Herchenhorzburg Grand Duchy, Shanhang City.
Leonhard emerged from his father’s manor. A light drizzle fell upon him as the gloomy Crown Prince saw his court chamberlain approaching briskly, a document clutched in his white-gloved hand.
“Your Highness, the Fourth Prince of Schwarzenkreuz has begun his operation. The target is that ‘hero’ on our side. “
He took the document and glanced at it. “Hmph, this Fourth Prince is truly… ruthless enough, using information as valuable as the Blood Shell data to… divert our attention. “
The chamberlain fixed his gaze solemnly on Leonhard’s eyes. “And what of us, Your Highness? “
“Step up our efforts. Don’t let his determination to draw Steffen’s fire at such great risk be wasted. “
Leonhard knew that the chamberlain’s question was not merely seeking this order as an answer. After a moment of silence, Leonhard continued:
“As for that Yang Buchen, while he is indeed rather bothersome, now is not the time to abandon him. Morally and logically, we should at least show him our support in word and deed. “
No sooner had he finished than another palace attendant in grey-black work clothes came trotting over. “Your Highness, there’s an urgent telegram regarding Schwarzenkreuz. “
“What is it? “
The man unfolded a piece of paper: “According to the latest intelligence just received, Yang Buchen, who is currently being pursued by Schwarzenkreuz, has announced that he will soon release all the data on the Blood Shell. He is calling for support from the governing bodies of any nation interested in this information. “
“What! ” The palace guard stared back in disbelief.
“This guy… did he really steal the Black Wenzipp data? It’s not… ” Leonhard pursed his lips and snatched the telegraph document from the man’s hand, skimming through it under the umbrella.
—…I require the national academies of sciences to provide research and data support for this document.
—— “…If any department provides investigative support regarding the slander against me, to restore my reputation… I can offer that fragmented Blood Shell for their research!“
“He!” Leonhard exclaimed in shock, bringing the paper close to his eyes as if unable to recognize the words written upon it.
……
Bang!
Maxim slammed his hand heavily onto the table. “That bastard! He just went ahead and tossed our intelligence data out like that!“
“How does he still have a Blood Shell in his possession?” The adjutant, who had been kept completely in the dark, now looked like a terrified rabbit, his heart pounding nervously.
“Fourth Highness, this… you probably didn’t know about this either. That figures,” he muttered to himself, dazed. “Who would have thought that the Steffen people would leave one of those indestructible things lying around—on the outside, no less.“
“Enough!“
“Yes, sir.” The adjutant, slightly composed after his lapse, immediately stood at attention. “It was my dereliction of duty. I failed to eliminate him on the way.“
Maxim paced the unpretentious barracks office, and after his anger had abated slightly, let out a sigh and said:
“It’s not your fault either. This time, I overreached. I just didn’t expect that he would ignore the threat from the Steffen people and draw all the attention to himself just to retaliate against us immediately. “
“This… ” The deputy quietly looked up at Maxim before him.
“I originally thought he would infiltrate Krostiten and follow the plan he had originally made to sabotage our research. That would have been safer for him and easier to stay behind the scenes. It would have just… taken a bit more time. “
The deputy could hear that Maxim’s tone, which he tried to make calm, already contained extreme pent-up anger.
He didn’t want to say things like “Please advise ” either, so he simply said:
“I’ll start making preparations right away to disclose how exactly he stole our data. “
……
By the next day, the trend that had been brewing the night before — one that might have toppled the image of the “Fogfolk of the White Violet Mist ” hero — had already tumbled into chaos.
Most reports that sought to capitalize on the “captured laborer ” issue died before they could ever be published. The few that did come out, except for third-rate newspapers looking to grab attention through sensationalism, were wholly discredited. No major newspaper escaped the furious morning crowd who crumpled them up and hurled them into the trash.
“This guy called Yang Buchen… did he actually steal the documents and kill the soldiers? “
“There are photos from the scene. look, they’re crystal clear. “
“The fight was so brutal, even the glass windows are busted. “
“But… Fogfolk generally don’t do things that would harm us, do they? “
People everywhere were buzzing with the news.
