June 17, 1399, 7:10 PM.
An inconspicuous hired carriage crossed the barricades on Lion King Avenue in the eastern part of the Iris District.
Whenever a noble hosted a major event, the surrounding streets would be cordoned off by the blue uniforms. This was a privilege unique to the Iris District, quite different from banquets held elsewhere. After all, both the hosts and the guests were powerful nobles with status and titles; in the eyes of the Hall of Order, ordinary merchants and commoners simply couldn't compare.
The carriage drove straight to the front of the Count's residence. Mr. Lynch Levive, the private detective, hopped down. He turned and extended his hand, and a tall lady wearing a long black dress, a red feathered hat, black silk stockings, and red high heels gracefully stepped out, placing her hand in his.
Officer Natalie Angel.
With her hand resting somewhat awkwardly on Lynch's arm, the two exchanged a glance and walked toward the gates of the Count's residence.
“Mr. Lynch Levive and his female companion have arrived!”
At the sound of the announcement, a subtle stir rippled through the blurry figures lurking in the shadows both inside and outside the gates, and a message was quietly sent out.
They're here, they're here.
Accompanied by the doorman's booming voice, the gates of the Count's residence slowly swung open. Lynch adjusted his slightly mismatched bowtie, raised his cane before lowering it again, smiled at Officer Natalie beside him, and stepped through the gates side by side with her.
Sixteen gas torches, like sixteen giant bonfires, cast a faint reddish glow onto the night sky, while sixty-four gas lamps illuminated the courtyard of the Count's residence, making it as bright as day.
In the early summer evening breeze, elegant guests mingled amidst a scene of peace and prosperity.
The courtyard had been arranged as a cocktail reception venue, filled with the fresh scent of flowers and grass.
An orchestra of dozens, dressed in neat black tailcoats, played a symphony in a corner of the garden. Over twenty professional security guards in black formal wear patrolled the perimeter, working alongside the waiters to maintain order.
On the stone pavement surrounding the fountain, the early arrivals were impeccably dressed, chatting and laughing softly to the melodious music.
“According to our intelligence, Prince William's faction wants to seize the gem before we deliver it to Princess Chloe—or at least before Her Highness has a chance to secure it. I've been hiding out in the Church of Suffering for the past two days, only leaving today under your escort. Tonight is their only chance.”
“Yes, so there's a high probability they will strike at the banquet.” Officer Natalie held Lynch's arm awkwardly, her eyes scanning the venue as she asked without turning her head, “Did you really bring the gem?”
“Of course,” Lynch said, patting his wrist and then the lining of his formal suit. “How else could I bait them into action?”
“I don't understand. Do you want them to steal the gem or not? Isn't that...”
“Of course it can't be stolen. Remember, absolutely not,” Lynch said, his face hardening as he spoke with utmost gravity. “We must do everything in our power to protect the gem. If it gets taken, we'll be put in an extremely passive position. As for the reason... I'm sorry. It's not that I don't trust you or want to hide things from you, but the details aren't suitable for you to know right now. Once this is over, you will know everything.”
“I don't need you to promise me anything.” Although she didn't understand the reason, Officer Natalie nodded and said softly, “I know how I should handle this now. But honestly, the safest way would be to hand the gem over to Princess Chloe right now.”
“If we were going to deliver it in secret, we wouldn't need this banquet,” Lynch smiled and explained. “I'm a greedy man. When I hand over the gem, I also want to gain some reputation. That's why Her Highness Chloe organized this banquet, to provide me with a stage to publicly deliver the quest item. Heh, this was intentionally leaked through the informant in Lord Lorand's household. That's why they targeted today as their action date from the very beginning; otherwise, they would have made their move much earlier.”
Seeing Officer Natalie nod thoughtfully, Lynch added, “As for her coming out early to meet us, that would violate etiquette and be considered frivolous and impolite. For a noble, that is a serious stain. As a princess of a nation, she cannot do that. No matter how important the matter is, etiquette must not be discarded.”
“So we have to wait until she makes her entrance.”
