"Power? You're too weak. The power I possess is not suitable for you."
This further emphasized the woman's strength, something Shade was beginning to truly believe.
The woman paused for a moment before continuing, as if she was considering her words. The temperature in the room had already returned to the same level as the hallway, indicating that her mood had stabilized.
"But I happen to have a decent [relic] on hand. However, its value pales in comparison to the statue of the Old God... No, not the [Box of Darkness], that's just a Poet-level (Level 5) trinket. I'll give you a Document-level (Level 4) relic instead, and I'll tell you about the secrets of [Mercury's Blood], to help you avoid danger. How about we trade for the location and incantation?"
"That's fine. Thank you for your generosity, madam."
Since compliments were free, Shade had no problem using the "Northern Common Language Gift Pack" in his brain to translate his Chinese flattery into the foreign language with a translation tone, praising the woman.
But this time, Shade didn't immediately reveal the content of the incantation. The woman behind the door, of course, understood his intention.
"Recently, a Sage-level [relic] has appeared in Tobesk City."
The first thing she said was somewhat surprising. Shade had thought the woman would bring up the Guardian-level relic [The Fake Philosopher's Stone], related to [Mercury's Blood], which he had seen a bounty for at the doctor's office.
But it was fortunate that it was just Sage-level (Level 2), not Angel-level (Level 1). But thinking about it, it was unlikely he'd suddenly encounter an Angel-level relic, as Shade still had some faith in his luck.
The woman chuckled again.
"This isn't exactly a secret. At least the Church and the Academy already know about it, as well as other people with informants in the area... The Sage-level relic is [God's Gift Box], an instrument once used by an Old God with the power of creation."
The woman behind the door spoke in a mocking tone:
"The [God's Gift Box] is currently in the possession of [Mercury's Blood], who have been classified as an illegal organization.
Due to certain reasons, [Mercury's Blood] is currently unable to move this relic, so the [God's Gift Box] remains in Tobesk. Its power is immense. Any sorcerer who touches the box for the first time will automatically learn a synthesis formula. By placing specific relics into the box in a certain order, you can synthesize a stronger relic that is guaranteed to be suitable for you. Detective, do you understand?"
"I think I get it."
Shade carefully committed this information to memory. This was the first time he had heard of a [Sage-level] relic.
"It's somewhat like alchemical synthesis, but with a Sage-level relic's side effects... [Silver-Eyed] Dyack of [Mercury's Blood] seems to believe he can use that box to master the synthesis method for an Angel-level (Level 1) relic, the [Mercury's Blood]..."
The woman laughed, but it was far less pleasant than the laughter currently echoing in Shade's mind.
"The Silver-Eyed man seeks to use the Sage-level relic, which they cannot move, to synthesize the true Mercury's Blood. This is also the reason for the [Mercury's Blood] organization's founding—to pursue a [relic] that may not even exist... That's why this group brought all kinds of messy things to this city, including that statue. Apparently, they also have several other decent [relics], but I only want the statue."
"So, what's your view on that Sage-level relic, [God's Gift Box]?"
Shade hesitated, doubting whether the Academy would tell their correspondence sorcerers the truth if what the woman said was true.
If the Academy were to tell the truth, the bounty he saw seemed a bit vague. Therefore, the bounty at the doctor's place—"looking for the traces of the [Mercury's Blood] organization"—was probably the true goal, and the fake philosopher's stone was just a side objective.
The Academy wasn't planning to share this information with its correspondence sorcerers.
"I'm not interested in that object at all. I know exactly what that box is, so I'd never touch it. It only appeared in the fall of 1068 of the Fifth Era. It's ancient, powerful... If I were you, in the coming months, I'd definitely stay clear of [Mercury's Blood] in this foggy steam city. That group is on the verge of going mad."
"Got it, madam. Thanks for the information. Here's the incantation..."
After taking a few seconds to memorize the woman's words perfectly, Shade then revealed the six-syllable incantation. After he finished, he added that it was due to the effect of his core spiritual rune that he was able to learn it.
But the woman didn't seem to care about this detail, just as she didn't care why Shade had been able to make the [Box of Darkness] lose control so easily.
"Very good, detective. I quite appreciate someone like you. This has been a rather pleasant commission. Now, take this [relic]."
There was the sound of a drawer being pulled open from behind the door, followed by footsteps. But when the door was finally pushed open, the person who emerged was just a young maid. She appeared to be in her twenties, dressed in the classic black-and-white maid uniform.
Her long black hair was netted in a white headdress, and since she wasn't working in the kitchen, her maid's dress didn't have the apron Shade had imagined.
This was definitely not the woman Shade had been conversing with. The outline of the lady behind the door had been sketched in gold in the earlier darkness, and she looked very different from this black-haired maid.
The maid opened a section of the bookshelf, then immediately returned the door to its slightly ajar position, not giving Shade the chance to glimpse the "noble lady" inside. Then, she cautiously approached Shade with a square box wrapped in red velvet. Holding the box with both hands, she opened it with a click, revealing a ring set inside the box's interior lining.
A faint scent of blood lingered in the air, but neither the naked eye nor [Blood Echo] detected any traces of blood on the ring itself.
The ring appeared to be made of pure silver, while its face was set with yellow amber encasing an unknown insect. The insect resembled an ordinary gnat, but its entire body was blood-red, as if it might come alive at any moment.
[You have come into contact with a "Whisper."]
"A Document-level relic: [Bloodsucking Ring]. While injured, if you wear the ring and touch the skin of any humanoid creature, you can drain their blood to heal yourself.
It cannot cure diseases or curses but can alleviate them. However, if the injuries you need to heal are too severe, it might cause the person you touch to have all their blood drained in an instant... But don't think of using the ring as a weapon. Even if you're willing to hurt yourself, it's not advisable. This is a Document-level relic, and frequently using its ability to heal yourself may result in symptoms similar to bloodlust."
The woman behind the door explained, not hiding anything about the relic:
"Don't wear it when you're not injured, and certainly not for extended periods. Otherwise, I can't guarantee what might happen. Of course, even if not because of the relic's side effects, it's best not to wear it lightly, as I took it from [Mercury's Blood]. They don't know who took it, so... you should be cautious."
Shade wasn't sure if he should comment on the woman's conflict with [Mercury's Blood] or ponder the connection between the organization's collection of blood-related supernatural items and synthesis formulas.