Detective Agency of the Bizarre
Chapter 715 - 715 234

715: 234.

The Time of Silence Has Come 715: 234.

The Time of Silence Has Come The Time of Silence is coming soon.

Even when you turn on the radio, you can hear the intermittent warning broadcasts from Himfast.

However, Seaview Cliff is already prepared for everything.

…

Himfast is already prepared for everything.

The noise and clamor everywhere in the last few days have subsided a lot, thanks to the relentless warnings from City Hall.

Everyone knows the third disaster is about to arrive.

When the church bells ring, remain silent.

In these past few days, Himfast has seen some outsiders different from those seeking refuge.

They come from the Main Affinity Continent, ordered by the City Lord or City Hall to experience the dangers of the Time of Silence, and then report back to their own cities untouched by it.

“Two days ago, the eastern city was attacked.

The situation isn’t good, because…

apart from the Time of Silence, we must also guard against other supernatural attacks—”

Under the wooden walls at the edge of Himfast, city officials walked quickly with messengers from other cities, their conversations dissipating in the wind.

Selcio carried the last bag of sand, stacking it to secure the wooden wall.

A city official holding a notebook stepped forward for inspection, Selcio steadied his breathing, bowed his head, and returned to the other workers.

“Did you see that?

That’s the wall we built.”

Some workers proudly pointed to the stretching wooden wall.

Selcio envied the young worker who could still smile.

Without work, what are they going to do next?

He took up the water bottle, drinking half of it, then dampened the towel on his shoulder to wipe his body simply.

Soon he needed to put on clothes, and if they got too dirty, he’d be nagged by his wife once back home.

A worker he knew from building the wooden wall approached and asked Selcio what he planned to do next.

He fled from Watch Town.

Compared to locals like Selcio, losing work made them even more anxious.

“I’m going to the port,” Selcio said.

After wiping with the towel, a chill rushed in, and he put on a vest, then layered it with an outer garment.

The worker shouted with a look of disbelief: “Are you crazy!?

Dealing with those monster-like fish!”

Many workers looked over at the shout.

“No work, no food,” Selcio’s face was hard as if carved.

After lining up for his pay, Selcio first returned home to fetch a wooden basin, crossing the city to the port’s recruitment office set up in the west district to sign up.

They were always hiring there, and they told Selcio he could start tomorrow; if he arrived by six in the morning, he could catch a cart.

After leaving the recruitment office, Selcio went into the fish market filled with a fishy smell and spent all his newly earned money on fish paste.

As wheat became increasingly scarce, the black bread that used to be a staple for the lower class began to be unaffordable even for the middle class.

Its appearance wasn’t appealing, various fish were crushed and mixed together, so crushed that even the fish bones couldn’t be picked out, along with those rumored fishes with limbs or mouths—precious fish would be chosen to be canned and sold or sold to the nobles.

But the taste was surprisingly good and cheap enough.

A day’s wages could buy a whole pound, and this was, after all, meat.

If the fishy smell was too strong, one could mix it with mashed potatoes; the method was simple, even without a pot.

Just press the fish paste cakes into shape and place them on a hot stove, and soon they’d be crispy and golden, exuding an enticing aroma of fish and potatoes.

It’s said fish paste cakes had become the most popular food in Himfast.

The fish vendor took the money, and with a scoop that could hold exactly a pound, he ladled the fish paste, releasing a strong fishy odor into the wooden basin Selcio held, and then shook it to throw off any fish paste stuck to it.

It was getting dark.

Selcio withdrew his gaze from the sky and returned home with the basin.

“Why did you buy so much again…” Holding a sleeping child, his wife came out from the inner room and said.

“You should eat some meat to nourish yourself,” Selcio said, placing the wooden tub in the kitchen and covering it with a lid.

They didn’t have a cat with a taste for it, but the smell would attract rats to steal food.

“Little Gray is already eight months old…” his wife complained helplessly, “There were still two pieces left uneaten yesterday…

Tomorrow, why don’t you buy some fish?

We can make dried fish.”

Selcio shook his head and said, “The work on the walls is done; tomorrow I have to go work at the port.”

His wife’s face went somewhat pale: “Isn’t it very—”

“Don’t listen to those women’s gossip, the port isn’t dangerous,” Selcio interrupted her worry.

“A few days ago, I watched at the west city gate, and the number of people going and returning was always the same.”

No wonder her husband returned late a few days ago…

The wife thought, no longer persuading, only telling Selcio to be safe.

The streetlights outside the alleys began to light, and the wife handed the child to her husband, then went into the kitchen to prepare dinner.

Half an hour later, the couple sat at a simple dining table, talking about what happened today.

Mainly it was the wife talking.

For example, Aunt Maria next door improved the fish paste cake, mixing in some dry leaf fragments to make it taste better.

For instance, Locke fought with his parents again, this time because Locke wanted to be a sailor.

For instance, Mrs.

Stacey was pregnant, yet for some reason, her husband was very angry and even hit her…

Selcio listened quietly, occasionally taking a bite of the fish paste cake.

This serene tranquility lasted for a few minutes, suddenly shattered by the distant ringing of bells.

“What’s going on…” the wife, who was telling the story of Lady Fenna, frowned and looked out the window, not yet reacting.

But then the bells sounded from another direction, followed by a third and a fourth, chaotic and urgent church bells echoing over Himfast.

The baby in her arms awoke, crying loudly.

“A new disaster is coming.” Selcio, who suddenly stood up, knocked over a wooden chair and told his wife, “Make Little Gray keep quiet.”

The startled wife hurried to soothe the baby, but he cried loudly: “He’s scared!”

As the words fell, the church bells on the street suddenly stopped ringing, leaving only the lingering sound echoing.

Selcio realized what this implied, hurriedly making a funny face at his crying son—every time he did this, it stopped Little Gray’s cries.

It worked again.

Little Gray’s crying halted, and he opened his curious big eyes, watching that ever-changing face.

Holding the child, his wife’s eyes were filled with fear, while the father opposite silently made various funny faces.

In the quiet little room, this scene was eerie yet warm.

“Giggling—”

Suddenly, Little Gray was amused and let out giggles.

Fear climbed up Selcio’s spine.

In his bloodshot eyes, suddenly wide open, was reflected his wife holding an empty swaddle.

“My child—”

The scream was abruptly cut off, leaving only an empty chair across the table, as if no one had ever been there.

The funny face Selcio made froze, his body motionless, tears streaming down his face.

The last bell faded into the night sky.

The entire city fell into a dead silence, without chaos and without turmoil.

Because death and fear spread silently.