Mr. Jimmy Cameron had just informed Shad that the man who sold him the box was not the friend Shad had imagined he knew from the pub, nor was he Mr. Cameron's poker partner. The man who sold the "Victor Box" was of a respectable background like him, running a spice shop in the west end of Tobesk.
Even though the discovery of the New World enriched the spice market, spices were still expensive luxury goods in that era. Mr. Krum, who ran a spice shop, had a much smaller scale than Mr. Cameron's steam factory, but because he had connections in the New World and controlled special spice purchase channels, the spice merchant's family was richer than Mr. Cameron.
According to Mr. Cameron, Mr. Croom was a relatively honest businessman who did not like Rhodes cards, smoking and drinking. The two met at a small gathering of shop owners in the west end of Tobesk in the autumn. During the conversation, the spice merchant revealed that he had an amazing box, which led to the subsequent transaction.
The spice shop was in the northwest of the city. After leaving the inn, the three of them took a carriage to their destination. On the way, Shad also told Dorothy and Princess Margaret to be prepared for battle, as they didn't know what would happen in a while.
"Detective, do such dangers often occur in the commissions you accept?"
asked the Princess of the South, who was sitting opposite Shade with Dorothy, and was becoming more and more curious about the life of a detective.
Xia De sorted out the spell materials and shook his head:
"As I said earlier, most of the commissions I take on are small matters, such as finding a cat. My uncle, Detective Sparrow Hamilton, is a detective who specializes in investigating extramarital affairs and cheating."
"So what is the most dangerous commission you have ever received?"
Margaret asked curiously. Hearing this question, Dorothy also looked at Shad curiously. Shad thought for a moment:
"A baron friend of mine invited me to play cards somewhere and asked me to help him defeat his opponent. As a result, what happened... I don't want to recall it anymore."
This refers to Baron Lavender inviting Shad to Lakeview Manor, where Shad first encountered the evil god.
The wheels crushed the snow on the ground, passing through the snow-covered city, and running through the streets and alleys. The further north you go in the city, the fewer steam factories there are, and the more slums there are. The three people's destination, "Krum's Spice Shop", is located at the junction of the slums in the north of the city and the factory area in the west of the city.
The great nobles certainly would not patronize such spice shops, but the factory owners in the west of the city and the wealthy middle class liked to use relatively cheap spices to highlight their status.
When Xia De pushed open the door of the store and heard the crisp sound of the wind chimes hanging at the door, it was eleven o'clock on Sunday morning, very close to lunch time. Maybe he could go for lunch after finishing the investigation.
There were incense burners burning inside the spice shop, and the smells of various strange spices mixed together, forming a smell that made Shad feel nauseous and wanted to vomit, but the two girls were very used to this smell.
The spices were not sold directly in baskets, but in specially customized glass jars, which were arranged on the shelves beside the wall. There were quite a few customers in the store on Sunday morning, but they did not see the owner of the store. Shade asked the two girls to look around here, and he walked around the store and confirmed that there were no traces of elements before he took the initiative to talk to the young apprentice.
Of course, Xia De would not reveal his identity as a detective. He just said that he wanted to purchase a large amount of goods from here for special purposes, so he wanted to know when the store owner would be able to return.
The young apprentice, who looked only fifteen or sixteen years old, was not as cunning as the outsider. He told Mr. Shadkrum without any suspicion that he was going to the warehouse to take inventory and would not be back until the afternoon.
Then, Shade left the spice shop and wandered around other shops along the street. Finally, he found out the location of a large warehouse nearby in a corner store that sold old clothes, old bedding, and could also fluff cotton.
"Although I used eye shadow to disguise my face, I don't know what will happen next, so I can't leave too deep an impression on my apprentice. Spices are not durable goods, and the warehouse must be in a nearby neighborhood, so I can ask other merchants about the location of the warehouse."
Shad explained his motives to Princess Margaret, and the princess looked enlightened.
As the three of them walked down the street, Dorothy said:
"When you went to the second-hand shop just now, I went to the bookstore next to the spice shop to find out about Mr. Krum's past behavior. He lives on the second floor of the store. Although he is a bit stingy in the eyes of his neighbors, he never conflicts with others. He has a peaceful temperament and has never behaved abnormally."
"I read in detective stories that the more normal a person's behavior is, the more likely he or she is a criminal. And ring sorcerers usually disguise themselves by appearing normal in their daily lives."
Princess Margaret said immediately, and Shade shook his head:
"Let's not take a stand before meeting that gentleman. Besides, that spice merchant doesn't look like a ring wizard."
Ten minutes later, they passed through the alleys of the slums - it would have been very dangerous if it wasn't for the daytime, and arrived at a warehouse just one street away from the spice shop. Most of the warehouses in the west of the city were distributed in clusters, and Mr. Krum only rented the smallest one. The old man guarding the warehouse yard originally disagreed with the three of them going in directly to look for someone, but when Shad found the two shillings he dropped on the ground, the old guard allowed them to enter, but they could only stay for a maximum of twenty minutes.
