Ryan squinted his eyes, his smile not quite reaching his eyes, giving off a chilling and imposing aura: "You understand Gothic?"
"Yes, and I can also disguise myself. Mr. Ryan, I am willing to follow you to repay your kindness," Amelia said softly, a blush spreading across her face.
"Pfft~ Hahaha!" Veronica suddenly burst out laughing, her laughter free and unrestrained. The witch Garlan took out twenty-five dinars from her purse and handed them directly to the captain: "Alright, no need to spend any more money. I'll cover this expense. Miss Amelia has become my guarantor, and in exchange, she will be my person from now on."
"No, Amelia!" Wilt couldn't believe it and quickly approached the girl: "You don't have to do so much for us…"
"This is my choice, deputy commander. Let me call you that one last time," Amelia stood still, bowing to the deputy commander of the Bloodaxe Mercenary Group: "Thank you for sheltering me all these years. I'm very grateful."
"Ah, don't think too much about it. This money is just the fee for hiring Amelia. Whether she wants to return to your mercenary group after her employment ends is up to her," Veronica patted Amelia's tender shoulder: "Let's go, my little mercenary... no, my little maid."
The captain, having received the money, could say no more. The Sea God Priest, seeing the dispute resolved, added: "Then settle the rest among yourselves."
After leaving the Church of the Sea God, Garlan Witch asked Amelia to pack her belongings before meeting up with the two.
Seeing Veronica laughing all the way, Ryan chided: "Veronica!"
"Hahaha~ Ryan, oh Ryan, what am I to do with you?" Garlan Witch laughed back and forth, and Ryan was helpless: "How was I to know she actually speaks Gothic?"
"Hahaha~ Who would have thought a mere female mercenary could see right through you, hahaha~ Ah~" Veronica continued to laugh: "Alright, tell me why you paid the money?"
"We needed a maid at home, didn't we? I thought this girl was quite suitable." Veronica covered her chest, looking aggrieved and tearful.
"Tell the truth!"
"Alright, disguise." Veronica finally spoke the truth: "This girl's disguise skills are strong. She can make her beautiful face look so ordinary. We really need this kind of disguise technique. Plus, I can see she lacks a sense of security, especially here in Marinburg. She seems to be extra cautious, fearful of everything around her. Don't think she followed you out of desperation."
"All part of her plan?" Ryan was now more alert.
"She craves security. I'm sure, from the moment she saw you, she believed only you could give her that sense of security. Even without this incident, she would have found a reason to follow you," Veronica became serious, crossing her arms: "So using this incident to leave the mercenary group was already planned."
Ryan nodded, feeling the whole affair to be quite peculiar. Amelia's behavior was... too natural, from the incident's outset, through Ryan's intervention, to Amelia voluntarily leaving the mercenary group to repay the debt. The whole process seemed too smooth: "What do you think is the reason for her lack of security?"
"I don't know, maybe... because she's pretty?" Even Veronica wasn't sure, but she spoke indifferently: "But that's not important. We only need her disguise skills. Whether you keep her by your side after this is your decision. The house indeed needs a maid. Besides, according to your journey in Nord, this female mercenary named Amelia is brave and smart. She shouldn't be a bad person."
"What situation made her feel secure in Nord, a remote area filled with monsters, yet feel insecure in Marinburg, the largest port of the old world, surrounded by so many army guards?" Ryan stroked his chin, finding it strange.
"Before this... what did that girl tell you?" Veronica became more interested.
"She uttered my true name! My surname that I've never made public."
...
The reason they didn't visit the Aesthetic Society in the morning was because Ryan and Veronica learned that the president of the Aesthetic Society, Anieda, had matters to attend to in the afternoon. They decided it was best to visit while Anieda was absent.
Visiting the Aesthetic Society was an important step in investigating the organization, as no amount of hearsay compares to seeing for oneself.
However, plans don't always go as expected. Being followed, Ryan knew they couldn't openly investigate the Aesthetic Society.
After a morning of seemingly aimless wandering, they confirmed Anieda had left the Aesthetic Society due to personal affairs. Being followed, it naturally led them to visit the Aesthetic Society, which wasn't suspicious.
Ryan and Veronica arrived at the entrance of the Aesthetic Society.
A red carpet stretched from inside to the outside. A very well-dressed waiter greeted Ryan warmly: "Welcome, Mr. Ryan, to the Aesthetic Society!"
"Hello! I've heard a lot about the art of the Aesthetic Society and came to see for myself today." Ryan looked up. Huge white columns supported the four-story building, which appeared almost entirely transparent thanks to the stained glass windows. Silken curtains, each ten meters long, draped from the ceiling.
Welcomed by the waiter, they entered the Aesthetic Society. A giant fountain sculpture greeted them, depicting a strong man carrying a deer on his shoulders, from which water flowed continuously. A giant crystal chandelier, five meters long and three meters wide, hung from the high ceiling, dazzling under the light. Famous paintings by renowned artists adorned the walls. Nobles, dressed in luxurious silk and adorned with gold and silver jewelry, lingered, while merchants negotiated prices with artists wearing berets and vests, eager to take home precious artworks in exchange for a hefty sum of gold.
"Mr. Ryan, may I introduce you around?" a waiter offered enthusiastically. Ryan nodded: "Please do."
"Our Aesthetic Society is dedicated to helping people find, discover, and fall in love with beauty. Over thirty years, under the leadership of President Anieda-Clausner, we've collected over 4000 precious items. The society's headquarters has undergone nine expansions, now comprising six areas: the Human Art Hall, the Elven Art Hall, the Dwarven Art Hall, the Painting Hall, the Sculpture Hall, and the Decorative Art Hall," the waiter proudly explained.
