Salvation

By the time Lynch returned to 221 Villa Avenue, it was already four-thirty in the afternoon on the twenty-seventh.

The Governor's Guard had dispatched two hundred elite soldiers and four Governor's Mansion advisors—specialists employed by the Governor's Mansion—and combined with nearly the entire force of the Watchers, they had charged all the way to Wilson Town.

The massive, heavily armed procession was so grand that anyone unaware would have assumed they were marching to suppress a rebellion.

The vast host practically carried Lynch back to Rhine City, granting him the highest standard of treatment.

Even Duke Vane, the Governor himself, likely never traveled with such pomp.

The Color Out of Space, along with the house, was placed inside an even larger metal model house and transported into the deepest part of the Watchers' basement—a specialized facility where the Watchers contained high-risk mysteries. Before long, it would be transferred to the Watchers' headquarters in the royal capital; a trouble of this magnitude could only be contained by headquarters itself.

After half a day of hustle, the aftermath of the Color Out of Space was finally handled. Escorted by Officer Natalie, Lynch caught a ride with the Watchers back to 221 Villa Avenue.

Supposedly, because Lynch had been exposed to the heteromorph's influence, he needed to be monitored for twenty-four hours to ensure his behavior remained normal. But since the Watchers were short-handed, Officer Natalie was assigned to monitor him, with all expenses incurred during the period reimbursed by the Watchers.

Wait, wasn't she affected too? Why monitor only me? I still need to go ask Miss Valente about the situation. And why did this monitoring follow me right into my house? This makes no sense. What are her real motives?

Yet before his protests and questions could leave his mouth, Officer Natalie's sharp glare choked them back down.

No, this girl is getting fiercer by the day—truly terrifying. And Mr. Victor, your jaw is about to drop from laughing so hard. I knew you, a seasoned bureaucrat, were abusing public office for private gain and slacking off on public funds with complete righteousness.

Unfortunately, struggling was futile, and Lynch was thus escorted back to his own home.

The landlady, who had been worrying over Lynch not returning all night, showed a peculiar expression upon seeing the two return together.

Mrs. Maggie, I think you're imagining some rather improper scenes, and that's not right.

Unfortunately, the pretty landlady could not hear Lynch's inner voice and warmly welcomed them inside. Officer Natalie skillfully went up to the second floor, sank into the sofa, and effortlessly fished out a few cloyingly sweet little cakes from the corner beneath the coffee table.

Why are you so practiced at that? And those were my midnight snacks, thank you very much.

Though crying foul internally, his body was quite cooperative; Lynch had already conscientiously fetched another plate of cookies for Officer Natalie.

“What do you think about the Light of Miracles?” Officer Natalie patted her chest where she had nearly choked, speaking through a mouthful of food. “I don't recommend you pursue it any further. That River of Time is far too dangerous, especially those hounds. They sound bizarre, and once you're targeted, it lasts a lifetime. Spending the rest of your life like those siblings, trapped inside a bizarre house and unable to step out—just thinking about it is despair-inducing.”

“Actually, I think so too. The risk-to-reward ratio is completely off,” Lynch pondered with a frown. “The key issue is that there's no clear use for the Light of Miracles; we only know the Shadow Alliance is looking for it. Taking such massive risks for that really isn't worth it. So I plan to set it aside for now—Ms. Skye said there's no rush anyway.”

“Then I'm relieved. A mature Soul Severer wouldn't risk their life for unnecessary reasons. Only hot-headed occultists and archaeologists would be crazy enough to do that.”

“I feel like you're insulting people to their faces, and I have evidence. Besides, I don't think you have the standing to say that either—somebody has risked their neck for others more than a few times.”

“Those were for necessary reasons.”

“Fine, fine, just as necessary as kicking down my door in the middle of the night,” Lynch said with a chuckle. “Don't worry, I won't do anything rash. I like my life here, and for now, I don't want to go crazy and ruin it.”

“That's good. Speaking of your life here, though, I noticed something just now.” The lady officer looked around. “I realized that the mysterious filth that always lingered in this room is gone.”

“Hm?”

“Ever since Mrs. Maggie and her daughter survived that mystery incident two years ago, a lingering filth clung to them due to the mystery's influence. That's why most survivors of mystery incidents meet with misfortune shortly afterward, and why I asked you to help look after them back then,” the lady officer explained. “Yet just now, I noticed that for some reason, all of that filth has vani... What is this?”

