Myths Reawakened

“Boss, a detective who introduced himself as Kael is looking for you,” Assistant Kelly knocked on the open office door and said to Wayne, who was writing furiously. “He’s in the conference room. Do you want to meet with him?”

Wayne looked at his watch in confusion. It had only been an hour since he called Kael. “Tell him to give me ten minutes because I’m busy. Or better yet, find an excuse to make him leave. That guy’s too much trouble.”

He went back to writing his diary. Veronica’s demands had been growing lately. Every time they sparred, she would urge him to write more. Heaven help him. His future diary had already gotten to March next year.

It was unreasonable pressure on a writer. He was writing a realistic journal here, not a novel. He couldn’t just make things up without any real experience.

Fortunately, he had developed the good habit of reading and had gone through many books lately, especially history books. He’d learned quite a few tropes and storylines, or he would have a hard time making something out of nothing.

Half an hour later, he lowered his fountain pen, leaving the diary on his office desk. He rose to his feet and stretched his arms before strolling toward the meeting room, only quickening his pace when he was near the door. He said apologetically, “Sorry to keep you waiting. I’m swamped with work. Let’s go. We can chat on the way.”

“Where to?” Kael asked, lost.

“Aren’t you buying me dinner?” Wayne said with a surprised expression. “We just agreed on the phone.”

You did it one-sidedly. I didn’t say yes. Kael lowered his cup of coffee and said, “Your coffee is quite good. I thought it would be a cheap variety. I didn’t expect you to be this generous.”

“My clients are mostly educated upper-class people. Cheap coffee would diminish the image of the detective agency. If the clients become dismissive of us, when they make offers—” Wayne caught himself after reflexively starting to respond. He grumbled, “Don’t change the subject. Where are we having dinner?”

“We aren’t. What’s the point of two men having dinner together? This is Londan. People may misunderstand. Let my sister Mona take care of that.” Kael shrugged, looking at Wayne curiously. “I’m sure you find her beautiful, given your mainstream standards of beauty, and she’s got a good figure and a decent personality. Aren’t you going to pursue her?”

What’s with you clergy people pimping one of your own? She’s a lady of faith, not a lady of the night!

Wayne rolled his eyes. Mona clearly came to the detective agency for a reason. He would have to be bored out of his mind to flirt with her. He’d rather spend that time progressing his relationships with his three future girlfriends. Besides, he was conservative about love; he wouldn’t pursue Mona since he didn’t feel the flutter of first love when he first met her. That would be no different from coveting her body—way too high society for him!

“I’m asking you a question, Wayne. What’s wrong with my sister?”

Who told you to ask? The church?

“She’s in her thirties already, too old for me. I’m young. Eighteen-year-olds match me better.”

Wayne said whatever came to his mind, hoping that Kael would tell the church that he was a decent person who wouldn’t fall for feminine wiles. Rather than wasting time on him, they should focus more on the demons in Londan.

“Speaking of Detective Mona, I told you to notify her family to collect the body. Did you?”

Although he didn’t know what trouble she had gotten into, anything that could force a Silver-rank mage to pack up and flee had to be at least related to the faiths of hell.

“I did, but no one cares.” Kael took a sip of coffee and continued unhurriedly, “Her family’s situation is complicated. They do business but have been suppressed by the local conglomerate. Some time ago, they suffered heavy losses from their move against their competitors, and the family elders are still bedridden and connected to IV drips. They can’t afford to worry about her.”

He gave Wayne a pointed look. You can figure out the rest!

Wayne snorted. “Aren’t your families combined through marriage? Her elderly family members are yours, too. Are you not worried?”

“I’m not even considered a member of a branch of the family, so I have no inheritance rights. They don’t like me much anyway. I broke away to go solo a long time ago.”

“I don’t get it. Explain in more detail.”

“Put it this way. Imagine two detective agencies, and one offers higher pay. I switched jobs for the better offer.”

What, are you a member of the Free Mage Alliance, too?

Wayne was surprised for a moment, but it made sense. Kael was a member of the White Glove Society, which belonged to the Windsor royal family and had undeniable ties with the Free Mage Alliance.

“The elderly members of her family couldn’t get out of bed, so they offered me a good price for my help. There’s no reason for me to turn away the money, so I agreed.” Kael explained his reason for seeking out Wayne. Acting on his own wasn’t safe. Thus, he would pay Wayne half of the commission fee for coming along.

“Besides, she’s your employee, and you’ve been exploiting her plenty. For the Queen’s sake, won’t you come with me to Eclipse Town?”

Why me? Wayne raised an eyebrow. He’d tried many times to shirk off the responsibility, but it kept knocking on his door. Was it a setup?

“I’m afraid I’m too busy.”

Kael lowered his cup. “Half the payment is fifty thousand sillings, which is a better offer than what the White Glove Society can make. Whatever you’re busy with won’t pay you as much.”

Not necessarily. I’ve made an investment that will lose me money but earn me a wife! It’s a great gain!

