Chapter 122

Chapter 122: The Figure at the Edge of the Square

After asking clearly where the relief station near the square was, Heidi left on her own, holding her head. Duncan, however, had no intention of going over to deal with the official personnel there—mainly because Shirley was standing beside him now, and this girl who could summon Abyssal demons clearly did not want to have anything to do with the Deep Sea Church.

He watched Heidi’s figure grow smaller in the distance and let out a soft breath. Then he turned to Nina first: “You didn’t get hurt, did you?”

“No.” Nina was still a little shaken. She had been unconsciously clutching Duncan’s sleeve, and only now suddenly realized it and let go. Then she looked at Duncan in surprise. “You still haven’t told me. Why did you show up at the City Museum?”

“I happened to be dealing with something nearby,” Duncan said with a smile. “Then I suddenly heard the City Museum was on fire, so I came to save you.”

Before she could say anything else, he reached out and rubbed the girl’s hair, comforting the recently frightened Nina: “All right, it’s over. As long as you aren’t hurt.”

“…I’m not a little child anymore!” Nina shook her head. Then her gaze fell on Shirley, who was standing beside her. She was about to speak when a strange look suddenly appeared on her face, as if she had remembered something that didn’t quite fit. She looked Shirley up and down. “Shirley… why do I suddenly feel… that you’re a bit…”

A moment ago, Shirley’s attention had been completely on Duncan. Now, when she saw Nina’s reaction, panic showed plainly on her face. Her eyes opened a little wider. In her fluster she glanced at Duncan, and there was even more fear in her expression.

Duncan’s heart stirred when he saw this change, because this young lady’s face looked exactly the same as when she had been caught skipping the tram fare. He glanced thoughtfully at Nina and went back over, in his mind, how he had dealt with Shirley before and what identity she was playing now—

Known facts: both times he had dealt with Shirley were when Nina was in class at school. Also known: Shirley’s real personality was awful, rough, and hot-tempered, nothing like a “quiet, well?behaved child.” Also known: one of Dog’s abilities as a Abyssal demon was to interfere with an ordinary person’s judgment to maintain a disguise…

And her current “identity” was Nina’s new friend at school. That identity was full of holes.

Duncan rubbed his chin, set a hand on Nina’s shoulder, and jerked his chin toward Shirley. “Do you really know her?”

“Of course. Her name is Shirley. She’s a new friend I made, but…” Nina frowned. “But for some reason, just now I suddenly couldn’t remember when she showed up at school…”

Duncan turned his head and let his gaze rest quietly on Shirley, who was already trying hard to lower her presence. After a long moment he spoke softly: “You still have a chance to explain yourself, or I…”

He had barely finished speaking when Shirley burst out in a rapid rush of words: “I’m sorry, I was wrong, I only slipped into the school because I wanted to investigate something, but I really didn’t hurt Nina, and just now in the City Museum I even blocked the falling beam for her, please believe me, I really didn’t know she was your retainer, I don’t know what a big shot like you is into, please, just let me—”

Duncan hadn’t even had time to say the rest before he was stunned by this barrage from the girl who had once swung a dog around, her voice on the verge of tears. His first reaction was that this girl was incredibly gifted and might even serve as a good sparring partner for Goathead…

Then he cleared his throat twice and cut off Shirley’s babbling. “She’s not a retainer. She’s my niece.”

As he spoke, his gaze fell on Shirley’s hands.

They bore signs of burns. Thanks to her amazing healing, only faint scars were left, but she really did seem to have been hurt in the City Museum.

If she wasn’t lying—and she probably didn’t dare—then she really had done it to protect Nina.

Shirley, of course, had no idea what Duncan was thinking. Her mind was almost blank. “If… if you say she’s your niece, then she’s your niece…”

Only then did Nina slowly react. She looked at her uncle in surprise, then at the “friend” in front of her. “Wait, you two… already know each other? And Shirley, why did you—”

“By chance,” Duncan said calmly. He did not let Shirley speak, because who knew what this girl might blurt out in front of Nina. “Looks like we have a lot to talk about. Don’t you think so, Shirley?”

