The carriage sped through the rain.
The wheels crushed the wet stone pavement, producing a rustling sound.
The rain grew heavier, with pea-sized drops drumming against the carriage roof.
Lu Yuan held the reins, his gaze fixed ahead.
【Sanity: 48/120】
The faint sense of dizziness in his mind had not yet fully subsided.
For instance, the lamp posts by the roadside would suddenly distort, and blurry figures would emerge within the rain curtain.
They were all hallucinations.
Lu Yuan told himself, forcing his attention back to the road ahead.
The silhouette of the Polymath Tower had completely vanished into the darkness behind him.
Ahead, the outline of the city gate gradually became clear.
Just then, Lu Yuan noticed several figures ahead.
They stood in the middle of the street, blocking the way.
Their deep blue robes appeared particularly striking in the rain.
People from the Alchemy Department.
Lu Yuan's gaze darkened slightly, and his hand moved inconspicuously to the revolver at his waist.
"Stop!"
The person at the head spoke, his tone arrogant.
"People in the carriage, come out!"
Lu Yuan did not speak, nor did he stop the carriage.
The carriage continued to drive forward.
The expressions of those people changed.
"You dare—"
Before the words could finish, a figure stepped out from the nearby shadows.
He wore grey robes, with a silver medal pinned to his chest.
On the medal was engraved a sword, its blade crossing with a crescent moon.
The mark of a Nightwatchers captain.
"What are you doing?"
The man's voice was not loud, but it carried an unquestionable authority.
His gaze fell upon those in deep blue robes, his eyes icy.
"Blocking people in the middle of the night?"
The lead man's expression shifted several times.
"We are mentors of the Alchemy Department, we have the right to..."
"The right to what?"
The Nightwatchers captain interrupted him, his tone becoming dangerous.
"Intercepting a Nightwatchers vehicle?"
"Or rather..."
He took a step forward, his hand pressing onto the hilt of the sword at his waist.
"Do you intend to attack the Nightwatchers?"
As the words fell, the air instantly froze.
The people in deep blue robes looked at each other, their faces turning extremely ugly.
The lead man's lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, nothing came out.
"Get lost."
The Nightwatchers captain's tone left no room for negotiation.
Those people bit their teeth and turned to leave.
Their footsteps were hurried and pathetic.
The Nightwatchers captain watched their backs disappear into the rain curtain, then turned toward Lu Yuan.
"Lu Yuan?"
Lu Yuan nodded.
"Go quickly," the Nightwatchers captain said. "Be careful on the road."
After saying this, he turned and walked back into the shadows, as if he had never appeared.
Lu Yuan did not ask further; he flicked the reins, and the carriage continued forward.
Inside the carriage, Laurina also breathed a sigh of relief.
It seemed the Nightwatchers' arrangements were quite thorough.
Soon, the sight of the city gate in the night came into view.
That massive metal gate stood wide open.
Several carriages were quickly passing through the gate, with the Nightwatchers emblem hanging on the cabins.
It seemed they were not the only ones leaving.
And judging by the quantity, he was among the slower ones.
Lu Yuan slowed the carriage, following behind the group, and drove toward the gate discreetly.
Several Nightwatchers stood at the gate, but they did not inspect carefully.
They only took a glance before waving them through.
The carriage drove out of the gate.
The outer city streets on this rainy night were empty, with only scattered lanterns swaying in the rain.
"Where are we going?"
Laurina's voice came from behind him.
"Nightwatchers headquarters," Lu Yuan said without looking back. "We'll head there first."
Laurina remained silent for a while.
Then her voice rang out again.
"I haven't been to the Nightwatchers headquarters before... do you think they'll let me stay?"
"With so many people leaving just now, the Nightwatchers headquarters probably can't accommodate everyone..."
"Don't overthink it. Since the Nightwatchers have intervened in the affairs of the Polymath Tower, you don't need to worry about the rest."
Lu Yuan did not turn around, tightening his grip on the reins as he continued.
"And as long as we leave the inner city, we should be safe."
"Mm."
Laurina only gave a small response and stopped talking.
The carriage continued forward through the rain.
The cabin grew quiet, with only the sound of raindrops drumming against the roof.
Lu Yuan did not look back, but he knew Laurina was likely leaning against the cabin wall, staring blankly at some spot.
After all, too many things had happened these past two days.
It was already not easy for her to have held on until now.
Nightwatchers headquarters.
Lu Yuan stopped the carriage at the entrance.
The rain had stopped, but the air was still permeated with a damp scent.
He jumped down from the carriage and turned to lift the curtain.
Laurina walked out from the cabin.
She stood on the carriage shaft, staring blankly at the building before her, as if she hadn't fully returned to her senses.
"We're here," Lu Yuan said.
Laurina nodded, then jumped down from the carriage.
Her movements were somewhat stiff; she stumbled upon landing and almost fell.
Lu Yuan reached out to steady her.
"Are you alright?"
"...I'm fine."
Laurina took a deep breath, trying her best to stand firm.
"I'm just a bit tired."
The two walked into the headquarters entrance.
The hall was brightly lit, but there were few people.
Most of the Nightwatchers should still be outside.
