When Lynch returned to the first floor via the spiral staircase, he had an envelope in his hand and a stack of small paper notes, which the people of Lande jokingly called Elizabeths, in his pocket.
They were rectangular papers with intricate blue-grey patterns, featuring the elegant and noble portrait of Queen Elizabeth III of Lande, who reigned a century ago and was the first to replace gold and silver coins with paper currency.
Each note was one Lande pound, and ten notes stacked together made a thick, heavy wad in his hand.
While no one was on the stairs, he secretly counted them again, then took a deep whiff. A foul smell of money rushed to his head, yet Lynch felt invigorated.
After a night of anxiety, he could finally stand tall like a normal person. In this foreign world, nothing was more comforting than having money in his pocket for food.
One Lande pound had the purchasing power of 1,200 to 1,500 units of his hometown's currency, so ten Lande pounds was a substantial sum. The Watchers had truly helped him out of a dire situation today.
Currently, rent and various expenses amounted to three Lande pounds a month. If he were to move, even if he was lucky enough to find a two-Lande-pound apartment, the first three months' rent would still be six Lande pounds. Without selling his ring, he might not even be able to afford the move.
But now, with the artifact ring that started fires in hand and a stepping stone for survival secured, not only had the six Lande pounds and fifteen shillings for the goods been recovered, but he had also earned a considerable profit.
What a bountiful harvest after a night of hard work!
Looking at it this way, becoming a private investigator for mystery cases in the future didn't seem bad; at least he could comfortably support himself. Although such good fortune wouldn't be the norm, it was at least a viable path.
He could give it a try. That settled it.
Due to the need to rewrite the report and self-reflect, Officer Natalie's plan to take Lynch out had to be shelved. However, she still wrote down the address for Lynch.
221 Villa Avenue, Crown District.
Apparently, a friend of the officer lived there, renting out a four-story detached apartment at a relatively cheap price. Knowing Lynch wanted to move, she suggested he check it out. For this, the officer even specially wrote him a letter of introduction; if he liked the place and gave it to the landlord, he might even get a discount.
Lynch actually didn't really want to go, because the Crown District didn't meet his expectations.
The Crown District wasn't far from the city center, the Crown District, so it wasn't remote, but it was part of the old town, just a step away from the slums. Its facilities were old and the environment dirty, theoretically unsuitable for a business location.
But precisely because of this, the rent there was relatively cheap.
This one reason was enough to outweigh all the shortcomings. Besides, suitability couldn't be determined solely by theory; it was best to confirm after an on-site inspection. He decided to go and see first.
After agreeing with Officer Natalie to notify her of his new address by letter once he moved, Lynch, having made up his mind, walked out of the peculiar club. Just before he exited, a wave of cheers suddenly erupted from the bar behind him, indicating the result of another gamble.
He looked back to see the bearded man, Truen, jumping onto a chair, twisting his waist as he poured a bottle into his mouth. The surrounding crowd angrily threw away their paper slips.
He must have won a lot of money and gotten carried away. But halfway through, he happened to see Lynch, who was about to leave, point to his boots. Immediately, he sprayed all the liquor out of his nose, his legs gave out, and he fell straight off the chair.
I didn't do anything.
Lynch took off his top hat, saluted Linda, the bartender, from afar, and turned to leave amidst the chaos.
To save money on the way here, he had walked a full five kilometers. Now, to reward himself, Lynch decided to experience an open-top hired carriage from this other world.
However, at four in the afternoon, Rhine City was experiencing its daily rush hour.
The streets were congested, with people, horses, and carriages mixed together, forming an impenetrable mass. The neighing of horses, shouts, and curses merged into a cacophony, making everyone irritable.
This made Lynch sigh, realizing that road rage had existed since that era.
At this time, a small open-top carriage was very convenient; not only could it weave through traffic, but when encountering completely blocked roads, it could easily slip through small alleys.
Lynch was very satisfied with this, until the carriage plunged into a completely blocked alley.
According to the driver, this route used to be open; he had used it just yesterday. But today, for some unknown reason, a lot of rubble and broken stones were piled up, making the alley completely impassable for carriages.
Fortunately, the destination was not far. According to the driver's description, if he followed a few inner alleys and walked through a large area of old buildings, he could reach his destination within ten minutes.
Lynch thought for a moment, then agreed to the driver's suggestion, throwing down three pennies before walking away.
The narrow alley was only wide enough for one carriage. People in the windows on both sides cast wary glances; residents of the old town were always so cautious towards outsiders.
As he went deeper, the sounds of carriages, horses, and people from outside gradually faded, and the surroundings grew quieter.
Just then, a cry came from deeper within the alley.
The voice was somewhat childish, like a child's wail, and it sounded quite miserable.
A sudden cry in an empty alley was indeed a bit eerie. Lynch frowned. He wasn't one to meddle, but the sound was coming from his direction, so he couldn't very well detour. Moreover, if it were just an ordinary cry or even a call for help, he might consider a detour, but a child's wail, especially such a pitiful one, was different.
It was on his way, so he might as well check it out.
After a moment of hesitation, his heart softened. He placed 'The Passion of the Blazing Lady' where it was easiest to access, and, brandishing his cane as a weapon, walked towards the source of the sound.
Travel Companion, talk to me. I'm feeling a bit uneasy.
The Witness completely ignored him.
Is there any mystery reaction?
【None.】
If there's none, why am I feeling panic and suppression?
