Chapter_36: Moonlight Document Retrieval

The sound of snoring grew louder as time passed. It continued on and on, one snore after another. Ragnar appeared to be deeply asleep after the exhausting and bewildering night.

He shifted and fidgeted in his sleep, resembling a child in bed. He was facing the wall, opposite to the door.

His room was fairly ordinary, a bit smaller than the one he had in the mansion. Nevertheless, he was contented with this room.

Creek…

The door creaked open slowly, revealing a figure on the other side. A beam of light illuminated Ragnar as he stirred from his sleep.

Despite feeling comfortable, he remained alert and turned to see a man in a suit holding a lantern. Ragnar knew exactly what the lantern was made out of. The lantern was extracted from a core that was illuminated by the sun’s energy. But with the mystical energy from the ground, containing radioactive elements, it created a new element named “Light Essence.” That was what Cliffe had told him.

It took a moment for Ragnar to recognize the man as a fellow member of the Citadel Detective Agency, one of the more experienced individuals. He recalled speaking to him before retiring for the night.

"Mr. Marshall Blaze?" Ragnar asked wearily.

"Yes, Ragnar, it's me. I'm here to let you know that the meeting will start shortly," Mr. Marshall confirmed.

Mr. Marshall Blaze was dressed in a suit similar to Mr. Albert's, adorned with medals on his chest and shoulders. His lustrous hair, reminiscent of Xavier's, swayed as the breeze flowed through the open window.

It’s happening already? Ragnar couldn’t help but complain

However, he reluctantly acknowledged the situation despite feeling exhausted. He settled on his bed, staring at the floor.

I don’t really know what I’m supposed to do in the meeting.

After stretching his arms, he rose to his feet, focusing his attention on Mr. Marshall.

"Let's make our way to the meeting room, Mr. Marshall. I'm fully prepared for the meeting," Ragnar's confidence grew as he followed the seasoned detective.

Together, they strolled through the almost-deserted hallway with its weathered walls. Although not as expansive as the mansion, the hallway had a cozy atmosphere.

Ragnar couldn't help but notice that Mr. Marshall still had the lantern in hand.

This place gets really dark after midnight.

As they made their way to the first floor at a relaxed pace, the meeting room awaited them. As they descended the stairs slowly, the soothing notes of a lullaby drifted from the other side of the building.

This is beautiful. Ragnar admired the beautiful melody as he and Mr. Marshall strolled through the first floor hallway.

"This is 'The Sin of the Stars,' Ms. Senya's lullaby," Mr. Marshall remarked, unable to ignore the enchanting sound.

The sin of the stars? Ragnar pondered the name of the lullaby Ms. Senya played.

"Let's keep moving towards the meeting room," Mr. Marshall announced as they strolled through the hallways.

As they strolled towards the meeting room, Ragnar couldn't help but take note of the distinct rooms lining the hallway, such as the interrogation room, library, kitchenette, and investigation rooms.

Every part of the Citadel Detective Agency seemed to exude a calm yet slightly unsettling atmosphere. The hallway was illuminated by lanterns powered by Silver Cores, whose design replicated a steampunk infrastructure.

I never knew things like these existed in the south-west. I cannot even recall a place mirroring this place, not even the millionaire’s mansion that we have been working for.

As Ragnar took one last look at the stunning designs of the agency, Mr. Marshall finally announced, "We have arrived. But it appears we are ahead of the schedule."

As they entered the room with a wide open door, Ragnar understood the gravity of the situation. This was not just an ordinary crime, but a hunt. A hunt involving celestial detectives and a stealthy panther lurking in every corner.

The room was as silent as a locked chamber, despite the presence of over twenty maids and butlers. It was also filled with knights, police officers, and popular merchants, each loyal to their respective leader.

Mr. Smith was seated near the door, surrounded by knights. On the opposite side sat the Chief Detective, Mr. Zoren Hyburg.

Only ten important guests were in their seats, with six more yet to arrive. Each person in the room exuded a distinct aura. Ragnar now understood the gravity of solving this mystery.

This is more serious than I thought. Ragnar looked into the room with a blank expression on his face.

Before Ragnar could respond, Mr. Marshall spoke up, "I have a favor to ask of you, Mr. Ragnar."

Ragnar locked eyes with Mr. Marshall and pondered the request with a curious expression.

"I need you to retrieve three documents from the companies nearby. These documents contain new sightings and information about the carriage driver and his carriage. I would greatly appreciate it if you could obtain them for us," Mr. Marshall explained to Ragnar.

So the reason he woke me up was to retrieve some documents? A big, fat liar, for sure.

"We chose you because we needed someone with stamina, in case you are wondering about the reason for our decision. All the workers and detectives in this building have been working non-stop due to the crimes in the city. Meanwhile, you, Mr. Ragnar Forstpyre, have been resting for seven hours straight."

"It may seem selfish, but it's necessary for our detectives and workers to get some rest," Mr. Marshal explained as he handed a folded paper to Ragnar.

This is somewhat familiar from the first day. But I guess I have no choice. Unfolding the paper revealed the locations of the three documents.

"I won't be able to assist you further as I need to sign documents for the civilians with issues. I'll see you at the meeting later," Mr. Marshall said as he walked away from Ragnar.

