Chapter 1987: Detective's Birthday Celebration

Leaving Priest Ao Gu Si with Doctor Schneider, Xia De returned home in the evening with worry, not expecting Dorothy and Luweiya to be there. Xia De also told them about Priest Ao Gu Si's situation, and the writer and diviner ladies were also very worried.

Luweiya even proposed to divine for Priest Ao Gu Si, but the divination card drawn casually was the card face representing "Light."

The meaning of this card is "a future full of hope," which can be considered one of the best divination results for divination, so Luweiya told Xia De to rest assured that if the priest really had other conditions, they would all help.

Luweiya actually didn't leave that night, but participated in Xia De and Dorothy's course.

In the past month's every Saturday night, although Dorothy or Princess Lei Qianya would appear at Xia De's house, in fact, during this Saturday course, they didn't carry out too many learning activities... Instead, there were more entertainment activities.

Now resting for a month, the writer lady and the princess also intended to restart brand new learning. They thought that it was actually themselves choosing the labyrinth for Xia De, because every time they started the course, Xia De would obtain the fairy tale labyrinth two to three months later.

"Then what is the learning content this time?"

Luweiya, who was listening, asked with great interest from the side of the desk. The gas lamp light in the study made the faces of the two girls shine. The warm family atmosphere made Xia De even more grateful that Detective Sparrow had left this house for him.

"My low-ring and middle-ring sublimation words are "Match Girl" and "Cinderella," Princess Lei Qianya's low-ring sublimation word is "Sleeping Princess." Xia De has already learned these three stories. This time it is Princess Lei Qianya's middle-ring sublimation word."

Luweiya already knew the secret of the writer and the princess, so this topic could be discussed directly in front of her.

"That is a fairy tale about mermaids, the ocean, and love. Coincidentally, Princess Lei Qianya is also teaching Ajilina similar content, and we have quite a few related materials in our hands."

"Speaking of which, has Ajilina's low-ring sublimation word been selected?"

Xia De asked curiously. The princess of Delarion joined the Zalas Literature Academy, naturally without waiting for half a year to see the "Book of Sublimation" of the Zalas Literature Academy.

Dorothy nodded:

"Selected this week, and the witches also agreed: Heart Silence, Parting the Mist, Seeing the Truth. 【Heart】 【Silence】 【Mist】 【Eyes】, and Ajilina's own core spirit rune 【Truth】."

"Looking at it this way, the Zalas Literature Academy and the Witch Council intend to let Ajilina become a ring mage with strong perception?"

Luweiya asked:

"This sublimation word is also available in the Prophets Society. If she is willing, she can even contact some divination knowledge."

"Yes, the professors at the Zalas Literature Academy believe that Ajilina's perception and soul sensitivity are extremely high, and the 【Truth】 spirit rune fits her own self even more. Her situation is different from all of us. She is neither a genius of moonlight-type spellcasting and time investigation like Xia De, nor a natural diviner like you, Luweiya, and even less of a ring mage specializing in enlightenment elements like me and Princess Lei Qianya... It's not bad to be good at perception. Although high inspiration is sometimes very dangerous, it can help her avoid danger most of the time."

Xia De also nodded, agreeing with her view.

Afterwards, the writer lady pulled the topic back to tonight's study:

"That fairy tale known as 【The Little Mermaid】 has long been a household name, so there are many versions of the story passed down to this day. But generally, it is only divided into two parts. The first part, the mermaid princess living on the seabed, met the prince who was shipwrecked at sea and saved him; the second part, the mermaid princess paid the price to become a human, but in the end, she didn't get the prince's love."

After speaking, Dorothy also shook her head;

"That girl is really stupid. She has such powerful power, even if she wants to grab, she should grab the prince back. As a result, she watched the prince get married and blessed them... I even suspect, is she too simple?"

Luweiya giggled on the side, and Xia De suspected that these words were said by Princess Lei Qianya, which was very consistent with the personality of that "domineering" princess.

"This story is indeed very famous, and I have heard of it. Speaking of which, Miss Aphra's family has been on good terms with mermaids for generations. During the Battle of Green Lake, she even found mermaids to help. I don't know how the mermaid race itself views this story. Perhaps this is also a story that really happened."

