Near noon that day, Li Yue appeared before a magnificent mansion. Since that morning, her thoughts had been in disarray, and she felt a strange, inexplicable irritability. Fortunately, her mental fortitude was strong enough that she quickly composed herself.
A white-haired elderly man opened the door. He greeted Li Yue warmly, showed her to her room, and instructed a maid to help her settle in.
It wasn't until after their formal introductions that Li Yue realized this man was her client, Miller.
Miller had acquired several cultural relics at a previous auction. According to him, they were burial goods from ancient tombs. The most precious among them was a chalice, which gods were said to have used for heavy drinking.
Li Yue thought it sounded like nonsense, but out of respect for her employer, she maintained a facade of humble curiosity.
She had no choice; he was simply paying too much. Otherwise, how could she have turned down the captain’s offer of a paid vacation...
For just three days and nights of guarding, he offered a reward of fifteen silver coins. According to Roland, because they were looking out for the new member, ten of those silver coins would go to Li Yue. To put that in perspective, Li Yue’s weekly salary was less than ten silver coins.
One silver coin could be exchanged at the bank for ten copper coins. A single copper coin could buy a decent loaf of bread. To save money, she had checked the prices of meat and fresh vegetables once and immediately abandoned the idea of cooking for herself, opting instead for tomato pasta at two copper coins a serving.
There would surely be a generous tip after the job was done. Save it up, save it all up. Li Yue’s mental calculator was clicking away.
Li Yue’s current living situation was a bit awkward. She hadn't found a suitable place yet, so she was temporarily staying in Roland’s lounge back at the small western-style building. That room had originally been prepared for Roland in case he needed to work through the night, but they had moved a bed in and rearranged it for her.
She also had to make sure her bath times didn't clash with Kelly’s.
Sometimes Roland would fall asleep at his desk while organizing clues or handling contracts in the middle of the night. Li Yue would occasionally see this when she brought him coffee.
Thinking about it made her feel a twinge of guilt, so she planned to find a place to rent as soon as possible.
Now, the opportunity had arrived. A job from a loaded client—good pay, low effort, just dealing with a few potential petty thieves. It was a sweet deal no matter how she looked at it.
However, following protocol, Roland had still given Li Yue two self-defense tools. After all, there was always a chance a routine task could escalate into an abnormal event; Roland had encountered one or two such cases in the past couple of years.
Li Yue followed Miller as he toured her through his collection, from swords hanging on the first-floor living room wall to the cane of a king from the fallen Twilight Royal City. There were all sorts of dusty antiquities, crystals, and small agate ornaments.
If she knew a black market dealer who would take them, Li Yue felt she might just make off with a few relics. The chance to make a small fortune was right in front of her.
As she indulged in her fantasies, the corners of her mouth subconsciously curled into a very beautiful smile. Suddenly, she realized something was wrong.
No, no, no! How can I have such thoughts? Where is my conscience? My professional ethics?!
Li Yue touched her left chest, wanting to listen closely to the heartbeat of her conscience.
It felt soft and elastic, quite comfortable to the touch like a soft cushion, but it was silent—not a single throb. She froze for a moment, ignoring Miller, who was talking incessantly.
Is the fat so thick I can't even feel my heartbeat? Oh no, I really have been blinded by greed!
Oh, wait, I don't think I have a heart anymore. Never mind then.
She touched the blood crystal just below her neck. It felt smooth and was shaped like a rhombus.
Occasionally, she would stare blankly at this blood crystal in the mirror and think about many things—the past, the present, and the ethereal future.
She wondered if this thing that had replaced her heart had also replaced her sense of justice, kindness, and moral compass.
Could a creature that lost its sense of justice, sympathy, and kindness still be called human? Or was it just a monster...
A flicker of loneliness crossed Li Yue’s eyes. When she snapped back to reality, she realized Miller was staring intently at the "heart" her right hand was caressing.
“Miss, which merchant guild did you buy that blood crystal on your chest from?” Miller adjusted his monocle, a fervent heat in his eyes.
“Huh?”
“Almost no merchant guild on the entire continent has blood crystal mines. Only the Royal Court’s guilds and official channels have them.” Miller stepped closer to examine the blood crystal beneath Li Yue’s neck.
Because she felt uncomfortable when the blood crystal was pressed, she never fastened the top button of her clothes. For important occasions, she wore the black dress she had been wearing when she woke up in the carriage.
Roland said that outfit had good protective effects, like the combat skirts of the Royal Court nobility, but because it was too flashy, Li Yue almost never wore it.
Now, she regretted it a little. If she had known, she would have found a way to cover it up.
“I have never seen such a pure blood crystal. No, it should be called a blood diamond; from a distance, it looks like it has no impurities at all.” Miller rubbed his hands together. “If you are willing, I can exchange any two items from my collection for it. No, four! No, its value is immeasurable!”
My life is certainly immeasurable in value...
Li Yue was somewhat speechless.
“This is a family heirloom... uh...” Li Yue was at a loss for words, not knowing how to deflect him.
“It’s fine, I understand. If you ever decide to sell it, you must remember to contact me. I live right here.” Miller smiled. “I believe this will surely become my most perfect collectible!”
Li Yue swallowed hard and forced a smile, following Miller as he continued to speak about the history of the relics.
“It seems you truly love these ancient artifacts.”
