The Bizarre Detective Agency

Chapter 617: I Will Personally Free You

Doreen searched her memory, shaking her head slightly. "I don't remember... I think it was just a normal dream..."

The nightmare didn't strike immediately—at least, in Doreen's two previous nightmares, the black figure had only appeared after a few ordinary dreams.

Tom felt a sense of relief, though tinged with some disappointment. He left the bell, offered his sister a few words of caution, and departed with a worried expression.

At a time like this, someone should have said, "Your brother is a good man," to reassure Doreen, but Lu Li and Anna weren't the type for such platitudes. Lu Li simply stopped Doreen as she was about to get out of bed. "You could fall asleep at any moment."

The room was not always quiet. Besides the crackling of logs in the fireplace and the occasional shouts from the square outside, maids sometimes passed by in the corridor, their voices drifting in.

"Those foolish nobles actually wanted to take their carriages... How is that even possible!"

"When I was emptying Mr. Valentin's wastebasket, I saw blood..."

"Why were those nobles allowed to leave first? The Cleaners are complaining that they're arrogant and greedy, and they're even bad-mouthing Mr. Valentin!"

"They're everywhere again. I heard a house in the safe zone got infested because one was hiding in some woman's hair... Is Mr. Valentin going to make us cut our hair?" "Who knows... But if Mr. Valentin orders it, I'll definitely cut mine."

Besides these snippets of the maids' conversations, Tom would occasionally bring Lu Li orders from Valentin and news from the outside, taking the opportunity to visit Doreen.On the other end of the secret passage, construction of the "Corridor-Shelter" had begun. This narrow passage, which would stretch for six and a half kilometers, was being built in sections. Crews were working from both ends, advancing at a rate of sixty meters every ten minutes, pushing out beyond the dandelion field. If the night remained relatively safe, they could maintain this pace and reach the area beyond the field by the next morning.

But that was the best-case scenario. The anomalies had no reason to spare the workers out in the wilderness, and the dandelion field could shift eastward.

At four in the afternoon, Doreen succumbed to her narcolepsy again, but it was just an ordinary dream, and Anna woke her with the bell.

As evening approached, the area Anna had cleared at noon was once again covered by the dandelion field, and Lu Li accepted Mayor Valentin's request to clear them again.

The blood dandelions had no collective consciousness or anomalous aura; they were like ordinary dandelions. The only difference was that their nutrient medium was flesh and blood, not soil.

The fire that lit up the twilight sky was even more spectacular than the one a few hours earlier. Valentin's radio broadcast, urging the townspeople to look out their windows to bolster their faith, allowed many to witness the magnificent spectacle.

Perhaps it couldn't change the current situation, but it was enough to calm people's nerves and help them get through the difficult night ahead.

Besides this fiery display, which was more symbolic than practical, Valentin also tasked Lu Li and Anna with escorting a team of exorcists, Cleaners, and workers to clear the power station on the outskirts of the city.

The streetlights, once lit, couldn't disperse the dandelions, but they could dispel the people's inner anxieties and deter some anomalies from appearing.

Anna's firestorm first incinerated the majority of the dandelion field that had overrun the power station. The exorcists and Cleaners then fanned out to clear the corners, after which the workers set to their tasks.

As twilight deepened into night, a hum emanated from the power station. Distant streetlights flickered on as faint points of light, gradually brightening before spreading out toward the dark-red haze on the horizon.

Lu Li and Anna had completed their task; Valentin had not. When Lu Li returned, he was still in the mayor's office, working. The only difference from the daytime was that the hall was now illuminated.

Of the remaining exorcists in Flarand—only about fifteen in total—three stayed at the power station, three were posted in the safe zone, and the rest were sent to the other end of the secret passage to protect the workers.

The Cleaners were also working around the clock, clearing more safe zones around the mayor's office and relocating residents from the city's outskirts into these areas. The large stores of coal at the power station weren't suitable for dispersing the dandelions, but they could be used to heat and protect the houses.

Upon their return, Mayor Valentin had a maid bring them dinner—three portions, on account of Doreen. Lu Li, as usual, ate Anna's share. Doreen found this odd, but she didn't say anything.

At seven in the evening, Doreen fell asleep again. This time, no one woke her, as it was just an ordinary dream. It seemed as though the nightmare brought by the black figure was gradually receding with Lu Li and Anna's presence.

Time passed quietly. As nine o'clock approached, Tom knocked softly on the door again. He checked on the sleeping Doreen, then informed Lu Li and Anna that the construction of the safe corridor at the other end of the secret passage was progressing well.

Perhaps the blood dandelions were obscuring the view of some anomalies, as the workers had not been attacked, though the construction pace had slowed with the onset of darkness.

Moreover, there was more good news: observers outside reported that a shift in the wind was causing the southern edge of the dandelion fields to recede. This meant the original thirteen-kilometer distance to exit the dandelion zone might shrink to twelve or even eleven kilometers, which would shave several hours off the completion time.

After delivering his report, an excited Tom left the room, and silence fell once more.

Anna drew her gaze away from the figures bustling in the square outside. An invisible hand picked up a seasoned log and placed it in the fireplace. Amidst the showering sparks, she settled down beside Lu Li again and asked softly, "Aren't you going to rest?"

"In a bit," Lu Li replied, tilting the book slightly so Anna could read the text by the firelight.

It contained the story of the Mother of the Swamp. Setting aside the artistic embellishments, Princess Rolan had truly deserved the love of her people. She helped the elderly and the poor, fought against scoundrels, and was kind to everyone, never looking down on anyone because of their station. Though she might occasionally take a dislike to someone for no reason other than their character, and despite the stories about her being subject to the limitations and exaggerations of the era, one thing was certain: back then, Princess Rolan was not a person with a dark soul.

It was hard to imagine that she now dwelt amidst rotting, stinking mud and dead forests, having forgotten all her past memories, including her emotions and her humanity.

Will I become like that one day?

Anna couldn't help but wonder.

She had no body, but she felt a faint ache where her heart should be. Anna could clearly see her future—becoming an evil spirit, devoid of humanity and feeling, a more complete entity than the Mother of the Swamp. And that future was very near...

"Lu Li..." Anna called out softly, not realizing her voice was trembling slightly.

Lu Li's gaze lifted from the pages of the book.

"If one day I become an evil spirit, like the Mother of the Swamp..." Lu Li fell silent for a moment, then answered, "I will personally free you."

He casually turned a crumpled page, as if he had spoken offhandedly.

No matter what...

Anna gazed softly at the half of Lu Li's face that was veiled in shadow, away from the firelight.

She would never, ever harm Lu Li.

Never.