Chapter 1477: Galina Cavendish's Commission

When Xia De got off the carriage at the entrance of the pawnshop and entered, the usually deserted pawnshop was empty, and even Old John was not there. Only the bronze incense burner on the counter was spraying water vapor with a strange fragrance.

The pawnshop was still the same, like a garbage dump piled with mountains of trash, but if you distinguish carefully, every item in the shop had value. The east wall was covered with various clocks and watches, and the display case contained metal harmonicas and dancing music boxes in boxes.

The old-fashioned steam engine that could be put into a museum, which Xia De saw when he first came, was still in the corner. It was the brass mechanical bird that could be deformed through gear mechanisms that appeared on the shelf that made him very interested. He remembered that Miss Galina's study also had similar things.

After he rang the bell on the counter, the old man wearing an apron walked in from the back door:

"Oh, I thought it was a guest, it turned out to be you. Detective, wait for me, I am processing magic potion materials in the back. You know, if the six-leaf coral grass produced in the Pontar River basin is not processed, that smell can make people on the whole street unable to eat lunch."

"Don't I count as a guest?"

Xia De muttered in a low voice, but still waited for a while. "This is the framed painting you want."

Ten minutes later, when the old man came back from the back door, he moved a picture frame and put it on the counter. The framed oil painting was painted for Xia De by Hela Osenfort, a portrait of the young detective standing in the desolate snowy backyard.

Xia De entrusted the old man to help frame it last night when he was walking the cat with Luvia, and asked him to process it with special means so that the oil painting could be preserved for a longer time. He didn't expect him to finish it so quickly.

"This painting is painted very well, I bet it was definitely not painted by a human. The emotion and soul power contained in it are enough for it to exist until the next millennium. Detective, you really found a good painter."

The knowledgeable Old John said. Xia De nodded:

"The final payment will be paid in a while, the batch of gold and jewelry I entrusted you to sell before..."

That was the money he and Iluna found from the sewer in Randall Valley. That was the military expenditure raised by the resistance army from the citizens before the unification of the Kassenrick United Kingdom.

"Sold, this kind of thing is easy to sell. The final payment for the picture frame doesn't need to be given to me. For that batch of treasure of yours, according to the practice, I have to deduct five points as the middleman fee. This money is more."

The old man said, Xia De naturally wouldn't mind. It's just that, when he was holding the bearer draft and the framed painting ready to leave, Old John called Xia De again.

"Why, made this big business, want to give me some goods? I think the gas lamp base on the shelf over there looks very good, can you give it to me?"

"Oh, detective, that was bought for 5 shillings, it's old goods from decades ago. I want to ask, have you heard about the Randall Valley matter?"

Xia De stopped the action of putting away his wallet, turned around and glanced at the door before nodding:

"Of course, such a major event, how could I not know. Speaking of which, does the Hidden Society have any information that can be shared?"

Old John raised an eyebrow:

"Of course, we have people there. From the current situation, the church and the God-Caller together prevented the earth's disaster from sweeping the whole world. But the Hidden Society's observation is not optimistic. That doomsday that must come has not disappeared because of this. Even if the earth's filth is cleared, the earth has become unstable because of this. Recently, various strange natural disasters will occur frequently."

This was the same statement Xia De heard from the Guardian. He didn't expect the Hidden Society to know even this kind of thing.

"But what we people living in this era can do is only to do our best to change those tragedies that are destined to happen. Even if we can't succeed, at least we have to do something."

Xia De said:

"This time, everyone in Randall Valley has done well enough." Old John nodded with a smile:

"You are really suitable for us. However, your tone sounds like you also participated in the Randall Valley matter?"

"I wish I had participated. Like the audience in the opera house, watching the tragedy on the stage happen step by step, but unable to change it, only able to welcome the final ending, that is too terrible."

Xia De sighed, which was also his true thought.

"But no one can be an audience. We were born in this world and are destined to be buried in this world. The web of fate was already intertwined with the soul when we made our first cry. We are all people on the stage."

Old John sighed, and then promised Xia De that if the Hidden Society had any first-hand news about doomsday and disasters, they could tell him.

When Xia De carried the picture frame and returned to St. Derand Square by carriage, he unexpectedly found Miss Galina's carriage parked at his door.

However, the person in the carriage was not the red-haired duchess, but the black-haired maid lady.