At the Hirst Detective Agency early in the morning, Anxi had barely stepped through the door when he saw Hirst tottering over, clutching a newspaper with a nervous expression.
“Something terrible, Chief Anxi! Our senior investigator, the man himself, has committed a murder! “
“Well, that’s nothing new… oh, no, I mean, he doesn’t normally kill people. “
Hirst’s already trembling heart sank completely.
Anxi took the newspaper, where bold, large letters screamed a headline: SUPPORT OUR HERO!
Below, a dense block of text told the tale of how a hero from Mistville was always ready to help others, even generously distributing salvaged treasure among everyone, free of charge.
Furthermore, the article, signed under the name “Court Honorary Reporter Conrad, ” also made mention of the Blood Shell.
——… The so-called Blood Shell is a roughly fifteen-centimeter-long, irregular diamond-shaped crystal. It’s hard as rock, with a hazy, translucent complexion set atop a brass-colored shell base exuding a menacing imperial aura.
——The reason I know it exists is that, in the besieged coastal village, inside that cramped room at the Blue Oak Commune, I once personally saw it lying quietly there on Mr. Yang’s luggage in the corner. It sat discarded so ordinary, not giving the slightest hint of the earth-shattering power it held.
—Oh, you ask me how it came to be by the side of our hero, Mr. Mistman? Could he be a Steffen spy? Then, allow me to reveal this secret: Our hero was struck down from the sky by that very cannonball! Yes, who would have thought that this seemingly energetic man, full of hope for everything, had once been attacked by such a terrifying weapon?
—You surely don’t know why he was shot down from the sky by that kind of cannonball.
—Next, we quote from last month’s news in theChebin Monthlyfrom the Chebin Archipelago to reconstruct the incident. Please refer to the report: “The Two Heroes of Mistbang Who Saved Major General Hakwonzik. “
Below is the appendix from that monthly journal, printed in a different typeface, recounting how the newly arrived Yang Buchen identified possible food poisoning at the farewell party, and warily saved the life of Major General Hakwonzik, who had been mysteriously poisoned. And what follows includes how the entire family of the island lord quickly moved away and vanished amid local speculation, meticulously reproduced here.
Further behind, there are also reports from Hakwonzik’s home country newspapers from the previous two months covering the attack on the Major General, along with condemnations of the Steffen Blood Beast Corps.
All of this confirms the origin of the cannonball found by Yang Buchen’s side. This already corroborates the authenticity of the events Mistman Yang Buchen described happening at Hakwonzik last night.
Anxi sighed and found a chair to sit down, “It seems that even abroad, our chief investigator is working hard. “
“Boss, ” Hurst said, “how can we help him out? “
Anxi thought for a moment, then looked up solemnly: “By taking on two more investigation cases, we’d already be giving him the biggest help possible. “
“Huh? “
……
Inside an intelligence center in Steffen.
A man with a cigarette dangling from his lips and an old military cap on his head grinned as he glanced at a piece of intelligence, flimsy like snowflakes. He snorted softly, then chuckled.
“Damn it. These idiots can’t figure out a thing, and yet this Fogfolk brat turns the tide with just a casual telegram. “
“Boss Enzo, ” said a woman wearing a clerk’s military uniform, sitting across the chair, frowning. “I discussed it with the team, and we all feel that lately, the royalty, heads of state, and presidents of various countries have been laying a bit too low. “
Another man, with a hint of high-altitude red on his cheeks, nodded in agreement.
“Yeah, Boss. Even though Fogfolk everywhere are quietly putting effort into this, steering the course of events, we still think last night’s response to Hevenwitz should’ve been stronger. After all, the tacit agreement on captured laborers has held for twenty or thirty years now. “
“Do you know why that tacit agreement came about back then? ” Enzo, grinding a thick rolled cigarette between his lips, asked while scanning the intel sheet.
“Uh… probably because of those guys coming from the Mist Sea. “
“Hah, good, you answered very… ” Enzo’s words trailed off as his eyes drifted to the ceiling. “The Misty Sea, ” he said, then turned to glance at his team across from him: “Any recent news about the Misty Sea? No, that’s not right. “
Enzo stood up, and the team members around him immediately rose with seriousness. Their footsteps clattered as they crowded over to the document cabinets that covered the entire wall.