Of course, two shillings could solve the problem, and it was also related to the fact that Shad's companions were two beautiful ladies. Even if Shad was really a thief who dared to steal in the daytime, there was no reason for him to take two ladies who were obviously from an extraordinary family to steal.
When I met Mr. Krum, the spice merchant was directing the workers to move the goods from the warehouse. They wanted to temporarily move the empty boxes out of the warehouse and rent them out. The merchants would not let the goods in their hands pile up in the warehouse and waste them.
"Looking for me?"
After taking a look at the clothes of Xia De and the other two, the spice merchant wearing black leather boots took off his hat and asked in confusion. He looked to be in his forties, with a dark skin, but his eyes were very shrewd:
"I wonder what's up? Do you want to discuss business?"
It's fine to use the excuse of discussing business to deal with the young apprentice, but it's inappropriate to use it at this time.
"No, no, we're not talking about business. I want to ask for your help with something else."
Shade said with a smile, extending his hand and shaking it with Mr. Krum.
Ordinary people.
"Well, do you know Mr. Jimmy Cameron?"
Shade asked, and he took off his hat, which confirmed to the spice merchant that the handsome young man in front of him was definitely from an extraordinary family:
"Yes, we have met several times."
"I'm also a friend of Mr. Jimmy Cameron. That's right. I heard about the Victor box from him. It's really an amazing box."
Xia De exclaimed, and Mr. Krum nodded in agreement, motioning for them to talk aside:
"Yes, my wife thought I was cheated. But it has been a month since I bought the box, and the accumulated money I have received has already exceeded the original purchase price of the box. It is really a magical technology. However, didn't I tell Jimmy not to tell anyone casually?"
He looked at Shade inquiringly, and Dorothy couldn't laugh anymore. If such boxes were really circulated in large quantities, it might have a huge impact on the currency and prices of Delarian.
"I didn't ask Mr. Cameron, he told me."
Xia De still had a smile on his face:
"Actually, I... We met at a banquet. Do you know about Princess Margaret's visit to Tobesk? My uncle knows the envoys in the delegation and can introduce Mr. Cameron to the sales channels in the south."
The princess behind him had absolutely no idea that Xia De was not lying at this time, at least not about the issue of "uncle".
The spice merchant showed a look of understanding, knowing that Jimmy Cameron revealed the secret in order to get close to the nobility:
"In that case, you came to see me because..."
“I want to have one of those boxes, too.”
Xia De made himself look just the right amount of embarrassed, and then introduced:
"One of these two ladies is a distant relative of the royal family, and the other is from Cavendish. They are both ladies of noble birth, and we all want to own such a magical box. So, Mr. Cameron introduced us to you. I wonder if you can recommend the merchant who sells the box?"
The spice merchant was obviously hesitant:
"Mr. Fanny allowed me to introduce friends to him, but he wouldn't let me just..."
"gentlemen."
Dorothy smiled and said very softly:
"I think we are all trustworthy people, even if you don't know our jobs, our addresses, or even our names, but don't you know our gender?"
The voice was so convincing that the spice merchant nodded immediately:
"Yes, I already know your gender, which is quite private."
Princess Margaret glanced at Dorothy, somewhat suspicious that the writer often collected writing materials in this way.
"Isn't that enough? I think it's enough for you to fully understand us, trust us, and tell us the address of Mr. Fanny."
The spice merchant opened his mouth, still a little hesitant, so Shade added:
"I can also tell you a secret about us. I like pretty girls."
Mr. Krum was startled, but this time he nodded without hesitation:
"Since you have told me such a secret, yes, I can tell you the address."
Princess Margaret had a stern face, wanting to laugh but knowing she couldn't laugh out loud.
"Can you tell us about him?"
Dorothy asked quietly, and Mr. Krum trusted her completely, for what she said made sense:
"Mr. Victor Fanny is the maker of that magical box. He is a very kind man, and he not only makes money for himself, but 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 can give us a commission. I introduced Jimmy to him and earned a commission of 10 pounds."
Dorothy glanced at Shad, who nodded.
"So where does the other person live? Or does he have his own factory?"
"Mr. Fanny is a craftsman. He is not a local, but from the Eastern Islands. After arriving in Tobesk, he rented a room in a hotel. He assembled the magical box in the hotel every day and only went outside for a walk occasionally. He has a strong craftsman spirit."
Shade, who was very sensitive to this phrase, curled his lips. Dorothy continued to ask:
"Then the address of the hotel is..."
"Three Cats Inn, Anthem Square, North District of Tobesk. Mr. Fanny doesn't usually meet strangers. He will only meet you if you say I recommended you."
"The Three Cats Inn again?"
Xia De sighed quietly in his heart, but the Three Cats Inn was indeed the most famous inn in the north of the city, otherwise it would not have been one of the businesses qualified to sponsor the Rhodes Card Tournament during the period of the Big City Players.