【Your psychological tolerance for unexpected scenery during your journey is relatively low.】
Is that a roundabout way of calling me timid?
Silence.
Lynch felt like he was being looked down upon, but he was no longer afraid. After all, it was still broad daylight, someone was talking in his ear, and most importantly, as he got closer, the cries became clearer.
It wasn't just one; a group of childish voices, shouting and crying.
It seemed it wasn't some terrible tragedy after all. Driven by curiosity, Lynch quickened his pace. After two or three minutes, he found a small open space of a few square meters beside the alley.
Seven or eight children, boys and girls, all around ten years old. They weren't exactly ragged, but their clothes were overly simple. Their bodies were thin, their faces dirty, and they were pushing and mocking a blonde little girl.
The cries were coming from the girl. She was also around ten years old, but her clothes were normal, much better than the other children's. She must have been pushed down several times, her body was filthy, and having just been pushed down again, she had fallen into a pile of debris and was sobbing loudly, clutching her head.
Lynch shook his head, thinking something serious had happened because of the miserable crying. It turned out to be just a children's fight.
He sighed, about to turn and leave, when he suddenly heard the little girl say something. Then, one of the bullies picked up a branch from the roadside, swung it, and hit her. The other children followed suit, starting to search for branches in the corner.
“Hey, what are you kids doing?”
Lynch couldn't watch any longer. This had gone beyond mere bullying.
The children looked back, saw someone approaching, immediately dropped their branches and junk, and scattered.
“Are you alright?”
Having reached this point, Lynch couldn't just walk away. He simply walked over, knelt in front of the girl, and asked gently,
“Are you hurt?”
The girl sniffled and shook her head, wiping her tears as she looked up.
Lynch was startled. The child had blonde hair and blue eyes, fair skin, and was as delicate and beautiful as a doll, quite stunning.
“Why were they bullying you?”
“I don’t know,” the girl’s voice was also pleasant, as clear as a spring. “I don’t even know them. They just saw me and came over to hit me.”
That sounds like a lunatic.
Lynch looked at the girl's clear blue eyes, a little amused. Her eyes were bright and clear, but Lynch happened to see something's reflection flash in them, right behind him.
As he realized this, Lynch instinctively swayed to the side.
Then he felt a gust of wind behind him, and a large sack descended from above, hitting his shoulder.
If he hadn't dodged, he would have been caught inside.
Lynch abruptly stood up, raised his cane, and turned around, only to see two of the children from the group, carrying sacks, silently appear behind him. They looked surprised, then shouted, dropped their sacks, and ran away.
Lynch chased them for a few steps, but found them as nimble as mice, disappearing into the alley in an instant. He could only wave his cane and return to the little girl.
“These little brats, if I catch them, I’ll give them a good beating.”
Thinking that he had almost been caught in a sack by a few children, Lynch felt his anger flare. Fortunately, he had noticed in time, otherwise, with ten Lande pounds of cash on him, if the money were lost, he would cry without tears.
“You don’t know these little brats either? Never mind, don’t be scared, get up. Where do you live? I’ll take you home.”
Lynch extended his hand to the girl. The girl obediently took his hand and stood up. Just as she was about to speak, she suddenly looked at Lynch’s back, her face turning terrified.
They didn’t come back again, did they?
Lynch quickly turned around, but halfway through, he suddenly realized something.
When he was almost caught in the sack earlier, this girl hadn't warned him at all, so why was she suddenly acting terrified now?
A trap!
Lynch’s hair stood on end. He instinctively covered his head and darted forward. After only two steps, he felt a pain in his back, followed by a crash as something shattered against it.
He narrowly avoided it hitting his head.
Lynch stumbled a few steps, turned around, and saw the little girl holding half a clay pot, looking at him with a shocked expression.
“Y-y-y-you… how did you dodge that?”
“I’m so sorry, should I not have dodged?” Lynch’s face darkened, and he gnashed his teeth with a sinister smile. “It seems there’s one more brat who needs a beating.”
With that, he raised his cane and charged at her.
“Ahhh!”
The little girl turned and ran. Lynch grabbed her by the back of her collar, but she struggled desperately and escaped, with a clatter as something metallic fell to the ground.
Then, several children emerged from a fork in the alley, throwing garbage and miscellaneous items at Lynch. Taking advantage of Lynch’s dodge, they pulled the little girl into the fork in the path and disappeared in an instant.
These little rascals.
Lynch had figured it out.
These little rascals were habitual robbers.
The rubble and broken stones at the mouth of the alley outside were probably put there by them, just to trick passersby into walking through, then exploiting people's low guard against children to use sacks and rob them.
Lynch had twice escaped their attacks by sheer luck. If he had been a little careless, those ten Lande pounds would probably be gone, and he'd have nothing to show for it.
It seems the Crown District has truly taught me a lesson. Even the children in the old town can't be trusted.
Fortunately, the overall public safety of the city is good, and the children weren't carrying lethal weapons, otherwise, I might have lost my life.
This world is truly too dark. Even things unrelated to mystery are so dangerous.
Lynch thought, sighing with a bitter smile. He walked over to the object that had been pulled off the little girl's neck and picked it up.
A ring. It must have been strung on a rope around the little girl's neck, and the rope had broken.
The moment he picked it up, the Travel Companion’s voice suddenly echoed in his mind.
【Mysterious filth clings to it.】
Rate on N.U.
