A strange sense of dizziness gave Xia De the urge to blurt out his origins, but it was just an urge. He was familiar with this feeling; back at the dinner party at Lakeview Manor, the captain of Iluna's team had used a similar tactic on him.
“I…”
He took a step back and frowned:
“Madam, for a friendly stranger, your actions are not polite at all.”
The young Golden-haired girl also frowned tightly, as if complaining:
“What terrible luck, I didn't expect to meet a Ring術士 on the street. Sir, I apologize for my behavior, but I bet you peeked at my things.”
“Yes.”
Xia De did not deny it, and sized up her expression:
“Are you a Ring術士 from Zaras School of Spellcraft?”
“Are you going to report me?”
The Golden-haired girl asked, her eyes also sizing up Xia De. Her eyes were very pretty and full of spirit.
“Of course not, what good would reporting you do me?”
Xia De said, then pointed to himself and added, deciding to take a risk:
“Madam, I also didn't expect to meet you. I am a Ring術士 from out of town and know nothing about the local situation. To be precise, I am a student of Saint Byron's.”
“Saint Byron's?”
The young Golden-haired girl frowned and nodded slightly, neither agreeing nor doubting.
“My name is John Watson, and incidentally, last week was the Three Great Academies’ exam week, and I arrived here after the exam week.”
He introduced himself, with the exam week serving to prove his identity.
He extended his right hand to the unfamiliar Golden-haired girl, who hesitated for a moment:
“Nobella Princess.”
The Golden-haired girl wearing ruby earrings also extended her hand to Xia De, their palms met, and the voice beside his ear sounded at the opportune moment:
【PentaCircle.】
“Then, Mr. Watson, what do you intend to do here?”
“I’m just here to find a friend, but unfortunately, he left a step ahead of me. I’ll have to stay here for a while and wait for him to return.”
Xia De knew that Miss Princess probably hadn't let down her guard at all, so he simply introduced himself briefly and then took out the note with the address from his pocket and shook it:
“I really do have an urgent matter to attend to. Since you are a local, you should know about the Mermaid statue. Unfortunately, I encountered one of them and was just about to report it to the Creation Church, so they can quickly remove such a dangerous relic. Miss Princess, do you know of any safe way to convey the message to the Creation Church?”
He could use this matter to observe whether the other party could be trusted.
“Are you referring to that sage-level relic?”
Miss Princess frowned slightly.
“Yes, I saw the academy bounty order in your bag. If you want to give the statue to the Zaras Academy, I can also sell you the information for a cheaper price.”
If he couldn't explain the origin of the statue, selling it to Saint Byron's would have been Xia De's best option.
Miss Princess clearly didn't expect Xia De to say that, and she paused for a moment before shaking her head:
“sage-level relics are too dangerous; even if you sold it to me, I wouldn't be able to store it. However, if you just want to pass the information to the Creation Church, I do have some ways. Come with me. Since you helped me just now, there’s no problem with me helping you.”
Saying that, she motioned for Xia De to leave with her.
After a simple conversation, the two established the simplest form of trust. As they walked down the street looking for a four-wheeled horse-drawn carriage, Xia De looked at her and felt as if he had seen her somewhere before.
But if Xia De had truly seen such a pretty Golden-haired girl with an outstanding temperament as Miss Princess, he would definitely not forget her. When he asked the “other me” in his mind, the woman's voice also believed that Xia De had not seen her.
“This is truly strange.”
But the sense of familiarity did not seem to be an illusion.
Finally, they found a carriage at the intersection of the next street. The Golden-haired girl with the earrings spoke to the coachman, who then took the two to the nearest Creation Church.
The church was located on the most prosperous St. John Avenue in the Wharf Area, and its spire could be seen reaching into the sky above the surrounding buildings from two streets away. Getting out at the bustling church entrance, Miss Princess did not take Xia De into the church but walked east along St. John Avenue, stopping in front of an antique shop not far from the church.
“Wait for me.”
Saying that, she walked into the antique shop, and soon after, a middle-aged man dressed as the shop owner came out with her. This was also a Ring術士, but only a PentaCircle. He warmly shook hands with Xia De, and after confirming the information with Xia De, he locked the shop door and walked into a nearby alley.
“This is a local black market broker, specializing in intelligence. He will pass the message down, and the church should know in about half an hour.”
Miss Princess said, appearing very familiar with the local situation. Seeing Xia De still standing on the cobblestone road, looking out at the church not far away, she asked:
“The thing I promised to help you with is done. If there’s nothing else, I think I should leave.”
Saying that, she made to leave again, though her shoes didn't leave the ground; she didn't lift her foot at all.
“Oh, please wait, Miss Princess.”
Xia De said immediately. The other party was really familiar with Coldwater Port, so regardless of whether she was a Letter-based Ring術士 from Zaras, she should be able to help him.