Xia De said, Dorothy thought for a while:

"That's a very interesting research direction. Princess Lei Qianya and I haven't seen similar papers. However, the mermaid race lives in the ocean and rarely talks to human ring mages in the Sixth Era, so this is not very easy to investigate... Princess Lei Qianya has two mermaid scales in her hand, I can bring them next week for study, which will help us feel the power of the ocean."

Xia De originally thought there were other arrangements tonight, but didn't expect this night class to last until after 9:30. "Teacher Lu Yisha" actually stood up and said she was going to rest.

She was not joking, and after washing up, she really went to the first floor with Luweiya. Xia De held the cat and watched the girls wave goodbye to him on the first floor. Luweiya even warned:

"Xia De, don't come to knock on our bedroom door tonight. If you respect the girls, just stay in your own bedroom with your cat tonight and spend the night honestly."

Xia De believed that the expression on his face must be very wonderful at this moment, but since Dorothy and Luweiya both refused him, he indeed didn't go downstairs that night, and Little Mia was therefore rarely not locked in the closet on a Saturday night.

A peaceful night passed, and at 6:30 on Sunday morning, the cat's meowing awakened Xia De on time. The Outlander reached out and pressed the cat's head. The small cat knew Xia De had woken up, so it squatted there and stopped making a sound.

"June 22nd, Month of Sunshine, today is Sunday, last year was Saturday."

He looked at the ceiling that was now incomparably familiar, and then thought that a year ago today, this was still Detective Sparrow Hamilton's bedroom, and the person lying in the same position at this time was still that detective. And a year ago today, on the side of the bed, the Outlander who had just "woken up" was panicked because of the strange environment.

"That was also a morning."

He continued to think in his heart, and the cat beside him was already meowing impatiently. It was urging Xia De to get up quickly instead of lying on the bed in a daze and wasting his life.

"Got it, got it."

Sitting up from the bed, waving his hand, the curtains automatically opened, letting the gray morning scene be displayed outside the window.

"A year ago, I got this house here, got 【All-Encompassing Silver Moon】, and... heard your voice."

Someone was laughing softly in his ear, and the gentle laughter swept away the fatigue of just waking up.

【Do you need me to say something?】

"She" asked softly. Xia De said while putting on slippers:

"Okay."

【The wind of early summer blew away the scattered fog, and the Outlander woke up again on the day the Silver Moon shone. The adventures of the past year have exhausted you, but the power and emotions precipitated in your soul have also made you fulfilled. Crossing the first year, the wind blew the fallen leaves into the second year. Present·Sixth Era, Summer 1854, the day the Silver Moon shines, good morning, hope you like this world, my dear Outlander.】

Xia De's mood became very good, and even the steps out of the room became much lighter.

Unexpectedly, a hot breakfast was already placed on the dining table, but the girls who made breakfast were not seen on the second floor. And when Xia De went downstairs to find Luweiya and Dorothy for breakfast, both girls were already gone.

Going out to get goat milk and newspapers, he found a letter in the milk box.

The envelope had no stamp, let alone a return address. The content of the letter was spelled out one by one with words cut from the newspaper:

【Tobesk's Great Detective:

The treasures you cherish have been taken away by me and hidden in every corner of this city. You must find them all before sunset, otherwise...】

The crooked newspaper words were too big, so after reading this part, he had to turn to the next page.

【Otherwise you will not be allowed to attend tonight's party. The first clue is in this letter, and with your wisdom, you will surely be able to discover it.

Note: Remember to eat breakfast before going to search, don't run around the city on an empty stomach. Your treasures will not be hurt because of your late arrival, so please don't worry.】

"A challenge for the great detective? A unique birthday celebration method, but I feel like I'm being treated as a child by them."

Xia De thought in his heart, took the thing in his hand and walked up the stairs:

"Let's set off after eight o'clock."

【You found the first clue?】

"This is too simple. The material of these clipped newspapers, one touch and I know they all come from the "Steam Bird Daily." The newspaper office starts work at eight o'clock, and there is nothing to do if you go too early."

At eight o'clock sharp, Xia De, wearing a black coat, a brown deerstalker hat, and Little Mia on his shoulder, arrived at the Steam Bird Daily newspaper office in the university district. But after entering the newspaper office, except for greeting acquaintances, he didn't find the girls he was familiar with, and even learned after asking that he was the first outsider to enter the newspaper office this morning.

