Welcome, Lynch

May in Rhine City had brought the beginnings of early summer, and a warm evening breeze drifted in through the open window.

Orange flames hissed from the gas lamp's nozzles, bathing the modest dining room in bright light.

This was the shared dining room on the ground floor of 221 Villa Avenue. Though not very spacious, four people sat gathered around the dinner table, enjoying the landlady's culinary handiwork.

Everyone was in high spirits, their faces alight with relaxed smiles. It was hard to imagine that less than two hours earlier, the four of them had staged a chaotic farce.

After the initial tumult subsided, everyone had finally regained their composure and sat down under the mediation of Officer Natalie.

Once cool heads prevailed, things became much easier to handle; after all, it had only been a misunderstanding.

Through the officer's introduction, Lynch finally learned that the landlady was named Maggie Hudson. Her husband, Duncan Hudson, had passed away in an accident two years ago, leaving behind their only daughter, Martha. Since then, mother and daughter had depended on each other for survival, making a living by letting out rooms in this townhouse.

Mrs. Maggie doted deeply on Martha, the cherished crystallization of love with her late husband. Recalling how he had brandished a ring her daughter never took off right before her eyes, Lynch realized it was hardly surprising that she had jumped to conclusions.

The real problem was, did she have any idea how badly her darling daughter deserved a thrashing?

Lynch sorely wished he could tell her right then and there what her precious daughter had actually been up to today. That urge grew especially intense when he saw little Martha—who not long ago had been swindling, mugging, and smashing a clay jar over his head—now snuggled obediently in her mother's embrace like a model child.

Looking back, his earlier experience still gave him lingering chills. Neither Lynch had ever imagined that a band of children could carry out a robbery with such insidious cunning, almost catching him completely off guard twice in a row. The memory alone made his skin crawl; that kid desperately needed to be taught a lesson.

Yet, with the words on the tip of his tongue, Lynch swallowed them back down.

At present, he had no proof whatsoever besides the ring. Even if he spoke up, the landlady's doting affection for her daughter meant she might not even believe him, leaving him looking like the bad guy for nothing.

Letting the brat off scot-free was out of the question, but it could wait a couple of days. He would see what other tricks the little menace had up her sleeve, wait for the right opportunity to deliver a decisive strike, and let her experience firsthand just how ruthless and terrifying adults could be.

And so, Lynch merely spun a tale, claiming he had been asking for directions in the alley when Martha got startled and bolted, and he had accidentally snagged the ring when reaching out to catch her. Though surprised, Martha had played along immediately, allowing the matter to be swept under the rug for the time being.

As for Officer Natalie, she was indeed the “Auntie” Martha had mentioned. Having rushed over the moment she finished her report to ask if Lynch had come by to view the rooms, she had walked right into the crime scene.

Once everything was cleared up, Mrs. Maggie was so mortified she nearly fainted on the spot, her face burning hot enough to brew coffee. The moment she collected herself, she warmly urged Lynch to stay, offering to knock another ten shillings off the monthly rent to make amends.

Lynch declined the discount, however, sticking with the rent of three pounds and ten shillings a month, merely requesting to pay month-by-month instead of the customary three months upfront. After all, the woman relied on rent to make ends meet, and Lynch didn't consider himself desperate enough to kick someone when they were down.

In truth, Lynch still harbored some reservations. Even though every aspect of the place satisfied him—and the memory of that physical tussle earlier offered its own peculiar lingering charm in retrospect—he couldn't shake the feeling that Mrs. Maggie's attachment to her daughter went far beyond normal maternal care. It wasn't simple overindulgence; it was as though she constantly lived in dread that her daughter would meet a violent end.

Overprotective parents were common enough, but constantly fearing one's child might die at any moment was deeply bizarre. Lynch was certain there was a story behind it, and getting tangled up in it could easily drag him into trouble. Yet, considering he was already up to his neck in troubles of his own, a little more or less hardly mattered. More importantly, it had been recommended by Officer Natalie.

Lynch could tell that Officer Natalie genuinely wanted him to move in here.

The lady officer was practically his savior. Having just been rescued by her, made a small fortune through her help, and been introduced to a wonderful lodging, turning his back on her unvoiced plea was something Lynch simply couldn't bring himself to do.

And so, on the night of May 14, 1399, Lynch officially decided to move into the apartment at 221 Villa Avenue.

