Chapter 1234: Chapter 1234: Randall Valley Expedition
Shard said, thinking again:
“This isn’t difficult for Margaret, she’s quite wealthy… very wealthy. Even with interest, the amount owed back then plus other material costs would be less than ten thousand pounds…”
It surprised Shard that he could say “less than ten thousand pounds” so nonchalantly.
“It’s a huge sum for ordinary stonemasons, but shouldn’t be much for a Princess.”
“So, I want her to completely handle this matter. Not using her own money, but getting the Anjou Royal Family to pay, and ensuring most people are satisfied with the result.”
The Witch rested her face in her hands:
“I was planning to arrange the containment of the relic, or investigate the earth, but after some thought, it’s not necessary. After all, if she truly becomes an apprentice, she has plenty of time to grow. But handling issues isn’t something that improves with increased power. I’m curious how your Princess lover will handle this matter… So greedy…”
“Yes, I am a bit greedy indeed.”
Shard didn’t deny it.
“I wasn’t talking about you.”
The Blonde Witch teased:
“I meant Margaret Anjou. A desire for the Witch’s power, yet a yearning for normal love. Isn’t that greed?”
Luviya had said similar words before.
“Of course, I owe you a promise. You could use this promise to have her test pass directly. Rumor has it the matter 20 years ago involved MI6, along with time giving people biases and stubbornness. This test, while not involving Circle Sorcerers, isn’t easily resolvable. If you use that promise for me to declare her passing directly, my future apprentice might be very grateful to you… Perhaps you’ll get a nice night as a reward.”
She proposed, satisfied to see Shard slightly shake his head:
“Margaret has her pride too, if I helped her, she’d hate… not hate, but certainly resent me. Besides, I’m curious to see how she handles the Stonemason Guild’s affair. If done well, perhaps she can earn herself fame and prestige.”
He could simply ask about MI6 matters himself. Director Anlos wouldn’t mind him reviewing the files.
Miss Benanis didn’t comment and moved past this topic, returning the Mithril Cube in his hand to Shard:
“What will you do next in this city? Continue exploring Randall Valley City’s stories?”
“Yes, I’ve witnessed two of the six stories already, not many left. Oh, yesterday I gave the Power of the Earth: Abundant Field to Luviya, that purple-eyed female diviner.”
“You don’t need to tell me that; it’s your spoils of war.”
“But one of the characteristics of the Chosen of the Earth is possessing the Power of the Earth.”
The Witch took a moment to react to what Shard said:
“Chosen of the Earth?”
“Yes.”
His expression was very calm:
“This is from a Fragment of Poem Chapter held by the Sun Church, I… know people there. So far, the Sun Church hasn’t shared this news, but I imagine it won’t take long before it spreads.”
“Then…”
“It’s not me, definitely not me. Miss Benanis, you know I have many, many secrets. In fact, I’ve seen every Chosen One. Yes, Iluna Beath, Ivan Daknis, Joey Barton, Sister Delphine, even Sir Lakin Prisia.”
He stared at the startled blonde woman:
“I’ve mentioned by the campfire, I have many secrets. In some ways, I’m pursuing the Chosen Ones, but I absolutely cannot be one. Yes, anyone could be, but I most definitely cannot.”
“Then…”
“Luviya Annette neither. I’ve checked in a special way, she’s absolutely not. Miss Benanis, instead of focusing on me and Luviya, consider Mr. Thomas Granger who disappeared seventy years ago. That’s why I said he’s important.”
He stretched lazily:
“No one ever said the Chosen One must be human. Mr. Thomas Granger is currently in an undead state, as long as he hasn’t reached The End, he might be a Chosen. After all. Currently, there are only three known powers of the earth, neither Luviya nor I possess them, so suspecting him isn’t unreasonable?”
Miss Benanis nodded slightly, noticing that since the topic shifted to the “Chosen Ones,” Shard suddenly had a remarkable, fully in control aura.
