The Bizarre Detective Agency

Chapter 539: A Tranquil Shelter

Remi spent some time with the children, who grew even closer to her, before returning to the cave to prepare a meal.

"Let me."

Lu Li spoke to Jimmy, who was fiddling with the radio. He took the device from the boy's coarse hand and tuned the frequency to the exorcist broadcast.

The Elm Forest was too far from the city to pick up regular frequencies—especially after the catastrophe that had befallen Belfast.

Now, the only broadcast they could possibly catch was the exorcists', and even that was not a guarantee.

Amidst the solid wall of static, a distorted human voice could be faintly heard.

"...static... survivors... leave... static... Him..."

After turning the knob for several more seconds, Lu Li was finally able to make out the words through the interference.

The broadcast was relaying information about the events in Belfast.

Placing the radio on a low table between their lounge chairs, Lu Li, Jimmy, and a returning Anna listened to the messages.Some of the city's survivors had already evacuated and were being received by the United Exorcist Organization on the far side of Sugard Mountain. So far, however, fewer than a hundred people had been saved.

The exorcist organization was discussing the possibility of sending a team into Belfast to rescue those who remained.

Furthermore, the broadcast advised any survivors listening to try and leave the city before sunset or find a relatively safe place to take shelter.

They had discovered that the strange presence in the sea had still not dissipated—after sunset, the mystical fog would once again envelop the ruins of Belfast.

Closer to eight in the morning, Remi prepared a vegetable soup and fried meat. They moved the desk from the shelter and set it up next to the lounge chairs.

Remi mentioned to Lu Li that the shelter needed a chimney. Although the smoke from the fireplace vented outside, a pungent smell still lingered in the cave.

That couldn't be good for Lu Li's health.

Hearing this, before he could even respond, Anna immediately promised to carve a chimney through the rock face to the outside later.

Anna picked up a spoonful of soup, blew on the rising steam, and brought it to Lu Li's lips. "Open up~"

"I can move."

Lu Li slowly raised his hand, but Anna gently pushed it back down. "Are you planning to spend all morning on breakfast?"

Though it felt awkward, Lu Li allowed Anna to take care of him.

After returning from the Underworld, Anna's personality had indeed changed.

It was understandable. It stemmed from Lu Li's words, as well as her anxiety after spending so long in hell.

Though Anna's behavior had become somewhat rigid, as if she had swung from one extreme to another, it was still far better than losing herself and becoming her own shadow.

With that thought, Lu Li opened his mouth slightly.

The corners of Anna's lips lifted into a smile. She carefully began to feed him, a gentle tenderness melting in her eyes.

The hot soup was warming, chasing away the chill of the sea breeze that drifted up to the clifftop.

Anna and Jimmy also ate a little—he said it was enough for him just to feel human. Remi was a bit envious; like Anna, she couldn't eat or taste anything.

About half the food remained when they finished, and Remi carried the table and leftovers back into the shelter.

The temperature was only around ten degrees, so the food wouldn't spoil by the next day.

The next task was to build a new home for the "children." It had taken Jimmy and his sister a day and a half to build their hut, but this time, with Anna's help, it would be much quicker.

Anna went off to find some completely withered elms to bring back. Remi retrieved the leftover tools and nails from her own hut's construction and cleared a space near the entrance to the clifftop.

Two hours later, a small wooden hut, similar to the one Remi and Jimmy had built, stood complete.

From the clifftop, a small elm cabin could now be seen nestled among the withered trees.

Remi led the "children" to inspect their new home, but they preferred to stay close to Lu Li, settling down at his feet or playing nearby.

It was hard to imagine that these charred creatures, which usually inspired fear and revulsion, could create such a sense of peace.

"It's missing bedding, but I don't think they need it," Remi remarked.

The room was bare except for a crudely built bed made from leftover wood, large enough to accommodate all the children.

"There are spares in the basement. We can get some for them," Lu Li suggested.

Remi did just that, bringing blankets and spreading them over the bed.

The "children" gathered around, as if remembering something. They leaped onto the bed, nuzzling their faces into the blankets, and began to tumble and play, completely unconcerned about the dirt they were tracking everywhere.

Remi watched the scene with a fond smile, as if she were watching the most ordinary children at play.

It was for moments like this that she trusted and felt so grateful to Lu Li.

By noon, the sky had grown darker than it was that morning.

Heavy rain clouds were rolling in from the sea.

Lu Li and Jimmy were moved into the cave, and half an hour later, a light drizzle began to fall.

"This rain should help cool some of the fires in Belfast. I hope it doesn't last too long, though; that would be terrible for the survivors."

The announcers were discussing the weather on the broadcast.

The rainy season was coming to an end, and this was likely the last downpour of the summer.

The rain would undoubtedly bring a chill, but it wouldn't affect Lu Li in the slightest.

Now, at the mouth of the cave, Lu Li and Jimmy lay in their lounge chairs, wrapped in blankets, with steaming cups of tea at hand. Occasionally, a damp, cold gust of wind would sweep into the cave, only to be immediately dispelled by the warmth of the fireplace deeper inside.

Watching the leaden sheets of rain, Lu Li was reminded of a task he had put aside—the water reservoir.

The reason for abandoning it was simple: even if they hollowed out a cistern in the solid rock, the water would eventually seep into the ground, making long-term storage impossible. The clifftop was the highest point in the Elm Forest, so bringing water up from the lakes and rivers below was out of the question.

Distilling seawater produced only a small amount of fresh water, barely enough for Lu Li and Jimmy's daily needs.

But what if they tried to store rainwater a different way?

Lu Li shared his idea with Anna and Remi—perhaps their abilities could be used to collect the water.

Anna could manage it, but she wouldn't be able to hold it for long—not unless she constantly maintained the power that contained the water.

Remi also admitted with regret that she couldn't do it.

For now, all they could do was place the three barrels they owned at the entrance of the cave to collect the falling rain.

A short while later, Remi, worried about potential leaks in the new hut, left the cave again.

The hut she shared with Jimmy remained dry, but the roof of the "children's" home was leaking. She returned for her tools, patched a few cracks, and boarded up the windows. Until she could find some intact panes of glass, Remi had no plans to open them.

After noon, the rain intensified before tapering off into a drizzle again, finally stopping as evening approached.

Soon after, Remi returned and informed Lu Li and the others that fog was once again rising over the sea.

As night fell, the strange fog returned, blanketing the silent ruins of Belfast and the Elm Forest.

Lu Li retreated to the deepest part of the shelter.

Jimmy, his sister, and the "children" settled down to rest in the outer cave.

A calm and peaceful day had passed.

At least, it had for those on the clifftop.