As he left private booth 204, Lynch was still pondering the information provided by the black cat lady.
It seemed the hillmen were the rare cave ghouls she had mentioned, while he had yet to encounter any sewer ghouls. Perhaps they were unrelated to this matter?
One of the Valente family's assets was the Bester Mountain mining tunnels. Since hillmen had always used caves as their lairs, it was highly likely the two sides had a cooperative relationship. The hillmen served as miners, developing resources for the Valente family for generations in exchange for daily supplies.
So, even after becoming mysterious, alien entities, they could not escape the fate of being exploited as cheap labor?
However, their relationship was likely much more harmonious than that of mere laborers; at the very least, there were no signs of hostility.
Furthermore, given how distinctive the hillmen's attire was, it would have been impossible for them to move about the city without drawing attention, even with the help of their peers in the sewers. Lynch strongly suspected that it was precisely through the convenience provided by the Valente family that the hillmen were able to come and go as they pleased in the city.
Based on current information, Maya must have been targeted by Mordiggian after being spotted by the hillmen during her investigation in the caves. She had managed to escape, and now not only were the hillmen hunting her, but the Rangers and the Frame Hand were as well, hoping to use her as a bargaining chip with the ghouls. If he wanted to thwart the plans of Mordiggian and the ghouls, he would have to make enemies of multiple factions simultaneously.
This was tricky. One potential breakthrough was the Valente family, the hillmen's allies.
The problem was that they were a count family that had produced two queens and maintained close ties with the royal family. The eldest daughter, who represented the family, could meet with any aristocrat or celebrity in Rhine City; even the governor, Vane, had to receive her with the most formal etiquette.
Forget about relying on mere speculation; even with hard evidence, it would be useless. A noble of that status, even if guilty of high treason, could only be judged by Emperor Rudolph II. Other charges were not even worth mentioning. Moreover, this Diana was a legitimate Soul Severer of the Church of the Twelve Major Gods, and she might even have the backing of the Church of Suffering. Even if she were not just linked to mysterious aliens, but actually holding hands and dancing tap with a group of ghouls in front of the Scarecrow Club, as long as she did not reveal their ghoul forms, V would likely only stand to the side, clapping and praising the performance for its rich ethnic flair.
A direct confrontation was definitely the stupidest choice. He had to think of a roundabout way. He would have to consider it further.
Sighing to himself, Lynch temporarily put these thoughts aside and looked around.
He had just left booth 204 and was now standing inside this luxurious yet understated grand theater.
It was magnificent, decorated primarily in shades of yellow, and the building was filled with an artistic atmosphere. On the distant stage, an opera was still being performed, though Lynch could not appreciate the howling vocals at all.
Hanging directly above the stage was a massive, bizarre sigil. He had seen the same one at the theater entrance earlier. Lynch could not discern its meaning, but he felt an instinctive sense of mental tension.
This theater was not the property of the black cat countess. When Lynch had asked about the theater's operator, she had only offered a subtle smile and asked a mysterious counter-question: "Do you want to know?"
No, I do not. You are a cat, but I am not.
Lynch immediately reined in his curiosity. He realized that the entity behind this theater was likely not a normal person, and perhaps even more dangerous than the cat headed woman behind her.
Why are there evil gods who enjoy running theaters? This city is truly too dangerous.
Muttering to himself, he hurried out of the theater. Before leaving, he saw a person wearing a yellow hooded robe standing in the theater lobby, bowing slightly toward him as if seeing him off.
Out of the corner of his eye, he seemed to see a few tentacles. Never mind. He already had experience with this; he would just pretend he did not see them. If there was a countess who was part human and part cat, it was not strange to have a tentacle creature running a theater. In this bizarre world, digging too deep into everything was bad for one's longevity. For the sake of his heart health, it would be best to visit less often.
He stepped out of the theater and realized that there were no taxis waiting at the entrance.
The guests here were truly pitiful; they could not even afford a taxi.
