CHAPTER_31: Young Detective

A few waves of laughter echoed through the ballroom, although the jokes were offensive to laugh at. Still, the dozen nobles laughed, including those who were financially broke.

…

The expression of the comedian remained the same as he observed every moment of happiness in everyone's eyes.

He held the microphone lightly, as if he were preparing for another wave of offensive jokes, although no one knew what the next jokes were.

With a sluggish pace, he secured the microphone in front of his grinning appearance.

"Let's continue.

"To the next event." The comedian laughed hysterically in a woman's voice.

Out of the blue, the comedian's voice changed to a feminine voice. It was quite uncanny for a sinister appearance to have an angelic voice.

But the flock of all the people inside the ballroom continued to laugh, not even minding the sudden change of voice.

…

Confused, Ragnar stopped laughing and observed the people cackling. He couldn't quite understand what had happened - the voice was not the same, and something about it just felt off.

Everyone is still laughing? Ragnar thought with a confused look.

After observing the wealthy, the few nobles near him that he observed gazed back at him, emotionless.

One… two… three nobles. And the number kept rising.

Is this because of the grimoire's symptoms? There were no symptoms of hallucinating! Ragnar panicked, thinking of every reason for this phenomenon. But there were no answers that could be proven.

"Sir Ragnar."

Ragnar sluggishly pinched himself continuously.

"Sir Ragnar."

He slapped himself to escape that "reality," but nothing seems to work.

Alonso Mitchell stood aside from Ragnar. But, as with other nobles, he continued glancing at Ragnar creepily. At a slow pace, he touched Ragnar's shoulder and said:

"Sir Ragnar."

Ragnar blinked.

Alonso was still looking at him, but the other noble's attention was back on the stage.

"Sir Ragnar, are you alright? You slapped yourself unexpectedly. Why did you do that?" Alonso's voice was filled with warmth and worry.

Ragnar did not respond; instead, he turned his attention to the comedian on the stage. But… the comedian was gone. Rather, it was the woman who gave the comedian the microphone that stood on the stage.

Ragnar gazed back at Alonso with a terrified face, as if he had experienced death a thousandfold.

He stated in a hurry, "I need to take my medications. I'll come back here after."

Ragnar, who was in a state of panic, thought of coming back to his room to recall the moment. With that, he swiftly walked through the masses, heading to his room.

He coughed persistently, as if his cough were unending.

Rushing out of the area, Ragnar hurried towards the lobby. The hallway was spacious, but a few butlers and maids were walking in the opposite direction. From an outside perspective, it was clear that Ragnar was struggling with his persistent cough and unusual behavior.

"Sir, can you explain what's wrong?" a butler asked, blocking Ragnar's path and bringing his rush to a halt.

"May I ask if you have any mint and ginger? My cough has gotten much worse," Ragnar replied, sounding worried.

The butler straightened up and then called out to another butler, "Kiar!" The other butler nodded and headed towards the person calling him.

"Could you please bring some ginger and mint for this person? Their cough seems to be getting worse!"

After a moment of thought, the butler walked away with a dish in hand and said, "I'll make sure to deliver this. Let's ensure that the person is going to be alright."

Gesturing, the butler recalled, "Wait, you should be the one making the medication. Do you know how to make a minted ginger tea, Kiar?"

Kiar nodded and said, "I know. But you should try to focus on that dish of yours. Make sure that it is nicely given to those visitors."

"I'll make sure of that!" the other butler replied with enthusiasm.

After a moment, the other butler continued with the delivery of the dish. But Kiar, a butler, gazed in the direction of the ballroom.

"Follow me, Mister." Kiar set in motion, heading to a nearby kitchen with Ragnar following behind.

This person is really cold. Ragnar thought while following him.

I mean, all the employees here are cold, except Garnette. But she was cold too when we met. It seems that these people specialize in controlling their emotions.

