Chapter 1539: Kingfisher Tailor Shop

Green Lake Hotel only had the first floor as a tavern and dining area, and the second and third floors were all guest rooms. Although it was Tuesday morning, there were quite a few guests at the tables, and the heartbeat sound Xia De heard upstairs came from them.

In order to disguise himself as a dusty traveler, he even specially carried a black suitcase. When he came to the counter, a middle-aged man with brown hair, a brown mustache, and glasses, who was very elegant and wearing an apron, was looking down at the account book.

"Hello, are there any vacant rooms?"

Xia De asked, using Delarion language with a Tobesk accent. The man behind the counter looked up at him and nodded lightly:

"Of course. Listening to your accent, I know you are also from Tobesk City, here for the two-nation negotiations. Are you a newspaper reporter? A biographer? Or a businessman?"

The man asked very familiarly and prepared to register for Xia De. Of course, he didn't forget to hand his business card to Xia De. It was a very exquisite business card, and the man in front was the hotel owner, Solon Green. There was also an advertisement for this hotel on the business card.

"I am a writer, here to collect materials for the legends of the Green Lake area, and just happened to run into this negotiation."

Xia De said, and then gave the registration name:

"John Watson, staying for four weeks. I need a room with a separate bathroom and cloakroom. After four weeks, if I need to renew the lease, I will tell you half a week in advance."

"Do you need to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner here? Pay an extra two shillings a day. Of course, this does not include wine."

"No, no, because I need to go out to collect materials, I probably won't eat here. If I eat here, I will calculate the meal expenses separately."

"Then do you need shoe shining or clothes drying?"

Considering that it would be very abrupt if he didn't want anything, Xia De nodded:

"Calculate it into the room rate together. Also, help me subscribe to a local morning newspaper. I hope to see it on the carpet every morning."

"I recommend the *Green Lake Morning News*."

"Okay."

Xia De paid the fee. When Mr. Green was filling out the registration form, he asked with a smile:

"I have traveled to many cities in the Old Continent. This is the first time I have seen a way of staying in a hotel that requires registering age, hometown, occupation, and general appearance."

"I can't help it either. The two-nation negotiations are to be held in the Green Lake area. The City Hall issued a notice through industry associations and the police, requiring us to carefully register all passengers staying in the hotel recently."

Mr. Green said, and he was also a bit annoyed:

"Sir, you are not the first person to complain about this. Originally, I, the hotel owner, was not responsible for front desk registration, but because of this, I had to stand here and be responsible for this troublesome matter. Do the police think that just by relying on this, they can catch the rumored killers, agents, and saboteurs?"

Xia De nodded quite understandingly:

"But this is after all a major event involving two countries. Maybe there are really some ace agents from Military Intelligence Section 6 or the Grey Gloves staying here."

Mr. Green didn't dare to answer. Xia De then asked:

It was just that he had been queuing for less than two minutes when the edge of his vision captured a very familiar figure. Xia De was stunned:

"Yes, City Hall said it wanted to show the best city style to the big shots from Tobesk and Willendale. You came a day late. Yesterday noon, the Mayor personally came to this street and gave rectification opinions to every shop. At that time, the flash of the reporters' cameras almost blinded my eyes."

Xia De clearly saw the corner of Mr. Green's mouth twitch:

"Now it is mandatory for us to change signs, take back the displays and tables and chairs outside the door. The impact on my hotel is not too big, but Mrs. Jenny's flower shop next door is not good. She always puts fresh flowers outside the shop early in the morning to attract customers."

"After all, it is a special period, just endure it."

Xia De comforted, placed his right hand on the counter, and looked out the door:

"Although the negotiations are in two cities, I think the negotiation representatives should have residences in both cities and cannot run back and forth. Speaking of which, where do the Delarion representatives and Karsenrik representatives stay? I see it is very close to City Hall, are they staying here with you?"

Mr. Green finished writing the last letter of Xia De's registration form, shook his head, and capped his fountain pen:

"Of course not. The Delarion delegation has already arrived and is staying at the Liolif Manor in the south of the city. That place is very close to Green Lake, but they will have to change their residence after Duchess Miss Jia Lin Na arrives; as for the residence of the Karsenrik representatives in this city, it is arranged by City Hall. I heard guests chatting yesterday, it seems they are going to stay at Count Hood's old manor, but they are still on the road."

