Kraus looked at Calvin.
He didn't respond.
He simply lifted his teacup gently.
After the meeting.
The people gradually dispersed.
Agnes left first with the two monks. As she passed Lu Yuan, she cast a glance in his direction.
Lu Yuan read her meaning: I'll find you later if there's business.
Calvin and Selena followed closely behind.
Selena hadn't said a single word from beginning to end. From her entrance to her departure, she was like a cold-toned statue. As she passed the door, she raised a hand to adjust the silver piping on her cuff, her pace steady and her gaze fixed forward.
Calvin, however, paused for a step at the doorway and looked back at Kraus.
“Vice Director Kraus.”
“Yes?”
“If there are any adjustments to the personnel assignments marked on the diagrams, please notify the Polymath Tower half a day in advance.”
Kraus nodded.
Only then did Calvin turn and leave.
His monocle flashed one last time under the dim corridor lights before vanishing around the corner.
Finally, only the Nightwatchers themselves remained in the meeting room.
Kraus leaned back against his chair and let out a long breath.
His gaze fell on the notebook Hoguer pushed toward him.
“Speak. Regarding Baron von Linde, what else is there that I haven't seen on paper?”
Hoguer did not hesitate.
“The Baron's mutation spiraled out of control. After the decapitation, his torso erupted, and branches spread throughout the study before withering on their own within ten seconds. The core vanished into thin air.”
“No one intervened; Bronze City showed no reaction.”
When those few sentences were spoken in the meeting room, Kraus subconsciously glanced at Lu Yuan.
Lu Yuan looked over Hoguer's action report.
Warehouses, funds, aliases, contacts—it was recorded in great detail, but one thing was missing.
“There's more,” Lu Yuan spoke up. “When that so-called nephew was confessing, he mentioned one other thing. The Baron began contacting an unidentified individual six months ago. At the beginning of every month, he received a bottle of dark green, thick liquid. After getting drunk, the Baron once said—‘Wait until that tree wakes up.’”
Kraus’s brow furrowed slightly.
“That tree.”
He chewed over those two words.
But Lu Yuan could tell from his expression that those words had touched on something. Kraus knew something, or at least suspected something.
Conrad’s gaze moved away from the wall to look at Hoguer. Hoguer did not look back.
“The evidence and samples are all here.” Hoguer patted his inner pocket. “Plant fiber fragments, receipts, and the statement.”
Kraus reached out.
Hoguer took everything out and laid it on the table.
Kraus looked through them one by one.
Finally, he held the thumb-sized plant fiber fragment between his fingers, bringing it close to the lamp for two seconds.
Then he tucked it into his own inner pocket.
“Fine. I will handle tonight's matters.”
He stood up, pushing the teacup and saucer on the table aside.
His gaze swept over Hoguer, Conrad, and Raymond.
“You three go rest first.”
Then he looked at Lu Yuan.
“You stay behind for a moment.”
Hoguer nodded and stood up.
Conrad and Raymond followed him out.
As he passed Lu Yuan, Conrad gave him a slight nod.
Raymond showed no reaction at all, walking straight out the door with his notebook.
The sound of footsteps faded down the hallway.
The door closed.
Only two people remained in the meeting room.
Kraus sat back down, took the plant fiber fragment out of his pocket again, and slowly rotated it between his fingers under the light.
Silence lasted for several seconds.
Then he put the fragment back in his pocket and patted it.
“I will investigate the matter of ‘that tree.’ You don't need to worry about it.”
Lu Yuan nodded.
“Let's talk about business.” Kraus straightened up, resting his interlaced hands on the table. “For tomorrow night's harvesting mission, I need you to lead the team to the Polymath Tower.”
Lu Yuan did not respond immediately.
Kraus looked at him.
“You heard what Calvin said just now. No one above rank 3 can enter the harvesting area. Among those below rank 3, you have the highest Sanity. Of course, that’s easy to verify; your daily performance is proof enough.”
He paused.
“But that isn't the primary reason.”
Kraus picked up the cold black tea and took a sip, his expression unchanged.
“Your pathway allows you to see auras. If something from the Sea of Knowledge has an abnormal fluctuation, you are the only one present who can detect it in advance.”
It was the same arrangement as the mission at the Linden Mansion.
“The Nightwatchers are not the main force of the harvesting,” Kraus continued. “The main force consists of the Polymath Tower’s people. Their manpower...”
He stopped for a moment.
“You’ll understand when you get there.”
When he said this, Kraus’s tone was devoid of any fluctuation.
But Lu Yuan heard an underlying layer of disgust.
“The Nightwatchers have only one task.” Kraus tapped his finger on the table. “Construct a Sanity Barrier at the entrance.”
“Defending against what?”
“Two directions.” Kraus held up two fingers. “Prevent things inside from coming out. And prevent polluted people from coming out.”
He lowered his hand.
“To put it bluntly, you are gatekeepers, not fishermen. You don't need to go into the water.”
Lu Yuan was silent for two seconds.
The Sea of Knowledge.
He had dealt with that great sea before; he had been dragged in and nearly failed to escape. A key brought back from there was still embedded in his left eye.
It was not a pleasant place.
But Kraus had made it clear... guarding the gate, not going into the water.
The risk was controllable.
And...
Lu Yuan thought of several other things.
What was the structure of the so-called device inside the Polymath Tower? Was there anything to be learned from the way the channel connected to the Sea of Knowledge?
