Chapter 36: The Return of the Doctor |
“Detective, you’re quite lucky. If I didn’t happen to have this relic on hand, this deal wouldn’t have gone so smoothly. After all, for a weak Ring Warlock, overly mysterious knowledge and overly powerful weapons are equally dangerous... Detective, as for the matter of the Box of Darkness, I won’t hold it against you. A pleasure doing business.”
The lady’s words from inside the room seemed like a polite dismissal.
Shad closed the ring box and took it from the maid’s hands. As the maid walked back toward the door, he didn’t immediately bid farewell but instead composed himself and said in a clear voice:
“Madam, may I have the honor of knowing your identity?”
“You do not yet deserve such an honor.”
The woman’s words were blunt, and Shad seemed to catch the sound of the dark-haired maid suppressing a laugh as she pushed the door.
“I know what concerns you. Now that I know your identity and your appearance, I can naturally discover your address and the identity of your fellow Correspondence Ring Warlocks... But so what? The most important rule for Correspondence Warlocks is to keep their identity hidden from the Church. Do you think I’m a Church member?”
Just as the woman didn’t believe Shad was a devout believer of the True Gods, Shad likewise didn’t think she was particularly religious either.
“You are welcome to tell your fellow Correspondence Warlocks about tonight’s events. They will naturally know the rules of this city. As for our deal, feel free to speak of it. Do you have any other questions?”
“Your presence here tonight…”
“Of course, it wasn’t for you. Running into you was merely a coincidence. I’m here tonight because I heard the club possesses a very rare Rhodes Card.”
“May I ask which series?”
“It’s no longer relevant. It turned out to be a counterfeit.”
“What a stroke of bad luck... Farewell, madam. May you soon lay your hands on the statue of that Old God.”
This remark subtly reminded her to act quickly, lest the Blood of Mercury relocate the statue and leave her unable to find it, potentially leading her to blame Shad.
“Farewell, detective... By the way, I rather admire young people like you. Your response during the relic’s loss of control earlier was impressive. Most one-ring Warlocks wouldn’t have handled it as well as you did.”
“If there’s ever anything you need, you can contact me through this club. But you understand, every gift comes with a price.”
“Yes, madam. Wishing you a lovely evening.”
With the ring box in hand, Shad turned to leave. But as he reached the door, he suddenly looked back at the slightly ajar door.
“Madam, about the Box of Darkness...”
“A rare Third Epoch relic. All relics are accumulations of resentment and hatred from the end of an epoch, so don’t overthink any sounds you hear.
The Fifth Epoch was the Age of Witches, where the wars of the final thirteen Witch Emperors nearly drew the attention of terrifying entities from beyond the material world.
The Fourth Epoch was the Age of Darkness and Chaos, when the land was shrouded in shadow, and bizarre entities roamed the material world.
The Third Epoch was when human and non-human races coexisted, but horrifying and strange humanoid creatures dominated most of the material world, entities born from Whispers. Humans and other normal life forms clustered together in isolated regions for mutual protection.”
She said no more, and Shad expressed his gratitude for the freely shared knowledge with a slight bow before exiting.
Outside, the maid was waiting for Shad. She escorted him from the third floor to the stairwell on the first floor, where he reunited with a crestfallen Young Franklin. The two left the club together.
Returning from the noisy interior to the fog-covered summer streets, Shad found his oppressive mood lightened somewhat. Still engrossed in the events that had just transpired, he replayed the moment his finger emitted light and pondered the details of the transaction.
As a result, the two men didn’t talk much on the way, walking under the gas-lit streetlamps, through the peaceful night, toward the apartment where the Franklin family rented a unit.
When they were nearly at their destination, Young Franklin suddenly dashed into the shadow of an antique shop’s sign, beyond the reach of the gaslight, and bolted. Anticipating this, Shad immediately gave chase. They hadn’t run even half a block before the detective’s boot brought him down.
“What kind of detective did my father hire this time? Are you a sprinter? Planning to join the Tobesk Youth Games? What happened to the last detective?”
