A mage? A spell engineer!

Chapter 295 The Marquis's Residence

"That marquis seems quite ruthless," Singhlev said with some concern. They were about to "visit" him, but the dwarf couldn't think of any reason to do so.

Freddie reassured them: "According to the residents of the Shadowlands, he is still quite fair, only he deals with criminals more harshly than on the surface."

Rorschach had already figured out how to make the audience. Since the entire Shadow City was considered the Marquis's territory, the underground cult that could escape the rules of the Shadow City was a major threat to his rule. As long as he could provide clues about the shipwreck, the Marquis would have no reason not to cooperate with him to find out the truth about the return to the Holy Mother's Church.

As they left the church, the number of pedestrians gradually increased again. The core area was like the "most virtuous place" in the shadows; even in the dim environment where it was difficult to distinguish between day and night, the streets were kept as clean as possible. In retrospect, even the eerie Harold Avenue was not dirty.

Most of the pedestrians on the road were dressed no differently than those in the upper realm, except for a few who were dressed in very retro attire, as if they had stepped out of a historical oil painting.

"There are also horse-drawn carriages for hire!" Freddy recognized them at a glance, because like their counterparts in Storm City, they had brass bells hanging from the front of the carriage canopy. However, the carriages seemed to be pulled by two old donkeys, so thin that you could see their bones.

"Does the carriage here accept payment for what's on the ground?"

"Bartering will always work here!" Freddy ignored the dwarf's questions and stopped the car.

The driver lifted his peaked hat, looked around, and said, "There are quite a few people. Where are you headed?"

"The Marquis's Mansion".

"The Marquis's castle? You're going to the Marquis's manor?" The coachman stared, his bloodshot eyes looking like they were about to pop out of their sockets, and repeated, "The Marquis's manor?"

"Yes." Rorschach pulled out the biscuits he had found in the captain's cabin. The coachman took them, sniffed through the oil paper wrapping with his hooked nose, and said, "They're fresh, with the authentic aroma of wheat and butter. Alright, get in, generous guests."

After everyone had boarded, he added, "Guests, please don't open the windows on the way." He then pulled on a loose thread and covered all the curtains in the carriage.

Singerev gave Rorschach a wink, but Rorschach didn't move, remaining seated comfortably in the carriage. The carriage had no shock absorbers, so the wheels clattered against the road, and then against the backs and benches, bumping and rattling. After what seemed like an eternity, it suddenly slowed down.

Singhlev asked the driver through the curtain, "Are we almost there?"

The coachman didn't answer. Suddenly, Rorschach's Arcane Vision saw clusters of light gathering towards the carriage. At first, they were just blurry orbs of light, but as they drew closer, they became taller than the carriage canopy. As if sensing Rorschach's observation through the thin wooden planks of the carriage, one orb of light entered the carriage, bringing with it a pungent muttony smell.

The pale light outlined the slender hand.

However, this hand could not be seen by normal vision, and the others did not understand what was happening. Just as Luo Xia was about to react, the hand touched the little coal ball and quickly withdrew.

Soon the carriage started moving again.

"You are well-behaved guests, and the Marquis will receive you." As the carriage stopped and the door opened, the coachman said this, confirming that Luo Xia and the others had not drawn back the curtains to look outside without permission.

"Thank you." As they got off, Rorschach noticed that one of the donkeys seemed to have two small holes in its thigh, and blood was still flowing from them.

"Your donkey seems to be injured," Rorschach pointed out.

The driver remained unmoved and returned to the driver's seat: "It's a horse, horses in the shade are all like that. It's alright, sir, just a minor injury." With that, he drove away.

Peeking through the wrought-iron gate, one could see a rather large mansion inside, which wouldn't look out of place even if it were moved to the wealthy district of Storm City in the upper realm. There were a few tiny figures holding gardening shears in the garden, but no guards. The tiny figures hopped over and bowed to Rorschach, Freddy, and Singlev, but deliberately ignored Little Coalball.

"Please report to the Marquis that we are here to see him about the shipwreck in the semi-submersible area and the cult."

The little man patiently waited for Rorschach to finish speaking, and after confirming that it was just one sentence, he dropped his gardening shears and ran inside.

The dwarf, only slightly taller than the little man, could see the most details about him: "These servants seem to be...rat whisperers?"

They waited outside for a while, and then the messenger brought out new servants, who were clearly dressed better, in miniature tailcoats like children playing house. Each of them pulled open one side of the door for the visitor.

The miniature male servant led them to a study where they met the ruler of the Shadowlands.

The Marquis himself was a lean man, incredibly tall; even Rorschach and Freddie's heads were only level with his chin, so he was intimidating when the other stood in front of him.

"Speak, Mage Rorschach, what is your purpose in coming to my domain?"

Freddie raised an eyebrow upon hearing the real name "Heisenberg." Suddenly, an idea struck him: "Your Excellency, may I tour your residence? As an artist, I'm quite interested in porcelain and paintings."

The Marquis nodded: "Please ask this poet and Singlev to leave, along with your rat-whispering slaves."

"Little Coal Ball is free."

"Excuse me." After saying that, the servant led the three of them out of the study, leaving space for the Marquis and Rorschach.

"Your clever friend is gone. Now, can you answer the questions truthfully?"

He knew my name and the dwarf uncle's name. Rorschach was surprised how the other person knew, but he was still relatively friendly for now.

"My lord, I have come to investigate the activities of the 'Order of the Return of Our Lady' in Istani. In both the Holy Kingdom and the Empire, we have thwarted its conspiracy and discovered that personnel and relics of Mother Earth have been flowing into Istani."

"You haven't answered my question. Going to the Kingdom of Istani and entering the Shadowlands are clearly not the same thing."

"Is it really not the same thing? A few days ago, a ship belonging to the Order ran aground in your territory, in the semi-submersible zone. And Count Elgin reported that the Order is also active in your Shadow City." As Rorschach spoke, he couldn't help but frown slightly. After the others left and the door to the room closed, he smelled a bloody odor, accompanied by a slight stench of decay.

The marquis did not respond immediately. He looked thoughtful, scratching his two pale hands together, his knuckles red and swollen, and blood seeping from where his fingernails scratched.

Seeing that the Marquis had nothing more to say, Rorschach continued, "We discovered an evil ritual on the Order's ship, which I suspect is a ritual involving the sacrifice of grey elves that allows them to enter and leave the Shadowlands on a large scale. According to the voyage log, they are also traveling between El Isle and Storm City."

The Marquis finally spoke: "So? Can you stop them?"

"I'm just here to investigate, to find out why the Underground Order is active on El Island, why they came to the Shadowlands, and what the source of the evil creatures from Mother Earth that flowed into the continent is. I can't do it alone, but I implore you, as the master of this place, to provide some timely assistance."

"Anything else?"

"Also, may I see your magic advisor?"

(End of this chapter)