After seeing Miss Annette off, Xia De spent the morning studying the Origin · Silver Moon, and then had to admit that this card might really have no mysterious power.
He even tried holding the card out to the cat, but the orange cat only sniffed it before disdainfully walking away.
He went out for lunch at noon, then spent the rest of the time reading and continuing to translate Miss Louisa's book.
His progress was not bad; he should be able to finish translating all the content before the group meeting tomorrow afternoon.
This way, he wouldn't have to worry about delaying Miss Louisa's matters.
While flipping through his textbooks, Xia De suddenly realized that he might genuinely be able to pass some subjects during the exam week at the end of this month.
Although he wasn't a person with photographic memory, the Outsider was skilled in exam techniques and even more proficient in completing in a few short weeks what others would take half a year to finish.
More importantly, the study of these theoretical courses, whether it was alien plant classification, introductory alchemy, or even stargazing and divination, were all topics that Xia De found very interesting.
With interest, effort, and some skill, Xia De was full of confidence in passing several exams by the end of the month.
Of course, his most proficient subjects should actually be 'Introduction to Ancient Languages (fifth epoch 0 ~ 2000)', 'Introduction to Ancient Languages (fifth epoch 2000 ~ 4000)', and 'Introduction to Ancient Languages (fifth epoch 4000 ~ 5793)'.
These three courses introduced most of the important languages of the fifth epoch, involving over thirty different language types.
The courses only required a simple introduction; mastery was for higher grades.
But Xia De flipped through the books a few times and confirmed that these languages were no problem for him at all.
He understood them completely; although he couldn't speak or write them, the first-year exams didn't include speaking or writing, only simple language classification and translating some basic sentences.
"So, apart from picking up the goods tonight and the match this weekend, there doesn't seem to be anything major happening recently."
Xia De thought to himself as he occasionally looked out the window to rest his eyes.
The newspaper advertisement was only arranged yesterday, so naturally, no clients came today.
Thus, the entire day was spent reading.
With a large income, he still went out to eat dinner with the cat.
He didn't leave until it was almost time for Miss Jialinna's pickup task.
The transaction time was midnight, which was probably a customary practice, like undercover agents always talking on rooftops; otherwise, ten o'clock at night would also be acceptable.
After all, there wasn't much decent nightlife in this era for people to wander the streets late at night.
The transaction location was on Disk Bridge, which crosses the Terraril River, only a thirty-minute walk from Saint Delan Square.
Xia De specifically put on a mask and a robe he found in the closet, leaving home at eleven o'clock.
With the arrival of the thunder moon in July, even the City at deep night didn't feel cold.
When he arrived near the bridge, it was only eleven twenty.
Xia De stood against the wall of the street corner just before the bridge entrance for a while, looking around, and found that only a few taverns were open.
But he didn't enter a tavern in such suspicious attire; instead, he took a wide detour, bent down along the riverbank, and entered the area beneath the tower bridge.
This was home to the homeless, and at such a late hour, they were all asleep on their straw mats and newspapers.
Some did notice the arrival of the strangely dressed fellow, but no one paid Xia De any mind.
Huddled in a dark corner, Xia De held his pocket watch, hidden among the malodorous men.
He didn't suddenly stand up and start to leave until eleven fifty, but after a moment's thought, he pulled out a small copper penny from his pocket and tossed it in front of a man.
After receiving a whispered thank you, he then walked from the stone steps of the riverbank towards the bridge entrance.
It was exactly twelve o'clock when he stepped onto the bridge, and from afar, in the dense fog of the deep night, he saw a carriage stopped on the left side of the center of the tower bridge.
Three old-fashioned kerosene lamps hung from the rear of the carriage; this was the agreed-upon signal.
Visibility in the dense fog was affected, and the three kerosene lamps looked somewhat like the eyes of a giant beast crouching on the bridge deck.
The masked Detective took a deep breath, then choked on the air and coughed.
He patted his chest before walking over.
From a distance, the four-wheeled carriage appeared to have no one inside.
But as he got closer, he saw the coachman standing beside the carriage, between the edge of the tower bridge and the carriage.
The man's attire was very similar to that of the coachman who pulled the trigger of the gun of kindness yesterday, just a bit taller.
His skin was dark, as if from sun exposure, but Tobesk City had been frequently shrouded in fog in recent weeks, so there shouldn't have been such strong sunlight.
The man saw the strangely dressed stranger approaching but only watched without speaking, his sharp eyes scanning Xia De up and down.
When Xia De got closer, he coughed and asked:
"Did you bring what The Lady wanted?"
The man hesitated, nodded, then flicked the cigarette butt in his hand towards the bridge below, the speck of light spiraling and disappearing into the dense fog:
"I brought it, but you need to prove your identity."
"No problem."
Xia De recalled the content on the paper with the transaction information; this time, the code phrase was much more normal than Old John's:
"The Lady said, the blue irises by Lake Cesia are Queen Diana's favorite."
The two were less than five steps apart, and Xia De clearly saw the expression on the other man's face relax slightly.
The coachman-dressed man nodded:
"Then there's no problem."
He bent down and entered the carriage, emerging in only a dozen seconds, handing Xia De an object wrapped in newspaper, about the size of two palms.
The object was very light.
Xia De unwrapped the folded newspaper, dated yesterday's Three Penny Newspaper; the outward-facing page of the newspaper was a follow-up report on a child abduction case.
Wrapped inside was a dark red lacquered wooden box, with a vibrant red spider lily specimen placed on the lid; this was likely the containment method.
Xia De clicked open the silver clasp, but no matter what, he couldn't lift the lid of the box, a characteristic that matched the description of "only women can use it."
"Is this it?"
But he still asked uneasily, to prevent the box from simply being glued shut.
The whispering voice then reminded him:
【You have touched the 'whisper'.】
When a Ring術士 touches a relic with familiar characteristics, they can receive direct prompts.
Miss Jialinna had mentioned the characteristics of this cosmetic box, so even if Xia De didn't have such a special soul and "another self," he would still know whether what he received was genuine.