The Bizarre Detective Agency

Chapter 125: Allen Peninsula True News

Lu Li calmly averted his gaze, his eyes settling on the newsboy standing by a gas lamp post. "Do you have today's papers?"

"Of course," the newsboy said obligingly, grabbing several newspapers from his stand. "The Allen Principality Herald, the Valsen Gazette, the Daily News. Which one will it be?"

"Don't you have any local papers?"

Lu Li's gaze swept over the selection. He could have bought any of these back in Belfast.

"You must not be from around here," the young newsboy said, shaking his head. "The local Tenebrae paper shut down a few years ago."

"Do you have any old ones?"

Seeing a chance to make a sale, the young newsboy smiled. "Sure do. What date are you looking for?"

"All of them."

"All of them?" the young newsboy repeated, taken aback.

"It's a hobby of mine—collecting newspapers," Lu Li explained simply. "I collect papers from different periods and various publications.""I see... Well, I'm afraid I don't have that many. Please, wait a moment."

The newsboy retrieved a stack of old papers from behind him and placed it on the counter. "This is all I have. There might be some issues missing. Will this do?"

"Yes. How much do I owe you?"

"Let me see... one, two, three... Thirty-four in total. Hmm... That'll be 10 shillings."

After handing over the 10 shillings, Lu Li took the palm-thick stack of old newspapers from the young newsboy and stepped away from the stand.

"Aren't we going to walk around anymore? We might find some other clues," Anna remarked, noticing Lu Li was heading back.

"I've already found the clues."

His reply was cryptic to Anna, who hadn't seen the newspaper he'd noticed.

Thoroughly confused, Anna followed Lu Li back to the Great Wave Tavern. As the old woman at the counter called out a casual "Back so soon?" they headed upstairs to their room.

Placing the stack of newspapers on the dining table, Lu Li glanced out the window for a moment. The light from the lanterns on Trio Street resembled a ribbon of light adorning the nightscape. Further out, only a few sparse lights flickered, while the edge of town was shrouded in thick darkness.

Rustle...

Drawing the gray curtains shut, Lu Li sat down at the table and pulled a single newspaper from the stack.

Allen Peninsula True News

[The Tenebrae Hoax! You've All Been Deceived!]

"Oh! So these are the clues you were talking about?" Anna realized, but he didn't reply. Lu Li raised a hand and nudged the oil lamp slightly. The shadows danced, and the letters on the yellowed paper grew sharper.

[Ghosts? Six-armed monsters? Anyone who knows about the Shadow Swamp has likely heard of Tenebrae. And anyone who knows of Tenebrae has surely heard tales of its ghost and the six-armed monster. The locals have been profiting from these rumors for decades. But what if I told you it was all a fabrication?

No ghosts or six-armed monsters have ever existed here. Of course, perhaps somewhere hundreds or thousands of miles away, in some unexplored land, such creatures truly do exist. But in Tenebrae, at least, the "ghost" and the "six-armed monster" are nothing more than local townsfolk dressed in shabby, homemade costumes!

Yes, Tenebrae has deceived all of you. Adventurers, nobles, merchants, ghost enthusiasts, and everyone else—you have all been fooled!

First, they tell you: "There are foul things in the Shadow Swamp, and they come to Tenebrae." But so you won't be frightened, they add: "Fortunately, they fear the light. As long as you stay in the light, you will be safe." And so, hearing this, you think, "Wow, I can safely see these monsters or savages!" and you excitedly buy a ticket, travel to Tenebrae, and gawk at them as if they were circus animals.

When you arrive, the locals will warn you: "Don't draw your curtains, and at night, you'll see the ghosts pass by on the dark street." Full of enthusiasm, you do as you're told and watch these creatures walk past your window. Both you and the locals are satisfied. You've seen the creatures, and the townspeople have your shillings.

But it's all a lie! More fake than a comic book!

You might ask: if it's a lie, why hasn't a single tourist exposed it in all these decades?

The fact is, every year, many tourists try to expose the vile actions of the Tenebrae residents. But unfortunately, most newspapers are unwilling to publish the truth. I can’t claim that Tenebrae has paid them off—I’m just pointing out the pattern.

And the actions of Tenebrae's residents are far more vile than you can imagine. How do they dare to deceive everyone with impunity? Because they have a secret weapon!

In the Shadow Swamp grows a fruit that causes hallucinations. It's a fruit that amplifies a person's subconscious. It's something like a dream, but not as chaotic. Simply put, it makes your subconscious real—as a hallucination, of course.

They add this fruit to the food, so you eat it without even realizing. But don't worry, the hallucinations from the fruit only last a few hours and have no side effects.

So when unsuspecting outsiders eat this hallucinogenic fruit, their subconscious is expanded. And what do tourists who come to Tenebrae think about?

The ghost and the six-armed monster, of course!

Think about how many shillings they've earned from this. How could a small town on the frontier, with a population of three or four thousand, founded less than a hundred years ago, have accumulated so much wealth?

Because they built this town on that very deception!

Everyone here is a lifelong resident, their families going back for generations. A conscience? No, no, no, is that more important than the town's prosperity and their own profit?

However, after the onset of the Night Calamity, they've become more restrained. Although they still pull this trick on unsuspecting outsiders, it's not as frequent. I mean, after the Night Calamity, who would want to travel there, right? We have horror right on our doorsteps, so why travel so far just to see someone else's?

In fact, I finished this article many years ago and tried to publish it in the Tenebrae Gazette. The editor was an honest and conscientious gentleman, but unfortunately, we underestimated the people of Tenebrae. They banded together to shut down the newspaper, and the final issue containing the truth was never published.

Over the next few years, I tried to bring the truth to more people, but my own efforts weren't enough. Not until I found the Allen Peninsula True News. I was drawn in by their claim of absolute truthfulness, and they truly lived up to it. When I told them I wanted to expose the truth about Tenebrae, they thoroughly fact-checked my article, fully confirmed its contents, and allowed me to publish it in this issue.

It may be late, but it's not too late. People of Tenebrae, you must apologize for your despicable actions!

I am Thomas Dio, a researcher dedicated to uncovering the truth].