From Norin

So, this world had a wilderness too.

Although it sounded silly, this was truly how Lynch felt.

Not only after transmigrating, but even the original owner of this body had barely ever left Rhine City. The furthest he had ever gone was during his secondary school archaeology internship, when he accompanied his classmates to investigate the Fourth Age architectural ruins on the outskirts of the city.

It felt quite similar to going on an elementary school spring trip to an ancient royal garden back in his previous life.

Thus, this was his very first time leaving the city.

Leaving Rhine City from the northern suburbs led to a vast expanse of rolling hills and barley fields, stretching as far as the eye could see. Further north lay the famous Carlos Mountain Range. To the northeast was Bester Mountain, while to the northwest lay the main ridge of the Carlos Mountain Range, stretching for thousands of kilometers.

A long convoy was currently traveling along a winding country path, winding through the undulating Carlos Hills.

The countryside experience was indeed very novel to Lynch. If he weren't maintaining his image as a Swelling Daughter, he might have already started leaping around in excitement. Forced by the circumstances, however, he could only look around with reserved elegance.

Unlike the heavy, solemn, and grand carriages in the city, the convoy consisted of caravans suitable for wilderness travel. The carriages were spacious, making them perfect for carrying both people and cargo.

At the very least, all seven members of the external group could squeeze into a single carriage.

The canopy had actually been removed, offering a wider view. Under the glow of the setting sun, an endless green field surrounded them. From time to time, farmers returning late in the evening would pass by in their carts, tipping their hats to the convoy. In the distant villages, curls of smoke rose from chimneys, and the faint sounds of crowing roosters and barking dogs drifted into the air.

The carriages behind carried over thirty robust laborers along with a large amount of supplies. They were all workers for the Norin-Rhine Railway project. Yes, they were all paid for by the project's budget, which gave Lynch a deeper understanding of how His Honor the Mayor had acquired his wealth.

The atmosphere felt very much like the start of a grand journey. An energetic Karl Jones, wearing a round-brimmed hat and sturdy overalls, stood at the very front of the carriage, singing loudly toward the setting sun. Lynch found the song quite pleasant, though the melody was rather unfamiliar. It didn't seem to have spread to Rhine City, so it was likely a popular tune from Norin.

Dr. Jenna was not far to his side, resting her chin on her hand as she watched the man's courtship-like performance. A meaningful smile played on her lips, and she occasionally hummed along. A black notebook was spread across her knees, and she would occasionally jot down a few words by the light of the setting sun and lanterns.

Lynch sat right next to Dr. Jenna. Over the past two days, though he had maintained his reserved and mysterious demeanor, he had gotten along reasonably well with the other six. This was especially true with Dr. Jenna. Perhaps because they were both “ladies,” and she wasn't dazed and crazed like Judy, Dr. Jenna was quite friendly toward Lynch. She would chat with him from time to time, occasionally badmouthing their teammate—specifically, the big-nosed Jack Adams. Since the two of them sat right next to each other during the journey, conversing was even more convenient.

On Lynch's other side, Judy huddled silently in the corner, her gaze as blank as a doll's. It was hard to imagine that another will was sleeping within her mind. On the opposite bench, the cautious Rooney and the bearded Jack Adams each held a tin flask, occasionally drinking together. Meanwhile, the fraud Salin remained as taciturn as ever, huddled at the back of the carriage playing with a deck of cards, showing no intention of joining any conversation.

For a moment, the evening breeze brushed against their faces, carrying a fresh fragrance. The atmosphere was surprisingly harmonious and pleasant, not at all resembling a dangerous secret mission, let alone a group of teammates who each harbored their own hidden agendas.

Actually, it did.

Dr. Jenna beside him let out a soft “Huh?” and then lowered her head, focusing intently on the black notebook on her lap. Her quiet voice went unnoticed by the others over the singing, but Lynch heard it and instinctively glanced over.

However, Dr. Jenna's angle was very clever, perfectly preventing Lynch from seeing the contents of the notebook. He could only vaguely sense that a few lines of text had appeared on it, but unless he craned his neck, there was no way to read them.

【Rick's Carbon Paper】

A mystery relic for instant communication across long distances.

Did the faction behind her send a message?

Yet Lynch immediately noticed that Dr. Jenna looked quite puzzled as she stared at the text. She then rapidly scribbled a few words on it, seemingly in a casual manner. Shortly after, her brow furrowed slightly. After a moment of hesitation, she pulled out a piece of paper and copied a string of text onto it.

“Everyone, we still have at least two hours ahead of us, and we have nothing better to do. Why don't we try to crack a puzzle?”

Dr. Jenna held up the slip of paper she had just written on:

“This is a set of codes I accidentally came across in the past. I've never been able to crack it. Why don't you all help me think about it on the way?”

What a convincing act. If I hadn't witnessed the entire process just now, I might have actually believed her.

Lynch was somewhat puzzled by this. However, after a quick analysis, he realized it must be a message sent by the faction behind her, instructing her to make the note public. She clearly didn't understand their purpose, but she complied anyway.

