"Leizi, your assignment to Lungmen comes directly from the higher-ups… sigh~ You still can't let go of that major case, can you?"
"..."
"You could've had a brilliant future in the Ministry of Justice…"
"I'm sorry, sir. But no matter what, I have to uncover the truth behind this case.
Three children, three clues. Two families, two factions. No follow-up, no conclusion… I need to know what really happened."
"…It seems your mind's made up. I won't try to stop you, then. But you must be extremely careful. The Ursus duke has been in contact with Lungmen's officials—this could spell trouble for Yan."
"Even if he's the so-called Eternal Duke of Ursus, he'll never lay a finger on Yan's territory!"
"That conviction of yours is admirable, Leizi—but don't underestimate him. Keep your vigilance sharp, use your thunder arts to remind yourself constantly. Never let your guard down.
That duke… is said to possess terrifying skill in influencing and manipulating minds."
"I understand. Thank you, sir."
"…I'm sorry, Leizi."
---
'This duke's sense of humor is downright twisted.'
Leizi silently watched as Kashchey weighed the stolen wallet in his hand, humming a cheerful Ursus tune as if he hadn't a care in the world.
'Still… he doesn't seem as terrifying as the rumors say.'
At least the thief—Cautus—hadn't been robbed of her tools of survival by the duke.
But Leizi couldn't ignore the stories surrounding this man.
"One must not hear his voice, know his name, see his form, or trace his path."
That was an old Gallic saying—a remnant from the fallen nation—about the dread being known as Kashchey.
It was Ursus who had sent Duke Kashchey to participate in the Four-Nation War, the conflict that ultimately erased Gaul from the map.
The Witch-King of Leithania, the Eternal Duke of Ursus—those two names alone shattered Gaul's pride.
Indeed, in terms of military might, Gaul had once stood among the greatest in Terra.
But on this land, the power of an individual can rival—if not surpass—that of entire armies.
When the war ended, Ursus did not seize any of Gaul's territories. Instead, they used their contribution as leverage, demanding advanced technology from Victoria and Leithania.
The other nations accepted those terms.
Perhaps the tales were exaggerated—but even so, it was undeniable that the Eternal Duke of Ursus possessed formidable powers of control, and his influence extended far and wide.
'For now… I'll have to detain that Cautus Thief.'
After all, she'd had direct contact with Kashchey—and even dared to offend him.
Leizi didn't want to see the poor girl hanging herself in shame the next morning over a failed theft.
Truthfully, had Kashchey not spoken to intervene, Leizi would've stopped the Shadow Guard's brutal execution herself.
Punishing a thief with death for a failed robbery—too cruel, even for an infected.
Leizi could never accept such overreach.
Meanwhile, the battered thief known as Rope staggered out of the alley—only to find two officers waiting, both visibly impatient.
'…Just my luck.'
Rope sighed bitterly. Misfortune had been following her these days.
---
"Zhu Jiuyin, how can you even stand to read that kind of story? It's such a clichéd mess—pure self-indulgence with logic that makes no sense."
Inside the painted world, Dusk shot a disapproving glance at the man sitting across from her.
Zhu Jiuyin sat by the desk, completely absorbed in the script in his hands.
Her artwork was full of life and beauty—how could that boring script compare?
"Heh… I'm not enjoying your sister's writing. It's just that some of the details hidden in her words… interest me."
Without lifting his head, Zhu Jiuyin continued flipping through the pages.
Yes, the script was trite and dull, brimming with personal fantasies.
But those fantasies were precisely why he was reading it.
Through Nian's creations, he'd sensed faint traces—clues about Sui and the Twelve Fragments…
and a glimpse into Nian's deepest fear:
The fear of erasure—of fading from existence.
"…Dusk, your sister seems terribly afraid of disappearing."
"She clings to this world too much… But really, what can we siblings even do about it?"
"…If you don't try, how will you ever know what you're capable of?"
"…Easy for you to say."
"Heh… perhaps. But if Sui could shatter once, then it can shatter again."
"And when that happens… will I still be me?"
"…Who knows? Maybe when that day comes, I'll bring one of your paintings to your grave. Oh—wait, you probably won't even have one."
"…Get out!"
Once again, Zhu Jiuyin was hurled out of the painted realm—nearly crashing into the wall of the inn.
He glanced up at the painting hanging on the wall, then unfolded Nian's script once more.
…It seems most of the fragments have no desire to reunite.
In that case, maintaining the unity of my own consciousness is still necessary.
---
Compared to one immensely powerful, uncontrollable lunatic, twelve weaker beasts sound much better.
I'm not confident I could successfully steal Sui's power anyway.
Besides… I'm not ready to lose Dusk as a friend.
Hmm…
What a hassle. I have absolutely no clue where to start.
I'll deal with it when the time comes.
Though… if I were to possess one of the beasts, would Sui's fusion still proceed as intended?
…Next time, I'll ask Dusk about her relationship with Nian.
They don't seem to get along very well.
---
Meanwhile, somewhere deep within Lungmen's slums, a group of vagrants moved quietly from different directions toward the cemetery.
The guard on duty saw them enter but said nothing.
For a fleeting moment, a shadow like a serpent glimmered in his eyes.
The vagrants said not a word. They simply took out whatever crude digging tools they had—
half-broken shovels, rough pickaxes, even battered spoons.
They dug stiffly and silently.
But after hours of labor, they found nothing.
As dawn began to break, they carefully erased all traces of their digging and returned to their usual hiding places.
…So, Edward's body isn't in the cemetery.
The only way to know the truth is through Wei Yenwu.
Perhaps I could use the excuse of a daughter visiting her late father's remains…
---
"Snakescale, this is not a place you should be."
"…Respected Lady Kal'tsit, I bear no ill will toward Rhodes Island. I'm merely here to deliver a message from my lord."
"…I am no longer a noble of Ursus."
"Then—Dr. Kal'tsit, Lord Kashchey asks that you shelter the Ursus children."
"…And why does he not come himself? I would think he'd relish an opportunity to display his 'compassion' to the world."
"..."
"…To hide even such an obvious motive—how ridiculous, and what a pitiful disguise."
"…Then, Dr. Kal'tsit, what is your answer?"
"Rhodes Island is a neutral medical organization. Out of terranitarian concern, we have extended aid to the refugees of Chernobog.
Tell your master—Rhodes Island is not his training ground for tempering children."
"…Understood, Dr. Kal'tsit."