Chapter 119: Got and Lost

The coffins inspected by the Knights were even looser, just like the loose dirt and crooked mounds before his eyes—that was old Tom's final resting place.

The farewell ceremony for old Tom was simple: they just stood silently for a while before the newly buried little soil pit. No one knew who took the first step back, but the rest followed. Sadness spread through the crowd on the way back, yet it was not so intense, as if people had long grown accustomed to it.

The one-armed Cui Fanke and his loudmouthed Knight neighbor would occasionally glance toward Luge. They had been nearby at the time, had seen that emblem, recognized it, and understood its weight better than the other neighbors.

Inquisitive glances were increasing, but Luge did not mind.

The little one was probably the saddest person in the crowd, now sitting on his father's shoulders, hugging his father's head. Perhaps he had cried himself tired along the way; his tear-streaked little face wore a sleepy look.

The group went all the way without obstruction and smoothly returned to their old street district.

The Ground did not exist because of one city, and likewise the Underground City would not cease operating because of sadness on some street corner.

Large numbers of Knights began sealing the city, and by evening they were searching the whole city.

It was said the Inner City District was not spared either; even noble castles and manors were conducting self-inspections.

Luge watched the Knights arrive at his family's doorstep—the very squad he had met in the morning, still led by that middle-aged Knight.

Did they really lose something?

Obviously not. For one thing, unless that thing could not be put into a Storage Pouch, the Spellcasters wandering the city and those noble households all had large numbers of Storage Pouches—there was simply no way to investigate.

Indeed, the Knight changed his previous excuse.

"Sir, we want to investigate whether there are any suspicious people," the middle-aged Knight said in a deep voice.

Luge smiled and stepped aside, making a gesture of invitation.

Daisy and two tall Kobolds were busily preparing dinner in the kitchen. Having Luge around made them feel very reassured, and they did not notice the Knights walking into the house.

Every room and corner was searched without omission, and the basement was examined even more carefully.

It was only then that Luge learned his neighboring Wizard Apprentice was already gone—the house was empty, not a single bottle or jar left, so it was certainly not a short trip out.

The inexplicable search lasted three days; one moment it went on day and night without rest, the next it stopped abruptly.

Three days was fundamentally not enough to thoroughly search the whole city.

There were far fewer people on the streets.

It was evening again.

A beast cart with no special markings slowly stopped in front of Luge's house.

Luge, swinging his legs on the recliner, recognized at a glance that this was Lorigo Manor's beast cart prepared for discreet travel.

A hooded figure hurried into the house.

Luge instantly had a bad premonition, feeling as if his Unlimited Passage Ticket was waving goodbye to him.

"Sir."

The red-haired woman removed her hat.

"Long time no see, Motel," Luge said with a smile.

Motel suddenly knelt on one knee and took out a box, holding it before Luge.

"Luge Adult, this is Young Master Lorigo's entrustment. He asked me to bring it to you," she said in a deep voice.

Luge took the box, but after the box left her hands, the red-haired lady did not stand up.

He looked at her strangely, then slowly opened the box in his hands.

A flat stone lay on a piece of velvet cloth. He picked up the stone and looked at it curiously, then tried to connect with it using Spiritual Power. The Spiritual Power that entered could feel it pointing in a direction, connecting to a place far away.

"Motel, do not test my patience."

He fondled the stone in his hands, reluctant to put it down.

"Young Master Lorigo did not want me to disturb you, but I still wish to ask for your help..." she finally spoke, at the same time handing over a somewhat old Storage Pouch. The spiritual traces belonging to a Gem Summoner on it had been erased by her, turning it into an ownerless pouch.

These alternative Spellcasters' tricks were far less reliable than a Wizard's Mark.

"Oh? Does that fellow want to run away from his marriage?" Luge said, smiling at the Storage Pouch, without hurrying to take it.

"Young Master foresaw that he might meet with an accident, so he gave me this box in advance and instructed me to deliver it to you personally," she said in a deep voice. "He does not want me to tell you his situation. He says you are merely a Traveler, you have more important things to do. Fanxing City is too small; what happens inside is merely a boring farce to you. He says you will surely become a great Wizard in the future, and that bringing you a little help when you are inconvenienced would be his honor."

"So, here is my own presumptuous request. These are the Magic Stones I have accumulated over the years. Please accept them and give Young Master Lorigo a certain degree of help," she said sincerely. "If you feel displeased or find the matter troublesome, you may leave at any time."

The house was very quiet. Neither of them spoke for a while, and they could hear all sorts of faint sounds coming from the kitchen.

The two Kobolds' cooking skills were not good, but they had made considerable progress—at least they no longer left Daisy flustered.

"Where is Lorigo?" he said.

"He is missing. He has been missing for several days," she said.

"This fellow really didn't run away from his marriage, did he?" Luge said somewhat uncertainly.

Motel shook her head.

"For the sake of his family's reputation, he wouldn't do such a thing..." she said in a low voice.

Luge sat up from the recliner and said with a serious expression: "Then what do you want me to do? Or how do you want me to help him?"

The red-haired woman hesitated slightly, then said: "I have heard that Wizards like to quietly leave a unique Mark of their own on some things. That kind of Mark can help a Wizard find the target's location. I don't know if you have..."

She said this in a low voice while probing Luge with her gaze.

Luge laughed. When he left the manor, he had indeed taken the opportunity of saying goodbye to leave a Secret Technique Mark on Lorigo, but that thing was not nearly as miraculous as Motel expected—it could only be sensed at close range.

"Did Lorigo say anything else?" he said.

The red-haired woman was obviously hesitant, but she still spoke slowly.

"Young Master has been very troubled lately. He says his Eldest Brother and Baron Adult both give him a strange feeling. They are making decisions that seem incomprehensible to him, as if they were no longer the wise and rational rulers of the Ground Cave Domain..." she said.

He nodded, thought for a moment, and said: "Did the search that suddenly ended in the city find any clues?"

Motel shook her head upon hearing this.

"I only know that the wedding schedule remains unchanged. I guess the Fanxing Family might let the Third Young Master replace him," she said.

The long-awaited dinner was also ready at this very moment.

Luge thought for a moment, then reached out and took the old Storage Pouch she had been holding up for a long while.

Chapter End