In a short amount of time, they arrived at a free kitchen with no one inside. As Kiar gathered the ingredients, Ragnar sat in a nearby chair, observing the kitchen.

The room was rather huge for a kitchen, but it was certainly used by tens of cooks because of its size. The kitchen counters were messy too, so they were used recently.

This place is just as modern as the whole mansion. I should explore this place when I have the time.

…

Kiar placed the ingredients on the counter and began preparing the medicine. He filled a cup with water, poured it into a large pot, and heated it.

Before adding the ginger roots and mint leaves, he quickly cleaned them with warm water.

Next, he added a couple of mint leaves and a pinch of ginger roots to the pot, allowing the flavors to infuse with the water.

"Let's wait for the water to heat up to achieve the perfect flavor," Kiar said as he sat down to observe the flame and the pot.

After about five minutes, Kiar stood up and turned down the flames from the gas tank. He then grabbed a large glass and carefully separated the mint leaves and ginger roots from the tea before pouring it.

Finally, the tea was poured into a large-sized glass.

"Sir, your medicine is ready." Kiar carefully held the glass and delivered it to Ragnar.

This man really did all of that for me? To think that my cough had disappeared means that I only made this man work hard for nothing.

Ragnar accepted the cup from the butler and took a sip before setting it down. Meanwhile, the butler continued with his duties and left the kitchen.

After a moment, Kiar recalled, "You're the tall man brought here by Lady Ana, right?"

Ragnar paused to gather his thoughts before responding, "Yes, Lady Ana personally invited me to stay here for a week. After that, I have to decide whether to stay in this city or return to my hometown in the west."

He smiled warmly as he sipped from the cup of ginger. The butler returned the smile and then left the kitchen, leaving Ragnar alone.

Throwing this aside, what happened earlier was confusing. Who was that comedian? The face he was bestowed with felt too eerie to even remember. Ragnar sat down as he recalled.

…

"Ladies and gentlemen, behold! The latest architectural endeavors from the third moon of 143 AR to the sixth moon of 144 AR," Miss Seraphine announced enthusiastically to the crowd.

A parchment had been strategically positioned earlier atop the audience, allowing the moonlight to cast its glow upon it. This illuminated the words on the stage, ensuring the audience could easily read them.

"Fix your gaze atop!" Miss Seraphine pointed at the audience as she pressed a button on a flashlight.

On top was a majestic view above the night sky, with each star casting its glow. The parchment slowly revealed words from the Fernandez language, with each letter glowing like the moon's light.

What was presented on the parchment were the recent architectural projects planned entirely by high-ranking officials of the local office, including experienced engineers and businessmen.

Before speaking, Ms. Seraphine pointed at a sketch of the planned "Twin Mines.".

"Glance carefully!"

"In this particular sketch, we have a planned project currently under construction, to be known as the Twin Mines. As the name implies, two mines will be constructed side by side, with a specially designed road running between them, connecting the mines to the city.

"What sets this project apart is the significant time savings achieved by transporting goods via carriages along this unique and short road. Additionally, this innovation has the potential to reduce transportation costs associated with merchant deliveries, as carriages from our market district are provided free of charge. Not only that, the enhanced efficiency in mining operations will bolster our competitiveness in the market, leading to a substantial increase in sales."

"However, it's important to acknowledge the potential overreliance on the bridge and carriages. In the event of accidents involving these critical components, our economy could suffer a projected 13% decline, forcing us to revert to our traditional, time-consuming delivery methods along the lengthy road."

Ms. Seraphine halted, pressing another button on the flashlight.

"Behold!"

Strings of text and sketches began appearing on the parchment like magic.

"Behold, I bring forth exhilarating news that could greatly benefit us!" Ms. Seraphine exclaimed at the top of her lungs.

"That sketch!" Ms. Seraphine gestured.

"That sketch depicts the forthcoming, First Cortium factory to be erected in our city! Just like our recent one, this one too is currently in the construction phase, with the most skilled engineers and builders diligently working on its realization."

