On the third floor of the Bronte departnt store, directly across from Weinstein Hospital.
To prevent another attempt on Lu Li's life, guards from City Hall had occupied the building as soon as he was admitted to the hospital.
Mayor Matteus stood at the window, gazing across the wide, fog-shrouded street at a lone silhouette standing by the window of an illuminated hospital room.
"Mr. Lu Li won't approve of what we're doing."
His assistant sighed from behind him.
"I'll apologize to him later. I hope he'll understand," Mayor Matteus said, wearily rubbing his temples.
"What's the status of the investigation?"
"The assassin ca from the town of Little Henry, just down the railway line. He had a brother who died two years ago, becoming a Cleaner due to contamination. After that, he ca to Winnelag alone."
"How did he get here?"
"By rail. Like many villagers, he dread of this city but couldn't afford a ticket. So he followed the tracks to Winnelag. Once he arrived, he had dealings with a few gangs."
The assistant didn't find the gang connections particularly unusual. Many penniless newcors who found themselves holess in Winnelag ended up involved with gangs. Either they sought them out, or the gangs found them.
"There are a lot of suspicious details, aren't there?" Mayor Matteus murmured, his eyes still fixed on the silhouette behind the curtain across the street.
"A poor man manages to get a firearm, slips into the Delijin warehouse undetected, climbs to the third floor, and then tries to kill Lu Li, who had just changed rooms a short while ago?"
It seed that everyone and everything was under suspicion.
The gangs the assassin had contacted; the Delijin warehouse staff, who noticed nothing; the City Hall employees who leaked Lu Li's location; the anomalies, which were naturally hostile to Lu Li; the political machinations of rival organizations like the Brotherhood; and even Mayor Matteus himself.
"And that's not all. The assassin also praised and longed for the Old Era."
The assistant finished his report and then whispered:
"A supporter of the Old Era, murdering the glory of the Old Era..."
"Do you think there's sothing wrong with his identity?" Mayor Matteus asked, looking away from the window for a mont.
"The assassin is definitely human, and his contamination wasn't severe enough to make him lose his sanity..." The assistant stated only the facts, offering no personal opinion.
"Speak freely. There's no one else here," Mayor Matteus said, nodding to his assistant.
The young assistant, who ca from a count's family, considered this for a mont before replying:
"The assassin must have been just a pawn, not the mastermind. He was used as cannon fodder to kill Lu Li. The conspirators didn't even teach him how to use a pistol, which suggests they didn't care... it ans the conspirators didn't care whether Lu Li actually died."
A man who doesn't know how to use a firearm is unlikely to hit a target from several dozen ters away, but there's always a small chance he might—just as he did this ti, when the bullet grazed Lu Li's neck, missing its mark by an inch.
"So... you believe the conspirators didn't care if Lu Li died, and they didn't care what damage his death would do to Winnelag and to humanity?"
"That is what I believe," the assistant replied, lowering his head.
No one in the upper echelons wanted to be in charge of a chaotic Winnelag.
"But the Brotherhood has been making a lot of small moves today," Mayor Matteus noted.
"They've been after your position for a long ti. This is a perfect opportunity for them."
Tapping his fingers absently on the windowsill, Mayor Matteus mulled it over before giving an order:
"Focus on finding everyone he was in contact with in Little Henry and Winnelag. Send n to his town to investigate his character. First, confirm whether he was brainwashed, and then find a way to get the Inquisition involved in this."
"But we haven't found any trace of an anomaly in this assassination attempt yet."
"We'll just say that the safety of the last exorcist is reason enough for them to intervene."
After a mont of thought, Mayor Matteus asked:
"What about Advisor Lori?"
"He understands your actions and has done nothing to interfere," the assistant hesitated for a mont, then added, "The Brotherhood is fighting for the position."
"And they're likely to get it?"
"Yes. The Council of Elders is extrely displeased with what happened. Even if the investigation is concluded, they will still take that seat from you as a punishnt... And without the Privy Council, your influence will be diminished."
"That's already the best possible outco..." Mayor Matteus said wearily.
At least the exorcist hadn't been seriously hard.
Agreeing inwardly, the assistant gave a quiet nod and looked back at the window.
On the curtain of the hospital room window, the shadow of a bare coat rack was cast.
"Hmm? Just a mont ago, there was..." The assistant's expression turned to one of astonishnt.
"Let's go!" with a low cry, Mayor Matteus rushed out of the room.
...
Bang-bang-bang.
The hospital room door rattled from the pounding, but there was only silence from within.
"Break it down."
In the hallway, Mayor Matteus commanded, his lips pressed into a thin line.
The captain of the guard nodded, took a few steps back, and slamd his body into the door.
Crack.
The lock gave way. Stepping over small splinters of wood, Mayor Matteus entered the room, flanked by his assistant and the guards.
A coat rack stood by the window, a pile of bedsheets lying at its base.
"Mr. Lu Li—"
The assistant threw back the rumpled blanket, only to find, as expected, nothing but a pillow underneath.
"The exorcist... is he gone, or was he..." The assistant's face turned pale.
Mayor Matteus let out a helpless sigh, his gaze falling upon a letter left on the nightstand.
...
"A good idea."
Katerina agreed with Barry, her tone laced with light irony.
"But can you really avoid being caught by them?"
"I can."
"There's no need."
Lu Li stared out at the swirling fog.
"They don't know we're here; they're just guessing. We'll hide on the ship."
"But I'm afraid..."
Barry scratched the back of his head, looking embarrassed.
"Yeah... the Big Ship doesn't like Barry. Maybe it'll chase him off," Prusius agreed.
"We'll take a detour," Lu Li said, a sudden instinct telling him sothing was amiss.
The rchant was hostile to Barry, and now the Big Ship was hostile to him as well?
"You're trying to escape?!"
Mayor Matteus's shout suddenly echoed from outside the shipyard.
...
Thud-thud-thud.
Guards carrying torches surrounded the area.
The port was frigid before dawn, and even hundreds of torches couldn't dispel the chill.
Mayor Matteus stared at the dark shipyard ahead and continued to shout:
"This isn't an insult. We all know what you've done—no one is braver than you! But to the citizens of Winnelag, you are fleeing!"
"You, their faith and their legend, are leaving after being attacked. They will be terrified, anxious, and doubtful! They will descend into chaos!"
"It will bring disaster to Winnelag! The anomalies will seize this opportunity, and the only star of the Main Continent will be extinguished."
The tip of Mayor Matteus's nose was red with cold. He exhaled a plu of white vapor, pouring out his inner indignation.
"Are you really prepared to watch all of this happen?!"
"For the sake of the people here, for the sake of a humanity that still clings to hope—"
Mayor Matteus, his assistant, the newly arrived advisor, and hundreds of guards—they all waited.
Before everyone's eyes, a tall, slender figure slowly erged from the shadows of the shipyard.
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