Mystery: Big Alarm Clock Ghroth Path

Chapter 254 Meeting with Emlyn

Roger, leaving Mrs. Summerer's house, straightened his hair and adjusted his bow tie in front of the glass window by the roadside. Recalling Mrs. Summerer's mouth, which had been so surprised it could have swallowed a whole apple, he couldn't help but smile.

In this way, he no longer needs to worry about any problems with the house at 15 Minsk Street, because he is no longer just a simple tenant, but has even become part of Mrs. Summer's family's "connections".

After all, not to mention Stoke Street, even in the entire Joewood district, you can't find many people whose stock assets alone are close to 3 gold pounds.

He leisurely swung his cane, called out to Bandit at the door of 15 Minsk Street, and flagged down a carriage to Worston Garden.

Sam and Cecilia lived at 29 Worston Gardens. When Roger knocked on the door, Cecilia's clear voice immediately came from inside.

"Who is it?"

"Deliver fruit."

Roger lowered the brim of his hat to cover his face, and Bandit, understanding the implication, jumped to the ground.

"Fruit? We haven't ordered any fruit."

Cecilia looked at the beige top hat in the cat's eye with some confusion.

"It says here... the sender is Miss Alice Iman."

Roger continued, speaking in a controlled voice.

Upon hearing this, Cecilia's brow relaxed slightly. She wiped her wet hands and opened the door.

However, the next second, a tall figure rushed in, picked up Cecilia, and covered her mouth.

Cecilia's eyes widened in horror. Instinctively, she raised her right elbow to form a triangle, using it to pry open the big man's collarbone.

Taking advantage of the latter's pain, Cecilia delivered a front kick, sending him staggering back two steps, while simultaneously yelling:

"Sam!"

In an instant, the surrounding temperature seemed to drop by two degrees. Some indescribable, invisible creatures appeared in the living room of 29 Worston Gardens and began to influence the uninvited guest's actions. At the same time, three tarot cards shot towards him from different angles.

However, Cecilia saw the other party calmly cough lightly, and the trajectory of the three cards suddenly twisted and converged, inserting themselves into a bright red apple on the table.

At the same time, she also felt a significant weakening of her control over the undead, which made Cecilia's eyes widen, not knowing what was happening.

"Cousin, stop playing around."

Just then, Sam's somewhat helpless voice came from above the stairs.

"Cousin?"

Cecilia was stunned; she didn't understand what Sam meant at first.

Roger laughed heartily, then took off his hat and revealed his face.

Bandit also ran in briskly from outside the door and rubbed against Cecilia's skirt.

"Combat effectiveness has improved, but there is still room for improvement in alertness and observation skills."

Roger looked at his sister, half-reminding and half-encouraging, and spoke.

"Sam, how did you know it was mine?"

Roger looked at Sam, who was coming downstairs with half a loaf of bread in his hand, taking a bite as he went.

"It's very simple."

Sam shrugged:

"Knowing Miss Alice's name, knowing her personal relationship with Cecilia, having the ability to withstand attacks from a Sequence 7 and a Sequence 8... plus the fact that you simultaneously demonstrated the abilities of two Sequence pathways, it's hard not to think of the 'Shepherd'."

"Where did you get the idea that I used two sequence pathways?"

Roger found it strange.

“It’s very simple. You see, your trench coat has some barely perceptible wrinkles starting from the waist and going upwards, and the shoulders are a bit saggy… Considering the weight of the trench coat, even in a fight, such an anomaly shouldn’t appear out of nowhere.”

Sam analyzed:
"The most likely scenario is that you deliberately altered your physique and made yourself more robust when you entered. Although this change was not significant, it temporarily stopped when you used the skill that altered the trajectory of my tarot cards and weakened Cecilia's control over the undead—you said that the 'Shepherd' can only use the ability of one soul at a time."

"During a fight, people's movements are more dynamic, and there is no time to adjust their clothes, so this reasoning is reasonable."

"Knowing my and Cecilia's address, knowing her relationship with Alice, and liking the 'shepherd' who wears a beige trench coat, with these images overlapping, I really can't think of anyone else."

"Not bad, not bad. It seems you've truly become a qualified detective."

Roger praised him sincerely.

The three of them then sat down and ate the tropical fruits Roger had brought back, chatting for a while before Roger finally spoke:

"Where are those two brats, Alistair and Perseus,?"

"Alice took me out to Harrods, I guess I won't be back until later."

