The Bizarre Detective Agency

Chapter 806: The Cat Town

Hiss...

The steam engine slowly came to a stop at Wigtown station.

This was the Hillerwig Mountains, located in the far southwest of the Main Continent.

On the empty platform, there were only a few figures with suitcases or luggage.

The carriage was also empty; the other passengers had already disembarked at previous stations, leaving Lu Li and his companions as the only ones left.

"My mission is complete."

The Shadow-dweller sat motionless in his seat. He and the third wielder of anomalous power from the adjacent carriage would not accompany them any further and would return with the train.

Surprisingly, the Fallen had decided to continue with them.

Lu Li pulled on his cloak, bid farewell to the Shadow-dweller, and, guided by an attendant, left the warm VIP carriage, stepping out onto the platform.

A damp chill, different from Vinnelag's, struck him in the face. There was no pervasive smell of sea and salt here; this was the aroma of mountains and earth.The waiting passengers nearby boarded the carriage. Lu Li averted his gaze from the platform and looked toward Wigtown.

Beyond the town of Wigtown stretched an unbroken range of mountains, framing the quiet settlement at their feet.

If nothing had happened, if plants still grew, this would have been a cozy and comfortable town.

The sound of goods being unloaded from the rear of the train made the station feel less desolate.

After observing for a moment, they left the station and stepped onto a cobblestone street.

The street led to the center of the town, where the ancient mark, a feature of every town center meant for its protection, was located.

There were few pedestrians on the street, almost no outsiders, only locals. Surprisingly, the proportion of elderly people was very high—higher than in Midnight and Vinnelag.

They sat on the steps in front of their doors or on benches, as if relaxing on a serene morning.

If only their clothes weren't so tattered, their figures so gaunt.

Beside every local resident lay one or more wild cats: under the eaves, on the rooftops, even in the middle of the road. They were solid-colored, leaden-gray, or patterned. They looked like fluffy balls, curled up, stretched out, or piled on top of each other.

The town of Wigtown had a lot of wild cats.

Because in the Hillerwig Mountains, no one could kill a cat.

They had come to the right place.

Prusius loved it here. Not in Midnight, not in Vinnelag, had he ever seen so many of his kind.

If he weren't following Lu Li, he would have already rushed into the crowd of cats to greet them.

But amidst the relaxing, almost pastoral atmosphere, Lu Li frowned slightly.

In some of the gazes directed at him, he sensed malice.

"You'd better take off that cloak," the Fallen's revolting, distorted voice chimed in at just the right moment.

"Why?"

"This is heretic territory."

The Fallen's bulging, yellowish eyeball slid discreetly over the outline of a black cloak that had appeared in a dark corner.

"But if Mr. Lu Li takes off his cloak, he'll be recognized..."

Prusius hadn't finished speaking before Lu Li was already removing his cloak.

The farther one got from Vinnelag, the more disconnected from civilization one became. The radio didn't work here, and the only means of communication with the outside world were the newspapers that arrived on the daily steam train.

Two days late.

Without the railway, the spread of news could no longer be called fast; it was more like haphazard.

Both coming in and going out.

Therefore, Lu Li didn't need to worry about news quickly reaching Vinnelag; he only had to worry about conspirators who might have prepared for him here in advance.

Katerina also took off her black cloak. The only exception was Prusius, who shouldn't be seen.

Some of the malicious glares vanished, replaced by bewilderment.

"Where are we going first? It'll be dark in less than two hours," Katerina said.

To conceal their tracks, Mayor Matteus had not provided any supplies that might reveal Lu Li's whereabouts.

Lu Li would have to buy maps and other provisions locally.

"To the general store first," Lu Li said.

At the end of the street, on the edge of the square with the ancient mark, there was a general store.

Under the gazes of the locals, the group headed deeper into Wigtown.

They soon encountered an obstacle, but it wasn't a local resident or a heretic. It was a calico cat lying across the street.

It lay with its back to the approaching people, but suddenly it rolled over, wrapped its paws around Lu Li's boot, kicked with its hind legs, and playfully gnawed on the leather.

Lu Li bent down, lifted the fearless calico by the scruff of its neck, and set it aside.

The calico cat sat down, raised its front paws to wash its face, and then, after Lu Li had passed, it got up and followed him, arching its back and rubbing against his trouser leg.

"It really likes you," Katerina commented.

"Mr. Lu Li has always been very popular," Prusius said, as if taking it as a personal honor.

"But too much charm isn't always a good thing," Katerina said, glancing around.

As if drawn by Lu Li's aura, the wild cats in the vicinity began to gather, surrounding them in front of the store.

The owner of the general store, who was cleaning the display window, rushed out with a broom just in time. He didn't dare harm these charming but deadly, elf-like creatures, and could only shout "shoo, shoo," driving away the wild cats that had swarmed the visitors.

The broom was wet, and the wild cats scattered, allowing the rescued group to enter the general store unimpeded.

The owner, who had been waving the broom behind them, hastily closed the door.

The wild cats crowded around the door, meowing toward the building.

The old general store had its own history; dust lay on the shelves and merchandise, but one section was wiped clean.

"Are you from Vinnelag?"

The owner put the broom away and returned to his post behind the counter.

"You know us?" Katerina asked, on her guard.

"Only the smell of fish could attract those little ones to be so persistent," the owner said, stretching a smile. His forked tongue flickered out like a shadow and then retracted.

"You don't recognize us?" Katerina asked again.

"Uh... And who might you be?" The owner's gaze slid over Lu Li's handsome face and the Fallen's hideously distorted one.

Only those two made an impression on him: one inspired an irresistible urge to get closer, the other was simply indescribable.

"Never mind," Lu Li said.

"We need a map of the Hillerwig Mountains."

He didn't see any newspapers in the shop; the owner seemed to be poorly informed.

"Which one, specifically?"

"The most complete one you have, and a map of Nis."

"Nis?" the owner mused.

"That place has been abandoned for a long time."

"I know."

"Alright, I'll check in the boxes, maybe I'll find something," the owner said with a shrug and disappeared into the back room, from which sounds of rummaging soon emerged.

Katerina and the Fallen split up, casually examining the goods in the store.

It wasn't just the general store that had history; the products did too.

Canned fish from a Belfast factory, color photographs of King's City Allen, local souvenirs from the Hillerwig Mountains.

In a way, this place, much like a museum, could make one recall the Old Era.

Lu Li's gaze fell on a prominent spot behind the counter, where a silhouette painting was hanging.

A black cat, poised like a lady, was crouched by a fountain. Its elegant, slender black tail, like a shadow, was wrapped almost completely around its body, the ends meeting.

"Alright, found it..."

The owner, stooping, emerged from behind the curtain, holding a folded, yellowed piece of parchment.

"What is that?"

Lu Li was asking about the silhouette painting of the cat.

The owner, rubbing his dusty palms together, placed them over his right breast and said reverently:

"That is the Honorable Flowing Cat."