Lex stood up: "I'll wash my hands and then answer you."
Osweld nodded: "I'll wait for you."
Lex walked into the washroom, took out a Seer coin, pondered for a moment, and then spoke the divination statement: "Besides recruiting me, does Osweld Kevin have other intentions?"
He tossed the coin, watching it land on the back of his hand, with the number facing up.
"It seems that old man really came to recruit me. At least, for now, he has no other purpose."
"The fact that he could find me suggests that the Antiquities Protection Society behind him must have substantial financial resources. And as he himself said, this society is spread across the North-South Continent, with branches and workstations even on the Sea."
"This is a vast information network!"
"If I join, I can leverage their intelligence network to gather some information I need."
"Moreover, from what he just said, they are not an official organization and are hostile to certain secret organizations. The non-official aspect is more advantageous for me; I'm already joining the navy. If I were to join another official secret organization, I basically wouldn't have to do anything."
After some consideration, Lex had made his decision.
He had always thought about finding a large organization to rely on, but he never found a suitable one, and many secret organizations had an evil aura about them.
An organization like the Antiquities Protection Society, which primarily focuses on exploring ruins and excavating antiquities, might violate some national laws in their work, but they are certainly better than evil organizations that enjoy destruction and spreading disaster.
Of course.
After joining, he would still need to observe; if anything seemed amiss, he would report it and leave!
Returning to the card room, Lex sat down: "I'm very interested in your work, but there's one thing: I might be traveling far in the near future and won't be within Loen."
"So, both communication and work might be delayed."
Osweld said with an unchanging smile: "I have a way to solve the communication issue. As for work, haha. What do you think ancient ruins are? Sometimes, it takes us a year or even several years to confirm a ruin."
"So, your work won't be that frequent. Of course, sometimes for certain reasons, when it's inconvenient for us to appear, we'll need you to gather some information or contact certain people."
"But such tasks won't be many; usually, we can handle things ourselves."
Lex nodded lightly and then said: "So, what can I get from you?"
Osweld extinguished his nearly finished cigar in the ashtray: "You can get protection and advancement."
"We will provide you with information cover, making it difficult for your enemies to discover your whereabouts. If you sense danger and cannot resolve it yourself, you can ask us for help."
"Even if you are being hunted by a Saint, we have ways to resolve it. Of course, the premise is that you have made enough contributions and demonstrated your value."
"As for advancement, by completing the tasks I assign, you will receive monetary rewards and accumulate contributions within the Society. I won't elaborate on the former's use. The latter's purpose, as I just mentioned, is that you can exchange it for items provided by the Society, you can purchase information you need from the Society, and when your contribution is sufficient, you can advance your position within the Society."
"That's about it."
Lex nodded: "I have no other questions. I'm joining. What do I need to do? Sign a contract, or hold a ceremony or something?"
Osweld burst into laughter: "Young man, your sense of humor is no worse than mine."
"A contract is not necessary, and a ceremony is even less so. We are not an organization that believes in gods. If we must speak of belief, we only believe in one thing."
"Those things that once brought glory should never be left lying in the cold ground, accompanied by dirt and snakes and rats."
The old man got up and took two items from his formal suit pocket.
An exquisitely crafted metal flute and a black leather-bound notebook.
Osweld pushed them towards Lex: "Take these. That notebook contains a list of items provided by our Society and the detailed conditions required to exchange for them."
"If the list is updated, I will send you another one."
"Also, every year in June, our Society conducts an assessment and summary for its members. At that time, you will receive detailed information, allowing you to understand how much you have contributed and your current position within the Society."
"Regarding positions, there's a record on the first page of the notebook; you can take a look at it later."
Lex nodded, his gaze falling on the flute: "What about this? I don't think I have much musical talent, nor do I know how to play the flute."
Osweld had already begun to dress: "That's not for you to play. If you need to contact me, blow it, and you will see a messenger. Write what you want to say in a letter, give it to the messenger, and I will receive it very quickly."
Messenger!
So this flute could summon a messenger!
In the Mysticism class, Amelia had once mentioned 'messengers,' so Lex knew that 'messengers' were Spirit Realm creatures, or spirits, or something else that had signed a contract with humans.
In short, messengers are very convenient; they can quickly deliver your letters to the designated person.
I wonder if the mystical book will be able to create messengers in the future. I want an exclusive messenger too; that would be very impressive!
"Well then, I'll take my leave. If there's any work, I'll contact you through the messenger. Have a pleasant evening." Osweld, dressed in his formal suit and hat, walked out of the card room with a smile.
After he left, Lex returned to the bar, and Sanchi immediately came over: "Are you alright?"
Lex smiled in response: "I'm fine."
"If you hadn't come out, I would have been thinking about whether to go in and check."
Sanchi lowered his voice and said: "That old man just now was definitely a big shot. That kind of composure and confidence is very difficult to exude naturally unless one holds a high position."
Lex chuckled: "I didn't realize you had the eyes of a Detective."
Sanchi wiped a glass and said: "Actually, I used to want to be a Detective, but I just never had the right opportunity. It's all my father's fault; if he had let me go to school, I would have learned more knowledge."
Listening to the Bartender's complaints, Lex finished a glass of beer, paid the bill, and left the pub.
On the same night, Tingen City.
Around 9 PM, an unmarked carriage traveled along a quiet street in the Golden Banyan District, eventually stopping in front of a villa with a garden.
The carriage door opened, and a thin figure jumped out. He slightly adjusted his clothes and looked up at the house in front of him: "That fat Hudson, he really knows how to enjoy himself..."