Chapter 30: Kingsley
Chapter 30: Kingsley
As the annual grand festival, the Divine Birthday, approached, the city of Sigono began its festive preparations early.
The Patrol Hall was no exception.
Kerry, with his bulky body, struggled to hang a divine statue above the window, panting as he spoke, "The higher-ups are being quite generous this time. To celebrate the Divine Birthday, they've doubled the funds allocated to us."
"Even the main entrance is getting a makeover."
With the cold weather setting in, Karl had donned a woolen robe and was lounging in a reclining chair, flipping through books.
Kerry casually nodded, "Oh, so we might expect some nice welfare benefits this time around."
"Indeed."
Kerry glanced at the book in Karl's hand and asked, "Anatomy? Are you planning to switch careers and become a doctor?"
"Learning never stops!" Karl chuckled, "I heard there's a doctor named Robert in the city who's making a fortune with his medical skills. Who wouldn't be envious?"
"Robert? Never heard of him." Kerry shook his head.
Being a descendant of nobility, his standard of living wasn't particularly high, and the people he associated with were often not well-off either.
It was no surprise he hadn't heard of the doctor.
"Speaking of..." Kerry moved his chair and arranged some items, "Aren't you going to help?"
"This is a simple task, and you can get some exercise and lose some weight while you're at it." Karl shook his head, "I have more important matters to attend to."
As he spoke, he picked up a cup of hot mulled wine and took a small sip, looking utterly content.
He was indeed busy with important matters, wanting to analyze the spell model on the red-haired man's severed arm, which required knowledge of anatomy.
"Never mind then."
Kerry shook his head in exasperation and continued working as he spoke, "Have you heard the news? The missing vampire has reappeared recently."
"Hmm?"
Karl looked up, puzzled, "What's going on?"
It had been some time since the Watchmen Order of the Theocracy took over the mummy case, and he hadn't heard anything about it in a while.
He thought the matter had been thoroughly resolved, but it seemed the vampire had resurfaced.
"I heard..." Kerry paused and said, "The vampire and the Fire Thieves aren't working together. Even after the Theocracy swept the city for hidden Fire Thieves, they couldn't find the vampire."
"Not working together?" Karl was slightly taken aback, "Then, at first..."
"Yes, we were chasing those people, and they probably led us to the Fire Thieves' hideout on purpose."
From the situation back then, it seemed that the Fire Thieves were also caught off guard by the sudden intrusion of the patrol officers.
Otherwise, with an Intermediate Apprentice Wizard among them, how could their hideout have only resulted in the deaths of a few patrol officers?
This suggested that the mummy case and the Fire Thieves might not be connected, and they could even be from opposing forces, intentionally leading people to each other's hideouts.
This wasn't hard to guess.
It seemed the Theocracy had only just realized this, which could be considered quite slow on their part. It appeared they had their hands full elsewhere.
"Lady Dana is applying to investigate the mummy case," Kerry said.
"It seems she's determined to get to the bottom of this case, but I advise you not to get involved."
"Of course," Karl shrugged, "It's none of my business."
"Speaking of which, what about the house I asked you to find? It's been a while, and you haven't mentioned it again."
"I'm still looking, still looking," Kerry replied, "You want a courtyard and a quiet location within the city, but the price can't be too high."
"It will take some time."
Mixing potions and practicing martial skills required a certain amount of space.
Karl's current rented house was too small and inconvenient for making much noise.
Moreover, with the increasing number of items he had purchased for potion-making, the Divine Realm Fragment was becoming cramped. Finding a new residence was inevitable.
After a brief pause, Karl said, "As for the price... we can be a bit more flexible."
"Oh!"
Kerry raised an eyebrow, "What's this? Have you come into some fortune recently?"
"Buying a property is no small sum, and with Karl's salary, it's difficult to afford in a short time."
"Our family has a noble heritage, and there are some hidden assets," Kyle casually explained.
"When it comes to finding a house, you should put more effort into it."
"Envious," Kerry sighed.
"I understand. I'll ask around for you in the coming days, but what have you been up to recently?"
"You've been disappearing all day."
"I have something to attend to." Karl took out his pocket watch and checked the time.
"Time to get off work!"
...
Last night, the Snow Goddess bestowed her blessings, and the entire Sigono City was covered in a blanket of snow, with far fewer pedestrians on the streets.
Barley Trading House.
Old Nick wiped his hands with a handkerchief and sat down opposite.
"Baron, you're here again."
"Yes."
Karl placed his cane aside and sighed.
"6◇9◇Book◇Bar"
"The family's assets are almost sold out. I'm afraid I won't be able to come here again in the future."
As he spoke, he took out a long wooden box from his pocket and opened it to reveal a delicate hairpin inside.
Frequent sales of expensive goods would attract too much attention.
Just like now.
Old Nick had already considered Karl a regular customer, and he would personally take his orders, becoming familiar with him.
In reality, Karl had been selling goods under different identities at various consignment shops to avoid trouble.
"Not selling, but you can buy," Old Nick smiled.
"The Baron has exchanged no less than a hundred gold coins from our shop. He's now a true noble."
"The Trading House always welcomes you."
Karl shook his head.
He had indeed exchanged quite a few gold coins, and the total, both openly and secretly, was far more than a hundred. But his expenses were even greater.
Being a wizard,
was a profession that burned money like crazy.
Especially alchemy!
A hundred gold coins seemed like a lot, but it could be spent on purchasing ingredients and conducting a few experiments, leaving little left.
"Karl!"
At this moment, an enthusiastic female voice rang out.
"You're here too."
Karl looked up, his eyes filled with surprise.
The woman in front of him was dressed flamboyantly, with heavy makeup, making it almost impossible for him to recognize her.
Uncle Gehril's eldest daughter and Karl's cousin, Kinsey.
The last time they met was at the estate outside of Count Lecton's Manor.
She was presented as a gift for the Count's son's coming-of-age ceremony, but due to her awkward status at the time, they did not acknowledge each other.
Beside Kinsey was a well-dressed, middle-aged man, probably in his forties or fifties.
She held his arm intimately, looking at Karl, or rather, the hairpin in front of him, with a face full of delight.
Her eyes lit up at the sight of the hairpin.
"What a coincidence."
"Yes."
Karl stood up and nodded.
"My cousin is also out shopping. This gentleman is..."
Although the two in front of him were acting intimately, Karl would not mistake his cousin's husband.
He had heard that the couple had their own separate affairs, but he didn't expect them to be so open about it.
"My friend, Cran," Kinsey said naturally.
"Cran, this is the cousin I mentioned, the noble Baron Karl."
"Oh!"
Cran, who had a cold expression, couldn't help but change his expression when he heard that Karl was a Baron.
"So, it's Baron Karl."
"Karl," Kinsey interjected.
"Are you selling something?"
"Yes," Karl nodded.
"I've been a bit tight lately, so I'm selling some family items to get by for a while."
"Tsk!"
Kinsey shook her head.
"If you're having financial difficulties, you should go to your uncle or even me for help. Are you selling this hairpin?"
Before Karl could speak, she had already taken the box with the hairpin, her eyes filled with admiration.
"It's all the same to whom I sell it. Why not sell it to me?"
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
