Shard, who was very intrigued by Hymn Square, walked around the square to take a closer look. He even found a person sitting on the ground in the square, gambling with Roder Cards, claiming that if anyone could beat him in three out of five gas, they could obtain a Roder Card with special rules from him—provided that each challenger paid a fee of 5 pence.
Quite a few people were gathered there to watch the card gas, and that special card also had a certificate of authenticity, aning the card itself was genuine.
However, Shard heard from onlookers nearby that this man had been setting up stall for 8 years and had only lost once, leaving many to wonder what kind of tricks he must be using to maintain his winning streak.
Shard was sure the man was cheating, but he had no interest in exposing him. After all, most of those paying 5 pence to play cards probably knew there was sothing amiss. Whether they were there for the thrill of gambling with a stranger, or they truly believed they could win that special card, was a different question altogether.
Shard also hadn't forgotten the purpose of his visit to the square. According to the information provided by Iluna, the middle-aged man selling spices and always wearing a turban would often appear in the southern area of Hymn Square, wearing a pair of rain boots in all weather and setting up a triangular wooden sign in front of his stall.
These features were distinctive enough, so Shard spotted him while ambling through the square.
The man had a cart filled with bottles and jars. To his left was a vendor selling herbal dicine, claiming to cure any ailnt, dressed in a floor-length robe covered with strange patterns reminiscent of the Primal Tribe of the southern forests of Carsonrick, appearing very professional. To the right was a general goods rchant who had all sorts of items spread out on a waterproof tarp laid out on the ground beside his wagon.
Since the herbal dicine vendor on the left seed to insult one's intelligence, Shard pretended to be interested in the general rchant's goods and stood in front of his cart to browse. This distance was close enough for the voice in his head to provide an answer:
[The turban-wrapped man to your left is a Circle Sorcerer, Inner Ring. A more precise level can be confird with further contact.]
It seed that the third task Iluna picked out for him was indeed of so value. Continue reading at My Virtual Library Empire
"Sir, what would you like to buy?"
After standing in front of the general rchant's stand for too long, the rchant, temporarily without other custors, took the initiative to strike up a conversation with Shard.
Shard wasn't alard and replied naturally,
"I have a cat at ho, and I'm looking to get so safe little toys for it. You know how cats are, always swallowing all sorts of unclean things."
The slight rchant surveyed Shard, as if trying to assess his identity and the thickness of his wallet,
"Then perhaps buy this..."
The rchant picked up a colorful feather:
"This is only 1 shilling."
"Sorry, there is nothing here that interests ."
Shard imdiately shook his head, refusing to pay that much for a dyed chicken feather.
After thinking it over, Shard reached for a deck of Roder Cards:
"I'll take this. I have a set of Roder Cards of my own, but I want to get another set as backup."
In reality, with the [Treasured Item], individual cards might get damaged when used as weapons, hence the need for regular replenishnt.
"These are old cards, 5 pence for you. Anything else you need? Oh, since you are a Roder Card player, would you be interested in joining a private, non-public, profit-making Roder Card gambling ga?"
The rchant inquired familiarly, his eyes lively and his face bearing a smile.
"Private, non-public, profit-making" essentially equates to an illegal underground gambling den, similar to the kind of casino you'd find in the Lucky Southern Cross Club at night. A general rchant mingling in the Lower District even had the job of soliciting business for the gambling den.
"No, no, my wallet won't allow for that at the mont,"
Shard responded.
Then the rchant said in a quieter tone,
"Then might you be interested in trading for a special Roder Card?"
"You have those too?"
Shard asked in surprise, noting that special-edition Roder Cards usually start at 1 pound depending on the issue number and age, while those with special rules go for at least 40 pounds each. The small rchant was likely referring to the forr.
"Yes, they're definitely genuine. rchants like
usually stockpile valuable little items that are easy to store, waiting to fleece... make a tidy profit from generous custors. Roder Cards are a very good product for this. So Roder Card enthusiasts, whenever they visit a city, will look to acquire those cards from local rchants until they have replaced their entire deck with special-edition cards,"
The rchant explained smoothly, and Shard imagined the quest-like feeling of such a collection, thinking those people must be quite wealthy.
"Of course, so upscale shops even sell Roder Cards with special rules, but the price might not be sothing ordinary people can afford."
With no other custors around, the rchant chatted with Shard for a bit longer. Shard took the opportunity to gather information about the square, focusing on the spice-selling Circle Sorcerer next to his stall.
The sorcerer was engaged with a custor, unaware that soone with ulterior motives was observing him nearby.
"Oh, by the way, since you sell general goods, do you also buy them?"
Shard asked after so thought.
"Certainly, but I only take items of value,"
replied the rchant, and then watched as Shard handed over the three books he was carrying. The rchant raised an eyebrow, wanting to refuse, but Shard winked at him, signaling him to check the contents.
The general rchant, surprised, nodded slightly and carefully opened one of the books. His eyes, previously squinting, instantly widened:
"This... this is really so good stuff."
Licking his lips, he hurriedly flipped through the other two volus with a very sincere smile on his face:
"These are really nice, how about half a pound for these three?"
The price was reasonable, after all, the quality of these three atlases was quite high, and even if one had money, they weren't easy to co by. Shard knew that the type of grocer who brought business to the gambling house would certainly sell such illegal publications, so he nodded:
"Of course, that's fine, but then you can't charge
for that Roder Card."
Shard wasn't peddling these magazines just to make a quick buck, but rather to create an excuse to chat there for a while. And as he had anticipated, once they settled the account, the grocer's attitude towards him improved markedly.
From this encounter, Shard learned that the spice rchant beside the grocer had started peddling his goods there only half a month ago. Moreover, the rchant definitely wouldn't show up on Sundays, would appear punctually at nine in the morning, and would leave at five in the afternoon, lazier than most business dwellers of Hymn Square.
Having obtained the basic information, Shard planned to formally approach the spice rchant to confirm exactly what he was doing there. The rchant was certainly a person, not a Relic, so he wasn't planning on prying deeply, just didn't want to delay Iluna's mission.
No sooner had Shard approached the spice rchant, when a familiar figure unexpectedly appeared in the square.
Dr. Bill Schneider walked through the crowd, carrying a briefcase, and paused to let a stray dog running after a goose pass in front of him. The blue-eyed doctor waved and greeted the spice rchant, who was wrapped in a headscarf:
"Good afternoon, Madison."
"Good afternoon, Schneider."
The two shook hands and then the doctor noticed Shard standing nearby. Since Shard was dressed differently than usual, the doctor hadn't recognized him at first glance:
"Oh, Shard, what are you doing here?"
The doctor asked smilingly, warmly urging Shard to co over, and then said to Mr. Madison, the spice seller:
"This is the newcor from our place, Hamilton, I was telling you about. Shard, this gentleman is Mr. Alan Madison, a student of the Xerxes Higher dical Academy."
Xerxes Higher dical Academy, renowned for its expertise in alchemy and Magic Potions, was on par with Saint Byrons and Zaras.
Mr. Madison, with his head wrapped in a scarf, looked at Shard in surprise, saying to the doctor in a low voice:
"Schneider, are you saying, this individual caught up in Roder Card gambling and peddling pornographic magazines here, is your group's new mber? I noticed him just earlier."
It seed he had already been observing Shard's commotion.
"Hmm?"
The doctor looked at Shard in surprise and, trusting his character, explained:
"He... is probably on so commission, he's a Detective... Let's talk sowhere else, this place isn't safe."
Shard felt sowhat embarrassed and imnsely relieved that the doctor didn't continue on that topic.
Next to Hymn Square was an inn called "Three Cats Inn
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