However, after careful inquiry, he learned that the newspaper office received a strange anonymous letter this morning. Xia De opened it after obtaining permission and saw a riddle written inside:

【Like a painting but not a painting, like a mirror but not a mirror. In the day it is a painting, at night it is like a mirror.】

"Window... sorry."

The confused detective walked to the window and then saw the carriage parked at the door of the newspaper office downstairs. Xia De went downstairs and indeed saw Dorothy smiling happily at him in the carriage window. That carriage was obviously Miss Miss Jia Lin Na's, and the coachman looked normal, but was actually a maid lady in men's clothing.

Walking onto the carriage, the writer lady kissed his side face, but then another person in the carriage, Luweiya, pulled Dorothy aside.

The purple-eyed girl wearing a black dress hugged Dorothy's neck, and her right hand under the white lace cuff put a sharp silver dinner knife in front of the writer lady's neck.

The black-dressed girl said to Xia De:

"Oh, detective, I didn't expect you to solve my riddle so easily. But you are still a step late. Now, I am going to hide this blonde girl again. Go, leave here quickly. Don't be proud after finding the first one. Your other treasures, you will definitely not find."

Xia De blinked:

"If I want to fight you here, what are you going to do?"

Saying that, he grabbed Luweiya's hand holding the dinner knife. The purple-eyed girl didn't struggle, but said with a smile:

"Then let's fight."

The carriage started slowly and drove into an alley nearby, and the two girls in the carriage had already grabbed Xia De's arm together. Amidst the cat's meowing, workers carrying a pile of boxes happened to stack those boxes at the entrance of the alley, blocking the parked carriage.

Half an hour later, the carriage drove out of the alley, and the detective, full of lipstick marks and disheveled clothes, was also "kicked" off the carriage because the fight "failed."

He hurriedly tidied up his clothes and then caught the handkerchief floating out of the carriage compartment that was driving away.

"Miss Miss Jia Lin Na's perfume."

He knew it after sniffing it lightly, looking at the workers blocking the alley entrance moving boxes away, and then noticed the twelve strangely arranged stitches on the bottom left corner of the handkerchief:

"This is... the star map of the Southern Cross? Oh, I know, Lucky Southern Cross Club!"

So the detective, who had tidied up his clothes, adjusted his mood and took the unhappy cat to the club on Glass Mountain Avenue in the North City, which was also the place where Xia De first met Miss Miss Jia Lin Na.

That club, which had now become a "kidnapping accomplice," naturally wouldn't let Xia De in easily. From the moment he entered the door, the detective with the cat defeated 7 maids with Luo De cards in total before entering the third floor, and completed the final multiplayer card game with three maid ladies including Tifa at the entrance of the third-floor stairs before being allowed to enter the depths of the club.

In that dim and familiar study, Xia De met the beautiful Duchess. Similarly, the purple-eyed female diviner wearing a black dress had already arrived here in advance.

Tifa temporarily took the maids to retreat, and the two ladies who were chatting and drinking tea also put down their teacups:

"Oh, detective, detective, maybe I really underestimated your ability. But even if you found your second treasure, what can you do? She will eventually fall into my palm."

Xia De doubted that these lines were all written by Dorothy. Luweiya saying them was like reading lines from a stage play.

The black-dressed diviner took out the silver dinner knife again and pressed it against the Duchess's neck, who was smiling happily:

"Save me, detective, I am willing to use everything I have to repay you."

"Yes, I'm coming to save you."

Saying that, Xia De put the cat on the sofa, took off his coat and hat, and reached out to the kidnapper and the Duchess.

The fight in the room lasted for more than an hour. When the disheveled Xia De walked out of the room holding the cat, the time had already reached 11:00 AM that day.

The maid ladies outside the door were all laughing, but they still led Tifa to help Xia De tidy up his clothes, wipe off the lipstick marks on his face and neck, and sprayed perfume to cover up some strange smells.

After doing all this, Xia De still wanted to talk to the two ladies in the room, such as having lunch together, but the maid ladies ushered him back to the first floor. The black-haired head maid said very seriously:

"Detective, your lateness made you miss the second treasure. Fortunately, the loyal maid remembered the key clue when the master was taken away. The clue is a cat, and there are three of them in total. The detective's wisdom will surely bring back that poor mistress."

