Chapter 1242 The Man Who Always Wins

"I have also heard the story of Mr. Oxenfurt's restoration of the family's glory. This gentleman is really amazing. A friend of mine from Delrayon also inherited the property of a declining family. Unfortunately, she was not so lucky. alright."

This is about Miss Gold. When Shade wrote a reply at the beginning of the year, he tentatively joked that "Mia will stay with me from now on." Now he is still waiting for that lady's reply.

The woman wearing a black and red dress had a weak smile on her face:

"It's going to be okay, everything is going to be okay."

She also felt that such a conversation was a bit awkward, so this time she brought up a new topic:

"If it's not winter when you come to visit, you can see the flower beds I planted in the courtyard. And in the garden behind the house, I hired a gardener to help me take care of the flowers, and they bloom well every spring. "

So Shade chatted with the lady about this manor, and Shade also learned from this that Mrs. Oxenfurt rarely accompanied Mr. Oxenfurt because of her poor health. Enter the city.

There are not many people in the entire Oxenfurt family now, and only a couple and some servants have lived here. Although Mrs. Oxenfurt did not say it directly, Shade could also feel that the male master seemed to come back rarely, and there were always four or five days a week in the city to spend the night.

Especially in today's winter, the dock outside the manor cannot be used, and some private business cannot be carried out, so Mr. Oxenfurt comes back even less often. Shade was lucky today. He came directly without making an appointment to visit in advance. Generally speaking, he would not meet Mr. Oxenfurt.

Of course, this melancholy woman had no intention of complaining about her husband. In fact, her emotions seemed a bit weak. When talking about these things, she showed very little sadness. When Shade talked about what she had seen and heard in various parts of the Old Continent, she only showed a smile that was not very obvious.

Shade couldn't tell whether this was the virtue of a housewife, or whether the woman in front of him really lacked some emotion.

Of course, Shade didn't take advantage of other people's husbands not being at home to inquire about too private things. He could tell that the woman in front of him was a very traditional housewife type woman. None of the girls around him looked like Hella Oxenfurt, so he had no experience talking to such women.

Fortunately, this meaningless conversation finally ended after more than half an hour. Mr. Oxenfurt's return allowed this housewife to finally stop chatting with Shade, and the appearance of the manor's master when he returned was indeed a bit unusual.

He didn't come back in a carriage, but on horseback like Shade. He was not the only one who came back, there were five or six men on horseback following him.

To be more precise, they seemed to be racing a horse. When a group of people entered the manor, Shade keenly heard the sound of horse hooves. After getting up and walking towards the window at Mrs. Oxenfurt's signal, she saw a group of men waving riding whips and rushing into the manor laughing in the snow.

This appearance does not look like that of a successful businessman.

"He's always like that."

The pale black-haired woman stood up and prepared to go downstairs to greet her husband:

"Thank you again for the ring, Mr. Watson."

"It's nothing. I won't mention this to anyone."

He knows what women care about.

Haila Oxenfurt nodded, turned her head slightly to look at the closed door, then turned back to look at Shade, stretched out her finger, as if writing in the air, and then turned and left.

"Well what did she write?"

But Shade did not have the ability to identify "air letters".

["Don't be friends with my husband, he is not a good person. Don't come to this manor again."]

"She" whispered in Shade's ear, and Shade turned and looked out the window, looking at the group of men gathered in the middle of the courtyard, talking loudly about the results of the horse race:

"Strange businessman, strange woman, strange manor, what is the story of what is going on here?"

Mrs. Oxenfurt did not enter the snowy yard, but waited at the door of the manor house for a while before Mr. Oxenfurt took the initiative to enter the building, while his "friends" held their horses. Went to the garden stables behind the house.

Mr. Oxenfurt also quickly learned of Shade's arrival, and seemed very happy to see Shade waiting in the reception room on the second floor.

Shade's purpose of coming to "return the ring" has been achieved, but he still has to stay for a while and pretend that he is here to discuss the Rhodes card.

After the two met, he pretended to shake hands with Mr. Oxenfurt enthusiastically, and then confirmed again that there were indeed no traces of elements on this tall middle-aged man.

Mrs. Oxenfurt did not appear again, but the tea was still served by the maid next to the mistress of the manor. After sitting down again, Shade clearly felt that the man opposite had a faint smell of blood, but he did not use thaumaturgy to check rashly. Instead, he talked about the topic of Rhodes cards enthusiastically.

It can be seen that Mr. Oxenfurt is also very interested in Shade. The two chatted about the recent new decks, well-known card players in Randall Valley City, and even mentioned the people Shade had met in the Prophet Association. Scriptwriter Mr. Antonio.

Unknowingly, it was four o'clock in the afternoon. Mr. Oxenfurt wanted to invite Shade to stay for dinner, but Shade refused:

"I have a date with a girl in a remote place tonight."