What kind of code is this, sent right as the team sets off? It's as if they're terrified their own people won't be exposed.

If this were a spy drama, you guys definitely wouldn't survive past the opening theme song.

Who exactly is this code meant for? Let's see which poor fool is that unlucky. Dammit, woman, couldn't you copy six versions and hand one to each of us? Do you have to copy just one copy to tease everyone?

Yet even though his curiosity was killing him, Lynch still had to maintain his persona. He merely cast a faint glance at the slip of paper next to him and watched as the energetic Karl Jones snatched it away.

“What is this?” Karl scratched his head through his hat. “It's impossible to crack this kind of code normally, right?”

“Let me see.” Rooney, the professional ancient book broker, took the paper, glanced at it, and shook his head. “Indeed, this thing is impossible to decipher without a codebook. Doctor, surely you wouldn't make such a rookie mistake?”

As he spoke, he passed the paper along.

“No, it definitely can be deciphered without a codebook. I just haven't found the method yet.”

Dr. Jenna maintained a perfectly serious expression, showing no sign that she was completely in the dark herself. She gestured for the men to copy it themselves, and then she copied two more. She handed one to Lynch just before he could mentally strangle her.

Let's see what on earth this is...

???

The moment Lynch saw the slip of paper, his scalp went numb.

This cipher looked incredibly familiar. It was highly likely the very same code Maya and Donnie had used to communicate in secret.

Maya certainly couldn't be involved in this, but when they cracked it back then, Officer Natalie was aware of it. So, does this mean the two of them are using this method to send me a message?

So the poor, unlucky fool who wouldn't survive the opening theme is actually me?

No, no, no, that's not important. The important thing is: what on earth happened?

Lynch's mind raced, gradually piecing together a plausible scenario.

In other words, they were working hard on the outside, but because they were out of range, the telepathic conch couldn't be used. Thus, through some channel, they established contact with the people behind Dr. Jenna—whom he temporarily assumed to be the Archaeological Association. Believing the Archaeological Association to be relatively reliable, they used their channel to pass this message to him?

Does that mean Dr. Jenna is trustworthy?

Lynch's gaze shifted to the doctor, wondering if he should find an opportunity to have an in-depth conversation with her. But the moment the thought arose, a sudden shiver ran down his spine.

No, she is actually the most unreliable one.

If she were reliable, the message would never have been sent in such a troublesome manner. Even if they had to use a code, they could have just handed it directly to him. The current setup clearly meant that the other side hadn't exposed his identity to Dr. Jenna either. This showed that even the people over there didn't consider Jenna, one of their own, to be absolutely reliable. In that case, he definitely couldn't trust her completely.

But what was written on it? What message was Natalie trying to pass? He hadn't brought those two books with him. Even if he knew it was their message, he couldn't decipher it without the others noticing.

What should he do?

“No matter how you look at it, it seems like a book-based cipher.” While Lynch was scheming, the silent Salin finally spoke up. He took a glance at the paper and casually tossed it aside. “I believe that without a key for comparison, trying to decipher it is completely pointless.”

Jack stroked his thick beard and looked thoughtfully at Judy beside Lynch. “Judy, you have the best memory and have quite a few codebooks stored in your head. Do you have any thoughts?”

Judy shook her head blankly, which disappointed the others. They each began studying their own slips of paper. Lynch copied them to avoid standing out, but his mind began to ponder.

Should he trust her a bit more?

After all, they shared a connection through the Lady of Fire, and she knew his true identity. Perhaps he could make further contact.

After a moment of hesitation, Lynch made up his mind. He nudged Judy gently with his elbow and whispered in the quietest voice possible, “I need to see her.”

The lady beside him showed no reaction, but she squeezed closer to him, pressing half her body against his back and even resting her hand there. In the next instant, a flash of fire erupted before Lynch's eyes, and he found himself once again in that space filled with flames.

A contact hidden in a rift of time, one that would not be seen by anyone on the outside.

The voice of the real Judy echoed through the flames: “I can't maintain this for long. Speak quickly. Is this your message?”

“Yes.” Lynch gritted his teeth and decided to make his bet, hiding nothing further. “Can you help me decipher it using the Geography of Rhine City and the History of the Fifth Age of Lande?”

“Which edition?”

“Huh?” Lynch was dumbfounded. He didn't know either.

“Forget it. I'll just try every edition. There are only six versions in total anyway, so it won't take too much brainpower.”

The casual reply made Lynch's eyes nearly pop out of his head. Talk about a casual flex.

However, Judy was clearly not boasting. The flames leaped and churned, and then Judy's voice rang out once more.

“Be careful.”

“Among them, someone—at least one—is from...”

“Norin, William.”

The words sent a chill down Lynch's spine. He realized his guess had been correct. What he needed to do was find the mole. It wasn't about finding out who had hidden agendas, but rather, besides Salin, who was truly standing on William's side. That person would inevitably be directing the entire ritual, making them his greatest enemy on this trip.

His consciousness abruptly snapped back into his body. The other five people outside remained completely normal.

Who on earth could it be?