"Please come in, I'm really sorry, I thought you would come a little later. Oh, Tifa, don't you have the key to my house there? Why are you waiting outside?"

Xia De invited her in, the maid lady ordered the carriage to wait at the street corner, and then followed him with a smile:

"That key was left for us to clean. Outside of cleaning time, we cannot enter or leave the master's room at will, this is the rule of the maids."

"Actually, you don't have to be so rigid, besides, I trust you very much." Paused, then added:

"The relationship between the two of us is not..."

A fair hand covered Xia De's mouth. Xia De looked back, and in those black eyes under the stairs, there was a quite complicated look:

"Can't say this now, at least not today."

Xia De nodded slowly, although he didn't understand why, he still took Tifa upstairs, put down the picture frame first, and prepared tea:

"Miss Galina, what exactly does she want me to do? Didn't she come?" He also sat down and hugged Mia.

"The lady didn't come, but it is indeed an important matter."

The maid lady sat on the sofa very seriously, with a smile in her eyes, but her expression was a bit serious: "Detective Xia De Sulun Hamilton of the Hamilton Detective Agency, I represent Duchess Galina Cavendish to send a commission invitation."

"Commission?"

Although he didn't know what the witch wanted to do, Xia De still nodded like receiving a client:

"It's an honor. Speaking of which, since the Randall Valley matter started, I haven't formally accepted a commission yet. So, this maid lady, what kind of commission did the Duchess ask you to bring?"

Tifa said:

"The Duchess ordered, detective, you have to find five legendary treasures before sunset today and send them to the Duchess."

"Then which five legendary treasures are they?" The beautiful black eyes blinked:

"The King's crown, the fountain that can gush out endless fine wine, the crimson Philosopher's Stone symbolizing priceless treasure, the Holy Grail used to sacrifice to the Ancient Gods in the distant era, and, your heart."

"Hmm..."

Xia De tilted his head and thought about it, more and more unable to understand what that witch wanted to do. But fortunately, the task was not difficult. Except for the doctor, no one knew what Xia De got from the devil: "What does Miss Galina want these things for?"

He chose to ask directly, but Tifa shook her head;

"This is the Duchess's commission, and it is also the Duchess's trial for you. Detective, you just have to say whether you want to accept it."

"Since it is a commission, what is the reward?"

Xia De asked again, and Tifa was well prepared, or rather, Miss Galina was well prepared:

"That reward is a treasure you cannot refuse. If you can bring these things to the manor before sunset, the Duchess of Saradir will definitely not break her promise."

Xia De thought for a while:

"Then I will accept it. For Duchess Galina, the Guardian of Saradir, I will definitely do my best to bring back those treasures... However, I don't

know if this beautiful maid lady can give me some hints? After all, these treasures are really too difficult to obtain."

He asked tentatively.

"You want me to betray the Duchess?"

The loyal maid asked suspiciously. Xia De then took one of her hands and kissed the back of her fair hand:

"This is not betrayal, but to let me be able to prepare those treasures for the Duchess." Tifa let him hold her hand and laughed:

"Alright then, but hints are not free. Just with sweet talk, you can't move me. I gave you a hint, when you come to the manor in the evening, you have to give me a reward."

"That's no problem."

"Among the five treasures, the easiest is actually the Holy Grail. The lady knows that you don't have a Holy Grail in your hand anymore. But you can go to that Chosen in Randall Valley, he can detect the areas where the crazy earth appears, and let you make another Holy Grail."

"Hmm, makes sense." Xia De nodded slowly. So Tifa continued;

"The other treasures need you to work hard to obtain yourself. But the truly difficult ones are only the 'Fountain of Endless Fine Wine' that only exists in fairy tales and the legendary Philosopher's Stone."

Xia De nodded again:

"These two are indeed almost impossible to obtain."

"As for the King's crown, although it is very difficult to steal it out, the King will not wear it all day. Maybe you can inquire about the frequency and occasions when the King wears the crown through Princess Rhesia, and find an opportunity to 'borrow' it. You are a six-ring mage, you have your own skills."

Tifa said with a smile, but in this last sentence, her expression was very serious: "As for 'your heart', Xia De, you need to find a way yourself." "I understand."

Although Xia De didn't actually understand what this commission was about, he still nodded:

"One day is indeed a bit tight, but miracles always happen. I will accept this task, I hope the Duchess will be satisfied." ===== CHAPTER 1478 =====