Chapter 366: A Case
This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation.com.
Annie left with an air of innocence and joy, her footsteps echoing with a happy rhythm as she walked away. Despite her childlike demeanor, she showed no hint of unease or doubt about her actions. After all, she was still a child, blissfully ignorant of the world’s hidden intricacies and forebodings.
Meanwhile, the elderly caretaker stood like a statue at the cemetery’s entrance, his gaze fixed on Annie’s diminishing silhouette. He took a long time to rouse himself from his contemplation. Then, with trembling fingers, he reached into his chest pocket and retrieved a small vial filled with medicine. He carefully took the concoction, feeling relief as it took effect.
“I can’t shake this off; it’s unnerving… I must relay this to the cathedral without delay. Oh mighty God of Death, this anomaly is simply too confounding…”
His words trailed off as he turned abruptly and headed towards the caretaker’s quarters. Inside his modest cabin, he locked the door and approached an old desk near his bed. He revealed a hidden panel on the desk’s surface, exposing an array of complex pipes, valves, buttons, and levers.
Amongst this network of pipes were a few metal capsules, nestled within small compartments.
With urgency, the old man retrieved a sheet of parchment from his desk drawer and began writing with a fountain pen. He swiftly documented his observations into a formal report. Once finished, he rolled up the paper and secured it within a metal capsule. He inserted the capsule into an open slot in the pipe compartment of the desk.
“May Bartok bless these pipes and the air flowing through them… May the valves work perfectly without clogs, pressure drops, or volatile reactions, and may the differential machine at the sorting and delivery center avoid any mishaps.”
His prayer faded into the quiet room, and he pressed a button next to the pressurized pipe. A green indicator lit up, signaling the all-clear. He then pulled a lever beside the button.
A peculiar bubbling noise, like air blockage, emanated from the pipes. However, it was quickly replaced by the steady hiss of the pressure pipe in full operation, and the capsule moved swiftly through the system.
The elderly caretaker anxiously watched the pipe, murmuring, “…Could mentioning divine entities in the letter have interfered with the mechanical system?”
After a tense moment, the green lights indicating a successful “express delivery” to the higher sorting center lit up, and the caretaker sighed in relief. He shut the panel enclosing the pipe compartment.
Meanwhile, Alice was exploring the city, carrying a sizable paper bag. Her eyes roved over the diverse architectural features, soaking in the uniqueness of this city compared to Pland. She found the urban lifestyles fascinating, observing the townsfolk and their daily routines.
The paper bag contained fresh produce she had picked up from a local store. It was filled with vegetables, eggs, a block of butter, and cuts of lamb for a delicious meal she planned to prepare.
Alice was learning to navigate shopping independently, though she sometimes struggled with calculating change. Despite the challenges, she persisted, making steady progress each day.
With her head slightly bowed, Alice held the shopping bag in one hand and retrieved a piece of paper from it with the other. It was her shopping guide – a list of needed items.
The writing on the paper was irregular, with uneven strokes revealing a beginner’s hand. Recognizable words and simple sketches represented her shopping list. Some words were familiar, others less so, replaced with crude illustrations. This was a product of her effort to create a reliable shopping guide.
Alice had embraced the responsibility of planning meals, drafting her shopping list, purchasing items, calculating change, and returning home on time. Successfully accomplishing these tasks brought a smile to the captain’s face and a sense of joy to Alice.
After cross-checking the contents of the bag with her list, Alice was satisfied and resumed her journey back to her temporary home on Oak Street.
Her attention was suddenly diverted by a commotion from a nearby street corner. A group of about a dozen people huddled around an old residential structure, engaged in animated discussions. Phrases like “the woman has gone mad,” “poor soul,” and “the church has been alerted” added to the sense of urgency.
Curiosity swept over Alice, causing her to slow down until she was rooted to the spot, her eyes fixed on the gathering.
Remembering the captain’s advice to avoid unnecessary complications, Alice hesitated. But the scene seemed incredibly interesting and potentially valuable to the captain.
“I’ll just go over and investigate… I’ll gather information for the captain… This isn’t mindless curiosity; it’s a serious inquiry…”
Alice rationalized her decision and moved closer to the scene, securing her head with one hand and clutching the paper bag with the other.
The building was older and more cramped than the two-story house the captain had rented. Its narrow windows and exposed gas pipes made it look congested, giving the impression of multiple tenants living in individual spaces.
