"Shad Hamilton, detective for now. Good evening, ma'am, and I salute you."
Xia De considered his words carefully, trying to make himself speak appropriately. Before knowing the other party's purpose, it is the right thing to do to cooperate with them. Moreover, he was really sorry for what happened just now, even if it was not entirely his fault... ...
"I'll say it again, don't laugh."
He said in his heart.
"Then, Mr. Hamilton, let's not talk about the out-of-control Dark Box for now..."
Even if a high-level warlock could calm the danger caused by the out-of-control of this poet-level relic, it would be impossible not to be angry. However, the lady behind the door was very good at controlling her emotions.
Xia De was very lucky that the other party was a reasonable person, otherwise his situation would be very bad.
"I knew that being able to understand all languages is definitely not a good thing in this world. I must remember this lesson..."
As Xia De thought about it, the woman quickly calmed down and continued to speak, her tone becoming soothing:
"Detective, it's not a big deal that I've come to you rashly. The Dark Box is just an accident. I want to know from you where the statue is."
"Excuse me, what did you say? The statue?"
Xia De, who was still thinking about what had just happened, was shocked, but what he said showed his doubt. He really believed that he had an excellent talent for acting.
"Where is the statue of blood, or rather... the statue of the old god, the vampire Duke Laoel?"
The woman's voice had completely regained its composure, as if she was talking to Xia De about tonight's weather, but the pressure brought by her cold tone was no less than before:
"First-ring sorcerer, there is no need to lie. The spells you used on the first and second floors just now had a very strong smell of blood.
But you are clean, so I guess you are not a follower of the old god, nor a member of the Mercury Blood organization that holds the statue.
Since you are a first-ring sorcerer... ... the Church of the True God? No, you don't look like a believer in God... ... but your employment method seems to be very formal... ... Thaumaturgy Academy? Which school are you a newly enrolled correspondence sorcerer? That's better, correspondence sorcerers have no loyalty to the academy."
She seemed to know a lot about the correspondence ring sorcerer, but she didn't give Shade a chance to speak, and said softly:
"It doesn't really matter. I don't care about your identity, nor do I intend to find out if you have any secrets. Now, detective, please tell me where is the statue of the old god?"
Xia De looked at the half-open door with some surprise, but he knew that he had to stay calm at this moment:
"Ma'am, I'm not sure what you're talking about. You know I'm just a part of it..."
Tobesk was also in a foggy state today. When he touched the statue in the alley, it was impossible for anyone to see him. He never thought that someone could smell the blood after he touched the statue. You know, even the Echo of Blood could not see any traces on him.
This should have been a simple commission, and in theory, only close range could one sense the fluctuations of the spirit and the gathering of elements when casting a spell. The doctor's notebook did not mention that someone could accurately smell the traces of a specific spell through two layers of ceiling.
Xia De knew that he had really met an extraordinary person, but at least the other party was not from Mercury Blood.
"Could the other party be a follower of the hostile god of the old blood god?"
He could only make such a guess for now.
"I possess a special spiritual rune that is sensitive to the power of the Old Gods, so there is no need to panic. Detective, do you need me to emphasize my question again?"
The temperature in the room seemed to be getting colder. Xia De shook his head. He knew that the other party could see him through the door, so he said:
"No, that's not necessary. I did come into contact with the statue of the old god, the vampire Duke Laoel, today."
"That's great. Even if you don't want to tell me where you are, I think I can find out where you were today. But we can save some time, right?"
The woman behind the door asked, her voice filled with some joy, completely free from the anger she had just felt.
She was looking forward to the detective's answer and believed that the detective would not disappoint her.
Xia De pursed his lips:
"Then, can I take this as... ...your commission to find the statue containing the remnants of the old god?"
This was not him indulging in a detective role-playing game, but a tentative inquiry as to whether the other party wanted to take it for free or trade it. Although he was sorry for accidentally causing the relic to lose control, it did not mean that he was willing to hand over a very valuable thing for nothing.
Of course, he is also willing to compensate the other party.
The situation was better than Shade thought:
"Of course I can commission you. I always advocate fair trade. Besides, you and I have no grudges against each other... except for what happened just now. If possible, it's totally fine to do it in the form of a transaction. So, detective, how much do you want for the commission? Please tell me a number. If you agree to the deal, I can forget about what happened just now."
The possibility of becoming rich immediately was right in front of him, and the woman inside the door didn't seem to be joking. A noblewoman and a high-level warlock, these two labels combined were enough for Shade to imagine how wealthy the other party was, and she could also resolve the minor accident not long ago.
Xia De resisted the temptation of money and stopped imagining himself counting a stack of coins in the light of the desk lamp in the study with the gas turned off.
He has more important things to do:
“I’m sorry about the relic getting out of control.
The statue is in the alley across from the Silver Parrot Milk Distribution Company. There is a used bookstore on the right side of the entrance. At the end of the alley, in the dead corner between the pipe and the wall is the location of the statue, but a spell is required. A six-syllable spell must be recited to make the statue appear. This is my sincerity. I don't want money..."
Not wanting money was a lie, but it could also be considered the truth. As for revealing such important information right away, it was a means to show that he was sorry for what he had just done. On the other hand, Xia De believed that the other party could find this location by tracking down his whereabouts, so he could win favor by revealing it in advance:
"I want to use the location of this statue and the manifestation spell in exchange for power I can use. It doesn't have to be an equal exchange, as long as I can use it."
The statue was definitely not safe, and Shade had no intention of keeping such a dangerous item. He didn't even have the ability to take the statue away. So the best approach was to make appropriate changes in exchange for greater benefits.
The lady behind the door was right. There was no difference between trading the statue to the college and trading it to her. Xia De still remembered what the doctor and the writer repeatedly emphasized: they were just correspondence students and had no specific relationship with the college.
Therefore, he would not think that trading the statue to someone else was a betrayal to the academy. Moreover, Xia De also wanted to make up for the loss of control of the relic. Trading with such a reasonable person, it would be good for the future if you suffered some losses for the first time.