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

Gordon wanted to see the singer, who looked like a mermaid, again.

The song ended.

Eileen lifted her skirt, bowed to the audience, and then left the stage amidst cheers.

"What is her background?" Gordon couldn't stop thinking about it.

"Some say she's from an overseas archipelago, the illegitimate daughter of a bankrupt nobleman; others say she lived by the sea and could sing from a young age. This girl is a mystery," Cecilia said.

"Let's go." Charlotte didn't want to listen to these girls anymore. She tugged at Gordon's arm. "Let's go eat."

"There's another show coming up."

"You've been staring long enough," Charlotte said, disliking Gordon staring at other women for too long.

"My professor told me that excellent scholars need to observe thoroughly."

"The professor won't invite you to dinner."

"I love eating." This reason held water, and Gordon followed her away.

Charlotte naturally took Gordon's arm and led him outside.

"..." Cecilia looked at Charlotte.

"It's a matter of courtesy," Charlotte emphasized.

Nobody asked you.

"I'm just stating the facts in advance."

"I know," Cecilia smiled. "Charlotte has recently started to mention things that nobody asks about in advance."

Charlotte decided not to pay Cecilia's share.

Leaving Chapel Hill, they arrived at the Market District, entered the trendy Norwich Street, and finally went to the Silver Lamb restaurant.

Gordon opened the menu, saw the prices of the food, and immediately closed it.

"It hurt my eye," he said.

How much damage?

  

"Eight silver pounds can buy 800 loaves of bread, or a lamb chop that will be nothing but bones in three minutes."

"That's alright," Charlotte said. "It's on me."

"No, I can't just watch you get slaughtered."

"You bought that," Charlotte glanced at the Blackthorn Lee cane, "Why can't I treat my best friend to dinner?"

After she finished speaking, she turned to the waiter.

"...Oysters, pan-fried foie gras and oxtail soup, cod, herb-stuffed lamb chops and grilled veal tenderloin...For dessert, I'd like caramelized apples and sorbet...And the wine to accompany the meal is..." she ordered.

"..." Vera felt her appetite just hearing the names of these foods.

Charlotte keeps an eye on Vera.

Whenever Vera reacted to a dish name, she would order an extra serving.

She'll eat herself to death.

Soon, the food was served.

"!" Vera's eyes widened, and she leaned forward.

"Control yourself, Vera, control yourself." Gordon couldn't let all his efforts go to waste, so he quickly emphasized, "Today you can only have three plates of meat, no dessert."

"Hoo..." Vera closed her eyes, pretending they didn't exist.

Calm down, take each bite carefully, treat each bite as if it were your last, and don't be afraid of being hungry.

Lunch went perfectly.

Charlotte and Gordon chatted amiably. Cecilia added a touch of lightness to her outfit.

Vera couldn't eat much and could only lick the plate clean. When the waiter saw this, he told the chef, who was moved to tears.

Finally, the four raised their glasses.

The cup tapped lightly on the table, marking the end of this trip.

When they parted, Charlotte said goodbye to Gordon alone.

"It's a pity I didn't pick out a suitable gift for my father," Charlotte said. "I thought I'd find something valuable at the auction. Gordon, do you have any ideas?"

Gordon took the gift for Earl Montfort seriously.

He felt that the count didn't need anything expensive or vulgar.

What the count needed was intelligence, the kind that would give him the upper hand.

Gordon happens to have a copy.

After the battle at the pump station, the only thing Harold left behind was that underground hydrographic map, which has yet to be sold.

This is very unlike Gordon's usual style.

"Your father doesn't need wine, pocket watches, or antiques or anything like that," Gordon said.

"What should we do then?"

"I gave him something no one else could," Gordon said. "The true nature of Lundnim beneath the surface."

"Oh?" Charlotte raised her eyebrows.

"Does your father still care about the flood control project?"

"Of course, Father said that river held gold pounds and a bright future."

"If I had something... a map that even the Lundnium City Hall doesn't have, a map marking the city's sewers and culverts, as well as secret passages running through the entire city, dating back several eras..."

Charlotte's expression suddenly changed.

If Gordon had such a thing, it would surely pique the Earl's interest!

The water management project not only involves land acquisition and labor, but also has to consider where it is safe to dig and where it is not, and whether there is a group of esoteric practitioners performing rituals while digging.