The crowd’s chatter was a cacophony of disjointed snippets, leaving Alice more confused. She decided to directly inquire about the situation and gently tapped a man’s shoulder. “Excuse me, could you tell me what’s happening here?”
The man started at her touch but relaxed upon seeing a young lady modestly shrouded by a veil. He gestured towards the building and explained, “A woman has lost her senses. She claims to have killed her husband and now threatens to harm her child. First, local law enforcement was alerted, and now even the church is involved. This may be more serious than it appears.”
Another bystander chimed in, “If the church is involved, could there be something… supernatural at play?”
“I hope it doesn’t escalate,” a woman interjected, worried, “I live directly beneath them. If anything happens, we’ll have nowhere to go…”
“Regardless, a visit to the church for an exorcism wouldn’t hurt. Better safe than sorry,” a voice of reason echoed.
As the murmurings resumed, Alice felt herself swept along the tide of unintelligible chatter. She looked up, following the direction everyone pointed.
Above, slender threads floated in the air, swaying gently like strands of silken hair. Some threads seemed ethereal and transparent, their luminosity fluctuating in sync with an unseen rhythm.
Inside the old residential structure, a musty odor lingered. Antiquated plumbing leaked at various points, and the intermittent dripping sound echoed eerily. Black-robed guardians, carrying staffs and lanterns, assembled in the living room, making the already tight quarters feel oppressively cramped.
In the corner, on an old worn-out sofa, crouched a woman with disheveled hair. She huddled in fear, muttering indiscernible sentences.
Two guardians monitored her while their comrades continued investigating. They had been scouring the place for clues for almost two hours.
Suddenly, a gust of gray wind swept down the hallway, passing through the open doorway and swirling into the living room.
The guardians halted their investigation and respectfully acknowledged the gray-white whirlwind. Emerging from the vortex, Agatha surveyed the room with a discerning gaze.
“What’s the current situation?” she asked, addressing the senior guardian.
The guardian captain, a woman with a neat black bob, stepped forward. “We found a small quantity of a substance like ‘mud’ on the bathroom floor, similar to samples from past cases.”
“Primal matter…” Agatha murmured, frowning. “How small? Is that all you found?”
“Roughly a test tube’s volume,” the captain demonstrated with her hands. “That’s all we found. We’ve searched the entire building, and the residue was only on the bathroom floor.”
Agatha nodded, her gaze shifting to the disheveled woman on the sofa.
“Is she the individual in question?” she asked.
“Yes,” the squad leader confirmed. “She’s a resident here. Our background check revealed nothing suspicious – no prior run-ins with the law. She works as an accounts keeper for a local firm. Her husband used to work in the metal mines. According to records, he died in a mining accident three years ago.”
The metal mines… a mining accident…
Agatha made a mental note of these details. With a composed demeanor, she approached the woman, who continued muttering.
“Ma’am, I’m the city’s gatekeeper. You’re safe now,” Agatha assured her, subtly using her power to calm the woman’s spirit. “Can you tell me what happened?”
The woman abruptly stopped muttering as Agatha’s soothing voice reached her. She mumbled something incoherent, then suddenly raised her head.
Agatha met a pair of eyes filled with a terrifying mix of fear and insanity.
“He returned, he came back… I killed him, I killed that monster… in the bathroom! It dissolved right there in the bathroom!” she blurted out.
Hello, I am trying to purchase chapter 366 but since I am already a member it keeps lopping me to it and I cant pay 5$ do I need to subscribe then re-sub 5 dollars to gain access to chapter 366
do I need to unsubscribe then resubscribe?
no, just log into your patreon account. if you cant access it then your tier is problem not high enough
soaking in the uniqueness of this city that was so unlike Prand. > Pland
The man initially started at her touch > startled
Started is correct. If you want to use startle, then it would have to be passive: “The man was initially startled at her touch.” To start here means he jumped when she touched him.
“The man initially started at her touch”
Here it should be “startled” rather than “started” I think.
so this woman was unaffected by cognitive disruption, gotta figure out why
Knowing that each mud was a piece of the soul it is heartbreaking that she killed her husband. (When Captain Babelli was dead we saw many bits of his soul returning to him suggesting that the Nether Lord or whatever being is at play here can cut the soul.