Chapter 174: Chapter 108: Give Me Back My Hard-Earned Money
"Sorry, I don’t have enough money on me today. I’ll come back and buy some tomorrow."
"O-Okay."
The shopkeeper watched him leave in astonishment, apparently not expecting an Investigator to be so poor.
Wei’en paid her thoughts no mind, wading through the disgusting sewage as he left Laos District.
Just then, a shadowy figure slowly appeared inside the bakery. "He comes here often?"
The shopkeeper hurriedly replied with respect, "He’s been here quite a few times, but he wasn’t with the Secret Investigation Department back then."
"Oh?"
The shadowy figure stared thoughtfully at Wei’en’s retreating form. ’An Investigator who buys black bread in the slums... A strange one, indeed.’
...
...
After making a deliberate detour through Ruer District, Wei’en lingered for a while near Krimms Cathedral in the core area before rushing back to his residence just as the evening bells began to ring.
DONG, DONG DONG...
Wei’en closed the door. Seeing the red moon rising silently to the sound of the bells, he let out a long sigh of relief.
"You’re back a little late today."
Hearing the voice, Wei’en noticed Clelia leaning against the bedroom door. ’Good,’ he thought, ’she didn’t forget to bring me food this time.’
’Grilled fish, roasted meat, grilled sausages, roasted potatoes... A whole barbecue feast. Nice.’
Wei’en walked over to the table, sat down, and picked up a piece of roasted meat. "I have a question," he said as he began to eat. "Hmm... how much do you know about Abyssal Creatures?"
"Which Abyssal Creatures?"
Clelia came and sat down beside him, propping her chin on one hand. Her captivating eyes were fixed on him, unblinking.
"The Bone-Eating Mother Worm."
"Oh? They’ve appeared here in Caster, too?"
"’Too? You’ve seen them somewhere else before?" Wei’en paused, taken aback.
Clelia nodded. "I’ve encountered them once before, somewhere else. The Abyssal Sect is quite fond of using these disgusting things."
"The Abyssal Sect?"
’Looks like Sister Lisi’s guess was right. That shadowy figure really might be from the Abyssal Sect.’
"Mhm. They’re a sect active on the Western Continent. They rarely come over to the Eastern Continent."
’The Western Continent, with the Cordo Sea in between...’
Wei’en asked thoughtfully, "Then what purpose do you think they have for coming to Caster?"
"That’s the second question," Clelia said, a faint, unreadable smile on her face. "Are you sure you want to know the answer?"
"...I’m sure."
Wei’en really did want to get to the bottom of this. It wasn’t about avenging the ordinary people infested by the Bone-Eating Mother Worms, but because the matter somehow involved the city-state’s internal affairs.
That was what concerned him!
"Then you can answer a question of mine as well."
"Ask away."
"Hmm, I haven’t thought of one yet. I’ll ask you when I do."
Wei’en shot her a helpless glance. ’Does she think this is fun?’
"So, do you still want to know the answer or not?"
"...Tell me."
A flicker of a smile crossed Clelia’s face. "Given the Abyssal Sect’s usual methods, they only have one reason to use the Bone-Eating Mother Worm: a sacrificial ritual."
"A sacrificial ritual? One that requires hundreds, or even a thousand people, as sacrifices?"
"Hundreds or a thousand won’t be nearly enough."
Seeing how much he was enjoying his food, Clelia also picked up a piece of potato and began to eat it gracefully. "Once they’ve chosen a city-state, they will absolutely perform a maximum-scale sacrifice, probably on the level of a Grade 3 Calamity."
"Grade 3!?"
"Mhm. They’ll need at least five thousand people as sacrifices. So, you’re running out of time, you know."
Wei’en’s brow furrowed. ’This has gotten out of hand,’ he thought. He had originally assumed it was only on the scale of a thousand or so people...
Besides, if it was really as Clelia said, he’d have a hard time surviving a calamity of that magnitude himself.
"Is there any way to stop them?"
"I forgot to mention, the one presiding over a ritual of this scale is usually terrifyingly powerful. Are you sure you want to be the one to stop them?"
Unwilling to give up, Wei’en pressed, "How terrifying?"
"At a minimum, you’d need someone at your Director’s level to stand a chance."
"..."
’He already struggled against captain-level opponents. Against an Extraordinary like the Director, even escaping would be a question.’
’Good thing I didn’t get ahead of myself and continue investigating. Otherwise, I wouldn’t even have known what killed me...’
Wei’en ate in sullen silence. ’I’ll have to find a way to get this information to Lisi and the others tomorrow,’ he thought.
"Well? Are you scared?" Clelia asked, licking the potato residue from her fingers.
"What’s there to be scared of? If worst comes to worst, I’ll just leave early."
"Good idea. In that case, want to come back with me to the Eternal Life Association?"
"Don’t even think about it!"
Wei’en rolled his eyes. "A Grade 3 Calamity in Caster doesn’t have much to do with you, does it? Looks like you’ll be able to leave this place soon."
"Who said I’m leaving?" Clelia gazed at him with deep affection. "You’re still here. How could I bear to leave you behind?"
"...Just talk normally."
"Actually, I can’t leave for a while either."
At this, an idea seemed to strike Clelia. "How about we work together to ruin the Abyssal Sect’s plan?" she proposed. "That would be so much fun."
Wei’en shot her a sideways glance. ’I’d have to be an idiot to believe that.’
"You don’t believe me?" Clelia pouted, puffing out her cheeks. "It’s not often I offer to help, you know."
"I don’t."
"Then what would it take to convince you?"
"Unless you can find every single person who’s been infested."
"All of them?" Clelia’s eyes darted slyly. "You don’t really think I’m incapable, do you?"
Wei’en gave an honest nod, just as he couldn’t believe the City-State Array would fail to detect the parasites.
"Give me two days. I’ll show you the results."
"Two days?"
"Hmph. You can’t possibly think my title of ’Thousand Faces’ is just for show, can you? It might not work on you, but don’t you dare doubt the power of a Minister-rank Extraordinary!"
