"Luvia, do you think the Prophet Association will purchase such a precious relic as the Wise Pyroxene?"
After Dr. Schneider finished his introduction, Xia De asked Miss Fortune Teller again. The latter thought about it and nodded:
"I think so, but what do you want to do by asking this question?"
"I know what he wants to do."
The blonde writer smiled and said:
"Some time ago, Shade said that he wanted to buy the founding series of Rhodes cards of the Prophet Association, but was rejected. I think he is wondering if he can exchange the Wise Pyroxene for one of them."
"But even if the Prophet Association agrees, it means that your identity will be known by those fortune tellers."
Dr. Schneider said wisely, then hesitated and asked Shad and Dorothy:
"Actually... this Tuesday at the Lakeview Manor banquet, around half past ten, did you hear any strange noises?"
"Yes, after those two thunders, 'another me' captured the message conveyed by the relic - Trial: Find the invisible person in the Tobesk area."
Shard nodded, and Dorothy joined in the conversation:
"Yes, I was at Lakeview Manor at the time, and I heard it, too."
"This should be related to the wise pyroxene mentioned by the academy. I don't believe that two different major events will happen in this area at the same time."
The doctor said, then took out a pen and paper, asked Shad and Dorothy to briefly describe what happened on Tuesday night, and then sent it to the college along with his letter through the manuscript paper. This time the reply was quite fast, and an envelope was delivered in just five minutes.
This was still a letter from the Student Administration Office. The college confirmed the information provided by the three people, so each of them received 1 credit and a reward of 3 pounds.
"It seems that the academy has known about this for a long time."
Dr. Schneider shared the unexpected gain with Shad and Dorothy. Seeing that Reverend Augustus was lost in thought, he asked:
"What are you thinking about, priest?"
"In that case, the 'invisible person' mentioned in the trial after the two thunderclaps at Lakeview Manor could be the thief who recently committed a crime in the Tobesk area, right?"
The priest asked in confusion. Luvia raised her eyebrows. Shade frowned while hugging the soft cat taking a nap.
"It is possible... But as Father Augustus just said, who can catch him?"
"I think the Sekses Higher Medical School and the Zaras Liberal Arts College should also have similar academy bounties."
Dr. Schneider said, looking at the other four people, and gave very cautious advice:
"Although the sage-level relic promised by the academy is indeed tempting, safety is the most important thing. For the so-called Wise Pyroxene, since the academy can issue a reward, other ring sorcerer groups will also come to join in the fun. If any of us really have a clue, we must never act alone. Our group of five can act together, and the one who finds the clue can pay the reward."
"no problem."
Shade nodded, but he still didn't think the five-member team could really catch the thief.
"Our main focus recently has to be on the exam week at the end of the year. The five of us have done well this summer, haven't we? Oh, ladies and gentlemen, I hope we can all pass the winter exams smoothly. I can't wait to have dinner at my place after the exams, just like last year."
The doctor said with some nostalgia that he had no close relatives and his best friends were the four people in front of him. After a busy year, having dinner together was what he looked forward to most in the year.
Today's group study session didn't end until 4:30 in the afternoon because there was so much to talk about.
Everyone went their separate ways as before, and Dorothy followed Shad. Of course, Shad had not forgotten that he had promised to help Old John tonight to get the information from the Apner Library as a third party, so after dinner, he told Resia, who had already exchanged bodies, that he might be out for a few hours tonight.
Although this would delay the date, Lecia knew that Xia De had important things to do, so she let him go about his own business.
"I'll probably be back before ten. I hope he won't be late."
Shad was fiddling with a pen at the desk. On the table was the first draft of Dorothy's novel that would be published in the newspaper next week. In exchange for giving up her date time, Leicia agreed to help proofread the manuscript.
"Speaking of which, I have something good to show you."
Xia De said with a smile again. The cat lying on the windowsill looked at the scene boredly and yawned, feeling that it would not be able to sleep next to the pillow again tonight.
"I got a big glowing one, and we can watch it together tonight."
This refers to the stone slab with silver corners. It is rumored that touching it may gain knowledge and spiritual runes.
The blonde gave a narrow smile:
"Shad, isn't this excuse a bit too old-fashioned? Even if you didn't say that, I wouldn't leave tonight. But since you mentioned 'seeing' something, can I understand that you want to... ...study this time?"
