Margaret told Shad the specific time and location of the wedding banquet. This was a bit like the wedding banquet of Leisia's sister that Shad attended in late autumn. The banquet would last almost the entire night, and no one had to do anything. People just had to enjoy this beautiful moment.
A princess' wedding banquet can be fun, not to mention the wedding banquet of a noble daughter in a "remote countryside". And it is said that such banquets are also a good opportunity for adultery.
"I have to visit the Stonemasons Guild tomorrow morning. This time it's a formal visit, so I won't go with you tonight."
Margaret said, then asked Xiang Xiade with a smile:
"Why, do you want to bring other female companions?"
"I'm just going to see Oxenfurt. There's no need to bring a female companion. And you know, I don't want anyone around me to come into contact with him. He..."
Xia De looked at Margaret seriously. Before confirming the identity of the devil, it would be better not to say this:
"It's really dangerous, so when your people and the gray gloves are conducting preliminary investigations, never come into direct contact with him."
Shad didn't want to stay at a stranger's wedding party for long, and didn't even plan to eat there, so he had dinner with Margaret before heading to the manor where the wedding was held.
That is Mason Manor located in the west of the city. Since Randall Valley City originated in the east of the city, the nobles who own manors in the west are generally regarded as emerging nobles, which are the kind of people who are looked down upon within the local noble community.
The one who was getting married was the daughter of Baron Mason, and the other was the eldest son of the declining baron family, Margiela Enriquez. Although both were from baron families, they were not compatible in terms of status. The girl's father, Baron Mason, was in the banking business and was a wealthy aristocrat. But Shad heard from Margaret that the two young people grew up together and had a deep relationship, so the elders allowed Miss Mason to get married immediately after she graduated from studying art in Willendel.
Xia De also blesses such a marriage.
Although invitations were still sent out for such a lively banquet, in fact, anyone could attend the banquet as long as they could send their blessings and dress decently. Shade also prepared a gift for this occasion, which was a strange stone sculpture bought at a roadside souvenir shop when he rode out of the city. This was a specialty of the Randall River Valley.
When he walked along the country road and saw the silhouette of the manor, the lively banquet had already begun.
"Hopefully I won't waste too much time."
He thought to himself that after all, Oxenfurt Manor was located in the east of the city, and this place was in the west. If he wasted too much time, he would not be able to get the statue today.
After successfully entering the manor, I found that although it was winter, there were still tents set up in the courtyard, with colorful flags hanging between the tents. There were either banquets and games being held inside, or long tables filled with food were set out for people to enjoy.
Laughter and the sound of clinking glasses continued one after another, and the banquet seemed to have reached its most lively moment.
Asking anyone about the whereabouts of Prince William of Anjou would definitely not reveal the truth. After the attack on the prince, it might even be considered as an act of ulterior motive. Therefore, Shade went straight into the manor house, thinking that the prince who was talking to the businessman should be in the best lounge.
But after searching around, he found young men and women hanging out together, people engaging in illegal transactions, and even a young woman crying alone, but he didn't find the prince.
Shad had no choice but to go outside again, and finally found William Anjou and Stone Oxenfurt in the back garden.
The groom walked out of the barn accompanied by the most distinguished guest. At this time, bursts of laughter broke out in the barn, and no one knew what was happening.
Shade and his group happened to meet face to face. William Anjou was not impressed by "John Watson" who played Rhodes at Earl Granger's banquet, and he changed into other clothes, so he did not recognize him immediately. But Stone Oxenfurt, who was tall and burly and looked more like the prince's bodyguard, saw Shade at a glance.
He whispered something to the prince, then left the group and walked towards Shade.
The two watched the prince leave together. Xia De was surprised to find that among the attendants following the prince, there was actually a ring wizard, probably around the third ring. This could not be a ring wizard from the church. The church would only send out its own team when a member of the royal family was clearly attacked by a supernatural power.
Therefore, at this moment, Xia De could only understand that, for the sake of his own safety, His Royal Highness the Prince had hired a ring wizard who was short of money from somewhere to be a bodyguard.
"I didn't expect to see you here. Who asked you to come?"
Ossenfurt waited until everyone else had left before speaking, and the two of them walked to a bare tree without leaves to talk. This was a higher location in the backyard of the manor, and because there were no activities planned nearby, there were no kerosene lamps for lighting, so it was particularly dim.
