“Dorothy, do you know about the Angel-level relic [The Evil Mirror of Burgundy]?”
After moving the wooden crates to the basement, Shade returned to the second floor holding the cat. The blonde girl, wearing an apron and humming a tune in a good mood, was carrying a tray to the dining table.
“Of course I do. Rumor has it that if you look into that mirror, you will be immediately possessed by a powerful evil entity within the glass. Even Ring-casters below the high rings cannot escape it, and the process happens in an instant, leaving no possibility for resistance. That mirror is extremely dangerous; the entity inside is immortal and indestructible, only returning to the mirror after its vessel is destroyed. Before it was contained, this relic caused countless tragedies. I remember around 300 years ago in the Sixth Epoch, it was contained through the joint efforts of the three academies; it's currently in Saint Byron's. Why do you mention it?”
Dorothy asked curiously, wiping her hands with a towel before placing Mia’s goat milk beside Shade. Out of consideration for the breakfast Dorothy had made, Mia did not dodge Dorothy's reaching hand this time.
“It's nothing.”
Shade pulled out the wooden chair beside him for Dorothy and sighed softly
“I just didn't expect the research of the Thirteenth Ring casters to be so unimaginable... Do you always eat so little?”
On the plate before Shade were two slices of fluffy white bread, two fried eggs, half a tomato, as well as butter, hot milk, and bacon. But before Dorothy, there was only one slice of bread, a glass of milk, and half a tomato—only slightly more than Mia's breakfast.
The blonde girl sat down gracefully
“Even a female caster must maintain her figure. I wouldn't want Lacia to say I'm fatter than her when she uses my body. Besides, more than food, what I need to replenish is... moisture.”
Her face flushed slightly as she winked at Shade, then she wrapped one arm around his neck and kissed him passionately.
Although it was Sunday, Shade didn't plan to stay idle. In a while, he intended to find Iluna and ask her to help look up materials regarding the cult of the Old God [The Indeterminate Sage]. Upon hearing that Shade planned to take Mia for a stroll in the city, Dorothy decided she wouldn't stay at Number 6 St. Delan Square.
However, she did intend to take Professor Manning's letters with her, helping Shade organize all the correspondence today.
“Also, the unified heating for the St. Delan Square district starts next Monday. Lacia's idea is that since the waterproofing in the basement is done, we should have the firewood delivered by next Wednesday... Do you know how to use a fireplace?”
Dorothy asked at the table. Shade put down his newspaper; he had been reading the third page, a news report about Princess Margaret's visit to the Kingdom's Department of Administrative Affairs. On the reverse side of that page was news of the kingdom's famous wrestler, "Brute Bull Durut," winning a match in Tobesk.
“Throw the wood in and light it.”
After a moment's thought, he added
“Keep an eye on Mia; don't let her get near the fire.”
“Do you know how to control the flames or how to use the chimney for ventilation?”
“Mm...”
Dorothy slapped her forehead
“Once Lacia has the firewood delivered, I'll teach you how to use the fireplace. It's actually very simple. When I was a child at home, I loved roasting things in the fireplace.”
She turned her head to look at the fireplace in the living room
“The weather isn't that cold yet. When the nights of heavy blizzards come, we can extinguish the gas lamps in the house and sit on the rug before the fireplace with family, playing games or reading together in the firelight. That is my most vivid memory of every winter before I left home.”
“When the nights of heavy blizzards come, you can come to my place. If it happens to be a Day of the Red Butterfly, invite Lacia along.”
Shade understood the writer lady's hint; that would indeed be a beautiful scene.
After breakfast, Dorothy helped Shade wash the plates and cups, then left with the letters. Shade calculated the working hours of Blackstone Security Company, arriving at Swan Castle Street just as it turned nine. As the weather grew colder, the scenery on the streets changed with the season. Holding the cat, Shade glanced at the attire of the pedestrians at the street corner before entering the inconspicuous small grey building.
Theoretically, Blackstone Security Company operated twenty-four hours a day. It was not only the base for Iluna's squad but also contained some of the relics they utilized. However, for ordinary people, the business hours began at nine in the morning; thus, as Shade pushed open the door, he believed he was the first customer of the day.
At the first-floor reception, a plump middle-aged woman with curly brown hair was knitting a red sweater while looking at a magazine. Beside the yarn basket, a crouching white cat was batting a ball of yarn back and forth with its paw. The squad leader, and nominal manager of the security company, Mr. Robinson, stood at the reception desk checking the entry log.
Hearing the door open, they all looked toward the entrance. The white cat batting the yarn flinched, seemingly intimidated by the Mia being held in Shade's arms. Because Shade had visited more than once, the Seventh Ring middle-aged captain recognized him.
“Detective Hamilton, do you have a request so early in the morning?”
He asked politely, discreetly closing the logbook and clipping the page he had been viewing with a fountain pen.
“Good morning. Is Miss Bias in?”
Shade asked. His public identity was that of Iluna's friend, having met her through an investigation
“I want to return a book I borrowed from her. Also, I'd like to talk to her about the Professor Manning theft case she asked me to help investigate.”
Mr. Robinson nodded
“Bias is on the second floor. Wait a moment, I'll go call her down.”
Iluna was, of course, very happy about Shade's visit. The two spoke in the first-floor reception room. The second floor of this three-story building was the area for receiving clients, while the third floor was restricted to squad members; Shade had never entered it.
“We've had a theft here.”