“That Ross, a Heiwenzi Ke major general, has been placed under house arrest for leaking intelligence. Shit! Dig up all files from the past year across the nations regarding the Misty Sea. Immediately dispatch someone to investigate the latest intelligence on Ross’s activities. “
“He’s been keeping in contact with outside personnel for the past two days. “
“Contacting them how! “
“Through… letters. “
……
These past two days have driven Muse absolutely frantic.
In fact, aside from the Fourth Prince Maxim of Heiwenzi Ke, Muse was the most anxious and committed to this matter. The reason was that he had just received word that the nominal President of the Republic of Waldestadt, Mr. Friedrich Bergmann, had secretly requested a meeting with him.
However, the mayor of Krostiten City had met with him, advising caution. Matters so coveted by the Steffen people should not proceed within Krostiten City’s borders.
This left Muse in a difficult bind.
In this country, his influence drastically wanes once he leaves this city.
In the dead of night, under the full moon, Yang Zicang and Xue Qi, as a party of three, finally arrived in Krostiten City. The trio, having completely disguised themselves this time so that even close kin wouldn’t recognize them, stepped down from the train.
An elderly couple with graying hair, accompanied by their son who had just come of age with a handsome and refined face, stood on the platform.
Gazing at the rows of steam locomotives resembling something out of a high-speed rail station, the three of them momentarily felt a surreal sense of having traveled through time.
“Please leave the station at once, ” instructed staff members dressed in olive-green uniforms, signaling to the disembarking passengers to hurry.
The vendors that would normally be seen outside the windows had vanished without a trace. Inside the vast station, compared to the adjacent silent platforms, the frenzied rush here seemed to create an atmosphere of excessive tension.
“What’s going on? ” Xue Qi grabbed someone passing by to ask.
“If you’re asking me, who am I supposed to ask? “
“It’s nothing. Things have been like this lately. After all, this is the border area; the situation can turn unstable at a moment’s notice, ” another passerby said nonchalantly.
No sooner had he finished speaking than he was pinned by a sharp gaze— one from the attentive staff member in uniform, part of the team evacuating the passengers.
The three members, with Yang Zicang graying his hair, followed the crowd towards the passage beside the platform.
After all, his powers stemmed from such transit hubs; upon entering, Yang Zicang turned to examine the railway system that bore unmistakable hallmarks of his hometown’s craftsmanship.
“It’s such a relief that they haven’t become demon leviathans. “
But as he looked closer, doubt crept into his expression.
He almost felt as though the tracks were weeping—a sorrowful cry that perhaps only he could perceive.
He looked down at the train tracks and sleepers beneath his feet, along with the tiny particles mixed among the gravel under the sleepers.
-｛In April, distributor Wager was observing my current life experience.｝
“Coming, you old bastard? ” Xue Qi, disguised as an old woman, turned her head.
“Wait… no, you go on ahead first. ” Yang Zicang handed her the leather suitcase in his hand, his gaze never leaving those sleepers.
The memory maneuver unfolded in his mind as he stared intently at every track here.
Suddenly, a figure walked over and stopped beside him.
Yang Zicang turned his head. Wager, a pair of gray-white fake beard stuck on his upper lip, his hands pocketed into his clothes, stood upright beside him.
“It’s you. Wandering over here. “
“When I saw you in Heiwenzigan, I figured you’d definitely come this way. I just didn’t expect you’d spot it immediately. You’re right, this is where I had originally planned to try and give birth to the ‘Heroic Flash.’ “
“Flash? ” Yang Zicang looked at Wager’s calm face beneath the brim of his hat.
“Mm-hmm. Just that I never expected—or rather, the one who designed this station system thought of it long ago. As long as these structures from the future are built using nightmare corpses, they won’t turn back into nightmares. “
A twitch rippled across Yang Zicang’s face.
Wager said, “Come with me. Let’s go into hiding. I’ve been investigating the anomalies around here for some time now. “
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