When he hired a carriage in haste and rushed back to Valley District to haul all his worldly possessions to his new home, he was surprised to find that Mrs. Maggie had already prepared dinner. Three ladies—two adults and one child—sat by the table, chatting and laughing while waiting for his return to take his place.

He suddenly felt immensely fortunate about his decision to move here. The drifting, anxious soul that had felt like floating duckweed ever since transmigrating seemed to find a reason to take root in this world at this very moment. It was a simple wait, yet it instilled in him a profound sense of belonging.

At least someone is waiting for me. At least someone accepts me. Travel Companion, what do you say we make this place the first stop on our journey?

【This is your journey, Awakened. I will witness your every decision.】

‘I know. That's why I didn't ask whether it was allowed; I asked what you thought of it.’

Silence lingered in his mind, until a gentle voice finally echoed after a long pause.

【Very well.】

‘Thanks, Travel Companion.’ Lynch clutched the pendant against his chest. ‘From this moment on, then, I belong to this world. I am Lynch Levive.’

【Then welcome... Lynch.】

Dumping his luggage on the porch, Lynch let out a cheer and eagerly took his seat, giving the three ladies quite a start. They soon chuckled in amused bewilderment, unable to fathom what had made him so cheerful and guessing he must have been half-starved.

Set before him was a generous plate of cream stew, two strips of fried bacon, and a thick slice of white bread. It was hardly a lavish feast, yet compared to the rock-hard bread from noon, it tasted like an earthly delicacy.

The rich, aromatic cream, the tender and velvety potatoes, and the soft chickpeas simmered together into a thick, savory stew that melted in the mouth. Yet the vegetable greens floating on top remained crisp, offering a refreshing crunch that lingered on the palate. Immersed in the same rich cream broth, a single flavor brought two distinct textures, making it impossible to set down his spoon.

Taking a hearty spoonful of the thick broth, he followed it with a bite of bacon, letting the crisp, savory meat fill his mouth, then seized the moment to tear into the bread, swallowing the blended flavors all at once. None of it was high-end fare, yet every bite was brimming with the taste of real life.

Having finished his first thoroughly satisfying meal since transmigrating, Lynch exhaled a blissful sigh. Looking at the three ladies before him, he gave a conspiratorial wink, held a finger to his lips in a shushing gesture, and crept over to his luggage. He slipped back clutching a bottle of red wine and set it down before Officer Natalie.

Curious, the lady officer picked it up for a look, her expression promptly turning solemn.

It lacked a standard commercial label—which, in the world of red wine, was a label in its own right, signifying the wine's true pedigree. Wines like this were typically... Deftly inspecting the bottle's neck, the lady suddenly let out a shriek.

“A ten-year vintage from Wiska Winery?! You couldn't buy this high-end stuff even for a pound a bottle! Lynch, where on earth did you get this? Such fine wine—w-w-w-what do you mean by bringing it out?! Put it away, quick!”

Indeed, high-end stuff. This was the fine wine the body's previous owner had ordered from Lattis Kitchen right before his death the previous night—a bottle of Wiska wine worth one pound.

It wasn't some legendary vintage, seeing as it could be ordered from a restaurant, but it was certainly quite costly.

When moving his things earlier, Lynch had taken a detour to Lattis Kitchen intending to resell the bottle on the spot. After all, he had no personal passion for red wine, and a cold, hard pound in cash would have been far more practical. But once he had the bottle in hand, a thought struck him.

The previous night, while suppressing the out-of-control relic, Officer Natalie had mentioned twice that she would buy him a drink if he survived. Combined with her practiced motions at the Scarecrow Club earlier today, she clearly had a special fondness for alcohol.

Though Lynch was pinched for cash and knew he would likely have to pinch pennies for quite some time, he wasn't so stingy as to begrudge a friend. After a brief hesitation, he had stowed the bottle into his suitcase and brought it along as a surprise for the lady officer.

His guess had hit the mark. With that shriek, Officer Natalie had lapsed into incoherence. Mrs. Maggie, ever considerate, grasped Lynch's intentions the moment she caught his expression. She took the initiative to fetch a corkscrew and wine glasses, uncorking the wine right then and there.

Offering someone an unopened bottle of such valuable wine might make them hesitate to accept, but once it was unsealed for everyone to share, there was no harm in drinking together. After having a few glasses, letting her take whatever was left would be impossible for any normal person to refuse.

