Eldritch Horror Theatre

So that painting was most likely still in its original place.

While the discussion about the commission shocked everyone present, Amira's response naturally brought a dimly lit corner to Fu Qian's mind.

Given his own series of actions, it wasn't surprising that The Order would take some reactive measures. His question just now obviously wasn't out of dedication to his job; he simply wanted to confirm the situation over at the Art Gallery.

If the painting had been directly taken away and sealed, strictly locking down the gallery seemed a bit unnecessary.

Ultimately, The Order still firmly believed that the painting was nothing extraordinary.

"Then what about my salary?"

Although he was extremely satisfied with this result, Fu Qian hadn't forgotten to pay attention to such vulgar matters.

...

"If I were you, I wouldn't worry about that."

"Simon will come with us. Amira and Reginald, go back first. I'll find you if I need you."

Pfeiffer chimed in at this moment. Although his words were directed at the three team members, Fu Qian sensed he was being strongly targeted.

Sure enough, they were preparing to cut off his communication with the outside to minimize the possibility of secrets leaking. They had even directly cut off the Sanctuary Madam's mocking remarks.

The fact that this exchange with Amira had been allowed to happen was likely just to see what he would reveal.

In light of this, Fu Qian let out a sigh of admiration and respectfully refrained from biting back.

"Remember what I just said."

Seeming to pick up on this cooperative intent, Pfeiffer's expression softened slightly, but he didn't forget to instruct Amira and Reginald one last time.

...

"After you, Mr. Apostle."

Sure enough, in the half-hour since parting ways with Amira and Reginald, Fu Qian hadn't had any new communication with anyone, not even eye contact.

That was because he had spent the entire second half of the journey isolated in a dedicated carriage.

By the time the carriage door opened from the outside and the Sanctuary Madam signaled him to step down, he was already in a quiet courtyard. Pfeiffer, Prout, and the others were nowhere to be seen.

Looking around, it was easy to identify the buildings belonging to the West District Church.

The Spire under the night sky seemed even sharper than it had yesterday, piercing straight into the heavens.

He could somewhat understand the noble Blood Clan's obsession with this gathering place now.

Amid his musings, Fu Qian ignored the Sanctuary Madam's tone and stepped out of the carriage as instructed.

It was clear that while the Sanctuary Madam made no secret of her disgust toward him, she wasn't a brainless brute.

As they walked the rest of the way, she maintained a vigilant posture, looking ready to call for backup at the slightest sign of trouble.

This atmosphere persisted until they reached a special door, and Fu Qian stepped inside at her gesture.

"Are you satisfied with this place?"

Standing outside with her hand gripping the door, the Sanctuary Madam spoke for only the second time during the entire trip, a half-smile on her face.

"Not bad. It's very quiet. Will someone be guarding outside?"

Examining the windowless room, Fu Qian wasn't surprised by the walls that seeped with a night-sky hue.

A special case like him naturally had to be locked up in a special place.

Even when he had visited Olinter last time, it had been in a similar place—though the floor plan had been much better, of course.

"No. But trust me, there is no safer place in all of Laerdin than here. I'm sure you will realize that very soon—or perhaps you already have?"

The Sanctuary Madam's smile deepened. She looked Fu Qian up and down, a pointed edge to her gaze.

"You seemed to have made some special attempts on the way here just now?"

No wonder Pfeiffer was so confident that he wouldn't be able to run away from under her nose; her observational skills were quite sharp.

"I've caused everyone trouble."

Fu Qian nodded generously. The attempt he had made just now was very simple—the Blood Crusade.

Yesterday, he had used this move to spin and leap around here. But just now, a certain anomaly had immediately prompted him to run a small test.

The facts proved his feeling was correct. The Blood Crusade had completely lost its effect.

The Church before his eyes seemed to have directly banned "jumping."

No matter how he looked at it, this was a setup targeting his actions from yesterday. On the surface, there were no changes; it really was loose on the outside but tight on the inside.

"It's no trouble. After all, we promised to host you properly."

Seemingly even more certain of Fu Qian's relationship with Herbert because of this, the Sanctuary Madam smiled brightly. In the next moment, however, she restrained her desire to mock him further and directly closed the door.

It seemed yesterday's incident had made them realize that when dealing with an apostle, people were far less reliable than a commandment.

Fu Qian didn't mind. Instead, he analyzed the information he had obtained.

He still had no doubts about her claims regarding the level of security.

The smooth walls all around clearly seeped with some special mystical restriction. It was somewhat similar to the move Jacques had used to trap him—the physical manifestation of No Passage.

There was also the Heart Flame that Olinter had used as a trap last time. This special building material was clearly not just for aesthetics; it could also bear a certain degree of a commandment.

Although this cage wasn't completely flawless, forcefully breaking out of it would still cause quite a commotion.

Pfeiffer intended to use this method to lock him in here first, relying entirely on it rather than manpower.

Even the Sanctuary Madam, following Pfeiffer's instructions, firmly implemented this policy, giving him no further opportunity to spread deceitful words.

Of course, that was only if she implemented it thoroughly enough.

...

There was no lock on the door in front of him. In fact, as the Sanctuary Madam closed it, the excessively tight-fitting structure made it almost indistinguishable from the other walls.

The same went for the No Passage attached to it.

There was a reason the Sanctuary Madam had been arranged to escort him. The opening and closing of this door clearly wasn't something an ordinary person could control.

Amid his admiration, the footsteps outside that were originally fading away became increasingly hesitant, until they finally stopped.

How could that be possible!

In the corridor outside, the Sanctuary Madam turned back to look at the door she had personally closed, not a trace of a smile left on her face.

The entire process just now flashed through her mind over and over again. She couldn't find any loopholes, but a strong sense of unease was rapidly growing...

The next moment, she took a deep breath. She finally turned back and pressed her hand against the door.

The door that had just been closed was opened once again.

Almost instantly, a biting chill blew against her face, feeling as if it would freeze her very thoughts.

At the same time, clear, crystalline moonlight blossomed from within.

And when the light dimmed once again, her breath caught in her throat.

In the modestly sized cell, there was no longer any trace of the Dark Moon Apostle, yet the surrounding walls remained perfectly intact.

...

When people believe everything is under control, they easily let their guard down.

At the exact same time, Fu Qian—having deactivated the Commandment Residue and pulled himself out of the Lucid Dream—slipped past the dreaming Sanctuary Madam.

He wasn't sure how Pfeiffer had instructed her, but after arriving at their destination, she had still spoken a bit too much, giving him the opportunity to invite her into the Lucid Dream. And now...

Recalling the layout of the building, Fu Qian chose a direction and advanced silently toward the highest point.

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