Detective Agency of the Bizarre
Chapter 494 - 494 Thirteen

494: Thirteen.

Farewell Jimmy Siblings 494: Thirteen.

Farewell Jimmy Siblings Humanity was unable to withstand the impending destruction, just as an anthill in the backyard couldn’t scatter the approaching storm.

In the early stages of the industrial era, when medical advancements were primitive, even common ailments could have claimed Lu Li’s life.

“Will you come back?”

Though saddened by the prospect of parting just after meeting, Raimy still held onto a sliver of hope.

She had never considered leaving with her brother to follow Lu Li, he had already helped them too much, and besides, how could a monster possibly get aboard a large ship?

“Perhaps,”

Lu Li pulled open a drawer in a wooden table, extracted a parchment map wrapped in cloth, and protected it only casually from moisture, without worrying about insect damage.

In the wake of the botanical disaster, it wasn’t humans but insects that first faced annihilation.

In the usual Julys, the humid heat in Belfast could make one itch to strip bare, yet the bites of mosquitoes lurking in the grass were equally loathsome.

Now, Belfast was so cold it seemed like the coast might freeze over, and the mosquitoes that once caused annoyance had vanished without a trace.

Most common folk didn’t think this was a bad thing, just as they didn’t see a problem with the trees not growing—except farmers.

He spread out the parchment map, handed it to Raimy, and said, “Most of the elm forest is safe as long as you don’t harm it, except for Silent Hill.”

Raimy took the map, and Lu Li’s voice continued, “I didn’t get the chance to explore there, so just to be safe, be careful around that area.”

Putting away the map, Raimy seriously looked at Lu Li and said, “We will build a cabin next to the cave, keep the refuge point intact, waiting for your return.”

The experiences of the past did not seem to have eroded the siblings’ gratitude toward Lu Li.

Lu Li remained noncommittal, and after Raimy asked about his Sanity Value, he replied in silence, “Not too good.”

Lu Li began to talk about his Sanity Value.

“Didn’t you use the method I wrote about in the letter?”

“The cost is too great,” Lu Li answered.

A saying among the sailors of Rodest Port goes, “Half the men who fall into the sea will drown, the other half will die of thirst.”

The sailors used this saying to mock those inlanders who thought seawater was drinkable like any other water,

The method Raimy mentioned was no different from seawater—Lu Li could not afford the huge cost that consuming anomalies would trigger.

He was, after all, just a human.

But as his Sanity Value continued to drop, there would come a day when Lu Li couldn’t bear the cost of decreasing sanity and would go on to…

consume anomalies.

After all, the outcome couldn’t get any worse.

“I will keep an eye out for any edible anomalies,”

Lu Li said, adding it to his list of options.

He opened the cellar to show the siblings that there was enough food for Jimmy to last a while; the tools should be sufficient for them to build a small cabin.

As for obtaining wood…

The siblings who were familiar with Elm Forest knew how to avoid the dangers.

Nearing ten o’clock in the morning, Lu Li, not intending to stay any longer, left the cave.

Raimy and Jimmy followed him, and Lu Li turned to Anna, saying, “Go and say goodbye to Annie.”

Anna nodded lightly and drifted towards the lonesome, frail, withered elm.

“That’s Anna’s sister, the future guardian of Elm Forest,” Lu Li told the siblings behind him.

“We will take good care of her,” Raimy committed to memory.

In the light drizzle, the ethereal figure of Anna whispered something, picked up a stone, and left a mark as tall as herself on the body of the Annie Tree.

After farewells, Lu Li, with a carriage entrusted by the siblings to return to the carriage station, left the cliff top amidst Raimy and Jimmy’s farewell voices and the surrounding atmosphere of parting.

…

“Here is your deposit of 80 shillings, please keep it safe, sir.”

After returning the carriage rented by the siblings, Lu Li drove towards the coastal Snowflake District.

Nearing noon, Lu Li’s carriage arrived at the investigator base.

The distant Rodest Port echoed with the hustle and bustle, the sound of ship horns was incessant, as busy as if it were reliving its former glory.

The Snowflake District was equally crowded, with out-of-towners gathered in the seaside bars, on the beaches, and by the railings, not yet time for boarding.

Anna stayed in the carriage while Lu Li went alone into the repairs station and descended underground.

However, Tesla was not there, not just him, but the remaining three heads of the Belfast area were also absent from the base.

Perhaps it was too late to learn the secrets of “the door” and Richard’s whereabouts before leaving.

The nominal store manager of the Anres Brothers Repair Station, an Alliance Personnel actually named Anres, took advantage of the shop’s lull to tell Lu Li that he could contact him in case of an urgent matter.

Lu Li glanced at the time, only a few dozen minutes remaining until 12 o’clock, shook his head, and declined his help before leaving the repair station to return to the carriage.

The carriage moved on, heading towards the top of the mountain.

Lu Li sat inside the carriage, with Anna controlling it, and as time passed, the vibrations from the wheels grew more severe, pulling Lu Li out of his thoughts to lift the curtain and look outside.

Shabby wooden Long Houses stretched into the distance, the broken slate road posing the ultimate challenge for any drunkard.

By the time Lu Li remembered where this was, they had already delved deep into the slums.

Anna hoped they could get through this bumpy stretch soon to prevent Lu Li from feeling uncomfortable.

But contrary to her wishes, three figures suddenly appeared in front of the carriage, blocking the way.

“There are two strange guys blocking our path.” Anna’s voice came to his ears.

Lu Li stepped out of the carriage and looked at the two young men, each holding a stick and wearing dungarees.

“Sir, could you give us some money?” asked the naive-looking young man politely, only to be pushed aside by the brown-haired youth, “Shut up, you idiot, we want to hit——”

“How much do you want?” Lu Li asked calmly, looking at them.

“We only need——”

The naive young man was interrupted by the brown-haired youth, who tried to look ferociously intimidating, “Everything!

Hand over all the shillings you’ve got!”

As these words were spoken, the three young men suddenly felt an ominous chill envelop them.

They weren’t dressed in many layers, and they almost couldn’t help shivering in the cold.

“Impossible, I will only give you 20 shillings.”

There were no residents or passersby around the carriage to witness this bizarre attempted robbery.

“It’s all because of you, you fool.”

Mike glared at his companion, deliberately swinging the stick to make a whooshing sound for more intimidation, and said louder, “You seem to have got something wrong, we’re here to rob you, not to negotiate with you like merchants!”

“I am an investigator,” Lu Li said, noticing the confusion in the young men’s eyes, he added, “You could think of me as an exorcist.”

“Are you a cop?” Mike asked skeptically.

“No.”

“Then that’s no use!”

“But I help people stay away from strange intrusions.”

Virgil whispered into Mike’s ear, “He’s a good guy, maybe we shouldn’t be doing this…”

Mike shouldered his well-meaning but unhelpful companion aside, wanting to say something but unable to speak, he could only say resignedly, “Fine, then 20 shillings…”