Chapter 127: Discussion
"What does that tale have to do with magical beasts and our deal?" Anastasia asked in confusion.
Instead of responding, Raven took a bundle of newspapers from the inventory and placed them on the table.
"This Mysterious Kidnapper has been active for around 20 years. According to reports from the Arcturus police department, there are around 1000 missing cases of children around 2 to 7 years of age. Most of the missing cases are from rural villages, small towns, and medium-sized towns with less protective walls. What's more surprising is that there are only a few eyewitnesses."
"What are you implying?" Anastasia got more confused and started looking at the bundle of newspapers.
'Why does he want me to look at this kidnapping case? Does he need my help in this case?'
Meanwhile, Raven took a newspaper from the bundle and spoke.
"All eyewitnesses said the Kidnapper wasn't an adult but a 10-year-old child. But will a child remain a child for 20 years?"
"It isn't a child?"
"Yes. Whenever police try to chase after this Kidnapper, he moves much faster than a war horse and then disappears."
"A 10-year-old child? If a child can run as fast as a horse, the Kidnapper must be a Radiant Walker. Maybe he became a walker much earlier than normal kids? That must be the reason for his short growth. Or maybe he was born a dwarf?" Anastasia furrowed. As far as she remembered, the shortest man she had seen was around 4.8 feet.
"I thought the same, but dwarfs usually have short legs and run slowly. Moreover, the local police of Arcturus managed to corner this Kidnapper more than seven times after careful planning in the last few years. But every time, some unexpected incident seemed to have happened, helping the Kidnapper escape."
"Unexpected incidents? Can you tell me more?" Anastasia asked.
Raven flipped through the newspaper, pausing on a specific article. "For example, in one incident, the Arcturus police managed to track the Kidnapper to an abandoned windmill on the outskirts. The whole place was surrounded by elite walkers stationed at every possible exit. But just as they moved in, a sudden earthquake occurred, toppling part of the structure and creating enough chaos for the Kidnapper to escape without a trace."
Anastasia's eyes narrowed. "An earthquake?"
"Yes. And another time, a high-speed chase led the police to a dead-end alley. They were sure they had him trapped. But just as they closed in, a runaway carriage lost control on the main street, crashed into a nearby building, and created an opening in the alley wall. The Kidnapper disappeared before anyone could react."
Anastasia frowned and leaned back in her chair, deep in thought. "These aren't just coincidences."
"No, they're not." Raven placed the newspaper down. "That's when I started digging deeper. Every time the police almost had him, something unnatural happened—sudden lightning, bridges collapsing at the right moment, a third party interfering, and many more."
Anastasia checked the newspaper one by one and soon read one of the eyewitnesses' reports.
"The kidnapper's skin looked pale green?" Her eyes squinted.
"One of the eyewitnesses got scratched by the kidnapper's sharp nail during the chase and ended up getting infected…"
"Kidnapper's eyes looked more like a beast…"
"There is also a black cat that follows him around…"
"Bite wound on the eyewitness's arm showed the kidnapper has fang-like teeth…"
As Anastasia checked all the reports, she suddenly turned solemn.
"Fang-like teeth? Wait, I have seen similar wounds in the Royal Capital."
"Similar?" Raven asked.
Anastasia nodded as she recalled her memories and answered.
"There have been a lot of mysterious deaths during the past few decades in slum regions. And all of them have one clue—a bite mark of fang-like teeth on the victims' necks. What's strange is that the cause of their death was due to cardiac arrest. Police searched for the reason behind the bite mark and even formed a separate investigation squad, but no one found the root cause."
[That must be the doing of a Vampire.] Zera answered in Raven's head.
Meanwhile, Anastasia continued to read all the papers and frowned.
"But this case seems to be different. The Kidnapper has been kidnapping children for over two decades, but the police haven't even found a trace of their bodies. Now that I think about it, the Kidnapper's skin looked pale green, right?" Anastasia suddenly realized the Kidnapper might not be a human at all.
"Yes, My Lady. I suspect this Kidnapper might be a goblin that resembles the one I took from your shop."
"A variant goblin?" Anastasia nodded in understanding and then asked.
"So, what do you want me to do? I'm not a mercenary, Mr. Holmes."
Instead of responding, Raven took a scroll from the inventory and gave it to her.
"I'll give you this potion recipe for the help I'm about to ask."
Anastasia opened the scroll and soon turned solemn as she read the potion recipe's title and a few ingredient names.
"Potion of Clairvoyance?" As she read the recipe, she realized it was a Rank-2 potion recipe.
"Is it the upgraded version of the Mind of Insight potion?" She couldn't help but ask.
Raven nodded and continued.
"I only write down half of the potion recipe. Once you fulfil the request, I'm about to ask, and I'll give you the full recipe. What do you say, My Lady?"
'It's an offer I can't even refuse, huh?'
A solemn look appeared on Anastasia's face.
She now understood what he meant by making a deal.
"What do you want me to do, Mr. Holmes?"
"I want the 40% profit from all the potions you concoct using this potion recipe, and I also need you to sign a magic contract with me," Raven stated.
