Detective Agency of the Bizarre
Chapter 862 - 55. The Conspiracy of Birth

Chapter 862: 55. The Conspiracy of Birth

The professors exchanged puzzled glances, their expressions shifting from confusion to contemplation as they reflected on their experiences in the Spinning City migration.

They realized something.

"Is he the descendant of the Exorcist?" Professor Tesmi adjusted his monocle, attempting to see more clearly.

Professor Nuno Alexandrovich gently shook his head.

"No, it’s him himself."

The room plunged into silence, leaving Professor Leon and Professor Tesmi speechless with shock.

Only the other two professors remained confused.

"Nuno, I didn’t know you liked riddles so much," Professor Daisy Schmitz remarked impatiently.

"It’s a story about an Exorcist from the Old Era," Professor Nuno Alexandrovich explained as he recounted Lu Li’s tale.

"Legendary..."

Professor Daisy Schmitz seemed lost in thought.

"Nuno, are you sure you haven’t mistaken him?" Professor Caesar frowned and asked.

"I could never be mistaken," Professor Nuno Alexandrovich assured, glancing at Professor Leon and Professor Tesmi, "Besides, both Leon and Tesmi also recognized His Excellency Lulian."

Professor Leon and Professor Tesmi found themselves, like Professor Nuno Alexandrovich earlier, caught up in their memories and emotions.

"How did you find this... Mr. Lu Li?"

Professor Caesar was deeply skeptical.

"They found me," Professor Nuno Alexandrovich spoke of how Lu Li and Katerina came from Tang Ge Town.

Professor Caesar scrutinized Lu Li, "How did you get here so soon after the Light Thief left?"

"Cursed Title, the lighthouse," Katerina suddenly spoke, proudly lifting her head: "That’s the Cursed Title His Excellency received on the way, granted by the Emerald Dream."

Katerina understood this situation, much like when she sold goods to Old Pete, who would then seek flaws to lower prices. This Professor Caesar was also trying to "lower the price," so she had to do the opposite: raise it.

As her words ended, the elders in the room envisioned the description of the Cursed Title.

"Emerald Dream..." Professor Caesar murmured, his doubts easing somewhat. "But we still can’t fully trust you two. Mr. Lu Li is pure human, correct? We will be confirming his identity."

"How long will it take?"

Katerina felt everything turning bad once more—

She disliked waiting, as for Katerina, who had never been lucky, waiting often meant misfortune.

This made Katerina accustomed to inferring outcomes by the worst result.

"It won’t be too troublesome, as long as Mr. Lu Li remains human and hasn’t been tainted into becoming an Alien, and answers a few questions," Professor Caesar explained.

"And what if he’s not?" Katerina asked.

"It might be more troublesome... but once Mr. Lu Li’s identity is confirmed, whether he is an Alien or not won’t matter," Professor Caesar replied.

Professor Nuno Alexandrovich suddenly said, "I’ve already given them the peas."

The two golden peas that reveal truth.

"You..." Professor Caesar was about to reprimand him but recalled something and softened his tone, "You’re too hasty, Nuno. Don’t be so rash next time."

"There won’t be another time..." Professor Nuno Alexandrovich chuckled bitterly, gently rubbing his right arm, looking at Lu Li, "We believe in your identity, but we still need to have it confirmed, for Midnight City."

"Alright."

Lu Li understood this caution. Carelessness would have prevented humanity from reaching today or rebuilding civilization.

"I want to ask something," Lu Li said.

"If we know," Professor Caesar replied.

"About the Shadow of the Evil Spirit Girl."

The four professors pondered and shook their heads, telling Lu Li they had never heard of the Shadow of the Maiden.

Lu Li, lowering his black eyes slightly, asked about merchants. The professors initially thought Lu Li was referring to ordinary merchants or the Earth Dwellers’ Guild. Upon learning more, Professor Caesar informed him, "The Earth Dwellers’ Guild originated underground, with a mysterious background. If you wish to approach the described ’merchant,’ perhaps you might find some clues there."

"Tracking the Shadow of the Maiden is important to me," Lu Li said.

"Leave it to us!" The fiery-tempered Professor Leon snapped out of his reminiscing and eagerly replied.

Before his identity was confirmed, Lu Li needed to stay at Kleinse University.

Professor Tesmi stayed behind to care for Professor Nuno Alexandrovich, while Professor Caesar led Lu Li and Katerina to the conference room; Professor Leon and Daisy Schmitz took the news to the giant tree.

"Nuno is too old, wishing to witness hope being born," Professor Caesar quietly shared as they walked the corridor.

Dim light from one side’s window extended into the corridor, a towering giant tree standing in the distance. Lu Li and Professor Caesar walked side by side, with Katerina trailing behind, gazing outside towards the giant tree.

"Haven’t you already established Midnight City?" Lu Li inquired.

"That’s not human hope, or rather, it was once hope..." Professor Caesar shook his head. "Nuno is a doctrinal adherent; he’s more like those at Vena Ice-Free Port. He wishes to restore past glory and not merge with the bizarre, becoming this incongruous form."

The term "incongruous" indicated Professor Caesar’s endorsement of Professor Nuno Alexandrovich’s views.

This wasn’t the first time Lu Li had heard about the differences between Vena Ice-Free Port and towns in the Barren Lands. According to Professor Caesar, the Main Affinity Continent aimed to return to the Old Era’s trajectory, with the bizarre serving as a tool rather than core. The Barren Lands had opposing ideas, believing the bizarre is part of the future, a trend in civilization development—

This amounted to doctrinal versus revisionist divisions.

"Is there severe division?"

"Not really. Both sides just see things differently, after all, we have a common enemy."

Upon turning into the corridor outside the conference room, reaching the end, Professor Caesar pushed open the conference room door.

Two figures who had recently arrived were waiting in the conference room.

"Your Excellency Lu Li, welcome back," a conservatively dressed middle-aged man warmly greeted Lu Li.

"Dean Lawrence," Professor Caesar frowned, identifying him, and looked at Professor Daisy Schmitz beside him, "What are you doing here? Where’s Professor Leon?"

"We split up; Professor Leon went under the tree," Professor Daisy Schmitz smiled, "I called the dean over."

The Dean Lawrence beside her introduced himself to Lu Li, "Your Excellency Lu Li, I am Vladimir Lawrence, dean of Klein Manifested University."

"Why did you bring the dean here? We haven’t confirmed Mr. Lu Li’s identity," Professor Caesar asked, casting a wary glance at Professor Daisy Schmitz.

"Nuno, Leon, and Tesmi all recognized him; how could it be fake?" Professor Daisy Schmitz shook her head.

Professor Caesar remained vigilant.

"What do you intend to do?"