He said sheepishly, and Mr. Oxenfurt smiled in understanding. Shade stood up again and wanted to say goodbye, but was stopped by the other party:

"Mr. Watson, I heard from the butler that you came here on horseback?"

"Oh, yes. I have to apologize for stopping by without an appointment."

The general rule of this era was that if a guest arrived on horseback or in a private carriage, the host's family had to bear the horse's fodder. Because the host had to pay extra, this kind of visit had to be made in advance. It was quite impolite for Shade to come on horseback without saying hello, so Shade apologized at this time.

Mr. Oxenfurt shook his head indifferently, stood up and crossed his hands on his chest and asked again:

"Mr. Watson, are you good at riding horses? My butler praised the horse you rode."

"I can't say I'm good at it, it's just a hobby for beginners."

"It's okay, it's okay. Before you leave, would you like to run a horse race with me? I can take out some winnings by running along the nearby path, just as a relaxing activity in the boring winter, and my friends can guide the way along the way. Don’t worry about running the wrong way.”

It was now ten past four, so there was no hurry. Shade had enough time to catch up and have dinner with Iluna. However, he was always wary of the man in front of him, but it seemed too strange to refuse rashly, so he pretended to hesitate before agreeing:

"Horse racing is certainly fun, but the jackpot is not necessary. This is just a game between friends."

"That's not okay. Since it's a competition, how can there be no prize?"

Mr. Oxenfurt smiled and shook his head. Compared to Mrs. Oxenfurt, who seemed a little indifferent to emotions, he was much more normal:

"Then let's go now, oh, this is really exciting."

The two of them came to the courtyard together. Mr. Oxenfurt asked Shade to wait at the door of the mansion, while he went around to the garden behind the house alone. After a while, Mr. Oxenfurt's friends rushed out of the manor on horseback with strange screams, and went to the intersection to act as human-shaped street signs. Mr. Oxenfurt himself and the old butler each led a horse. When they came over, the horse held by the butler was the one Shade had borrowed from Miss Lassers.

Mr. Oxenfurt briefly explained the approximate distance to Shade. After the two mounted their horses at the gate of the manor, the old butler pointed a revolver at the sky.

Bang~

As gunshots echoed under the snowy sky and a raven crashed in the distance, Mr. Oxenfurt and Shade rode off together, riding side by side.

The route of this horse racing is probably to run around the neighborhood, including crossing the Elrond River from the bridge. The wooden bridge nearby is enough to bear the weight of horses, but the bridge is not very wide. If a horse gallops in the center of the bridge, the other horse can only follow behind unless it learns to fly.

Therefore, going back and forth between the two bridges has become the key to this horse race. But for Shade, it is not a simple matter to recognize the directions of Mr. Oxenfurt's friends every time at the intersection.

Mr. Oxenfurt is undoubtedly a truly professional rider. The coordination and strength of the horse carrying him are different from those of riders on the racetrack. This is a rider who is truly trained in the wild woods. So he was ahead of Shade at the beginning, but as the corners appeared, the gap did not become wider. This has nothing to do with riding skills or luck, it is purely because the horse Shade is riding is more powerful.

The horse lent by Miss Lassers was most likely hers or Miss Bernice's. Although Mr. Oxenfurt's horse could not be called a bad horse, it was not as good as Shade's. match.

Mr. Oxenfurt was also at least five lengths ahead of Schade when he first crossed the bridge. But when they rushed out of the forest path again, Shade was already closely behind him.

The second half of the journey was easier and had more curves, making it more suitable for the horse Shade was riding to sprint.

By the time he could see the faint wall of the manor, Shade had already surpassed Mr. Oxenfurt, but the latter managed to catch up in the end through some unknown method. When they finally returned to the gate of the manor where they started, it was impossible to tell with the naked eye who had arrived first.

[It’s you, the horse you are riding has a larger skull. 】

"That's interesting, Mr. Oxenfurt, you're awesome."

Shade dismounted, and Mr. Oxenfurt dismounted as well.

"If we swapped mounts, I think I would lose miserably."

He said exaggeratedly, took off his gloves and shook hands with Mr. Oxenfurt again:

"This time it's a draw. I can't tell who came back here first."

Mr. Oxenfurt's hand was shaken by Shade, and the former shook his head:

"I never accept a draw, to me a draw is a loss. You beat me again, Mr. Watson, it feels good."

As he spoke, he waved to the old butler beside him, who gave him a brass shield-shaped medal:

"This is probably some kind of antique. It belongs to you, Mr. Watson. I hope we can have the opportunity to race together next time."

"Oh, yes, you are so generous. I hope we can race together again next time."

He looked down at the shield-shaped metal medal and couldn't tell which era it belonged to. Taking the "prize" means admitting that she has won. Just like when playing cards, "she" once again reminded Shade that he had encountered a very meager curse of bad luck. This time, it also had little effect on Shade:

"Then I'll leave first. I'll make an appointment in advance for my next visit."

