At the same time that Shad saw Mr. Asmon, the other party also saw him and recognized this old acquaintance from Coldwater Harbor.
So he came over:
"I didn't expect to meet you here again. Meeting different people in different places during the journey always makes people feel the wonderful fate."
The man in the brown robe sat opposite to Shade, and the two shook hands above the table. Then the waiter came again and asked Mr. Asmon to order. After the waiter left, the long-faced man looked at Shade and said:
"Oh, Mr. Watson, it was only later that I saw the news about the big city players in the newspaper and heard about Shad Hamilton, and then I found out who you were."
He must have noticed the devil card in the champion deck.
"I'm sorry, I'm actually a detective. Two months ago, I accepted a difficult commission and had to use the alias John Watson to operate in Coldwater Harbor. This time, I came to Midhill Castle for another difficult commission."
Xia De briefly explained his whereabouts, then stretched his head slightly and asked with great interest:
"Mr. Asmon, did you finally find the demon in Coldwater Harbor?"
There was a lot of noise around, but no one noticed what the two people sitting by the wall were discussing.
"Of course not. There are only the stinky mermaids mentioned in the rumors..."
The "demon scholar" spoke a very linguistic Delarian language. It wasn't unstandard, but it had a strange accent that didn't affect understanding. Under the light of the yellowish kerosene lamp on the wall, his long face was half hidden in the darkness:
"But then I heard interesting things from folklorists in Coldwater Harbor, so I made the long journey here."
"So, there are demons in Midhill Castle?"
Shade asked, and Mr. Asmon made a long "hmm" sound from his nose and nodded slightly:
"Yes, it is said to be a demon related to fire. I have checked that Mount Sikar is a dead volcano, and the locals have a tradition of fire worship and many interesting rumors, such as evil spirits in fire, primordial fire, phoenixes, old news about the Fire Worship Festival, and so on. So I think maybe the demon is on this mountain."
He probably had misunderstood the target again. The origin of the local Zoroastrianism tradition was actually the phoenix, not some demon.
"That sounds like fun, I wish you a safe trip."
"You are very polite, Mr. Watson. So why are you here on this mountain? Is it a commission related to the Red Water Camp?"
Mr. Asmon rested his right arm on his right leg and leaned forward slightly as he asked.
"No, no, I have an officer friend here. I happened to be in this city, so I thought of paying him a visit."
Shade pointed in the direction of the military camp, and while eating, he told Mr. Asmon about the murder case at the Mechanics College in Fort Midhill a few days ago. Of course, the protagonist of the story changed from a detective who could see blood to a very wise captain.
Although this "demonologist" had been living in the inn at the Windy Trail Traveler Camp, he also knew about the serial murders in the city through newspapers. He was indeed attracted by Shade's story and expressed his opinions while listening.
Mr. Asmon, who studies demonology, has a lot to say about what ordinary people think of as "occult" knowledge. Even when Shade mentioned the bronze pot and the disgusting things cooked inside, Mr. Asmon was able to explain it clearly. There are similar practices in the ritual of summoning demons.
After dinner, Captain Rades still did not show up. Mr. Asmon did not leave either, but invited Shade to play Rhodes again and listen to him continue to tell the story about the devil. This time he did not have any special cards in his hand, but Shade did not mind playing cards to kill time.
But before the two of them finished shuffling their decks, another stranger came up.
It was a young man who looked dusty but still well-dressed. He probably hadn't washed his hair for a long time, so his short yellow hair was a little messy. He was about three or four years older than Shade's body. He wore a pair of leather boots, a shirt and a black leather jacket that were convenient for movement.
He pulled his stool to the table and asked the two of them:
"Do you two want to play Rhodes?"
Judging from the accent, he must be from Carsenrick.
"Yes sir, what's up?"
Xia De asked. Seeing that Xia De didn't mind his approach, the dusty traveler introduced himself:
"I am William Shelley, a poet from Carsonrick. I was planning to walk from the southernmost tip of the Old World to the northernmost tip of the Old World, but unfortunately, there was a problem with the travel funds."
He moved the chair next to the table facing the wall and sat down.
"You want to play Rhodes with us to make some money? Oh, sir, I'm sorry, we don't plan to gamble."
Xia De shook his head, actually worried that he would win the poet's last meal money.
"No, gambling is no fun. Interested in betting on a special card?"
He asked seriously, then looked at the young detective and Mr. Asmon, who had a sallow face. Seeing that both of them looked very interested, he reached into his pocket and took out his deck of cards, then showed the top card to the two people:
Legend of the Brave: Bard Fletcher, color: Flower Nine.