Wayne huffed, waiting for Kael to offer a better price. Actually, he planned to make the trip out of town even without the fifty thousand sillings. After reaching Silver rank, he urgently needed to seek out his old friends for help. When he found a meditation magic circle for Gold-rank mages in Silvia’s study, he was so excited that he set up thirty in the sewers overnight.

Later, he dismantled most and left only two. He was afraid of causing more collapses!

A meditation circle could summon the four elements nearby, just like the energy gathering formations often seen in xianxia stories. Wayne had used them before with excellent results.

A meditation circle specifically for Gold-rank mages was even more effective, usually only set up at major church bases. Due to the terrifying extraction efficiency, it was illegal to use one without permission. Violation of the rule would label one a dark mage and make them a target of bounty hunters.

As the saying went, when shearing sheep, it was unwise to grab one and shear it bald—even rabbits knew not to eat grass near their burrows!

If he extracted elements with thirty circles, Londan would be covered in thirty No Element Zones, essentially a man with thirty bald spots. Even a blind person would notice that well enough.

Two would suffice. He shouldn’t go overboard. After all, the four elements were public resources. If he really couldn’t help himself and had to do something illegal, he should find a place with fewer mages and move after every strike. Then it would be impossible to trace the bald spots back to him.

The Eclipse Town, where Mona was, would be perfect. It was a hundred kilometers from Londan and bordered Cambrook County, with a small population and no church bases. He could set up a few extraction circles along the way, taking what he needed before leaving. Just thinking about it made him excited.

His original plan was to get his fill when visiting the Cambrook County, but going to the Eclipse Town would work just as well. Then he could return to Cambrook to make an appearance, saving fuel costs for another trip.

It was perfect!

However, he couldn’t tell Kael. Every minute of his time was worth hundreds of thousands of sillings. If Kael wanted to make him take a long trip, he would have to pay more, preferably up to a hundred and eighty thousand!

At the end of their haggling, they settled on a commission fee of eighty thousand.

Wayne looked at Kael with confusion. “As far as I know, her family is quite stingy. With such a large sum, why use it on me rather than someone else?”

“What do you mean? I don’t get it.”

“No, you understand perfectly. I mean what I said.”

Kael sucked in a breath. Since Wayne had laid it all out in the open, he might as well come clean. He looked around before saying, “Her family has informants in the White Glove Society... Don’t look at me. I swear it’s not me. After the evil god descended on Dragon Heart Island the last time, she asked me to help introduce her to you so that you would hire her for your agency.”

“Then?”

“That’s all I know.” Kael shrugged. He had asked, but Mona wouldn’t say anything. Given the way the Church of Heavenly Father usually operated, it was quite possible that even she herself didn’t know what she was looking for.

Wayne stroked his chin thoughtfully. Could the church be searching for an Anointed One or a holy knight, and because he had driven away the Blood Tyrant, they considered him one of their own?

“When are you planning to leave, Wayne?”

“I’ll head home to grab something. Let’s meet back here in half an hour, then we’ll set off.” Wayne needed to put his diary back in the bedroom and grab a gun for protection. In Windsor, gun violence should be feared!

“That works. I’ll head back to my detective agency, too. I happen to have a commission not far from Eclipse Town. After we find Mona, I’ll head to Silent Hill. Let’s see each other in half an hour. Don’t be late this time.”

Kael wasn’t particularly invested in the mission to find Mona. He was only a messenger; he wasn’t going to let an errand for the church interfere with a well-paid gig.

“What-what hill?” Wayne picked his ear, wondering if he had misheard.

“Silent Hill.”

Oh, that!

His eyes twitched. The name alone sounded ominous. He gave Kael a friendly warning: “I’ve been to Cambrook County. The university life there is quite nice, so I stayed for a while. I consider myself quite well-versed with the surrounding area, yet I’ve never seen ‘Silent Hill’ marked on any map.”

“It’s normal for small places to be omitted on maps.”

“Alright. If you encounter any problems, call the detective agency. My assistant will notify me. Remember to give me half the pay later.”

“You’re being paranoid, Wayne. Not every place is going to be trouble.”

“Perhaps...”

He wouldn’t jump to conclusions about other places, but with a name as ominous as ‘Silent Hill’, he would bet fifty sillings that Kael was going to encounter something supernatural on this trip.

***

Half an hour later, two cars drove toward the outskirts of Londan. Kael drove ahead to lead the way, while Wayne followed at a safe distance, strictly adhering to the traffic rules. The fact that Kael had driven his car rather than riding with Wayne told him that Kael was planning to bolt as soon as they arrived. That irresponsible attitude definitely wouldn’t come from a member of the Church of Heavenly Father.

Kael had been in the detective business for years and knew the roads in and around Londan well. The experienced driver needed no map as he took shortcuts the entire way. Before Wayne realized it, they had already arrived at Eclipse Town.

“What kind of shabby roads were you taking? They are all so narrow.”

“But we got here fast, didn’t we?”

