Chapter 1253: Chapter 1253: The Mission and Overlooked Facts
Mr. Osenfort shook his head and put the ring back on his rough finger:
"Thank you for your kindness. Something happened between Haila and me... Did she tell you not to say anything about it? She’s always like that, but I’m still regretful that you didn’t tell the truth. I thought you could become friends."
Listening to his words, Shard looked at Mr. Osenfort’s friends who were setting fires, trying not to show too contemptuous an expression:
"To me, you and your wife are just strangers. I met her first, so I agreed to her request."
"Do you sympathize with my wife? Guessing there’s a problem between us?"
Mr. Osenfort frowned and asked, his gray-blue eyes slightly reddened by the reflection of the firelight.
Shard smiled:
"I’m not someone who likes to meddle, and your wife obviously knows you better than I do. Of course, I would pity a woman who has suffered an emotional setback, but I don’t know you, beyond your names, I know nothing else about you. In such a situation, assuming things about others and even offering unsolicited help is something you only find in knight novels."
For Shard, at least someone needed to clearly ask for his help and offer a clear price—even if it’s just 1 penny—before he’d consider whether to assist.
[Last summer, you helped that woman find her child without considering the price.]
"She" suddenly said with a smile.
"That was for personal satisfaction, and that woman was not strange at all."
Shard responded in his heart, while Mr. Osenfort nodded:
"I think I understand what kind of person you are. You’d be better suited as a detective than a novelist."
"Coincidentally, I’m currently working on a detective novel. Like Draleon’s ’Hamilton Detective Stories,’ living off a single book for a lifetime is truly enviable."
After speaking, Shard squinted slightly:
"Mr. Osenfort, did you really invite me here today to talk about ’Genesis: Earth’?"
He glanced at the fire, which grew increasingly intense:
"If there’s nothing else, I think it’s time to leave."
"It is indeed about ’Genesis: Earth.’
Mr. Osenfort stopped him, crossed his muscular arms again after retrieving the ring:
"’Genesis: Earth’ is not in my possession, but I know who has it. Help me with some tasks, and I can tell you how to find him."
"I won’t set fires."
"No, not setting fires."
"Why choose me?"
Shard pointed to himself:
"I told you, I’m just an ordinary writer."
"But you beat me, twice."
Osenfort extended his hand again, his expression unusually serious, greatly enhancing his fierce appearance:
"You beat me, proving you’re better than me. If you don’t believe it..."
He glanced at his own and his companions’ horses nearby, which were equipped with guns and swords.
"I’m not going to duel with guns or compare swordsmanship here, I don’t know these things."
Shard quickly said, so Ston Osenfort took a dice out of his pocket:
"Let’s guess the point size, to see who guesses closer. I guess 1."
Shard frowned:
"6."
The ivory-like dice was thrown, then fell directly to the ground. After bouncing a few times, it stopped when it hit a crack, showing 5 on the upward face.
Shard remained silent, and Mr. Osenfort snorted:
"As expected... help me find some items. When I married Haila two years ago, apart from this family ring, I gave her a family heirloom ’Carsonrick Third-Class Battle Hero Badge’—earned by an ancestor about 300 years ago in a battle with Draleon, and a sapphire ear pendant set in glass. The main body is sapphire, and inside the glass pendant is a drop of my blood..."
This indeed sounded romantic.
"All three items are lost, don’t ask why, it’s a family matter. Now that you’ve found the ring, if you can also bring me the other two items, you will know who holds ’Genesis: Earth.’ Moreover, I am confident I can persuade the person to let you have it."
"Were they also thrown into the river?"
"Possibly in the river, but they could be anywhere in this city. All I can assure is the badge and earring are still in Randall Valley. Initially, I didn’t expect to recover them, but since you found the ring, I think you might also find the other two items."
Shard pursed his lips and remained silent for a moment:
"I accept this deal, but I can’t guarantee I’ll find it. After all, I’m the writer John Watson, not the famous detective Rejed’s Hamilton from the books."
"It’s okay, whether you find it or not isn’t particularly important to me. Later, I’ll have someone send photos of those two pieces of jewelry to the Abundant Land Inn."
"Alright, then we have an agreement. Pleasure working with you."
Shard extended his hand to him, and Mr. Osenfort was somewhat surprised, but also extended his hand to shake his.
Just as Shard expected, Mr. Osenfort’s hand was exceptionally rough. Shard, of course, didn’t have Director Anlos’s ability to judge someone’s profession through a handshake, but he could still discern that the person was more suited to wield a knife or gun.
