The Bizarre Detective Agency

Chapter 861: Belfast: Problems and Opportunities

Their departure went unnoticed.

Leaving Rylstein behind, they stepped into snow that came up to their shins. Beneath the gray, gloomy clouds, an endless expanse of white stretched out before them.

It was as if the land's corruption had been cleansed.

After trekking through the snow, they approached the Hyde River; the current was still flowing, but chunks of ice had already begun to pile up along the banks.

Soon, however, the entire river would be shackled in ice.

The cold was dreadful. Several layers of clothing offered little protection from the bone-chilling wind, which felt like a dagger slicing at their bodies.

But it was better than walking through a blizzard. Though the frost was severe, at least they could breathe without difficulty, the wind wasn't strong enough to knock them off their feet, and melting snow wasn't seeping into their clothes.

Ophelia's heat brought warmth and melted the snow at the same time, revealing an unsightly but clear path.

Katerina thought Ophelia had joined them just in time. Otherwise, the journey through the ice and snow might have cost them dearly.

After they had walked some distance along the Hyde River, the cracks on Ophelia's body suddenly began to flicker.— From the city... they're... following us.

Lu Li stopped abruptly and looked back over his shoulder.

The massive stone walls and castle-like spires of Rylstein were faintly visible beneath the clouds. He couldn't see the anomalies Ophelia mentioned, but the path she had melted formed a conspicuous arrow pointing right back at them.

— Faster!

Tearing his gaze away, Lu Li pulled his boots from the deep snow and broke into a run.

— I'll... hold them off.

Ophelia wanted to stop the anomalies, but Lu Li refused her.

— Get in front and help us melt the snow.

At a time like this, maintaining distance was more useful than delaying them. A few dozen centimeters of snow could cut their running speed in half.

Ophelia moved to the front, radiating a heat that melted the snow.

The running group followed her, treading on the ground Ophelia had thawed.

The dozing Elder Sister woke with a jolt, nearly falling off, and gripped the cloak tightly to keep from being thrown.

Soon, the runners faintly heard shrill, almost fanatical cries behind them.

Lu Li glanced back but still saw nothing; only an approaching roar indicated that something was drawing nearer and nearer.

— They're going to catch up!

Katerina shouted, clenching her teeth to keep the cold wind from rushing into her mouth.

The roaring was right behind them now; they could almost hear the crunch of snow underfoot. The next moment, Ophelia fell back, rushing behind the others.

She collided with something, and a lava-like heat erupted behind her.

Ophelia's cry rang out.

— Keep... running!

Everyone ran frantically onward, and not even the deep snow could stop them.

Snowflakes drifted down from the sky, and by the time Rylstein's shadow had faded from view, Ophelia returned.

The heat radiating from her flickered along the dark red patterns on her body, leaving faint, lava-like trails.

— They've... retreated.

Even the anomalies didn't want to linger for long on the frozen, snowy plain.

— From now on, unless it's absolutely necessary, don't use your power so recklessly," Lu Li told Ophelia, who was gradually reigning in her unstable power.

Ophelia's ragged breathing quickened.

— When... are you... getting married?

Before resuming their normal pace, Lu Li asked the Merchant to bring them several pairs of dry boots to avoid frostbite.

The rest of the journey back was uneventful, aside from the raging wind and snow, and a hut in the village of Poido that looked like it had been searched. They encountered no further problems.

Two days later, in the afternoon, they returned to the southern coast of the Main Continent. They pushed their boat into the frigid, biting water, navigating through floating ice floes, and climbed aboard the waiting Andrea.

In the cold sea wind, the Andrea cut through the waves, heading back to the Allen Peninsula.

...

The cold front had also reached the Allen Peninsula.

The seawater hadn't frozen yet, but the damp sea breeze was even more unbearable than on the Main Continent; Katerina felt as if the wind could slice her exposed face.

The Andrea returned to the landing spot a few kilometers from the port of Khimfast late at night. They would have to set out at dawn.

Fearing he would be tempted by nightmares again, Prusius stayed awake all night, praying quietly like a devout believer that the Light Stealer or the tide of fog would not arrive.

His prayers worked: at dawn, the anomalous fog silently retreated, revealing the snow-covered ground.

Lu Li and his companions moored the boat and headed for Khimfast.

A few hours later, the outline of a long log wall appeared at the edge of the snowy landscape.

Returning to the collapsed wooden wall, Katerina asked Lu Li for the artifact fragment, wanting to go in alone to check if the contamination lingered.

— No need.

Lu Li took out the artifact fragment and, holding it, walked toward the wooden wall.

The Mind Level counter made no sound. Lu Li felt the surrounding area being purified—the invisible corruption poisoning the land was being erased by the strange power of the artifact fragment.

As he passed through the wooden wall into Khimfast, the Mind Level counter remained silent.

Katerina tried to follow him and found she was no longer affected by the contamination either.

Wherever Lu Li stepped with the artifact fragment in his hand, the contamination vanished.

The others behind the wooden wall followed Lu Li, walking in his wake, and entered the white, snow-covered city of Khimfast together.

Khimfast had been destroyed by a sacrifice, and the residual contamination made it inaccessible even to anomalies.

Therefore, when they entered the city, all they saw were empty streets, quiet corners with towering statues, and ruins that had caught fire from neglect.

The white snow concealed the desolation and grayness; the clean and quiet city looked nothing like the terrible place where hundreds of thousands of people were buried.

Crunch, crunch...

Walking through the snow-covered, empty streets, Katerina saw her reflection in a black steam-powered car parked by the roadside.

In the shop windows, goods and clothes hung untouched on the shelves, and wooden frames still lay in front of buildings frozen mid-renovation. It seemed as if, at any moment, countless residents would emerge from around the corner, sweep away the snow, and restore the hustle and bustle to the streets.

Believers, trees, brown cars—they were looking for anything related to these three things.

Meanwhile, Lu Li, walking ahead, was heading confidently toward a tall spire that was visible even from outside the city.

They passed through Khimfast unhindered, seeing many dilapidated, snow-covered landmark buildings.

They arrived at the cemetery by the city's western church, which was also the church with the tall spire.

— Why are we here?

Katerina received no answer.

Lu Li climbed over the low fence and entered the cemetery.

They sensed that something was wrong with Lu Li's mood, exchanged glances, and followed him.

Beyond the path, tombstones stood in rows, silent witnesses to everything that had happened to Khimfast. Their presence seemed to soothe the souls of these uninvited guests—

Just then, Lu Li, who was ahead, suddenly quickened his pace, stepping off the path.

Katerina wanted to follow, but Ophelia stopped her:

— Don't disturb... him.

Looking again at Lu Li's retreating figure, they saw him stop before a tombstone deep within the cemetery and stand perfectly still.

[Rest in Peace]

[Anna Bessy]

They saw a name faintly inscribed on the tall, pointed tombstone.

And they also saw the bottom of an opened grave, with snow-covered bones scattered all around it.