As soon as the door closed, Iluna told Shade
“I received notification at six this morning. During the routine inventory of the warehouse relics, one was found missing. The captain gathered the squad for a sweep, and it's preliminarily determined that the relic [Sly Jack] was responsible. The missing relic is a Secret-Keeper level (Grade 3) [Mandela Snake-Nest Vial]. The captain is likely to face a severe disciplinary action; all our year-end bonuses for this year are gone.”
Mentioning this, her tone immediately dropped
“I didn't expect to miss out on my year-end bonus in my first official year of work. Unless the missing item can be recovered, our squad's performance evaluation this year will probably be at the bottom.”
“It's actually that bold, daring to steal from you?”
Shade was greatly surprised, sitting on the sofa while holding Mia. He could understand Iluna's mood; this was a true calamity from the blue.
“Theoretically, it dares to steal from anywhere except the Church.”
Iluna sat beside him with a look of frustration
“A relic theft is a major incident, especially when it's stolen by another relic. Such bad luck. I was just upstairs writing a self-criticism and an accident report. Based on current clues, [Sly Jack] disguised himself as a client and came here at five last night, slipping up to the third floor while no one was paying attention.”
Looking at Iluna's miserable expression, she must have also been here at five last night.
“Did you see what it looked like?”
“An ordinary middle-aged man, wearing a black trench coat and a wide-brimmed black string hat. He claimed to live in the North District of Tobesk and commissioned us to investigate his neighbor, suspecting the neighbor was a voyeur. We've already checked that address; the address exists, but the person there is just an ordinary citizen who also happened to lose some things a few days ago. There's reason to suspect it was stolen by him as well.”
Iluna said through gritted teeth
“Tobesk is so large; even if it prefers stealing from Ring-casters, I can't believe it stole from us. If I really run into it, I'll definitely let it know the power of the Sun Spear!”
She handed Shade the brooch that could release the "Sun Spear," which Shade naturally put into his pocket. This made Iluna breathe a sigh of relief; she had been worried that if Shade learned [Lightning Spear] on his own, he wouldn't need her "Sun Spear" anymore.
Shade could quite understand Blackstone Security Company being robbed; after all, Luvia had mentioned that various strange things spontaneously happen around the Chosen.
“Alright, enough about that. Shade, what did you come here for?”
“If you have time, could you help me check some things at the Church?”
Shade handed the prepared investigation details to Iluna, who glanced at them
“A cult of an Old God is no problem. Coincidentally, the deity you're investigating has some connection to the Trials of Venars. Writing a letter to the Holy See for materials won't arouse suspicion.”
Iluna folded the letter and put it away, reminding him
“Shade, I think you should also prepare anti-theft measures. Be careful not to lose things like we did.”
“Steal things from Number 6 St. Delan Square?”
Shade thought about the valuables in his home, his right hand stroking Mia's back. Suddenly, a shock hit his heart, and he immediately asked
“Can that relic steal living things?”
Iluna understood his meaning and comforted him softly
“At least so far, there is no precedent of the opponent stealing pets. The Church also suspects the opponent is the 'Invisible Person' mentioned in the Trials of Venars, so they are investigating this relic too. However, this relic has no history of being contained, so we only have a few pieces of data that may not be accurate.”
Shade thought for a moment
“I'll keep Mia with me when I go out recently. If this cat is really stolen, I wouldn't know how to explain it to her owner, Miss Gaude.”
“Miss Gaude?”
Iluna had also heard Shade mention that lady
“Speaking of which, you could ask what breed Mia actually is and if she has any siblings. I also want to raise a cat as cute as this, but no other cat compares to yours.”
Hearing Mia being praised, Shade was in a good mood
“No problem. After Miss Gaude writes back next month, I'll ask for you in my reply. Though judging by the markings, Mia is probably just an inexpensive local stray.”
He very sincerely drew the holy symbol on his chest, and amidst "her" light laughter, he said
“May Mr. Dawn bless her. I hope Miss Mia San Gaude's illness recovers soon, I hope the fallen family can prosper again, and I hope that small town can rid itself of those strange occurrences soon.”
“I hope that lady remains safe, but the matters in Tobesk won't be solved as easily as those in a remote town.”
Iluna listed them on her fingers
“The Church has confirmed the news. As rumors of the Chosen and the Verses intensify, the Ring-casters attracted by the fourth Chosen are even more numerous than during the Midhill Castle incident. Besides the already confirmed Truth Society, followers of the Evil God [Mr. Misfortune], the illegal organization [Blood Therapy Club], the cult [The Society of All Numbers as One], and the neutral organization [Jade Alchemy Association] have all been confirmed to have appeared locally. Aside from that, there is no intelligence on Thirteenth Ring casters appearing other than those from the Church, but clear intelligence indicates that the [Truth Society] is preparing to use a high-danger level relic to complete the Trials of Venars.”
She looked at Shade
“By the way, that Miss Pavo you met is the Vice President of the Truth Society. Yes, she is indeed only Sixth Ring, but the Truth Society isn't an organization that determines status by power.”
“The Truth Society sent their Vice President directly? It seems they really value the fourth Chosen.”
“No, no.”
Iluna shook her head
“In fact, we all believe that the purpose of the aforementioned organizations coming to this city is not for the Chosen, but for the Trials of the Secret-Keeper.”
She sighed softly
“For most people, Epics are too distant, the Chosen are too distant, but the chance for a Secret-Keeper to realize a wish is right before their eyes.”
(End of Chapter)