Chapter 57: Immense Wealth

"The origin of this card is a bit inconvenient to reveal."

Hade said cautiously, and Mr. Mark wore an apologetic expression. The middle-aged man was adept at using a smile to dispel awkwardness:

"It doesn't matter. After all, this is your secret as well."

Of course, this was not Hade's secret. Although he had many secrets, this was not among them. It was simply that Hade had no idea where Detective Sparrow Hamilton had managed to acquire this card.

He only roughly understood why, in the last ten minutes before the detective's death, he had specifically urged Hade to take good care of this card. Detective Sparrow was a true enthusiast of *Rodd*.

"A private detective who loves *Rodd* and novels, possesses a refined taste in black tea, keeps secrets, and excels at investigating extramarital affairs... What kind of person was Sparrow Hamilton, really?"

Hade thought to himself.

It took a full two hours for the three appraisers to arrive at a preliminary conclusion:

"This [Genesis·Silver Moon] 'Sun 3' is authentic with high probability."

The three elderly men looked as though they had just run a long-distance race and were thoroughly exhausted, yet they were extremely confident in their conclusion.

Consequently, the Tobesk City Association was willing to issue Hade an appraisal certificate to prove that the card in his possession was genuine. In official, organized *Rodd* tournaments, such as the "Metropolitan Player" scheduled for this autumn, every special *Rodd* card required an official certificate issued by the Association to participate, thereby ensuring fairness in the competition.

However, the appraisal did not end there, and Mr. Mark informed Hade with a deep sense of apology. Although the Tobesk City branch believed the card was a genuine piece of the Genesis series Silver Moon that had been lost for a century, according to Association regulations, the appraisal of special card series issued a century ago also required the headquarters of the [Prophets' Association] to dispatch professional appraisers from Carsonick in the south for further verification.

In other words, Hade could hold the appraisal certificate for now, but he would have to return here in about a week for another appraisal to definitively confirm that the card was authentic.

"That is certainly not a problem."

Hade accepted this arrangement. Having already retrieved his playing card, he felt filled with excitement, and his lingering resentment toward Sparrow Hamilton for not leaving behind a wallet had completely vanished.

"Of course, Mr. Hamilton, we must remind you that the value of this card is... immeasurable. Unless absolutely necessary, you had best not use it in unofficial *Rodd* matches, because... well, you understand."

Mr. Mark offered a well-intentioned reminder, and Hade nodded:

"Actually, I have no intention of participating in any *Rodd* tournaments whatsoever."

He had always abhorred gambling; he did not gamble in his hometown, nor would he gamble upon coming to this dangerous and eerie Age of Steam.

Even though the card in his hand could be considered an official cheating device for *Rodd*, he had no intention of using it to gamble for money:

"I wonder if the Association would be willing to purchase it? I mean, after the appraisal a week from now."

He waved the card in his hand slightly toward Mr. Mark, whose gaze involuntarily followed the card's movement. Because of his Ring-Warlock studies, Hade was urgently in need of gold pounds right now. He knew how valuable the item in his hand was, but he had no intention of holding onto it long-term.

Perhaps owning a special set of *Rodd* cards, defeating opponents in various matches, and wandering around this mysterious Age of Steam to collect *Rodd* decks would be interesting, but Hade preferred mystical power.

"You wish to sell it? Sell a Genesis series card?"

Mr. Mark looked as though he had heard something unimaginable. He leaned forward slightly and explained:

"Apologies, but in the past, collectors who possessed Genesis series cards were such fanatics that they wouldn't let go of them even in death... Very well, I understand. But I am sorry, the Association never purchases *Rodd* cards."

"Why?"

The Vice President explained with a look of regret:

"To put it in the terminology of gamblers, the Association is the house and cannot easily interfere in the circulation of *Rodd* cards. Otherwise, even if it bankrupted me, I would gladly purchase it under my own personal name."

"Then would the Association be willing to act as a broker and introduce a buyer to me?"

Hade asked again. In fact, the museum mentioned by Detective Sparrow before his death was probably another channel for selling it. But compared to an unknown museum, Hade trusted an official organization like this much more.

"Of course. That is also one of the Association's services. But you must understand that with a card like this, it is impossible to easily find a buyer who can afford it. Of course, all of this can be discussed after the appraisal a week from now. You can think of a target price during this week—by the way, this is the Association's fee schedule for introducing buyers... You are probably not a member of the Association yet, but it doesn't matter, you are one now, and you won't need to pay dues for ten years."

Mr. Mark took a silver badge from his pocket and handed it to Hade. This was the emblem of a Prophets' Association member. However, the badge did not feature the Ouroboros symbol, but rather the pattern of a playing card. The Ouroboros emblem was restricted to internal members of the Association.

The middle-aged man took out his small notebook again, hastily jotted down a number, tore off the page with a crisp sound, and handed it to Hade:

"If it is this Genesis·Silver Moon, this is the fee schedule enjoyed by Association members. Of course, we only charge after the transaction is completed, so you can rest assured of that."

Hade looked at the frighteningly ornate number written in pencil and unconsciously drew in a breath. He calculated how many Mia the orange cat that was worth, only to find that the unit of measurement was far too small, and then recalculated how many first-year Ring-Warlock semesters just this brokerage commission would fund...

The woman in his heart began to laugh.

"Tch, tch, how can you think of such inauspicious things?"

So he nodded gently:

"I understand. This commission is very reasonable."

"Then we shall see you in a week, Mr. Hamilton. Please be sure to exercise caution and do not use this card lightly... You probably understand my meaning."

Vice President Mark reminded him once more.

"Yes, thank you, I certainly understand."

With a heart full of satisfaction, Hade tucked the appraisal certificate and the playing card into his diary, and was escorted by Mr. Mark to the staircase on the third floor of the Association.

Since coming to this world, almost everything had gone against his wishes, and even the residence he had finally managed to acquire potentially harbored danger. Yet this *Rodd* card felt like a ray of light piercing through the fog, allowing Hade to see the hope of a good life.

With this sense of relief, he returned to the first floor of the Association. Having nothing else to do, he intended to leave directly and planned to take Mia to a nice restaurant for a good meal at noon.

However, in the first-floor lobby, he ran into Mr. Lavender, the man he had been playing cards with earlier. As if waiting for Hade, the man greeted him warmly the moment he saw Hade descending the stairs:

"Oh, Detective Hamilton, do you mind if I take a moment of your time? I have a commission I would like to hand over to you."

The middle-aged gentleman said, carrying his gold-inlaid cane and looking at Hade with eager anticipation. Hade instinctively tightened his grip on his notebook and thought for a moment:

"Of course. The detective agency is always open. Shall we go to my place to discuss it?"

Number 6 St. Derian Square was not far from here. Even if the playing card in his hand was valuable, he could not afford to go without other sources of income.

"Oh, I don't think that's necessary. This way, please. I have already rented a reception room on the second floor of the Association, and we can talk there."

Mr. Lavender led the way, and Hade followed him back toward the stairs. Because the items he carried were far too valuable, he could not help but ask in his mind:

"Is there something wrong with this person? Are there any traces of elements nearby? Does he possess any relics?"

[Get closer... He is an ordinary person. Sometimes you are truly far too cautious.]

"Aha! How do you know the other person is an ordinary person?"

Hade asked immediately, and the whispering voice replied in his ear:

[Your soul is sensitive; I have already told you this.]

"Being cautious is never a bad thing. After all, as you know, I am an outlander, and having been here for less than a week (Note), I have already encountered more than enough bizarre things."

He replied inwardly, but received only the laughter of the woman.