Chapter 36: Pritz Harbor
"Why take a detour through Enmat Port on the way back? Wouldn't it be faster to return directly from Pritz Harbor?" Enber asked, frowning slightly as he listened to his teacher's planned route. His instincts told him there was more to it.
Enmat Port, located east of Tingen and East Chester County, was one of the most prominent seaports in central Loen. Together with Pritz Harbor, it supported over half of Backlund's supply chain—one to the north, one to the south.
"Three reasons," Detective Isengard said. "First, it avoids possible ambushes. I doubt the Demoness Sect would stake out your return route, but better safe than sorry. Landing at a different port prevents trouble if they did."
"Second… didn't you promise a certain young lady you'd visit her in Enmat Port?" He added a wink.
Enber froze. He hadn't told his teacher anything about Jane. "Heh, just a bit of deduction… and a little bluff! Judging from your face, I'd say I was right." Isengard chuckled, taking a puff of his pipe. Then, using the moment to instruct his student, he added, "Enber, you need to learn to control your expressions. Roselle spoke of being 'unfazed by joy or anger'—that's difficult, but at the very least, practice using smiles or stern looks to mask your feelings. Like I do."
With a deadpan expression, Enber silently rolled his eyes. The gesture was hidden by his tinted glasses.
"And the third reason…" Isengard turned his grin toward Xio. "I imagine Miss Xio would also like to take this chance to visit her family."
Xio abruptly stood, stunned. "Detective Stanton, how… how did you know?"
Isengard gestured for her to sit and slowly explained, "It's not difficult for a detective with the right connections. In fact, Miss Xio—or rather, Lady Dere, as I should call you—M19 has been keeping an eye on you. But the intelligence agent in charge of your case has ties to House Dere. Considering you're only Sequence 9, he's delayed any action… which is another reason I told you to lay low for a while."
Xio was the eldest daughter of the Dere family. After her father had been falsely accused, her family had been hunted, forcing her to change her surname to Derecha and go into hiding with her mother and younger brother in East Chester County. Enber knew this, which was why he always addressed her as "Miss Xio." "Derecha" was only a cover name.
"Will lying low be enough?" Xio asked, frowning. She was beginning to sense her situation was more dangerous than she thought—and feared it might endanger her family too.
"Heh. Normally, M19 wouldn't care about you," Isengard remarked with a smirk. "But only recently did they issue orders to investigate East Borough's 'Arbiter.' Considering the warning you received, Enber's theory about the Demoness Sect's ties to M19 is probably right. At the very least, some high-ranking officers are colluding with them. Once this Demoness business is resolved, they won't waste resources on small figures like you. And between that M19 contact and myself, we'll sort out any remaining issues."
Xio sighed in relief. She trusted Isengard's judgment. But another thought struck her. "This person with ties to my family… could he be one of my father's old friends?"
"That, I can't say," Isengard replied. "But if this Demoness affair is resolved, I suspect he may reach out to you. You can ask him yourself then." At that, Xio sat back down, lost in thought.
Enber, meanwhile, felt less worried. He knew the M19 agent was likely the same figure from the original novel—the one who had shown Xio some favor. He might bow to pressure from above, but he bore her no malice and would even help her when he could.
With plans settled and a time agreed upon, Xio left to prepare for the trip, while Detective Isengard led Enber into the storeroom.
"Take this hat with you again. At sea, its power is much stronger than on land—it should serve you well." Isengard said handing him the "Wind-Blessed" hat.
Enber accepted it gratefully. He didn't know what dangers awaited him, so he wouldn't refuse any help.
"Does this hat have a name or codename, Professor?" Enber asked, adjusting its brim as he put it on.
"It's not quite strong enough to be a Grade 2 Sealed Artifact, so it has no codename. I call it the Seabreeze Hat."
He then pulled a tin box from a drawer and handed it over. "This is your advance payment for the commission."
Enber had a hunch about the contents. Excitedly, he broke the seal—and inside was exactly what he hoped: a golden leaf from the Tree of Knowledge, one of the main ingredients for the Sequence 7 Knowledge Keeper potion.
After a week of analysis, Enber had already obtained the Knowledge Keeper formula from the Sealed Artifact 2-081 and even discovered one of the key materials for Sequence 6 Polymath. This gift left him both grateful and thrilled.
"As your teacher, this is as much as I can help. The other main ingredient—the eye of a Dragon-Eyed Python—and the supplementary materials will be up to you to find."
"Thank you, Teacher!" Moved by the gesture, Enber decided to reciprocate by sharing one of his own findings.
"Teacher, I've heard the Polymath potion requires the heartwood of an Ancient Tree as a main ingredient… but I don't know the rest."
Isengard paused, pipe halfway to his lips. A look of satisfaction flashed across his face. "Understood."
After a moment, he slid a small box across the table. "This is Xio's commission payment. Could you deliver it for me?"
"What is it?" Curious, Enber opened it to find a black ring engraved with intricate patterns.
"It's called the Ring of Foresight," Isengard explained. "It enhances balance and coordination, allowing the wearer to intuitively anticipate an opponent's next move. For someone like Xio, whose instincts are already sharp, it'll be very useful. The downside is the occasional loss of control over facial expressions—sometimes with comical results."
A ring like this had to be worth four or five hundred pounds. The professor really was generous.But asking me to deliver a ring to Xio? If Fors sees this, her imagination will definitely run wild…
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June 26, 1349 — 3:00 PM
Stepping off the steam train, Enber and Xio looked up at the sky outside the platform. It was bright and clear, free from the heavy fog of Backlund. The ocean breeze swept in, breaking up what little haze remained, pulling the clouds into golden-red streaks across the horizon.
This was Pritz Harbor, the largest and busiest port in the Loen Kingdom.
Wearing his finely crafted tricorn hat, Enber carried his suitcase and cane. Beside him, Xio had disguised herself slightly, even adding a few inches to her height. Together, they took a carriage to the Pritz Harbor Ticketing Company in the White Rose District by the port.
The company operated out of a worn, three-story building. A signboard at the entrance bore a notice in Loen script:
Important Notice:
Follow the rules and form orderly queues.
No urinating, spitting, or littering on the premises.
In case of disputes, please approach the hall's guard.
Opening cans of 'wolf fish' is strictly prohibited in all rooms!
"Wolffish cans? What's that?" Xio asked, puzzled by the warning.
She barely finished speaking when a sharp pop echoed behind them—the unmistakable sound of a can being opened.
(End of Chapter)