Sharif's house, unlike most bachelors' lodgings, wasn't messy or dirty. Everything was neatly arranged, and there was no dust on the windowsills. After all, as a "craftsman", he didn't lack for money; he just needed to keep many of his activities confidential, so he couldn't hire a full permanent staff and had to pay helpers by the hour.
With a glance, Alger noticed that there was no significant difference from his last visit. The furnishings were extremely simple, without any valuable trinkets, paintings, or sculptures—it looked just like the home of an ordinary commoner.
Of course, Alger knew well that Sharif could be considered a rich man, but he simply didn't care about so-called respectability. He might spend several hundred pounds on a bottle of limited-edition wine or give a house to a mistress he was keeping, but he wouldn't waste a single penny on expensive carpets, bone china tea sets, gilded cups and plates, or paintings by famous artists.
"A glass of Sonia Blood Wine," Alger said, his expression unchanged, but his words and gestures clearly showed that he had only come to mooch a drink.
Sharif shrugged. "You should be glad I don't have the habit of keeping Lielangqi."
He walked over to the small bar in the living room, took out a beautifully bottled Sonia Blood Wine, and opened two glasses.
Alger found a sofa and sat down. Seizing the opportunity, he raised a hand and rubbed the back of his neck, as if to ease some discomfort in his spine.
Using this gesture as cover, he naturally looked around and quickly surveyed the areas he hadn't been able to see before.
Since Sharif was too lazy to decorate and hadn't put out any knick-knacks, Alger quickly finished his examination, pausing for a second on the glass door of a cabinet in the distance.
Through the glass, he saw some dried grasses and flowers.
They included red-rimmed leaves, blood moon grass, and monkey-faced leaves. The common trait was that they were all types commonly found on the Southern Continent and virtually absent on the Northern Continent.
Alger withdrew his gaze and calmly watched Sharif approach with the bottle and glasses.
He took them and chatted with Sharif about all sorts of things at sea until the little half bottle of Sonia Blood Wine was empty.
Alger smiled, said his goodbyes, and left.
Five minutes after he left, Sharif, who had been sitting quietly enjoying the mild buzz, suddenly stood up, walked to the staircase, and opened the wooden door leading to the basement.
"Is he suspicious of anything?" "No." "Regardless, this place is no longer suitable for you to stay. Move to our place as soon as possible." "I still have some commissions I haven't finished." "No need to finish them. You won't be contacting them anyway. You've already been granted a new life." "Alright." ...
Two houses away, Alger was sitting on a bench in someone's garden, holding his right earlobe and listening to the words carried on the wind.
…………
Outside a very ordinary-looking house in
"Is it really because you have a bad relationship with the
Anderson let out a half-mocking, half-careless laugh. "Can't say 'bad'..."
"Then is it hostility?" Danitz blurted, interrupting him.
Anderson glanced at him. "The negative effects of your gauntlet might not be as easy to bear as you think."
He paused and added with a chortle, "A more accurate description is that neither I nor the people from the Church of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom are particularly willing to associate with each other."
Danitz gripped his other gauntlet and said hesitantly, "But how do I ask for the charms? If I bring up mysticism directly in front of a priest of an orthodox church, I'll be locked up in the sealed land!"
Danitz was only reckless now, not stupid.
Anderson spread his hands. "Simple. You just mention my name, say you have urgent matters in West Balam, didn't have time to learn Dutan, and don't dare hire a local translator, so you're asking them for help in obtaining a few 'Comprehend Languages' charms. During the process, you need to show that you know several Northern Continent languages, so the missionaries understand that you didn't learn Dutan because you lacked ability, but because you simply didn't have time. Then they'll test you, and if you get a decent score, you'll get the charms."
"Test..." At the familiar word, Danitz's temple twitched involuntarily, and he forced a smile. "So you're afraid of tests, and that's why you didn't dare go?"
He had only been trying to make small talk to cover his own discomfort, but he noticed Anderson's expression freeze for a split second.
"So there are things you're afraid of too..." Danitz chuckled inwardly and suddenly felt confident.
He strode into the ordinary house and found it was more like a collection of classrooms than a missionary outpost of the Church of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom in West Balam.
Then he saw an elderly man with graying hair.
Although the man wasn't wearing the clerical robes of the Church of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom, his unique scholarly aura convinced Danitz that he was at least a bishop.
He had felt a similar impression from his captain.
"Greetings." Danitz, without his shadow cloak and dressed like an ordinary person, put on a smile and walked over.