A middle-aged man sat behind the counter; seeing Lu Yuan walk in, he lifted his head.
"Lu Yuan?"
"It's me."
The middle-aged man stood up, took an envelope from under the counter, and handed it over.
"Arrangements have been made from above."
His tone was flat.
"You need to leave the headquarters for a period of time."
Lu Yuan took the envelope and raised an eyebrow.
"Where to?"
"Alchemy Workshop," the middle-aged man said. "Take over the material orders there, using the Nightwatchers' internal channels."
He looked down at a document and continued.
"Wait until the matters outside are handled before you return."
Lu Yuan noticed he said "you all."
"She's going too?" He glanced at Laurina.
"Yes," the middle-aged man nodded.
"The student you brought with you will go with you. Consider it... a temporary settlement."
"As for safety, you can rest assured."
He took a folded piece of paper from under the counter and handed it to Lu Yuan.
"This is the map. The Alchemy Workshop is to the east of the headquarters, not too far."
"Potion-making must begin tomorrow morning. Head over tonight to familiarize yourselves with the environment."
Lu Yuan took the map and looked at it.
The location of the Alchemy Workshop was indeed not far, about a fifteen-minute walk.
"Any other questions?" the middle-aged man asked.
"No."
"Then go quickly." The middle-aged man sat back in his chair and lowered his head to continue reading his documents.
"Dawn is approaching."
Lu Yuan put away the map and the envelope, turning to walk toward the exit.
Laurina followed behind him, her footsteps somewhat sluggish.
After walking out of the entrance, she finally spoke.
"Am I... just settled like this?"
"It seems so."
"But I haven't even signed a contract..."
"The Nightwatchers don't bother with those."
The two walked out of the headquarters entrance.
The sky outside was already slightly brightening, with a sliver of white appearing on the eastern horizon.
Lu Yuan followed the route on the map toward the direction of the Alchemy Workshop.
The Alchemy Workshop was a two-story stone building.
The outer walls were somewhat mottled, and a faded wooden sign hung at the entrance with the words "Alchemy Workshop" written on it.
It looked quite old.
Lu Yuan pushed open the door and walked inside.
The layout inside was much as he had imagined.
The first floor was the workspace, with several long tables holding various bottles and jars.
In the corners were several furnaces, along with some equipment Lu Yuan couldn't name.
The air was permeated with a faint scent of medicinal herbs, mixed with a certain metallic aura.
Laurina followed him inside.
She stood at the entrance for a few seconds.
Lu Yuan looked back at her.
"What is it?"
Laurina was startled for a moment, as if being jolted awake.
She took a deep breath and shook her head.
"...It's nothing."
Her voice was very light, carrying a hint of exhaustion.
"I just suddenly feel... that I'm finally out. It feels a bit surreal..."
She walked into the room, her gaze beginning to slowly focus.
Perhaps out of professional instinct, or perhaps wanting to distract herself with something else.
Her gaze lingered on those bottles and jars for a while, then moved toward the furnaces in the corner.
"The equipment is very old." Her voice was still very light, but a familiar quality returned to her tone.
"The crucibles are iron, not silver. The distillation apparatus doesn't look like it seals well..."
She walked to a table and touched the surface with her finger.
Her movements were somewhat mechanical, as if using familiar objects to confirm she was still alive.
"The precision is insufficient. The ground-up powder will have uneven particle sizes."
She sighed, her voice carrying a hint of complex emotion.
"In this environment, one can only brew some low-level potions."
Lu Yuan stood to the side, not speaking.
He could tell that Laurina was using professional matters to calm herself down.
"Never mind."
Laurina withdrew her gaze and turned around.
Her face was still pale, but her eyes were clearer than before.
"I'll make do with it for now."
She looked at Lu Yuan, her voice soft.
"Where are the... orders? Let me see what needs to be brewed first."
Lu Yuan took the envelope from his robes and handed it over.
Laurina took it, opened it, and pulled out the paper inside.
Her gaze scanned the paper, and her brow furrowed slightly.
"Sanity potions, healing potions, antidotes..."
She read the names out loud, her tone complex.
"They are all basic versions."
She lifted her head, looking at Lu Yuan.
"It seems the Nightwatchers are indeed short-handed lately."
Lu Yuan did not respond.
He walked to the window, looking at the sky that was gradually brightening outside.
The business at the Polymath Tower had come to a temporary close.
But he knew the trouble was only beginning.
The people from the imperial headquarters would arrive today.
Lu Yuan withdrew his gaze and looked at Laurina, who was still standing there.
She held the order, her expression somewhat dazed.
She looked like she wanted to say something but didn't know what to say.
"Get some rest first," Lu Yuan said.
"From tomorrow on, we're going to be very busy."
Laurina lifted her head and blinked.
Then she nodded.
"Alright."
She put away the order and looked around.
"There should be a place to rest on the second floor, right?"
"There should be."
Locking the door, the two headed toward the stairs.
Laurina walked in front, her footsteps somewhat heavy.
When she reached the middle of the stairs, she suddenly stopped.
"Lu Yuan."
"Hmm?"
"Thank you."
Lu Yuan did not answer.
Laurina did not wait for his answer either, continuing to walk upstairs.
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