Oswald did not suggest accompanying them.
Evidently, while he didn't think much of his student's time management or intelligence, he had great faith in her combat prowess. This also confirmed Aiwass's judgment.
Though he couldn't see Haina's attribute panel, just thinking about it was enough… she was, after all, one of the top-tier students from the best Otherworlders school in the country.
Given the lack of resources and early education, the fact that she could keep up with the curriculum, and even stand out among the nation's elite, already proved her aptitude.
Although she was currently quite pleased with herself for becoming a Capital Inspector before even graduating, in reality, it wasn't much to boast about.
While the Surveillance Bureau was a uniformed profession, its status was not particularly high. They typically handled civil cases, primarily responsible for street patrols, maintaining public order, inspecting shops for safety compliance, investigating simpler Otherworlders cases, receiving public reports, dispersing illegal gatherings, and arresting low-level Otherworlders, among other things.
When faced with difficult enemies like enemy spies, high-level Otherworlders, or cultists, the Inspectorate would be called in; and for serious cases involving violations by members of knight families, the Arbitration Hall, with the highest Authority, would be deployed.
"Arbitrators" were high-level professionals starting at Level 30, and all of them were young and strong knight council members who could enter the Round Table Hall. They were extremely wealthy, fully equipped, and highly experienced, making them Avalon's top-tier elite troops. One level higher were the few true top powerhouses.
Although Haina had no distinguished background or connections… and even before graduating, she seemed clumsy and naive due to lack of experience and training.
But based on Aiwass's experience, provided one's personal abilities were strong enough, lacking a background and having a straightforward, simple personality was not necessarily a bad thing.
Her current assignment to the frontline Surveillance Bureau was partly to let her quickly accumulate experience, and partly to lower her personal expectations of herself.
Haina was oblivious to her own worth; if she adapted to this job, which was clearly beneath her education and ability, then the leader who "exceptionally promoted" her at that point would become a grateful benefactor.
In a few more years, as she gained social exposure and sufficient work experience, and her personal Otherworlders professional level also increased, she would at worst be able to secure a position at or above Sector Director before she turned thirty.
If things went smoothly, she might have a chance to join the Inspectorate by thirty. It wasn't impossible for her to be granted armor by the Queen and enter the Round Table before forty.
Aiwass estimated her professional level should be around Level 20.
That is, to the extent of mastering Second or even Third Level Otherworlders power at least ten levels higher than himself.
With a Level 20 powerhouse accompanying him, running a Level 10 dungeon would be no problem.
Just in case, Oswald also gave Aiwass a handgun for self-defense in emergencies.
It was an exquisite lady's pistol.
Its design was similar to Haina's short sword, with an openwork silver thorn pattern on its casing. It was only about the size of a palm and was not a common revolver of this era, but rather an air-powered magazine pistol.
Lady's Grip +2
Exquisite Weapon (Deep Blue)
Firearm, Burst Pistol, Five-round Capacity
8mm Bullets (5/5)
Trait: Its weight and volume are only 60% of pistols with similar power.
Elf Style: Malfunction rate significantly reduced, maintenance cost increased.
Module - Elegant Aim: Accuracy is significantly boosted.
Module - Light Shot: Recoil is additionally reduced.
That works.
A lady's pistol it is.
Aiwass, who had originally intended to politely decline, happily accepted it after seeing its attributes.
Exquisite Weapons were already the strongest level that mortal craftsmen could forge!
They were only one level below purple Otherworlders weapons, which required the use of Otherworlders power to create.
What more could he ask for?
In the game, blue equipment typically only dropped consistently from dungeons at Level 30 and above. Purple Otherworlders weapons, on the other hand, had to be crafted through ritual spells and Alchemy, or dropped by killing high-level Otherworlders.
Not to mention, this gun's modules were quite good the attributes of blue equipment only had fixed traits and styles, while the remaining one to three random attributes were, well, random. There were positive attributes, but also negative ones.
Two positive attributes, and with "recoil" and "accuracy" combined… 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 bullets and ritual bullets that didn't require high damage.
Even if high-level pistols would certainly have higher damage, their accuracy might not be as high.
But just before Aiwass left, Oswald suddenly called out to him.
"The master said to remember to put this on. And wear the cloak."
As he spoke, he handed Aiwass a black neck guard and a black hooded cloak.
