Mystery: I, the Hermit, am too eager to improve

Chapter 117 Oh no! Now it's my turn to feel bad!

"Mr. Isengard, it seems you haven't been doing very well lately."

Roy smiled.

When Isengard saw him, his face lit up with undisguised joy: "Mr. Green, I didn't expect you to come! Please come in!"

"Thanks."

Roy pushed up his hat and went inside to look into the living room.

well.

Klein isn't here!

It wasn't the kind of situation I had imagined, where we might just bump into each other.

He smiled and asked, "What happened?"

"Sigh, it's that same serial murder case again. Since the last two cases, he has recently killed three more people."

Isengard sighed and spoke of his troubles.

As a detective, and one who works closely with the authorities, it's normal for the pressure to be shifted onto Siviras when he faces a major problem.

There have already been five serial murders, and newspapers are increasingly criticizing the Siviras market.

For every additional person who dies, a few more policemen will arrive at Isengard's gate.

He's been thinking about moving lately.

Roy thought for a moment and said, "Detective Isengard, how far have you gotten in your investigation?"

"To be honest, we haven't found any clues. I feel there's some connection between the deceased, but I can't pinpoint what that connection is."

Isengard sighed.

Roy paused for a moment, vaguely recalling memories of the murder.

This demon appears to be a dog, and the people it kills all share a common characteristic—

All of them had worked as prostitutes.

Upon learning the result, he immediately became quite confident, sat down, and said, "May I see the case file? Or, has their identity information been fully investigated?"

"I can't give you the file, but I have some important information recorded. Based on what we know so far, it seems there was no professional overlap."

Eisinger handed him a piece of paper.

Roy took it and slowly read and watched it.

Eisinger thought for a moment and added, "However, based on my reasoning, the killer's weapon is very strange; it might be some kind of claw. As for the past files, I've already had the police investigate them."

At this point, Eisinger added his own "requirements".

"I hope you will try using divination to find out the other person's identity."

"Sure, but I also have my own needs."

Seeing that the other party had made their intentions clear, Roy no longer concealed his purpose; being straightforward would benefit everyone.

He smiled and said, "You've been in Backlund for many years, you must have met quite a few extraordinary people. I'd like to find a place where it's convenient to buy materials."

"I've never attended a party like this before."

Isengard said calmly, "You know, the more people you meet, the easier it is to expose yourself."

"What about the herbal medicine shop?"

Roy "settled for the next best thing."

Isengard hesitated for a moment, then said, "I know a pharmacist. Whatever you need, I can buy it for you."

"Yes, I need these things."

Roy took out the list.

He had already made a list in advance.

Eisinger took it.

The materials Roy gave him were all normal.

It consists entirely of herbs, medicinal materials, or readily available medicines and blood from extraordinary monsters.

They are inexpensive, but can be used as spellcasting materials for wizards.

As for the professor of the scroll.

Eisinger didn't think about that; he was more concerned about his case at the moment.

"If that's all, I can buy it for you."

"Okay, I'll give it a try, but it might not work."

Roy took out his pendant and tried about ten different divination phrases. Some yielded accurate results, while others failed to provide any precise information.

Then, he gently shook his head.

"The other party has the ability to counter divination, so it's impossible to accurately divine any information about him, but one thing is certain."

"Um?"

"These victims all have one thing in common: they all used to work in the same profession."

Roy said.

All the divination statements he successfully used avoided mentioning the murderer; instead, they directly divined information about the victim, completely omitting any statements related to the murderer and obtaining results through name divination.

Eisinger was stunned.

Then, he seemed to be deep in thought, his eyes scanning the list.

Five names, five identities, five professions—normally, they wouldn't all have the same professional characteristics, but…

There is one exception.

"prostitute!"

He took a breath, then became slightly agitated. "I should have realized it sooner. It's all women. No overlap in region, no apparent professions or other commonalities..."

Then there's only one possibility.

They also have professions hidden beneath their identities, the most easily associated with being "prostitutes".

