Chapter 34: The Lady Behind the Door

“Shade Hamilton, currently working as a detective. Good evening, Madam. My respects to you.”

Shade weighed his words carefully, trying to make himself sound as decorous as possible. Before knowing the other party's intentions, cooperation was the correct course of action. Moreover, he truly felt apologetic about what had just happened, even if it wasn't entirely his fault.

*I'll say it again: don't laugh. I know it was my own carelessness, and I will learn my lesson,* he said to himself.

*However, I knew it. Being able to understand all languages is definitely not a good thing in a world like this. I must remember this lesson.*

As Shade thought this, the woman quickly adjusted her mood and continued speaking, her tone becoming soothing

“Detective, I haven't come to see you on a whim; it is nothing of great magnitude. The Dark Box was merely an accident, and what I wish to know from you is where that statue is located.”

“I'm sorry, what did you say? A statue?”

Shade was startled inwardly as he reinforced the memory of the recent incident, but his spoken words expressed only confusion. He truly believed he possessed a magnificent talent for acting.

“The statue of blood—or rather, the statue of the Old God, the Vampire Duke Lorel. Where is it?”

The woman's voice had completely regained its composure, as if she were discussing tonight's weather with Shade. However, the pressure brought by her cold tone was no less than before

“A first-circle warlock, no need to lie. The scent of blood from the incantations you used on the first and second floors was far too potent.

But you are clean, so I assume you are neither a believer of that Old God nor a member of the [Mercury Blood] organization that holds the statue.

Since you are a first-circle warlock... a Church of a True God? No, you don't seem like a believer... but your method of advancement seems quite formal. A Thaumaturgy Academy? Given your carelessness just now, I suspect you are a correspondence warlock newly enrolled from some unknown school. That is even better; correspondence warlocks hold no loyalty to the Academy.”

She seemed to know a great deal about correspondence warlocks, but without giving Shade a chance to speak, she said softly

“Actually, none of that matters. I do not care about your identity, nor do I intend to pry into your secrets. Now, Detective, please tell me: where is the statue of the Old God?”

Shade looked toward the ajar door in slight surprise, but he understood that now, more than ever, he had to remain calm

“Madam, I am not quite sure what you are referring to. As you know, I am only a first-circle...”

Tobesque was also shrouded in mist today. When he had come into contact with that statue in the alley, it was impossible for anyone to have seen him. He never imagined that someone could actually smell the bloodiness left behind after he touched the statue. One had to realize that even [Blood Echo] could not see any traces on his person.

This should have been a simple enough commission, and theoretically, the release of an incantation could only allow one to sense the fluctuations of spirit and the gathering of elements at close range. The Doctor's notebook made no mention of anyone being able to accurately smell the traces of a specific incantation through two layers of ceiling.

Shade knew he had truly encountered someone formidable, but at least the other party was not from [Mercury Blood].

*Could she be a believer of a deity hostile to that Old God of Blood?*

That was the only hypothesis he could form for the time being.

“I possess special spirit runes and am very sensitive to the power of Old Gods, so there is no need to panic. Detective, do I need to repeat my question?”

The temperature in the room seemed to drop further. Shade shook his head, knowing that even through a door, the other party could see him, and thus said

“No, there is no need. I did indeed come into contact with the statue of the Old God, the Vampire Duke Lorel, just today.”

“That is good. Even if you are unwilling to reveal its location, I believe I could investigate your movements from today. But we can save some time, can't we?”

The woman behind the door asked, her voice carrying a hint of pleasure. She was anticipating the detective's answer and believed he would not disappoint her.

Shade frowned, thinking deeply for a moment

“Then, Madam, may I treat this as... you commissioning me to find the statue containing the remnants of the Old God?”

This was not him indulging in his role-playing game as a detective, but rather a probing inquiry to see if the other party wanted it for free or through a transaction. Although he felt bad about accidentally causing the relic to lose control, that did not mean he was willing to hand over something of great value for nothing.

The situation turned out to be better than Shade had expected

“A commission is certainly possible; I have always advocated for fair trade. Furthermore, you hold no grudge against me... except for what just happened. If possible, conducting this as a transaction is perfectly fine. So, Detective, how much is your commission fee? Name a figure. And after this transaction, the incident regarding the relic losing control will be treated as if it never happened. I will not care.”

The possibility of instant wealth was right before his eyes; the woman inside the door did not sound as if she were joking. A noblewoman and a high-circle warlock—combined, these two labels were enough for Shade to imagine how wealthy she must be.

Shade resisted the temptation of money, stopping himself from imagining a scene where he sat in a study closed off from the gaslights, counting a stack of coins by the light of a desk lamp.

He had more important matters at hand

“That statue is in the alley diagonally opposite the Silver Parrot Milk Delivery Company. To the right of the entrance is an old bookstore. Enter the alley, and at the dead end, in the blind spot between the pipes and the wall, is the location of the statue. However, it requires an incantation; one must recite a six-syllable chant to make the statue appear. This is my sincerity; I do not want money...”

Saying he did not want money was naturally a lie, but it could also be considered the truth. As for revealing such vital intelligence so quickly, it was a tactic. Shade believed the other party could find the location by tracing his steps, so revealing it in advance could earn her goodwill

“I wish to exchange the location of the statue and the manifestation incantation for power that I am able to use. It does not need to be an equal exchange; as long as I am able to use it, that is enough.”

The statue was certainly lost, and besides, Shade had no intention of possessing such a dangerous object himself; he didn't even have the ability to take it away. Therefore, adapting appropriately to exchange it for greater benefits was the best course of action.

The lady behind the door was quite right: there was no difference between trading the statue to the Academy and trading it to her. Shade still remembered the words repeatedly emphasized by the Doctor and the Writer Lady: they were merely correspondence students and had no specific relationship with the Academy.

Therefore, he would not consider trading the statue to someone else as a betrayal of the Academy. Moreover, Shade also wanted to make slight amends for the relic losing control. When dealing with such a reasonable and powerful person, taking a small loss the first time would be beneficial for the future.