“Yes. In forty-five minutes, which is exactly eight o'clock, she will make her appearance to give a speech. The speech will end five minutes later, and she will begin welcoming the most important guests. That is when we'll have room to maneuver. So, we just need to hold out for fifty minutes from now, and it will all be over. But within these fifty minutes, we must remain vigilant at all times.”
“I understand. So this fifty-minute window is their chance, and they will use every means possible to snatch the gem. I know the style of the Rangers and the Hall of Order all too well. They aren't much help against external enemies, but they are highly skilled at causing trouble internally.”
Officer Natalie's gaze swept over the surroundings—the early arrivals, the bustling servants, and the black-clad security personnel. Already, over a hundred people had gathered in the courtyard.
“They must have a group of their people lying in wait in this courtyard, blending into the guests under various guises. Every single person around us could be an enemy.”
Lynch's eyes flickered as he lowered his voice. “Including those noble guests?”
“Yes, including them,” Officer Natalie replied in detail, speaking on her area of expertise. “In a setting like this, they can't attack us using overly conspicuous methods, as that would amount to rebellion. Therefore, they will definitely opt for covert means. There aren't many professionals actually executing these methods, but they require a lot of people to cooperate, much like the hounds they train for tracking and tailing. So, the guests you mentioned are highly likely to be the ones providing cover, while the true professionals hide among them.”
“Haha, Mr. Levive, we meet again.”
Before Officer Natalie could finish her sentence, a man's voice came from the side. Turning around, they saw two inspectors from the Hall of Order sitting in a corner, smoking. They were surrounded by several guests dressed as commoners. Seeing the two approach, they immediately waved with beaming smiles.
“Mr. Detective, I heard your quest is progressing quite well! To have news in just a few days... you truly deserve your reputation as Rhine City's famous detective. With you making progress so quickly, our entire Hall of Order shares in the... Oh? Officer Angel is here too? I thought it would be the young lady of the Valente family.”
“The church had other matters, so Miss Valente couldn't attend. I could only ask Ms. Angel to accompany me.”
Lynch was about to engage in polite small talk when he felt a signal from Officer Natalie on his arm. Realizing something was off, he laughed and gave a few perfunctory remarks before steering them away. The two inspectors didn't stop them, merely casting meaningful glances at Natalie as both sides bid each other a warm farewell.
The moment they were out of earshot, Lynch immediately asked, “Is there something wrong with those two?”
“They themselves might be fine, but the people beside them are problematic. One is a well-known jewelry appraisal expert from the black market, and the other is a tracker rat—a profession specialized in tracking treasures, usually active in thief guilds. These two aren't the most dangerous, but with them here, we can't rule out the presence of other 'talents' I don't recognize.”
Lynch nodded. “I see. It's no wonder. They might not be under the direct command of the Rangers, but they are certainly influenced by the city hall and Mayor Howard. It seems...”
“Mr. Detective, what a pleasure to meet you.”
Another greeting interrupted their private conversation. Looking toward the sound, it was a noble who had attended the last banquet, seemingly Baron Duron from the finance department, accompanied by several other nobles and their servants.
“Careful. That gray-haired one is a famous pickpocket in Rhine. It's best not to get too close to him.”
Lynch frowned, saying in distress, “But in this kind of setting, I can't just find a corner to hide in and avoid socializing, especially since everyone already knows I've arrived. Otherwise, the impact on my reputation would be too severe.”
“True. We'll do it your way for this sort of thing, so go ahead. But wait a moment.”
Officer Natalie bit her lip in thought for a moment, then suddenly gestured to a waiter and took a glass of champagne from his tray.
A burly, bearded waiter with a fierce face.
“With a banquet this lively, we can't let the Rangers have all the fun.”
Taking the glass, Natalie gave the bearded waiter a meaningful look. The bearded man chuckled, turned around, and vanished into the crowd. Officer Natalie gave a soft, cold laugh and slipped the glass into Lynch's hand.
“It's indeed inconvenient for us Watchers to openly take a side, but we have absolutely no psychological burden when it comes to causing trouble for the Rangers in private. Besides, this is assisting a princess of Salter in recovering stolen items related to the occult, which is well within the duties of the Watchers.”
Thus, with the bearded man's departure, quite a few people in the venue quietly began to move.
Rate on N.U.
