【November 15: The Iron Whale returned fully loaded, bringing back mysterious minerals.】
【November 17: The Church established a branch cathedral; a purple-robed bishop was sent in.】
【December 14: The Mist passed through...】
"There's a problem with the timeline." Lu Yuan thought, his fingertips subconsciously tapping on the table.
Thomas's leg injury occurred after the Iron Whale returned, and Dr. Laisen's diary began to grow delirious after that same point.
The Iron Whale didn't bring back minerals at all, or rather... it was some kind of unspeakable 'living thing'?
The fact that the Church suddenly sent in a bishop at this specific moment was obviously too coincidental; perhaps the Church was preparing to suppress something...
"This port seems like a powder keg already... I think I need to move faster."
【Information analysis successful, Gelimu Port Status: +5, 14/50】
The subsequent newspapers recorded nothing but ships heading out to sea, new bakeries opening in the port, or rental advertisements for various tenements.
As for the information Lu Yuan wanted regarding the Nightwatchers, it could be said there was almost nothing in the papers.
The only useful piece of information was in a June newspaper, a joint statement issued by Viscount Gelimu and the Nightwatchers, claiming that Gelimu Port had officially implemented electric lights throughout the entire port.
Seeing this, the experience bar surfaced.
【Gelimu Port Status: +1, 15/50】
But after that, there was no more activity.
Lu Yuan couldn't even discern if any abnormal events had occurred in the port recently.
Putting down the newspaper, Lu Yuan felt a bit of a headache. The lack of movement in the experience bar meant that the information he could obtain about Gelimu Port from the newspapers had reached its limit.
Even though Gelimu Port in the newspapers appeared peaceful and stable, the events of last night were still vivid in his mind.
No matter how he looked at it, this was contradictory and extremely strange.
Since there was no better way, he could only gather information slowly.
Putting aside the newspapers, Lu Yuan decided to read more lately to raise his Basic Medicinal Herbology level to level two.
Perhaps it would bring some unexpected effects.
As night fell, Lu Yuan sat by the fireplace, flipping through Basic Medicinal Herbology by the firelight, trying to grind a bit more experience.
A strange sound eventually broke the silence.
'Sha...'
It was the sound of soles dragging heavily across the floor, slow and stiff.
Lu Yuan looked out the window; night had fallen, the fog was thick, and only clusters of light stood by the roadside in the distance.
"Coming for medical treatment at this hour..."
Lu Yuan's heart instantly became alert.
The sound stopped at the clinic door.
Then came a dull knock.
"Doctor... are you there?"
The voice was very hoarse, as if a clump of phlegm was stuck in the throat.
Lu Yuan hesitated for a moment before finally opening the door just a crack.
A man stood outside.
He wore an expensive, pure black wool suit and held a silver-topped cane, looking completely out of place in this slum-like street.
But what set off Lu Yuan's alarm bells was not his clothing, but the scent emanating from him.
A strong scent of perfume was trying to mask the faint... salty, fishy smell underneath.
Lu Yuan had only smelled this salty, fishy scent on Dr. Laisen when he had turned into a fish.
"Good evening, doctor." The man took off his top hat, revealing a thinning scalp and a somewhat pale face.
The man then grinned, revealing a row of somewhat sharp teeth. "I am Lawson. I am the landlord of the nearby tenements, as well as the owner of this building. You can call me Mr. Landlord."
Lu Yuan's expression remained calm, but the hand gripping the doorknob tightened.
'The landlord?'
'If the other party is here to collect rent, then I, an impostor, might be exposed at any moment, because I have no idea about the rent or the agreement.'
'Worse still, this "landlord" in front of me seems to be quite ill as well.'
【You observed traces originating from the deep sea, Forbidden Lore - Gazer: 5.2/10】
The prompt appearing at the corner of his eye confirmed Lu Yuan's suspicions.
He could gain experience just by observing; what would happen if he got closer?
Lu Yuan leaned against the door, his eyes downcast as he hesitated for a long time. Ultimately, he chose to let Lawson in. Without this place, Lu Yuan would find it difficult to move an inch in the short term. Besides, what else could he be looking for at this hour besides medical help?
"Please come in, Mr. Lawson." Lu Yuan stepped aside, a fake smile appearing on his face.
"I assume what you need tonight is not to collect rent, but... some medical advice?"
A flicker of strangeness passed through Lawson's eyes, but he did not answer.
He simply walked behind Lu Yuan, moving very slowly. His legs seemed to be dragging something heavy, making a rustling sound against the floor.
The electric lights in the clinic were not very bright, casting a dim, hazy glow.
Lawson surveyed the surroundings, naturally took off his hat to hang it on the rack by the door, and then chose a chair to sit in.
Lu Yuan took out a notebook and a fountain pen, sat back on the sofa, and spoke.
"Mr. Lawson, tell me about your symptoms."
Lawson, however, shook his head as if he had heard a joke.
"You're just like Laisen. Besides, I'm not sick. I've just been having trouble sleeping lately. I need some medicine that won't let me dream, or something to calm me down."
Lu Yuan didn't respond. He wrote 'Sleep' in the notebook, then looked up and signaled Lawson to continue.
Lawson just sat there, with no intention of speaking further.
For a moment, the clinic fell silent, with only the sound of crackling wood from the fireplace Lu Yuan had just lit.
"By the way, what is your name?"
"Lu Yuan."
"Oh? From the East. That's quite rare in Gelimu Port. When will Laisen be back?"
"I don't know."
Lu Yuan did not intend to continue these meaningless conversations with Lawson. It was obvious that this so-called Mr. Landlord not only distrusted him but was also maintaining a constant aristocratic air.
His time was precious, as every bit could be converted into experience. Most importantly, this landlord seemed unwilling to tell the truth.
He had to realize that this was a golden opportunity to find out something.
Whether the symptoms on Dr. Laisen and the illness on this landlord were the same was related to Lu Yuan's own safety.
If they were the same, it meant the danger level of the 'Strange Dreams' would increase significantly, and he might even be infected...
Therefore, he had to apply some pressure to make Lawson tell the truth. Thinking this, Lu Yuan issued an order for the guest to leave.
"Mr. Lawson, if you only need sedatives, I'm sorry, we don't have any here for the time being."
"The medicine Laisen left behind before he went away doesn't include those. Perhaps you could try the Church..."
After speaking, Lu Yuan didn't even lift his eyelids, simply picking up a book to flip through.
If Lawson wasn't anxious at all about seeking a doctor at this hour, Lu Yuan would never believe it. So as long as he was anxious, he would definitely speak up.
Rate on N.U.