"Indeed, apart from the maids, everyone else lived in the East District and the Bridge District. Many of the women who had lost their jobs in that area had been involved in this kind of business."

Roy chuckled, "Quick reasoning indeed."

"This is all thanks to your help."

Isengard smiled.

The demons, the ascension rituals, and the victims are all prostitutes.

With this information, he was confident that he could quickly find a breakthrough in the chaos. If all else failed, he could gather a few detectives he knew for a reasoning brainstorming session, which should also solve the problem.

"Well then, I wish you success, great detective."

Roy smiled.

Isengard waved his hand: "It's too early to talk about these things. Although we know this information, the other party has the ability to counter divination. Even if we find out their identity, we may not be able to catch them."

in contrast.

What if the devil finds out about what he's investigating...

Then the demons lurking in the shadows will likely target him.

"At least we have a direction now, but as for his identity, there's nothing I can do to help you with that."

Roy got up to say goodbye.

Eisinger immediately called out to them.

"Wait, you didn't give me the address. If I buy something, where should I send it?"

"Send it to the Harvest Church in the South District and hand it over to the bishop there."

Roy smiled faintly.

Isengard's hand holding the pipe froze instantly.

Is that what he asked?

They really don't leak anything. Compared to them, their location and address are practically transparent.

How much do I need to pay for those materials?

"No need. I got a bounty when Qilingus was killed last time, but I didn't share it with you. You can use that money to buy materials."

Isengard said calmly, then took a drag of his cigarette.

Roy's identity...

He had already guessed roughly what was going on.

Wizards, Dawn of Elements.

Such conduct is unlikely to be characteristic of the Morse Order. While those people may not be on par with the Aurora Order, they certainly do not possess such upright character.

Roy smiled and said, "See you later, friend."

"No, Green, we can't be called friends. You know where I live, but you didn't even give me your address."

Eisinger said.

Roy chuckled and said, "I've already told you I live in the South District. For a Guardian of Knowledge, finding where I am shouldn't be a problem."

The two exchanged a glance, then nodded in tacit agreement, not dwelling on the topic any further.

In a sense, this meeting was relatively frank and direct.

Roy got up and left.

……

In the afternoon, Roy returned to Rose Street and saw Klein enter the Harvest Church.

Ok?

What is he doing here?

Roy thought for a moment and suppressed his curiosity.

After a moment's thought, he did not go home, but instead went to Gar Street in the south.

Gar Street: Upano has already left by boat, but the grain merchants from Fenneport are still doing business here.

and.

Upon arriving here, Roy discovered something.

Ubano's men did not leave.

To be precise, Ubano Mohan is gone, but the man who looks a lot like Ubano, and Soze who bought the Warrior's Potion recipe from him, are still here.

They clearly didn't notice Roy.

"Ubano" was in front negotiating with others, while Soze was acting as a bodyguard at a distance behind.

Roy walked over and chuckled softly, "Soz, I thought you guys had already left, but it turns out you're still here."

"Who?"

Sozer whirled around, drawing his short sword. Seeing Roy, he immediately sheathed it, exclaiming with delight, "Mr. Green?!"

He immediately looked at "Ubano" in front of him, then jogged up and whispered in his ear, "Boss, Mr. Green."

"Ubano" turned his head, said a few words to the merchant, and then turned and walked directly towards Roy.

A stiff smile appeared on his face.

Obviously.

As the real Ubano's stand-in, he is somewhat different from the real person.

Not only were they inferior in strength, but their temperament and aura were also far inferior, to the point that Roy could tell who was real and who was fake at a glance.

"Mr. Upano, it's nice to see you again."

"Mr. Green."

"Ubano" smiled and shook hands, then pointed to the villa over there. "Shall we talk over there?"

"it is good."

He followed the other person to the familiar villa.

After sitting down, "Ubano" revealed his identity.

"Mr. Green, my real name is Mukh, and I work for the boss."

Mukh said respectfully.

"hunter?"

Roy sized him up.