The girls laughed again, and Xia De nodded to Tifa:

"Got it, got it, this time it's the Three Cats Hotel."

The Three Cats Hotel is in the north of the city, just like the club, so you can reach it very quickly even on foot.

Because it was already noon, there were quite a lot of guests in the Three Cats Hotel, and the business was quite busy. When Xia De walked in, he glanced and didn't see the girls he was familiar with, so he went to ask the landlady, Mrs. Sangmei, for help.

The middle-aged woman wearing an apron saw Xia De walking over and immediately showed a smile:

"Although I don't know what you are playing, young people nowadays are really good at playing... Oh, listen, young detective!"

Her thick voice almost scared the cat on Xia De's shoulder:

"Yes, strange strangers did appear here today. A strange lady who imprisoned two butterflies in a cage, wearing a black dress full of malice and curses, rented a room upstairs."

Saying that, she stuffed the key into Xia De's hand and winked at Xia De:

"Detective, I don't want bad people to live in my property, please help me drive her away."

Xia De then took the key to the third floor and opened the room door. Grace and Helen, who were sitting on the sofa talking, saw that it was Xia De who opened the door and immediately drove him out:

"Get out, get out, the kidnapper hasn't arrived yet, you can't come in."

"Wait, you can't easily leave Mid-Hill Fort, right?"

"Oh, get out, the kidnapper hasn't arrived yet!"

Luweiya, of course, hadn't arrived yet. She should still be cleaning and washing up in the club. Xia De was deliberately testing whether she could walk in front of him every time.

So Xia De had lunch with Mia downstairs first, which took twenty minutes. When he opened the room door again, Luweiya had arrived this time.

Behind the purple-eyed diviner, the pitiful white-dressed and black-dressed girls had their hands tied together, and their blue eyes looked at Xia De with a look for help.

Xia De wanted to go forward, but was glared at by Luweiya, so he asked:

"It seems that this time, I was a step late again. So, are you going to take out a knife to threaten me again?"

"No, detective, you have been my enemy so many times today, I want to punish you."

The purple-eyed girl said, pointing to Helen and Grace:

"I want to humiliate the three of you. Now do as I say, otherwise I will use a knife to hurt them. You have no choice, now, take off your coat first, and then put that dangerous cat aside..."

The righteous knight originally just wanted to come and save the butterfly sisters who were caught by the "bad guy," but in the end, he did all kinds of things under coercion.

And when he took a bath and left the room holding Mia, it was already almost two o'clock in the afternoon.

The cat lay in his arms with a stinky face, perhaps regretting going out with the detective today.

The next clue was not here. The detective, who was driven out again, followed the last clue left by the butterfly sisters before "fainting," a red butterfly that only he could see, and left the Three Cats Hotel. Walking north along the street outside St. Song Square for less than a hundred steps, he stopped in front of the gate with a kerosene lamp hanging.

This is the North City Theater that Dorothy had brought Xia De to before, where the Jasmine Opera Troupe performs.

After paying the 8-penny ticket, Xia De followed the red butterfly into it. After watching the slightly vulgar stage play "Snake of Lust" performed in the afternoon, he received a quill pen and understood where he was going next.

Taking the cat to Quill Pen Street where Dorothy lived, after knocking on the door of Building B, No. 211, the landlady looked him up and down before letting Xia De in.

Dorothy rented the entire third floor, but what Xia De saw first was Princess Lei Qianya sitting on the sofa, and then he saw the writer lady wearing a very familiar black dress holding a knife, who said:

"Detective, you again..."

"Let me interrupt, why did you change actors? Is this Luweiya's dress? Where is Luweiya?"

The writer lady frowned slightly, very dissatisfied that Xia De interrupted her:

"Don't talk nonsense. Luweiya has already performed three acts and needs to rest. Do you think she is the same as you? Now I will take over. This Red Butterfly Day starts from now on. You remember the date, and you will arrange the next one..."

The princess on the sofa coughed twice, signaling them to return to the topic, so Dorothy continued:

"Detective, you have found the clue again and chased it here, but this beautiful princess is still my prey. If you want to take her away, unless you can defeat me."

Princess Lei Qianya said very cooperatively:

"Detective, you must be able to defeat this woman, right?"

