The Bizarre Detective Agency

Chapter 257: Khimfast

"If I wanted to cut it, how would I do that?"

Having confirmed the properties of the Deep Sea Stone, Lu Li inquired.

"The same as any ordinary stone. A thickness of ten centimeters is enough to protect you from a ghost."

"And a vengeful spirit?"

"One meter thick."

This meant that if Lu Li wanted to make his shelter truly secure, he wouldn't need four blocks of Deep Sea Stone, but four hundred—and that was for a shelter that was only ten square meters.

He could only hope Anna's family heirloom would be valuable enough.

The Trader handed Lu Li three newspapers, the scent of fresh ink telling him they had been printed very recently.

The large stone and three newspapers cost Lu Li a total of 7,290 shillings—the detective agency itself, building and all, had only cost 2,300.

"Are the papers new?"Lu Li ran a finger over the text of the Investigator Weekly, and the ink smudged slightly.

They were likely only a few hours old.

"Yes."

The last time, Lu Li had learned that the weekly was printed according to the number of subscriptions and no more, with back issues requiring a special order. But a question occurred to him. "Then why is there a discount?"

"Relevance and revenue."

"Revenue?"

"The revenue from the newspapers is distributed among the exorcists whose stories are published. They don't mind a little extra income from the sale of back issues."

The Trader's words sparked an idea in Lu Li's mind. He was, after all, looking for ways to earn a great many shillings.

If he could engineer an event newsworthy enough for publication, he could potentially earn hundreds, or even thousands, of shillings.

It wasn't a fortune, but it required very little effort.

Of course, that was assuming Lu Li decided to take on cases.

And that depended on the value of Anna's family heirloom.

Besides the newspapers and the stone, Lu Li bought a piece of Luring Meat and an eyeball. The first cost 50 shillings, the second, 100.

The Luring Meat was a thumbnail-sized piece of flesh covered in mold. It was odorless and kept in a slightly larger wooden box. If removed and left out for a minute, the crows would be able to smell it. The eyeball, also the size of a thumbnail and in a similar box, belonged to some unknown creature.

Lu Li also asked about the price of a flashlight and received relatively good news: he could get one for free before undertaking a mission.

He could, of course, buy one from the Trader, but the price was the same as a Spirit Gun—500 shillings, with no discounts.

After the Trader departed, Lu Li asked Anna to test the properties of the Deep Sea Stone—to see if she could pass through it or move it without suppressing her aura.

Anna was still concealing part of her power, keeping it just below the level of a vengeful spirit. She found that she could sink her fingers about eight or nine centimeters into the stone, but no deeper, and she couldn't budge it.

Just as the Trader had said, ten centimeters was enough to guard against ghosts, and a meter for vengeful spirits.

Anna returned to the kitchen to cook, while Lu Li examined the rough-edged stone.

The color of the Deep Sea Stone was similar to obsidian, but not quite. Its blackness wasn't pure; it held a faint blue tint, reminiscent of the ocean depths—which was likely how it got its name.

Its rough surface was like granite. If you got close enough, you could catch the faint scent of the seabed.

It was a fine thing, just a shame it was so expensive.

With his purchases complete, Lu Li began to prepare for the trip to Khimfast.

He rented a carriage, bought enough food and water for two days, a change of clothes, and two maps of the Allen Peninsula—one official, one not.

It was only seven in the morning. If he set off a little later, he could reach Khimfast by evening.

Lu Li had 800 shillings left, and it was four days until his next payment from the Investigators.

Half an hour later, a carriage pulled up to the window, blocking what little light the rainy day offered. Lu Li returned to the dim detective agency, had a quick meal, gathered his things, and left the house with Anna.

Just like last time, the sculpture was left to guard the house.

Before they departed, two letters and the day's papers were delivered to the agency. One letter reeked of a sharp perfume, while the other bore the return address of Remi and Jimmy.

Lu Li shoved the love letter under the door, taking the remaining envelope and the newspapers with him into the carriage. Grasping the reins, he guided the horse over the wet cobblestones, the clatter of its hooves echoing through the streets shrouded in fog and drizzle.

After a steady climb, the carriage reached the peak of Sugard Mountain. From here, he could see Belfast sprawling below, the deserted mountainside, Agate Lake in the distance, and the villas that surrounded it.

The road stretched into the distance, disappearing into the fog and drizzle. A long caravan of carriages moved along it, so Lu Li didn't feel entirely alone.

Anna offered to take the map of the Allen Peninsula and the reins, settling herself behind the curtain inside the carriage.

Lu Li settled back, swaying with the rhythm of the carriage. He lit an oil lamp, placed it at his feet, and opened the letter.

[Dear Lu Li,]

[This letter comes from Isaacs County. We got lost. It's all silly Jimmy's fault; because of him, we had to stay far away from the towns. We saw a lot of beautiful places along the way, but... it's all very inconvenient.]

[But don't worry, since you're reading this, it means we finally made it to a town. We sent this from a port town called Innsmouth.]

[It's not where we were originally headed, but they mine for gold and fish here, too. My brother and I wanted to put a few gold flakes we found in the river into the envelope, but the locals don't seem to like outsiders. They won't let us near the river, and I have a feeling they're watching us.]

[I've felt their unpleasant stares more than once.]

[I asked a merchant who visits this town often. He said the locals really hate outsiders and that there might be some kind of cult here. He was sure about it because he's never seen any old people in town, and for a few days every month, there's a terrible fishy smell, like being surrounded by a school of fish. He said riding in a carriage when the smell is that strong is just unbearable.]

[Outsiders aren't welcome here, so if you're ever looking for a place to travel and relax, you'd better not come to Innsmouth.]

[After sending this letter, we'll continue east. There's a town at the foot of a mountain not far from Khimfast, the city of arts. I wonder what it's like. It's probably as lively as your city, right?]

[That's all for now. If we find anything interesting, we'll be sure to write.]

[Your good friends, Remi and Jimmy]

Still not an answer.

It was interesting that the next town on Remi and Jimmy's route was only 40 kilometers from Khimfast, and that they seemed to want to visit the city.

If he was lucky, Lu Li might just run into them in Khimfast.

If they even existed at all.