Cecilia answered, and then asked:

"Cousin, is there something you need that brought you back so suddenly?"

"Yes, I'm coming back to hand over an item to a friend, and I'll be returning to sea tonight."

After saying that, Roger looked at Sam again:
"By the way, Sam, any progress on the Ministry of the Interior's gold theft case?"

"Unfortunately, not at the moment."

Sam frowned and shook his head slightly:
"I even bought a sealing artifact specifically for this case to enhance my reasoning abilities... but it didn't solve the problem."

“That gold seemed to have vanished into thin air… but that’s not what I’m trying to say. What I’m trying to say is that this is not an isolated case.”

"What do you mean?"

Roger frowned; he sensed something unusual in Sam's words.

“Just yesterday, nearly 5 tons of silver reserves were stolen, but this time it wasn’t in the Ministry of the Interior’s warehouse, but in the vault of the Central Bank of Ruen.”

Sam answered hesitantly.

Upon hearing this, Roger's expression also became serious:

How many people know about this?

"Not many people know about this yet. I only got this inside information because I got to know a lot of people in the bank while investigating the case."

After listening to Sam's words, Roger remained silent for a moment, then spoke again:

"Don't let more people know about this, including the detectives you're working with."

"You need to compile a report as soon as possible, including all the information you have, and give it to me when I get back tonight. The more detailed the better."

"Cousin, do you want to get involved in this case?"

Sam's eyes lit up when he heard Roger's words.

This series of cases has stumped the entire Westville Police Department and many of Backlund's well-known detectives, putting them under immense pressure.

Even a single theft like this weighs a ton, let alone the second one that remains unknown.

If it really comes out, it will definitely have a huge negative impact on Rune's economy. Not to mention the distant future, Roger and Klein's stocks will suffer!
Not to mention that this is a matter that affects the whole situation; if one thing is not handled properly, it will cause a series of chain reactions.

"Hmm, I'll look into it first."

Roger nodded slightly, without saying much.

"Okay, you go first, I'll get started now."

Sam immediately nodded in agreement, and then Roger temporarily handed Bandit over to Cecilia before taking a carriage towards the "Harvest Church".

Because the name Baleno Jones was widely known, Roger did not change his appearance. Instead, he simply sat at the entrance of the Harvest Church, casually flipping through a copy of the Tassok newspaper he had just bought.

At 6:30, Roger saw a young man walk out of the church right on time.

The handsome young man had black hair and red eyes, and his hair was combed back at an angle. He looked serious but also dashing, and appeared to be about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old.

In addition, she has a slightly effeminate temperament, an undisguised arrogance between her brows and eyes, a high nose bridge, and thin lips.

After he stepped outside, he looked around with a somewhat exploratory air and soon spotted Roger sitting across the street.

The latter put away the newspaper, quickly got up, and went to Emlyn's side.

"Excuse me, are you Mr. 'Moon'?"

Upon hearing Roger's question, Emlyn immediately nodded:
"Yes."

He's really single-minded...

Seeing this, Roger inwardly grumbled, but nodded without changing his expression:

"I'm here to inspect the meteorites."

"I know, please follow me."

Emlyn's attitude was somewhat arrogant, but his tone was still quite polite.

Roger nodded and silently followed behind Emlyn.

The two walked in silence, and after several blocks, Emlyn led Roger to an older residential area on St. Louis Road.

The architecture of the houses here is close to that of the early Fifth Period. Although they are somewhat old, they are obviously very valuable.

Emlyn led Roger to a shady house with walls covered in moss, clearly neglected for a long time, and knocked on the door.

"Who is it?"

After a while, an elegant male voice came from inside.

“Your Excellency Baron Bohr, it is I, White.”

Emlyn answered in a voice that was neither too loud nor too soft.

A moment later, a tall, thin, and handsome man came and opened the door.

The man had the same red eyes as Emlyn, but his overall demeanor and muscular build were noticeably more lean and refined, suggesting he was a product of frequent adventures. "Greetings, Your Excellency Baron Bohr. It's a pleasure to meet you. My name is Jones."

Roger took off his wide-brimmed hat and bowed to Bohr.

"Hello, for some reason, it seems like this isn't the first time I've met you."

Seeing Roger's sincere attitude, Baron Bohr nodded, then frowned and said...

There are many people who look like me, so it's not surprising that you've seen them.

Roger laughed and brushed the topic aside.

"Please come in."

Faced with this explanation, Baron Bohr nodded, stepped aside, and led the two into his mansion.

