The Rendezvous That Almost Got Caught

Chapter 38 The Rendezvous That Almost Got Caught

Rorschach continued reading the newspaper and found that the second page was full of "GG" entries. Even though they were all small, inconspicuous "GG" columns, Rorschach found them fascinating.

Firstly, it would allow him to learn about the latest products and get a sense of prices. Secondly, as arranged by the bald boss, the organization would contact him through a newspaper advertisement.

"Really?" Rorschach looked closely and found the "Pachaluca Trading Company" logo in the bottom right corner. In the Aberr language, Pacha means light, and Luca means the top or sublime.

To the average person, the founder of the trading company might seem like a follower of the god of light and order, but the members of the organization would smile knowingly at the strange name: Bald? Isn't that their boss?

Luo Xia quickly finished his bread, rolled up the newspaper, and returned to his dormitory. He took out the codebook from his storage ring and checked: 3 PM on the 5th, Bibo Teahouse on the east bank of the river.

Tea houses are scattered throughout Valuana, but they are not the "don't talk about politics" tea houses of my previous life in the authentic city. Instead, they are shops that will brew you a cup of herbal tea flakes and mainly sell desserts.

The fifth? That's today. Rorschach didn't copy down the translation; instead, he put away his codebook and memorized the contents.

"Look, everyone, this is the ruins of the bathhouse where the hero Odov bathed when he passed through Valuvana. The magnificent building next to it is the Royal Theatre."

The boatmen also act as guides, introducing passengers to the sights along the river. The Seine River flows through Valovana and connects the major cities in the northern part of the Holy Kingdom.

Rorschach emerged from the Tower of Stars and boarded a cruise ship on the Seine River, occasionally glancing at the map.

"Sir, I've reached my destination."

"Alright, everyone, hold on tight." The boatman steered the boat to the shore. The riverbanks along the section of the river that flows through the capital have been renovated, not only to reinforce flood control but also to facilitate boarding and disembarking.

Rorschach pointed out a few copper coins, the price agreed upon before boarding the boat: "Thanks." After paying, he stepped onto the shore stone.

The cross mark on the map corresponds to the location right in front of you.

The name "Azure Wave Teahouse" sounds rather tacky, but it seems to be extremely famous in the capital. Asking an apprentice in the tower, a local immediately pointed out its location on a map to Rorschach.

"This teahouse is frequented by many playwrights and literary giants, and if you're lucky, you might even catch a glimpse of the most popular actors rehearsing their lines. The people of Valuana jokingly call it the real backstage area of ​​the Royal Theatre."

These were the apprentice's exact words. Luo Xia approached the small teahouse and found a good seat by the window with a view of the river.

"I'm waiting for someone... First, a cup of herbal tea with sugar, then pudding, meringue... That's all."

"Yes, sir."

When the first dessert was served, a man in a top hat came up across from Rorschach. He sat down without asking any questions and placed his hat on the seat next to him.

The beard seems to be fake… “Hawk?”

"What kind of address is that! You can call me Mr. Falcon here." Falcon looked around. The shop was full of idle young people chatting. The string music in the teahouse blended the conversations at each table into an indistinguishable background sound.

"Waiter! A nettle tea, a side of sugar, and a berry tart. That's all."

"You pay for what you ordered, okay? So, what's up?" Luo Xia said only after the waiter had walked away.

Have you seen the headlines?

"I've seen it."

"A few items from the shipment you delivered have fallen into our hands. The organization needs you to decipher them and then report back."

Rorschach scooped a spoonful of pudding and put it in his mouth. The perfect ratio of egg and milk created a delicate texture, and the flavor of the melted caramel was simply exquisite. The wonderful sweetness made Rorschach's thoughts race, and he had a sudden, unexpected guess:

"You two are the unsung heroes?" I never expected the Empire's intelligence agency to come to the Kingdom to do good deeds!

"Sigh, doing good deeds anonymously... We're just making this contact to tell you that once we get to the capital, the organization will provide you with a monthly stipend through the Pacharuca Trading Company."

"Under the guise of acquiring scrolls and alchemy potions, whatever you do, we'll buy it at a premium. We can also transmit information through the scrolls and potions you 'sell.'"

"Wouldn't we be exposed immediately if the trading company is investigated?" Luo Xia frowned.

"That's the first layer. The second layer is that your fake transaction with the trading company doesn't go through the trading company's official accounts. Instead, it's a private transaction between you and an honest employee. According to the script, you meet on the black market, and your scroll potion will also flow to the black market."

In this way, others will see you as engaging in black market transactions, using a trading company employee as an intermediary to launder the proceeds of your black market transactions under the company's name, thus having no real connection with Pacharuca.

If they really find out, that employee might be in trouble for falsifying accounts and evading taxes, but they won't do anything to a spellcaster from the Tower of Stars.

"The relevant agencies of the Holy Kingdom aren't stupid."

"That's right, but as long as you're not accused of espionage or plotting to overthrow the throne, you'll be fine. Each layer of the chain will give you a chance to clear your name. After all, you're a mage."

Rorschach accepted this approach: "Okay, where's the goods? Let me see."

"Come with me."

"You might as well just tell me where you're hiding your goods!"

"How could we possibly advertise the safe house in the newspaper? Even if it's encrypted. Didn't they realize I'm alone? Night Owl is patrolling for us to see if anyone's following us."

Luo Xia quickly ate the meringue and left the teahouse with the man. As they left, Luo Xia noticed that a large number of young people had gathered in the teahouse, and one of them, the leader, climbed onto a table as if preparing to give a speech.

Mr. Falcon led Rorschach through the alleyways, sometimes stepping over drunken sans-culottes.

"Cops!" Xunlin Falcon was a little nervous. Looking down from the alley, he saw a whole squad of men in black uniforms on the main street. They were a security force that was a level higher than the garrison.

"They might be going to Bibo Tea House."

"They're coming for us?"

Luo Xia shook his head and told Falcon to continue leading the way. He thought of the young people gathered at the teahouse.

Luo Xia recalled Cano's words: "Valuwana hasn't been so peaceful in recent years. You absolutely must not participate in any activities where, well, radical young people gather."

"We've arrived." The forest ranger knocked on the door, three short knocks followed by one long one, and then the night owl opened the door for the two of them.

"Brother Luo Xia, please help me out." Six pieces of leather armor and a pair of leather gloves, all with charred marks, were already laid out in the room.

Rorschach first tried the gloves with [Touch of Ice], but there was no reaction. He then tried the leather armor, and sure enough, it still had content.

"What's the principle behind this? Is it some kind of manifestation magic?"

Rorschach shook his head: "If it's hidden by magic, it can be detected quickly using the divination-based [Reading Magic]."

"That is..."

"Temperature change, probably due to the use of special alchemical potions. It doesn't require magic and only manifests at low temperatures." As he spoke, "Frost Palm" was placed on the leather armor, leaving a palm print covered in writing.

"Quick, look what it says!"

Luo Xia glanced at it; it was still the familiar manuscript, the familiar handwriting, and the rambling self-praise of a genius. He read it aloud as he went.

Finally, we've reached the crucial part: "Neither manpower nor current magical devices can achieve the required channel width and frequency sweeping speed..."

"And then? Why did it stop?" The owl, who was recording, had no choice but to stop writing.

"It's gone; the back seems to have been burned beyond recognition."

There is also a passage written in Old Jacobin, a language known only to nobles, priests, and sorcerers:

But I've found the perfect crystal! Oscillating quartz! As long as the injected magical flux exceeds the threshold, it can block all magic!

Professional course experiments are so tiring _(:з」∠)_ Welcome to point out bugs

(End of this chapter)