Chapter 1192: Chapter 1192: Miss Grande and the Golden Dawn
"The Many-Eyed Tribe, rumored to be a rare subspecies of humans living in the Fourth Era, were mostly known for having more than two eyes. Of course, they are now considered exotic creatures."
The bartender introduced to Shard:
"Besides the normal pair of eyes, the additional eyes of the Many-Eyed Tribe could grow anywhere on the body, and there was a ten percent chance of having special abilities in each one. This exotic race created a unique thod to allow their eyes to be exchanged freely, and these coins were used as the dium for exchange."
"So, the characteristic of this relic is to increase the number of eyes?"
Shard asked, and the bartender nodded:
"Swallow the coin with water, and in approximately 24 to 48 hours, one or two new eyes will grow on the body, each with a ten percent chance of having a special ability. If you directly press such a relic into your own eye, there’s a one in five chance of turning your eye into a special Demon Eye... You can imagine the negative effects. In mysticism, the eye is the window closest to the soul in the body. So, although it sounds good, nobody except madn and experinters would use it to add an extra eye to themselves."
Seeing Shard looking at him, the bartender shrugged:
"If the Circle Sorcerer doesn’t remove the new eye soon after using this relic, they’ll almost certainly lose control within three months."
Shard nodded, thinking this was both interesting and intriguing. The bartender then thought of sothing amusing and continued his introduction in a Carsonrick accent with a hint of slang:
"More than twenty years ago, I heard that soone tried to learn special eye-related arcane techniques for rituals, using this relic to add a new eye to themselves... Guess where that eye grew?"
Shard thought for a mont and shook his head slightly:
"If the answer is too disgusting, please don’t tell . Na your price, I’ll take both coins."
"5 Krone for one coin, no bargaining. Actually, the answer isn’t disgusting, just a bit strange."
As Shard took out the banknotes, the bartender sighed:
"Anyway, no girl would ever sleep with that guy again, no one wants to be seen from inside their body."
Shard tried not to imagine what had happened:
"Besides that, I’m a Circle Sorcerer from out of town and might be living here for a while. Could you tell
if there’s anything unusual in this city recently? Since last spring, the entire Old Continent has been uneasy, and I hope I haven’t co to a place like Draleon-Midhillburg."
He ntioned Milestone because only that event was so loud, and to this day, the giant tree on the top of Sicarl Mountain remains evergreen in the snow, becoming a new local legend.
"Oh, sir, I think you’re overthinking it. Randall Valley has always been a peaceful and serene place."
The bartender, who seed to be a local, praised his hotown dearly.
"As long as it’s safe... Are there any local legends about keys?"
Shard asked, then tactfully handed over a coin. The bartender took it and put it in his pocket:
"If you’re looking for relics like the Ti Key or Master Key, we can purchase them here, but there aren’t any local legends about keys... Though there are plenty of rumors about golems, the Underground Kingdom, Titan Giants, and Elves."
Shard nodded noncommittally, realizing that finding that special Ti Key wasn’t going to be easy.
"Alright, I’ll put up a commission to acquire special keys. Not purchasing the keys themselves, but hoping to record any sightings or types of special keys."
"That’s not possible. We can’t pry into our clients’ secrets."
The bartender shrugged.
"Then just record the information that can be recorded and na your price for the intelligence... Additionally..."
Shard hesitated for a mont. Since there were no more clues in hand, he might as well try doing other things. Luviya and he appeared in the sa unfamiliar city, which was not a good on. Shard suspected that a new The Chosen One legend was about to unfold, so there were so things he had to watch out for:
"I specialize in purifying tainted land. I’m a bit short on cash recently, so I’ll leave my information here. If anyone needs help with similar issues, they can contact ; I’ll be here every noon."
The bartender nodded again, but after thinking about it, he asked:
"Purifying land, what exactly can you purify?"
"The evil power rumored in the Pantanal Swamp is certainly beyond my ability. But if it’s just sothing like black mud seeping up from the ground and breeding Evil Spirits, then it shouldn’t be a problem for ."
"What a coincidence, indeed soone needs your help."
The bartender said, flipping forward two pages in the ledger in front of him:
"The offer is quite high, and indeed it’s a problem with an Evil Spirit. On a small piece of land, there is a rare issue of undead transformation. The soil spontaneously attracts the Undead and slowly transforms them into Evil Spirits. Even if all the Evil Spirits are destroyed, the issue with the land itself cannot be reversed. It’s sowhat like a curse, but it’s more like the soil itself has been polluted by sothing. Do you have ti to negotiate with the client today?"