Looking at his handsome face against the window, today the weather was nice. The sunlight streaming in allowed the Witch’s gaze power even to see specks of dust in the air. And in that light, his face appeared so charming, so approachable. Just like the moon at night, always there, only rarely observed. But upon lifting one’s head, won’t one find oneself admiring, even entranced by it…
Vanessa Benanis awoke suddenly, quickly averting her gaze from Shard’s face, her heart a bit unsettled, a clear sign of slight loss of control:
“A residue of madness from the earth? Or the potion drunk on Monday still hasn’t worn off?”
Of course, she admitted that the pink essence was quite captivating. Yesterday, while reporting to the Speaker about “Saint Perry Cemetery” in the Council, other witches mentioned she seemed more beautiful.
“No, I can’t think of that potion anymore! After all, it’s a derivative of a relic.”
She warned herself internally but couldn’t help recalling her moment in the cold church where she trembled and lost herself in Shard’s embrace. Biting the inside of her lip to regain clarity, she looked outside the window, avoiding letting Shard see her flushed cheeks. Still, she sneaked another glance at the young detective deep in thought, admitting internally that his face was indeed one capable of enticing a Witch.
“If I had been the first to meet him, would I have made the same choice as Galina…”
An inappropriate thought naturally sprang up in some small corner of her mind.
Although there was a banquet to attend on Wednesday night, Shard wasn’t wasting the daytime. Once Mr. Thomas Granger’s identity was established, he grew increasingly curious about what might be inside the Mithril Cube.
He sent the Witch’s maid to Margaret to request an invitation letter, intending to explore the simpler “urban legends of Randall Valley City.”
“The Crazed Man of Randall Valley City’s Bell Tower” was Shard’s first target, but after spending all morning investigating the bell tower, aside from finding a batch of forbidden addictive hallucinogens stashed in a wooden crate at the bell tower’s top, he discovered nothing else.
So, with frustration, he wrote an anonymous tip to the Randall Valley Police Department, and tossed a handful of bullets into the crates of hallucinogens to escalate the hidden crime.
At noon, he invited Luviya to join him at the White Dolphin Restaurant, said to “serve delicacies that emit light.”
Though they didn’t discover any glowing food, lunch was quite tasty, even receiving Luviya’s high praise. And Shard confirmed that the drugs found at the bell tower weren’t used in preparing food at the restaurant.
The afternoon’s target was “the magical aquatic creatures appearing downstream in the eastern Elon River of Randall Valley City.” Local legends claim they resemble long-haired monkeys, able to stay submerged for extended periods, reportedly pulling swimming children into the water to drown them.
To verify their existence, Shard visited villagers outside town who claimed sightings, then personally broke through the ice at the sighting location, plunging into the winter river in search of these “water monkeys.”
Doing so in winter was not a wise decision.
Due to the sorcery “Underwater Breathing,” Shard stayed submerged without resurfacing. He spent nearly two hours under the water, searching the riverbed’s bottom for signs of anything unusual. His Dark Vision and high perception minimized the visual hindrance caused by cold, murky waters, enabling him to find numerous 1 Ore coins, several rings, rusted cheap gemstone rings, and other small trinkets within two short hours, yet not the mystical creature he sought.
When Shard lost patience and planned to return to the town, it was already past four in the afternoon. By then, his pockets bulged not just with coins and rings, but also two rusted gold necklaces, one silver bracelet, piles of metal brooches, and several gemstone earrings.
While underwater, heading toward the shore, “she” softly remarked:
“The rock on the left.”
“What?”
He picked up the two-fist-sized rock from the riverbed and saw starry golden glimmers under his faint light:
“Gold ore?”
[Yes, didn’t you always complain about being short on money?]
“She” laughed as she spoke.
“Does this place still have a gold mine?”
Shard questioned, clutching the stone and swimming toward the shore. That afternoon yielded no discoveries, no water monkeys, yet the “junk” he collected was valuable. Earning money typically isn’t hard for Circle Sorcerers; the challenge lies in how they choose to earn it.