With a distinctive wide jaw, a medieval knight's bun, and eyes frozen in a cold smile... Hugh Dilcha half-reclined on the sofa, carefully studying the sketch given by Audrey.
In her eyes, it was a living, breathing golden pound.
After deeply imprinting the appearance of the great pirate Zilinges in her mind, she read the attached description:
"Brown hair, dark green eyes."
"The portrait is for reference only, as the target has the ability to transform into others, with unknown duration."
"Portrait for reference only... target can transform into others... for reference only, transform others... Then why am I so diligently memorizing the sketch?" Hugh's expression froze, as if feeling the malice of the world.
She looked up in confusion at Forsyth Wall, who was lazily lying on the sofa opposite, and muttered to herself:
"There's simply no way to find him, we don't know his appearance, only that he's an outsider, and the number of new outsiders arriving in Backlund every day is incalculable."
Forsyth mustered her strength to sit up, but failed three times.
"I'm just an apprentice, not an arbitrator..." she mumbled, reaching out to press against the sofa back, finally managing to sit up.
"That lady might think we are prophets?" Forsyth joked.
Hugh was about to reply when she suddenly noticed there was more to the attached description.
She read it aloud:
"Recommend searching through the following means:
"1. Zilinges has a sinister item that consumes the flesh and soul of a living person every other day; consider missing bums.
"2. Collect detailed information about Zilinges and summarize his unique hobbies and behavior patterns.
"3. A person may change their facial features, but if not specially trained, they will always behave like themselves, such as favorite foods, walking style, habitual gestures, and more details."
Forsyth nodded slightly and said:
"Miss Audrey is not as simple and naive as the rumors suggest; she has a delicate heart and calm observation skills."
"Really?" Hugh asked skeptically, not expecting an answer, then proposed instead, "I'll take care of gathering information, and you summarize the habits and characteristics of that pile of gold pounds, no, that pirate general?"
Forsyth widened her eyes and shook the tin box of cigarettes in her hand:
"How can you bear it? How can you bear to make a sensitive writer do this kind of summarization, analysis, and reasoning?"
Hugh glanced at her friend and involuntarily exhibited a convincing authority:
"There's a very clever piece of reasoning in your 'Storm Castle'."
Forsyth shrugged her shoulders, lowered her head, and looking at the coffee table, said:
"Do you know how many hairs I lost and how many sleepless nights went into that reasoning?"
She quickly raised her head, looked at Hugh Dilcha, then lowered her head again and muttered:
"Life is short, there are so many things to do, why waste time on such boring and tedious work?"
Very reasonable... Hugh almost nodded in agreement, but managed to maintain the dignity of an "arbitrator."
"Do you have another way to solve this problem?" she asked in a subdued voice to make it sound deeper.
Forsyth thought seriously for a dozen seconds and suddenly looked up:
"We can hire a professional! You gather the information on the 'Admiral of the Hurricane,' we remove the name and take it to a good detective, asking him to help summarize and reason, it would only cost consultation fees!"
Why didn't I think of that... Hugh's mind went blank, and she and Forsyth stared at each other, not speaking.
When the atmosphere became a bit awkward, she cleared her throat and said:
"Let's do it your way."
Then she quickly added:
"You'll pay the consultation fees!"
...............
Hallsworth Street, Divination Club.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Moretti." The beautiful receptionist Angelica said with surprise, "You rarely come on Fridays."
Klein, exhausted from searching for the red chimney house, smiled:
"Fate doesn't always repeat itself; it always brings us some surprises."