Eldritch Horror Theatre

"Hello, Officer Lafadi."

Pleased by everyone's enthusiasm, Fu Qian remained in his seat. Only when a knock sounded at his door did he finally get up to answer it.

Standing outside next to Mrs. Harper was Officer Lafadi, the very policeman who had once helped him recover his memory.

Seeing Fu Qian open the door looking so energetic, both he and Mrs. Harper wore rather complicated expressions.

"Hello, Anke."

Lafadi looked him up and down a few times before finally returning the greeting. He stated his business frankly, without mincing words.

"Apologies for the early intrusion. I have a new assignment to ensure your safety around the clock."

"Not at all, I was already up. I should be the one apologizing."

Fu Qian waved a hand dismissively and turned to his landlady.

"...It's fine. People my age don't need much sleep anyway."

Fu Qian's extreme composure seemed to catch Mrs. Harper slightly off guard.

She studied him for a moment before waving the matter off and saying no more. Her slightly fatigued face betrayed nothing unusual.

How considerate. A truly decent landlady, to even protect her tenant's privacy.

Fu Qian praised her silently as he watched her reaction.

For this sharp-eyed old woman, last night had undoubtedly been full of treacherous twists, only to be followed by a police officer showing up at her door first thing in the morning.

Her complicated expression was a perfectly normal reaction.

She no doubt harbored plenty of suspicions about her tenant right now.

Yet even so, she showed no intention of reporting his unusual behavior to the police.

"To express my gratitude, how about I treat you to breakfast, Officer Lafadi?"

Deeply feeling that his rent was money well spent, Fu Qian smiled at Lafadi.

"No need."

The officer refused firmly, then glanced at Mrs. Harper.

"Could I trouble you to prepare some breakfast? I don't think it's appropriate for Mr. Anke to go out right now."

"Of course, no problem."

Mrs. Harper agreed immediately. The young officer nodded his thanks, shot Fu Qian one last look, and headed straight downstairs.

His words and actions conveyed a clear warning: you had better not even come downstairs and cause me trouble.

...

They really had put some serious thought into this.

Without a doubt, Lafadi had been sent here at Amira's request. She had even explicitly said as much before she left.

After witnessing his Awakening in the Nightmare, Amira surely wasn't naive enough to think an ordinary police officer could actually restrain him—even if the equipment on his belt showed clear signs of being modified by The Order.

So the true purpose of this arrangement really was protection.

Mrs. Harper went to prepare breakfast, while Fu Qian retreated to the window to observe the street outside.

In an inconspicuous corner, a carriage bearing the mark of The Order sat quietly.

It had arrived even earlier than Lafadi. Fu Qian knew full well that a very special figure was sitting inside—someone he suspected to be one of the Hunters.

It was not the one he had seen before. This presence felt even more formidable.

As a predator with a keen sense of smell, waiting down there since before sunrise, the figure exuded a truly resolute killing intent.

Amira hadn't been slacking off. She had clearly worked through the night to submit her report.

This reaction proved that someone within The Order was taking a very strict stance regarding his situation.

Under these circumstances, Lafadi arriving so early with such an overly strict demand was most likely due to Amira's specific instructions.

She was using the special social status of the police to restrict his movements as much as possible, aiming to avoid any unnecessary conflict with the Hunters.

His previous death-seeking antics had clearly left a deep impression on her.

Of course, if a conflict became inevitable—for instance, if the Hunter sensed some incredible evil aura at sunrise and moved in for the kill—Lafadi obviously wouldn't be able to stop it.

Sigh...

Glancing at the impending morning sun, Fu Qian let out a long sigh as his facial features rapidly shifted.

In the blink of an eye, a familiar face appeared.

Dazzling Visage, the ability he had gained after digesting the Pope-Bestowed Mask. Honestly, it was even more convenient to use than before, but wearing the Witch's face still felt inherently weird.

Although he was very interested in the Hunters' abilities, now wasn't the time for a direct confrontation. Fu Qian decided to play along with Amira's well-intentioned efforts.

Given his multiple past encounters with the Law, Fu Qian didn't think simple aura concealment would be very effective. To play it safe, he chose to rely on the Pope's power.

Fortunately, after his exploration last night, he knew that the Hunters' sense of smell was most concentrated exactly at sunrise.

So this wouldn't even delay his breakfast.

...

By the time Mrs. Harper knocked on the door to deliver breakfast, the massive morning sun had fully risen.

Naturally, Fu Qian's face had already returned to normal.

Throughout the entire process, the carriage in the corner showed no signs of movement.

His strategy of keeping the peace seemed to be paying off nicely.

Quite satisfied with this turn of events, Fu Qian stuffed a piece of scrambled egg into his mouth and felt even more pleased.

Although Mrs. Harper's breakfast was a bit plain, her cooking skills were solid.

Fu Qian didn't stand on ceremony, methodically shoveling it all into his stomach.

"Anke."

He had barely taken a sip of tea after finishing his meal when a knock sounded at his door again. It was Amira, coming to visit him alone.

After offering a greeting, her gaze drifted unconsciously toward his empty plates. Fu Qian's hearty appetite seemed to have caught her slightly off guard.

Did she even know what time management was?

Fu Qian merely scoffed inwardly.

It wasn't the least bit surprising that she showed up right now.

The Hunter keeping watch alone downstairs was clearly part of a tacit understanding within The Order. Amira absolutely couldn't have shown up to break that arrangement beforehand.

But after his performance last night was reported and cross-referenced with the mysterious Herbert, The Order absolutely wouldn't dare slack off.

Once the Hunter turned up empty-handed, Amira would step in to initiate the next phase without a moment's delay.

That obviously left him very little time to eat his breakfast.

"Ms. Amira."

Fu Qian finished his cup of tea before offering a contented greeting.

"I've submitted the report regarding yesterday's events. Now, I need you to come with me."

Influenced by Fu Qian's look of total enjoyment as he drank his tea, Amira—who had been up all night—suddenly felt a pang of ravenous hunger.

"Sure."

Completely unsurprised by her request, Fu Qian gladly agreed.

"Morning, Mr. Reginald."

A moment later, following Amira's lead, the two of them walked right up to the Hunter's carriage.

Looking at Reginald, who was already waiting beside it, Fu Qian nodded slightly and offered a greeting.

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