Chapter 35: The Investor

Bart seemed to be a very wealthy merchant. He offered a price of 1 Crown per day for Silas to act as his temporary translator.

This price could be considered extremely generous, as it was twice Silas's current detective salary.

And because it was settled in cash daily, it immediately eased the extremely tight financial situation at Silas's home.

The two walked side by side along the street. Bart held a slip of paper. "I am an employee of the Tulle Investment Company, dispatched here from headquarters on a business trip. Do you know this address?"

Silas took the paper, looked at it, and nodded. "I know this place. It's the financial center of Bayne City, right next to the Church of Holy Blood."

Bart said, "Then please lead me there first. There are personnel there who will liaise with me. Rest assured, I'm just going to drop off my luggage and change clothes. You will still be my guide and translator."

Silas naturally had no reason to refuse. "Since we're heading there, we should change direction."

Saying this, he redirected their route towards the city center.

On the way, since Silas had accepted the money, he naturally couldn't remain silent. He enthusiastically introduced Bart to Bayne City's situation, customs, and important points to note.

Bart listened very attentively and even took out a small notebook to jot down some key details.

"So there's even a Death Cult here. Truly detestable!" Bart said with a displeased expression upon hearing Silas mention the reason for the recent crackdown.

Silas nodded. "Those fellows are utterly damnable."

Bart discreetly glanced at Silas's profile and suddenly asked, "Besides the Death Cult, have there been any other cult-related incidents?"

Silas didn't think much of it and, after a moment's thought, said, "Nothing else. This is a second-tier city in the Empire; public order is still quite good."

Bart put away his notebook after listening and smiled. "If that's true, then all the better."

Hearing this, a thought stirred in Silas's mind. He instinctively detected something unusual in Bart's words and tone.

"Could this fellow also be someone with mystical connections?" Silas felt a chill, his hand slowly tightening its grip on his cane.

Continuing east along the main thoroughfare, Pearl Street, and after crossing five streets, the two arrived before a massive plaza.

The huge circular plaza was paved with neat, flat bluestone slabs, fixed in place using advanced grouting techniques, making the ground of this three-hundred-meter-diameter plaza appear as a single, smooth, and beautiful surface.

The plaza connected to twelve streets in the city center. It was lined with neat benches, each accompanied by a tall, black gas streetlamp.

In the very center was a beautiful circular fountain. In the middle of the fountain stood three beautiful, elegant white statues – the human forms of the Tri-Moon Goddesses.

On the easternmost side of the plaza was a tall, solemn iron gate. Through the gate, one could see neat roads and a continuous stretch of greyish-black churches and bell towers.

The towering, majestic churches were predominantly Gothic in style. The square buildings were mostly constructed from grey stone, with many houses adopting a "mountain" shape – high in the middle and low on the sides.

On the tops of the churches were numerous tall, exquisite spires, symbolizing divine authority.

The eaves were adorned with exquisite, ancient-style reliefs. Below were rows of neat, densely packed windows, which, while spectacular, conveyed more of a sense of solemnity.

This was the heart of the entire city, the pillar of support in the hearts of all its citizens – the Church of Holy Blood.

"I have long heard that the architecture of the Belant Empire is world-famous. Seeing it today, it is truly magnificent," Bart exclaimed, looking at the Church of Holy Blood.

Silas looked at the church and sighed. "Indeed. Its magnificence still leaves me in awe even after seeing it many times."

The two didn't linger there for long. They followed Triumphal Way, located on the south side of the church, and after two blocks, arrived at the financial district.

This was the financial heart of Bayne City. The Imperial Bank, City Bank, Stock Exchange, Gold Exchange, branches of international chain companies, the gas company, insurance companies, and so on, were all located here.

The people working here constituted 80% of the city's middle class and 90% of its wealthy elite.

The buildings in the financial district already had a somewhat modern feel, being mostly vertical structures, generally around seven or eight stories high.

Walking down the street, while searching for their destination, Bart handed Silas a business card made from some kind of animal hide.

"Your erudition has shown me a business opportunity. Someone like you, if you delve deeply into your field in the future, will surely achieve great things. If you encounter any financial difficulties, you can come to us," Bart said with a smile.

Silas looked down at the business card. It was very exquisite, with attractive flame-like patterns and Bart's name and the full name of his company.

"So, you're in the investment business?" Silas asked.

Bart nodded. "Yes, we are skilled at discovering talent and hidden gold, and then providing the conditions for this gold to shine. As long as the gold shines, both parties can reap rich rewards, can't we?"

Silas put away the business card and smiled. "I believe our meeting today was fated."

"I think so too," Bart also smiled.

Five minutes later, the two arrived at their destination: Number 1241, Triumphal Way, a towering eight-story building.

A young man there seemed to be waiting for Bart's arrival. He hurried over and said in Alliance Tongue, "Welcome, Mr. Phil."

Bart nodded slightly and said with a smile, "Thank you for your help. If you are free tomorrow, you can come find me here at nine o'clock to continue our work."

Saying this, he handed over a 1-Crown note.

Silas accepted it without ceremony. "That would be excellent."

After taking the money, Silas's eyes discreetly swept over the young man, a flicker of contemplation in them.

After bidding farewell to Bart, Silas walked away, pondering, "That young man is called Gick, right?"

Silas had seen that young man during the lockdown; at that time, the young man had been a kidnap victim.

His kidnappers were three cultists.

That cult was called the Green Flame Brotherhood.

"The Green Flame Brotherhood exists in the Cthulhu Mythos. They are followers of an Outer God, Tsathoggua."

"Wait. Tulle Investment Company?" At this thought, Silas felt as if his brain had suddenly been jolted by electricity.

"In the Cthulhu Mythos, the Green Flame Brotherhood isn't exactly an evil organization. They control vast resources and make various investments worldwide to support human development and scientific research. And this Tulle Investment Company is an investment company. This Bart also wants to invest in me."

"The young man who received Bart was a victim kidnapped by the Green Flame Brotherhood. There are indeed many cryptic connections here."

Thinking of this, Silas realized that Bart was definitely no ordinary person.