Chapter 2347: Jokes and Oaths

Chapter 2347: Chapter 2347: Jokes and Oaths

Faced with this issue, none of the three spoke immediately. Instead, Mr. Benhart’s smiling face gradually grew serious. After a few seconds, Mr. Benhart nodded with a renewed smile:

"Of course, it was a joke."

Marquis Mosen widened his eyes and looked at him. Shard noticed he even stopped breathing:

"A joke? Wait, was that sentence a joke?"

"It’s not a joke."

"Then what was a joke?"

Mr. Benhart blinked and thought for a moment, then motioned for Shard to speak.

So Shard spoke up:

"Your heart indeed had a problem just now, which you can understand as a curse imposed by a powerful relic. Using arcane technique, I temporarily maintained your life, and after bringing you here, before we tried to trace the source of the curse backward, the curse disappeared on its own."

"For ordinary humans, such heart issues would permanently weaken the heart. But for us, the curse’s disappearance allows the heart to recover."

Mr. Coroner Albert, who had dissected similar corpses, said:

"The chest pain you felt after waking up wasn’t due to surgery, but because your heart is still in the recovery process. Actually, if you hadn’t been too panicked by our words just now, you might have noticed yourself."

Even though the three joined forces "jokingly," Mr. Albert was the most serious one.

"So, you really didn’t switch my heart?"

Marquis clutched his chest to confirm again, and the three of them nodded together:

"Absolutely not."

He looked at them suspiciously, evidently not quite believing, and finally looked down at his chest:

"What’s the deal with the sutures?"

"Confirming your heart condition, since we’ve never encountered a vampire kind having a heart attack."

Mr. Albert, who had performed the surgery earlier, explained:

"Your servant fetched the needle and thread; they’re outside now dealing with the competition’s aftermath and will be back soon. Also, if you don’t believe us, just check yourself."

So Marquis Mosen actually picked up a scalpel from the nearby cart and opened his own chest. After confirming it was still his original heart, he let out a sigh of relief. After healing the wound with spellcasting, he sat down on the chair next to the cart:

"You three really are..."

He twitched the corners of his mouth several times, really not knowing how to evaluate:

"I know you look down on what I did to that horse, but was this joke truly amusing? Perhaps we have very different definitions of humor."

"We don’t look down on what you did, just wanted you to recognize the weight of life... It was my idea."

Mr. Benhart said with a smile again, but actually, it was Shard who suggested this idea. Mr. Albert didn’t say anything at the time, whereas Mr. Benhart strongly supported it, believing Shard always had astonishing ideas:

"Marquis, we saved you, but we don’t intend to ask for a reward, so we felt it necessary for you to understand the significance of life... You won’t hold grudges against us, right?"

"You!"

Marquis Mosen gasped, but ultimately said nothing harsh. They were of the same clan, and indeed the three saved him. Although he was quite angry about this peculiar joke, he absolutely wouldn’t repay kindness with resentment:

"So, it’s understandable that the people of Moon Bay dislike the Velindale people."

He closed his mouth and let out a long breath through his nose:

"This isn’t the place for conversation, let’s find another place to talk... The horse is yours, take it away and deal with it as you see fit."

Near "Silver Stables," the facilities are quite comprehensive, with meticulously designed gardens around the stables offering ideal spots for conversation in tea or open-air coffee seating. The garden hedges are shaped like a maze, and no matter how bad one’s mood may be, the surrounding lush greenery and fragrant flowers can cheer one up a bit.

Marquis Mosen was among those whose mood improved slightly, and when the four sat down at the garden’s open-air tea seating, there was at least no longer any tense or angry expression on his face.

"This is what you wanted, right."

He took out a letter from his pocket and placed it on the table. Lightly thanking the servant who brought the teacups, Mr. Benhart opened and glanced at the letter, then handed it to Shard.

Shard also unfolded the letter—

[Repent for the spirits you’ve slain!!!]

Three enormous blood-red exclamation marks express the emotions contained in this brief text line fully. Shard handed the letter to Mr. Coroner Albert, who sniffed it;

"Not blood, just red ink."

"From the looks of this letter, someone unaware of the situation might think I’m some hidden serial killer."

Marquis Mosen explained, one hand resting on the table, the other holding a teacup:

"Before you sent the letter, Viscount Benhart, I really thought it was just a prank. Tell me, what do you want to ask? This curse has overwhelmed even me, so I think I really need your help to lift it... and afterwards, I won’t have another heart attack, will I?"