With a sense of pride and silent tears, he walked between the tall carriages in the parking square. Suddenly, an idea struck him. He leaned against a carriage to hide his figure, then attempted a leap, landing lightly on the roof.
Cat's Favor was truly useful.
His physique, post-alienation, was already sufficient, but Lynch had been unable to apply it because he simply did not know how to use his enhanced body. The appearance of Cat's Favor was timely, allowing him to instinctively learn how to control his muscles. Although he was still relying on the guiding effect of the ability for now, once he became accustomed to using his power, he would be able to turn it into instinct.
In other words, this unexpectedly acquired ability not only made him as agile as a cat but would also save him a massive amount of time that would have been spent training to master his own body.
This gift was truly perfect.
Lynch leaped sharply, his figure carving through the air, landing soundlessly on another carriage several meters away. He crouched slightly to absorb the impact, then dashed across the roof, rushed to the edge, and sprang into the air. Under the crimson moonlight, he stretched his body, his shadow cutting through the night sky like a large bird, landing weightlessly on the crossbar of a street lamp at the edge of the square.
Crouching on the bar like a cat, he looked around. He leaped again, landing on the outer wall of a building by the street. The half-centimeter-wide metal railing on the wall looked like flat ground to him. He ran along the railing at high speed, leaped into the air at the end, hooked his fingers over the eaves, and vaulted onto the building's slanted roof.
It felt fantastic to run like this. No wonder cats loved getting onto rooftops; it was such a joy to stop walking properly.
Lynch stood on the roof, looked up, took off his top hat, and bowed toward the red moon in the night sky: "Good evening."
The moon did not answer, but his heart did.
【Mm, good evening.】
With a warm, happy feeling in his heart, Lynch gave a thumbs-up to the moon, then ran wildly along the layered building rooftops in a straight line, enjoying the cool night breeze on his face, until he had to stop once he reached the banks of the Lande River.
Snap. He pressed his top hat and landed steadily. Letting his figure emerge again in the shadows, he straightened his bowtie and, like any other gentleman on the street, swung his cane and merged into the crowd. No one could tell he had just traversed half the Crown District like a cat.
What a surprise harvest tonight. With this agility, I am no longer a piece of trash with a combat power of only five. I will practice my swordsmanship during this time, and then I will go and sneakily scare Natalie, heh heh...
Without the slightest realization that he was planning a terrifying death-wish, Lynch arrived at Charles Square just before ten-thirty.
The empty square had only a few gas lamps flickering with dim yellow light, and the surrounding buildings were already pitch black, with only the first floor of Apartment 221 showing a light.
Not resting yet?
Lynch opened the door quietly and saw Mrs. Maggie still sitting in the dining room, clutching his Ranger uniform, mending the tears from the explosion earlier that day.
Seeing Lynch had returned, the landlady showed a look of relief. She smiled and pointed at the gas lamp switch, then yawned and carried the clothes back to her bedroom. However, before entering, she turned back and asked in a low voice: "Mr. Levive, do you have time tomorrow morning?"
"I do, what is it?"
"Martha has been fussing all night about wanting to go to the train station tomorrow. If it were anywhere else, it would be fine, but the station is too crowded and chaotic, and I am worried. But I have already hired workers to fix the roof tomorrow to prevent leaks, so I cannot leave. Could I ask you to take her there?"
"Hm?"
Lynch immediately realized that Martha had mentioned wanting to find a way to contact Maya earlier that evening. To protect the little one, Lynch had not pressed for details. Was going to the train station the way to contact Maya?
"If this counts as a commission, of course I can." Lynch nodded thoughtfully and whispered with a smile, "Then the commission fee will be for you to help me wash my clothes a bit cleaner. You would not want to see little Martha get a beating from me again, would you?"
"Pfft, then thank you. Good night." Covering her mouth with a soft smile, the landlady waved and closed her bedroom door, leaving Lynch standing there with a silly grin.
This world does not seem quite as dangerous as all that. Hmm, it is actually quite nice.
Rate on N.U.
