastened to a button on his chest.
Shad kept his head down and remained silent. He had met this gentleman before; this was the Vice Principal of St. Birens Comprehensive Academy, Head of Student Management, and Professor of the Library Management College, Hams Sanchez. During their last meeting at Shad's home, the old professor's spell "Human Charm" had left a profound impression on the outsider who had just arrived in this world.
Professor Sanchez and his companion also walked toward the counter. After chatting with the bartender and ordering drinks, they went to look for an empty table. During this time, Shad kept his head down, fiddling with his Rhode cards, fearing he would be recognized. Fortunately, he was relatively lucky this time.
Professor Sanchez's companion was also a high-circle caster and likely a professor at St. Birens. However, the news Shad had heard was that the three great miracle academies had sent professors from the College of Politics and Economics to Coldwater Port for the "Sea Return Ritual." He hadn't expected St. Birens to send the Vice Principal directly.
“But what are the professors doing in this tavern? It's raining; even if they wanted a drink, there's no reason to come to such a distant place so late.”
Strictly speaking, the Aurora estate was not in the core urban area of Coldwater Port, but on the edge of the dock district.
Shad shrunk his head, determined to leave this dangerous place as quickly as possible. The bartender, who had been discussing Rhode cards with him, approached again after finishing with the other guests.
Not only him, but when the tavern maid opened the wooden door to the kitchen, a cat actually darted out from behind the door. This was likely a cat kept by the tavern to catch mice; it looked around, leaped onto a high stool in front of the counter, then jumped onto the counter itself, deftly plopping down right next to Shad's hand.
It was a beautiful white cat. While not as cute as Mia, such pure white fur was indeed rare.
“Where were we?”
The middle-aged bartender petted the white cat and continued chatting with Shad
“Next month, the Great City players will begin. The venue this time is Tobesk City. I'm preparing to place some heavy bets then.”
(End of Chapter)