Unable to repay my student loans, I had no choice but to work part-time as a demon hunter.

Gordon and the Earl went to see the silver fish box.

The silver fish box, placed in the display case, was still dripping. After Gordon took the black velvet that day, Evans put it on a different tray, and now some translucent watermarks had accumulated. Now Gordon finally had time to calm down and observe it carefully.

[Silverfish Box. A container that breathes.]

Amniotic fluid, a warm, lubricating liquid. You are not its recipient.

A flicker of excitement crossed Gordon's mind. A warm bed meant a breeding environment. Amniotic fluid meant enveloping an unformed life. And then there was the almost breathing dripping water cycle in the box—it seemed to be nurturing something.

"That water is..." The count frowned deeply.

"It has a luring effect on nearby Deepclaws, but the range, duration, and risks are unclear," Gordon said.

"Inducement?"

"Yes, it's been drawing Deepclaws down from under this house these days. I've confirmed its path of action; it's the primary source," Gordon said.

"So you think the Silver Fish Box is the core of the ancestral home problem, and killing so many Deep Claw Demons is useless because more things will come." The Earl grasped the key point.

"If we continue to keep it at the ancestral home, yes," Gordon said. "The Deepclaw demons will be fewer in the short term, but the Blackwater River won't become clean. Sooner or later, something new will smell it, and next time it probably won't just be Deepclaw demons..."

Evans had already returned to the collection room.

"Do you remember when I got this?" The count stared at the silver fish box.

"Purchased in 3E335 in the Blair Locks area," Evans said. "Bought twenty years ago, sir, for 550 gold pounds."

550 gold pounds!

Gordon's heart skipped a beat. He had 35 gold pounds and already felt his destiny beginning to change. But this palm-sized box was worth 550 gold pounds 20 years ago.

"...Ah, I remember now. There was an accident in the Blair sluice gates area back then, and many old buildings collapsed," the Earl recalled. "People found a lot of things in the ruins, possibly older than the city itself. Some were genuine, some were fake, and many were packaged as antiques and auctioned off by antique dealers. This was one of them."

"What's inside...?" Gordon asked.

"Empty," the count said, giving Gordon an answer he hadn't expected.

The count clearly misunderstood his silence.

"I didn't order anyone to take anything away," Earl Montfort said coldly. "It was empty when I bought it; there's nothing inside. I'm already starting to hate it."

"You also mentioned the accident?"

"An earthquake. You know, the words Rundnium and earthquake are rarely associated, so everyone's guessing something might have exploded. Nobody knows," the Count said.

"The silverfish box was in excellent condition back then," Evans added. "It only recently started... to shed tears."

Things don't change their state for no reason. Either the environment changes, or people move.

"In my opinion, we need to determine which servants have recently come into contact with it," Gordon said. "The sooner the better."

"I'll keep an eye on it and check the servant list," Evans nodded.

  

"Especially the people responsible for cleaning, moving, and repairing the collection room, anyone who is authorized to enter or leave. We also need to check if there have been any new employees recently, if anyone has been laid off, if anyone has suddenly paid off their debts, or if anyone has suddenly started spending money," Gordon said.

"Understood." Evans understood immediately. No matter how mysterious an event is, it still needs to be handled by a pair of people when it comes to reality.

"Then, I want to take it with me," Gordon said to the Earl.

The count frowned.

This time, he didn't speak immediately.

"It is worth 550 gold pounds," the Earl said.

"I know."

"No, you don't know." The count laughed.

"Yes, actually, when I hear 550 gold pounds now, all I think is that it must be a lot of money. But it's definitely not about the money now. As long as it stays here, you'll have to call the hunters every few days."

No, hunters are no good. The Earl thought to himself, he really didn't want to see Vera devour all the food, nor did he want to see Arthur Grey's arrogant demeanor. Source hunters were all lunatics; it was best to stay as far away from his home as possible.

"Give it to the academy?"

"The academy is certainly better. We have security personnel, we have science, we have laboratories, and we have analytical equipment. Moreover, it can be called academic sponsorship—the Monford family supports our school's cutting-edge research on the Blackwater River issue. My lord, when His Majesty inquires about the Blackwater River, you can say that the Monford family has begun to share the nation's burdens. This box is a beginning, a beginning that puts us ahead of everyone else."

The count was very satisfied.

The young man finally got to the point that interested him.

Actually, all he wanted was a respectable reason.

"The only problem is that I can't hand over this registered piece for free; after all, I bought it. You need to give me something of equal value, young man. Something that can shine brightly here," the Count said.

Gordon thought for a moment, what could he put here?

In fact, he felt that the Montfort family lacked nothing, but something of unique value.

It needs to have a story, be well-packaged, and be able to make the count give his guests that "you definitely don't have this at home" look.

As he pondered, he quickly came up with a perfect idea.

"Leave it to me, I have a perfect piece. It's fitting for this room and won't shed a tear," Gordon smiled.

"Please bring it here as soon as possible." The count had lost patience with the box.

……

Gordon needs to go back to school to retrieve that item.

Charlotte stood on the steps. She had changed back into her school uniform, her long, light blonde hair was tied up again, and the white bow tie on her full breasts looked especially nice.

She saw Gordon casually adjusting his gloves, which were clearly innocent; they weren't messed up at all.

Vera went out, saying she was going to find somewhere to stay.

This sounded like a normal arrangement, but Gordon felt that she just wanted to find a cheap corner where she could eat and wouldn't be kicked out.

"If you need to find me in the future, go to the Royal College of Natural Sciences, Biomedical Building," Gordon said. "Go to the dissection room at night and find the person sleeping next to the corpse. If there are many corpses, find the one that is still breathing."

"I understand." Vera turned and left. "I remember your scent."

Professional hunter Gray was also waiting for the car.

He accepted the Earl's twenty gold pounds for consultation, but accomplished nothing. Now he could only stand by White Elm Road with a college student, waiting for a bus. This left his professional pride somewhat displaced.

He watched Vera's retreating figure.

"Do you know Vera Cartrett?" Gray asked.

"We've known each other for two days," Gordon said.

"You dare to associate with her after only two days?"

"So your industry has a probationary period?"

“…Vera Cartret is no ordinary hunter,” Gray said. “She rose through the ranks very quickly. It takes at least six months for an apprentice to go from completing training to being able to conduct fieldwork. It took me four months. She was about the same speed, and I know that’s not easy. She can handle adult demons on her own; her reaction time, physical strength, and melee judgment are all excellent. That’s rare among low-ranking hunters.”

"It all sounds like positive news."

"No, you can see that 'binge eating' isn't about having a large appetite," Gray sneered. "She indiscriminately refined source essence, causing conflicts within her body, a process that constantly drains her energy. People like that don't value their lives, and their bodies can indeed hold out for two or three years. But long-term cooperation is another matter. You have to find her work, clean up her messes, feed her, and face the possibility that one day she'll lose control."

"..." Gordon said thoughtfully, "So if we can clean up the mess for her and control the conflict of the source matter in her body, she will have a bright future."

"The choice is yours." Gray gave Gordon a deep look. "Most importantly, relationships between Source Hunters aren't based on gold. If you simply think she's pretty and want to spend more time with her, you're making a huge mistake. Only Source Hunters are attracted to each other, and only their fates intertwine. You yourself need to have a Source within you! And that's not something a college student like you can dream of."