When this card is drawn, if it is the first card, it has no effect. If it is not the first card, then if the previous card is a flower suit and the number is plural, this card can be adjusted between 9 and 10.
The card features a long-eared poet wearing a hat decorated with long feathers and holding a lyre with wood grain, probably trying to depict the legendary elves. However, Shad, who is quite proficient in elf knowledge, can point out at least five details on the card that are contrary to elf customs. But considering that this is just the card of Rhodes, there is no need to be so serious.
"Let's play cards together. If I win, each of you will give me five pounds. If I lose, you can choose to buy this card with 30 pounds. No matter what, I can get the money for the next trip."
The young poet suggested.
"Are you sure this card is authentic?"
The price of this card should be more than 60 pounds. The Legend of the Brave series of cards includes fifteen heroes of different professions in ancient stories (thirteen points and the king and queen). This set of cards was issued about 90 years ago and has been reprinted twice. The one in the poet's hand is the first edition judging from the texture on the edge of the card.
"Of course, I won this in Mordi, Carsenrick, before I entered the mountains. There is also a certificate of authenticity, which is in the room where I live."
The poet said with certainty.
"You got all the way here by playing Rhodes?"
Shade asked curiously.
“Sometimes I lose due to bad luck, but I can make money by singing and playing in bars. I am confident in my voice.”
Shade nodded and glanced at Mr. Asmon, the demonologist sitting opposite him. The latter's black eyes seemed to be looking at Shade:
"Then I won't play, Mr. Watson. Although I like playing cards, I can't afford so much cash at once."
"One last question. This place is only a day's journey from Midhill Castle. Why don't you go to the city to sell this card? There will be no shortage of buyers in the Prophet's Association."
Xia De asked again.
"I never sell Rhodes cards. I'm a Rhodes player, not a businessman."
The poet said as a matter of course, and Xia Deyu nodded in agreement:
"Okay, I'll play cards with you. But I was just talking about the legend of the devil with Mr. Sean Asmon. You don't mind me talking to Mr. Asmon while we play cards, right?"
"Of course I don't mind. I'm also very interested in your story."
The poet nodded, but asked curiously:
"I see this gentleman is well-dressed and well-spoken. I wonder what your occupation is..."
He saw that Xia De was rich, so he came over and suggested playing cards.
"The writer I came here to collect materials from is John Watson, and this is Sean Asmon, a demonologist who is pursuing knowledge of demons."
Xia De introduced, and the young poet nodded enthusiastically to Mr. Asmon:
"That's interesting. Are demonologists considered folklorists? Perhaps your stories can give me more inspiration for poetry."
"Probably."
Shade said, and the long-faced man sitting opposite him was ready to tell a story. This is a sequel to the story told last time in Coldwater Harbor City. It is about the demon who was born in the disaster and took away everything from humans on the premise of fulfilling human wishes.
The card game between Shad and the young traveling poet Mr. Shelley was played according to the simple basic rules of no draws and best of three.
"I don't know how to call the devil who fulfills people's wishes."
The demonologist's voice was hoarse but powerful. When he mentioned the devil, his black eyes narrowed slightly and a creepy smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. Sean Asmon was the kind of person who could easily scare children at night.
Xia De and the young poet had already started the first round of the game. Xia De did not add any special cards to his deck, but he was still not very worried about the outcome of the game.
Shad's first hidden card was Star 13. The poet Mr. Shelley carefully turned over the card and looked at the number, and couldn't help raising his eyebrows.
"It once experienced failure because it met a man who had no wishes. But the demon, unwilling to fail, hid in that man's soul and followed him, spreading its malice and lies."
"That sounds horrible."
The poet commented simply.
"Aren't all the ancient evil spirits in those stories like this?"
Shade said, and then the two drew the second card. Shade had the Sun 6, which added up to 19 points. He thought about it and knocked on the table to indicate that he was standing. The poet Shelley had the Moon 3, and he continued to draw the third card:
"Mr. Watson, you are really lucky."
"The demon and the man without wishes walked a long way. Malice, lies, war, and plague accompanied them. The man without wishes was regarded as the embodiment of disaster by his companions and was expelled by everyone who met him, even his own blood relatives. But he didn't care. He just kept moving forward. "
"He may have realized that he was possessed by a demon."
Xia De said, and the young poet sighed and took out the third card, Moon 11. Unfortunately, his bottom card was Flowers 10, 10+3+11=24 points, and he busted. Xia De won the first round.