Mukh's ethereal body was very healthy and his body was very strong. Moreover, his eyes were very bright, which made Roy feel that he was not an ordinary person.

Based on the style that Ubano has shown, he might be grouped into the same sequence to make the "shadow" effect more realistic.

The other person nodded slightly.

"I am a provocateur."

"..."

Provocateur?

Roy looked him over again.

Muh's lips twitched, and he explained, "The boss said we shouldn't rashly provoke a strong person, especially since you are our friend."

"Didn't you leave?"

"I just returned to Backlund the day before yesterday. We are businessmen, and the grain business must continue. As for the boss, he is in Feneport and hasn't come over."

Mukh replied.

Roy felt a pang of regret.

If I had known they would come back, I wouldn't have needed to ask Detective Isengard for help.

but.

fair enough.

The remaining portion can be entrusted to them, so that Isengard won't know that he has already reached Sequence 6, and the pressure of purchasing can be distributed.

Roy was secretly pleased.

He smiled slightly.

Where does your fleet usually go?

"We usually sell Fenneport's products to Rune, and then buy them from Rune to sell in Fursac. If you have any needs, we'll definitely sell them to you at a discount if we have them."

Mukh said in a friendly manner.

just.

Compared to Upano, his expression wasn't as friendly, lacking the feigned "sincerity."

"Do you have the blood of sea monsters? The blood of extraordinary monsters like fishmen would be best."

Roy stated his purpose, "I need them as materials for spellcasting."

"There really is!"

Muh slapped his thigh. "We encountered a fish-man on the way, but unfortunately, that guy was fast, and other sea beasts attacked, so we only managed to cut off one of his arms."

He turned his head.

"Soze".

"Yes."

After a short while, Soze, along with two male servants, carried a box into the hall.

Open the box.

Inside, a fish fin was wrapped in blood, making it look extremely gruesome.

Muhe coughed lightly, somewhat embarrassed: "Sir, is this alright?"

Blood.

Roy frowned and said, "It's a bit too diluted; the effect will be greatly reduced."

"But it is indeed the blood of fishmen."

Mukh spoke seriously.

Soze looked at Mukh, giving him frantic winks and even coughing a few times.

but.

Much continued to do things his own way.

"Sir, these things are hard to catch in the sea, especially in recent years, their numbers have been decreasing, and who would bother to bring one along?"

Soze remained silent.

Who has time to spare...

So why is it here?

He sighed silently.

Roy suppressed a laugh and said, "It is indeed fish-man blood, and I can buy it, but the price will have to be based on the amount diluted with water."

"Of course."

Soze spoke first.

Then he closed the lid.

"What about the fins?"

"We don't need the fins, as they can't be used for spellcasting. But I've heard they're great for grilling meat and making fish soup. Of course, you can also try slicing them and stewing them with sauerkraut."

That's sauerkraut fish.

Mukh had clearly never heard of such a way of eating before. He seemed about to say something, but upon seeing Soze's expression, he seemed to realize his earlier rudeness.

He thought for a moment, then smiled and said, "Since you know so much about this, why don't you stay tonight? I'll have someone make this thing according to your method."

Roy imagined it for a moment, and actually started to crave it—

Putting aside the fact that it came from a merman, that thing looks pretty tempting, but unfortunately he still needs to attend a meeting at the Mysterious Hall tonight.

This is Lovia's first time attending a meeting, so she can't afford to make a mistake.

He sighed regretfully, "No, I have things to do tonight."

"pity."

Mukh smacked his lips.

He found the idea quite appealing and was eager to try the so-called pickled cabbage stewed fish fillets.

After observing for a while, Sozer said, "Mr. Green, after we returned to Backlund, we heard about a terrible wizard in the southern district..."

"These are just rumors and shouldn't be taken too seriously, but some wizards do indeed use evil methods. If you see any wizards like this, please let me know."

"OK."

Soze looked at Mukh, his eyes carrying a warning.

The three chatted for a while longer. Seeing that it was getting dark and Klein was probably leaving, Roy got up to say goodbye.

But before leaving, he asked, "When are you leaving next?"