Aiwass squeezed the neck guard and quickly realized its material: "Asbestos?"
"The Strangling Party has been rampant lately. If you plan to leave the White Queen District, it would be wise to wear a anti-strangulation neck guard."
Oswald, like a tall, thin shadow, said earnestly, "They act very quickly. Ms. Haina may not always be able to protect you. And the hood is to conceal your identity to prevent those with ill intentions from remembering your face."
Aiwass reluctantly put it on.
He had heard of the Strangling Party.
They were an upgraded version of bandits.
To leave no survivors to track them and also to increase their efficiency, they would suddenly spring out when passersby were in sparsely populated areas or at alley entrances, using thin ropes to strangle their victims' necks and drag them into the shadows.
After successfully strangling their victims, they would strip them of everything valuable and non-valuable.
Citizens couldn't report the crime immediately, and even the bodies were hard to find. Because they killed directly instead of subduing or intimidating, it also prevented them from being counter-killed by low-level Otherworlders.
Although asbestos was carcinogenic… life was more important. After all, he wouldn't be in long-term contact with it.
It was just that his level was too low.
If I were Level 20 or 30 now, would I still be afraid of those petty thieves?
Watching Aiwass put on the neck guard and don the black cloak, Mr. Oswald then handed Aiwass a thick wad of banknotes: "This is the investigation fund from the master. It's your first investigation, so you shouldn't need too much."
Aiwass could clearly hear Haina gasp softly beside him.
He counted them briefly. There were twenty large, silver-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"; the other ten only showed one candle and the number "1." These represented the deity of the Devotion Path, "Si Zhu," whom the Church served.
These were paper currencies unique to the Avalon Kingdom, but they could also circulate in other countries.
One "white crown" had a purchasing power roughly equivalent to one thousand RMB. It could be exchanged for twenty "red candle" notes of face value 1. And one red candle note of face value 1 could be exchanged for ten of the lowest-denomination, brownish, small banknotes, "copper sandglass." The sandglass was the symbol of the God of the Path of Equilibrium.
In the Avalon Kingdom, only Otherworlders professions from these three Paths were legal.
So, the value of one copper coin was roughly five yuan, and one red coin of face value 1 was equivalent to fifty yuan.
A roasted beef dish in a restaurant was about six copper sandglass coins, and smoked pork was two copper coins. A new, durable set of clothes, not including leather shoes, was almost seven red coins.
"Remember to keep the red coins and white coins separate. Preferably in three different pockets."
Oswald cautioned, "If you can pay with low-denomination red coins, then don't casually display that you are also holding a large amount of white coins you are currently immobile and have no valet accompanying you. More people might target you. Those 'white crowns' are for bribing high-value targets; avoid using them if possible.
"If red coins are not enough, you can go to the bank to exchange white coins for red coins. If you are really worried about taking the wrong ones, Ms. Haina can hold them for you."
"I'm not a 'Ms.'…"
Haina whispered, but she did not refuse.
And Aiwass, without hesitation, shoved the entire wad of white coins into her hand: "You hold onto them."
Although it was just holding them on his behalf, she was still a bit excited holding such a large sum of money.
In terms of quantity, twenty white coins were not actually that many. The tuition for one semester at Royal Law University was a full sixteen white crowns she had once held that much money!
At least for the first two semesters of her freshman year, her tuition was pieced together by her family. It was only from her sophomore year that she received a scholarship and offset her tuition.
Moreover, they generally didn't use white crown coins for payments in their daily lives. The most commonly used denominations were copper coins and red coins. The feel of white coins in her hand alone felt so unfamiliar to her.
But what actually made her most nervous was that she was particularly afraid of accidentally losing the money.
In fact, she had lost money before. When she was very young, she accidentally lost her tuition fee while running wildly on the road… and her mother cried that day. It wasn't a heartbreaking cry, but just silently wiping away tears in a corner.
But that scene was deeply etched into Haina's heart.
From then on, she never ran wildly on the road as she pleased again. Whenever she wanted to run, she felt as if weights were tied to her legs.
She meticulously searched several pockets on her person before finding one she felt relatively safe putting the money in. But she didn't dare take her hand away, only subtly shielding the pocket with her elbow and constantly checking with her hand to confirm the money was still there. Her other hand was placed next to her short sword, which she regarded as her life.