Watching her, Lynch couldn't help but mentally give Mrs. Maggie a thumbs-up. This was the graceful tact of a mature woman; he knew he had a long way to go to match it.

Sure enough, Officer Natalie proved utterly defenseless, downing several glasses in a row. It wasn't until the clock struck ten and the landlady and her daughter needed to rest that the dinner party came to a regretful end. Mrs. Maggie took Martha to clear away the dishes and prepare for bed, while Officer Natalie followed Lynch up to his new quarters on the second floor.

“Thanks for today.” Turning on the gas lamp, the lady officer naturally took a seat on the sitting room sofa. “You noticed that I wanted you to live here?”

“I genuinely like the place, too, and the value is certainly right—well worth paying a little extra. So, what exactly is going on with them?”

The lady officer sighed and explained, “It was two years ago, right after my father passed away. I took over his responsibilities to become a new Watcher. The Duncan Hudson family was the very first group of mystery contactees I tried to save.”

Lynch nodded, sitting down across from her.

“Regrettably, Duncan's ties to mystery were too deep in the end, and he didn't survive. But Maggie and Martha pulled through.”

“That's still something. Half a success.”

“The world of mystery is never so gentle. Once a connection to mystery is forged, there is no escaping it. Mystery is like a nightmare that lingers forever at one's side, often knocking on the door when least expected, forcing victims to face a bizarre death all over again. There is no cure for it. Every survivor of a mystery incident essentially lives under the shadow of mystery, spending the rest of their days in dread.”

Only now did Lynch understand the true meaning behind what Linda, the bartender at the club, had said. It seemed that if he weren't already forced to become a Soul Severer just to stay alive, he too would have been trapped in such a predicament, constantly on guard against mystery catching up to him.

“That's why recommending this place to you wasn't entirely selfless. I wouldn't introduce ordinary people to live here—that would be hurting them. But you don't have those concerns. I was hoping you could look after the two of them for me while you're here. Given your adaptability, I believe living under the same roof would allow you to keep them safe.”

“I'll do my best, don't worry. But is that why Mrs. Maggie is so overly protective of Martha?”

“Yes. The influence of mystery on Martha back then was no lighter than what her father endured; she was simply lucky enough not to die. As a result, she is far more vulnerable to mystery's intrusions than Maggie is. That's why Maggie is always on edge, terrified that mystery will snatch Martha away from her. Today was the same story—please don't take it to heart.”

“I'm afraid today might not have been mere paranoia,” Lynch sighed. “My inspiration sensed a residue of mystery on her ring, though it wasn't noticeable on her person. That's her father's relic, isn't it? Could it have lingered from two years ago?”

“Impossible. No residue could last two years.” Officer Natalie's face grew grim. “That means she came into contact with mystery recently.”

“Could she be in danger?”

“Hard to say. I'll find an opportunity to question her first.”

“Right. I'll find a chance to ask around over the next couple of days as well.”

“You'd better resolve your own problems first,” Natalie said, glaring at him. “I've already finished my report. If you don't make it through, all that paperwork will have been for nothing.”

“Right. Tomorrow, I'll visit several churches to get a feel for things. I'll be back every evening, so if you need me and can't track me down, just leave a message here.”

“If you need me, come to the club. I'm usually there.”

Natalie stood up, donned her hat, picked up her rapier, and wagged a finger at Lynch. “Best of luck, Lynch. I hope everything goes smoothly tomorrow. See you next time.”

Lynch didn't rise, merely waving his hand to see the lady officer out. Leaning back on the sofa in his new home, he gazed at the hazy red moon outside the window, drifting into deep thought before finally snapping back to reality.

Phew. He had finally gained a foothold in this new world and could live like a normal person.

Not bad. He had successfully survived his first day and obtained everything he needed.

Starting tomorrow, he would have to fight for his life.

Tomorrow, he would visit several churches to try his luck and hope for a good outcome. He also needed to learn more about the mystery and the transcendent in this world. What do you think—can we succeed?

【Anything is possible.】

‘Heh, that hardly sounds like the kind of response a system would give.’

Not expecting a reply, Lynch rose, turned off the gas lamp, and walked into his new bedroom. Drawing back the curtains, he gave a wave to the red moon overhead.

‘Good night, Travel Companion. We continue our new journey tomorrow.’

High above, the red moon hung suspended, as it always had.

Its moonlight was hazy and shrouded in mystery.