"The most precious items in the Human Art Hall are 'The Blessing of the Holy Grail,' 'The Battle of Riek River,' and the first edition of the Charlemagne Codex," the waiter led Ryan through the Aesthetic Society's prized collections.
"The Blessing of the Holy Grail," once a national treasure of Britannia, now unfortunately out of reach for the Knight Kingdom to reclaim from the Aesthetic Society due to financial constraints. The painting depicted the founding Knight King Arthur and the twelve earliest Holy Grail Knights kneeling before the Lady of the Lake, swearing allegiance. The young Knight King, with dazzling blond hair and azure eyes, received the crown from the Lady of the Lake to crown himself.
Ryan remembered that the original Knight King Arthur didn't live long, ruling Britannia for less than twenty years before dying of illness. His body was placed on a boat and sent into the depths of the Lady's Lake, disappearing forever in the mist. Legends say he would return in the kingdom's darkest hour, or that he continues to protect his kingdom in another form.
"The Battle of Riek River" depicted the epic battle between the Lord of the Dead, Nagash, and Emperor Charlemagne. In the painting, the human army bravely fought against Nagash's undead forces. Ryan recalled that Charlemagne narrowly won, with Nagash losing his physical form and becoming undead, while it took Charlemagne years to recover from Nagash's deadly poison and curse.
The third treasure was not on display today.
After visiting several halls, Ryan was amazed by the wealth displayed by the Aesthetic Society. Many rare and out-of-print collections were acquired by Anieda at great cost in money and connections.
Where did she get all this money? She was neither a widow of a great noble nor continuously supported by a wealthy merchant, Ryan thought.
His suspicions grew.
After the tour, following the grand staircase to the third floor, they arrived at a luxurious reception hall, a social space open to most. Here, anyone dressed properly could enjoy refreshments and socialize, facing the sea. The upper echelons of society gathered here.
Many noticed Ryan's arrival. Artists, not particularly fond of "warriors" like Ryan, merely nodded in acknowledgment, while nobles and merchants were much more enthusiastic. A noble count approached immediately: "Hello, Mr. Ryan, I am Edmund-Huron. You can call me Edmund."
"Hello, Count Edmund!" Ryan shook hands warmly, noticing the count's subdued spirit.
"Hello, Your Excellency, I am Veronica-Bernadotte, from the Garlan Council," Veronica greeted the count, who barely glanced at her, showing little interest in a witch, which irritated Veronica, though she could do nothing about it.
"Why didn't Mr. Ryan come when Anieda invited him to the Aesthetic Society, but now he comes uninvited?" Edmund asked with a smile, slapping Ryan's shoulder. There was no hostility in his voice, as Ryan's firm rejection of Anieda and his relationship with a girlfriend led Edmund to not view him as a rival: "It's a pity, Anieda had to step out today."
"That's unfortunate." Ryan shrugged nonchalantly: "Actually, I didn't have much planned for today. Veronica wanted to see the place, so I brought her along. Unfortunately, it seems we can only tour the lower halls today."
"No, no need to wait for another day. I can take you and your companion to visit now," Edmund thought, with Anieda absent, it was a good opportunity to satisfy the young man's curiosity and keep him away from Anieda.
So, Edmund took the initiative, showing Ryan around the upper floors, even opening up areas of interest to him, except for Anieda's private fourth floor, which Ryan graciously declined, stating it wasn't of interest to him anyway.
After an hour of pleasant conversation, Ryan bid farewell. Edmund didn't insist on keeping them longer, merely mentioning: "In three days, at eight in the evening, the Aesthetic Society will host an art salon open to artists from all over the continent. Of course, it's only for artists. Would Mr. Ryan be interested in attending?"
"I doubt I'll come." Ryan shrugged, indicating he probably wouldn't be welcome, having already sensed Edmund's implication that a knight like him wouldn't be welcome at an art salon unless he had significant artistic talent.
"Oh, that's a pity." Edmund's tone seemed regretful, but there was little genuine regret: "There are many interesting places in Marinburg. Mr. Ryan, you and Miss Veronica can explore them to your heart's content."
"I will, Edmund. Goodbye."
"Goodbye!"
Leaving the Aesthetic Society, Ryan and Veronica hurried back to Amber Road, with a shadow following them until they neared Amber Road and then disappeared.
"Any findings?" Veronica shook her head grimly: "Too clean. Inside the Aesthetic Society, I didn't detect even a hint of unusual energy."
"Me neither. And I'm certain, even if we could search the fourth floor, we'd find nothing and offend a lot of people," Ryan was frustrated: "Is this where the trail ends?"
"We need to find a new approach, a new clue," Ryan pondered: "I'll visit the duke."
"Visit the duke?"
"Yes, to have him create a new identity for me." Ryan smiled cunningly: "With Amelia's disguise skills, I know what to do."
In the Marinburg residential district, at the White Wool Inn, the Bloodaxe Mercenaries were packing, their morale low after consecutive setbacks.
Just then, the Imperial Grand Alchemist Byershalzer-Gelt, wearing a golden mask, holding a golden staff, and cloaked in a golden cape, entered the inn, addressing the mercenaries: "Prepare yourselves. You will accompany me into the deep mines."
"Is it you?!" Wilt, seeing Gelt, had red eyes, his emotions palpable as he approached Gelt.
"Mr. Gelt, we need an explanation from you."
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