“The Book of Purification. I brought it out of the ancient tomb. I originally placed it here because I was worried carrying more and more mystery relics on me might affect them. I didn't expect it to have this extra bonus. In that case, if I leave it here permanently...”

“Yes, you won't need to worry about their safety anymore, especially little Martha—she was originally the one in the greatest danger.”

Clang.

The sound of shattering porcelain came from the doorway.

Turning around, they saw that Mrs. Maggie had arrived outside the door at some unknown point. She had probably brewed black tea for them, but now it lay shattered on the floor; clearly, she had overheard their conversation.

“I'm sorry, I'm so sorry.”

Snapping out of her daze, Mrs. Maggie flusteredly began gathering the shards. But after picking up just a few pieces, her hand slipped, scattering them across the floor again. She simply dropped the tray to the floor, crouched down, buried her head in her knees, and let out stifled sobs as her shoulders shook violently.

The two exchanged a glance and let out a soft sigh.

From their very first meeting, it had been evident that this woman's mental state had long since deteriorated from worrying over her daughter, which was why seeing her daughter's ring had driven her into a frantic attack.

Fortunately, Lynch's appearance over this period had transformed the mother and daughter's lives. Watching her daughter grow closer to Lynch, Mrs. Maggie had quickly returned to normal.

Yet it seemed that normalcy had only been superficial. The threat of death hanging over her daughter had remained a heavy boulder weighing on Mrs. Maggie's heart, forcing her to live each day under immense pressure and constant dread.

Hearing Lynch and the lady officer's conversation now and realizing her daughter might truly have hope, her emotional barriers finally collapsed, and she wept tears of joy.

The two walked over together. Lynch bent down to gather the shards from the floor while Officer Natalie put her arms around Mrs. Maggie, offering gentle words of comfort.

“I'm fine. I'm sorry... I'm just so happy.”

Helped to her feet, the landlady managed a strained smile. Biting her lip, she tightly grasped Lynch's hand, her eyes filled with complex emotion.

“Mr. Detective, thank you for everything you've done for Martha. I never went to school and don't know what to say, but...”

Tears welled up once more. The landlady shook her head vigorously, her blonde hair swaying before Lynch. “Don't worry about me. I'm fine. Just let me be alone for a moment. Look at me, spilling tea everywhere. Luckily, your letters didn't get wet. I came to bring you your mail—it looks like a letter from the Governor's Mansion, and another from that Miss Valente from the other day. I... I'll head downstairs first. Sob... Thank you, and thank you, Natalie.”

Stumbling down the stairs, she let out an outburst of wailing that echoed from the staircase before her figure had even vanished.

It was a subtle feeling. He had merely done something small and received the genuine gratitude of a friend, yet Lynch felt a sense of fulfillment within his heart that brought him greater joy than any monetary reward.

The lady officer squeezed Lynch's arm. “You fulfilled my request exceptionally well. Thank you.”

“Well, you're the one who found me such a great place. I'd be more than happy to keep living here indefinitely.”

The two smiled at each other, leaving the space downstairs to the overjoyed Mrs. Maggie while carrying the broken tea set and letters back into the living room.

“Another letter from the Governor's Mansion?”

“Yeah.” Lynch tore open the envelope, reading as he spoke. “I submitted my report, so this should be their reply. Mhm, just as expected.”

The letter was brief and written in Duke Vane's own hand. In it, he expressed high praise for Lynch's investigation findings and resolution, as well as keen interest in Lynch's proposal for multilateral cooperation to develop the ancient city of Zur-Baha-Sahr, stating his willingness to discuss details at a later date.

But that wasn't the main point. The crucial part lay at the end of the letter: the duke reiterated that on the evening of June 30th, the Governor's Mansion would host a ball. It would feature not only high-society luminaries but also representatives of the common folk—a relatively informal affair with less stringent etiquette—and he hoped Lynch would attend.

During the ball, the duke would personally discuss the mission's reward with Lynch while also introducing him to the friend he had mentioned previously.

The offer was full of sincerity, and Lynch was quite pleased. He would definitely attend, and he even had an idea of his own.

I'll write a reply in a bit. Given my current standing with the duke, this request shouldn't be an issue.

Still, just who could warrant such seriousness from Duke Vane?

While discussing the supposed new friend with the lady officer, he opened Miss Valente's letter.

This one was even simpler, containing only a single sentence:

“According to confirmed intelligence, Eldest Princess Sophia has arrived in Rhine today.”