Chapter 20: Founding Silver Moon |
The doctor handed Xia De a document detailing the formal tuition fees of a prestigious institution. It was a printed document with an official look, adorned with a sun emblem in the upper right corner and three interlocking gears in the lower left as decorations. Even an ordinary person wouldn’t find anything unusual about it.
For the knowledge provided, the cost of correspondence courses for first-year Ring Warlocks seemed incredibly affordable—only 50 pounds. By Xia De's understanding of this world, even middle-class families often paid between 100 to 150 pounds annually for their sons to attend a decent boarding school.
However, Xia De still looked troubled. Fifty pounds was far beyond his reach, let alone five pounds in cash. Fortunately, the detective’s residence held many relics from his predecessor, and selling them all might just cover the fee. Moreover, Xia De had a few commissions nearing completion, so he did have options.
“Does the payment have to be made immediately?” he asked, this being the most pressing issue.
“The academy requires payment in gold pounds, though other currencies are acceptable at an equivalent exchange rate,” the doctor explained. “Of course, if you can’t afford it now, the academy offers loan programs, but the interest might be disadvantageous for you.”
Miss Luisa, seated with her hands on her lap, kindly added, “I think the group could lend you the money. We do have the funds. After all, apart from someone like the well-off doctor, no one can afford such a large sum at once.”
The blue-eyed doctor rubbed his nose, looking a bit embarrassed.
“That’s how I managed when I started,” he said modestly. “It’s common, but you must consider whether you can handle the loan.”
The golden-haired lady chimed in with a gentle reminder, “The loan for this tuition won’t accrue interest, but starting from the borrowing date, you’ll need to repay 10 pounds in the first month, then 20 pounds per month for the next two months.”
Aware of Xia De’s recent recovery from "blind foolishness," the doctor was deeply familiar with his circumstances. Relieved, Xia De exhaled audibly, feeling fortunate. He didn’t forget to express his gratitude sincerely.
“I’ll repay the loan as soon as possible. Thank you, Dr. Schneider, and Miss Luisa. I truly appreciate your kindness.”
At that moment, he remembered something. Feeling more trusting of the doctor and the author because of this interest-free loan, he took out his notebook. Carefully peeling back the leather cover, he retrieved a card from the crevice.
The card featured a woman sitting sideways, holding a silver moon. It was the most valuable relic left by the previous detective: a "Sun 3" Rhodes Card. Given how easily his apartment door lock could be broken with an axe, Xia De always carried it with him.
“Is this worth anything?” he asked.
“A special series Rhodes Card?” Before Xia De even handed it over, Miss Luisa recognized it at a glance. She shook her head, suggesting Xia De show it to the doctor. “I don’t play cards often, so I wouldn’t know its value. Let the doctor take a look.”
The doctor, curious, accepted the card and examined it under the warm yellow light of the gas lamp on the wall. Without revealing Xia De’s identity or background to Miss Luisa, he shared some common knowledge.
“While I’m not a collector, I know some nobles and enthusiasts are obsessed with special Rhodes Cards. Their zeal for unique designs often surpasses men’s desire for beautiful women—I can’t fathom such behavior. Last year, the Byford Auction House near your St. Derain Square... Wait, is this a Founders’ Silver Moon?”
The doctor suddenly seemed astonished.
“What?” Xia De didn’t understand, though the golden-haired lady showed interest, leaning closer to see the card.
The doctor placed the card on the coffee table between them and began explaining to the two who were unfamiliar with Rhodes Cards. “Look, at the top-center of this card’s front side, there’s a vertical line. That marks it as part of the Founders’ Series. These cards were issued 300 years ago, with only 13 made, each bearing a unique design and a special rule. The ‘Silver Moon’ is one of them, known as Founders’ Silver Moon. In the Rhodes Card system, every Founders’ card holds extraordinary power...”
“I don’t play cards, but I can tell the rules on this one are indeed extraordinary,” Miss Dorothy Luisa remarked, having read the effect in advance. The doctor, too, lowered his head to scrutinize the card’s rule. Even though he wasn’t a gambler or an avid Rhodes Card enthusiast, he understood that a card capable of adjusting numbers between “1” and “5” in a game like blackjack would be terrifyingly powerful.
“Is this genuine? It must be valuable,” the golden-haired lady asked, while Xia De, hopeful, awaited the doctor’s verdict. However, the doctor shook his head decisively.
“Absolutely not. It’s impossible for this to be authentic. Founders’ Series Cards are worth as much as an entire street around St. Derain Square, or even more—much more. There’s no way such a card would appear so easily. They were issued 300 years ago and are either damaged or locked away in the tombs or collections of great noble families.”
Understanding Xia De’s background, the doctor made this judgment.
“If it’s not authentic, is it still valuable?” Xia De asked. He agreed with the doctor’s assessment; after all, it was a 300-year-old antique.
“Not worth a penny. People only value authentic cards. Especially with special series Rhodes Cards, using a counterfeit would result in universal rejection from enthusiasts. So fake cards have no value... though this forgery is quite impressive.”
The doctor regretfully returned the card to Xia De. “I’ll lend you the money for now... But maybe you should get this Founders’ Silver Moon card authenticated. It wouldn’t hurt to try.”
“Where can I do that?” Xia De was intrigued.
“I know the answer to that—the Prophets’ Association,” Miss Luisa chimed in. The doctor nodded, adding more detail for Xia De’s benefit.
“The Prophets’ Association is the organization responsible for all Rhodes Card issuance. They also provide authentication services for special cards. The fee is 5 pennies, quite affordable. If it’s genuine, they’ll issue a certificate of authenticity. For official Rhodes tournaments, mixing special cards into a deck requires this certificate.”
Rhodes Cards were evidently more popular in this world than Xia De had imagined. While not overly surprising, it was a notable trend, given the relatively liberated productivity of the Steam Era.
The doctor continued, “The Prophets’ Association is also a Ring Warlocks’ organization, though not a formal one. They collaborate with both the academies and the churches and are recognized by us. Even our group has some connections with them. Originally focused on divination, they began producing special Rhodes Cards around the 15th century of the Sixth Epoch to promote their services. Over time, cards became their main business.”
He shrugged, his expression ambiguous. “They’ve made a fortune hosting various Rhodes Card tournaments. Printing cards is like printing gold pounds... Ahem, not that I envy the trade. Of course, the Prophets’ Association still offers divination services, along with publishing books and newspapers. For instance, the well-known Three-Penny Post is one of their publications.”
The paper’s name was certainly concise.
“In a big city like Tobesk, the Prophets’ Association has many branches. There’s one near St. Derain Square, and it’s quite reputable. Living in the city center has its perks. Even if the chance of your card being an actual Founders’ Series is slim, you wouldn’t have to worry about leaks—it’s a very professional organization.”
The doctor joked, “If it turns out to be authentic, let us know. It might inspire a great novel.”
Miss Luisa joined in on the joke, her attitude towards Xia De warm and welcoming. She seemed eager to have the group reach its full strength of five members.
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