The Bizarre Detective Agency

Chapter 122: The Strange Town

Most people imagine a swamp in one of two ways. The first is a wet, marshy expanse of tall, swaying reeds, a place covered in tender greenery where birds take shelter and animals occasionally drift by, where the blue sky and clear water are a delight to the eye. The other is a place of gnarled, withered trees choked by serpentine vines, where murky, foul water bubbles, and where gloom and desolation reign supreme—a place no living soul would dare to tread.

In reality, the first image is far more common, but in the current state of the Allen Peninsula, the second was perhaps a more accurate description.

On the horizon beyond Tenebrae, the grim silhouette of a marshy forest was faintly visible.

"Is that it?"

Anna, who had long since grown weary of the road, perked up and asked, her gaze fixed on the distant town.

"Perhaps," Lu Li replied. The bloody tentacle descended toward Tenebrae, but it was possible its true destination was the Shadow Swamp that lay just beyond the town.

The road had grown busier with wagons, mostly carrying cargo. On some, torches already burned against the fading light.

Following the scattered procession of wagons, the carriage rolled into Tenebrae.

Lu Li and Anna, seated inside, observed the small town with curiosity. It was much smaller than the Sentry Post, yet at the same time, it felt much larger—strangely, unnaturally so.

The streets were wide enough for six carriages to drive abreast, a scale that even Belfast could only boast on a few of its main thoroughfares. Signs for taverns accounted for more than half of all the storefronts, though the town clearly lacked the population to support them, and Tenebrae was hardly a popular tourist destination.Unless, of course, everyone here was a drunkard who spent their nights in a stupor, but that seemed highly unlikely.

The carriage continued onward until it crossed through the town and reached the edge of the Shadow Swamp. It was there that Lu Li received some rather unwelcome news.

The bloody tentacle plunged deep into the Shadow Swamp.

This meant that Lu Li's objective lay within the swamp, and he would have no choice but to venture into it.

"Can you see where the tentacle is?" Anna asked as the carriage came to a halt on the outskirts of town.

Lu Li, his eyes still fixed on the distance, answered, "I have one piece of good news and one piece of bad news."

"The bad news is that the tentacle is in the swamp?" Anna guessed.

Lu Li nodded.

"And the good news?"

"It must not be too far in."

In the thickening twilight, the bloody tentacle had nearly blended into the sky, but now it was distinctly visible.

"I don't think we can go into the swamp right now..." Anna murmured, rubbing her chin. She glanced at the darkening marshy forest in the distance and shivered.

"Let's find a place to stay for the night first," Lu Li said, turning the carriage around and heading back toward the center of town.

Tenebrae had no electricity. Instead, Trio Street was lined on both sides with lit gas lamps. Despite its odd name, Trio Street was the widest and oldest street in Tenebrae. More than half of the town's residents lived along its length.

Upon returning to the heart of Tenebrae, Lu Li stopped at a tavern called The Great Wave. Handing the reins to an attendant waiting at the entrance, Lu Li made his way toward the door.

"I think someone is watching us... and it's not human," Anna whispered.

"I've been spotted! Something is wrong..."

Lu Li remained outwardly calm, resisting the urge to scan his surroundings for the observer. But his right hand slid silently behind his back and nudged the Spirit Gun slightly from its holster.

The movement was barely perceptible, but the handle of the pistol was already clear of the leather.

A sudden chill enveloped Lu Li, squeezing his chest. Though he pushed the gun back into place less than a second later, the feeling of cold lingered.

"Did you feel that?" Anna asked quietly.

"No." Lu Li climbed the tavern steps. "There's plenty of malice, but I didn't detect the one you mentioned."

Anomalies allowed Lu Li to sense beings from the In-Between, such as dark creatures or ghosts. The former typically radiated a distinct malice, while the latter's was weaker.

Usually, Lu Li used the Spirit Gun to detect these fainter malevolent presences. Anna's malice, for example, was very faint.

But right now, Lu Li sensed no weak malice nearby. This meant either Anna was mistaken, or whoever was watching them was one of the beings radiating a stronger malevolence.

The problem was, Anna was rarely mistaken.

"Should we go have a look?" Anna suggested.

Lu Li gave a nearly imperceptible shake of his head, placed his hand on the door, and pushed. "Not yet. Let's assess the situation first, then we can decide how to act."

Creak...

The tavern door swung open, but the expected roar of conversation and clatter of mugs never came.

The small tavern was unexpectedly quiet and bright. Several oil lamps on the walls drove back the gloom, and the aged floorboards and furniture spoke of the establishment's long history.

Behind the counter stood an elderly woman, her hair streaked with gray and her face etched with wrinkles. She smiled as he entered. "Hello there. Oh, a new face. Look at those lovely eyes, like black gemstones... Where are you from, dear guest?"

"Belfast."

Lu Li approached the counter. The tavern's bright light seemed to banish the chill that clung to him.

If one were to use a system of sanity points, it was as if he were recovering his composure in the light.

"Allen's Star?" the old woman asked. "It's been a long time since we had visitors from there. Are you a tourist?"

Allen's Star was a poetic name for Belfast, but since the sea had changed and the port had fallen into decline, no one had called it that for a very long time.

"You are?" Lu Li's dark eyes narrowed.

Just then, a strange voice spoke from behind him. "Not me. I'm from the mainland."

A man in a black coat, carrying a suitcase, walked past Lu Li and approached the counter.

His suitcase appeared to be very heavy; when he set it on the floor, it landed with a dull thud.

"Oh, forgive me, my old eyes aren't what they used to be. I thought you two were together," the old woman said with an embarrassed smile. "I take it you're looking to stay the night?"

The man in black, who for some reason seemed shrouded in gloom, nodded.

Lu Li nodded as well, his lips barely moving as he formed a silent whisper. "Is it him?"

"I don't know... but this man has a strange aura about him, too..." Anna replied, her voice uncertain.

Footsteps sounded from behind them. The attendant who had taken the horse said politely, "Sir, the carriage has been stabled in the back."

"Thank you."

After thanking him, Lu Li also stepped up to the counter, standing beside the mysterious man.

The old woman retrieved two oil lamps from under the counter and slowly lit them, offering one to each guest. "The kerosene is full. There are candles in the drawers in your rooms. If you're afraid, you can light them. One shilling each."

"As a local, I feel I must warn you, guests. In the evening, before you sleep, draw your curtains. And no matter what you hear..."

She looked intently at both men standing before her, her voice deliberate as she enunciated each word. "Do not, under any circumstances, look out the window."