So Mr. Oxenfurt and his friends who came back one after another returned to the manor, and Shade rode away alone in the snow.

[Looking back at the house. 】

After driving a certain distance, "she" suddenly reminded, Shade turned his head on the horse, then squinted slightly, relying on his excellent eyesight, he saw Oxenfurt, the second window on the left side of the third floor of the manor house. The lady was there watching him. Because this lady's skin was relatively white, Shade subconsciously thought it was another evil spirit, and then he realized it.

He waved goodbye to the window and then left normally:

"I will definitely come again. Although no abnormality has been detected, I am almost certain that Oxenfurt is definitely not normal. However, it seems to have nothing to do with the Chosen One and the Crazy Land, so I don't have to focus on it. Margaret is entrusted here to ask her intelligence department to investigate the fortune history of the Oxenfurt family and Mr. Oxenfurt. Remember to remind me that Margaret must not let her people come into direct contact with the target. , just a peripheral investigation.”

[Why do you feel there is a problem here? Your sixth sense? 】

"Absolutely. Although there is no reaction of the elements, there are many ways to hide the elements. Besides -"

He looked back again at the manor gradually hidden in the woods:

"I have seen rumors that during the seventy or eighty years since Oxenfurt Manor has been outside the family, almost every owner of the manor will encounter misfortune as long as he lives here. If this is just a coincidence, then Mrs. Oxenfurt's weird Attitude"

He pinched the mithril metal block in his pocket and didn't notice any reaction:

"No matter what, the most important thing today is the adventure at night."

Shade's calculation of time was very accurate. It was not even five o'clock after he returned to the city. So he returned the horse to Miss Lacers, borrowed paper and pen to write a letter to Margaret, and asked Miss Lacers to deliver it on her behalf, and then returned to her home.

It can be seen that Iluna attaches great importance to tonight's action. When Shade opened the door to see her in the evening, he also found that she was wearing light makeup, which probably had no effect on the battle.

Although Iluna said that she was treating guests to dinner tonight, at Shade's insistence, Shade still paid for it. Although it was getting dark after dinner, it was not yet time to set off. Shade thought for a while and asked Iluna:

"Remember the black market for ring warlocks that our group is familiar with that I mentioned before? A pawn shop independently run by an old man. He said in the past that he didn't want to have much to do with the Zhengshen Church, so I told you about other places. It just so happened that If you have time now, would you like to go take a look with me?"

"The other party is not unwilling"

"At that time, Father John and I were not very familiar with each other. Now I even know what kind of organization the other party is. It doesn't matter. Come with me. Oh, you can say your name, but let's not mention the chosen one. matter."

Iluna hugged little Mia who was too full and didn't want to move. Shade rummaged through the house and found the pile of "rags" he had dug out from the bottom of the river in Randall Valley City. The two went to Old John's Pawn Shop together. .

When I pushed the door open this time, there was another customer in the store, a strange three-ring warlock. Shade and Iluna politely did not approach the counter, but looked at the mountains of groceries in the store.

After the last customer finished the transaction, Shade led Iluna over:

"Good evening, Papa John."

"Good evening, detective, this is..."

"The guest I introduced, the Ring Warlock from the Church of the Sun, is also my friend."

After speaking, he added seriously:

"Yes, a very good friend. You said you didn't want to have contact with the church ring warlocks, but..."

"It doesn't matter. Since he is your friend, I can trust him."

Old John looked at Iluna, and after frowning slightly, he obviously recognized her.

"Miss Iluna Beas. This is Old John. He sells and recycles relics, except for body parts, and can customize some very useful alchemy items. Apart from being very good at bargaining, he has no shortcomings."

"Being good at bargaining is an advantage."

The old man emphasized, looking away from Iluna's face. It was of course good to let the chosen one come to the store to buy things. Of course, he didn’t want to point out Iluna’s identity:

"Detective, you really have a lot of friends. What are you doing here this time? You finally gathered enough money and made up your mind to customize an alchemical longbow with a five-figure gold pound?"

"No, no, I'm here to sell something this time."

As he spoke, he lifted the woven bag at his feet onto the counter and opened it to reveal the contents.

"Why are there still ores? Let me see, rings, earrings, coins. You robbed a jewelry store? There is still change. Are these things from the right source? If they are stolen goods, the prices will be lowered."

The old man asked as he picked through coins and rings and arranged them on the counter.

"Picked it up."

"They're all Kasonrick-style things. I don't know where you picked them up."

He took out his identification equipment from under the counter, and then handed Iluna a booklet, which is the inventory here.

Although the things that Shade brought this time were very miscellaneous, it only took Old John less than half an hour to classify and identify them. He offered a total price of 1,463 pounds. It was difficult for Old John to price the huge piece of gold ore because he had never purchased the ore directly. In the end, it was agreed that the ore would be placed here first. If anyone was willing to buy it, he would contact Xia De individually to discuss the price.

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