Eldritch Horror Theatre

"Huh?"

Clara's casual remark shocked everyone. The Captain stared in sheer disbelief, and even Old Man Sanhao couldn't hide his surprise.

Clearly, even he hadn't expected a special event like this.

Burning incense?

Fu Qian, on the other hand, found the idea fascinating.

"How do you know? Did A Lian tell you in advance?"

He didn't rush to ask, as the Captain had already spoken up for him.

The Captain seemed to have a complicated view of Clara; his first reaction wasn't to doubt her, but to assume she was getting special treatment.

"No, I smelled it."

"She lives right next door to me. I caught a very distinct scent when she opened and closed her door.

"That stuff isn't cheap. It's highly unlikely she bought it for everyday use, and it isn't even produced in Lanphilai. She must have brought it here specifically."

Uh...

Although it was just a deduction, her logic was sound. The Captain looked somewhat disappointed.

"So what's the point of burning that kind of thing?"

After a moment of thought, he couldn't resist satisfying his curiosity.

"Praying for blessings."

Clara continued to share generously.

"It's said to be an ancient custom that brings good fortune upon oneself."

An ancient custom...

Unsurprisingly, Old Man Sanhao lost his composure for a moment at those words.

...

Power hidden within customs was undoubtedly one of the core elements of Master Gregor's theories.

Sanhao had likely tracked down those materials starting from an academic perspective, so his sensitivity to such concepts was hardly surprising.

Perhaps he had only continued the tour to make his behavior seem normal.

Otherwise, the tour leader might have played it safe and reported his getting lost today.

But now, Fu Qian believed the old man was genuinely looking forward to the evening's event.

As for Clara, who had provided this information?

His previous assessment of her clearly still held true. She was extremely familiar with Lanphilai and the surrounding areas—familiar enough to steal A Lian's business—yet she still chose to stick with their group of newcomers.

Everyone really did have different reasons for traveling.

Moreover, her ability to so confidently identify "expensive" incense faintly exposed something about her own financial background.

"Oh? An Ke is back too, that's great."

Just as the group was lost in their own thoughts, the voice of the person they were discussing rang out.

Still in her original outfit but looking as energetic as ever, A Lian walked straight over, a remarkably sincere smile of relief on her face.

...

'She really enjoys her work.'

As he made this silent judgment, Fu Qian responded with a cheerful smile, looking entirely satisfied with the trip so far.

"Just got back. This place is truly fascinating."

"Do you need to head upstairs for a bit? It's still early, so we can wait for you."

A Lian smiled even more brightly, looking him up and down as she offered.

"No need, I'm ready to go whenever."

Fu Qian had no intention of making the group wait for him, even if everyone hadn't gathered yet.

"What about those two? Should we go call them?"

Before anyone else could speak, the Captain finally snapped back to reality. He glanced in the direction A Lian had come from, but failed to spot the couple in their matching shirts.

"There's no need. They told me they might not make it in time, so we'll just head out first."

A Lian shook her head, signaling not to bother, and stood up to announce their departure.

Hearing this, Clara's eyes flickered slightly.

She had probably already gone to call them.

Noticing Clara's reaction, Fu Qian easily formed a guess.

The couple hadn't necessarily stayed out.

Clara's main goal in joining this group seemed to be observing everyone else, so there was a high probability she knew exactly where those two were.

Her reaction meant she likely knew A Lian was lying.

As for why A Lian would lie—a tour leader this dedicated had almost certainly gone to notify them before coming downstairs, but she probably hadn't even been able to get a word in.

Those two must have picked up right where they left off upon returning from the Royal Imperial Garden, getting entirely carried away... What high spirits.

...

Of course, Fu Qian wasn't paying attention to this because he had any interest in petty gossip.

Going on a trip, letting loose, and spending the entire time in a hotel room was just human nature.

The problem was that when the couple performed their shocking stunt at the tourist site, he had judged it as crossing a line, leading him to suspect Transcendent Tier factors.

Just as he had noted at the start of the mission, every fellow tourist in the group was a fresh probe inserted into this Old Town. Any change in them could yield precious information.

Old Man Sanhao had already made his contribution, but that didn't mean the others would be ignored.

If the couple's lust upon their return was a continuation of the "desire to reproduce" from the tourist site, and if all of this was caused by the Blue Eyes being infused with power...

Then he could slightly deduce the scope of authority held by the Ancient Higher Being who had blasphemed the Third Cause.

Reproduction, life, bloodlines?

It was almost certainly different from Excellency Stomach's Ecstasy. That utter impatience was rooted far more in the pursuit of life's continuation.

Judging by its effects, this craving didn't manifest obviously in normal people, but with a little lust as a catalyst, it could erupt entirely.

And if that were true... after tonight, wouldn't Lanphilai's birth rate see a significant spike?

He supposed that would inject a bit of vitality into this ancient city.

As Fu Qian evaluated his potential adversary, the tour group set out once more.

...

"What is this?"

Unsurprisingly, the dinner location A Lian had chosen was highly commendable.

After a thoroughly enjoyable meal, the somewhat disappointed Captain had not only stayed for the extra activity, but also had his curiosity swiftly piqued by the items A Lian pulled from her bag.

Milky yellow, translucent, shaped like thin twigs, and tied in bundles of three, they were carefully packed into a long, narrow cardboard box.

Without even lighting them, opening the box released an incredibly unusual, refreshing fragrance.

A Lian carefully handed out one bundle to each person.

They really did look exactly like that.

Bringing it to his nose for a sniff, Fu Qian marveled at it.

"So why did we have to come all the way to this specific place?"

As the others carefully inspected their incense, they soon began to question the location A Lian had picked to burn it.

Having walked straight over from the restaurant, they were indeed facing a cluster of interconnected buildings. However, compared to the sites they had visited during the day, this place lacked any classical charm, and the lights weren't even turned on.

"It isn't about this place, but rather this time and space."

A Lian smiled mysteriously and pulled out a jingling ring of keys, unlocking the door in front of them.

"It wasn't easy getting these from a friend."

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