Ossenfurt crossed his arms. Shade always thought that this was an act of insecurity. Shade himself looked at the people having fun in the yard:
"What do you mean who asked me to come? You asked me to find something, and I found it. Then you made me wait for the whole morning in vain. Of course I asked myself to come here."
Shade answered, then realized that Oxenfurt's question might have another meaning:
"But it was your old housekeeper who suggested I come to the city to see you."
Ossenfurt snorted, and Shade continued:
"I didn't say I was meeting you to return something. The reason for my visit was the statue. Your old butler said that no one could touch the statue in your room without permission, so he asked me to come to you directly. I searched the city for a whole afternoon before I heard that you and William of Anjou were coming to the banquet. You are so free~"
"You don't have to be angry with me. I had my reasons for not meeting you at noon today."
Osenfurt said, extending his hand to Shade, but Shade did not hand over the badge:
"No, no, I can't give it to you now."
"Why, do you want to regret it? Or do you want more compensation?"
The burly man turned his head and said something that sounded like a joke between friends, but the expression on his face was terrifying.
"Of course I'm not going back on my word, I just want the portrait you have in your collection, the portrait of Edward Marcus, and I'm not kidding."
Shade also stared into his yellow eyes:
"You said you would give me news about the Founding Earth in the end, but how do I know if what you said is true? Paying a portion of the deposit first will allow me to take action next and be more motivated. This is a very cost-effective thing. It took me a week to find the badge, Mr. Osenfurt, you don't want me to spend a year to find the last earring, right?"
The two sides stared at each other in silence for half a minute, and then Stone Osenfurt took the initiative to speak:
"It seems to be worthless. You can go to the manor to get it yourself tomorrow. But you must promise to find the third item before spring comes."
"Can."
Xia De nodded and reached into his pocket to take out the "Kasenrick Third Class Combat Hero" badge:
"See if this is what you're looking for."
Stone Osenfurt took it, looked at it twice, and nodded:
"Yes."
Still with a serious expression on his face, he actually threw it back to Xia De after checking it:
"When you find the last earring, return them all to me."
The first item Shad noticed, the black gem ring, was now in his hand.
"I can keep it for you. But aren't you curious about how I found it?"
Shade shook the badge, and Ossenfurt shook his head:
"I hired you to find something for me, not to tell me a story. How you find it is none of my business."
Xia De smiled and put the badge back into his pocket:
"You are really a strange fellow, but since I have agreed to take your commission, I will not lie. Please wait for my good news. I hope the last sapphire earrings are not hidden in an even stranger place."
He wanted to leave after saying that. Since Ossenfort said he would go to his manor to get the statue tomorrow, he thought he could go home and rest today. Of course, it would be good to say hello to Luvia before leaving.
But the man behind him called him again:
"John Watson, you are a ring wizard, right?"
Xia De stopped and turned to look at him:
"Does my status as a ring wizard have anything to do with our commission?"
He imitated the other party's sentence structure, but unexpectedly, instead of getting angry, Osenfurt thought for a moment:
"It's okay indeed. I just want to warn you that even though I'm an ordinary person, don't play any tricks on me."
Oxenfurt looked not at Shade, but at the people having fun in the lights.
"Can I understand that you are threatening me?"
Shade asked, and the latter shook his head slightly, looking at the crowd with an interested expression:
"Would you like to stay for half an hour and watch an interesting play with me?"
Xia De originally wanted to interact with him more, so he took out his pocket watch, which he never used, and pretended to check the time:
"If it's only half an hour, I think it'll be fine."
The two of them left from under the tree together, and not far away they saw His Royal Highness the Prince chatting and laughing with a group of young girls together with the groom Enriquez.
The fact that the prince of Carsenrick could appear at the wedding banquet of such a country noble naturally made the girls attending the wedding very excited. But it seemed that William of Anjou was not very interested in this and just responded politely.
So Stone Oxenfurt walked over, and his mere presence frightened the young girls into stopping their excited chatter. Seeing that Oxenfurt was actively talking to the prince again, as if he were his friend, they left tactfully.
Just as Miss Lathers said, this man has a very bad reputation in the local area.