"If this deal goes smoothly, maybe I can really try to stay here as a detective. Once my life is stable, I can venture into the extraordinary and see if there's any hope of finding my way back home."
As he monitored the entrance of the club, Shade couldn't help but sigh, thinking of his distant homeland.
He glanced at the time again, realizing that since Mr. Laurens had entered the club, it would be impossible for either of them to come out within the hour.
"They must have something to do. Should I find a place to rest for a while?" he pondered, scanning the area until he spotted a tavern at the street corner named "The Howling Hound."
Such a tavern, located on a main thoroughfare and open during the day, usually wouldn't be too rowdy, especially since it was only two o'clock in the afternoon. Shade pinched the ten-penny note in his pocket, licked his cracked lips, confirmed the time, hesitated for a moment, then walked over.
Pushing open the tavern door, he immediately noticed a row of gas lamps on the wall illuminating the somewhat dim interior. The air was thick with a mix of the smell of alcohol and fermented food, which made his still-hungry stomach churn.
Shade realized that the lighting in this era relied on gas lamps. Climbing the walls, there were not only gas pipes but also steam pipes, the gas pipes being the thinner ones, while the steam pipes were wrapped in insulation.
The round wooden tables in the tavern were mostly empty, with only three customers sitting at a wooden table far from the bar, playing cards. A painting of snowy mountains hung on the wall next to them.
The three men looked rather unwealthy; although their clothes had no patches, the dark garments had faded from washing, and the hats they placed on the table were clearly well-worn and wrinkled.
Perhaps they were just looking to relax on this leisurely summer afternoon. Shade didn't want to disturb them and headed toward the bar where the bartender stood, intending only to buy a glass of water. But then he heard one of the card players shout with joy:
"I win again!"
A middle-aged man with a scruffy beard stood up, triumphantly tossing his cards onto the table.
"Look, I've got exactly 21 points!"
He beamed at his companions, but unfortunately, they were the only ones there. When he spotted Shade entering, his eyes lit up.
"Let's buy this gentleman a glass of rye beer!" he exclaimed to the bartender.
Shade turned around in surprise, nodding slightly to show his gratitude.
"Thank you for the kind offer, but I think a glass of water will suffice."
He wasn't skilled at drinking and had no idea how strong the "rye beer" might be. Moreover, he was still in the midst of his detective activities, so there was no need to indulge in alcohol.
The three men assumed Shade was trying to save them money since a glass of water cost much less than a drink. They immediately took a liking to him. Seeing that he had no companions, they invited him to join their card game.
However, Shade didn't know how to play, so he could only watch them. The men were quite enthusiastic about teaching him the skills of "Rod Cards."
The cards in this world were similar to playing cards from his past life, consisting of four suits and a total of 54 cards. The four suits were the Sun, Moon, Stars, and Flowers.
The most popular game was akin to the "21 Points" rules, referred to as "Rod Cards." Other games like Solitaire, Crazy Eights, and comparing values also existed, but Rod Cards were the most widespread, and the inventor of this game was said to be named Rod.
The cards typically had illustrations on the front, with the suit and number indicated in the upper left and right corners. As a result, special series of cards released during certain eras, featuring unique designs, were particularly valuable.
Recently, a special series of Rod Cards was released, with only 1,000 sets made, named the "Fairy Tale Series."
The three men playing cards were not affluent and didn't know much about the so-called special series of Rod Cards, only able to provide a rough idea.
They only knew that a few nobles were fanatically pursuing those rare cards. In particular, some cards not only had unique illustrations but also included special game rules.
Those cards were worth a fortune; there were rumors that last year at the Fort Auction House, a special card was sold for twelve thousand pounds.
Shade quietly calculated the prices and recalled the "Sun 3" card tucked inside his diary. He didn't want to laugh; instead, he deeply suspected whether the card he inherited was a genuine article.
However, if that woman's card featuring the silver moon was indeed genuine, then his last concern about his future life would vanish.
After spending an hour chatting casually with the three card players in the tavern, Shade stood up to take his leave. When he returned to the entrance of the newspaper office, he found the spot next to the mailbox occupied by a young man wearing a brown vest and glasses.
This must be a real reporter, Shade thought, so he moved to stand next to the black iron lamppost instead.
The lamppost was a cylindrical shape, also powered by gas. Shade originally stood leisurely by it, but his eyes unintentionally caught sight of a plaque. The plaque clearly warned against smoking under the lamppost, stating that one would bear the consequences.
Imagining the potential mishaps, Shade instinctively moved away from that dangerous spot.
As the sun gradually tilted westward, Shade continued to wait patiently. The feeling of hunger peaked and then subsided by the afternoon, and he felt significantly better. He planned to wait until around five o'clock; if Lady Rasoya still hadn't appeared, he would head to the Church of "War and Peace" to collect food relief.
He could also take the opportunity to see what the church in this world was like and confirm whether any extraordinary powers existed there.
"However, I do have that voice in my head. I won't get captured as soon as I step in, will I? And what about the secrets of the outsiders..."
He felt some concern about that, but without understanding any of the circumstances, Shade didn't have many options.
Perhaps sensing that he was thinking of her again, the woman's voice echoed in his mind:
"Observe his ring."
This phrase had appeared at noon, but at that time, the pronoun had been feminine, while this time it was masculine.
Shade immediately looked up at the club entrance and indeed saw a young man with a briefcase walking out. On the man's right hand, he wore the distinctive white pebble ring that Shade had seen on Lady Rasoya's finger at noon.
Due to its unique design, Shade was confident he wouldn't mistake it.
Both of them wore the ring on the middle finger of their right hand, and the voice in his head didn't offer any further hints.
"How interesting. Why has the ring's owner changed?" Shade pondered, watching as the man with the ring left the club. Instead of searching for an empty carriage, he blended into the evening crowd, trailing behind a hurried, stout man clutching a briefcase, moving eastward along the street.
The fog of the steam city blurred the man's figure; if Shade didn't follow, he would soon lose sight of him.
"Should I chase after him? The voice in my head must have a reason for speaking."
He thought to himself, turning away from the direction of the club entrance. He pulled out the map tucked in his notebook and unfolded it to find the direction to the Church of "War and Peace." The church distributing the food relief was located to the east of his current position, and it was nearly five o'clock.