Then there was the Knowledge Worm.
Could the little thing return to the Sea of Knowledge through the channel? Were there more of its kind in the Sea of Knowledge?
If he didn't enter the Polymath Tower and relied on his own exploration, it would likely take a long time to get answers to these questions.
“Alright,” Lu Yuan said.
Kraus didn't ask what he had been hesitant about.
“Get some good rest tonight. Come to the branch after noon tomorrow; I’ll have something for you.”
Kraus finished the last of the cold tea and set the cup on the table.
“One more thing.”
His tone suddenly softened slightly.
“I’ve already arranged tomorrow’s newspaper. Bronze City needs a bit of good news.”
Lu Yuan glanced at him.
Kraus said no more.
Silence hung between the two of them for about two seconds.
Lu Yuan gave a nod.
“I will pay close attention to the changes in the seed.”
Kraus’s gaze moved slightly.
Then he waved a hand.
“Go on.”
Lu Yuan turned and left the meeting room.
The corridor was even quieter than before.
The Nightwatchers on duty had changed shifts at some point. Only a single gas lamp remained lit at the end of the hallway, casting a dim, yellow light.
Lu Yuan walked down the corridor toward the stairs.
Just as he reached the corner.
A white figure was leaning against the wall.
Agnes.
Her moon-white hair fell over her shoulders, and her black hood rested behind her head.
The two monks who usually followed her were not there.
She was alone.
Seeing Lu Yuan, she straightened up from the wall.
Lu Yuan stopped in his tracks.
“You knew I would come out.”
“Kraus’s habit of keeping people behind to discuss matters isn't hard to guess.”
Lu Yuan looked at her.
Agnes looked back at him.
A few seconds of silence followed.
Then she spoke.
“See you tomorrow night.”
Only four words.
Lu Yuan didn't ask how she knew he was going to the Polymath Tower tomorrow night.
“See you tomorrow night,” Lu Yuan replied with the same words.
Agnes nodded and turned to walk into the depths of the corridor.
The corner of her white robe flashed in the dim light and disappeared around the bend.
Lu Yuan didn't look further. He went downstairs and exited the main building's entrance.
The night wind rushed in to meet him.
The river of light overhead was brighter than during the day. A pale purple glow filled most of the sky, like a slowly flowing, luminous river.
Lu Yuan pulled his coat tight, stepped onto the stone path, and walked back to his residence.
He closed the door.
He pulled the curtains.
Lu Yuan sat on the edge of the bed, not in a hurry to lie down.
There was too much in his head.
He spent a few minutes briefly going over everything.
Count Helmut had only appeared after Bronze City had become such a mess. He traveled with a rank 4 attendant and was an old fox himself.
The Ascension Society’s attitude was worrying. That man had said “We need the thing in your hands” in front of everyone without even being able to produce a handwritten decree. To be so unscrupulous, he either had someone backing him or simply didn't care for the rules.
The Church, on the other hand, was relatively restrained. After moving into Bronze City, their attitude toward the seed had changed from “taking” to “cooperating.” Agnes’s performance tonight confirmed this; they had likely noticed the changes in the seed and knew that coexistence was better than a forced seizure.
As for the Polymath Tower, it wasn't even worth mentioning.
Lu Yuan rubbed his head, feeling a slight headache.
He lay down to rest. The night passed without incident.
Lu Yuan woke up as the sky began to pale.
【Sanity: +12… 63/140】
Lu Yuan lay on the bed for a few seconds.
Then he closed his eyes and adjusted his breathing.
He prepared to try and continue practicing Guard. Although Guard had reached level two, it was still far from enough.
As his consciousness sank deep into his mind.
The widened river of Sanity was clearer than before. The river composed of Sanity was abundant, flowing at a steady rate, and the new riverbed was nearly twice as wide.
He mobilized his Sanity to constantly wash over the “riverbed.”
【Guard II: +0.5… 0.5/50】
Only when the greyish-white text surfaced did Lu Yuan withdraw his consciousness. He took the opportunity to use Inner Vision to scan his overall state.
The Knowledge Worm was coiled deep within his left eye, its colors shifting slowly. It was still digesting what it had swallowed the day before yesterday.
The key floated behind the worm’s body, motionless.
In the shadow...
That face was still there, floating silently on the top layer of the shadow.
Two black-hole-like eye sockets, mouth slightly agape.
No change.
Lu Yuan ignored its existence and withdrew his Inner Vision.
He got up, dressed, and went downstairs to wash up. He planned to take advantage of the morning to go to the logistics department and check on the changes in the seed.
If this thing came into contact with a bad “Wish” and began growing toward losing control, it had to be purged.
After all, if another “hyphae” were to be raised, Kraus would also be punished.
C-District. End of the corridor.
A Nightwatcher on duty stood before the iron door of Room 7.
Young, in his early twenties, with a rigid posture.
Seeing Lu Yuan approach, he bowed slightly.
“Captain Lu. Vice Director Kraus gave instructions that you may enter at any time.”
Lu Yuan nodded and took out the copper key.
He inserted it.
But the lock was wrong.
Lu Yuan looked down. The lock had been changed at some point. The original copper lock had been replaced with a larger, dark red alloy lock, its surface carved with a circle of inscription patterns.
“It was changed late last night,” the Nightwatcher on duty added. “The key is here.”
He took a new key from his pocket and handed it over.
Rate on N.U.
