Detective Agency of the Bizarre
Chapter 432 - 432 Two hundred and eighty-nine

432: Two hundred and eighty-nine.

Save Oliver 432: Two hundred and eighty-nine.

Save Oliver The match struck an arc in mid-air, then extinguished before falling into the trash can.

After covering the oil lamp with a wind guard, Lu Li returned to his desk and sat down, pouring hot water he’d heated not long ago into a cup and pushing it in front of Jojo.

Across from him, Jojo’s head was covered with a handkerchief, and a rough, wrinkled, and damp garment was draped over a blanket.

Behind them, Anna was cleaning up the puddles on the floor.

“My brother worked for the Yibu trade caravan.”

Jojo held the warm cup, her hands, pale from being soaked in rainwater, subconsciously caressing the cup.

The Yibu trade caravan traveled between the Main Affinity Continent and the Ailen Peninsula, filling up with spices and handicrafts on the continent to sell on the peninsula.

Then, they’d load up with local specialties from the peninsula to sell back on the continent—occasionally accepting some more private cargo for transport.

There were many caravans that did this, including some with their own sea ships, capable of sailing directly from inland ports to Rodest Port.

The Yibu caravan’s owner was a fairly well-off merchant.

Though he didn’t earn shillings by the shiploads like those larger trade companies, he managed to secure a steady income through his trading ventures every year.

But since the calamity of the Black Night descended, all transport trades required extra costs.

They even had to prepare several large trunks for torches and kerosene.

Moreover, as conditions deteriorated—like workers disappearing in the dark or being robbed by outlaws springing up—caravans had to increase wages to ensure people would join the teams.

Consequently, the caravans quickly realized they needed a local guide who knew the area well.

The Yibu caravan was no exception.

Oliver was attracted to this stable and well-paid job.

He faced many competitors, but luckily, his popularity helped—he boasted “I can name over half of Belfast’s residents,” which was somewhat exaggerated as he couldn’t actually recall that many names, but he indeed had met that many people.

Navigating the lower echelons well and knowing how to interact with strangers, Oliver quickly became Yibu’s guide.

Thanks to his excellent performance on the first transport, he swiftly solidified his position.

Although Oliver regretted that he couldn’t work alongside the rising star of the Exorcist Realm, Lu Li, a stable job that could feed him and his sister and send her to school was more important.

The caravan would travel between the continent and the peninsula once every five to seven days, with the cargo often sold out in the towns along the way.

So in the nearly two months since Oliver became a guide, Jojo saw her brother only two and a half times.

That half time was when Jojo skipped class to meet him but only saw the caravan’s receding figures.

Though she couldn’t see her brother often, this was the most comfortable and relaxed time for Jojo, only occasionally taking on minor commissions out of boredom to earn some pocket money.

Oliver would have his earnings delivered by friends.

Apart from school fees and minimal living expenses, Jojo saved the rest, calculating when she could buy a brand-new two-story house in Belfast—until the bad news struck two days ago.

It was like in all the stories, when the characters cheer for the clear skies, a storm always brews on the horizon.

The caravan leader came to Jojo, demanding to know Oliver’s whereabouts.

Jojo, who last contacted her brother ten days ago, was clueless.

After asking for details, she learned the caravan had gone missing.

Jojo, certain her brother wasn’t the type to disappear, uneasily began the search for Oliver with the caravan leader.

When all of Oliver’s friends claimed they hadn’t seen him for a long while, her uneasiness thickened.

She called Lu Li for help and followed his advice to go to the Police Station.

Shadow Town Police Station began their investigation and found that no one had seen the caravan on the road; there weren’t even any tracks—they hadn’t left Shadow Town at all.

Jojo anxiously waited for news at Belfast Police Station, but as midnight arrived, the silent station suddenly bustled with activity.

They received a message that Shadow Town had lost contact fifteen minutes ago.

Jojo, who had realized Shadow Town might have been attacked by weird creatures, sought out Lu Li, but was refused, and then spent the entire night looking for her brother’s good friends.

Most of them claimed it was difficult to help, while a few told her Shadow Town had been attacked by weird creatures, just like Zainster Port had been.

After a round of investigation, Jojo gathered some rumors about Shadow Town, such as, “Countless oddly shaped shadows move in the swamp,” “Approaching Shadow Town, one would hear long, dull breathing sounds coming from underground,” or “The streets of Shadow Town are littered with dead bodies, everyone is dead!”

Lu Li knew that even if what was happening in Shadow Town wasn’t the work of the “Mother of the Marsh,” it was undoubtedly connected to her.

He pulled open a drawer, found the letter sent by the figure in the Bird Beak Mask, skimmed over the irrelevant content, and focused on one line:

[“Remember, do not step foot into Shadow Town before the mark is removed, there is a problem here.”]

What had she found there?

At the same time, this letter made Lu Li think of that version of the “door”: masquerading as Anna’s tone, luring Lu Li back to the cabin in the Swamp Forest.

He lifted his dark eyes, his gaze briefly passing over Jojo to look at Anna, who was sitting at the desk in the bedroom behind her, resting her chin on her hands and looking their way.

Anna’s mouth curved into a smile, and she waved at him.

Withdrawing his gaze, Lu Li put away the letter and turned to Jojo, “Is he still alive?”

The pale hand stroking the cup froze, and Jojo pursed her lips, looking seriously into Lu Li’s eyes, “I don’t know, but I don’t want to spend every night in anguish, thinking that my brother might still be saved, trapped somewhere, but died in despair because I didn’t go to rescue him.”

“I don’t want to live every day with the unease of self-reproach.

Even if you don’t help me, I will still go.

I have to know whether my brother is alive or dead, even if it means dying there myself.”

Is it also to avoid regret…

Lu Li met Jojo’s determined gaze and calmly said,

“Rent a carriage that can make the long journey in this weather, take whatever you think you need to bring, and come find me in two hours.”

“I’ll go prepare right now!”

Jojo stood up excitedly, the wooden chair and floor behind her making a grating sound of movement, and the cup she slammed on the desk splashed droplets of water, scalding beads fell onto the back of her hand, but Jojo didn’t care, she rushed over wanting to hug Lu Li in thanks, but for some reason, the air in front of her seemed to solidify, blocking her.

Jojo guessed what was happening, stepped back to create distance, and bowed deeply to Lu Li with all seriousness, “Thank you, Lu Li.”

This time, the gratitude she expressed was completely different from last night’s thank you to Lu Li.

“Go prepare,”

Lu Li told her.