Speaking of this issue, he worriedly clutched his chest again.

Shard, who was familiar with the situation, told him:

"I once saved a guy similar to you. Although he didn’t die during his first heart attack, he passed away not long after due to another illness."

Furthermore, Mr. Leonard Baldwin, the director of Moon Bay City’s City Hall’s Bridge and Road Engineering Department, has been buried, but there is still no conclusive cause of death.

Marquis Mosen’s face showed a complicated expression:

"It seems like all sorts of troublesome things can happen recently. First, last weekend’s incident ruined our reputation completely, and now... tell me, what can I do for you? I am willing to offer reward; I care very much about matters concerning my own life."

"Have you encountered any strange occurrences recently?"

Mr. Benhart then asked, and the marquis replied irritably:

"Meeting the three of you today is the strangest thing of all."

"Have you recently sensed any premonitions? You’re a powerful Circle Sorcerer, at least stronger than Mrs. Jude. Inspiration won’t come without warning before danger occurs."

Shard asked again, the marquis being over forty years old and at the Nine Rings level.

The marquis then stroked his chin, thinking for a moment:

"Now that you mention it, I do have some thoughts. I had some bizarre dreams a few days ago, thinking now that those dreams could be problematic."

"Dreams reflect reality, reality reveals dreams. If you think those dreams are problematic, then they’re most likely truly problematic. What did you dream about?"

Mr. Albert took out a notebook, and the marquis frowned slightly:

"My memory is very hazy. It seemed like someone cursing me with very vicious language. Then... lots of flying papers, yes, I remember a red moon, chestnut horses running under the red moon, and then very chaotic events. Lastly, it seemed I saw a silver sword clashing with a blood-red sword. Sorry, the dream was very chaotic, and I didn’t take much care to remember it upon waking."

Mr. Benhart clasped his hands together on the tabletop:

"Chestnut horses running under the red moon—won’t this be referring to what just happened?"

Marquis Mosen’s face went blank for a moment, then he looked down at the surface of his teacup before sharply raising his head:

"Please investigate as quickly as possible; the sooner the better. I’m willing to provide all the help I can! Do you want Krone? Or any other request is fine."

"No rush on the requests; our investigation is still ongoing. To clarify, according to the very capable diviner I found, this incident is related to a Destiny-type relic, Sage Level or even Angel-Level."

Shard added, and Marquis Mosen leaned back slightly:

"I understand what you mean, I can give you more money."

"No, no, that’s not what we meant about more money."

Mr. Benhart immediately corrected:

"The problem now is that we’re also investigating. If there is material support, that’s great, but what we need more is clues. After visiting you, we plan to visit Captain Rudolf, who also received a similar letter."

"Rudolf, huh, his temper is even worse than mine."

Marquis Mosen said, hesitating for a moment before asking the three:

"I want to establish a contract with you, you get this matter resolved as soon as possible. Benhart, I know you want to gather the local same clan to solve the major issue here, okay, if you can ensure my safety, I’m willing to fully support you afterwards, whether you need people or money. Viscount Benhart, you have an Order’s writ, so I should listen to you. Also, I still have some standing among the local same clan, you don’t have to worry about that."

"I have contract-type sorcery."

Shard said, then rolled up his sleeves and extended his hand to him:

"Come on."

Under the sunlight, his hand emitted a faint golden glow, a symbol of Miracle Element. Facing unknown arcane techniques and sorcery, it’s best not to reach out, but with such pure Miracle Element, it’s likely not problematic.

Sorcery - [Oath Binding], derived from the power of time adventure, Shard had only used it once before at Green Lake.

Marquis Mosen hesitated but did not immediately reach out to grasp that hand, instead surveying the three people:

"If the three of you can resolve that kind of relic, it’s only fitting I help you out. Let me confirm, you’ll help me resolve this issue, and I will afterwards help you do not-too-illegal things, right?"

"If possible, marquis, I hope you can forsake your hunting hobby... or at least curb it somewhat."

The coroner supplemented, Marquis Mosen pursed his lips and hesitated, while Shard naturally knew he wouldn’t be easily persuaded, so he added:

"Mr. Albert’s statement may not be accurate. It seems your hobby is what attracted this thing, so it’s better to curb it a bit recently. Or at least curb it for one or two years, it doesn’t have to be for a long time, and then it should be fine."

Marquis Mosen let out a breath:

"Alright, that’s doable!"