The writer lady hummed:

"Your Highness, shut your mouth. You are kidnapped by me now, you just stay here and watch, let me compete with this detective."

"This is not right, Dorothy, although we are one, you can't eat alone."

Saying that, she actually stood up, and then walked toward Xia De with the writer lady.

Dorothy didn't fulfill her promise this time, even though Xia De defeated them, he still couldn't take back his princess. After 3:00 PM, he walked out of the apartment and returned to Quill Pen Street. The cat, who was sleeping on the windowsill just now, was sleeping sweetly in his arms at this time, and the last clue was the last sentence Princess Lei Qianya said to him just before leaving:

"The girls of the Cavendish family will not yield."

"Cavendish family... Yodel Palace is impossible, Miss Miss Jia Lin Na's manor."

This time, Xia De didn't even need to rent a carriage, and the carriage that had been waiting for a long time came to his side.

Taking the carriage to the manor in the northern suburbs, it looked no different from usual. Just after entering the mansion, he saw Megan being pulled upstairs by someone. However, Megan was out of town, and Xia De was very surprised that she could also rush over.

So the detective investigated all the way and finally came to the bedroom that belonged exclusively to the Duchess.

The maid outside the door took away Little Mia, and pushing open the bedroom door, the red hair and brown hair that were drooping everywhere, making the whole bedroom look like a spider's nest, shocked Xia De.

Looking closely, it was clearly the witches letting their hair grow to the limit, and then spreading it to the entire bedroom like silk.

When Xia De walked out of the hair that was drooping from the ceiling, spreading and connecting everywhere, and came to the bed, he only saw Miss Miss Jia Lin Na wearing a black dress holding a dinner knife, pressing it against the neck of the brown-haired witch on the bed:

"Detective, although you found the last treasure, you also fell into my trap."

"Changed actors again? Oh, I mean, what trap?"

The red-haired witch dropped the knife with a smile, and Megan also sat up, holding her hand at the same time, and Audrey, who was hiding under the quilt, also appeared with a smile:

"Really sorry, detective, actually I was the one who directed all this, deliberately inducing you to come here exhausted after running around all day."

"And now, do you still have the strength, ready to face the last enemy?"

Red and brown and brown, the long hair of the three people gathered toward the bed under control, and then really like a trap, entangled Xia De, and the witches held his hand with a smile:

"Let's see where you can hide."

At dusk, the sunset dyed half the sky red. Xia De, who was actually busy all day, walked out of the manor's bath while wiping his hair with a towel.

The maid led the way in front, and after entering the manor's restaurant, the white tablecloth was already covered with gold and silver utensils and delicious food, and a huge five-layer cake was placed in the center of the table. And at the top of the cake, there was a chocolate-material stand of a black-clothed detective and an orange-white kitten.

Luweiya, Princess Lei Qianya, Dorothy, Miss Jia Lin Na, Megan and Audrey, Helen and Grace, wearing gorgeous evening dresses, were already waiting for him in the restaurant. Even Ajilina and Yiluna were standing together with them with a smile.

Seeing the protagonist of the banquet arrive, the ladies who were chatting and laughing by the table just now raised the wine glasses by the table one after another. Under the crystal chandelier, their eyes and their jewelry were all shining.

The Outlander a year ago was worrying about whether he could receive relief food in time at dusk, while the Outlander a year later no longer had to worry about this problem.

"Xia De, happy birthday."

They said while raising their glasses together. Tifa, who was helping to hold Little Mia, pushed Xia De lightly, letting Xia De be surrounded by the ladies who came over:

"Xia De, happy birthday."

"Xia De, happy birthday."

Light and smiles surrounded him, and the Outlander felt that he had been lost in these congratulations. I don't know if the blurry lights were cast with illusions, but those familiar faces and laughter and this night would surely remain in his heart forever.

【Xia De, happy birthday.】

"She" also said softly in Xia De's ear at this time.

"Is my birthday really this day?"

When Luweiya was pulling his sleeve to cut the cake, Xia De asked back in his heart.

【Does this matter?】

A year has passed, and the laughter of "Her" is still as pleasant as it was at the beginning. Like the light night wind, like the gentle night moon, and even more like the gentlest shadow in the bottom of Xia De's heart.

Yes, this doesn't matter at all. ===== CHAPTER 1988 =====