Chapter 1259

Hattie Osenfort saying she wanted Xia De to be a model to paint an oil painting was not a joke. After the maid brought the painting tools, she really set up an easel and let Xia De stand next to the flower beds and shrubs in the snow.

Being an oil painting model allowed movement, but one couldn't move significantly. And in the next hour or so, which was slightly boring, the noblewoman, who still wore a veil and focused on painting, stopped talking to Xia De. The maid standing behind Hattie Osenfort didn't even have the intention to talk to Xia De.

And when the oil painting was finished and only needed coloring, it was already noon that day. The old butler walked from the front yard of the manor and handed a letter to Xia De:

"Sorry, Mr. Watson, the master has something to do at noon and cannot come back."

That was a letter sent by Stone Osenfort from the city. He was kept for lunch by Prince William Anjou, and the two would go to a local club to spend time together in the afternoon, so neither of them could return to the manor today.

Osenfort didn't express much apology in the letter, only saying that Xia De could make an appointment for another time. He clearly knew that Xia De came to the door, certainly having found at least one of the three items, but he was still in this state of not caring much, which instead seemed a bit strange.

"Sorry, Mr. Watson."

Hattie Osenfort expressed her apology to Xia De on behalf of her husband. Xia De shook his head:

"This visit, besides returning an item, actually has another matter. I am looking for a statue. This statue is very important to me, and I spent a long time finding out that the statue was in Mr. Osenfort's hands."

As he spoke, he took out the photo of the statue he got from Cassandra Auction House and handed it to the woman:

"Madam, since Mr. Osenfort is not here, I don't know if you can make the decision to sell it to me?"

But the woman shook her head slightly:

"My husband has purchased many statues, and he has his own special room to store them. Without his permission, no one can handle these statues. However, I can take you to see it and confirm whether the statue is here."

The maid and butler listened to the conversation between the two silently. Xia De nodded:

"Then I will trouble you. Since Mr. Osenfort is not here, I will leave after seeing the statue, and later, I will find time to visit again."

The Osenfort Manor mansion had a total of three floors. The top floor was the living and resting area for the manor owners, while the first floor was the area where Stone Osenfort and his "friends" played. The room for collecting statues and the reception room were both on the second floor. The former was located in a relatively remote corner. Hattie Osenfort didn't even have the key to that room and had to let the old butler open the door.

And when the old butler took the key from the key ring, Xia De noticed that the metal door handle of this room was blacker than the door handle of any other room in this house. This was a sign of being rubbed frequently, representing that the room in front of him was used quite frequently.

After the door was opened, Hattie Osenfort led Xia De into the room, and the butler and maid waited outside the door. Unlike what Xia De thought, this was not a collection room, but more like a stonemason's workshop. Those statues purchased by Stone Osenfort were densely placed in the exhibition cabinets against the wall, while the middle of the room was slightly empty.

In the center of the floor, a full-length statue that hadn't been completed was placed. Looking at the appearance, it should be a tall woman. The tools for carving were placed on a small cart to the side.

"Men like carving, women like oil painting... Old Hack who attacked Prince William said that Stone Osenfort also learned the craft at the Stonemason Association."

He thought in his heart, while asking with his mouth:

"Madam, does your husband like carving very much?"

"When he is at home, if those friends don't follow, he will stay here alone for a long time and lock himself in the room."

The woman said indifferently, and the hand that was originally clasped together in front of her chest pointed to the side:

"Is the one you are looking for this?" In the corner of the southeast, on the cabinet, a bust protected by a glass cabinet was placed. There was a lock on the glass cabinet, so Xia De couldn't touch it directly.

"Yes, it is this one."

Xia De approached to look and saw the golden nameplate nailed to the cabinet under the statue:

【May the earth be with you and me—Edward Marcus.】

The legendary "Edward Marcus" established this city of Randall Valley and was the first monarch of Randall Valley. And according to the local Miss Lathers, the history represented by the name "Edward Marcus" had to be traced back to the Fourth Era of darkness and chaos, and it was hard to say whether it was even this name.

Local legends believed that Edward Marcus discovered gold mines in the local area and obtained the blessing of the earth, relying on wealth and power to open up human settlements in what was then a primeval forest. Until around 1000 in the Sixth Era, there were still festivals commemorating this person in the local area, but not many people in the contemporary era knew these traditions.

Xia De and Miss Bernice believed that this item was related to the "Heart of the Earth," also because of this legend.

