A Bizarre Adventure That Begins in Jujutsu Kaisen

Chapter 123 The Shadow of the Candle and the Sound of the Axe - Part 1 (4/5)

Scott's subsequent words were filled with self-deprecating bitterness: "Our family is considered one of the more law-abiding sorcerers, adhering to secular laws and upholding the pitiful moral bottom line of the profession."

They don't accept curse-related murders or engage in extortion or blackmail, so those who come to them are mostly legitimate requests for exorcism.

Although a single decent commission could support the family for a while, they also ran several antique shops and secondhand bookstores to maintain appearances.

The frequency of exorcism requests is decreasing, and overall, the situation is getting worse year by year.

At this point, he shook his head with a wry smile, his gaze somewhat unfocused.

"Perhaps modern people have fewer negative emotions, so cursed spirits have become rarer."

The internet connects the world into a network, offering a dazzling array of entertainment options, and even transforming pain and despair.

As a result, for us, cursed spirits have become an almost non-renewable and precious resource. Upon hearing this, Theo's eyebrows twitched slightly. He knew that the scarcity of cursed spirits in other parts of the world was due to the effects of the Heavenly Origin Barrier.

Scott, supporting himself on his knees, stood up and continued, "Besides, the path of the Sorcerer seems mysterious and aloof, but the competition within..."

The struggle has never stopped.

Throughout Europe, there are quite a few families and associations like ours.

This town is the traditional sphere of influence that our Leopold family has operated in for hundreds of years.

That's why I was so hostile when I mistakenly thought you were a competitor trying to cause trouble.

I'm so sorry — but thinking about it carefully, it's actually quite pointless.

In order to make a living, we are like wild dogs with an overly strong sense of territory. We might bare our teeth and even start fighting if we meet for less than a minute.

Last month, a family from the neighboring city clashed with people here over the ownership of a river, resulting in bloodshed and nearly causing a death.

Looking back now, it was like fighting with street thugs for territory—what was the point? It was really—despicable.

"Are you short of money?" Theo asked casually.

Scott raised his hand and rubbed his face vigorously to adjust his stiff expression, then solemnly extended his hand to Theo.

"Yes, Lord Theo. Please allow me to reintroduce myself. I am the chairman of the Leopold Detective Club."

Although our club is not large, it has long provided various detective and investigation services, and is especially good at handling commissions related to "unnatural factors".

I think this is perfect for a sorcerer like you who has traveled a long way and needs to find specific spirits or clues efficiently.

Theo didn't shake his outstretched hand, but asked directly, "What trouble can you help me with?"

Scott wasn't embarrassed; he naturally withdrew his hand and put it in his pocket.

"Tracing clues, investigating the truth behind incidents, handling all sorts of tricky tasks"—I can take on both routine and unconventional work that other legitimate detective agencies can do.

He grinned, trying to make his words seem more persuasive.

"And, with my expertise," I assure you, I will do a better job than anyone else.

"It seems—it's not very useful. I can directly 'see' all the remnants of cursed power and the true forms of cursed spirits within a two-kilometer radius. Therefore, I don't need to rely on any external force to find the cursed spirits."

Theo's bluntness caused Scott's smile to falter slightly, revealing his disappointment.

Seeing this, Theo raised a finger and tapped near his temple. "Scott, say something nice to me."

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Scott blinked, thinking he'd misheard: "Huh?"

"Praise me a few words," Theo repeated patiently. "You attacked me rashly just now. Now, sincerely..."

"Just give me a couple of compliments, and that'll be the end of it."

It took the brown-haired man a while to process this abrupt request before he realized the other party was serious.

"Ahem—" He cleared his throat somewhat awkwardly, his expression becoming unusually flustered, his eyes darting around as he desperately searched for the right words in his mind. Finally, he tentatively spoke, "Hmm—you have—a particularly captivating charm? You always naturally become the center of attention?"

Theo remained expressionless, offering neither comment nor affirmation.

Scott's forehead began to sweat, but he forced himself to continue: "Your smile—warm and infectious like sunshine? It must be able to—illuminate the world of those around you?"

Theo remained expressionless.

Scott took a deep breath, almost giving up thinking: "A strong person like you can always rise to the challenge and solve problems, no matter what difficulties you encounter—"

So, uh—he should be a very trustworthy and reliable leader?

Theo remained as calm and composed as ever.

Scott finally gave up, his shoulders slumping: "Ah—I guess I'm really not very good at this."

In the first ten thousand days of my life, I rarely did this kind of thing.

If the results are unsatisfactory and do not meet your expectations, please—please accept my sincerest apologies.

To his surprise, Theo finally laughed.

"You're quite an interesting person. If you ever find this place boring or want a change of scenery, why not come to Japan? The 'scenery' there might be a bit different."

As he spoke, he pulled a black business card from his inner pocket, flicked it with two fingers, and sent it flying.

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