“Yes, speaking of which, last time I went to the Zaras Academy Library to see Miss Daniste, the Red Moon Witch, I didn't feel it was particularly cold in the Academy.”
Xia De agreed.
However, thinking of this, he reminded himself that when he saw Leia next week, he could ask her about the location of the Zaras Academy. The Princess was a formal student who directly attended the Academy in her younger years. And the location of the Zaras Academy, he imagined, would be as unexpected as the other two Miracle Academies.
“Oh, speaking of which, Xia De, there's one more thing.”
The Doctor slapped his head, then calmly said,
“Today you sold those books...”
“Doctor, please don’t mention that again.”
Xia De shook his head quickly:
“If I were to explain that matter from the beginning, such as their origin, why I was wandering around with them, and why I sold them, it would be very complicated. Please don't misunderstand, I don't have any special hobbies.”
“Alright then.”
The Doctor nodded, but Xia De wasn't sure if the Doctor was convinced by his explanation.
It was almost four in the afternoon when he returned home, and Iluna's three commissions were all unrelated to relics. Although this Friday hadn't ended yet, Xia De didn't want to look for new cases.
After all, he really wasn't The Chosen, and didn't have the luck to encounter relics just by stepping out.
He finished writing today's investigation report at home, then wrote a letter to Professor Manning. Taking the opportunity to go out for dinner with the very well-behaved cat, he mailed the report to Iluna and the letter to the Professor.
According to Luvia's divination, the Professor should be able to find someone from the Guiding Light Hermitage very soon.
Although today was very busy, it was indeed a very peaceful day.
Thus, Saturday arrived. When Xia De went out to get the newspaper and milk/goat milk in the morning, he actually saw several letters addressed to him.
This was something new, as he didn't have many acquaintances.
The first two were bills, from the steam company and the gas company, followed by a tax receipt from the Tobesk City Hall. Flipping further, a letter actually came from a small Town by Tis Lake in the southeastern part of the Kingdom.
Xia De initially thought it was a letter from a former client to Sparrow Detective, but then he remembered that it was the address of Mia Gaode, the true owner of the orange cat Mia.
“Mia, look, your owner sent a letter.”
Xia De walked up the stairs while tearing open the envelope, with the small cat following behind his slippers. Hearing the sound, it looked up, and seeing Xia De shaking something, it supported itself on its hind paws and leaped up. But seeing that Xia De had no intention of giving it to him, it dismissively ignored Xia De and instead quickly scurried up the stairs, presumably waiting for him by the dining table.
Although Mia had always been with Xia De, Miss Gaode was the true owner of the orange cat Mia, who was unable to take the cat away because she was dealing with matters in her rural hometown. In her letter last month, this lady stated that she would send a letter once a month to inquire about the situation, and this time, just like last time, there was another 10 pounds in cash as Mia's maintenance fee.
Miss Gaode again expressed her gratitude to Hamilton Detective in the letter and regretfully informed Xia De that she was currently not only dealing with family matters but also had some minor health issues, so she probably wouldn't be able to travel to Tobesk to pick up Mia within this year.
In addition, in her letter, she asked Xia De to take a photo of the cat, with this month's newspaper as the background, and the date visible. Presumably, the lady who generously paid the fees was also very worried that Xia De would mistreat the cat, or even had already abandoned it.
“It seems I must bathe you these next few days, and then take a picture, so Miss Gaode can see you properly.”
Xia De patted the well-behaved cat, who squinted its eyes, not yet realizing what Xia De intended to do.
In fact, the Outsider had already made up his mind to acquire ownership of this cat. Taking possession of a client's belongings, even by paying, was unethical, so Xia De wanted to subtly probe Miss Gaode's attitude in the letter.
He wanted to take it step by step, not directly state his thoughts right away. This was partly out of concern that Miss Gaode, unprepared, might directly refuse, and partly because Miss Gaode was currently facing significant trouble in her hometown. Xia De wanted to formally make the request when the client was in a good mood.
So at the very least, the reply with the photo that would be sent out in a few days could only be a preliminary probe.
“Our family has declined,” was a sentence Miss Gaode mentioned several times in her letter. She belonged to a very famous ancient lineage in the small Town by Tis Lake, but she had moved away from the Town with her parents when she was very young, only receiving a letter to return to the Town and live with her parents, who had returned a few years ago, when the family needed an heir.
The Outsider didn't quite understand the situation of large families in rural Towns of this era. But he sincerely hoped that Miss Gaode could resolve her troubles as soon as possible; this generous lady deserved a good life.
