Chapter 20: The Founder’s Silver Moon

The doctor handed Shade a document, and from the look of it, it was a legitimate explanation of the tuition fees for a prestigious academy. The document had the same professional print found on official materials, even with a sun emblem in the upper-right corner and three interlocking gears in the lower-left as page decorations. Even a commoner seeing this wouldn't find it strange.

Compared to the knowledge imparted, the tuition fee for first-year correspondence spellcaster courses was remarkably affordable, only 50 pounds. To give this context, based on Shade's initial understanding, the annual tuition for a middle-class boy attending a boarding school in this world was around 100 to 150 pounds.

Still, Shade wore a troubled expression. Forget 50 pounds, he couldn't even come up with 5 pounds of ready cash.

However, the house was full of items left by the late detective, and selling them off might raise the 50 pounds he needed. Besides, he had a few outstanding commissions that were close to being completed, so technically, there was a way.

"Do I need to pay the full amount upfront?"

That was the real issue at hand.

"The academy requires payment in gold pounds, but other currencies are acceptable, though we'd have to check the exchange rate. If you can't pay immediately, the academy offers loan programs, though the interest might not be favorable," the doctor explained. Louisa, sitting with her hands on her lap, kindly added, "Well, our group could lend you the money. We do have the funds for it. After all, except for rich folks like the doctor here, nobody can just hand over that much money at once."

The blue-eyed doctor rubbed his nose, looking a bit embarrassed. "That's how I handled it back then. It's quite common, but you have to consider whether you can afford to repay the loan."

The blonde woman kindly reminded him, "The loan is interest-free, but starting from the first month, you'll need to repay 10 pounds, then 20 pounds for each of the next two months."

The doctor added, "No need for collateral; I'll act as your guarantor. After all, I know your identity, and it's not like you could just run off."

The doctor understood that Shade had just recently recovered from his state of "blind ignorance" and was well aware of his current circumstances.

Shade finally let out a sigh of relief. It seemed his luck wasn't so bad after all. He didn't forget to express his gratitude, feeling genuinely fortunate to have met such kind people.

"I'll repay the loan as soon as possible, Dr. Schneider, Miss Louisa. Thank you again."

As he spoke, a thought suddenly occurred to him. With this interest-free loan, he felt more inclined to trust Dr. Schneider and the writer, Miss Louisa. Carefully, he pulled out a notebook he always carried with him.

He cautiously peeled back the leather cover of the notebook and removed a card hidden in the seam.

The card's face depicted a woman sitting sideways, holding up a silver moon. It was the most prized possession of the late detective, a rare "Sun 3" Rod card. Since Shade knew his home's lock could easily be broken with an axe, he preferred to carry the card with him.

"Is this worth anything?" he asked.

"A special Rod card?" Louisa recognized it even before Shade handed it over, but she shook her head and gestured for Shade to give it to the doctor. "I'm not a card player, so I wouldn't know its value. Let the doctor take a look."

"It's certainly a Rod card. Not only does it have a special design, but it also seems to have a unique effect... Is this genuine?" The doctor curiously took the card and held it up to the warm, yellow light of the gas lamp on the wall. He didn't reveal Shade's identity or background to Louisa, but instead explained the basics to Shade.

"I'm not a collector, but I know some aristocrats and enthusiasts who are absolutely mad about these special Rod cards. The unique designs alone are incredibly valuable, and if it has special rules... Well, the obsession with collecting these cards can be even stronger than a man's desire for a beautiful woman. I don't understand that kind of behavior at all. Last year, I heard there was an auction not far from your residence at the Bidford Auction House... Wait, is this a Founder's Silver Moon?"

The doctor suddenly asked in surprise.

"What?"

Shade didn't understand, but the blonde woman stood up, intrigued, to take a closer look.

The doctor placed the card on the table in front of them and explained to the two who were unfamiliar with Rod cards, "Look here, at the top center of the card's face. See this vertical line? That marks it as one of the Founder's Series Rod cards. It's said that the Founder's Series was issued 300 years ago, with only 13 cards in total. Each card had a unique design and a special rule. The Silver Moon is one of them, making it a Founder's Silver Moon. Under the Rod card rules system, every Founder's Series card has extraordinary effects."

"I don't play cards, but from what I've read, the rules on that card are definitely special," Louisa said, having already scanned the card. The doctor lowered his head to read the card's effect as well. Though he wasn't a gambler or a Rod card enthusiast, he knew how terrifying a card that could adjust numbers from 1 to 5 could be under rules similar to blackjack.

"Is it authentic? It should be valuable, right?" the blonde woman asked, and Shade looked expectantly at the doctor, who shook his head decisively.

"Impossible. There's no way this is authentic. A genuine Founder's Series card would be worth more than an entire street near St. Duran Square—far more. It's impossible. The Founder's Series was issued 300 years ago, and by now, they've either been destroyed or are locked away in the collections of powerful nobles. They wouldn't just appear out of nowhere."

The doctor's knowledge of Shade's background led him to make this judgment.

"If it's not real, is it still worth something?" Shade asked, agreeing with the doctor's assessment. He didn't believe it could be genuine either—after all, it was a 300-year-old artifact.

"Not a penny. People only value genuine Rod cards. Especially these special Rod cards—using a fake one would get you blacklisted by enthusiasts. So, no, a counterfeit isn't worth anything... though this is a well-made replica," the doctor said, handing the card back to Shade with some regret. "Let me lend you the money for now... Still, you might want to get this Founder's Silver Moon appraised, just in case."

"Where can I get it appraised?" Shade asked, growing interested.

"I know where—the Prophet's Association. They specialize in this," said Louisa. The doctor nodded in agreement and elaborated further for Shade's benefit, knowing he wouldn't be familiar with the place.

"The Prophet's Association has always been responsible for issuing Rod cards, so they also offer appraisal services for special cards. The fee for appraising one card is just five pence, quite affordable. If the card is genuine, the association will issue a certificate of authenticity. Anyone participating in official Rod tournaments with special cards must present a certificate."

The popularity of Rod cards in this world was higher than Shade had expected, but not surprising, given it was just a card game. In an era of steam where productivity had been somewhat liberated compared to centuries past, niche forms of entertainment were to be expected.

The doctor continued, "The Prophet's Association is actually a ring warlock organization, though not entirely formal. They work with both the academy and the church, and they're recognized by us. They even have ties to our group. Their original business was fortune-telling, but about a century ago, they launched the special Rod card series to promote their divination services. Nowadays, their main business is the cards."

The doctor gave a wry smile, as if expressing a complicated emotion. "The association makes a fortune running various Rod tournaments. Printing cards is practically like printing money... Ahem, not that I envy them, of course. They still offer fortune-telling services, but they've also expanded into book publishing and newspaper operations. One of the local papers, The Threepenny Post, is run by them."

The newspaper's name was certainly concise.

"There are many branches of the Prophet's Association in big cities like Tobesque. There's one near St. Duran Square, and it's quite reputable. Living in the city center has its perks. Even if, by some miraculous chance, your card is a genuine Founder's Silver Moon, you won't need to worry about word getting out—they're a very professional organization," the doctor said with a chuckle.

"If it turns out your card is real, be sure to tell us. It might make for a great novel," Louisa said with a laugh. Her attitude towards Shade, a stranger, was warm and welcoming, showing she too was eager to see the group reach five members.