“Perhaps it’s because I’m old; I’ve become particularly obsessed with these aged things. Unfortunately, few people can see their value. Many were items that failed to sell at auction before I snapped them up.”
The collections on the first and second floors served as decorations, placed in the living room, drawing rooms, and such. At night, they only required guards to patrol.
Most of the collection consisted of ancient relics. In Li Yue’s previous world, these things would be precious, but in this world, they were merely expensive luxuries. They weren't worth fighting over. What was truly precious in this world were ancient magical items. Anything untouched by magic had no collector's value and couldn't be exchanged for magical currency.
There was another type of currency that circulated among mages, but since Li Yue had only been on the job for a few months and hadn't received that kind of pay yet, she hadn't looked into it.
Li Yue began to understand why Kelly and Roland considered this an easy job. She and Miller had done a full circuit, and not a single item in the collection was a magical tool. They were all just antiques traded privately. They might be expensive, but an ordinary person couldn't sell them if they stole them because trading such items was prohibited. Mages had no reason to steal them because they were only good for decoration.
Originally, seeing so many valuable items, Li Yue was afraid mages might come to steal them, but once she considered the logic of this world, she realized that was impossible.
For these three days of work, Li Yue felt she was just filling in for an ordinary guard. Walking around at night would be enough.
However, the pay was indeed quite high. Perhaps this kind of businessman had deep cooperation with the government and knew about demon hunters, so he specifically went to the small western-style building to post the request.
After all, without some government connections, one wouldn't dare to openly buy things from underground auctions and then flaunt them at home.
It might also be why Mr. Miller didn't question her strength; he probably knew from the start that everyone in their organization was a mage.
A mage willing to act as a guard, even an apprentice, was much stronger than an ordinary person. Mages were rare, after all—it was an iron rice bowl.
But why did this man specifically hire a mage to be a guard when these were just antiques? Did he have many enemies seeking revenge?
Or was he just short on staff for the short term, so he increased the pay to quickly find someone from a nearby security company to fill in?
As she walked upstairs, Li Yue forced herself to stay calm. Perhaps Kelly was right; she hadn't yet moved past the shadow of that day and was being too tense. It was just a normal guard job, yet she was overthinking it.
Maybe she needed to find something to do while letting herself settle down? But she hadn't felt much about the events of that day. This tension probably stemmed from...
Right! That bizarre dream. That normal yet bizarre dream. It was just a nightmare; once she calmed down, she should be fine.
Li Yue let out a sigh of relief, her thoughts continuing to drift.
Yesterday, she had been too tired from the medicine to go to the post office or think about writing to Clo. She still had some of that medicine left; she would take it again when the hunger returned.
“We’re here. Look, this is my proudest collection: the Blood Cup.” Miller cleared his throat and began his introduction eagerly as soon as they entered the third floor. “It is said that this was a cup favored by the gods. It can keep red wine from ever spoiling.”
Li Yue looked toward the sound. A dark gold wine flagon sat on a piece of black velvet. The walls of the cup reflected a faint golden light, with several vipers coiled around it. Even the scales on the snakes were meticulously carved. Miller took a bottle of red wine from a nearby cabinet and slowly poured it. The dark red liquid gradually filled the cup, eventually settling into stillness.
Li Yue stared at it for a while but saw nothing unusual. It was just an ordinary cup with no aura of magic.
“I bought this for a high price from a young lad. He said it was his family heirloom,” Miller said, glancing at the blood crystal beneath Li Yue’s neck.
Li Yue smiled faintly, offering her silent regards to Miller’s ancestors. She didn't want to try and explain that this was her life source, as that would sound quite strange...
“Well? Isn't it exquisitely made? Although I don't quite believe those legends, it really is beautiful.”
Li Yue nodded in agreement. Miller wasn't in a hurry to drink, as if he wanted to verify the claim. He led Li Yue downstairs, explained the work for the afternoon, introduced her to several other guards also responsible for security, and arranged her room. In the evening, Miller hosted her warmly.
When it was time to rest at night, Li Yue placed her longsword across her knees, took a pen, and began drafting a letter.
“Dear Miss Clo,”
“It has been a long time since we last spoke, and I have been thinking of you. (That’s just a formality; I haven't actually missed you much.)”
“I’m sorry, I forgot to write to you these past few days. I successfully joined the demon hunter team under the name Nolan. By the way, so you actually knew how to give someone a normal name. I’m calling you out on that right now.”
“I met someone named Roland. He’s my captain. His magic is related to music, and he’s very impressive.”
“Although I have a job now, the financial crisis still exists. I’m doing some part-time work and will be patrolling later tonight. I had a nightmare last night and have been feeling unsettled lately. Occasionally, I feel an inexplicable hunger.”
“Funny story, my employer has a cup that looks like it’s being strangled by snakes. He says it’s a cup favored by gods. I think he got scammed.”
“How have you been lately? How is academy life? If you have time, write back.”
“From the Miss Jormungandr who doesn't really miss you.”
Li Yue tucked the letter away and, taking advantage of her break, ran to the nearest post office to send it. By the time she returned, the sky was nearly dark. She lit a kerosene lamp and paced through the dark corridors.
In the collection room on the third floor, the dark red color in the wine cup gradually faded. In the dim, secret room, it took on a bright, fresh red hue. The scales on the coiled snake bodies emitted a faint golden glow, and within the pitch-black eyes, a pair of gold vertical pupils opened.
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