The Shepherds Are Dense – Chapter 7

Chapter 7
A Sharp Weapon Awakens the Killing Intent
Oswald did not offer to accompany them.
Clearly, while he didn’t think highly of his student’s sense of time or intelligence, he had great faith in her combat prowess. This also confirmed Eivass’s judgment.
Even without seeing Haina’s stats, he could tell. She was, after all, one of the top students at the nation’s premier school for Extraordinary individuals. To keep up with the curriculum and even excel among the nation’s elite with limited resources and early education was proof enough of her talent.
Although she was now proud of becoming an Inspector in the capital before graduating, it wasn’t much of an accomplishment.
The Inspection Bureau, while an armored profession, didn’t hold a high position. They typically handled civil cases. Their main responsibilities included street patrols, maintaining public order, checking shops for safety compliance, investigating simpler Extraordinary cases, handling citizen reports, dispersing illegal gatherings, and apprehending low-tier Extraordinary individuals.
For difficult enemies like spies from rival nations, high-tier Extraordinary individuals, or cultists, the Inspection Department would be called in. And for serious crimes involving members of Knight families, the highest authority, the Arbitration Hall, would intervene.
“Arbitrators” were high-tier professionals starting at Level 30, all of them young and vigorous Knight Council Members who could enter the Round Table Hall. They were extremely wealthy, well-equipped, and experienced, representing Avalon’s highest-tier elite forces. Above them were the few top-tier powerhouses.
Although Haina lacked a good upbringing or background… and even appeared clumsy and naive due to a lack of experience and training before graduating.
Eivass’s experience showed that when individual ability was strong enough, lacking a background or pedigree and possessing a straightforward, honest personality could be an advantage.
Her current assignment as an frontline Inspector in a sub-bureau was twofold: to help her quickly accumulate experience and to lower her expectations of herself. Haina was unaware of her own worth. If she grew accustomed to work that clearly didn’t match her education and abilities, the leader who “promoted her exceptionally” would become a benefactor to be thanked.
In a few more years, as she gained social experience and her personal Extraordinary Profession Level increased, she could at worst secure a position at or above sub-bureau chief before the age of thirty.
If things went smoothly, she might have a chance to join the Inspection Department before forty. It wasn’t impossible that the Queen might bestow armor upon her and grant her entry into the Round Table before she turned forty.
Eivass estimated her professional level to be around Level 20.
This meant she had mastered the Extraordinary Power of the Second or even Third Tier—at least a dozen levels higher than himself.
With a Level 20 “main character” to guide them, tackling a Level 10 Dungeon wouldn’t be difficult.
Just in case, Oswald also gave Eivass a handgun for self-defense in emergencies.
It was an exquisite lady’s handgun.
Its design was similar to Haina’s short sword, with carved silver thorns on its casing. It was only about the size of a palm, and instead of the revolvers common in this era, it was a box-fed semi-automatic pistol.
[Lady’s Grip +2]
[Refined Weapon (Deep Blue)]
[Firearm, Semi-automatic Pistol, Capacity: 5 rounds]
[8mm Ammunition (5/5)]
[Properties: Its weight and volume are only 60% of handguns of equivalent power.]
[Elf Style: Malfunction rate greatly reduced, maintenance cost increased.]
[Module – Elegant Aim: Accuracy further greatly improved.]
[Module – Light Shot: Recoil further reduced.]
—It would do.
A lady’s handgun was fine.
Eivass, who had initially intended to refuse, happily accepted it after examining its attributes.
Refined Weapons were already the strongest tier that mortal artisans could craft!
They were only one tier below Purple Extraordinary Weapons, which required Extraordinary Power to create.
What more could he ask for?
In the game, Blue-tier equipment usually dropped consistently in Dungeons at or above Level 30. Purple Extraordinary Weapons, on the other hand, were obtained through ritual spells and alchemy, or by defeating high-tier Extraordinary individuals.
Not to mention the excellent modules on this gun—Blue-tier equipment had fixed properties for its base attributes and style, with one to three additional random attributes. These could be positive or negative.
Two positive traits, and “recoil” and “accuracy” were paired together… This was a utility weapon that could be used even in the mid to late game. At the very least, it could be used to quickly fire special-effect or ritual bullets that didn’t require high damage.
Even high-tier handguns would have higher damage, but their accuracy might not be as high.
But just as Eivass was about to leave, Oswald suddenly called out to him.
“The Master said you should remember to wear this. And to put on the cloak.”
Saying this, he handed Eivass a black neck gaiter and a black hooded outer garment.
