It was an early Saturday morning.
Ronald had seated himself in his office located on an estate in the suburbs.
This weekend was unaffected by the blizzard that had influenced the last.
The roads were back to normal, and the sky was clear.
With the weather being so favorable, naturally, the number of people attending the exhibition had returned to normal.
By Ronald’s visual estimation and mental calculation,
the number of guests who had come to visit the exhibition that morning had already reached the scale of a medium-sized gathering.
After all, those who would come here were at least related personnel from the mysterious side.
Even a few faces Ronald had seen at the banquet he attended last time appeared here, two or three to be exact.
In a certain sense, this could also be considered an ’elite’ gathering that opened regularly.
Watching the incessant stream of visitors coming and going, all dressed in various fashions,
Ronald’s work had finally returned to normal.
At least he wasn’t like the train station or an investigator, facing an unexpectedly astonishing development soon after starting the job.
While Ronald himself was sitting in the office, indeed focusing on the endless stream of guests entering and leaving the mansion,
his mind had long since returned to Blenheim City.
— The home of warden Bach Krichens.
Curiosity? Concern? Confusion?
All kinds of emotions were present.
But in any case, Ronald was very concerned about the current situation in Blenheim City.
Last night, Swift had indeed accepted his commission.
Having others undertake potentially dangerous surveillance work on his behalf, Ronald certainly couldn’t deceive the other party with key information. Unlike church members whose starting point was self-interest, Swift was entirely helping him with the endeavor.
So, Ronald had described to Swift all that had occurred above Black Mountain, except for Alida and the original tome he held.
This included the matter of the deceased Lumir’s body he had seen.
He had clearly told this to Mr. Detective.
Then, judging by the professional standards of someone like Swift,
what was his situation now?
Had a new incident occurred in the city?
And the church managers in Blenheim City, having noticed the disappearance of their member in the warden’s estate, what kind of reaction would they have?
Furthermore, would Lumir, the heir to the warden, and the ’traitorous’ warden themselves take any other actions?
These were all matters of considerable concern to Ronald at the moment.
Moreover, there was still someone who had yet to show up.
— The faction that previously handed the coded letter to Ronald.
This faction had been silent since passing the message to him two weeks earlier.
No traces of their activity were seen in Blenheim City.
He had not received any new messages afterward either.
Their complete disappearance after delivering that message, as if they had evaporated from the face of the earth, was equally puzzling.
For societal stability and the safety of the people, they should have informed the investigative bureau.
If their purpose was related to him, there should be some new actions by now.
The unfathomable rules of their actions.
Sitting in the chair, Ronald couldn’t help but let out a sigh.
Although he had been prepared, actually joining this enigmatic theater had proven to be quite confounding indeed.
Just then, a rhythmic series of three knocks sounded outside Ronald’s office, clearly indicating the politeness of the visitor.
Subsequently, a calm male voice also rose from outside the door:
"Mr. Ronald, may I come in?"
Ronald immediately responded loudly:
"No problem, come in."
With that, the man outside pushed the door open and walked inside.
It was the chief guard of the exhibition, whom Ronald had met before.
He was one of the most trusted by Everton in this suburban estate, solely responsible for the management of the estate during normal working days when the exhibition hall was closed.
Currently, Hansen entered Ronald’s office holding a black lacquered wooden box, secured with a small padlock.
The intricate design and materials alone indicated this box had some value.
So, what did Hansen need from him?
Surely Everton had not realized the exhibition was trouble-free and decided to let him go!
As Ronald watched curiously, Hansen, upon entering, didn’t speak first.
He surveyed the room with confident eyes, then stepped forward and placed the box on Ronald’s desk.
Seeing the action, Ronald asked:
Facing Ronald’s inquiry,
Hansen first took a key out of his pocket and placed it on the table before he answered:
"Mr. Ronald, this is a very important treasure brought directly from the business headquarters in Springs. Mr. Everton has decided that during the two-day exhibition next week, this item will be showcased as the centerpiece."
Ronald inquired further:
"So you’re here now to have it confirmed in advance?"
"Exactly," Hansen nodded and then pointed to the box and key on the desk, "I’ve come over in advance this week to discuss with you the display arrangement and the related security issues for that time."
"For now, I suggest you open it and confirm what’s inside first."
Ronald was silent for a moment, not immediately opening the box but confirming beforehand:
"Given your serious demeanor, whatever’s inside must be significant."
"What exactly is this?"
Hansen didn’t make any other gesture but simply began to explain:
"This is a unicorn horn."
"Whether used as a spellcasting medium, material for crafting artifacts, or required in certain mysterious rituals, it is an extremely precious and highly effective powerful magic item."
"Even because it is so valuable, should anyone dare to steal it from under our trade union’s nose, it’s entirely possible."
After hearing this explanation, Ronald nodded somewhat speechlessly.
The simple description conveyed by Hansen had no simple implications.
With the power of the Ginkgo Leaf Business Alliance, the risks involved in stealing from them were imaginable.
This showed just how valuable this item truly was!
"For now, let’s consider the display and the security arrangements for the exhibit during next week’s exhibition."
Hansen nodded as usual:
And so in Ronald’s office, the two began discussing the work for the following week.