Chapter Sixty-Five: Lake View Manor

"The only property of this [Relic] is that when touched by any finger of the right hand, it allows the person touching it to see a silver moon. Depending on the moon phase, the form of the silver moon seen varies. This property actually has some utility; if one falls into an illusion and touches it, there is a chance to walk out of the illusion, after all, the symbolic meaning of the silver moon itself... 14 pounds, take it away for 14 pounds."

Knowing that the utility of this [Relic] was limited, Old John's asking price was not particularly high.

"What about its negative effects? And the containment method."

Asked Hader, already intending to make the purchase.

"Do not touch it continuously for long periods, otherwise you will have dreams at night, strange dreams related to the silver moon, and eventually descend into eternal madness. The containment method is very simple: submerge it in colorless liquid for more than three seconds before midnight every day. If you fail to do so, it may directly interfere with the holder's dreams."

The negative effects were not terribly severe, but Hader did not immediately express his intent to buy. Instead, he put on a thoughtful expression and, after a long moment, asked:

"Can you make it a bit cheaper?"

"This is already the discounted price, for the sake of that cane."

The old man shrugged:

"I generally do not offer discounts."

"5 pounds."

"Out of the question. Do you always bargain like this?"

"5 pounds and 1 penny? Selling that cane taught me a lesson."

"...Remember never to bargain with anyone like this again; not everyone is as good-tempered as I am. 13 pounds and 10 shillings."

Old John said, shaking his head.

"6 pounds."

Hader held up the number six with both hands.

"12 pounds and 17 shillings. That is the absolute lowest price. Detective, there is no lower price. I can throw in a piece of information as a bonus, how about that?"

The elderly shopkeeper said, seemingly unwilling to lower the price any further.

Therefore, Hader thought for a moment and put on a reluctantly consenting expression:

"Very well, it's a deal. But you must tell me what the information is first; I certainly don't want to hear about the upcoming rise in vegetable prices."

"Young people are always like this."

The shopkeeper behind the counter shook his head:

"I managed to get some news. Do you know about [Mercury Blood]?"

"Of course I do. News about them is practically everywhere now."

The academy had already issued bounties to correspondence ring-術士 [Ring-術士 -> Ring-術士 / Ring-wizards/sorcerers -> Ring-warlocks], meaning there was no longer any need to cover up the presence of [Mercury Blood] in Tobesk.

"[Mercury Blood] and a group of cultists have been up to something lately. That's not the main point. My news is that [Mercury Blood] is in possession of a rather remarkable Relic. You know, since I am in the business of recovering Relics and dangerous items, I am quite sensitive to this kind of intelligence."

However, to gather materials for synthesizing the angelic-level (Grade 1) Relic [Mercury Blood], that illegal organization held a great many fine [Relics].

"What specifically does it refer to?"

Hader asked, while the old man vaguely replied:

"If my intelligence network were that good, do you think I'd still be running a pawnshop? I would have gone into trading intelligence on the black market long ago. It is a Keeper-level (Grade 3) Relic, but it is actually a part of an angelic-level Relic (Grade 1) whose properties diminished after being broken apart... Believed to be related to fate, it can be very convenient for finding lost items."

"Fate?"

Hader raised an eyebrow. For some reason, he recalled that letter from Peter the dwarf, which mentioned that the [Blood Spirit School] had sent a Keeper-level (Grade 3) Relic across the Old Continent to [Mercury Blood]. Although the Silver-Eyed Man was displeased with the other party's failure to dispatch people promptly, anyone could deduce that the Keeper-level Relic must be extraordinary.

"But what could it be? Convenient for finding items, and related to fate."

He could not figure it out, and seeing that Old John had no further information, he paid the money for the Relic.

The [Moonlight Orb] was already the fourth Relic in Hader's possession, but much like the [Dice of Twenty Faces of Fate] and the pages of [Poet Cohen's Manuscript], it did not enhance Hader's combat prowess or survival capabilities, serving only as an auxiliary tool.

He did not know whether other ring-warlocks possessed numerous Relics, but he resolved in his heart to purchase a powerful [Relic] for self-defense once he became wealthy.

With this pleasant aspiration in mind, Hader boarded the carriage bound for Lakeview Manor. The manor was located outside the city of Tobesk, to the south, and was named for its proximity to Lake Schlugh.

This was one of the properties of Count Crown, who held a high position in the Royal Army and belonged to the wealthy and powerful high nobility. Tonight's banquet was hosted by the Count's second son, young Crown, as a summer evening diversion.

A paved dirt road led directly from the city of Tobesk to the manor, and the carriage carrying Hader arrived at its destination just as the evening sunset appeared on the horizon. Leaving the urban area behind, the scorching smell in the air vanished. The air outside the city was quite pleasant, and the young detective, fatigued from sitting in the carriage for too long, was invigorated by the fresh air.

Dressed in his finest black formal suit, wearing his hat and holding his cane, he stepped onto the flagstone path at the manor's entrance and entered the courtyard alongside the guests arriving in succession.

The night was just beginning, and there were not yet very many guests. People were scattered throughout the courtyard, the maze garden, the mansion, and various corners of the estate, conversing with acquaintances.

The arrival of summer had also changed attire, but in this relatively conservative era, catching certain sights was still out of the question. Of course, had Hader ways of attending certain salons and parties, he would surely have been astonished by the activities of the nobility.

The young detective did not know a single person here, though he had arranged a meeting place with Baron Lavender: the stone table under the grape arbor east of the fountain at the back of the manor, which was where the baron and his friends played Roed cards.

However, the time had not yet arrived, so he could only wander the manor alone. Having known in advance that the banquet would include dinner, Hader had not eaten much at noon, spending most of his time feeding the cat.

Now, seeing that long tables had been set up in the courtyard stretching from the manor house to the front gate, covered with pristine white tablecloths, where shining metal tableware and candelabras illuminated the surroundings and the delicious food upon them, Hader felt his stomach emit a craving, even though he hadn't been particularly hungry before.

He was also a man who cared about propriety, so he refrained from grabbing food without regard for his image. Taking only a little at a time, but visiting different sections of the long table multiple times—that was Hader's strategy.

Naturally, while eating, he did not forget to distribute his business cards to drum up custom. This required skill; Hader would usually slip silently close to people while they were chatting and wait for an opportune moment to interject a few remarks.

When the right moment arose, he would introduce himself and hand over his business card. Because the address on the card was St. Derian Square in the city center, those who received it mistakenly believed Hader to be a highly capable detective, and no one would refuse such a card.

This only strengthened Hader's conviction that, barring absolute necessity, he must never move out of his current apartment.

Though he knew few acquaintances in this world, Hader spotted a familiar figure after the last vestiges of sunset vanished and night had completely fallen. It was a black-haired maid, but her attire was noticeably different from that of the maids responsible for catering and reception within the manor.