“I am a foreigner, and since I just arrived here, I naturally want to familiarize myself with the local situation. Miss Princess, I wonder if you have time today.”
“What do you want to do?”
The young Golden-haired girl asked with a smile.
“I want to hire you, hire you to be my guide for a day, to show me around Coldwater Port, and it would be even better if you could take me to a black market where special items or Knowledge can be traded.”
It was already nearly noon. If Xia De really hired her, strictly speaking, it would be for half a day.
Miss Princess seemed to be trying to hold back a laugh, but she still nodded:
“I indeed have no other plans today. Hiring me as a guide is fine, but can you afford the price?”
The pretty Golden-haired girl rubbed her fingers.
“How much?”
To facilitate expenses, Xia De had a lot of cash in his suitcase when he left Tobesk.
“The remuneration can be discussed later. It's already noon, sir, won't you invite me to lunch?”
She spoke in very standard delarion, with a relaxed tone.
Xia De looked up at the sun overhead, calculated the thickness of his wallet, and weighed whether it was worth treating someone to a meal:
“Yes, are there any recommended restaurants nearby?”
The two turned and walked along the street, heading towards the Creation Church with the bustling midday crowd.
Miss Princess was probably of noble birth; Xia De originally thought she would choose a high-end restaurant in the center of Coldwater Port City, but in the end, she only chose a slightly more expensive restaurant in the district where the Creation Church was located.
The well-built Golden-haired girl probably intended to diet, so she only chose some exquisite vegetarian dishes when ordering. After the waiter left and while waiting for the food, Xia De tentatively tried to ask about her true identity in this City, but Miss Princess brushed him off.
She was very familiar with the local situation. Although she consistently avoided discussing the local Ring術士 situation with Xia De, she was very enthusiastic about discussing the latest big news in the City with him.
Besides the sage-level relic 【Mermaid's Dream】 causing the police station to search for Mermaid-shaped statues throughout the City, which led to a sharp drop in the price of similar statues City-wide, the most important news in recent weeks was the visit of the “noble, pretty, kind, and elegant” Princess Leticia Cavendish.
The adjectives were added by Miss Princess.
“Has the Princess not left yet? I remember the newspaper said that Princess Leia would return to Tobesk after only a week's stay here, following her visit to Carson Rick. Is she still here now?”
Xia De was quite surprised by this.
“Yes, she is still here. It is said that she suddenly fell ill and cannot travel long distances, so she is staying in Coldwater Port City for a longer period.”
Miss Princess said with a smile.
“But why haven't I seen this news in the newspaper?”
“This is not good news, the Royal Family pressured newspapers not to publish it. And—”
She lowered her voice:
“You couldn't possibly not know about the big event that happened in Tobesk a week and a half ago. That was an evil god. Ordinary people don't know the truth, but the Royal Family must have learned the truth from the Creation Church. There are rumors among the local Ring術士 that the Princess was frightened by the events in Tobesk, so she feigned illness, not wanting to return, and wants to wait until it's confirmed safe before departing.”
This statement carried a hint of slander. Xia De had heard bits and pieces about Princess Leia from Miss Louisa and knew that the PentaCircle Sorceress was not such a timid person, so the possibility of a sudden serious illness was quite high, rather than being frightened.
“Perhaps I should bring some fruit and visit her on behalf of Miss Louisa… but the Princess doesn't seem to know me at all.”
He thought to himself.
“Speaking of which, Mr. Watson, I haven't asked what your profession is. If I remember correctly, the Three Great Arcane Academies all require Letter-based Ring術士 students to avoid long-term stays away from their permanent City. Since you came to Coldwater Port from out of town, I suppose you must be engaged in a relatively free profession that allows you to travel between the two locations, right?”
Miss Princess seemed to be trying to probe Xia De's identity, and Xia De was already prepared, pulling his thoughts away from the topic of the Princess:
“I am a Writer, and also a Detective assistant, living with a very troublesome Detective.”
Xia De said, while thinking about what lunch Mia would have at Miss Louisa's place:
“My usual work involves organizing Detective records and meeting clients with my cohabitant. Of course, I also have to help that Detective, who is practically useless in daily life, prepare food, and go for walks with it—cough, cough—with him, and occasionally argue over late-night snacks. But undeniably, even though he is troublesome, my cohabitant, the Detective who likes to wear orange pajamas, perfectly meets my needs for a roommate.”
“Having such a roommate is really nice. Is he a Ring術士?”
The young Golden-haired girl dining with Xia De asked.
“Of course not, but he knows I am a Ring術士, and I've even experimented with the power of Miracles and relics on him. However—”
Xia De thought of the cat, which had recently become increasingly intelligent, and couldn't help but smile:
“If he could awaken his talent one day, I think that would be good too.”