After preparing breakfast for himself and the cat, Xia De continued to read the last letter. The last letter actually came from Professor Manning, but Xia De had only sent his letter last night. At this time, even if the Professor had seen the letter, it would be too late to reply, which meant that this was sent by the Professor last night.
“The Professor found the Doomsday Theory academic organization!”
Professor Manning spoke very directly, stating the investigation results immediately after the initial pleasantries. The Professor informed Xia De in the letter that after his investigation, he confirmed that the largest Doomsday Theory academic organization in the Old Continent was called the Guiding Light Club. This was not an organization rooted in a specific area or school, but a loose academic organization composed of professors from higher education institutions across the Old Continent, aiming to preserve the achievements of human civilization so that civilization could be passed down when Doomsday arrived.
Therefore, this academic organization composed of ordinary people was named “Guiding Light Club,” meaning to pass down the torch of civilization.
“Just from the name, you can tell that this Club is definitely supported by the Guiding Light Hermitage.”
Xia De muttered softly while reading the letter. Professor Manning's letter had the scent of tea, and he wondered how the stationery was stored.
He didn't expect the other party to be so bold, directly using their own organization's name as the name for the ordinary people's organization they supported. Presumably, the “Guiding Light Hermitage” had truly declined, to the point of being so confident that even the Orthodox Church couldn't see through their clues.
However, supporting an organization of ordinary people in this way not only allowed them to promote their organization's ideas and recruit more talents but also provided a suitable way to obtain funds and cover up the activities of the Ring術士, which was indeed a good practice.
Academic groups composed of intellectuals, of course, also had members in large cities like Tobesk, the capital of Delarion. Professor Manning had already contacted one and arranged for Xia De to meet him at his home at ten o'clock this morning.
He knew Xia De was very anxious to find it, which was why he arranged it so urgently.
“Ten o'clock...”
Xia De thought about the time, feeling very good. This week's two main goals, 15 credits and the Guiding Light Hermitage, might both be completed. He admired his own efficiency but still hoped that his future life wouldn't always be so tense.
Since he was going to Professor Manning's house, Xia De naturally couldn't bring Mia along. He calculated the time and arrived at Cat Tail Lane at nine fifty in the morning.
After knocking, the familiar plump maid opened the door for him, and the guest Xia De was to meet had already arrived.
Professor McCain Heinck worked at the same university as Professor Manning. However, Professor Heinck was from the philosophy department, so he and Professor Manning had only been nodding acquaintances before.
When Xia De entered the study guided by the servant, the two professors were discussing the school's remuneration issues. Professor Manning had actually reached retirement age and was now working by accepting re-employment, while Professor Heinck, dressed in a brown checkered suit and with a white beard, was two years from retirement and quite dissatisfied with his pension.
Seeing that Xia De had arrived, the two Old Professor stopped their conversation. Professor Manning made a brief introduction for both parties, and Xia De also exchanged business cards with Professor Heinck.
Professor Heinck had heard about “Hamilton of Leijiede” and knew beforehand that he was a Detective from Saint Delan Square, so he was not surprised by the address on the business card. And Xia De, taking the opportunity to hand over the business card and shake hands, confirmed that the other party was just an ordinary person.
Professor Manning left after the introduction, and it was now time for a private conversation.
“Good morning, Professor.”
After the pleasantries, Xia De went straight to the point:
“I've encountered some trouble while carrying out a commission, so I need the help of an academic like you who studies Doomsday Theory.”
“No problem, then, Mr. Hamilton, what would you like to know?”
Professor Heinck asked enthusiastically.
Xia De actually wanted to directly ask if the other party knew about the Ring術士, but he didn't yet know the specific relationship between the “Guiding Light Club” and the “Guiding Light Hermitage,” so he couldn't speak rashly. So on the way, he had already thought about how he should speak.
“No, no, it's not a question of Doomsday Theory. My client is an antique dealer whose identity is inconvenient to disclose. He recently acquired a batch of antiques, and to determine their value and exact age, he investigated the symbols that frequently appeared on the surface of the antiques. But those symbols were almost untraceable, only accidentally discovered to be related to a Doomsday Theory group, which is why he commissioned me to conduct further investigation.”
As Xia De spoke, he took out his portable notebook and drew a symbol on a page with a pen: “The main body is an equilateral triangle, with three small circles connected to each corner of the triangle, and a winged person inside the triangle.”
As he handed it to Professor Heinck, Xia De stared intently at the other's expression. Although the Old Professor controlled himself very well, Xia De still noticed that the other's eyes widened unnaturally when he saw the symbol.