Eldritch Horror Theatre

What—

Why the massive difference in treatment?

How come you've never been this polite to me?

In the living room, Hayami Suzune's eyes went perfectly round the moment she processed Fu Qian's words.

This level of courtesy completely contradicted everything she knew about this cannibalistic villain.

In truth, shock aside, that assessment was born of prejudice.

After all, Fu Qian had politely hosted her every time she came through his door, even if she hadn't exactly appreciated his methods.

'After all, my current persona is a beast in human clothing.'

Taking in Hayami Suzune's reaction, Fu Qian mused to himself.

As for why he was being so polite?

Please, even a triangular structure required careful handling to maintain its balance!

Beyond that, Fu Qian had also noticed a slight shift in Su Gao's demeanor when she heard Lai Ge's name.

Though he didn't know exactly what was on her mind, he didn't mind using this peculiar method to help his top enforcer sit down and chat with an old acquaintance.

...

"Thanks for the trouble!"

Lai Ge was significantly less shocked than Hayami Suzune.

Armed with the natural confidence of a Night Watcher, he wasn't the least bit worried about petty tricks like poison, taking a seat without hesitation.

Since her superior had spoken, Hayami Suzune kept her objections to herself and sat down, making sure to position herself as far away from Fu Qian as possible.

At the same time, she firmly resolved not to drink a single drop of whatever this guy poured for her.

...

As it turned out, she was overthinking things.

When Fu Qian said he was going to grab a teapot, he meant it literally.

After casually tossing the pot, along with some tea leaves and cups, onto the table, Fu Qian leaned back comfortably in his seat, looking for all the world like his hosting duties were complete.

Hayami Suzune stared blankly for a moment before noticing her captain looking at her, his gaze flicking toward the pile of tea supplies.

It took her two full seconds to realize he was telling her to brew the tea.

The captain clearly wanted to have a conversation with this guy, and they couldn't exactly storm out in a huff over a minor slight.

She cast a disgusted glance toward the kitchen, her imagination running wild with the horrors that must have taken place in there, her every instinct screaming in protest.

But with several pairs of eyes fixed on her, refusing would undoubtedly make the situation incredibly awkward.

Fortunately, she was quick-witted. Catching herself, she simply grabbed the supplies and headed straight for the tea room Fu Qian had just emerged from.

"Where have you been lately, Mister Dancy? Truth be told, ever since I heard about what happened here, I've been meaning to have a chat with you, but you were nowhere to be found."

With his subordinate now playing the role of tea maid, Lai Ge retracted his gaze. He spoke in a conversational tone, yet the subject matter was anything but casual.

After all, this wasn't just idle chatter—even if the tea leaves did smell quite nice.

"I went to Dunis for an opera."

Fu Qian's answer was, as always, brutally honest.

"Just took a boat back, actually."

Both statements were the unvarnished truth, but strung together, they created a highly misleading implication—that he had just returned on a boat straight from Dunis.

An opera...

Even a veteran like Lai Ge was momentarily stunned into silence by the answer.

Granted, the man sitting in front of him did look like the sort of person who might frequent the Opera House, but this...

"By the way, did you know? The wife has a thing for blue pecs."

Fu Qian, meanwhile, was enthusiastically sharing his review of the performance.

What the hell did he care about blue pecs?

For a fleeting second, Lai Ge had the overwhelming urge to punch him.

"Is that so? I can't say I knew that. Was it a show from the Dunis Carnival? I did hear they had a bit of an incident over there recently."

It had been far more than just a 'bit' of an incident.

Fu Qian mused to himself, recalling the utter chaos of that night.

The Night Watchers undoubtedly had a file on it; the captain just lacked the clearance to access the full details.

"Did they? It seemed fine to me. Everyone was really getting into the spirit of things."

"...Did Ms. Violeta travel with you from Dunis as well?"

Lai Ge clearly had no desire to discuss the finer details of the carnival and abruptly shifted the conversation to a new target.

"No."

Su Gao shook her head slightly.

"I grew up on Ye Island."

It was the absolute truth, but offering it up at that exact moment was brilliantly misleading. It practically guaranteed anyone listening would mistakenly assume she had been active on Ye Island this entire time.

Taking a page out of his book again? He got the distinct impression the girl was actually starting to enjoy this.

Fu Qian marveled silently as he watched Su Gao weave her flawless misdirection without batting an eye.

It took a lifetime to build good habits, but only a second to pick up bad ones.

...

Her answer caught Lai Ge off guard. He frowned slightly, unsure of how to follow that up.

Fortunately, Hayami Suzune returned with the tea set just then.

Compared to Fu Qian, she was infinitely more professional. Every movement was fluid, graceful, and perfectly executed.

She poured her captain a cup, and the rich aroma of the tea instantly grew stronger.

Grateful for the out, Lai Ge lifted the cup and took a small sip to break the awkward silence.

"I wonder what it tastes like."

Fu Qian also poured himself a sip, but a moment later, he was staring up at the ceiling, lost in deep thought.

"What?"

Lai Ge asked instinctively, caught completely off guard.

"The blue pecs."

What?

At those words, Hayami Suzune's hand jerked, nearly spilling the tea she was pouring for herself.

Just what kind of conversation had they been having while she was gone?

"Speaking of which, have you always lived on Ye Island, Captain Lai Ge?"

Seeing that the atmosphere was nicely warmed up, Fu Qian smoothly took control of the conversation.

"I wasn't born here, but I've lived here for over a decade,"

Lai Ge answered accommodatingly.

He was willing to talk about absolutely anything, so long as they didn't go back to the topic of blue pecs.

"Over a decade. That's a long time."

Fu Qian glanced at Su Gao.

"Is that when you joined the Night Watchers?"

"...That's right."

The question caught Lai Ge slightly off guard, but since it was a natural progression of the topic, he didn't balk at answering.

It wasn't a critical secret, and getting this guy to talk was the best possible outcome.

"That is a long time. With an imposing bearing like yours, Captain, I would've thought you'd prefer a life of freedom."

"...How do you know I didn't? Before I joined the Night Watchers, I spent a good stretch of time living completely free. I took jobs for cash and lived by my own rules."

Lai Ge offered a faint smile, speaking with an easy nonchalance.

"Unfortunately, things happened."

"What kind of things?"

Fu Qian asked, looking intensely curious.

"Theoretically, it's classified. But to sum it up, we ran into a massive crisis during an operation, and I saw firsthand just how merciless the powers of the Transcendent Tier could be to ordinary people..."

"I used to be so proud of being different. I thought Transcendent Tier power was the answer to everything. But after that day, I realized it desperately needed to be kept in check. That was one of my core motives for joining the Night Watchers."

"Of course, not everyone felt the same way. The partner I was working with chose to retire the moment we got back. He got married, had kids, and settled down into an ordinary life."

Lai Ge's tone was remarkably sincere, so much so that even Violeta, sitting across from him, was listening with rapt attention.

"I can certainly understand your friend's choice. What was his name?"

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