Perhaps because Baron Bohr disliked bright light, the mansion was draped with curtains, and the corridors were lit with rather retro oil lamps.

"I don't know if White has already told you about the origin of that meteorite."

Baron Bohr began to explain as he walked:
"In fact, it was an item I found by chance. This meteorite was blown to the west coast of Intis during a tsunami triggered by an earthquake in the middle of the Fifth Period. It was about the size of a small picture frame and about an inch thick."

"I was traveling in the Northern Continent at the time, and I happened to arrive in Intis. I saw it at the entrance of a small courtyard."

"Its original owner wasn't really aware of its value; he just treated it as a rare decoration, so I managed to buy it relatively easily."

As they spoke, Baron Bohr led the two to a very well-decorated showroom, which was filled with all sorts of dazzling collections, leaving Roger overwhelmed with admiration.

"You are truly a discerning collector."

He exclaimed sincerely, without any intention of flattery.

Although Baron Bohr was not well-liked within his family, he possessed exceptional aesthetic taste, especially in mineral collecting, where he was considered a master.

"You flatter me, but please don't touch them. These collections are very precious, and many are unique."

Although Baron Bohr looked somewhat nervous, he tried his best to remain calm.

In fact, he hadn't invited unfamiliar strangers to his home in a long time. For someone who cherishes his collection like his own life, his attitude toward his showroom was no less than that of a hen that had just laid an egg and was still brooding.

As he spoke, he took out a beautiful metal box from the exquisite wooden cabinet and opened it.

A flat stone, reflecting a dark blue and a hint of coppery metallic luster under the oil lamp, appeared before Roger's eyes. The moment Roger saw it, a strong impulse arose from the depths of his heart to possess it.

Through the connection of "Secret Insight," Roger was now completely certain that this was a fragment of a meteorite from outside the solar system.

Intuitively, its internal meteorite core is still well-preserved and can definitely serve as an auxiliary material for the "living star disk" potion.

"If you need a magnifying glass and other analytical tools, they can be provided in my studio."

Baron Bohr spoke softly, saying that, to be honest, if it weren't for the mysterious saint mentioned by Emlyn offering him a price he couldn't refuse, he would never have considered parting with the item and giving it to him.

"No need, I've already determined that this is exactly what my employer needs."

Roger suppressed his excitement, took a deep breath, and replied.

“I can complete the transaction for him at any time.”

"So, have you brought what I needed?"

Baron Bohr nodded slightly and asked again.

"of course."

Roger responded and pulled out the "Crimson Scholar" potion recipe that he had prepared beforehand.

Baron Bohr took it with his slightly trembling hands, then placed a monocular lens, which was specially used to appraise various collections, on his left eye and closed his right eye.

A moment later, a voice like a murmur, accompanied by a mysterious golden light, pierced through the lenses. After the light faded, Baron Bohr removed his glasses, suppressed a smile, and said to Roger:
"This meteorite is yours."

"Thank you, Mr. Bohr."

Roger naturally understood that the item was a magical artifact used to appraise collectibles and potion recipes, but he didn't ask any further questions. In any case, he still had a basic level of trust in the "School of Life".

Roger put the lid back on the box and was about to leave when he suddenly stopped.

"Is there anything else you can do?"

Baron Bohr asked, somewhat puzzled.

"By the way, Your Excellency, I would like to discuss a collaboration with you."

"cooperate?"

Upon hearing Roger's words, the vampire baron looked at Roger with some suspicion.

"A good business that allows you to easily make money."

Upon hearing Roger's words, Baron Bohr replied:
"Tell me."

Roger sat down again and spoke to Baron Bohr about his thoughts:

“Your Excellency, to be frank, my employer has his own armed force in the Rothschild Islands, with a conservative estimate of 40 people, whose strength ranges from Sequence 9 to Sequence 5.”

"and then?"

Baron Bohr was somewhat dazed. Having his own armed forces was something that only true nobles and feudal lords could do. Even as a vampire noble, he had never experienced what that felt like.

This is not just because he is too extravagant; in fact, it has a lot to do with the low-key lifestyle that vampires have always had.

However, this did not prevent his view of Roger from changing again. Originally, Baron Bohr did not take Emlyn's claim that he had a saint friend seriously, but now it seemed that he had been somewhat short-sighted.

"Then, because my colleagues often need to carry out missions involving supernatural powers, they may get injured, fall ill, or encounter curses during these missions, so I would like to talk to you about cooperation—as a vampire baron, you should be a master at concocting all kinds of potions with magical effects."

