Should They Attend the Beyonder Gathering?

Early in the morning, Emily carried a basket of fresh fish as she walked down the street in the East Borough.

The heavy basket and the muddy, dirty road made her walk difficult. But she still tried to keep her back straight, because only in this way could she distribute her weight evenly throughout her body and prevent herself from twisting her body.

This was something her mother had told her when she used to run errands for her.

At the same time, she warily watched the hungry faces, intimidating them with what she thought was a fierce expression, while brandishing the knife from her basket. Here, you couldn't show the slightest weakness, or they would swarm you and devour you clean.

This is what her father taught her when he was still alive.

After dispelling those gazes, Emily continued walking forward.

A gray Fog blanketed the landscape, obscuring the buildings along the roadside. Their outlines became clearer as she approached, only to be swallowed up again as she moved away. Late October had arrived, and temperatures in Backlund were dropping. The city's coal consumption was increasing rapidly.

The air quality is getting worse and worse, and a pungent, acrid smell permeates the air all day long.

A two-story building slowly emerged from the thick fog, and Emily stopped in her tracks.

This house is the only inheritance her parents left her.

Because her father went bankrupt due to failed investments, her family's assets were forced to be sold off, leaving them with only this two-story house in the East Borough. The whole family had no choice but to move here, where they have lived for several years.

Life in the East Borough was not easy, especially after the parents gradually fell ill due to overwork, making life increasingly difficult.

Emily reached out and touched the door. The metal doorknob was ice-cold, just like the warmth of her father's hand before he died. In his dying moments, he was still worried about his daughter. Holding her hand, he weakly urged her to leave this cannibalistic place.

That's why she studied so hard, hoping to leave this place as soon as possible.

She barely managed to make ends meet and pay for her tuition by relying on rent from her tenants.

"Cecilia, I've bought what you wanted."

She called out as soon as she entered the room, calling to her tenant.

Thank you, Miss Emily.

A dark-haired girl emerged from the kitchen, wiping her hands and smiling gently in thanks. She was exceptionally beautiful, the most beautiful woman Emily had ever seen. Even in her simple dress, her stunning charm was undeniable.

"You are welcome."

Emily lowered her eyes and placed the fresh fish on the kitchen floor.

For some reason, Emily was actually a little afraid of this girl who was two years older than her. The other girl's words and actions always gave her an uneasy feeling, like a knife coated in honey. Even though she was excessively beautiful, and even though she was gentle and friendly, Emily always felt that one day the other girl would suddenly pull out a dagger and stab her in the heart.

In comparison, her mentally ill brother wasn't so scary.

Emily's gaze shifted to the living room sofa, where a handsome young man with dark hair sat, dressed in straitjacketry, his eyes unfocused. His mouth moved as if he were saying something, but it was tightly covered by a mask and belt.

Although they look pitiful, it seems like something terrible would happen if they didn't do this...

After living together for so long, she had come to realize that her tenant was no ordinary person. For example, he could easily heal severe external injuries, and many people who were on the verge of death could recover immediately after being treated by him; moreover, he could use a lot of unique abilities, and even gangsters treated him with great respect.

The black-haired girl moved the fresh fish in front of Luther and reached out to untie the restraints on his mouth.

"Then I'll go into my room first."

Emily, sensing the situation, turned and went back to her bedroom.

Even after closing the bedroom door, she could still faintly hear eerie sounds coming from the living room. The sounds were terrifying, like something out of Goddess's Bible describing hell.

Don't listen!

A flicker of fear crossed Emily's eyes. She quickly covered her ears, lowered her head, and ran to her desk. She was terrified of the sound because she had previously experienced a drowsy state and had nightmares for several days Consciousness clearly hearing it.

Becoming stronger definitely comes at a price.

Emily was grateful for the two tenants' help, but she didn't want to end up like that.

Sitting back at her desk, facing her textbook, she gradually calmed down.

For her, the only way out was through education.

She remembered how happy her parents were when she was selected by the Cherwood Borough Steam Technology Institute because of her excellent grades. Graduating from that school would allow her to enter the affiliated university and find a well-paying job. That way, she could leave the East Borough and live a respectable life.

Unfortunately, my parents didn't live to see that day; they died of illness.

Mom and Dad, I will try my best...

She said it silently in her heart.

"Cecilia, would you like to attend the Beyonder Gathering tonight?"

Having replenished his Flesh, Luther, now fully Consciousness, flipped through the Backlund Morning Post and finally saw the news of Ernst Trading Company's acquisition of goods on page five, which meant another gathering was about to begin.

"Sure, if you go."

"It's a deal then. I'll try to find the ingredients for the 'Instigator' Potion for you."

Luther continued flipping through the newspaper.

Backlund was a large city, with all sorts of news every day. He flipped through a few more pages and came across a news item saying that a memorial exhibition for Emperor Roselle would be held at the Royal Museum in two weeks, hosted by the Church of Steam and Machinery. It was said that the exhibition would showcase various of Roselle's inventions and manuscripts.

Roselle's manuscripts: Those secret diaries written in Chinese?

Luther recalled reading manuscripts at Blackthorn Security Company and Enmat Harbor... Oh right, Klein must have learned Acting Method because he read Roselle's diary!

We can visit that exhibition hall sometime; it would be great if we could find something in Roselle's remaining manuscripts.

He thoughtfully put away the newspaper, then said to his sister, "Alright, let's go."

The Queen's request was not yet complete, Luther wanted to go look for clues. The two put on their coats, told Emily, and went out.

After traveling for a while in the carriage, they disembarked in front of a folk herbal medicine shop on a famous themed street in the East Borough. The shop was filled with herbs from the floor to the ceiling, with messy containers piled on the tables, and the whole place exuded the peculiar smell of herbs.

"Darkwill, is what I ordered ready?"

After entering, Luther asked,

"It's all done, really, you were in such a rush... Miss Cecilia!"

The Fat Apothecary came out from inside, and when he saw who had come with Luther, he immediately straightened up and a look of joy appeared on his face.