Eivass squeezed the neck gaiter and quickly realized its material: “Asbestos?”
“The Strangler Gang has been rampant lately. If your plan is to leave the White Queen District, it’s best to wear a protective neck guard.”
Oswald, resembling a tall, gaunt specter, said solemnly, “They are very quick. Madame Haina may not be able to protect you at all times. And the hood is to conceal your identity—to prevent ill-intentioned individuals from recognizing your face.”
Eivass reluctantly put them on.
He had heard of the Strangler Gang.
They were an upgraded version of common bandits.
To avoid leaving witnesses for tracking and to improve efficiency, they would suddenly emerge from secluded areas or alley mouths as passersby approached, using thin ropes to strangle their victims and drag them into the shadows. After successfully strangling their targets, they would strip them of everything valuable and non-valuable before fleeing.
Citizens couldn’t report the crime immediately, and the bodies were not easily discovered. Because they killed directly rather than subduing or intimidating their victims, they also prevented themselves from being killed by lower-tier Extraordinary individuals.
Although asbestos was carcinogenic… life was more important. After all, he wouldn’t have long-term exposure.
It was precisely because his level was too low.
If he were Level 20 or 30 now, would he fear those petty thieves?
Seeing Eivass put on the neck guard and cloak, the old butler handed him a thick wad of cash. “This is for your investigation expenses from the Master. It’s your first investigation, so you probably won’t need too much.”
Eivass could clearly hear Haina beside him let out a soft gasp.
He counted them slightly. There were twenty large, silvery-white, slightly reflective banknotes, printed with crossed scepters and swords, and a white crown in front. This symbolized the God of Authority, the “Silver Crown Dragon.”
There were also twenty red, medium-sized banknotes. Ten of them depicted five red candles and the number “5”; ten others had only one candle and the number “1.” These represented the gods of the Path of Devotion, whom the Church also served, the “Candlemaster.”
These were Avalon Kingdom’s unique currency, circulating in other countries as well.
One “White Crown” banknote had a purchasing power equivalent to about one thousand yuan, and could be exchanged for twenty “Red Candle” banknotes of denomination 1. A “Red Candle” of denomination 1 could be exchanged for ten small, dark brown banknotes of the lowest denomination, “Copper Sandglass.” The hourglass symbolized the gods of the Path of Balance.
In the Avalon Kingdom, only Extraordinary Professions from these three Paths were legal.
The value of one Copper Sandglass was approximately five yuan, and a Red Candle of denomination 1 was equivalent to fifty yuan.
A roasted beef dish at a restaurant cost about six Copper Sandglasses, and smoked pork cost two Copper Sandglasses. A new, durable set of clothing, excluding shoes, would cost about seven Red Candles.
“Remember to keep the Red and White bills separate. It’s best to put them in three different pockets.”
Oswald cautioned, “If you can pay for something with only low-denomination Red Candles, don’t casually display that you possess a large amount of White Candles. You are immobile and have no male servant accompanying you. More people may target you. Those ‘White Crowns’ are for bribing high-value targets; try not to use them unless necessary.”
“If you run out of Red Candles, you can go to the bank and exchange White Candles for Red Candles. If you’re truly worried about mixing them up, you can have Miss Haina hold them for you.”
“I’m not a ‘Miss’…”
Haina whispered, but didn’t refuse.
Eivass unhesitatingly handed the entire wad of White Candles to her. “You hold onto it.”
Even though she was merely holding them on his behalf, she was still somewhat excited at holding so much money.
In terms of quantity, twenty White Candles wasn’t actually a lot. The tuition for one semester at the Royal Law University was a full sixteen White Crowns—she had handled that much money before! At least during her first two semesters of freshman year, her tuition was pieced together by her family. It was from her sophomore year onwards that she started receiving scholarships to offset her tuition.
Moreover, they generally didn’t use White Crown banknotes in their daily lives. The most commonly used denominations were Copper Sandglasses and Red Candles. Just holding the White Crowns felt so unfamiliar to her.
But what made her most nervous was her fear of accidentally losing the money.
In fact, she had lost money before. When she was very young, she ran around carelessly on the street and accidentally lost her tuition money… Her mother cried that day. It wasn’t a heart-wrenching sob, but quiet tears shed in a corner.
But that scene was deeply etched in Haina’s memory.
From then on, she never ran around wildly on the street again. Whenever she felt the urge to run, it was as if weights were tied to her legs.