Maintaining this vigilant posture, she pushed Aiwass's wheelchair and left Moriarty Manor.
"Where are we going?"
She instinctively asked Aiwass, "The warehouse where the incident happened the day before yesterday? Or Stone Arch Park?"
"No."
Noticing Haina's attitude, Aiwass gently exhaled.
"Those places have been thoroughly searched. Any information to be gained, you must have already found.
"We're heading east, to the Pelican Bar."
Aiwass said.
"…Where is that?" Haina clearly didn't recognize the place name.
Or rather, besides the two streets around the university in the Red Queen District and the line between the Surveillance Bureau in the White Queen District where she now worked and Moriarty Manor, she didn't recognize any other place in the Capital.
Her monthly living allowance of 50 red candles was only equivalent to a laborer's monthly wage. This level of living expenses didn't allow her to roam freely in the Capital.
"In Lloyd District."
"Lloyd District? Near the port?"
Haina's expression changed, and she suddenly remembered the name of the bar.
She had indeed heard of this bar!
When she first arrived in the Capital, a good friend she knew had advised her not to go to Lloyd District unnecessarily; she trusted her friend, so even when her roommates often encouraged her to go to bars in Lloyd District, she firmly refused to go.
Of course, part of the reason was simply a lack of money. And she didn't feel comfortable letting friends treat her.
Because she had made up her mind not to go, her brain automatically filtered out those words. She was afraid that if she heard too much, she might accidentally be swayed.
Haina remembered that the most common name she had heard was probably "Old Captain Bar." Kingdom Navy sailors on leave often went there to drink, and the girls loved to go there to find handsome men young, strong, good-looking, and long at sea without encountering women. It was a sure catch.
One of her roommates found a young sailor as a boyfriend. He was said to be a sergeant and constantly boasted about being on some secret mission… she didn't know if it was true or not.
If it were truly a secret, would he tell them, mere college students?
Haina didn't quite believe it.
In the small town where she was born, the blacksmith uncle always boasted about having lived in the Capital before, being knowledgeable and cultured.
Later, when she came to the Capital herself, she realized what the uncle meant by "lived there" was that when he was twelve or thirteen, he had wandered to the Capital as an apprentice to learn a trade, but couldn't stand it and ran away after only a few years.
The way he boasted then was exactly like that sailor.
And her roommate had only mentioned "Pelican Bar" once to them. Haina remembered it vividly because it was only when mentioning Pelican Bar that her friend's face for the first time didn't have that sly, mischievous grin, but was instead very serious and solemn.
What she said at the time was… to buy some materials.
Pelican Bar… was it a place that sold materials?
Doubt arose in Haina's mind, but she didn't voice it.
She instinctively felt it was something bad and dared not speak it in Moriarty Manor especially under the gaze of the Elf butler.
For a moment, Haina was also tempted. She had never dared to come to such places before, partly because she was afraid of spending money and partly because she was afraid of danger.
But now, she had grown stronger. She was also wearing armor that symbolized justice and glory, and Aiwass had investigation funds she could finally go to places she had once been curious about but never had the chance to visit!
After all, this was also her first independent investigation. Haina had no investigative Ideas whatsoever; she only mentioned the warehouse and Stone Arch because she happened to remember those two locations.
Even Director Kent hadn't asked her to obtain any important information from this investigation, only to protect Aiwass and not to be reckless.
Of course she would protect him! No special instructions needed!
"Lloyd District it is, let's go!"
Haina readily agreed, "I will protect you if any short-sighted rascals dare to cause you trouble, I will let them know what the punishment of law and justice is!"
Only when discussing this topic did her voice become clear and resonant… even impatient.
With a sharp weapon in hand, the desire to kill arises naturally.
This was all within Aiwass's expectations.
After training for so long, and with her level having risen to this extent, yet never truly fighting an enemy… it was quite normal to feel a bit excited.
"So, are you ready to kill, Senior Sister?"
Aiwass narrowed his eyes like a fox, a smile playing on his lips that was either benevolent or mocking.
Haina froze at his words.
Then, she said seriously, "As a matter of fact, I have already killed someone."
Oh?
Aiwass raised an eyebrow.
That was an unexpected answer.
"Then let's go."
He didn't press the matter, only said softly, "My legs aren't working well, so I'll trouble you to push me."
"Of course."
Haina breathed a sigh of relief and quickly replied.