The statue in front of him was a work from around 500 of the Common Era. Although it was preserved relatively well, the surface of the stone inevitably showed the vicissitudes and erosion of time.

Of course, what Xia De was most interested in was not this statue, but this room. Just stepping into the room, he felt an extremely strong and malicious trace of elements. Even without carrying the 【Demon Hunting Seal】 and 【Night Watchman】, he could be sure that this place was full of the power of demons.

Using the miracle Demon Vision again, this time he saw large patches of filthy traces spread inside the room, and the convergence point of all the filthy traces was that unfinished statue. The statue was heavily eroded by the power of demons. Xia De even believed that once the statue was completed, it would come to life itself.

"Is this statue the main body of that unknown demon?"

Xia De had doubts, but he did nothing. After all, once the demon was disturbed and allowed to escape, things would become very troublesome. His only advantage now was that the demon didn't know his purpose. He firmly remembered everything in front of him, intending to discuss it with Dr. Schneider after returning.

As for Xia De's target this time, the antique statue of "Edward Marcus," just looking at it with his eyes and feeling it from a distance, this also seemed to be just a very ordinary antique. If there wasn't a possibility of a demon hiding here, Xia De could completely come to check quietly after nightfall, but the current situation didn't allow him to do so.

"Madam, does only your husband have the key? I have clearly found it, but I couldn't even touch it. This is truly regrettable."

Xia De said to Hattie Osenfort again, and the noblewoman remained silent. And when the two left the room and returned to the corridor, the old butler suggested to Xia De:

"Sir, perhaps you can go directly to the city to find the master. If you can get his message, or bring the key and voucher back, you can take it away."

"That is a good idea."

Xia De nodded with a smile. After saying goodbye to the manor hostess, he followed the butler to the backyard to retrieve his horse. Along the way, he also tried to ask about the old butler's personal information, such as what he did before and whether he was a local, but the old butler used very clever words to prevaricate.

When Xia De led the horse out of the manor entrance, while mounting the horse, he watched the butler lock the fence door again, and he used the miracle 【Demon Vision】 for the last time.

The butler, who turned and walked toward the interior of the manor, had his body wrapped in black fog, and in that black fog, there were densely packed scarlet eyes blinking. And sitting on the horse's back, raising his field of vision to look at the whole of the old manor standing by the pier, the manor was shrouded in black fog, like a ferocious giant hand covering the top of the manor.

One had to admit that at least the visual effect of the miracle 【Demon Vision】 was still quite good.

It was already 11 o'clock in the morning. If he hurried a bit, Xia De could probably just catch a lunch when returning the horse to the Wilde Opera House. But he didn't rush to return to the city now. Last time he flipped through the "Book of Sublimation" of the 【Golden Dawn】 and discovered the sublimation words "The shadow of the silver moon guides the final direction." Miss Lathers said that the source of this sublimation word was special, and it was drawn from the memories of the land of Randall Valley (Chapter 1266).

And the location recorded in the "Book of Sublimation

" was not far from the Osenfort mansion, so Xia De wanted to take a look on the way.

After riding through the forest, he didn't cross the bridge, but rode the horse into the depths of the forest and continued eastward. Before long, he entered the transition area between the river valley plain and the hilly area at the edge of the forest. Because the terrain was complex and not convenient for riding, Xia De changed to leading the horse forward.

Fortunately, the destination was not far. Before long, he discovered a piece of broken walls and ruins in the forest. A simple and low stone fence surrounded that area, and a rusty metal sign hung on the tree next to it:

【Ancient Moon Worship Ritual Site, Second-Class Cultural Relic Protection Area of the United Kingdom of Kasenrik, Rangers, hunters, and travelers please do not enter. This area is managed by the Sun Church, and the consequences of illegal trespassing are at your own risk.】

The time written behind it was "Common Era 1803."

The division of the so-called "Cultural Relic Protection Area" was divided into four levels. The grading standard was not based on the degree of importance, but on the degree of danger. Generally speaking, the meaning of "First-Class Cultural Relic Protection Area" was historical relics of the Sixth Era, "Second-Class" was historical relics before the Sixth Era with a large degree of incompleteness and basically no value, "Third-Class" was historical relics before the Sixth Era that were relatively complete and valuable, and "Fourth-Class" was historical relics before the Sixth Era and extremely dangerous.

For example, the collapsed tower of Mount Karas last spring, a relic suspected to be related to the past of this body of the Outlander, belonged to the Fourth-Class Cultural Relic Protection Area.