"Why take a detour through Enmat Port on the way back? Isn't it closer to return directly from Pritz Harbor?" Ebner asked, frowning slightly as he listened to the route his teacher had planned for him. His instincts told him there might be other reasons behind this.
Enmat Port, located east of Tingen City and East Chester County, is one of the most prominent seaports in central Loen Kingdom. Together with Pritz Harbor, they support over half of Backlund's supply chain, one to the north and one to the south.
"Three reasons… First, it avoids any possible ambushes. Though I doubt the Demoness Sect would specifically stake out your return route, better safe than sorry. Landing at a different port lets you avoid any arrangements they might have made. Second, didn't you promise a certain young lady you'd visit her in Enmat Port?" Detective Isengard added a wink as he looked at his student.
Ebner was taken aback; he hadn't told his teacher anything about this.
"Heh, just a bit of deduction… and a little bluff! Judging from your expression, I'd say my hunch was right," Detective Isengard chuckled as he took a puff of his pipe. Then, taking the opportunity to teach his student, he advised, "Ebner, you need to learn to control your expressions. While reaching the level of 'unfazed by joy or anger' that Roselle mentioned might be hard, you could at least practice using smiles or stern looks to mask most of your true feelings, like I do."
With a face that conveyed "absolutely no emotion," Ebner silently rolled his eyes—though the not-so-polite expression was mostly hidden by his tinted glasses.
"And the third reason…" Detective Isengard continued, this time glancing at Xio with a grin. "I imagine Miss Xio would also like to take the opportunity to visit her family."
Xio abruptly stood up, looking stunned. "Detective Stanton, how… how did you… know?"
Detective Isengard signaled for her to relax before slowly explaining, "It's not difficult for a detective with connections to uncover these things. In fact, Miss Xio—or rather, Lady Dere, as I should call you—MI9 has been keeping an eye on you. However, the intelligence agent in charge of your case has some ties with House Dere, and, considering that you're only Sequence 9, he's delayed any action on it… which is another reason I suggested you lay low for a while."
Xio was the eldest daughter of the noble Dere family. After her father was falsely accused, her entire family was hunted down, forcing her to change her surname to Derecha, and taking her mother and brother into hiding in East Chester County. Ebner knew this, so he always called her "Miss Xio" rather than "Miss Derecha," since that was merely a cover name.
"Will lying low solve it?" Xio asked with a frown, beginning to sense her own situation was more dangerous than she'd thought. She worried that it might endanger her family too.
"Heh, MI9 wouldn't usually bother with you, but only recently did they suddenly issue orders to investigate East Borough's 'Arbiter'... Considering the warning you received, Ebner's theory of a link between the Demoness Sect and MI9 is probably true! At the very least, some high-ranking officers in MI9 must be dealing with the Demoness Sect," Detective Isengard remarked with a smirk. "Once this mess with the Demonesses is over, they won't waste resources on small figures like you. And that Dere family contact in MI9 and I will help sort out any remaining troubles for you."
Xio sighed in relief. She trusted Detective Isengard's judgment, but another thought sprang to her mind as she asked, "This person with ties to my family… could he be one of my father's old friends?"
"That, I can't say," Detective Isengard replied. "But if this Demoness affair is fully resolved, I suspect he may reach out to you. You could ask him yourself then."
Xio remained silent, lost in thought as she sat back down.
Ebner, meanwhile, felt less worried; he knew the MI9 agent in question was likely the same figure in the original novel who showed Xio some favor. He might bow to pressure from above, but he held no malice toward Xio and would even lend her a hand when needed.
With plans set and a time agreed upon, Xio went off to prepare for the trip, while Detective Isengard led Ebner into the storeroom.
"Take this hat with you again. At sea, its power is considerably stronger than on land; it should be of good use to you." Detective Isengard handed the hat imbued with "Wind-Blessed" powers to his student once more.
Ebner accepted it with gratitude. He didn't know what perils he might face on this journey, so he would certainly not turn down anything that could enhance his combat ability.
"Does this hat have a name or codename, Professor?" Ebner asked, adjusting the hat's shape as he put it on.
"It's not quite qualified to be a '2' grade Sealed Artifact, so it lacks a code name. But I call it the 'Seabreeze Hat,'" Detective Isengard replied. He then reached into a drawer, pulled out a tin box, and handed it over. "This is your advance payment for handling the commission."
With a hunch as to its contents, Ebner eagerly broke the box's seal, finding exactly what he'd hoped for: a golden leaf from the Tree of Knowledge—one of the primary materials for the Sequence 7 "Knowledge Keeper" potion!
After more than a week's analysis, Ebner had already obtained the Knowledge Keeper formula from the Sealed Artifact "2-081," and even gained insight into one of the main ingredients for Sequence 6 Polymath. The gift left him both grateful and excited.
"As your teacher, this is as much as I can help you. The other main material—the eye of a Dragon-Eyed Python—and the supplementary materials will be up to you to find." Detective Isengard seemed confident Ebner already knew the formula.
"Thank you, Teacher!" Moved by the gesture, Ebner decided to reciprocate, sharing some of his own findings. "Teacher, I heard the Scholar potion formula requires the heartwood of an 'Ancient Tree' as one of the main materials, but I haven't 'heard' what else is needed."
Detective Isengard paused, pipe halfway to his mouth before a look of satisfaction crossed his face. "Understood." Afterward, he took a small box from his collection and slid it over to Ebner, saying, "This is Xio's commission payment. Could you give it to her on my behalf?"
"What is it?" Curious, Ebner opened the box to find a black ring engraved with intricate patterns.
"It's called the 'Ring of Foresight,'" Detective Isengard explained. "It enhances balance and coordination, allowing the wearer to intuitively anticipate their opponent's next move. For someone like Xio, whose instincts are already sharp, it'll be a strong addition to her combat prowess. The downside is an occasional loss of control over facial expressions, sometimes producing rather comical results."
A ring like this had to be worth four to five hundred pounds—Professor really was generous. But asking me to deliver a ring to Xio? If Fors sees it, she'll probably let her imagination run wild…
---
June 26, 1349
3:00 p.m.
Stepping off the steam train, Ebner and Xio looked around at the sky outside the platform. It was bright and clear, free from the fog that constantly blanketed Backlund. The ocean breeze blew in, dispersing any lingering haze and bringing wisps of clouds together in various formations, illuminated in golden-red hues by the sun.
This was Pritz Harbor, the largest and busiest port in the Loen Kingdom.
Wearing a finely crafted tricorn hat, Ebner carried his suitcase and cane, accompanied by Xio, who had gone through a bit of disguise and added a few inches to her height. Together, they took a carriage to the "Pritz Harbor Ticketing Company" in the White Rose District by the port.
The company occupied a rather worn three-story building with a signboard at the entrance displaying a notice in Loen script:
Important Notice:
Follow the rules and form orderly queues.
No urinating, spitting, or littering on-premises.
In case of disputes, please approach the hall's guard.
Opening cans of wolffish is strictly prohibited in all rooms!
"Wolffish cans? What's that?" Xio asked, unfamiliar with this notorious food item that was dreaded among sailors.
She barely finished her sentence when the unmistakable 'pop' of a can opening sounded from behind them.