"This factory will enable us to produce 'Cortium', a valuable resource in which other cities are eager to invest. It's worth noting that there are only seven such factories in the realm, and a new one will soon grace our city! We will now have access to this specialized material without the need to procure it from other cities."

"However, it's important to acknowledge that this project will incur substantial costs in terms of both labor and materials. This will undoubtedly be our most expensive undertaking yet, requiring thousands of gold coins! "

Ms. Seraphine pressed another button on the flashlight, removing the glowing light on the parchment.

"I hope that these ideas could garner worldwide attention, providing support for this region against any potential actions by the empire."

A wave of applause ruled the whole room as Ms. Seraphine bowed gently to the audience.

…

I guess I should go back now. Well, what should I say to Mr. Mitchell? A birth problem, maybe? Or a sickness? Ragnar exited the kitchen after staying there for some time.

Ragnar strolled back to the room at a leisurely pace, racking his brain for an excuse to give Mr. Mitchell. He didn't want to make his wealthy acquaintance feel uncomfortable.

I certainly do not want to make him feel weird towards me. I even thought of a future where he would gift me piles of treasures.

"This is really putting a damper on my bright future," he grumbled.

Suddenly, an energetic voice called out from behind him.

"Hey there, tall guy!" A young appearance with bright red hair appeared before Ragnar.

Is he talking about me?

Ragnar turned around and was taken aback to see a young boy calling out to him.

Why is he calling me that?

Ragnar strode aggressively towards the boy, his eyes narrowing. "What's it to you, kid?" he demanded.

The boy's eyes widened with enthusiasm. "What family are you from?" he asked eagerly.

Ragnar hesitated, confusion flickering across his face. "Family? I suppose I belong to my own family," he finally answered.

What did he mean by that?

"My last name is Forstpyre. Ragnar Forstpyre," Ragnar answered confidently.

"Wow, Forstpyre is such a cool last name!" the boy exclaimed, clearly impressed.

"Thank you," Ragnar replied with a nod.

"And I am Xavier Grey, a Senior Detective at the Lowfire Detective Agency," the kid introduced himself after Ragnar.

This kid is a 'Senior Detective'? Ragnar was in such utter shock that he could no longer reply to Xavier.

Ragnar expressed his disbelief, "How can a kid be a detective? Aren't you too young for jobs like that?"

Xavier, maintaining his composure, responded confidently, "Kid? I'm no kid, mister. In fact, I am an adult, specifically, twenty-one years old since Luca gave me a chance." He flashed a smirk at Ragnar, humbling him.

Ragnar, still skeptical, challenged Xavier, "That's a lie! Show me proof then that you are indeed a detective." He couldn't shake off the idea that Xavier, the boy, was telling the truth.

But he refused.

The boy reached into his pocket and produced a card. "This is my identification. Take a look," he said.

Ragnar examined Xavier's ID card and found himself pausing several times as he read through the details:

"Xavier Grey

Senior Detective, Lowfire Branch

Three Years of Experience

Age: 21

Birth Year: 2nd Moon, 122 AR"

This kid is totally older than me by a year!

He paused to compose himself before speaking calmly, "Nevertheless, it's important to show respect to your elders. Referring to me as 'tall guy' was quite impolite. Please refrain from using that term in the future."

Despite knowing that Xavier was older than him, he remained composed.

"Really? You're not significantly older. Maybe just a year or two," Xavier observed, while crossing his arms.

This is quite sad. I'm even gaslighting myself just to become this kid's elder.

…

"This is quite intriguing that you have invited me here," a voice reverberated through the dimly lit room.

"It's the perfect opportunity to take action while they are preoccupied with the boring event," another voice resonated confidently in the darkness.

"Are we really going through with this? Are you just going to ignore the consequences?" a voice echoed with fear and uncertainty.

"This is the ideal moment to act!" the assured voice asserted in the shadowy room.