Eldritch Horror Theatre

The old friend the Sanctuary Madam mentioned was naturally not that elegant member of the Blood Clan, but Olinter.

It was obvious that the Sanctuary had already reached a certain consensus regarding his identity.

His reaction just now had only cemented that belief.

The final outcome was that he would be taken to the West District Church.

This was also why Fu Qian no longer wanted to waste time.

The Dark Moon had directly advanced the time to night, meaning the Vampire Clan's gathering was about to begin.

Knowing their style, Fu Qian was confident they would not cancel it.

...

The Order naturally couldn't just let him walk away, and inviting him to join the Sanctuary was nothing more than a fairy tale.

Such as whether he had been impersonating Herbert.

And the person in The Order most capable of proving whether he and Herbert were the same person was naturally Olinter, who had interacted with him twice.

He was right there at the West District Church.

Therefore, as long as he maintained an ambiguous stance regarding his identity—coupled with the solid foundation he had laid using Herbert earlier—there was an extremely high chance he would be delivered straight to the gathering place.

Everything would fall into place, nice and harmonious.

...

As it turned out, The Order was as cooperative as ever.

"Shall we head out?"

Ignoring the Sanctuary Madam, Fu Qian looked at Pfeiffer, once again displaying top-tier enthusiasm for walking right into their trap.

"...Let's move out."

It was clear that Pfeiffer remained quite confident in his own judgment, yet Fu Qian's attitude was simply too eager.

However, he only hesitated for a moment before making his decision, not forgetting to glance at Prout.

"How are you holding up? Can you move?"

"I'll manage. But if anything happens on the way, I won't be able to help."

Having rested for a while—and seen his colleagues manage to push back slightly against that "apostle"—Prout's shattered state of mind seemed to have eased a bit. He nodded and stood up.

"You have already done enough."

Pfeiffer gestured for him to rest easily, then pointed toward the Plaza.

"Bring the people outside with us. We need time to digest everything we've uncovered recently. And as for that final scene just now..."

Looking around at the group, he was not even willing to speak the name of the Dark Moon.

"I need absolute secrecy from all of you. Every single one of you."

...

Once it was clear that Pfeiffer's orders were understood, the team moved out with remarkable efficiency.

And just as expected, Harriet and the others had indeed been brought here specifically to serve as guinea pigs.

Even now, they remained in some sort of sealed state, their minds entirely unconscious as they were easily handled by the others.

Meanwhile, as the guinea pig who had directly caused the termination of the project, Fu Qian undoubtedly received an absurd amount of attention.

Aside from the previous three-man squad, the Sanctuary Madam and Pfeiffer flanked him closely, watching him like hawks.

Naturally, by unspoken agreement, none of them attempted to communicate with Fu Qian anymore.

Having already accumulated plenty of experience in blaspheming faiths, Fu Qian naturally understood the subtle emotions at play. Quite cooperatively, he resumed his place in the middle of the formation.

As the ruins of the Small Town were completely swallowed by the thick fog behind them, he heard the greatest contributor of this trip—Excellency Prout—let out a long, sorrowful sigh.

Judging from the current situation, there was a very high possibility that this Sanctuary member had genuinely received the unique bounty of the Hunters.

Otherwise, with such an elite lineup gathered, they wouldn't have let a person be "encouraged" by him to the point of a mental breakdown without terminating the Nightmare to switch operators.

Only a Nightmare spearheaded by him would possess enough Insight.

His body, which clearly showed a tendency toward mutation, also proved this point.

Moreover, for someone of his esteemed status, hiding out in this Small Town made a lot more sense now.

Compared to Laerdin, where the population was far more mixed and the pollution index was on an entirely different magnitude, staying in the city would likely cause his sensitive constitution unbearable pain.

However, in the blink of an eye, things remained while people changed in this former utopia.

...

"It really turned into night!"

Perhaps it was because Fu Qian's killing methods in the Nightmare had been far too brutal, but the return journey was unexpectedly smooth, devoid of any obstructions.

It was so quiet that the first time anyone spoke was only after they had emerged from the Mist and stepped onto the road leading straight toward Laerdin.

Except that this well-maintained main road was now only illuminated by scattered starlight.

Having held it in the entire way, the Sanctuary Madam was finally unable to suppress her shock at the sight. As she marveled, she forcibly resisted the urge to look at that "Dark Moon Apostle."

The faint trace of wishful thinking she had held onto before leaving the Mist was ruthlessly shattered once more. She had no desire to give that madman an opportunity to flaunt his smugness.

...

The might of the Dark Moon was terrifying to this degree.

Of course, she was actually flattering herself a little too much; Fu Qian clearly had zero interest in paying attention to her emotional state.

As he estimated the time based on the night sky, Fu Qian felt no joy whatsoever that his claims had been proven true.

The Dark Moon not only existed, but it still possessed this wondrous influence. Fundamentally, this only made things worse for the Witch.

Even now, she had yet to transmit any sort of message, meaning the probability that she was already gone had become much greater.

This trip could be considered a fruitful one, but unfortunately, all of it seemed to be bad news.

"We need to return to Laerdin quickly to avoid any unnecessary chaos."

Naturally, the grim atmosphere within the expedition team only made things worse. For a moment, Pfeiffer was the only one who responded to the Sanctuary Madam's exclamation.

His concerns were not unfounded.

Nightmares, thick fogs, and the inversion of day and night—the residents of Laerdin had experienced quite a lot lately. It wasn't strange that their psyches had taken a hit.

Even the professionals were no exception.

Fu Qian finally retracted his gaze and looked at Amira beside him.

"Self-doubt is always the First Step of self-Sublimation, and also the most painful step."

His voice was deep and gentle, fully exuding the demeanor of a cultist.

"What comforts me the most about this trip is that, finally, a lamb's footsteps have begun to falter."

"...Are you trying to bewitch me?"

However, it seemed Amira wasn't so easily led astray. Recovering from her brief shock, she met the numerous scrutinizing gazes and responded with a firm tone.

"I admit that many incomprehensible things have happened, and I acknowledge the troubles they've caused. But I am absolutely certain that I don't have the slightest doubt about everything before my eyes. To me, they are the purest reality."

"Bewitch. The fact that you would use this word means your understanding of the title 'shepherd' is still too shallow."

Fu Qian chuckled softly, showing no displeasure whatsoever.

"I was merely giving you a compliment. I also wanted to ask you to drop by the Art Gallery and request a few more days off on my behalf. It seems I won't have the chance to go back to work anytime soon."

"...As of this morning, the Art Gallery has been closed indefinitely. All entry and exit is forbidden."

Amidst the dead silence, Amira's expression contorted for a moment before she ultimately responded to his request.

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