Kael glanced at his watch. It was afternoon tea time. He took Wayne on a tour around the small town and located the nearest bar. Eclipse Town wasn’t a prosperous area. Like the other rural towns, it had lost much of its population to the cities due to industrialization, leaving the place looking quite desolate.

Though Enrod was a small town, too, it was at least known for producing chicken eggs and could be reached via train. Eclipse Town was located in a remote area and was not connected to the railway system.

Given the environment, the bar didn’t see a lot of business. When Wayne and Kael entered, the bartender lay sprawling on the counter, dozing off.

Kael ordered a simple meal and a glass of beer. When he saw Wayne ordering only two sandwiches, he nodded in approval and said, “That’s right. You should drink less at a bar. Drinking too much can get you pregnant. I’ve seen many people who wake up not knowing who the father of their child is.”

Stop talking nonsense and eat. We’ve got a woman to look for right after.

Wayne couldn’t be bothered with responding to Kael. He wolfed down the sandwiches as quickly as possible; while his manner lacked elegance, it fit in the bar.

“Wayne, have you heard the saying that those who don’t drink waste half their lives?” Kael raised his glass. “Have some. Eclipse Town is known for its alcoholic drinks. There’s a yearly beer festival.”

“I’ve also heard the saying that people who drink waste the other half of their lives.” Wayne refused the offered drink and urged Kael to hurry up. All this dawdling—if Mona wasn’t faking her danger, she might already be done for now.

“You call yourself a gentleman, but you have no patience—”

Kael trailed off, glancing at the door when he heard it open. His pupils contracted, and his breath hitched.

Wayne frowned, glancing toward the front door and seeing a strongwoman weighing over two hundred pounds, rendering him speechless in a different way.

With that build, she would be the exact type favored by military enthusiasts—no, Kael. She dressed herself luxuriously, carrying a lady’s handbag. While her styling made her look like a nouveau riche who had suddenly earned her fortune, all her jewelry indicated that she wasn’t a laborer scraping by through manual work.

Wayne told Kael to save his energy. Flirting was too time-consuming. Once he helped him find Mona, he was free to do whoever he wanted.

“No, I’ll be quick!” Kael raised his glass to get a refill, saying smugly, “Wayne, flirting doesn’t waste time. Trust me. You’re just too shy. You only have to walk up to your target and ask her if she has a boyfriend, and you’ll get a ‘no’. I’ve never failed with this move.”

What a waste of that face of yours. Keep it up!

Wayne didn’t even know where to start. He said exasperatedly, “Ever since I met you, my world has been filled with eroticism. Don’t you find your behavior shameful?”

“There’s nothing shameful about having a healthy soul in a healthy body!”

No, your soul’s not healthy at all!

When the bartender brought the refilled beer over, Kael handed him a bill and asked about the strongwoman. It wasn’t great. She didn’t have a boyfriend, but she was married, and her husband was the mayor.

Kael sighed, giving up the idea of hitting on her. He said pitifully, “Love goes as suddenly as it comes. I thought I was in love, but I’m already too late. The woman I’ve fallen for belongs in another’s arms. My love story ended before it even began.”

“Look at it from another angle, you’re coveting a woman who belongs to someone else. Doesn’t that feel better?” Wayne grabbed Kael and dragged him out of the bar.

One shouldn’t always put oneself in the shoes of the victim. It would feel better to think of themselves as the home wreckers. Or they could consider themselves a Casanova if they found the word ‘home wrecker’ disagreeable.

Kael disagreed. He actually was heartbroken.

They went to the inn where Mona had been staying and paid the innkeeper for information. The innkeeper shook his head, insisting, “Sorry, I can’t disclose any guest’s whereabouts to you even if you claim to be her friends.”

“If you’re such a man of principle, why did you take the money?” Kael handed over another bill. “Hurry. It’s a matter of life and death. We’re pressed for time.”

The innkeeper said nothing until the third bill was in his hand. The bribery finally awakened his memory and prompted him to volunteer the information. “The lady seemed to be investigating something and got herself targeted by the town’s police. As far as I know, all officers in town listen to Mayor Wales.”

Wayne turned to Kael. So, the mayor has a role, too?

Kael frowned. The script was much more complex than he expected, which was unlike how the church operated. “Let’s visit the police station. Mona may have gotten into real trouble.”

To two Silver-rank mages, the town’s police station was no different from a bus. They could come and go as they pleased. A light-bending spell even saved them the fare.

Inside the police chief’s office, Wayne fed the man a mushroom, making him confess everything.

It turned out that Silent Hill had uncovered a gold mine. To claim the wealth for himself, the mayor had pulled many strings. When passing by, Mona intervened and was forced to leave town by the mayor’s thugs, driving to Silent Hill.

What thugs could be powerful enough to chase off a Silver-rank mage?

Wayne and Kael exchanged glances. Kael nodded and complained, “What did I say? I should’ve hit on that lady. If not for you rushing me, I would’ve done it ten times with her already. Ten times! What couldn’t I have learned from her?”

Wayne rolled his eyes. What a ridiculous overstatement. Ten times would’ve resulted in some serious chafing.