Xia De met Baron Lavende in the Hamilton Detective's study.
Xia De handed the rhode cards to the Baron, and the middle-aged man with a pretty mustache took the cards with a tremble.
“You are finally back in my hands.”
The Baron was probably one of those hardcore rhode cards enthusiasts.
However, due to the request of the other party in the Lakeview Manor gamble, Baron Rwanda, and for the sake of appearances, Baron Lavende could not hold this card yet.
So, after sounding out Xia De's intentions and confirming that the “upright and kind” Detective had no intention of possessing the card, he signed a Detective commission agreement with Xia De.
The agreement period was half a year, during which Detective Xia De Hamilton would be responsible for keeping the 【Ancient Fairy Tale: The Little Match Girl】 and could use it freely as long as it was not lent out, rented, damaged, or lost.
During the agreement period, once Baron Lavende made a request, the Detective must temporarily hand over the card for him to use and promised to sell the card to Baron Lavende for 5 pounds after half a year.
The commission fee for this agreement was 5 pounds, which meant that Xia De would receive a generous remuneration of 10 pounds from this matter.
Although the true price of the card exceeded 50 pounds, winning the gamble at Lakeview Manor was Xia De's promise, so the ownership of this card should have belonged to Sir Lavende.
Therefore, it would be sold at an extremely cheap price after half a year, rather than its true price.
Baron Lavende explained this point many times, fearing that Xia De would go back on his word.
In short, when the Baron paid the commission fee in full and happily went downstairs with Xia De to shake hands and leave, Xia De stood at the open doorway, contemplating the flock of pigeons on Saint Delan Square:
“So, not only did I get the temporary right to use the rhode cards, but I also got a 10-pound income… Am I scamming Baron Lavende… But this was his request; I didn't do anything.
It seems having a few noble friends is truly good, and rhode cards are indeed a good way to make friends… I should go back and do the accounts.”
He bent down and picked up the orange cat that was poking its head out the door, both afraid and curious about the world outside the house.
As he stood up, he happened to see the middle-aged officer, Captain Lades, walking along the Ring Square Main Street with his head bowed, passing by Baron Lavende's carriage.
He was wrapped in a black overcoat, a wide brown leather belt cinched the hem of the overcoat, and the second button from the top on his overcoat dangled on a thread at his chest.
“Hello, Detective, were you waiting for me specifically?”
Even though it was morning, he still looked like he hadn't fully woken up.
The Captain seemed to be in a bad situation; the expression on his face was completely opposite to that of Baron Lavende, who had arrived here in high spirits.
But at least his beard and hair were well-groomed, and his clothes were still neat, which indicated that this middle-aged officer, who had suffered a loss of reputation due to the relic 【gun of kindness】, had not yet lost faith in life.
“...Yes, Captain, please come in.”
The Captain came here simply to apologize and had no intention of asking for the antique pistol.
He felt extremely sorry for what happened at Lakeview Manor and insisted on compensating Xia De for the black formal suit.
However, this dejected middle-aged man looked even poorer than Xia De and was in poor spirits, so Xia De, who had benefited from the gun of kindness, did not demand compensation.
Instead, he kindly gave him Schneider Psychological Clinic's business card and introduced him to Priest Augustus of Dawn Church:
“These two are friends I met during commissions; perhaps you can talk to them.”
Xia De said kindly and suddenly realized how well the professions of Psychologist and Priest complemented that of a Detective.
At the same time, he was also very curious about how Captain Lades acquired the relic 【gun of kindness】 and wanted to see if there was any secret behind it.
But the Captain told Xia De with great embarrassment that he had won it by playing rhode cards with a drunkard in a tavern on the Windy Path front line in the south a few years ago when he was drunk.
Because he didn't want others to know that he gambled, he told his friends that it was an antique he had bought.
But after the undignified incident at Lakeview Manor, the Captain no longer wanted to possess that pistol:
“To be honest, after it left me, I even slept more soundly, as if a heavy burden had suddenly been lifted.
Detective, leave this gun with you; you can do whatever you want with it.”
The middle-aged man said this, but Xia De knew that this was how ordinary people felt after being influenced by the power of a 【relic】 for a long time.
He comforted the Captain a few times and encouraged him to live well.
Captain Lades probably hadn't heard such words in a long time; his good impression of Xia De doubled, and he thought of something else:
“However, what I won from that down-and-out fellow back then was not just that revolver; I remember there was also a small ornament.”
Xia De raised an eyebrow, pondering the possibility that the ornament was also a relic:
“What kind of ornament is it? Can I see it? This gun is very good; I think that ornament might also be something valuable, and I'm willing to buy it.”
The 5 pounds he just got from Baron Lavende seemed to have found a use.
The Captain thought for a moment, ran his broad palm through his hair, and his tone was uncertain:
“You know, I just returned to this City from Carson Rick as a released prisoner, and when I was looking for a rental apartment, I lost a lot of my old belongings.
I didn't care much about that thing before, after all, only girls… cough, cough, after all, only girls like to wear small ornaments.
It might still be in my rental apartment now, but I'll have to look for it.”
“No problem, do you mind if I come along? I have nothing to do this morning.”
Xia De asked, and the Captain readily agreed.
Captain Lades had just returned from Carson Rick as a prisoner, and his recent circumstances were not good.
Even with help from old friends, his current financial situation was not good.
He was currently renting in Pig Tail Lane in the north of the City, which, although not a slum, could be considered the Lower City of Tobesk.
It was far from Saint Delan Square in the City center, but neither Xia De nor the Captain mentioned taking a carriage.
The two men, who had nothing to do, walked together through Tobesk City.
They actually had many common topics to talk about, as the Captain was a straightforward person.
Xia De only needed to mention something about the southern front, and he would get a lot of military information from the Captain.
Captain Lades was truly a brave and loyal officer; if it weren't for that gun of kindness, he might have successfully shot himself… So, from this perspective, that gun should actually be considered to have saved the Captain.
