Eldritch Horror Theatre

For a moment, Fu Qian felt he finally understood why Senior Kisaragi Chie had chosen to be a second-rate diviner.

His display as a first-rate charlatan just now might have demonstrated undeniable professional skill, but it clearly hadn't made his customer any happier.

Not only that, but the exquisitely crafted desk in front of him had silently acquired several gouges from the Night Watcher's grip, sending fine wood dust rustling to the floor.

And in her other hand, that Oversized Revolver had been drawn once again.

"That's right, I am a transcendent."

Staring down a gun barrel that looked ready to spit hellfire at any second, Fu Qian pondered for a moment, then decided to add fuel to the fire.

Clang!

Experts truly had their tempers. The Night Watcher before him—who possessed roughly Tier 4 strength—unexpectedly flipped her gun around and whipped it at Fu Qian's face like a blunt weapon.

Winona clearly believed his claim. After all, if he were an ordinary human, a smash like that would likely shatter his face.

That crisp metallic clang came from a gleaming short knife.

A split second before Fu Qian's face could be caved in, that sudden flash of cold steel forcefully parried Winona's weapon.

...

"Why are you stopping me?"

Shocked by the sudden intervention, Winona refrained from any drastic moves, instantly snapping her gaze toward the figure who had appeared to the side.

Fu Qian did the same.

Tall and entirely expressionless, the newcomer was a middle-aged man wearing black gloves.

Aside from the knife parrying Winona's weapon, he held its twin in his other hand, its tip leveled steadily at Fu Qian.

But taking in the man's entire appearance, his most striking feature by far was his completely bald head.

It had to be said, his smooth, perfectly round head suited the look quite well.

At the same time, this incredibly classic look sparked a faint sense of curiosity in Fu Qian, making him want to peek around back and see if the man had a barcode on the back of his head.

"To stop you from doing something meaningless. This guy is obviously trying to provoke you on purpose."

He was clearly very familiar with Winona. The next moment, the bald man withdrew his knife and sheathed it with a smooth motion, his voice flat and deep.

"You mean he deliberately wanted me to smash his face in? Why couldn't it be that he noticed you nearby and guessed you'd step in?"

The facts proved he knew Winona quite well.

Her fury seemingly vanishing into thin air, she didn't attempt to press the attack. She spun the gun smoothly around her finger, holstered it at her waist, and snorted a retort.

"Because you didn't even notice I was there."

The bald man showed no intention of sitting down, answering casually as his eyes swept over their surroundings.

"And if Mister Grimshaw here really possesses that level of perception, all the more reason for me to stop you. I'd rather you not provoke him and get yourself killed."

"Seems like I have to thank you either way... So what kept you? Why are you so late?"

The bald man's analysis was logically sound, leaving her with no real angle to argue. Winona didn't seem interested in forcing the issue either, simply changing the subject.

"You just got here too quickly."

The bald man's tone remained as flat as ever. Finding nothing in his search, he retracted his gaze and explained.

"I ran a brief check on Mister Grimshaw's background. Once I confirmed there were some irregularities, I headed over immediately."

"Oh? What irregularities?"

It was Fu Qian who asked this.

This newly arrived bald man was undoubtedly a Night Watcher as well, and since he seemed far easier to talk to, Fu Qian didn't bother standing on ceremony.

"The source of your clientele."

True enough, the bald man was remarkably easygoing.

Faced with Fu Qian's overly familiar questioning, he gave him a deep look, then answered with almost zero hesitation.

"Records show you really did just arrive in Loss. Considering you haven't even registered with the association, and given that this place isn't particularly close to The Wesley Family, I can't figure out where Claire's confidence in you came from, let alone why she would seek you out for such a critical consultation."

"In fact, based on her own feedback, she genuinely has no idea why she came to find you either. As the person in question, could you explain?"

...

The bald man's questioning was undeniably professional and razor-sharp. Even Winona held her tongue, opting instead to watch Fu Qian with a look of eager anticipation.

"You're spot on about that. What guided Claire here was a wondrous power."

Naturally, Fu Qian wasn't about to back down. He gave a swift, profoundly inscrutable reply.

"And though it might be hard to believe, I only found out about it right as she was about to arrive."

"Heh... Don't you think my approach earlier was actually a much better fit for this guy?"

Every word out of Fu Qian's mouth was the absolute truth, but unfortunately, it was a hard truth to swallow.

After a brief pause, Winona flashed the bald man a distinctly sinister smile.

Even the bald man furrowed his brows for the first time, seemingly evaluating whether it was worth continuing this conversation.

"Regardless, he hasn't committed any acts of direct harm."

But after a moment of thought, the bald man gently shook his head.

"Besides, I received the test results on my way over. The item Claire took back with her was indeed just ordinary water. Theoretically, his actions could just be considered a prank."

"But Weasley is missing."

Winona was clearly a woman with a mind of her own. She simply snorted at her colleague's logic, cutting straight to the point.

"Yes. Which means that even though it was ordinary water, it could have been some sort of signal or warning. Claire didn't deliver the item, but she clearly told her husband the entire story."

The bald man nodded, his eyes never leaving Fu Qian.

"Care to explain, Mister Grimshaw? Believe me, it'll be good for you."

"I can do that. But before I do, mind if I ask a question?"

Faced with the bald man's warning, Fu Qian happily agreed, tossing out a small condition of his own.

"...Call me Raylan."

Such blatant disregard for his own life seemed to leave the bald man momentarily baffled.

After a beat of thought, however, he gave his name and gestured for him to ask.

"Very well, Excellency Raylan. My question is simple. When I was speaking with Claire earlier, she mentioned that she and her husband had a friend in the Night Watchers. Is that person you?"

Recognizing that this second enforcer looked far more reasonable than Winona, Fu Qian kept his form of address exceptionally polite.

Of course, the question itself carried far more impact than the polite title. For a moment, even more so than the bald Raylan, the seated Winona's eyes went wide.

"Before today, I had never met them."

After a brief silence, Raylan finally chose to answer.

"Understood."

Looking perfectly satisfied with the truthfulness of the answer, Fu Qian turned his head toward Winona.

"So, that's you then?"

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