Detective Agency of the Bizarre
Chapter 257 - 257 114

257: 114.

One of the exits of the True Library 257: 114.

One of the exits of the True Library Now familiar with the history of the continent and knowing the names and geographical locations of most of the countries, Lu Li was ready to try reading more detailed books like “Croutia War History” and “Principality of Bensenkfort Authentic Records.”

First, he needed to understand the history of the Earlen Peninsula.

The dazzling array of bookshelves stretched out, but Lu Li still couldn’t find the book he was looking for among the multitude of volumes.

It was at this time that the Library Ghost appeared once again.

“I would like a book on the history of the Earlen Peninsula,”

Lu Li asked directly.

The Library Ghost’s distorted face nodded and raised a hand to point upwards, to the topmost shelf: “That grey book cover.”

Lu Li raised his head, following the direction indicated by the Library Ghost.

The height was over three meters, and the lighting was limited; in the dimness, he could only make out a faint outline.

Lu Li retreated to the edge of the shelves, pushed the idle ladder in front of the Library Ghost, stepped onto it and reached the third rung, stretching his arms to touch the book with the grey cover on the top shelf.

The height was still a bit short, so Lu Li went up on his tiptoes, pinched the book with two fingers, and pulled it out from the shelf.

The ladder beneath him shook slightly.

On the ground below, the Library Ghost suddenly extended an ethereal hand and steadied the wobbling ladder.

As his shoes made a “clang clang” sound upon contacting the ladder, Lu Li’s left foot touched the ground, followed by his right.

As expected, the figure of the Library Ghost disappeared again.

“Thank you.”

Lu Li thanked the empty space around him, knowing the Library Ghost was still nearby.

“Arlen Peninsula Annals”

This book was slightly old, perhaps from an older era.

The cover of the book featured the map of the Earlen Peninsula, devoid of dust, but when Lu Li opened the cover, some fine dust hidden between the pages emerged, coarse like gravel, casting a light veil over the yellowed paper.

Although this book was frequently cleaned and maintained, it had not been read in a long time.

Lu Li brushed the dust off the title page with his hand.

There was nothing special, just a table of contents on this page.

The Earlen Peninsula’s first pioneers, or colonists, came from the Main Affinity Continent, from the other side of the swamp, the Arlen Kingdom.

At that time, when people discovered land on the other side of the swamp, they began to send citizens there to colonize the area continuously, and it was incorporated into the territory of the Arlen Kingdom.

The Earlen Peninsula was not yet called by this name at that time.

It was hundreds of years later that the new heir to the royal family of Arlen Kingdom sent his brother, MacDonald I, who also coveted the throne, to the Earlen Peninsula and gave him this land as his dukedom.

Missing his homeland, MacDonald I renamed this place the Earlen Peninsula Duchy and developed fisheries and commerce according to the local characteristics and established Belfast at Sugard Mountain.

After the death of MacDonald I, MacDonald II succeeded him; the new duke, who was even more talented than the first, built Rodest Port on top of his father’s foundation, constructed sailboats, and traded with the outside world, gradually developing the once barren Earlen Peninsula.

Afterward, the Earlen Peninsula Duchy continued along this development track.

The MacDonald Family’s subsequent heirs lacked the determination of the first two generations, and due to bloody struggles among the heirs, the lineage weakened, leading to decline.

By then, the Arlen Kingdom, which had transitioned from a monarchy to a council system, decided to revoke the autonomy of the Earlen Peninsula Duchy and placed the region under the control of the Elders’ Council.

However, it was still called the Earlen Peninsula Duchy.

Mixed within these contents were some interesting pieces of information, such as the unusual quirks of MacDonald II, the fact that the King of Arlen Kingdom only had ceremonial authority and not administrative power, and that the thirteen members of the Elders’ Council came from the various lands of Arlen Kingdom.

When Lu Li turned to the last page and closed the book, an hour and a half had already passed.

As noon approached, Lu Li decided to return to the Detective Agency for lunch and come back in the afternoon to continue reading.

He stepped onto the ladder to put the book back in its place, climbed down to the ground, turned, and walked out from between the cramped and dimly-lit shelves into the main hall of the library.

The figures browsing through the books between the shelves had changed again, still all unfamiliar faces.

Reiss sat behind the counter, flipping through a tome as thick as a palm.

Sensing the newcomer, he looked up and nodded towards Lu Li, “Did you find what you were looking for?”

“Yes, how should I leave this place?” Lu Li picked up the umbrella stored at the counter.

“Follow me,” said Reiss, rising from his seat.

His white-haired figure surprisingly steady, he led Lu Li to an exaggeratedly ornate door that one would only expect to find in a church.

A normal door with regular contours was embedded in the grand one.

Reiss pulled open the smaller door, revealing a dark and narrow alley that appeared abruptly before them.

The alley was dark and damp, with brick walls covered in incomprehensible graffiti, and a frown-inducing mix of vile stench and the smell of urine wafted into the library from behind the door—scents characteristic of many similar alleys.

It was as if there were two different worlds on either side of the door.

“Just around the corner of this alley, you’ll find both the Bauhinia Flower District and the Essential Oil District,” Reiss said with a smile, seemingly eager to introduce newbies to this exit, albeit with some unclear significance.

Lu Li nodded and stepped out of the library.

The door closed behind him, and he stopped, turning to look back.

A cold wall blocked his view; this was a dead end, and nobody would suspect that there was a door on that wall.

Looking up, Lu Li saw the True Library from the outside, a towering building of strange and eerie stone architecture.

Lu Li withdrew his gaze and, with a “pop,” opened his umbrella before walking to the end of the narrow alley.

The moment he emerged from the alley, the strong, pungent scent of perfume and women’s voices rushed towards him.

This was an alley that connected two streets, the difference in elevation between them creating an uneven bluestone path, further worn and broken in places.

Vividly dressed and scantily clad women stood in the cool, rainy weather at the entrances along the road, waving and beckoning to the men passing through the alley.

“…”

Lu Li now understood why Reiss had acted a bit odd earlier.

…

Dodging the women’s advances, Lu Li returned to the Detective Agency half an hour later with groceries.

While placing them in the kitchen, he noticed that the pots of salt and cane sugar had been labeled with corresponding notes.

Yesterday’s argument had brought about a surprisingly good outcome.

Having eaten the lunch Anna had carefully prepared, devoid of sentiment, Lu Li headed out again near midday to the investigator.

He drank a glass of milk and then went through the passage to the True Library on his own.

Returning to the same row of shelves from the morning, Lu Li was still selecting books when he saw the Library Ghost.

With her help, he continued learning about the history of other countries on the Main Affinity Continent.

Two hours later, having closed the last of the history books and returned it to its place, Lu Li went back to Reiss.

“You seem to have benefited a lot,” Reiss remarked with a smile.

Lu Li nodded, “The Library Ghost helped me a lot.”

Strangely enough, upon hearing this, Reiss’s aged face suddenly showed a confusion that seemed genuine.

“What Library Ghost?”