Shard didn’t expect to be asked this right away, but he imdiately nodded:
"I can et at any ti today."
"Then please have a seat here; I’ll contact the lady. Also, the seller of the Echo Grass ntioned earlier is her. You can talk to her—it might be possible to get a discount on the Herbal dicine."
After buying a copy of today’s Randall Morning News and ordering a butter beer, Shard sat by the gas lamp on the wall and read the news of Margaret and her brother arriving locally tomorrow, which was Friday evening.
The client didn’t make Shard wait long before hurriedly arriving. The other person didn’t wear a mask or a hood, but Shard knew that the face he saw wasn’t real.
It was a young woman who appeared to be in her twenties, and since he knew it was a fake face, Shard didn’t pay too much attention to her appearance. However, when shaking hands, Shard discovered that she was a Seven-Ring Sorcerer. Direct contact ant that the next ti Shard encountered her, regardless of her appearance, he could recognize her.
"The specific problem should have been explained to you by the bartender."
The woman was straightforward, and once seated across the table, she said:
"I’ve sought help to solve the problem multiple tis, but to little effect. If I weren’t afraid of causing trouble with the Church, I would’ve considered asking the Church of Nature or the Sun Church for help."
Shard expressed understanding:
"We all don’t want to waste ti, so we can first go see what exactly the problem is. If it cannot be resolved, I won’t take your commission. However, you’ll cover the carriage fees."
"Of course, no problem. But before that, I need to confirm, sir, how many Rings do you have?"
"Five Rings."
Shard did not lie:
"Although my strength is a bit less than yours, I think I can give it a try."
The woman hesitated for a mont and nodded:
"Let’s set off now. If the issue can be resolved, I won’t be stingy with your reward. As for the Echo Grass, we can discuss the price later."
The problematic place is at the city’s edge. Specifically, it’s a small manor located north, near the upstream of the Iff River.
The unfamiliar lady introduced herself as "Miss Grande," and she and Shard took a cab to the destination. Along the way, the lady briefly explained the situation to Shard, but she didn’t seem very talkative.
The small manor upstream of the Iff River is located at the edge of the Innas Forest. After getting off, Shard realized that it was not a noble’s residence. From the style of the fences, the layout of the courtyard seen from a distance, and the architectural style of the mansion, it was a new building within the last twenty years, and the people of the manor had an artistic taste.
"Can you disclose who owns this place?"
Miss Grande paid the driver extra to wait at a junction a distance from the manor. Then, the young woman and Shard walked towards the manor’s gate on foot.
Hearing Shard’s question, the woman nodded:
"The owner here is the Golden Dawn Opera Group. This manor was their original base, but as the troupe mbers increased and as it was too far from the city’s core, the base was moved into the city. But this place wasn’t sold; instead, it is maintained as it is, utilized for vacation and other purposes. I am here because a friend from the troupe requested help to find a Circle Sorcerer in the city to purify the land."
Shard had also heard about the Golden Dawn Opera Group. Dr. Schneider had ntioned it when he learned that he was going to Randall Valley during exam week. It is currently the most famous opera troupe in the entire human civilization. Its director, Miss Vanessa Benanis, who beca famous about twenty years ago, is acclaid as the greatest opera perforr among humans to date.
She is a true artist.
The legends, stories, and gossip about this still unmarried lady are still circulating. Unfortunately, Miss Benanis has rarely participated in public performances in recent years, but she has indeed taught many excellent actors.
The mbers of the Golden Dawn Opera House Troupe are mostly female, and they spend half of the year performing abroad, with the remaining ti spent locally in the Randall Valley. Now it’s winter, the troupe’s rest period for the year, and the entire troupe should be in town.
When Margaret and His Highness the Prince arrive in the city, the troupe will certainly perform for the two noble mbers of the Royal Family.
"Perhaps I can invite Luviya to the opera. I just wonder if tickets for this troupe are easy to buy..."
Shard thought to himself as the two arrived at the manor gate along the snow-covered country road. Behind the manor lay a boundless-looking, snow-covered barren forest, with the mountains of the Randall Valley’s eastern ranges in the far distance.
The Iff River was also not far away, making it more convenient to take a boat down the river back to the city when the waters were plentiful than taking a carriage.
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