"I remember there should be a Karsenrik embassy locally."

Xia De said, watching Mr. Green take the key from the key wall behind him, greeting the young man who was running errands to help look after the counter, and then he took Xia De to see the room:

"Indeed there is. After all, we are also considered a border metropolis. But the local Karsenrik embassy is very old, and the age of that building is older than my hotel. Those southerners almost don't live in the embassy, and they run to the club in Mikaela Furnace City five days a week to play. Green Lake City, after all, cannot compare to that city in the south."

Under the guidance of Mr. Green, Xia De went to the third floor to see his room. The room had good lighting and a large area. Although the house was a bit old, it was cleaned very cleanly. Xia De also inquired and learned that room cleaning was three times a week, and the time could be reserved in advance, but if he needed help washing clothes, he still needed to pay extra fees to "Mrs. Mary."

After he pretended to finish looking at the room and packed his luggage, the time had reached 10 o'clock. Xia De greeted Mr. Green and left the hotel. Looking at the street scene in the gray mist, he put his left hand into his pocket, pressed his hat with his right hand, and started the adventure of a brand new city again.

Green Lake City, located on the north shore of Green Lake, has a long history, but the city area is not large. Centered on Green Lake Hotel, walking south for half an hour, he almost left the urban area and entered the rural area on the edge of Green Lake.

Of course, Xia De didn't go directly to the island in Green Lake without knowing anything, but according to the address given by Mr. Edmund, he first went to find the member of the 【Light-Guiding Cult】 locally.

Although Mr. Edmund didn't say it directly, the other party should also be a high-ring sorcerer like Old John, and Xia De was quite interested in the other party.

With the address and map, it was not difficult to find the specific target. However, Xia De didn't take a carriage, but walked on the street to feel the atmosphere of the city.

He could clearly feel that the architectural style and steam level of Green Lake City were at least five years behind Tobesk. But because the population was quite dense, and the negotiations between the two countries were about to be held recently, the city at least looked prosperous. The alley full of garbage he saw was just a corner of the epitome of the era.

The address given by the old tower keeper was a tailor shop on the east bank of the Duin River, which ran through the city from north to south in the south of Green Lake City. This was not the kind of high-end clothing store, but a slum shop that sold old clothes and provided tailoring services.

The shop was located on "Royal Post Street." The street was named because No. 1 on the street was the local post office. As for the sign of this inconspicuous tailor shop at No. 2, it was written "Kingfisher Tailor Shop—also sells old clothes, sewing, starching, ironing."

The building where the shop was located was a two-story small building. Compared with the imposing post office that occupied the street corner in a right-angle shape, it looked very inconspicuous.

The metal door of the shop was next to a narrow window, and there were two simple mannequins wearing skirts and suits in the window.

Although the shop was inconspicuous, it seemed that the business here was quite good. After pushing the door and entering, the first thing he heard was the bell sound like "Old John's Pawnshop," and then he saw the landing sliding clothes racks arranged neatly in the shop.

There was the smell of lavender in the air, and various styles of old clothes were hung on the walls layer by layer. Men's coats, overcoats, hats, pants, women's dresses, aprons, slim shirts, and even corsets, everything was available.

The light emitted by the gas lamp in the style of a rusty kerosene lamp looked unusually bright in the foggy morning, and in this shop that was only about two-thirds the size of Old John's antique shop, there were actually three apprentices working.

The shop owner didn't seem to be there. Among the three apprentices, only two were ring sorcerers, a third-ring female sorcerer and a fourth-ring male sorcerer. Except for Xia De, there was also an old woman with a hunched waist picking out hats in the shop, so Xia De didn't rush to explain his identity. After the middle-aged man with a nose like a strawberry, who was a fourth-ring sorcerer, walked over and greeted him, he asked with a smile:

"Hello, I am a traveler from another city. I want to go to Green Lake to collect materials, but I don't have moisture-proof boots and cloaks suitable for acting on the lake and by the water."

