June 17, 1399, 7:10 PM.
An inconspicuous public carriage passed through the police blockade on Lion King Avenue in the eastern part of the Iris District.
Whenever nobles held large-scale events, the surrounding neighborhoods were sealed off by the blue uniforms. This was a unique privilege of the Iris District, quite different from banquets elsewhere. After all, both the hosts and the attendees were powerful nobles with status and titles; in the eyes of the Hall of Order, common merchants or even ordinary civilians simply did not compare.
The carriage pulled up directly in front of the count's mansion. Mr. Lynch Levive, the private detective, jumped down and turned back to offer a hand. A tall lady in a long black dress, a red feathered hat, black silk stockings, and red high heels stepped gracefully down from the carriage while holding his arm.
Officer Natalie Angel.
Her arm rested somewhat unnaturally on Lynch's sleeve. The two exchanged a glance and walked toward the mansion gate.
"Mr. Lynch Levive, arriving with his companion!"
Upon hearing this announcement, a subtle commotion stirred among the blurry figures lurking in the shadows inside and outside the gate, and then a message was quietly passed along.
They're here. They're here.
Accompanying the gatekeeper's booming voice, the mansion gates slowly opened. Lynch straightened his slightly mismatched bowtie, raised his cane before him, then lowered it again. He smiled at Officer Natalie beside him, and they stepped into the mansion courtyard together.
Sixteen gas torches, like sixteen giant bonfires, made the night sky glow with a faint red hue, while sixty-four gas lamps made the mansion courtyard as bright as day.
In the early summer evening breeze, the scent of clothes and hair mingled with the sounds of singing and dancing.
The mansion's courtyard had been arranged into a banquet venue, permeated with the fresh scent of flowers and grass.
A band of dozens of musicians, dressed in neat black tailcoats, played symphonies in a corner of the garden. Over twenty professional security guards in formal black attire patrolled the perimeter of the venue, maintaining order alongside the servers.
On the stone-paved ground surrounding the fountain, the guests who had arrived early were impeccably dressed, chatting and laughing amidst the melodious music.
"According to intelligence, Prince William's side hopes to seize the gem before we deliver it to Princess Chloe—at the very least, to snatch it before the Princess has time to take action. I have been hiding in the Church of Suffering for the past two days, only leaving today under your escort. So, tonight is their only opportunity."
"Hmm, so there is a high probability they will make a move at the banquet." Officer Natalie held Lynch's arm awkwardly, her gaze scanning the venue. She asked without turning her head, "Did you really bring the gem?"
"Of course." Lynch patted his wrist, then patted the lining of his formal jacket. "If I didn't bring it, how would I lure them into acting?"
"I don't understand. Do you actually want them to steal the gem? Isn't that..."
"Of course it cannot be taken. Remember, absolutely not." Lynch put on a stern face and said with great seriousness, "We must do everything in our power to protect the gem. Once it is taken, we will fall into an extremely passive situation. As for the reason, I apologize; it is not that I don't trust you or am hiding it from you, but the inside story is not something you are suited to know right now. After the incident is over, you will know everything."
"I don't need you to promise these things." Although she did not understand the reason, Officer Natalie nodded and whispered: "I know what attitude I should have now. But in truth, the safest way would be to hand the gem over to Princess Chloe right now."
"If I were to hand it over quietly, there would be no need for this banquet." Lynch smiled and explained, "I am a very greedy person. While delivering the gem, I also hope to gain reputation. That is why Princess Chloe held this banquet to provide me with a stage to publicly hand over the mission item. Heh, this was leaked on purpose through an informant in Lord Lorand's household. That is also why they chose today as the action date from the very beginning; otherwise, they should have acted earlier."
Seeing Officer Natalie nod thoughtfully, Lynch added, "As for her coming out early to contact us, that would violate etiquette and be considered frivolous and rude. For a noble, that is a serious stain on their reputation. As a princess of a nation, she cannot do that. No matter how important the matter, one cannot lose etiquette."
"So we must wait for her to come out."