"Agreed. What about the potion's patent?" Anastasia nodded as it was within her expectations and asked.
"You can have the patent. But I want your help with a few things in exchange for that." Raven proposed.
"Help?"
"Yes, I want the corpse of this mysterious Kidnapper. But I'm warning you, Lady Anastasia. Even if you go to the place, it will be impossible to capture or kill it." Raven knew that she was an Expert Rank Wizard, but still said it.
"Do you think this mysterious kidnapper can outrun an Expert Wizard in speed?" Anastasia asked with a frown. After all, the difference between a Radiant rank and an Expert rank was more like heaven and earth.
"It's not that I'm underestimating you, My Lady. But Kidnapper's unique skill is powerful enough to create unexpected circumstances." Raven paused for a second as he pointed his finger at the date on the newspaper.
"If we analyze the date pattern, this Kidnapper always takes a 2-week time break after kidnapping a child. Sometimes, it takes up to 16 days, too."
"If we find a way to put a tracking spell on it, there is a high chance of killing it." Anastasia felt it could be achieved with a few tricks.
"But do you think the Arcturus Police wouldn't have noticed this?" She knew there were many detectives in the police department to tackle such anomaly cases.
'But they still haven't solved this case, which means it's almost impossible for me to solve alone.'
Raven was also aware of this and started to speak.
"I noticed something interesting after looking at all the clues. This Kidnapper seems to have disappeared like he never existed whenever an unexpected accident happens. I know the police must have used a similar method to find its location, but failed. That means the Kidnapper is aware of the spell and managed to nullify it, or it moved far away for the tracker to even pinpoint the location."
"You mean this creature has a teleportation-like ability?" Anastasia asked in a serious tone.
"It is possible. That's why I want you to take young Master Daley with you." Raven's words surprised her.
"Are you telling me Young Master Daley has a way to prevent it from escaping?" Anastasia furrowed.
Raven smiled faintly and nodded.
"A subordinate of mine will also be accompanying you, My Lady. If my guess is correct, she might have a way to track down the Kidnapper even if it goes to a different world to hide." As soon as Raven spoke, a knocking sound came from outside.
"Come in," Raven said.
A raven-haired woman in her thirties walked in the next second and greeted Anastasia.
"Greetings, My Lady. It's been a while."
"Selene?" Anastasia didn't expect the subordinate to be a familiar face. But what startled her was that the aura embittered around her was as powerful as Daley Findlay's.
"Wasn't she an Apprentice Wizard when you visited our shop first? How come her spirit power reaches an Advanced Radiant Wizard level?" She couldn't help but give Selene a deep look.
"Anyway, I want the corpse of this Kidnapper before the end of this year. Will you do it?" Raven asked.
Anastasia pondered for a moment and nodded.
In truth, she didn't have a choice after he showed her the potion recipe. Even the Rank-1 potion earned her lots of profit, so she felt it was worth a shot.
Meanwhile, Raven turned his gaze towards Selene and told her about the mission.
After that, he talked to Anastasia about the contract terms and conditions and immediately signed the contract.
"Is there anything else you need, Mr. Holmes?" Anastasia asked after signing the contract.
Raven nodded and spoke.
"I want elemental crystals of different elements. Is it possible?"
Anastasia nodded and spoke.
"As long as you don't ask for a Rank-3 or above elemental crystals, we can supply them according to the market price. As for Rank-3 or above ones, you can obtain them through auctioneering only."
"Can I get 'Time' elemental crystals, too?" Raven asked.
"They appear rarely in the market and usually double the price of normal elemental crystals. Due to the high demand from the Wizards, it will be sold immediately." Anastasia answered.
"Wizards buy time elemental crystals?"
'Didn't you say the Wizards from Ivory Island do not know time-related spells?' He couldn't help but ask.
[I said they only know a little. Moreover, don't you remember what Elizabeth said about their purpose in invading this continent?]
'Resources? So, the buyers are from the main continent, huh?'
"Not every wizard shows interest in buying time elemental crystals. Only those from the Wizard Alliance show so much interest in buying them. As for where they use it, I've no idea about it." Anastasia answered.
"I'm interested in buying time elemental crystals, too. Especially, Rank-2 time-elemental crystals." Raven paused for a moment and then added.
"I'll pay 10% extra of the normal market price."
"10%? Are you sure you want to spend that much money, Mr. Holmes?" Anastasia was startled.
"An average Rank-2 crystal sells for around 100,000 to 120,000 gold coins. You'll lose a lot if you plan to pay an extra 10%."
"That's all right, My Lady. If you have heard the news of a Rank-3 or Rank-4 crystal being auctioned in the future, inform me immediately. I want to participate in it." Raven said solemnly.
"Haa, I don't know what you are thinking in your head, Mr. Holmes. But if you plan on participating in such an auction, you should at least hold 2 million gold coins in your bank account." She suddenly realized that Raven must have earned a lot from the Mind of Insight potion and sighed.
"Even if you have a few million coins, you should use them wisely, Mr. Holmes. After all, even a Rank-3 crystal would auction for around 1.5 million gold coins. And the Rank-4 crystals are not something even Count Andres can afford with his current wealth."
