Mystery: The Last Shepherd

Chapter 48 Business Trip?

The reward Luze received in the end was an extraordinary item, namely the white bone flute in Azik's possession.

“Infuse the flute with spiritual energy, blow it, and you can summon random undead creatures to command,” Azik said. “It contains my blood, so you can use it freely the first three times. But after the third time, the spiritual energy in the blood will be depleted. After that, the undead summoned may not obey your commands unless you are stronger than them.”

"How powerful does one have to be to use it at will?"

Lu Ze asked curiously.

"It needs to be at least in the middle sequence."

Azik handed him the bone flute.

Lu Ze thanked him and took it. The bone flute felt extremely cold to the touch, and its entire body was a lustrous, translucent white, but there was a trace of bright red swimming within it, which was probably Azik's blood.

After chatting with Azik for a few more minutes, Luze got up to say goodbye. He had come out under the pretext of practicing shooting at the range, and it wouldn't be good if he lingered too long and was discovered slacking off during work hours.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Luze took a public carriage back to Zotland Street, disembarking early at the street corner to walk a bit further and dispel the smell of cigars. When he stepped into Blackthorn Security Company, he found everyone there, and everyone's face was beaming with joy.

What's going on here?
"Did anything good happen?"

He asked Rosanne at the front desk out of curiosity.

"Payday is today!"

Rosanne said to Luzer incredulously, "I can't believe it! Luzer, how could you forget such a day? Go to Mrs. Oriana, the accountant, and collect your share."

Oh, I got my weekly salary.

Lu Ze suddenly realized that today was Friday, the day when the night watchmen would receive their weekly wages. He hadn't received his salary for the past two weeks because he needed money for resettlement when he joined the team and had received an advance of two weeks' wages. In other words, this was the first time he had officially received his salary.

"Then I'll go."

He smiled and walked quickly behind the partition.

Mrs. Orianna, the team's accountant, was in the first office on the right. She was a stylish woman in her thirties, wearing a sophisticated and elegant green ruffled dress that perfectly complemented her gentle demeanor. When she looked at Luze, a friendly smile appeared in her bright green eyes.

Good afternoon, madam.

Lu Ze had already met with her when he received his salary in advance, saying, "I'm here to collect this week's salary."

"Okay, now it's just you and Dunn who are left."

She took out a pay confirmation form, and sure enough, everyone else's places had already been stamped, except for his and Captain Dunn's.

"Isn't the captain here?"

Lu Ze took out a stamp from his wallet, dipped it in ink, stamped it, and asked a question.

"It seems he went to church; the bishop wanted to talk to him about something."

Mrs. Oriana took out a brass key, opened the safe in the room, and took out two banknotes. "Luze, I heard from others that you have done a lot of big things recently. At this rate, your salary may be raised soon."

"May the goddess bless you, and may your blessing be effective."

Lu Ze laughed.

There's an internal salary increase mechanism for night watchmen. Their contributions are recorded as merit points, and once a certain amount is accumulated, their salary increases, along with priority given to promotion opportunities. Furthermore, the higher a night watchman's rank, the higher their base salary. While Luze currently earns the base 6 pounds, his recent outstanding performance suggests a raise is likely imminent.

Especially since he is not allowed to be promoted, his salary increase will be even higher as compensation.

Luzer received his salary from Mrs. Oriana, in two bills, one for five pounds and one for one pound. The five-pound bill featured a portrait of Henry I, while the one-pound bill featured William VI; both men had similar features, serious expressions, and thick beards.

Yeah, I've seen it several times already, so I'm not excited anymore.

Luze put the two banknotes into his wallet, thinking to himself. The salaries of the Tingen Market Night Watchers are split equally between the Church of Goddess and the Akhova County Police Department. The police department also provides them with corresponding police status. Luze, for example, currently has a probationary inspector's uniform, which he can wear when investigating cases, making it easier to question members of the public.

Moreover, there's an even better thing about being a night watchman: their wages are tax-free, and they receive exactly what they're owed.

Lu Ze put away his salary and glanced at his wallet.

Previously, he had spent almost all of his advance salary on rent, buying formal clothes for himself and his sister, and paying tuition. Fortunately, he later received a house from Old Neil, which not only covered the weekly rent but also left him with a surplus of 6 sulphurs. In addition, the case of Lannault later earned him 50 pounds, which greatly improved his financial situation.

Lu Ze kept half of the money, kept the rest for himself, and gave his younger sister about 3 pounds as pocket money. The little girl didn't know how to spend the money and was just struggling with the banknotes.

However, I overheard my colleagues chatting that a Sequence 8 potion might cost over 400 pounds, which means I'd have to sell my house to afford it. Oh right, I still have two magical items. That bell isn't very useful, but I might consider selling it when I really need to buy a potion.

Lu Ze left the partition while calculating his assets.

As soon as he stepped out of the cubicle, he heard a cheerful female voice, "Well done! You've helped me vent my anger!"

Looking in the direction of the voice, he saw the voluptuous Mrs. Pound sitting in the hall, praising Blackthorn Security Company's outstanding capabilities with great enthusiasm. Leonard, sitting opposite her, smiled awkwardly and offered only perfunctory replies.

"Alright, I won't disturb your work any longer. Here, this is your remaining commission, plus my extra tip."

Mrs. Pound generously pulled out the remaining £7 from her purse, along with a full £5 note.

"Madam, your generosity is truly impressive."

Leonard praised him, his tone becoming much more sincere.

When Mrs. Pound heard him say that, she couldn't help but smile even more brightly.

"Hahahaha! That's because I suddenly received a huge sum of money. My idiot husband committed suicide in prison because he was so ashamed! I not only got the entire inheritance, but also a large sum of compensation from the company. The little tip I gave you is nothing!"

She laughed a few more times, then suddenly realized something was wrong because Leonard and Luzer's expressions were too serious.

"You mean, Mr. Pound is dead?"

Leonard forced a smile and asked.

“Yes, I heard from the police that that idiot made a rope out of a bedsheet and hanged himself in jail.” Mrs. Pound had absolutely no sympathy for her husband. “Serves him right! I’m going to spend all his money and use his wallet to support a gigolo.”

After seeing Mrs. Pound off from the security company, Leonard and Luzer exchanged a glance.

Do you believe Mr. Pound committed suicide?

"How can it be."

No matter how you look at it, he was silenced.

Just then, the company door opened again, and Dunn Smith hurried in.

"team leader."

The two men went to meet him, and Leonard said, "Mr. Pound has been silenced."

"I already know."

Dunn nodded and said, "Not only him, but other senior executives in the company who knew about it also committed suicide on the same night."

Just as the two were shocked by each other's utter lack of restraint, Lu Ze saw Dunn turn his gaze to him.

"Lu Ze, are you interested in business trips?"

he asked.