Chapter 852: Income Problem

"【Secret of Immortality】 I haven't gotten it yet, but I have already seen the content you mentioned."

In a separate lounge on the first floor of the Rothschild Manor, the young witch, who was dressed up but didn't intend to attend the banquet, went straight to the theme after Xia De walked into the room.

The room was quite spacious, and the sofa set was placed near the window. Outside the window was the thick night of the manor, and the light of the landing gas lamps lit in the courtyard also seemed so weak.

The glass reflected Miss Sylvia's profile. The young Great Witch was still wearing a black dress today, the skirt edge decorated with dark purple lace patterns, and a large exaggerated wide-brimmed hat on her head, the edge of the hat decorated with a circle of petals.

She wore light makeup on her face, and lipstick of a color Xia De couldn't distinguish on her lips. After Xia De sat down, he clearly smelled the perfume of "Witch's Taste."

"Don't look at me with strange eyes. Although I don't intend to attend the banquet, since I am here, I naturally can't dress very casually."

Miss Sylvia explained.

"Confirm that there is indeed a remnant of the poem in 【Secret of Immortality】?"

Xia De didn't conduct extra pleasantries, but asked very straightforwardly. Looking at his appearance, the witch knew that he absolutely wasn't contacting these things for the first time. And according to the large batch of Chosen One intelligence that Galina Cavendish had obtained from somewhere this year, Miss Sylvia felt that she probably guessed Galina's intelligence source:

"Yes."

The witch nodded slightly, her brows furrowed. But this didn't affect the witch's beauty. Her age was the youngest among all the Great Witches of the Sixth Era Xia De had seen. The girl of this age was in the most beautiful period of her life, plus the witch's supernatural charm, she looked beautiful doing any expression:

"The content in the page number you provided seems to have nothing special, but through special methods, after decoding and sorting the letters according to the Council's seating, some interesting intelligence was obtained."

She even helped Xia De save the process of decoding:

"There are two sentences in total. The first sentence—the heir of the wise must solve the riddle of wisdom."

"Wise? Does this refer to the Ancient God 【Keeper Mentor】, that is, the Ancient God of wisdom and knowledge?"

Xia De asked. The name of this Ancient God was what he heard from the Ancient God 【Gray Robed Sage】 at the end of the Gadis Library. And the 【All-encompassing Change · Knowledge】 corresponding to this Ancient God was in the hands of the Divination Association.

"Yes, the remnant of the poem recorded in 【Secret of Immortality】 likely points to the Chosen One of wisdom and knowledge."

Miss Sylvia nodded slightly, looking at Xia De with some surprise:

"You really know a lot. I have always thought that it was that Duchess helping you. Now thinking about it, the actual situation wouldn't be that it was actually you who had been helping Duchess Galina, right?"

"We have been helping each other... what is the second sentence?"

"The second sentence—when fate comes, the keeper holding the riddle will wait for the arrival of the Chosen One; that is five tests."

The witch continued, and then looked at Xia De:

"What do you think this means?"

Xia De pondered:

"The God of wisdom and knowledge uses the form of riddles to test the Chosen One, which is not absurd. But it sounds like the Chosen One ritual seems to be related to solving five riddles? And, the riddles are held by the so-called 'Keeper.' I can't be sure whether 'Keeper' refers to a real individual or something else."

Miss Sylvia also nodded:

"Yes, only two sentences, it sounds a bit obscure. But at least now it is very clear that this is information related to the Chosen One of knowledge. Judging from the things that have happened in the past half year, when the Chosen One appears, the corresponding poem remnant of him or her or it will also likely be discovered. So after death, the next one is wisdom and knowledge."

The witch sighed:

"Knowledge is power, and wisdom is the most precious wealth. This Chosen One should be quite extraordinary."

Then the topic turned, and beautiful eyes looked at Xia De:

"Mr. Han Mi Er Dun, I was able to find this thanks to the intelligence you provided. I have made a contribution to the Council, and I will not forget to repay you. What do you need?"

Miss Sylvia was different from Miss Galina. The relationship between her and Xia De hadn't reached the level of gratuitous help, and Xia De also understood this point very well:

"I don't have anything I need for the time being. Let's talk about it after you arrive in Tobesk."

The Great Witch nodded, as if relieved, and smiled again:

"How is the banquet? Are you used to the noble banquet of Kasonlik? I hope you can be satisfied with the hospitality here."

"Lady, I have no requirements for the banquet. In Tobesk, I am also just the lowest noble."

"But I heard Miss Galina say that you have a deep relationship with the Delarian Royal Family, and even hold a salary from the Delarian Royal Army in your hand."

Speaking of this, Xia De laughed:

"I am probably that kind of salary thief. Although I hold part of the salary provided by taxpayers, I actually don't do anything."

But thinking carefully, the contribution Xia De made to the Military Intelligence Service 6 was completely worthy of his salary.

"Is it a job provided by Miss Galina for you?"

Miss Sylvia asked with great interest, and Xia De didn't mind chatting with her about these things:

"Yes, now the weekly salary is five pounds."

He opened his palm.

"Major-level treatment."

Miss Sylvia nodded, knowing a lot about this:

"That is really not bad. I serve as a tutor and private doctor for the royal family. After deducting laundry fees, the salary I get in a year is only... converted into Jin Bang, about 235 pounds."

For a tutor, this was a very high salary, and most of it should be the salary as a private doctor. After all, according to Xia De's understanding, women in this era serving as tutors couldn't earn too much money. Dorothy had worked as a tutor for a few months when she first moved out of her home, but soon gave up because it delayed her writing time and the income was too low. 【8

"Actually, I am quite curious, may I ask what your main source of income is? Oh, sorry, this question might be a bit presumptuous."

Miss Sylvia did not seem to mind the question:

"My teacher left me an inheritance, most of which is real estate and jewelry antiques. The only things with fixed income are a wool textile steam factory in Willandale and a few spice shops and bookstores in the city center. Of course, compared to expenses, this income is not particularly large."

She said to Xia De, half-complaining:

"Mathematical research doesn't just require paper and pens; participating in academic conferences and publishing articles every year costs money. Not to mention occult research; every research project related to space is not cheap. So I have been trying to find other sources of income. The witches of the council are very willing to help me, but..."

She shook her head cautiously, and Xia De understood very well:

"After all, one still has to rely on oneself."

"Yes."

Miss Sylvia nodded to Xia De with some surprise, and Xia De was also surprised that he was actually chatting about income issues with a ten-ring female sorcerer.

But thinking about it carefully, it was normal. Since one lives in a civilized society, one must find a way to obtain legal sources of income for oneself. Illegal Ringed Ringed Shushi organizations seek cooperation with nobles, people like Sister Daelin also worry about the taxes and government funding of Snake Heart Hospital, and cultists go to great lengths to launder their income.

This is a very real world, so the Outworlder has to worry about the trivialities of life, and a ten-ring Great Witch does not possess the power to change social rules.

Xia De currently had a large sum of money on hand, and because he had no spending plans, he intended to invest it. If Miss Sylvia, who was also looking for sources of income, had any good projects, he would be very happy to cooperate with the witch.