Eldritch Horror Theatre

Not bad at all!

Although the information Rafadi provided hadn't detailed the landlady's personality and habits, their brief interaction just now proved she possessed a sharp competence that belied her age.

Even with the endorsement of The Order's carriage, it clearly wouldn't be easy for a mysteriously missing person like himself to fool her.

She had no intention of leaving their chat for another day, either, choosing to wait right downstairs for him.

Fu Qian was naturally quite pleased with this. He was in dire need of a capable elder with a firm grasp of her surroundings to point him in the right direction.

"Thank you."

Without a word of polite refusal, he walked straight over and sat down.

"What exactly happened? You looked like you were still wearing your uniform just now. Have you been at the Art Gallery this whole time?"

Neither the old lady's observational skills nor her curiosity disappointed him.

"It would seem so. At least, I was still admiring the art when they found me."

Fu Qian stared into the clear tea, speaking in a self-deprecating tone.

It smelled nice, though it was clearly a rather strong black tea—a perfect match for the shrewd old lady's temperament.

With his keen sense of smell, Fu Qian could naturally tell that it was a blend of several different tea leaves.

Theoretically, such an exquisite beverage would only exist in a well-functioning world.

In fact, everything he had encountered today proved exactly that—which completely contradicted his expectations.

"What art?"

Mrs. Harper locked her gaze onto Fu Qian's face, as if scrutinizing his every feature.

"A painting that wasn't in the best condition."

Fu Qian answered truthfully.

"And in that Nightmare, I even saw the things from the painting."

"Your mind was trapped in a Nightmare for all these days?"

Mrs. Harper frowned slightly.

"Is that what you told the people from the Celestial Sphere Cult, too?"

That name...

It was Fu Qian's first time hearing The Order's full name, and his mind naturally drifted to the peculiar starry sky he had seen behind that stained glass window.

Were they actually a group of astrologers?

That would make them quite different from the source of Ill Omen's power.

"Yes. There's plenty I can't figure out, of course. Like how I went undiscovered for five days if I was at the Art Gallery the whole time... But they didn't seem to mind. In fact, they told me not to overthink it."

Fu Qian took a sip of his tea, looking thoughtful as he feigned the demeanor of someone slowly returning to his senses.

"They even told me not to worry about the police."

"Because of today's explosion? It seems they found you at a very convenient time."

Mrs. Harper's shocking statement made it clear she was quite well-informed.

"Probably. In fact, the police did suspect me... Maybe they weren't wrong. Maybe I really do have something to do with the explosion. Are there any results from the investigation yet?"

Fu Qian maintained a casual posture, completely unbothered by listing himself as a suspect.

"No. I heard it wasn't even a tunnel. Having ruled out theft, they can't fathom why anyone would blow a hole in the ground."

Faced with Fu Qian's lack of eager self-defense, Mrs. Harper wore a somewhat strange expression as she shared what she knew.

"It is hard to understand, but I suppose it's nothing to me anymore."

Her shift in expression didn't escape Fu Qian's eyes. He immediately agreed with her assessment, projecting an air of... utter indifference.

"If it weren't for Amira's help, I might not have even figured out whether I was truly Anke or not..."

"It sounds like you really have been through a difficult time. You should get some good rest now."

Seeming to finally accept her tenant's innocence, Mrs. Harper softened her tone. After a brief moment of thought, her eyes narrowed slightly.

"Have you ever wondered, Anke... why you receive such a high salary for working at the Art Gallery?"

"Is there some special reason for that? People just like art."

Fu Qian looked up, seemingly caught off guard by the question.

"And why do they like it?"

"...Because it awakens a resonance deep within the heart?"

"A resonance. Heh... The depths of the heart aren't just filled with beauty; they're equally full of anxiety and fear. Didn't you just experience a Nightmare?"

For the first time, the stern landlady cracked a smile.

"I don't understand what you mean."

"I don't fully understand it myself. But when you came to me to rent a place, my life experience told me you were hiding something about the nature of your work."

Mrs. Harper sounded completely sincere.

"Judging from what you just told me, the people from The Order seem to know a thing or two."

She hadn't disappointed him; the old lady really was quite observant of her surroundings.

Fu Qian offered silent praise, realizing the time had come.

"Do you know of The Rayson Couple? I hear they live somewhere nearby."

"The Raysons... What about them?"

Mrs. Harper frowned, clear surprise and suspicion in her voice.

She knew The Rayson Couple, but she didn't know they were Nightmare victims too.

Fu Qian made an instant judgment.

It was good news.

Aside from acquiring another address, this seemed to prove another point—the old lady hadn't gotten suspicious solely because of his salary. Something else had tipped her off.

This meant The Rayson Couple wasn't an isolated case. There were likely many Nightmare victims in this city.

Of course, going to see The Rayson Couple first was still the best option for now.

No matter how friendly they acted, Fu Qian didn't expect the people from The Order to refrain from monitoring his movements.

Seeking out fellow patients that they themselves had revealed would look much more natural.

"The people from The Order suggested I take a walk around. They said it would help me shake off the Nightmare's lingering effects."

Fu Qian opted for the most easily misunderstood phrasing.

"Do you know where they live?"

...

This should be the place.

As it turned out, Amira and the others hadn't been talking nonsense after all.

Faced with Fu Qian's explanation, Mrs. Harper had looked thoughtful and actually provided him with an address.

It was so close, in fact, that Fu Qian easily arrived before dark while maintaining the most natural strolling pace.

Even better, the targets of his visit appeared to be home right now.

The couple, who were of a similar age, were even sitting across from each other on the terrace, romantically sipping tea.

The only problem... Fu Qian frowned at the two faces. He didn't rush upstairs, quickly sorting through the trace of familiarity he felt.

These two people actually looked somewhat familiar. Madam Resen, in particular, looked much more familiar—wasn't she the lady who had winked at him when he descended upon the Painting World via Dragon Communion?

Both husband and wife had been present at the time. The reason Madam Resen seemed more familiar was because during his last exchange with the Pope, an image of her paying her converted respects had appeared once more.

Counting this one, it was their third time crossing paths, and he finally knew their names.

Now, he had no doubt whatsoever that these two were Nightmare victims.

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