"Oh? How much do I need to buy it?" Raven asked.
"Rank-4 time-elemental crystal appeared in the Royal Auction house four years ago. An elder of our family attended the auction and told us that the auction was very chaotic. Even Pseudo-Legendary Wizard bid fiercely to get their hands on the crystal. Thanks to the fierce bidding, its price soared up to 20M gold coins!"
"So, I need over 20M gold coins, huh?" A look of understanding appeared on Raven's face.
But he wasn't even bothered by the amount.
After all, the profit he made from the affinity potions was enormous.
His monthly revenue increased after Raven sent Judith the 'High-rank' potion recipes.
[How much did you earn?] Zera asked in his mind.
'After I gave Judith the high-rank potion recipes, my monthly revenue from the sales increased from 200k to 650k. I earned around 8M every year. My total net worth is 61M gold coins.'
[I expected more.]
'Affinity Potion materials are a bit expensive and are hard to find. I heard that Judith managed to concoct a high-ranking potion only once a week. If she had enough potion materials, my revenue would've reached 500 million by now.' Unfortunately, she could only concoct a single high-ranking potion once in a while.
He could've earned billions if Raven had made a business contract with the Wizard Union instead of a personal contract.
Unfortunately, that would attract too much attention. In the worst-case scenario, he might get targeted by the Wizard Alliance and the Royal Family.
'Ha, I need to invest all the money wisely. Or else, I might become the government's target.'
As Raven was thinking, Anastasia started to speak.
"If you still want to participate, I will notify you beforehand. Is there anything else you need, Mr. Holmes?" Her face soon froze as she saw the corner of his lips curve upward.
'He still hasn't finished talking?'
"I also want you to gather a few Rank-3 Magical Beast corpses," Raven said solemnly.
"Now Rank-3 corpses? Haa, please tell me which magical beast corpses you are after. But I'm telling you in advance, Mr. Holmes. A single Rank-3 Magical Beast corpse costs around 1 to 1.5 million gold coins. I don't think spending your hard-earned money on these things is a good idea." Anastasia warned him.
Raven let out a chuckle and started to speak.
"There are necessary items for me."
A deep sigh leaked out of Anastasia's mouth.
"Please name them."
Raven nodded.
"I need a Corpse of a Three-Eyed Giant, Corpse of Dark Serpent, Corpse of Venom Basilisk, Corpse of Ice Wyvern, and Corpse of the Orc Giant. If you find one of these corpses, please send a message immediately."
A strange silence appeared in the study.
"How much did you earn from the Mind of Insight potion?" After a short delay, Anastasia asked in a solemn tone.
"Will you tell me how much you earn from the Mystic Cauldron shop yearly?" Raven didn't like being pried upon and asked coldly.
'If I press further, it will break our current relationship.'
Please forgive me for being impolite, Mr. Holmes. I hope we can maintain a good business relationship from now on," Anastasia said as she stood up from her seat.
"That depends on you, My Lady. If a similar incident happens like last time, I will not hesitate to break our ties and seek a new partner like Wizard Union." Raven stated his intention clearly.
"Rest assured, Mr. Holmes. I also don't plan on revealing this potion recipe to my family this time."
"That's a wise choice. Selene, guide Lady Anastasia to the guest room." He ordered.
"Yes, My Lord." Selene nodded.
Soon, Selene and Anastasia left the study and went to the guest room.
Meanwhile, Raven walked out of the study and met with Daley Findlay in the main hall.
"So, what is your plan, Mr. Holmes?" Daley asked as he sat on the sofa placed near the hearth.
"For now, I plan to reclaim the Azmar territory. What about you, Mr. Findlay?" Raven asked as he sat on the nearby sofa.
"I'm waiting for Prince's further order." Daley suddenly thought of something and asked in a whisper.
"Did he tell you anything about the meeting?"
Raven thought for a moment and asked a question.
"Do you know a place where the snow never melts?"
A confusion appeared on Daley's face.
"There are a lot of places in Northern Land where the snow never melts, Mr. Holmes. Can you tell me a little more detail?"
Raven nodded as he opened the notebook, tore a page, and passed it to him.
"This prophecy is the detail." He added.
Meanwhile, Daley read the prophecy carefully and pondered.
"There is quite a bit of information hidden in this prophecy, Mr. Holmes. For example: "In the shroud of a forgotten age, frost stirs where winter never fades." This first line itself gives a clue. Three years ago, some explorers found a few ancient ruins in the deepest part of the Northern Snow Forest. The place where the explorers found the ruins is called 'Eternal Ice Lake.' But that place is a territory of Snow Wyverns, so the explorers stopped their exploration so as not to provoke the lizards. But I never heard of any place that started drying, though. If I notice anything similar to this prophecy, I'll tell you right away."
Raven nodded and then requested that he join Anastasia and Selene for the upcoming mission. At the same time, he also gave him Rank-2 spatial spell models.
After talking with him briefly, he guided Daley to another guest room and let him stay in the mansion.
…