The middle-aged man with a tape measure around his neck then entertained Xia De to pick out suitable clothes, and during this period, the old woman who bought the hat also picked out her goods and left after paying.

Until the door of the shop was closed, Xia De reached out and stopped the man from continuing to take cloaks for him:

"I am looking for Grandma Natalie."

Xia De said, and the fourth-ring sorcerer raised his eyebrows:

"May I ask what is the matter?"

Xia De didn't speak, but reached out and drew a pattern in the air. The main body of the pattern was an equilateral triangle, and the three corners of the triangle were connected to a small circle respectively. Inside the triangle was a person with wings.

This was the logo of the 【Light-Guiding Cult】, which Xia De learned from the potion bottle he picked up behind the hidden wall in his basement.

Seeing this logo, the man nodded clearly:

"I haven't investigated it yet, but it's definitely not safe."

He led Xia De to the fitting room where decoration was greater than function in the corner, and then pushed the wall lightly. The wall actually slid open an entrance.

The man signaled Xia De to go in alone, so Xia De walked in directly. This looked like a passage transformed from the side door of the building. After walking a few steps, it was a door. After knocking on the door and entering, he came to the back of the tailor shop building. There were no windows here, and the area was only about half of the front of the shop.

Except for gas lamps, counters, and two tables, there was nothing in this dark room.

The old woman with silver hair was originally behind the counter, organizing a stack of bills by the light of a candle. After Xia De entered the room, she put away the bills and looked at Xia De's disguised fake face:

"Unfamiliar foreigner, looks like a new guest. May I ask, who introduced you?"

Her words had the accent of the Green Lake area, but Xia De could still understand:

"Mr. Edmund from Cold Water Port, he asked me to ask about the skeleton of the rotten-tailed fish."

"Oh, can't he have a little patience, actually sending someone to ask me."

The old woman shook her head:

"You came at a very good time. I did find someone who can provide this material two days ago, but there are only five complete fish skeletons, which is fifteen short of what old Edmund said."

"Fifteen short, you don't have to test me, this is the address note he gave me."

Xia De put the note on the counter, and Grandma Natalie nodded with a smile:

"I am old, and my vigilance is heavier than when I was young. I hope you can understand. Edmund seems to have met a very good young man, may I ask how to address you?"

"John Watson."

Xia De said, and then continued to ask about the material:

"I heard that the local area is the origin of the rotten-tailed fish, why can't I buy this material? Isn't now the fishing season for that kind of magical fish?"

"The growth cycle of alien creatures is different from ordinary creatures. The rotten-tailed fish probably takes ten years to mature from fry. The time old Edmund chose is not particularly good."

Although she said so, she still took out a small black bottle like nail polish and handed it to Xia De:

"Since he sent you here specially, I am afraid it is really urgent. You can sneak into Green Lake yourself, use the pills in the bottle as bait, and try to see if there are any fish that slipped through the net after the last fishing season. This is probably not easy, but compared to waiting for news on the black market, at least you can be more active."

"Diving again..."

Although he said so, Xia De still took the bottle. He asked about the price of this bait, but Grandma Natalie said it was free. The deposit given when Mr. Edmund entrusted the acquisition of the skeletons was a lot.

And while temporarily dealing with the fish skeleton matter, Xia De began to deal with his own affairs. Arriving in a new city, he naturally wanted to hang out a long-term commission to acquire currency-type relics. But unfortunately, Grandma Natalie didn't have such relics for the time being.

Besides that, Xia De didn't forget to inquire about the abandoned Green Lake Town in the center of the lake and the Edwards family. Hearing Xia De's question, the old woman was obviously stunned:

"You also intend to explore the secret of immortality?"

"No, no, I am just curious about the Philosopher's Stone. Although I don't quite believe that an ordinary family can refine the Philosopher's Stone, maybe there can be a harvest. I inquired about some information from Mr. Edmund, and he also recommended me to come here to try my luck."

"Almost every year, people want to do the same thing as you. In the past few decades, there have been fewer such people, but I have never heard of anyone being able to discover any secrets."

