Mr. Rat of the Steam World

Chapter 8 Earl Biden
"Unable to become extraordinary, yet they say you can give it a try..."

Back in his territory, Lu Ran took out paper and pen and began to review and analyze the known information to avoid forgetting it over time.

"If I were to give it a try, would it be Anthony offering me this opportunity? He said he couldn't obtain the potion himself, so when will I be able to get it? Only when I return to the church..."

Lu Ran expanded his thinking and wrote a line heavily on the paper.

[If Anthony is captured by the church, he might offer the ritual and his personal information as compensation. If I come under the church's radar, I'm unsure whether they will accept or reject me, whether it's an opportunity or a danger...]

Lu Ran wrote each stroke carefully.

"The worst outcome is being eliminated or becoming a test subject. The best outcome is being accepted by the authorities, successfully contacting the extraordinary to obtain the magic potion, and gradually increasing my strength, but even this best outcome doesn't seem good."

Lu Ran stopped abruptly.

"Potions, extraordinary abilities... Something's not right with this world's system. We can't make any rash moves. We should just wait patiently for the system's magical enlightenment."

This was the first time Lu Ran felt no longing for extraordinary power. The overly demanding upgrade conditions, requiring not only faith in a god but also the consent of another party for advancement, were unappealing, especially when he knew his system could inspire magical directions.

"By the way, the system?"

Lu Ran suddenly had a flash of inspiration and started testing something on the system.

Inspiration: Two-dimensional foil (Unable to determine if the two-dimensional foil is the direction of inspiration, please select again)

Inspiration: Thirty-Six Transformations of the Heavenly Gang (Unable to determine the direction of inspiration for the Thirty-Six Transformations of the Heavenly Gang, please select again)

Enlightenment: The Laws of Heaven and Earth (Unable to determine if the Laws of Heaven and Earth will become the direction of Enlightenment, please select again)

Lu Ran's expression changed slightly when he saw the result.

"Therefore, not all imaginary creations can inspire..."

He just suddenly thought of this and decided to give it a try, but he didn't expect it to actually find a problem.

A guess couldn't help but arise in Lu Ran's mind.

"In other words, the fact that magic can inspire might mean that magic exists in this world, or at least that there is fertile ground for magic. But why did Anthony only mention the potion system?"

Lu Ran recalled some of the strange tales of this era, which included stories similar to druids and vampires. In addition, there were quite a few novels about magic. This was why Lu Ran's first reaction was to write down the word "magic." At the time, he felt that if there was anything extraordinary in this world, it should be something similar to magic. But now it seems that it is not. An alternative potion system is dominant.

In terms of the ability it demonstrates, it looks pretty good. For most ordinary people in this world, it is a blessing to obtain extraordinary power, no matter how harsh the conditions are.

But Lu Ran is different. He read a lot of online novels in his previous life, and in his eyes, the upgrade system of magic potions is not even as good as the current industrial technology tree. At least in terms of technology, he can rely on himself to develop the upper limit of technological and military power. However, the upper limit of the extraordinary system that Anthony mentioned is controlled by others.

"What exactly is the relationship between the government, the church, and God?"

Lu Ran rubbed his head, having made up his mind.

It's best to stay far away from the unknown. He has too many secrets and must develop steadily. In particular, his future magical enlightenment doesn't seem to be something that can be exposed in the open. Under no circumstances can he continue to stay in Anthony's sight.

"We have to run away, we absolutely have to run away."

Lu Ran gritted his teeth, but then he remembered Anthony's knowing look.

"How exactly did this guy observe me?"

It's impossible to know for sure, but he suddenly knew how to reply to Miss Afra.

……

The long-awaited rain finally cleared up, much like the long-awaited reply in the young girl's heart. Afra Biden tiptoed around, her skirt blooming like a flower, then lightly ran to the stone table on the terrace and carefully placed the letter on it.

The afternoon sunlight filtered through her light golden curls, casting dappled patterns of light on her cheeks. Her lake-blue eyes, always sparkling like two pools of clear spring water, were now curved into beautiful crescent moons.

After revealing her identity, she considered many possible replies from the other party. Perhaps he would ask for more payment under the guise of exchanging knowledge, or perhaps he would add flattery to try and climb the social ladder. Of course, what she hoped for most was that the detective would not care about her identity and would continue to offer his guidance as a wise man.

only……

"Grey mouse?"

Afra rubbed her eyes, glanced at the opened letter uncertainly again, and raised her voice.

"You're going to give me a gray squirrel!?"

Dear Ms. Afra Biden:

I admire your candor and prudence. The duty of a detective is to sift through conflicting testimonies to find the truth. Those who are famous may not necessarily possess the truth. I do not find your practice of "seeking verification from multiple detectives" offensive. On the contrary, this reverence for the truth is the most precious light of reason.

Learning to observe isn't complicated. If you're not afraid, I might send you some gray mice to observe. Hopefully, you can also see the essence from the details, and then perhaps you can become an excellent detective.

Looking forward to your observation diary.

Sherlock Holmes.

Afra was a little embarrassed by the praise, but she didn't understand what insight had to do with gray rats. Was she supposed to learn some lesson from the inconspicuous gray rats in her life?

Perhaps it's... an assessment?

Correct!
"What are you looking at so seriously?"

The sudden sound startled Afra, who instinctively put the letter behind her back. However, this action aroused the suspicion of the old man opposite her.

Earl Biden looked his daughter up and down, and a bad feeling suddenly crept into his heart.

That explains why I was suddenly asked to break off the engagement.

Afra realized what was happening and quickly waved her hand: "It was a detective. He helped me investigate Zell's case. Those famous detectives only speak well of Zell, which makes me suspect that they might have been paid by that gambler. You can't expect me to marry a gambler, can you?"

After saying this, Afra ran to Earl Biden's side and hugged his arm, flashing the letter in front of his eyes.

"See? It's really nothing."

Earl Biden had excellent eyesight; in that brief moment, he actually caught a glimpse of a few words.

"What is a gray rat? Why would he talk to you about gray rats?"

"It's probably to train my observation skills, why do you care so much?"

Afra hurriedly shoved Earl Biden away, leaving him both amused and exasperated.

"Okay, okay, take your time."

Earl Biden left with a smile, the upturned corners of his mouth gradually flattening as his pace quickened. His silver-grey curly hair cascaded down his velvet bow tie like a lion's mane, and his deep brown eyes, set in their sockets, exuded a hint of coldness. Following him, an old butler in a black tailcoat quickly approached, nodding slightly in anticipation of orders.

"Investigate the source and background of that letter."

"Yes, sir."

(End of this chapter)