The goddesses attempted to gain my salvation.

This also makes controlling Huiyan more difficult.

To be precise, Ryan is currently only using the Blazing Flame, and is still some distance from perfect control.

Perhaps he can find inspiration from another dual-attribute mage.

The conditions Rose offered were very much to Ryan's liking.

He had no reason to refuse.

Chapter 85 Nothing ventured, nothing gained

After accepting the commission, Ryan and Rose exchanged some information.

Dick's home is in the ancient city of Moss.

Coincidentally, Ryan's next destination was also in Moss.

After obtaining the specific location, Ryan asked many questions about Dick's personal hobbies and movements.

Based on Rose's description and my own speculation.

In his mind, Ryan gradually sketched out a clear portrait of Dick's personality.

A lazy, yet intuitively sharp, contributing editor.

He enjoys drinking and gambling, and occasionally frequents brothels.

He has good interpersonal relationships and has not offended anyone.

He has two close companions, but like Dick, they are currently unreachable.

"This is my contact information."

After she finished speaking, Rose handed a very small badge to Ryan.

"This is an encrypted wind-attribute communication device. If you activate it with magic, you can leave me messages. I can receive messages wherever the wind can reach."

"Well then, we look forward to your good news."

------

The ancient city of Moss is much more bustling than the town of Vita.

Although it's not as densely populated as Anselm's main city, it has a high population density, and most of the people there are from out of town.

They came here for the historical sites.

The royal city of Canosa, the northern fortress of Rubek, and even people from the Miranda Gathering will travel from afar to pay homage to the places where their ancestors fought.

It can be described as a complete mess.

Therefore, Moss is the place with the most troops stationed in Ansès, besides the main city.

From checks to patrols, guards in full armor can be seen everywhere.

These armors are all engraved with the crest of the Rema family.

With Maggie's intervention and Yann's prior special consideration, it was possible.

The guards did a simple check and then let them pass.

The joint team is scheduled to spend two weeks here.

The safe conditions in the ancient city of Mos made the students' visit very pleasant.

With Victor and Maggie as guides, the students gained a lot of historical knowledge at each attraction.

Although Claire had always heard her mother talk about those distant histories while she was in the palace, standing on the ancient battlefield now and personally touching the craters and ruins blasted by cannons and magic was a completely different experience.

In summary, I gained a lot and had many insights.

After a few days, seeing that nothing had happened, Ryan finally felt relieved and went to handle Rose's request.

He called Rose using a communicator, arranged a meeting place, and then got ready to set off.

------

"Mr. Ryan!"

An hour later, the two met at the agreed-upon tavern.

Rose's attire was quite different from before, resembling the style of the Auguston Empire.

The overall color scheme of the clothing is mainly red and black.

Over a close-fitting bodysuit, he wore a windbreaker to protect against the wind and sand, with windproof goggles hanging around his neck, and a backpack full of tools on his back.

Below are tight shorts of the same style as the top, and knee-high boots worn over long socks.

She looks very tall, and the high waist of the outfit makes her legs look longer.

When she walks, it makes a crisp, clicking sound. Combined with her previous braids now tied into a ponytail, she has a rather dashing air about her.

After ordering two simple juices, Ryan told Rose about his idea.

Rose was somewhat surprised after hearing this.

"Mr. Ryan, aren't you going to investigate the Dick family?"

Ryan wrote down his reasoning process with pen and paper.

"You've already been to Dick's house before. Based on your previous description, you shouldn't have found anything."

Rose nodded.

Ryan was right; she didn't find any valuable clues at Dick's house.

Ryan continued speaking, his pen moving across the paper.

“We previously speculated that Dick’s death was related to what he discovered. In that case, instead of trying our luck at his house that was burned to ashes, we should start by tracking his movements before he died, and draw out where he went and who he came into contact with during that time.”

"Perhaps this will provide us with some new clues."

After saying that, Ryan wrote a few words on the paper and circled them.

"The first stop is the casino."

After saying that, he put away the paper and drank the juice in his glass in one gulp.

"Let's go, you lead the way."

------

The ancient city of Moss has a diverse population, with people from all over the world, so there are many entertainment options available.

The main city of Ansès has stricter controls on this matter, while the ancient city of Moss is more relaxed.

Led by Rose, Ryan soon arrived at a place resembling a dark market.

The entire street reeked of alcohol, cigarette smoke, and something rotting. Many scantily clad women leaned against the street, their eyes scanning the passersby with predatory intent.

Occasionally, they would meet someone they clicked with, exchange a few words, and then go into a small room next door together.

Sometimes, when a woman's voice is loud enough, it can be faintly heard on the street.

Even Rose, with her extensive experience, couldn't help but blush and feel her heart race when she arrived here.

After all, they were all women; just by hearing the sounds, they could imagine what they were doing in the room.

Ryan, on the other hand, remained calm and composed.

Having been exposed to top-tier beauties like Orina, Claire, and Veranica, Ryan has long since lost interest in these women of the night.

"This is the casino that Dick frequents."

Rose adjusted her glasses and turned her head away somewhat awkwardly: "I've been here before... The owner is supposedly from the Auguston Empire. So... their entry requirements are quite peculiar, and I've never been able to get in."

"Oh? How unusual is it?"

Rose hesitated for a moment before speaking, "Everyone entering must bring a partner of the opposite sex."

"why?"

"Because... they're afraid that gamblers will run away after losing money. So, to make it easier to collect the debt, they detain the partner of the opposite sex. They can only come to ransom the person once they've raised the money."

Ryan suddenly realized.

It turned out to be the case.

A partner of the opposite sex is, frankly speaking, collateral for a gambler.

Sure enough, it was the familiar style of the Auguston Empire.

"So I think we should look for clues from those prostitutes."

Faced with Rose's suggestion, Ryan immediately shook his finger: "No, no, no, that's too inefficient. Besides, don't I already have a partner of the opposite sex?"

After saying that, Ryan smiled and looked at Rose beside him.

The meaning is obvious.

Please, for now, be my collateral and come inside with me.

Rose stared wide-eyed at Ryan in disbelief.

"Huh?! You're taking me inside?!"

"Didn't you want to investigate Dick's death and what he discovered? There's a saying, 'Nothing ventured, nothing gained.' If you don't take the plunge, you won't get anything."

"No, no, no! That's not what I'm worried about! I..."

Rose wasn't worried about the investigation; she was worried about something else.

What if... Ryan, after entering the casino, impulsively sits at a gambling table?

If you win money, that's fine, but what if you lose?

Then I'll be detained here!

She had long heard about the casino owner's methods.

To force debtors to repay their debts, women were thrown into brothels, where men subjected them to all sorts of torture.

If the debtor cannot pay off their debts, what awaits their partner of the opposite sex is a hellish experience worse than death!

That kind of thing... No way!