The Bizarre Detective Agency

Chapter 365: The Coming Storm

After the rain, puddles lingered on the bluestone pavement, reflecting the gray, somber streets.

A gust of cold wind rippled the water in the puddles, catching fallen leaves and whisking them away.

A luxurious carriage bearing the Joseph family crest pulled up beside a puddle and stopped. A figure emerged.

Seeing leaves at this time of year was a rarity.

Lu Li shifted his gaze to Gades's detective agency.

Tap, tap, tap, tap.

A middle-aged man in a grayish-brown vest stood on a round stool, nailing up a sign.

The sign read: "The Quiet Harbor Tavern".

Had Gades really decided to branch out, all for the sake of a few shillings?

He was just about finished. The man gave the sign a few more firm strikes with his hammer, then hopped down from the stool.He was about to move the stool when he noticed Lu Li and the opulent golden carriage behind him. "Pardon me, sir," he said, "we won't be open for another three days, if you..."

"I'm looking for Gades."

"Gades?" The man gave Lu Li a puzzled look. "Didn't you know? He left Belfast last week."

"Gone?"

Something about Lu Li's bearing—and the carriage—was clearly impressive, so the man recounted the whole story.

He'd owned a tavern back in Hidden Vale and, like most of the town's young people, had always dreamed of a life in Belfast. Some time ago, an exorcist named Gades had contacted him, claiming his tavern was haunted. The man had dismissed him as a charlatan, right up until he saw Gades fight the ghost with his own eyes.

Gades, of course, was victorious. But then he told the owner that the tavern was a gateway to hell, and the ghost was just the weakest of the spirits that had slipped through. If more of these "guests" continued to arrive, not only would the owner perish, but the entire town of Hidden Vale would be doomed.

Fortunately, Gades had a solution: he could seal the passage. He offered to trade his house in Belfast for the tavern, and even produced the deed...

The tavern owner, having agreed to the swap in a state of confusion, was starting to have his doubts. After all, what kind of exorcist carries the deed to his house with him while he's out fighting ghosts?

"But when I got here, I was pleasantly surprised," he continued. "It's close to the commercial and wealthy districts, the building is perfect for a tavern, and my dream of living in Belfast has finally come true. The only drawback is it's a little on the small side."

"Mr. Gades said that once the rainy season begins, the factories will shut down and the ships won't leave the harbor, leaving the residents with little to do but while away their time in taverns. So, instead of worrying about customers, I should be figuring out how to fit them all in." The man spoke of Gades with sincere gratitude. "He exorcised a ghost for me and traded his house for my little tavern. He's such a good person."

Lu Li saw a reflection of his former self in the man—someone swindled by Gades yet still convinced of his benefactor's kindness. The difference was, Lu Li now knew the truth, and this man clearly did not.

He recalled how Gades was regarded in Belfast's exorcist circles: a disgrace to the profession. For the right price, Lu Li mused, he'd probably moonlight as a tavern dancer.

Remi and Jimmy were at the Sentry Post at the moment; otherwise, Lu Li might have sent them to pay Gades a little visit.

After getting the address of the man's former tavern in Hidden Vale, Lu Li returned to his carriage and instructed the driver to take the main road toward the waterfront.

...

The usually bustling Port Roadster was shrouded in an eerie silence. Ships of all sizes crowded the harbor and lined the shore, bobbing on the waves like lifeless husks.

The screeching gulls were gone, leaving only black crows to circle in the distance against the grim, bruised clouds.

The menacing storm clouds over the sea had crept even closer to Belfast since Lu Li had left the baroness's estate. Laced with frequent flashes of lightning, they hung so low they looked as if they might scrape the top of the lighthouse on the far reefs of Moon Bay.

Along the shore, children clung to their mothers' skirts, hurrying for home.

The Friendship and Love Repair Shop. The carriage pulled to a stop, and Lu Li stepped out, his eyes scanning the street.

Pedestrians scurried along the damp cobblestones.

A sea breeze ruffled Lu Li's black hair.

Lu Li told the coachwoman she could leave, uncertain how long he would be at the Investigators' headquarters. She insisted, however, on waiting to take him back to his agency.

With a glance at the clouds massing over the sea, Lu Li gave a nod and walked into the shop.

"...Professor of public administration Marion Gary believes the massive storm front moving in today will blanket Belfast. Its slow pace means it's likely to hover over the city for three to five days. Such a prolonged downpour will seriously test the Allen Peninsula's drainage systems, but residents of Belfast have no cause for alarm—unless, of course, a wave several hundred meters high were to crash into the city..." The radio broadcast droned on. There were only a few customers in the shop.

The employee at the counter, a man in plain clothes, gave Lu Li a smile and watched as he made his way to the back. Lu Li passed the fresco, "The Investigators and the Black Crow," and descended into the basement.

Buckets stood under a windowsill disguised as a sewer grate, catching drips of water. The main hall looked much the same as it had two weeks ago, though the "bartender" in the lounge area was a new face.

"I was expecting you to show up in the middle of a downpour," Tesla chuckled. He was sitting at a round table near the fireplace. "My servant mentioned you'd stopped by the house. I figured you'd head here next."

"I thought you were on duty next week," Lu Li said, taking a seat across from Tesla.

"That was the plan, but something came up. Oh, and I already ordered milk for you," Tesla said, stopping Lu Li as he was about to signal an Alliance staffer. "Something happened with Tristan, so I started my shift a week early."

Tristan. The head of the Belfast branch. A good-natured, garrulous giant of a man who was hard to picture as an Investigator.

"An Anomaly?" Lu Li frowned.

"A few cultists of some evil god. They were originally from a village on the Allen Peninsula, but they all traveled to Belfast a few days ago. Tristan was investigating them when they captured him and offered him as a sacrifice."

"When's the funeral? I'll be there," Lu Li said, taking the glass of milk from the Alliance employee. "Thanks."

Tesla smiled, looking anything but mournful. "He said there's no need. It'd be a bit awkward for him to attend his own funeral, after all."

Lu Li set his glass down and looked at Tesla, waiting silently for the rest of the story.

"Alright, fine. I shouldn't have expected you to sit there eagerly while I drag it out."

"This particular evil god is one of chaos and disorder. When it accepted the sacrifice, it decided that Tristan was far more... interesting than any of its followers. So it asked him if he'd like to become its high priest, to receive status and power. In the end, Tristan became the god's envoy and promptly disposed of all the lesser cultists who'd captured him."