"It should take another week or two, right? We'll resupply and ship our goods here before considering going to Fusak. Why, do you want to come along?"

"Not for now, but I might need you to give me a ride next time. I'd like to visit Fussac and see the scenery of the North."

Roy said.

He really wants to go to Fussack.

The reason, of course, was not sightseeing, but rather to look for traces and legends about "Vargia" and see if I could find any related information.

of course.

If he really found the so-called "Vogana" in Fussac, he certainly wouldn't have rushed in headfirst.

Azik or Bernadette, one of them can always help me.

"Of course, but it will take two or three months for our fleet to return, so you may not be able to meet us next time."

Soze pulled out a badge. "Keep this safe. Whenever you see a fleet with this badge, it belongs to our Mohan family. You can board it without worry."

The top is a noble's emblem, while the back of the emblem is engraved with the Feneport word "Mohan".

This is the emblem of the Mohan family, representing Upano Mohan.

Roy carefully put it away: "Thank you, I'll keep it safe, and I'll return it to the captain when I get to Fursaur."

"No need to return it, the boss asked me to give it to you."

Soze laughed.

"Okay, please thank Mr. Upano for me."

Roy smiled and didn't take it seriously.

If you take it seriously, you'll lose.

If it were really for myself, I would have given him the badge as soon as we met. Why would I wait until now to bring it up?

but.

He didn't expose the deception, but accepted the favor, then got up to say goodbye and left Urbano's villa.

As for the bucket of blood, Roy paid £2, and Sozer promised to send someone to Rose Street.

The service was very warm and thoughtful.

After he left.

Soze then said, "Muh, you really should watch your mouth. Otherwise, not only will you ruin the friendship the boss has worked so hard to build, but we might also die here."

They had certainly heard the rumors about the wizard.

Contrary to the official report of an attack by a cult, according to their information, several wizards were fighting a major battle with another group in the south.

It is unclear who the deceased was.

But one thing is certain—

The participants are all powerful, and there may be extraordinary individuals with the ability to manipulate corpses.

This shows that Roy's strength is far greater than they imagined. Even if the boss has been promoted, Roy may not be afraid of them.

"How could I not know? Mr. Green isn't that petty. How could he possibly care about something so small? Do you think everyone is like that?"

Muh couldn't help but say, then sighed, "I'll be more careful next time."

Soze said quietly, "I shouldn't have worked with you next time. I always have to worry when I work with you."

……

When he returned, Roy glanced at his pocket watch.

It's still early.

With more than an hour to go before the "meeting," he entered the church and briefly told Utravsky that he had asked someone to temporarily leave the materials there.

Utravsky readily agreed.

Then, Roy asked Klein why he had come.

The priest then chuckled and said, "He came to me with the master key, hoping to find out where it came from. You sold it to him?"

"Yes, that magical item isn't very useful to me, but it might be more useful to detectives."

Roy smiled.

The priest nodded.

"He did indeed figure out how to get it lost."

"I'm glad you agree."

Roy responded with a smile.

Utravsky shook his head: "The things have been given to you, how you deal with them is your business. As for him, Mother Goddess will not refuse any lost soul in need of help."

"Praise the Mother Goddess!"

Roy symbolically praised and revered Mother Earth before preparing to leave, just as a commotion arose from the basement.

He smiled and ignored it.

Emlyn, huh.

Roy had a vague feeling about it last time, but the other party's fate wasn't on his side, and the study group already had a pharmacist...

If another vampire comes along, everyone can produce and consume their own.

He walked out of the church, then suddenly stopped, a question on his mind.

Klein has already obtained the extraordinary trait of the Master of the Puppet, so he should be able to create his own alt account to participate in the Tarot Club.

So.

Won't Klein be able to profit from both sides in the future?

On the contrary, it was myself.

If he wanted to hide his identity as "Number 2", he wouldn't be able to show too many of Roy's characteristics at the study session.

broken!

Chapter Two is almost finished; it will be released in about half an hour at most.

(End of this chapter)