She patted the desk lightly with her palms, bit her lower lip and looked at Xia De, her face slightly red and her eyes seemed to be glowing.
Xia De felt that Leicia might have misunderstood what he meant:
"There are real glowing flying things for you to see."
He emphasized.
Leicia showed an ambiguous smile and put her arms around Shade's neck:
"Yes, it really is a glowing object. I'll wait for you then... Remember to come back early."
The cat on the windowsill felt that maybe he could sleep in the bedroom tonight.
While Shad was away, Resia helped him take care of Mia at home and checked Professor Manning's letters, trying to find unusual details. Shad kissed his beloved girl downstairs and then entered the long night of Tobesk in the fog.
The meeting place agreed by the Apna Library and the Guiding Light Hermitage was not in the city, but in the city public cemetery in the east of the city. In recent weeks, the city was shrouded in fog, and the fog still lingered even at night.
When Shad arrived at the cemetery outside the city, the cemetery was shrouded in fog. Just like in a horror story, unspeakable corpses could jump out at any time and attack the unfortunate citizens who visited the cemetery at night.
Xia De was wrapped in a black warm robe, with no hood on, but a mask on his face. The agreed meeting time was nine o'clock in the evening, but he left early because he was worried about being late, so when he arrived at the cemetery, it was fifteen minutes before nine o'clock.
When he saw the cemetery from afar, he was already missing his warm and comfortable home, his soft and lovely cat, and his energetic girl.
Using the lagley jump, he crossed the fence, leaving no traces behind his boots. There was still light in the chapel in the distance, but the lights in the gravekeeper's hut were off. There was a faint smell of burning in the fog, and the people who were buried here sighed silently in the silent fog.
Although this place looks like a scene where a ghost story could take place, there were no blind ghosts to disturb Shad tonight. He waited patiently under a pine tree in the northeast corner of the cemetery.
At nine o'clock in the evening, another ring sorcerer in a black robe came out of the thick fog in the cemetery. He was carrying a black suitcase with a small copper lock on it. After seeing Shade standing under the dead tree, almost blending into the darkness, he did not approach too much, but stopped on the path in the cemetery and asked softly:
"What do curly-haired baboons like to eat?"
This is the code word agreed upon by Old John to prevent the wrong person from being recognized when handing over information.
"Tooth decay."
Shade replied in a deep voice.
"What would happen if I walked barefoot?"
The strange ringmaster asked again. Although he deliberately disguised his voice, Shade could tell that it was a man, and Tobesk spoke with a very good accent. This was not an accent that could be mastered through study and language talent. Only those who spent years in taverns, dealt with the poor, and were influenced by the language since childhood could speak this kind of language.
In the words of outsiders, this is an "old Tobesk man", and using this accent can even show one's identity in other places. It seems that although the Apner Library is small, it still has permanent staff in Tobesk.
"You're going to get a good kick in the ass with the boot of Lady Maria."
Shade said, and then he asked the third question. The riddle agreed upon by Old John and the Apna Library was very interesting:
“Is the corruption and inefficiency of the city hall civil servants the most frustrating thing for the citizens of Tobesk?”
"No."
The strange man shook his head firmly and replied with gritted teeth:
“It’s the house prices that are rising year by year.”
This answer comes from the heart.
Xia De breathed a sigh of relief and took a step forward:
"Yes sir, it's the house price, damn house price. Now, please put the box at your feet and step back five steps."
The stranger put down the suitcase and took five steps back as Shade had instructed. After the stranger stopped, Shade walked over and picked up the suitcase.
The key was inserted in the lock of the box. Shade opened the box and looked at the documents inside. He needed to confirm whether the other party gave him a pile of waste newspapers. Of course, he only symbolically checked the first two pages, and then closed the suitcase:
"Very well, the deal is done, sir. I trust you don't need a receipt?"
He made a small joke, and the other party laughed dryly. They both stared at each other and then slowly stepped back. When they were far enough away, they turned around and left.
"Really? It's so complicated, it's like an underground transaction of an illegal organization."
After making sure that the other party had left, Xia De complained quietly in his heart while walking in the cemetery.
Isn’t it
As Shade walked deeper into the fog, "she" asked with a smile. Shade did not answer, but looked at the suitcase in his hand:
"The question now is, should I take a peek before handing it over to Father John?"