316 Minerva Hart
The bald old man walked with Amelia through a long stretch of an underground hall beneath the bar until they arrived in front of a particular room.
The old man put on a wide, greedy grin on his wrinkled face and said with his hands pressed together:
"You'll find a lady named Minnerva inside this room. She's an exalted soldier of the NDF."
"NDF?" Amelia arched an eyebrow in genuine surprise. "You mean the Northern Defence Force?"
The old man nodded, his smile growing wider with each passing moment. Amelia, on the other hand, found herself even more perplexed.
She furrowed her brow and inquired, "Then what is she doing so far from the Northern Border?"
The old man's smile faltered for a split second. He averted his gaze for a moment before answering, "Ah, she was suspended for a few months due to misconduct… Um, now that I think about it, don't tell her I told you this."
"Right," Amelia narrowed her eyes, prompting the old man to put on a wide smile again.
"But you should consider yourself really fortunate!" The old man assured her.
"Why is that?" Amelia asked curiously. "And how could she help me?"
"You see, young lady, Private Minerva has eyes and ears everywhere," explained the old man. "Within the army, she's renowned as the greatest information broker and best spy of her generation. Even if she doesn't possess the information you seek, she can extract it within days. This one time, she infiltrated a vampire stronghold and–"
Amelia cut the old man short before he could go on a reverent monologue about this enigmatic woman named Minerva.
"Okay, okay! I understand!" she exclaimed and raised her hands, gesturing to the old man to stop talking. "What's your price for helping me?"
The old man leaned in, bringing his grinning face close to Amelia before whispering a number in her ear.
Amelia sighed as the old man stepped back with a satisfied smile still plastered on his face.
Tapping on her smart bracelet a few times, Amelia made the payment to the old man. He checked his phone and nodded in acknowledgment.
"Thank you, young lady," he said. "You can always find me here in the future if you're ever in need of anything else."
With that, the old man turned around and walked away to exit the underground hall.
Watching the receding figure of the old man, Amelia sighed one more time before turning her gaze to the door in front of her and knocking on it.
She waited for a while, but nothing happened.
Receiving no response, she knocked again, but once again, no answer came. Growing impatient, she twisted the doorknob and found out that the door wasn't locked.
"Huh?" Frowning, she swung the door open and stepped into the room.
Inside, she found a cozy wooden chamber adorned with lavish furniture such as a custom-made bed and a large sofa near the fireplace.
Apartments? There were underground apartments below the bar? Amelia scrutinized her surroundings with a perplexed gaze.
While she was walking around, exploring, another door within the chamber swung open, and a woman came out through it.
This woman was strikingly beautiful and tall, with fiery red hair cascading down her back, reaching the length of her waist.
She appeared to be in her late twenties and her angular face exuded an irresistible allure, adorned by a pair of dull gray eyes that sparkled with a glint of playful humor.
However, the most noticeable detail about her was that she was wrapped in nothing but a towel with her hair and shoulders dripping wet!
Did she really just walk out of the shower?!
The woman cast a curious glance at Amelia, who was staring back at her in shock with her mouth slightly agape and eyes widened.
A wide grin spread across the woman's face, enhancing her already ethereal beauty.
"Oh, an unexpected guest?" The woman playfully touched her chin. "Tell me, why are you here in my room, Amelia Black?"
Amelia furrowed her brow in confusion and asked, "Ahh, you know me?"
The woman chuckled. "Don't be startled, dear. You are quite famous these days. In fact, most of your class is."
The frown on Amelia's face eased a bit, but before she could respond, the beautiful redhead spoke again.
"I'm Private Minerva Hart, by the way," she said before walking over to the sofa and slumping against its soft cushions. "But since you're here, you must already know who I am."
"Right," Amelia nodded absentmindedly before continuing, "The owner of the bar upstairs sent me here. He said you can help me."
The woman named Minerva crossed her legs, her towel barely reaching her knees, and her smile widened. "Darling, helping people is what I do. Be more specific."
"Uh, okay. So I need some information on Lucas Morningstar. He used to frequent the bar upstairs," Amelia stated, averting her gaze from Minerva, unsure of where to look.
The redhead beauty, still draped in her towel, arched an eyebrow, her smile never fading from her alluring face.
After a moment of contemplation, she commented, "I see. You didn't need to introduce him, who doesn't know The Fallen Angel of Global Academy these days?"
"Right. So, can you help me?" Amelia inquired, prompting Minerva to get up from the sofa and approach her.
Coming face-to-face with the black-haired archeress, Minerva gently tapped Amelia's shoulders before walking past her and opening a wardrobe.
Taking out some clothes, she spoke, "I told you, love, helping people is what I do. But what information do you need about him? As I recall, don't you already know him from childhood? Although you two had a falling out a few years back, you should still know more about him than I do."
Amelia hesitated for a moment before explaining, "We suspect that someone tampered with his mind and locked away some of his memories."
As if suddenly her interest was piqued, Minerva's eyebrows shot up, and she spun around to face Amelia.
"Interesting," she remarked. "So you think someone used Arcane Magic on him?"
Amelia furrowed her brow in confusion. "I don't know. What is Arcane Magic?"
Minerva touched her chin, considering for a moment before answering, "Arcane Magic is ancient, long-forgotten magic. It can be used to achieve things that normal magic can't."
Amelia's frown deepened. "That's a very vague definition."
Minerva blankly stared at Amelia for a moment before bursting into laughter.
"Yes, it is. Just think of it like this – the magic people use in today's world is mostly related to battle. In the old times, during peaceful periods in the elven world, elves used magic for various purposes, not just combat. That magic is now called Arcane Magic. Tampering with the mind and locking away memories sounds like the use of Arcane Magic."
"So it could be the work of an elf?" Amelia deduced.
Minerva shrugged. "It could be, or it could be someone else. Humans can also learn Arcane magic if an elf is knowledgeable enough and willing to teach them."
"I see," Amelia said thoughtfully, rubbing her chin. "Can you find out if Arcane Magic was used on him and who did it?"
"Of course, I can!" Minerva exclaimed, clapping her hands together with a grin. "But since it's such an old case, it will cost you a fortune."
"Don't worry," Amelia smirked. "Money isn't a problem."
