Sherlock watched as the group chat transitioned from mourning the Adjudicator to focusing on him, the newcomer. And that guy with the codename "Merchant" even tried to shift the debt onto him.
That was 2,000 gold coins, which equaled 20 million copper coins!
He wouldn't even be worth that much if he were sold.
So he thought for a moment and quickly typed a line on the black stone screen.
[Miracle: Newcomer reporting in. I hope all the seniors will take care of me.]
[Miracle: I met that uncle by chance, but I won't inherit any of his debts. @Merchant]
This short screen name made Sherlock a bit uncomfortable.
He usually used long names like "Farmer Three Punches Hurts a Bit" or "This Name Has Ten Characters"...
Footsteps could be heard coming from the stairwell, and Sherlock quickly collected the black stone and animal skin.
"Boss, that patient..." Vivian looked at the black robe and broken sword on the ground, as well as the corroded footprints on the floor. She couldn't help but cover her mouth.
It looked like a scene where all traces of a corpse had been destroyed.
She had heard someone knocking on the door just now, but out of caution, she didn't go downstairs.
But strangely, although she was standing at the stairwell, she couldn't hear what they were saying.
She only came out of the stairwell when she was sure there was no more conversation inside the clinic.
"Don't overthink it. That patient was poisoned very severely, and there was nothing I could do. These are the only two things left." Sherlock interrupted Vivian's thoughts. He didn't want to become a terrifying murderer in the little girl's imagination for no reason.
"Is that so?" Vivian still had some doubts.
"You use magic to clean the floor and those two items, and I'll take care of them," Sherlock said again.
The poison in Joseph was too vicious, and he didn't want to risk his safety because of the remnants.
Vivian obediently used cleaning magic to clean the floor and Joseph's two belongings, which made her feel like she was an accomplice in something.
Sherlock wrapped the black robe and broken sword with a rag, then carried them and went upstairs.
These were rare items judged by the system, the only two items left by a generation of strong warriors, impervious to highly corrosive venom.
Discard them?
That would truly be a waste.
Sherlock didn't mind that the original owner of the items had passed away. From a certain perspective, this was called inheritance.
"Could this be a shady shop?" Vivian watched as Sherlock carried the so-called patient's belongings, swiftly ascending the stairs, and felt even more uneasy.
...
Sherlock caught a spider from a corner and threw it onto the black robe. After confirming that there was no residue of toxins on the robe, he folded it carefully and tucked it into the corner at the bottom of the wardrobe.
According to the system's judgment, this was a rare item that could conceal one's presence and make it easier to hide in the dark—a true artifact of stealth.
As for the broken longsword, compared to a complete one, the difference lay in its difficulty to sell at a high price.
This sword had accompanied the Adjudicator in countless battles and slain numerous monsters. It was forged from an extraterrestrial meteorite, with extremely high sharpness and hardness.
But no matter how good a sword it was, in Sherlock's hands, it was not much different from a kitchen knife.
If he could melt it down and forge it into a surgical knife, it would be an excellent way to utilize it.
The scene of cutting off an iron rod as thick as an arm with a single sword strike made Sherlock extremely envious of its sharpness.
With that in mind, Sherlock quickly went downstairs and found a wooden stick to prop against the door. Feeling it wasn't secure enough, he pushed the stone bed over to lean against the door.
"When I have the money, I should buy a magic barrier to place outside the door." Sherlock thought to himself in secret.
Unfortunately, that thing is like the difference between a password-protected door and a wooden door. The price is extremely high, even for the lowest-grade one, exceeding ten thousand copper coins.
Vivian went back to her room to rest, while Sherlock entered the study and locked the door. He took out the black stone and animal skin and placed them on the desk.
The yellowed light flickered slightly, and the black stone emitted a faint glow, trembling on the desktop and making a humming sound.
Sherlock quickly skimmed through the chat records. The Adjudicator's unexpected death had prompted all the other group members, except for the mysterious Night Watcher, to speak up.
Through their conversations, like puzzle pieces coming together, Sherlock gained some understanding of the Adjudicator's life.
As a knight close to demi-god level, the Adjudicator's life could be considered legendary.
He joined the Red Moon over thirty years ago and had annihilated more than a hundred monster dens, slaying over a hundred Beast Kings.
The most representative battle was ten years ago when he single-handedly defended the besieged town of Canter against a terrifying monster wave led by a Beast Queen.
Canter was a small town with only three high-level mages stationed there, facing a horrifying monster wave led by the Beast Queen.
Passing by, the Adjudicator alone held the line for six hours, slaying the Beast Kings and successfully protecting Canter.
There were many similar achievements, each one enough to shake the world when spoken of.
However, strangely enough, in Sherlock's memory, no such legendary powerhouse was on the Eiso Continent.
He soon found the answer.
The Adjudicator never publicized his achievements, just like how the Red Moon organization was not known to the world.
The Red Moon consisted of nine members, who didn't reveal their true identities and instead referred to each other by code names.
Of course, this didn't mean they were completely isolated.
Just like how the Adjudicator borrowed two thousand gold coins from the Merchant, and the Artificer forged the black longsword named "Judgment" for him, the Shepherd had also fought alongside him in clearing out monster dens.
The closeness or distance of their relationships depended on the individuals.
The existence of the black stone allowed members who didn't want to reveal their identities to maintain their mystery while participating in the organization's activities.
Through eavesdropping on the chat, Sherlock gained a rough understanding of several members.
The merchant was indeed a merchant, and extremely wealthy, to casually lend out 2,000 gold coins.
Artificer should be a weapon forger, capable of forging rare-grade weapons with extraterrestrial meteorites, showcasing exceptional skill.
Shepherd, a powerful orc, is currently located in Calva, whose daily work is closer to the Adjudicators.
Trailblazer has insufficient information and an unknown identity, but judging from the way she spoke, she should be a female member.
Witch, similarly lacking information, but confirmed as a female residing by the seaside.
Gatekeeper, silent and reticent, only said, "May the Giant Spirit God protect him," puzzling others.
Hermit was highly respected within the Red Moon and had more contact with the Adjudicator.
Night Watcher, who hadn't spoken since Sherlock joined the group, was the initiator of the Red Moon.
Miracle, a newbie who couldn't do anything.
...
[Witch: Newbie, what's your profession? @Miracle]
[Artificer: It must be a knight. The Adjudicator has always looked down on mages.]
[Shepherd: The monsters have been becoming more active lately. We need to deal with more monster dens before the decennial Beast Tide arrives.]
Sherlock pondered for a moment and replied, [I am a doctor, dedicated to saving the world.]