She carefully searched her clothes for several pockets before finding one she felt reasonably secure about for money. But she didn’t dare to remove her hand, only subtly protecting the pocket with her elbow and occasionally checking with her hand to make sure the money was still there. Her other hand rested by her short sword, which she guarded as if it were her life.
With such vigilance, she pushed Eivass’s wheelchair away from Moriarty Manor.
“Where are we going?”
She subconsciously asked Eivass, “The warehouse where the incident happened the day before yesterday? Or to Stone Arch Park?”
“—No.”
Noticing Haina’s attitude, Eivass let out a soft breath.
“That place has been thoroughly searched. Whatever information could be obtained, you must have already found it.”
“We’re heading east, to the Pelican Bar.”
Eivass said.
“…Where is that?” Haina clearly didn’t recognize the place.
Or rather, besides the two streets around the university in the Red Queen District and the path between the Inspection Bureau in the White Queen District where she now worked and Moriarty Manor, she didn’t know any other part of the capital.
Her monthly living expenses of 50 Red Candles were only equivalent to a laborer’s monthly wage. This level of living expenses didn’t allow her to casually roam the capital.
“It’s in the Lloyd District.”
“The Lloyd District? Near the port?”
Haina’s face changed. She suddenly remembered the name of the bar.
She had indeed heard of this bar!
When she first arrived in the capital, a friend she knew had advised her not to go to the Lloyd District if she could help it. She trusted her friend, so even though her roommates often encouraged her to go to the bars in the Lloyd District, she was resolutely firm in her refusal.
Of course, a part of the reason was her lack of money. And she was too embarrassed to have her friends treat her.
Since she had made up her mind not to go, her mind had automatically blocked out any related information. She feared that the more she heard, the more tempted she might become.
Haina remembered that the bar she heard mentioned the most was “Old Captain’s Bar.” Royal Navy soldiers on leave often went there to drink. They liked going there to find handsome guys—young, strong, good-looking, and away from women for extended periods at sea. It was a sure bet.
One of her roommates had found a young navy man as a boyfriend. He was said to be a sergeant and would often brag about being on some secret mission… She didn’t know if it was true.
If it were really secret, would he tell them, female university students?
Haina didn’t quite believe it.
In the small town where she was born, the blacksmith uncle often bragged about having stayed in the capital before, claiming to be knowledgeable and cultured.
Later, when she came to the capital herself, she learned that what the uncle meant by “stayed” was that he had wandered to the capital as an apprentice around twelve or thirteen to learn his trade, but couldn’t stand it and left after only a few years.
The way he boasted back then was the same as that sailor.
And her roommate had only mentioned “Pelican Bar” once to them. Haina remembered it vividly because it was only when the Pelican Bar was mentioned that her sister’s face, which usually wore a sly, mischievous smile, turned serious and solemn for the first time.
She had said… she was going to buy some materials.
The Pelican Bar… was it a place to buy materials?
Doubt welled up in Haina’s heart, but she didn’t voice it.
She subconsciously felt it was something unsavory, and dared not say it within Moriarty Manor—especially under the gaze of the elf butler.
For a moment, Haina was also tempted. She had always been afraid to go to such places before, partly due to the cost and partly due to the danger.
But now, she had become powerful. Clad in armor symbolizing righteous glory, and with Eivass having investigation funds—she could finally visit places she had been curious about but never had the opportunity to see!
After all, this was her first independent investigation. Haina had no investigative ideas. The warehouse and Stone Arch were mentioned previously simply because they were the only locations she happened to remember.
Even Director Kent hadn’t asked her to obtain any significant information during this investigation; he only instructed her to protect Eivass and not to act rashly.
—Of course, she would protect him! She didn’t need to be specially told!
“Lloyd District it is, let’s go!”
Haina readily agreed, “I will protect you—if any impertinent petty thief dares to cause you trouble, I’ll let them know the punishment of law and justice!”
Only when discussing this topic did her voice become loud and clear… even eager.
A sharp weapon awakens the killing intent.
This was all within Eivass’s expectations.
After being trained for so long and reaching such a level, yet never having truly fought an enemy… a little excitement was normal.
“Then, are you ready to kill, senior?”
Eivass squinted like a fox, a smile gracing his lips, whether out of goodwill or mockery.
Haina froze upon hearing this.
Then, she said solemnly, “Actually, I’ve already killed people.”
Oh?
Eivass raised an eyebrow.
That was an unexpected answer.
“Then let’s go.”
He didn’t press further, simply saying softly, “My legs aren’t working well, so I’ll trouble you to push me.”
“Of course.”
Haina replied quickly, relieved.
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