Well, this is another order from this corrupt city! He glanced back at the paper.

Glancing at the paper, he made notes of the locations he needed to visit. The first and second documents were from the main building of the Carriage Transportation Industry on 1st Eastern Market Street, near the Citadel Detective Agency. The last document was from the Lowfire Market Bank Branch on 4th Eastern Market Street.

Realizing he needed to finish this before the meeting, he headed outside the building.

As he stepped outside, he spotted Ms. Velvet at the entrance, engrossed in writing on her notepad. Her vision obscured by her hair, she didn't notice Ragnar passing by, so he simply ignored her.

After finally exiting the building, Ragnar found himself on a dark and deserted street, illuminated only by the faint glow of the lamp posts. The Carriage Transportation Industry main building was conveniently located near the detective agency building.

Despite the inviting atmosphere, Ragnar chose to take a carriage to the first building to save time. Unlike his past trauma with a carriage driver, he struck up a conversation with the current one.

In a matter of minutes, he arrived at the first building, paid the driver, and offered a friendly smile before stepping into the Carriage Transportation Industry main building.

Acquiring the first two documents proved to be relatively straightforward. The receptionist simply had to scan the paper provided by Mr. Marshall, and Ragnar was entrusted with obtaining the documents. Even though Ragnar did not take the time to read the documents, he had a clear understanding of their contents.

He quickly boarded another carriage and made his way to 4th Eastern Market Street in order to save time. Although the journey took longer than anticipated, he arrived shortly thereafter.

After paying the driver, he entered the bank branch with the same composed expression.

Ragnar observed that the atmosphere in this place was significantly more vibrant than on 1st Eastern Market Street. A queue of people had formed, presumably waiting for their turn to enter the branch bank.

After realizing that he only needed one more document, Ragnar muttered to himself, "Now, who should I approach for these documents?"

A guard stationed near the entrance caught Ragnar's attention, so he approached the guard and inquired. He carefully retrieved the paper provided by Mr. Marshall and handed it to the guard.

After reading the paper, the guard inquired, "Excuse me, do you have any form of identification to confirm that you are indeed a detective?" Ragnar was taken aback upon hearing those words.

"What? An ID? I was simply instructed by Mr. Marshall Blaze, but I am not a detective," Ragnar promptly responded, persuading the guard.

The guard responded with a touch of reluctance, "I regret to inform you that we can only provide access to individuals who are trusted or who possess proper identification."

What do I do now? Ragnar’s inner voice shouted in a panic.

Coming back to the building would only consume time and waste my coins.

Upon turning around, he noticed Ms. Velvet standing beside him. "Ms. Velvet?" Ragnar inquired.

She responded with a serene smile and presented her detective identification to Ragnar, saying, "Here is my detective identification."

I was sure lucky this time. Ragnar breathed a sigh of relief.

The guard promptly examined the ID by Ms. Velvet. After a brief moment, the guard returned it to her and stated, "I will contact Mr. Pherill, and both of you should wait here."

Ragnar was aware of Mr. Pherill's position, even though he didn't know who he was.

After the guard departed, Ragnar exclaimed in disbelief, "What brings you here, Ms. Velvet? You'll be late as well with time moving so quickly."

"It's not a problem. There are still two people missing for the meeting. Besides, Mr. Marshall asked me to accompany you, so I made sure to follow you here," Ms. Velvet responded confidently to Ragnar.

"Wait, are you saying that you were with me in the carriages I traveled in?" Ragnar asked, surprised, as Ms. Velvet nodded in confirmation.

After a lengthy conversation, the guard returned holding a folder of documents and stated, "Unfortunately, Mr. Pherill had already left for a business opportunity. However, he did leave a note for one of his assistants."

"Here are the documents you requested. Feel free to visit anytime if you need anything else," the guard said with a smile as he handed the folder to Ragnar.

"Thank you; I appreciate it," Ragnar replied with gratitude. The guard left and went back to his post.

"Let's return, Ms. Velvet," Ragnar suggested, but Ms. Velvet firmly refused.

"As I've mentioned, the presence of two crucial detectives is required at the meeting. Come on, let's make our way to their preferred location," Ms. Velvet directed them towards the nearest cafe, with Ragnar trailing behind.

Although Ragnar had doubts, he was well aware of the identity of one of those individuals. Someone who had invited him to such a location.

"Western Core Cafe," Ragnar uttered, reading the name of the establishment.

Ragnar hardly recognized Western Core Cafe. He had only heard about it from Cliffe, who had always dismissed it as a mere fairytale. But once again, Cliffe had deceived him.

As Ragnar and Ms. Velvet made their way into the cafe, she sighed in frustration. "There they are. I can't believe I have to lecture them yet again," she grumbled, eyeing two men eating voraciously. The two men were familiar to Ragnar as well.

"Xavier! Albert! How many times do I have to remind you not to come to a cafe before a meeting? You're fortunate this time, as both of you are crucial for the upcoming meeting!" Ms. Velvet scolded, hurling a chair in their direction.

I knew it was Xavier. But it was unexpected for Mr. Albert to actually be a part of this. I somehow get the feeling that the senior influenced the junior to do these kinds of things.