"Yes, forty-five minutes from now, at exactly eight o'clock, she will appear to give a speech. Five minutes after the speech ends, she will begin welcoming the most important guests. That is when there will be room for action. So from now on, we must hold out for fifty minutes, and then everything can end. But within these fifty minutes, we must remain vigilant at all times."
"I understand. In other words, these fifty minutes are their time window. They will seize the opportunity to use every means to take the gem. I am very familiar with the style of the Rangers and the Hall of Order. They are not very useful against external enemies, but they are quite proficient at adding trouble internally."
Officer Natalie scanned her surroundings. The early arrivals, the servants coming and going, the security guards in black—there were already over a hundred people gathered in the courtyard:
"There must be a group of their people lurking in this courtyard. These people will blend into the guests under various identities, so everyone around us could be an enemy."
Lynch's eyes flickered, and he whispered, "Including those noble guests?"
"Yes, including them." Speaking of her professional field, Officer Natalie answered in great detail. "In an occasion like this, they cannot attack us with overly conspicuous methods, or else it would be an insurrection. Therefore, they must choose those subtle means. There are not many professionals who actually execute these methods, but they need many people to cooperate, just like the hounds they train for tracking and tailing. So those guests you mentioned are likely the ones cooperating, while the true professionals are hidden among them."
"Haha, Mr. Levive, we meet again."
Before Officer Natalie's words had even faded, a man's voice came from the side. Looking back, two inspectors from the Hall of Order were sitting in a corner smoking, surrounded by several guests dressed as civilians. Seeing the two walk over, they immediately waved with beaming smiles:
"Detective, I heard your mission is progressing quite well. It's only been a few days and you already have news. You truly are the famous detective of Rhine City. That you were able to make progress so quickly, our entire Hall of Order is... Oh? Officer Angel is here too? I thought it would be the young lady from the Valente family."
"The church has other matters, so Miss Valente could not attend. I had to ask Ms. Angel to accompany me instead."
Lynch had just wanted to exchange pleasantries, but he felt a signal from Officer Natalie on the arm she was holding. Knowing the situation was not right, he smiled and brushed them off before leaving their side. The two inspectors did not block them, merely glancing at Natalie with meaningful looks, and both sides parted ways in a harmonious manner.
As soon as they were out of earshot, Lynch immediately asked, "Are those two a problem?"
"They might not be a problem, but the people around them are. One is a famous jewelry appraiser in the black market, and the other is a tracker rat—a type of profession that specializes in tracking treasures, usually active in thief guilds. These two aren't considered dangerous yet, but with them here, I cannot rule out the presence of other 'talents' I don't recognize."
Lynch nodded. "I understand. It's no wonder. They aren't necessarily under the command of the Rangers, but they are certainly influenced by the city government and Mayor Howard. It seems..."
"Detective, nice to meet you, nice to meet you."
Another greeting interrupted their private conversation. Following the voice, it was a noble who had attended the last banquet, seemingly Baron Duron of the Finance Department, accompanied by several other nobles and their servants.
"Be careful, that gray-haired one is a famous pickpocket in Rhine. It's best not to get close to him easily."
Lynch frowned, saying with distress, "But in an occasion like this, I can't find a place to hide and not socialize, especially with everyone knowing I'm already here. Otherwise, the impact on my reputation would be too great."
"That's true. I'll listen to you on this matter, so let's go. But wait a moment first."
Officer Natalie bit her lip in thought for a moment, then suddenly beckoned to a server and took a glass of champagne from his hand.
A server with a fat, bearded face.
"In such a lively banquet, we can't let the Rangers be the only ones enjoying themselves."
Taking the wine glass, Natalie gave the bearded man a wink. The bearded man chuckled, turned, and disappeared into the crowd. Officer Natalie gave a cold, quiet laugh and shoved the glass into Lynch's hand:
"We Watchers are indeed not in a position to take sides, but I have no psychological burden when it comes to causing trouble for the Rangers in private. Besides, this is helping Princess Salter escort stolen goods related to mysteries; it is already the duty of the Watchers."
And so, as the bearded man left, many people in the venue began to move quietly.
Rate on N.U.
