The Bizarre Detective Agency

Chapter 373: Humanity

The fire in the kitchen stove flared and faded, its sputtering warmth chasing away the damp chill from the detective agency.

JoJo sat on a wooden chair, a puddle of rainwater spreading across the floorboards beneath her feet.

Bang.

The front door closed.

Lu Li returned to his desk and sat, pushing aside an oil lamp that was blocking his view.

"What happened?"

"The police couldn't find my brother. They said they found no trace of him leaving. My brother and the others are still in Tenebrae! And last night, Tenebrae suddenly lost all communication! I know something has happened. Please, help me!" the girl, usually so cheerful and resourceful, pleaded with red-rimmed eyes.

Lu Li remained silent, contemplating the situation in Tenebrae. He had been to the Shadow Swamp and knew what a strange and perilous place it was—home to an evil god known as the Mother of the Swamp.

The letter from the Masked Figure had warned him to stay away from Tenebrae. Something was wrong there. More importantly, Lu Li had been marked by the Mother of the Swamp.

Oliver was a good assistant and the first person Lu Li had befriended in this world, but this situation was beyond his capabilities. The adversary was far more dangerous than a mere monster or vengeful spirit."I can't help you," Lu Li answered honestly.

JoJo's expression fell. She opened her mouth to speak, but Lu Li's calm, unwavering gaze told her it was useless.

JoJo stood up in silence and walked toward the door.

"I suggest you go to the Investigators or the Night's Watch," Lu Li's voice called out to her. "If what you're saying is true, they're likely already preparing to take action."

"I will. Thank you..."

JoJo walked out of the detective agency.

"Don't blame yourself. We can't help her," Anna said, appearing beside him to offer comfort.

"I know."

Lu Li stood, walked around his desk, and grabbed a mop to wipe up the puddle on the floor. When he was done, he returned to the sofa to rest.

Outside, the wind and rain raged on without pause. Perhaps, somewhere in that downpour, the girl was still desperately searching for someone to help her, wrapped in a drenched cloak.

...

There was no bright sun, no birdsong, no clamor of the city from beyond the window.

The rainy morning felt more like evening. A weak, gray light filtered through the open kitchen window, and the piercing howl of the wind was unsettling. He had to light two oil lamps just to chase away some of the gloom.

The apartment building was alive with noise. Unable to work in the storm, the residents had opened their doors, and the sounds of conversation and cooking drifted down the hall. Delighted by the commotion, children chased each other up and down the corridor, their laughter echoing.

Lu Li slowly awoke.

After washing his face with warm water that Anna had heated, Lu Li knotted his tie, pulled on his wool coat, and left with Anna to buy groceries. He met the postman at the door, who was making his rounds despite the foul weather. The man handed Lu Li a slightly damp newspaper.

Taking the newspaper, Lu Li continued on his way to the market.

The storm had emptied the usually bustling market. Only a few stalls remained open for business.

After buying what he needed, Lu Li stopped by the adjacent bakery for a loaf of bread.

As he waited, his gaze fell on a familiar figure trudging slowly down the street. The man wore no cloak, and his clothes were soaked through, clinging to his gaunt frame. He glanced from side to side with a strange air, as if looking at the buildings with a nostalgia for a place he hadn't seen in ages.

As he passed the bakery, he looked inside and saw a familiar tall figure.

The man stopped.

...

Two cups of steaming coffee sat on a small table by the window.

The man wrapped his wet hands around the cup. The warmth that spread through him made him close his eyes.

The paper bag holding the groceries and bread rested on the windowsill. Lu Li watched the man in silence.

"I remember you," the man said slowly, water still dripping from his clothes onto the floor.

He spoke slowly, his back hunched like an old man's, though he looked to be no more than thirty.

"We saw each other less than two weeks ago," Lu Li replied.

"But for me... it has been a very long time," the man said with a heavy sigh. "I remembered something. You're an exorcist, aren't you? Thank you for your warning... Otherwise, I think I would have gone mad."

"You don't look well."

Lu Li could sense an aura of imminent death emanating from the man, as if he were breathing his last.

The man offered a nonchalant smile. "It's nothing. I just recently lived through the life of an old man and died. Don't worry, it will pass."

"Do you remember your name?" Lu Li asked.

"Of course. It was the first of my countless names, and I hold it dear as a memory. If you're asking whether I've lost myself over all this time... I can assure you, I am still me," the man said, his gaze drifting away from the window. "A ship at sea has its parts replaced over and over. Even when every plank is new, it remains the same ship... But I haven't used that name in a long, long time... and I don't intend to."

"What should I call you, then?"

The man smiled at Lu Li. "When I come up with a name, I'll let you know."

"If you remember."

"Yes, if I remember..." A distant flicker of memory surfaced in the man's eyes.

Lu Li was not one for long conversations, and the ages that had passed for the other man seemed to have erased any strong feelings he once had for Lu Li. They sat in silence for a few minutes before Lu Li finished his coffee and motioned for the waiter to settle the bill.

"It seems you're troubled by something," the man said suddenly, after Lu Li had paid and the waiter had walked away.

He was still cradling the warm coffee cup. "I can see it in your eyes... your hesitation."

A ripple flickered in the air.

"Yes," Lu Li admitted frankly, looking the man straight in the eye. "Do you have any thoughts on it?"

"Only a few grains of experience," the man replied. "I don't know what's troubling you, but I will say this... Make the choice you won't regret later."

His voice was tinged with nostalgia and recollection.

"I can't remember how many hundreds of thousands of years have passed since that day, but I still remember making a choice out of fear—a choice I came to regret. I thought time would erase the memory, but like a crack in a stone, it has only grown more distinct as the years wear it down."

"You can never turn back time, so don't give yourself a reason to have regrets."

...

Lu Li and Anna left the cafe and headed home, with Anna shielding him from the wind and rain.

A few minutes later, they arrived back at the apartment building.

A figure huddled on the porch, hugging her knees, slowly got to her feet.

"No one will help me..." JoJo whispered, looking at Lu Li in desperation. Her clothes were soaked through, and her cheeks were pale with cold.

Lu Li knocked on the front door of the building, then turned back to JoJo.

"Come inside. Tell me everything that happened to Oliver and in Tenebrae. The more details, the better."