She shook her head:

"For that island, local ring sorcerers have almost all been there. There are only two abnormal points there—the perennial white mist and the intermittent loss of direction. Apart from that, the valuable things and clues in the old Edwards house on the island have long been dug clean by the Orthodox Church and the ring sorcerers who landed on the island. You probably won't find anything if you go now."

After all, the Edwards family incident happened more than a hundred years ago, and many people knew about this. Even if most ring sorcerers believed that an ordinary family would not have any secrets, the rare good-hearted people still took away most of the things in the past hundred years.

Xia De also expected this to be the case, but he still wanted to land on the island to see. In this way, the report to Miss Danister could also have some paper content:

"Are there any taboos for landing on the island? For example, what can't be done, or what time is best to go?"

"If you lose your sense of direction, just stand still and don't move, wait for natural recovery. Walking around will lead to some strange things. If you want to take a boat, you can find fishermen willing to send you over in the fishing village by the lake, but those rural fishermen generally believe that the island is cursed by the devil, so you have to pay more rewards. Apart from that, there is nothing else that needs attention."

Grandma Natalie said, and then sold Xia De a map of the island for 1 pound. The map was drawn by a ring sorcerer who landed on the island five years ago. Although the accuracy was not high, it was enough for Xia De to find the old Edwards house.

"The two-nation negotiations are to be held in this area recently, and the Five Gods Church attaches great importance to safety issues. You, this kind of foreign ring sorcerer, should be cautious in your actions."

When giving Xia De the map, Grandma Natalie also specially exhorted:

"Since old Edmund trusts you so much, I think he probably thinks you are also our fellow traveler. Since last year, there have been more and more strange things in the material world, and the church's supervision has become stricter. If it is not very necessary, we don't need to cause trouble for ourselves."

Xia De nodded, and then asked for the catalog of relics for sale here, wanting to see if there were any suitable relics for himself. Because of the special nature of relics, it is best for ring sorcerers not to carry and use too many relics at once. Xia De was not lacking in relics with specific functions at the moment, but since he arrived in a new place, he always had to look at new shops.

While Xia De was looking through the product catalog, Grandma Natalie said again:

"Last week, someone hung a long-term commission here, wanting to acquire special metals such as adamantite, mithril, and orichalcum, and gave a very high price. I will ask as usual, are you interested in this business?"

Xia De shook his head. Although he had a piece of orichalcum he got when helping Miss Miss Jia Lin Na contain a relic at the opera house, he didn't intend to sell that piece of metal, and he wasn't in urgent need of money now.

"I am saying this because of Edmund's face: the other party has information about the Edwards family."

Grandma Natalie said with a smile again, and Xia De raised his head in surprise:

"What? Information? Oh, sorry, I really didn't expect... may I ask if you know the other party well?"

"I know what you want to ask. Yes, I have known her for a long time. Although that lady has a strange personality, she is still very honest as a trading partner. You were introduced by me, she won't lie to you."

"Does the other party know a lot about the Edwards family?"

"At least more than I and most people know. If you weren't introduced by Edmund, you wouldn't have heard about this from me at all."

Xia De thought for a while:

"Grandma Natalie, I do have a piece of orichalcum, but I didn't bring it with me. If the other party has information I am interested in, I think this transaction can be carried out."

"That's good, I need time to contact her. Tomorrow morning at nine o'clock, please come to me again, I think there should be an answer by then."

Xia De nodded and pointed to the product on the product catalog:

"Is this item in stock now?"

That was not a relic, but a derivative of the Keeper-level relic 【Eye of Sorrow】. The relic itself was a rare magic eye. After replacing the ring sorcerer's eye, it could use vision to interfere with the emotions of other individuals. And when the magic eye was not used by an individual, it would secrete a special liquid similar to tears.

This liquid, known as "tears of pain," could make the user fall into great sorrow. The refining of some potions required liquids with similar effects, and Xia De bought it for Dorothy. The ink of the writer lady was prepared by herself, mixed with special liquids, which could allow the emotions contained in the written story to be further released, thereby enhancing the effect of the miracle.

PS: Seeking votes. ===== CHAPTER 1540 =====