Shirley was almost in tears. She looked at Duncan with a long face. “If you say so, then—”

“You say so.”

“…Yes, that’s right.”

“Uncle, don’t be so fierce to Shirley,” Nina said. She was still completely confused, but she could see that, for some reason, this new friend was very afraid of her uncle, and her uncle was not being very polite to Shirley either. That made her uneasy and puzzled at the same time. “My head is a mess right now… can someone explain what is going on?”

“We’ll talk slowly when we get home,” Duncan sighed. He looked up at the City Museum, which was still sending out smoke, then turned in the direction he had come from. “It’s too chaotic here. And the two of you are covered in soot. We need to go back, wash up, and change clothes.”

Shirley stammered, “I… I’m coming too?”

Then, before Duncan could answer, she nodded hard to herself. “You’re right!”

Duncan sighed, half helpless and half amused. No matter why Shirley had approached Nina at first, from now on she would definitely be harmless at Nina’s side. He shook his head and prepared to leave with the two girls.

Just then, his gaze happened to sweep over the edge of the City Museum square.

A figure standing near the crowd at the edge of the square suddenly caught his eye.

It was a figure in a black coat, back turned to them, looking toward the burning building. From the back, it seemed to be a tall, thin man. His coat looked like a long trench coat, its long hem almost covering his whole body. The strangest part was that he was holding a large black umbrella on this bright, sunny day.

There was no wind and no rain, and the sunlight was not even very strong. Yet a tall, thin man in a long coat stood at the edge of the square under an open umbrella, watching the fire. No matter where you put it, that scene would look strange. But many people were gathered at the edge of the square, and not a single one was looking in the direction of the man with the umbrella.

“Uncle?” Nina noticed Duncan suddenly stop and looked curiously toward where he was staring. “Is something over there?”

“There is a man over there holding an umbrella on a sunny day. It’s very strange,” Duncan said casually.

“A man with an umbrella on a sunny day?” Nina froze. “Where? I don’t see him…”

“I don’t see him either,” Shirley said, rubbing her eyes and following Duncan’s line of sight with curiosity. “Maybe your eyes are playing tricks on you…”

“You both can’t see him?” Duncan’s brow furrowed at once. He glanced at Shirley and Nina, then turned his eyes back toward the square—and in that instant, the man with the umbrella had already vanished.

“Uncle?” Nina looked at Duncan, worried. “Did you breathe in too much smoke just now? Are you feeling sick?”

“…I’m fine. Maybe my eyes just played a trick on me.” Duncan only shook his head and answered lightly so Nina would not worry.

But his gaze still stayed on the square. Before he finally looked away, he fixed his gaze on that spot one last time.

If it was only a strange man with an umbrella, then it was no big deal.

But if it was a figure only he could see, that was a different matter.

He remembered that figure.

…

Vanna led a squad of elite guardians to the Ocean City Museum, but by the time she arrived, the sudden blaze was already nearing its end.

A soot?covered Deep Sea priest came up to the Inquisitor with several guardian warriors who had also just rushed out of the fire.

“The fire suddenly died down on its own,” the Deep Sea priest reported at once after saluting Vanna. “But we didn’t find any traces of supernatural power left at the scene.”

“Died down on its own?” Vanna’s face grew serious at the report. “…You led the team into the fire. Did you find anything odd?”

“Among the citizens fleeing the scene, there was a large number showing extreme panic, hallucinations, and babbling. I suspect there is supernatural corruption in the City Museum,” the priest said with a nod. “But we searched the place and found nothing… The only abnormal thing was that the flames suddenly died down on their own.”

As he spoke, the priest made a gesture of prayer to the Goddess and added, “But it was also because the fire faded that the guardians and I were able to retreat safely.”

Vanna thought for a moment and nodded slightly. “All right. When the fire is completely out, I’ll have people search the City Museum again from top to bottom, to see if any exhibits have changed…”

After giving these brief orders, the young Inquisitor raised her head. Her gaze swept over the citizens who were receiving aid and mental guidance, as if she were searching for someone in the crowd.

Just then, a voice called from not far away: “Vanna! I’m here!”

Vanna looked up and saw the bedraggled Heidi waving hard at her from the crowd.