[An ordinary person, at least judging from this contact, an ordinary person.]
The two didn’t release each other’s hands immediately; Mr. Osenfort suddenly exerted strength:
"Once you find the other two pieces of jewelry, just bring them directly to me, no need to give them to my wife. Besides the ’Genesis: Earth’, I can offer you an additional reward."
"I appreciate your generosity. Also, please don’t invite me to places like this again. It makes me feel like you’re trying to threaten me."
Feeling the force on his palm, Shard also exerted a bit of strength.
The firelight illuminated the profiles of the two men shaking hands. Ston Osenfort frowned slightly, while Shard glared at him. The large fire caused a flickering illusion on their shadowed faces, the sunset had already descended beneath the city by this time, making the clearer shadows flicker with the firelight.
Five seconds later, both Shard and Mr. Osenfort released each other’s hands. Shard didn’t use his full strength, so he was slightly at a disadvantage. But considering his self-proclaimed profession as a writer, this "slight disadvantage" was rather normal.
"You’ve got quite the strength; you don’t seem like a writer."
"A writer traveling on the Old Continent, if he weren’t strong, would have long known where he’d be buried. I never underestimate the risks of traveling alone."
"Then I’ll await your good news."
Mr. Osenfort said, and Shard nodded, turning to walk toward the horse tied in the woodland.
Riding back into town, Shard was still pondering about Mr. Osenfort. This man definitely had issues; this was the hint given by Shard’s sixth sense. Moreover, in past encounters with those associated with the ’Impermanence Card’, none were normal people; he harbored no delusions.
And the only question now was, what exactly his issue was:
"Could he be the Chosen One? But Luviya said, the Chosen One couldn’t be an ordinary person."
As he rode back to town, the sky had completely darkened, and as Shard galloped past one streetlight after another, the dim lights lit up in succession, providing the city with nighttime illumination.
In the Wilder Opera House, Miss Benanis was instructing the young members of the troupe in rehearsing a new opera. Shard noticed she was using the Unicorn’s Song he brought back from the Fifth Era.
"Is Miss Lathis here?"
Shard also entered the small side hall on the second floor, where Miss Benanis had the girls on stage singing high take a break, then invited Shard to sit down in the front row to talk:
"What, do you have business with her? What personal matters could you possibly have with Ciris?"
She realized the tone seemed off after she spoke, but fortunately, Shard didn’t notice it at all:
"I’m trying to trace a perfectly sculpted stone statue, which might be related to the Stonemason Guild."
He took out the photo of the stone statue, and Miss Benanis glanced at it:
"It’s too blurry, I have no impression. She’s representing me at a banquet, this time it’s the local Earl Johnson, inviting William Anjou and Margaret to the banquet. It seems he also wants to introduce his daughter to William Anjou. If you’re eager to find her, just go directly, I have an invitation here too."
"No rush, I still need to use a Time Key later, I’ll come tomorrow morning."
Shard said lightly:
"After all, it’s Sunday today, there’s no need to push myself too hard."
"I always feel like you’re very busy, always running around with a serious look. If you have nothing tonight, why not stay and watch the rehearsal with me? If you listen to me sing first, I can sing for you like last week."
The blonde Grand Witch smiled, wanting to return the photo to Shard, but after taking a closer look, she felt the face of the stone statue seemed familiar:
"This resembles Ciris’s father, Owen Lathis, you can ask her."
Last time when Shard took out the photo of "Mr. Thomas Granger", Miss Benanis also suggested that Miss Lathis take a look, to see if it was her missing father.
"Does it really?"
"I’ve never met Mr. Owen Lathis, only seen old photos. Plus, your photo of the stone statue is too blurry, I can’t be sure. Also, to me, men of this age generally look similar, without the distinction of height, weight, and attire, making it hard to identify."
It seems witches really aren’t interested in men at all:
"So, I can only say it looks very similar, but I can’t be certain."
Shard nodded, very puzzled why the statue of Miss Lathis’s missing father would be in the church, so he casually asked:
"I’ve always heard that Miss Lathis is a leader of an Old God Cult, may I ask which Old God she believes in?"
As the question came out, Shard suddenly blinked, very puzzled why he had never asked this question for so long. But after thinking carefully, this question didn’t seem important.
"Hmm?"
When he realized the things he had subconsciously ignored, realized the impact of "forgetting" and "ignoring", he felt as if struck by thunder, or as if Mia had hit him straight in the face. His mind quickly cleared, and those repeatedly ignored thoughts finally became fully transparent at this moment.