"Where did it come from?" she asked, very curious.

"Speaking of which, he's still a member of the Monford family, Harold."

"Oh, that cultist disguised as a servant."

"To be precise, it's a clam shell disguised as a human." Gordon nodded. "Then I'll go and make a cyanotype print."

"My father will like it," Charlotte said softly.

It would be even better if that could bring her closer to Gordon.

Gordon, however, believed that further cultivating connections would definitely be beneficial in order to deal with the cultists lurking in the city.

……

Not long after that, in the evening.

Laurel Avenue, Montfort's new residence.

Earl Guy Monfort received a Good Friday gift from Charlotte.

"Father," Charlotte said, presenting the picture, "please be sure to take a look at this."

A cyanotype-reproduced underground hydrological map was slowly unfolded on the table.

The count's expression was initially indifferent.

When the map was halfway unfolded, the count suddenly stood up. After it was two-thirds unfolded, he dismissed the servants. Once the map was fully unfolded, he turned around, drew the curtains, and turned on the gas lamp on the wall.

That's...unbelievable.

The count looked at the picture.

Against a deep blue background, dense white lines spread out, like peeling back the city's outer skin to reveal nerves and blood vessels.

The main stream of the Blackwater River runs through the map like a giant snake, while the underground channels and waterways branch off beneath its belly.

With this map, many fewer people could die in the flood control project. And by cross-referencing it, the Earl could even get some people to admit that they hadn't told the truth in their previous reports.

He was currently lacking something like this, something that would make the emperor realize that he was not just an old nobleman from the old era.

Who... brought this here?

Charlotte clearly didn't have the chance to find it herself.

"...It's very important," Earl Montfort finally spoke. "If it's 70% reliable, the million-pound budget needs to be recalculated. If it's 90% reliable, His Majesty might deign to speak with me. Where did you get that information?"

"Gordon asked me to deliver this to you," Charlotte said quickly.

Gordon.

The image of that college student resurfaced in the Earl's mind.

It appears peaceful, but its temperament is quite unique.

He may be a little impolite at times, but he always manages to offer something of value.

Silverfish box... Blackwater River management... Now even the city hall may not have an underground hydrological map.

This image may not even be the whole picture, as it is missing some necessary markings.

He didn't mind that the map was incomplete; Gordon's carefulness only proved that he understood the map's value.

"Interesting." The count placed his hand on the copy.

It seems this young man is not as simple as he appears; we should reconsider.

"By the way, Father, Gordon has encountered the cultists, and they might be watching him too," Charlotte probed indirectly. "You can't ignore the evil forces in this city."

"I'm involved in a complex project, costing millions of pounds, involving the army, the city hall, banks, and various contractors." The Earl leaned back. "Evil forces must first learn to queue."

"No need for you to trouble yourself," Charlotte scoffed. "You could solve many things with a single thought."

"You want me to protect Gordon? What's your relationship with him now?"

"Protect the provider of this map." Charlotte rolled up the map. "With it, you'll gain even more of His Majesty's trust. Isn't that enough?"

The count did not press the matter further.

"Alright. I won't forget him." Earl Montfort changed the subject. "But I'm more concerned about you, Charlotte."

"What?"

"You also mentioned the evil forces in this city, and you know there are undercurrents running deep beneath Lundnium. My daughter cannot be left helpless when trouble comes her way," he said.

"You mean...?"

"I also have a gift," Earl Montfort said slowly. "I plan to give you your first Source Essence on your birthday this year. After all, your mother also came into contact with Source Essence when she was 20 years old."

Mother!

A shadow crossed Charlotte's eyes.

Then come more complex emotions.

Source quality.

The power that will change her, even the direction of her life.

"I've used my connections with the Navy and the Stock Exchange to secure about three or four medium-grade source materials. As for which ones to choose, I'll have the best appraisers issue reports," the Earl said.

"Is the report reliable? Will it tell me what effects the source energy will have?"

"No, it's unreliable. At most, we can rule out wrong answers." The count looked at his daughter with heartache. "Due to the existence of the Law of Unpredictability, we cannot understand the truth about Source Matter. Charlotte, before it is refined, no one in this world can see the effects of Source Matter."