"Shade Hamilton, currently a detective. Good evening, ma'am. I extend my respects," Shade said, carefully selecting his words to remain as polite as possible. Until he knew the woman's true purpose, it was wise to cooperate. Besides, he genuinely felt sorry for what had just happened, even if it wasn't entirely his fault…
"I'll say it again—don't laugh at me."
Shade mentally scolded himself.
"Mr. Hamilton, let's set aside the issue of the Dark Box for now…" The woman's voice carried a sharp edge, though she seemed to be reigning in her temper. Despite being a high-ring thaumaturge capable of controlling the danger caused by the out-of-control artifact, it was clear she wasn't pleased. However, she was adept at keeping her emotions in check.
Shade was thankful that the woman was reasonable. Otherwise, his situation would be far worse.
"I knew it—being able to read every language in a world like this is definitely not a good thing. I need to remember this lesson..." Shade thought as the woman's voice shifted into a calmer tone, the tension easing.
"Detective, there's no great mystery behind why I called for you. The Dark Box was an unfortunate accident. What I'm actually interested in is the location of the statue," she said smoothly.
"Excuse me, the statue?" Shade responded, startled but managing to sound puzzled. He was starting to realize he might have an untapped talent for acting.
"The Blood Statue, or to be more precise... the statue of the Old God, Duke Lowell, the Blood Duke. Where is it?"
Her voice was now cold, her words precise, as if she were discussing the weather. But the pressure from her calm tone was no less intense than when she had been angry moments earlier.
"You're a first-ring thaumaturge. There's no need to lie. The bloodstained aura from the spells you cast downstairs and here is overwhelming. But I sense you're clean, so you're probably not a devotee of the Old God. Nor are you a member of the Mercury Blood organization that holds the statue."
Shade's heart raced as she continued.
"Since you're only a first-ring thaumaturge… are you with one of the churches? No, you don't seem like a follower of any god. But the way you've been appointed is quite... formal. Perhaps you're with one of the arcane colleges? A newly enrolled correspondence thaumaturge, perhaps? That would be ideal. Correspondence students aren't loyal to their institutions."
She spoke as if well-versed in the workings of the academies, not giving Shade a chance to reply. Her voice remained low but firm as she pressed on.
"But none of that matters. I don't care about your affiliations or your secrets. What matters is this: where is the statue of the Old God?" she repeated, the temperature in the room dropping perceptibly.
Shade stood there, stunned, staring at the slightly ajar door. But he quickly realized that this was a moment for composure.
"Madam, I truly don't understand what statue you're referring to. You know I'm just a first-ring thaumaturge…"
Shade genuinely couldn't fathom how his connection to the Old God's statue had been exposed. He was sure no one had seen him when he stumbled upon it in the misty streets of Tobesque earlier that day. The spell he used theoretically shouldn't have left any trace detectable from such a distance. Nothing in the doctor's notebook had mentioned anyone with the ability to sense a specific spell through multiple layers of walls and ceilings.
"I'm dealing with someone truly formidable here," Shade thought, but at least he was certain the woman wasn't affiliated with Mercury Blood.
"Could she be a follower of a deity opposing the Blood Old God?"
It was the best guess he could make at the moment.
"I possess special spiritual runes that make me particularly sensitive to the power of the Old Gods. So, there's no need to be alarmed, detective. Do you need me to repeat my question?" The temperature in the room dropped further as she spoke, and Shade shook his head. He knew the woman could see him, even through the closed door.
"No need. The statue of the Old God, Duke Lowell... Yes, I did encounter it earlier today," Shade admitted.
"Good. Even if you had refused to tell me, I could easily trace your movements today. But I'm sure we both agree that this way saves us some time, doesn't it?"
The woman's voice took on a more pleased tone, her earlier irritation fully dissipating. She waited, clearly expecting Shade to continue without disappointing her.
Shade paused for a moment, licking his lips.
"In that case, may I consider this as... your commission for me? To locate and retrieve the statue holding the Old God's essence?"
This wasn't Shade getting caught up in his role as a detective—it was a calculated move to feel out whether she intended to take it for free or if she was open to negotiation. While he felt sorry for triggering the artifact's incident, that didn't mean he was willing to hand over something so valuable without compensation.
He was, however, willing to make amends.
The woman's response surprised Shade by being more favorable than expected.
"Of course, I'm offering you a commission. I've always believed in fair transactions. Besides, there's no enmity between us… except for what happened just now. If you're open to a trade, that's perfectly fine with me. Now, detective, name your price. How much do you want for this task? Tell me a figure. And if you agree to this deal, I'll forget about what happened earlier."
The possibility of sudden wealth loomed before Shade. The woman on the other side of the door wasn't joking. She was likely a wealthy noblewoman and a high-ring thaumaturge, no less. The combination meant she had substantial resources, and resolving the previous incident through such a deal was a golden opportunity.
Shade managed to curb his greed, though, stopping his imagination from running wild with visions of counting stacks of coins in a lamplit study.
He had more important priorities.
"The artifact incident—I'm genuinely sorry about that. As for the statue of the Old God… it's located in an alley across from the Silver Parrot Milk Delivery Company. The right side of the alley has a secondhand bookstore. Go to the alley's end, and in the corner between the pipes and the wall, you'll find the statue. However, you need to recite a six-syllable incantation to reveal it. This is my gesture of good faith; I don't want any money…"
The truth of that statement was debatable, but it wasn't a complete lie. By revealing such valuable information right away, Shade hoped to earn the woman's favor and mitigate the damage from the earlier incident. He figured she could easily trace his movements and find the statue's location herself, so offering it up front might improve their rapport.
"In exchange, I want power—something I can actually use. I don't need an equivalent exchange, just something I can wield."
Shade knew he couldn't keep the statue, and he didn't have the ability to handle such a dangerous item. Trading it for greater benefits seemed the most reasonable course of action.
The woman was silent for a moment, then responded, "That sounds fair. I've always advocated for practical, fair deals. You've made the right choice, detective."