Roger didn't forget to give Baron Bohr another compliment at the end.

"So you want to buy medicine from me?"

Baron Bohr had by this point basically understood Roger's meaning.

"Correct."

Roger immediately admitted that this made Baron Bohr fall into deep thought.

To be honest, this was not the first time someone had made a similar suggestion to him, but considering that the amount the other party needed was not very large, and that Baron Bohr still had a lot of property at the time, he very rudely dismissed the other party.

Now, whenever he thinks about it, Baron Bohr feels a pang of regret, but there's no going back in this world. Besides, he has long since lost that person's contact information and cut off all ties with him.

Moreover, for a vampire like Baron Bohr, the low-key lifestyle meant he didn't have many social relationships with humans, and the coexistence of two extremely contrasting attributes—an outdoor enthusiast and a homebody—made him resist making new friends from the bottom of his heart.

If it weren't for Emlyn, a nerdy old man who also loves collecting things, Baron Bohr probably wouldn't have made friends with any creature other than vampires for a long time.

Baron Bohr's financial situation is not as good as it used to be, and the "Crimson Scholar" potion recipe he finally obtained will bring a lot of expenses - the price of the main ingredients for a Sequence 5 potion is so expensive that most people can hardly imagine it, and Baron Bohr really can't raise that much money in a short time.

Therefore, Roger's plan was like a godsend, and in addition, his previous act of handing over the potion formula to the "Crimson Scholar" had earned Baron Bohr's goodwill, so he agreed to it almost without any obstacles.

This relieved Roger, who shook hands with Baron Bohr.
"I will deliver the first batch of orders to you through White as soon as possible. I will appreciate your understanding at that time."

"No problem, don't worry."

Baron Bohr was also sincere in his attitude.

He was very satisfied with Roger's way of doing things. Roger did not rush to contact him directly, bypassing the middleman Emlyn, just because the two sides had reached a cooperation agreement. Instead, he still respected the existing relationship between the two sides.

This extremely precise grasp of boundaries further increased his opinion of Roger.

Roger did this because in his previous life he was also an old otaku who liked watching anime, collecting figurines and models.

Referring to the overused sayings on the internet, Baron Bohr is a typical "iron-willed" person. Therefore, Roger combined the characteristics of the current era of Rune with certain corresponding internet social etiquette to prescribe the right medicine, and sure enough, he won a lot of goodwill.

On the other hand, Roger having Emlyn handle a transaction between the two parties was also a kind of foreshadowing.

Because he originally planned to work with both Baron Bohr and Emlyn, he wanted to familiarize Emlyn with his requirements for potion standards and delivery procedures in advance, so that he could later entrust some less complicated types of potions to this young vampire.

Once this high-low mix is ​​established, Roger's overall costs will be significantly reduced, while also creating a subtle competitive relationship between the two and ensuring high-quality products.

After bidding farewell to Baron Bohr, Roger returned to 29 Worston Gardens.

By this time, Alice and the twins had returned from Harrods, dressed in beautiful clothes and carrying many new toys.

"teacher!"

"Cousin!"

Upon seeing Roger return, both twins rushed forward and each gave Roger a hug.

Although Roger always forced them to study, the two brothers still deeply respected and loved their cousin who had saved them from the dark and hopeless bunker in Torquay. So when they saw Roger, they were very excited and told him about their recent experiences.

Even though Roger had already heard Alice tell him most of these things, he still listened with a smile as the two brothers finished recounting their tales.

After finishing his conversation with the two of them, Roger looked at Alice and pulled out a stack of manuscript papers from his person:
"Alice, could you please give this sheet music to Alex when you have a moment, and let him try playing it and see how it goes?"

Upon hearing Roger's words, Alice paused for a moment: "Teacher, what piece of music is this?"

"Mr. Adams, the deputy director of the Royal Orchestra, has been looking forward to this piece, 'Spring in the Four Seasons,' for quite some time."

Roger said with a smile.

"Okay, how about this one?"

Alice could tell at a glance that the composition of the score was not as serious as that of "The Four Seasons: Spring," but rather very similar to "Aurora Love Letter," but she still spoke in an uncertain tone.

"This is a new pop song that reflects life at sea."

Roger smiled slightly: "Of course, as before, there are no lyrics yet. You can put more effort into that."

"Ok."

Alice nodded excitedly:

"So, teacher, what would be a good name for it?"

(End of this chapter)