Out of breath and pinned by Shad, the young man gave up resisting, his voice raspy as he fired off questions, no longer attempting to break free.
“You tried to run last time too, and didn’t that detective catch you as well? Uncle Sparrow is dead. I’ve taken over his work, though I’m not a trained runner.”
Shad could feel the strength in this body, a mix of his own and that of a Ring Warlock. He wondered how Sparrow had transformed a vagrant into this in just a few months. Pretending to be someone’s nephew wasn’t too bad, though—after all, Shad had genuinely inherited all of Sparrow’s assets.
“Dead? The guy who pointed a gun at my head to make me leave the gambling table? Good riddance.”
Young Franklin sounded surprised, but there was glee in his tone.
“Such a scoundrel deserves it.”
According to Sparrow’s case records, he had twice retrieved Young Franklin from the slums’ underground casinos and clubs, not with a gun but through the power of persuasion. The records depicted Sparrow as a charming and convincing figure.
“Guess his records weren’t all truthful… But he did have a gun. Did he toss it, or hide it where I couldn’t find it?”
“Let me go. If I win big, I’ll pay you more gold pounds.”
Young Franklin continued to struggle.
“I genuinely pity your father.”
“Oh, please, you’re just in this for the money.”
The young gambler sneered, expecting Shad to retort. To his surprise, Shad nodded.
“Of course, gold pounds matter. Why else would I be out here in the foggy night, chasing you, instead of staying home under the gaslight with a lovely cat?”
Despite the unexpected events at the club, submitting the case and receiving payment went smoothly. The Franklin couple didn’t make things difficult for their son, and Shad left after collecting half a pound in payment and two pounds for the gambling debt.
As he departed, he noticed Young Franklin inside the house making rude gestures at him. Shad wasn’t angry, just felt a twinge of pity for Mr. Franklin.
“Every family has its story in every era. I should focus on my own life.”
With hands in his pockets, Shad strolled into the long night, bidding farewell to his first official employer.
By the time he returned home, the night was well advanced. He didn’t take a carriage, saving every penny toward the ten-pound goal he had set for the month. Even though he could pawn some of the relics in his possession, frugality was a habit he needed to develop.
The orange tabby cat, Mimia, hadn’t made a mess in his absence, having used the sand pile Shad prepared on the balcony. The cat’s joyful greeting upon his return warmed Shad’s weary heart.
“If your owner doesn’t come for you, I’ll keep you.”
“Meow~”
Mimia affectionately rubbed against Shad as he set up a temporary bed for her on his desk.
The late hour left no time to research the Vampire Ring relic. Yet, despite staying up so late, Shad woke at six the next morning without a hint of exhaustion.
The delivery of goat’s milk, cow’s milk, and the morning paper marked the start of his first breakfast with Mimia, as he planned his Tuesday schedule. Tomorrow he had an appointment with Dr. Schneider, but he decided to drop by the clinic today regarding a note he had left.
Completing two cases in a single day had bolstered his confidence in running the agency. However, he opted not to tackle Sparrow’s unfinished cases just yet. After visiting the doctor, he planned to thoroughly inspect the house, search for Sparrow’s gun, and delve further into the doctor’s notes and old cases.
Leaving Mimia at home, Shad carried the Vampire Ring with him through the misty city streets. His morning walk from the center of Tobesk to the clinic in the east took several hours. The distinctive charm of the steam era and the European-style architecture captivated him.
Arriving at the clinic on Lunchen Avenue, he saw a four-wheeled carriage parked outside and a gentleman in a black top hat alighting. Shad worried the doctor might still be out, but his long journey proved fruitful. The blue-eyed doctor had returned, though he seemed rather troubled during their meeting.
Shad recalled Miss Louisa mentioning that the doctor often had bad luck, and today was no exception:
“This is why I hate dealing with nobles. If you manage to treat them, they trivialize their psychological issues. If you fail, they blame your competence. This case of bulimia is problematic. The lady has clearly concealed something she doesn’t wish to admit. People always distrust doctors… Shad, when you get a case involving nobles, you’ll understand what I mean… Please, have a seat. I saw your note. What’s the matter?”