Night Visit to the Dock

After finishing his work meal and resting at the company for a while, Luther and Klein, who had just returned from the Divination Club, went to the home of their combat instructor, Gawain, to continue their training. They didn't stop until the afternoon was drawing to a close. After changing out of their knight training uniforms and washing up, the two bid farewell to Gawain, left the house, and took a public carriage back to Daffodil Street.

Throughout the entire process, Klein cast his gaze toward Luther from time to time, as if he were observing him.

He must be wanting to ask how my Potion digestion is going.

Luther guessed with great confidence.

So, meeting Klein's gaze, Luther smiled slightly:

"Klein, the method you mentioned is truly effective. I feel the influence of the Potion has lessened quite a bit!"

"Ah? Cough, cough... It's effective? That's good, as long as it's effective."

Klein coughed, then straightened his expression and said, "Then I feel this method can be promoted further. Once you and I have fully mastered our Potions, we can share it with the other members..."

The two chatted casually for a bit before parting ways in front of their respective homes.

"Cecilia, how long has the mutton been boiling?"

Just as Luther pushed open the door, he called out into the house, chatting happily with his younger sister.

--Could he really be a Favored of the Gods of the True Creator?

Standing at his own doorway, Klein looked at Luther's back, thinking with a strange expression. He detested the Aurora Society so much, had personally taken down three cultists, and stopped several rituals of Evil Gods... Such a blasphemous Favored of the Gods couldn't possibly exist, right?

Shaking his head, Klein closed his door with complex emotions.

Translucent mutton and chunks of radish were submerged in the milky-white soup. As the soup bubbled, the tender mutton wobbled and swayed. The kitchen was filled with a delicious aroma and a faint, savory scent that was refreshing and heart-warming.

Good mutton doesn't need many seasonings; just a little spice to remove the gamey smell is enough to bring out the meat's natural freshness and sweetness. Seeing that the meat was just about ready, Luther turned off the fire and sprinkled in salt, stirring it evenly. You shouldn't add salt too early when boiling mutton, or the meat will become tough. After waiting a few minutes, he scooped out the mutton and radish with the soup, served it in bowls, and sprinkled green basil leaves on top as a garnish.

Sprinkling on some pepper, he picked up a piece of mutton and took a bite. It was tender, smooth, and had a good chew. The freshness and the fragrance of the meat filled his nasal cavity and mouth. Then, taking a sip of the piping hot meat soup... Good heavens, the two Rondal siblings were eating so intently they couldn't even lift their heads.

"Cecilia, I just discovered a serious problem."

"What problem, brother?"

"It's, um,"

Luther took a sip of soup and said with a bit of a guilty conscience, "I just remembered, I should have prepared a dress for you to wear to the theater."

Cecilia looked at him in surprise.

"Luther, you actually managed to notice something like this? No, wait, was it some thoughtful lady who reminded you?"

"Little sister, do you have so little faith in your brother? Fine... this time it was indeed someone else who told me."

Luther's voice rose a bit before quickly dropping again, "Anyway, the theater performance is in the evening, so we'll just go out during the day and buy a ready-made one on the street."

"Buying ready-made clothes will be quite expensive, won't it? Even though your weekly salary is high, you shouldn't spend money so recklessly," Cecilia said. "Brother, I don't actually care about those things. As long as you can accompany me, it doesn't have to be the theater; anywhere is fine."

Little sister, why do you sound less like my sister and more like my mother?

Luther blinked, then laughed.

"That won't do. Everyone else has one, so how could my sister not? Don't worry, the money will be here soon."

Knock, knock, knock!

While they were talking, someone knocked on the door outside. Leonard had come to pick him up.

"Who is it?"

Cecilia asked.

"The person coming to deliver the money for your dress."

Luther stood up with a smile.

After instructing his sister to be careful at home, Luther and Leonard, who was waiting behind the door, boarded a carriage together.

As soon as he sat down, he suddenly felt a bit worried about his sister's safety. Such a beautiful young girl—what if someone harbored evil intentions? It seemed he would have to teach her some close-quarters combat techniques later, at least enough for self-defense...

Thinking this way, he spoke little with Leonard along the way, quietly letting the carriage take them to the dock area on the outskirts of the city.

Tingen City had a superior geographical environment with two main rivers, the Hoy River and the Tassok River. The Hoy River merged into the Tassok River outside the city and then flowed all the way to the capital, Backlund. A large number of passenger ships and cargo ships shuttled back and forth along the rivers, docking in the harbor area.

Relying on the throughput of these ships, the dock area developed rapidly. Trading posts, warehouses, and slums stretched out in patches. Stevedores, beggars, street women... all sorts of people gathered here, mixed together in a complex way, making this the area with the most chaotic public security in Tingen City.

Night had fallen, but the dock area remained noisy.

Dock workers returning from their shifts drank cheap liquor in taverns, while those who had earned more ran off to chat with the women. Beggars huddled in corners to escape the wind, and children without shirts on their backs sucked their fingers, eyes wide as they watched the lively scene in the lamplight.

In the river bend behind them, ship after ship lay silent in the darkness, drifting back and forth like man-eating behemoths floating on the water.

Luther and Leonard stepped across a patch of muddy ground and arrived at the transportation company where Mr. Pound worked. William Transportation Company mainly undertook cargo transport on the Tassok River. The entire company had five cargo ships, and it was said that their profits were quite good.

"In the sunset, the name of the long sleep is engraved,"

"There is one, awakened by your night..."

The guards at the entrance were no match for Leonard at all. He simply recited a few lines of poetry from a distance, and these poor fellows immediately closed their eyes, swaying and collapsing into a heap.

"Reciting poetry in the middle of the night... I suppose I qualify as a true Midnight Poet now, don't I, Mr. Black Knight?"

He said to Luther with a smile.

Is he hinting at my Acting Method?

Everyone, one after another, seems to know these secrets...

Luther simply nodded, feigning complete ignorance as he replied, "You're right."

Leonard's face fell slightly at these words, but he quickly perked up again, leading Luther swaggeringly into the company building.

Orange gas lamps illuminated the corridor. They followed the signs, searching floor by floor, and soon discovered the manager's office, the door locked tight. Just as Luther was considering how to pick the lock, he saw Leonard pull two pieces of wire from his pocket and insert them into the keyhole. With a "click," he had deftly opened the door.

"Learned this specifically from the petty thieves at the police station."

Leonard put away the two wires, smiling with a hint of pride.

There really is no need to be proud of that...

Luther followed behind him. The moment the door was pushed open and the lantern light shone ahead, a thin, white thread seemed to be stretched across Leonard's path. He didn't notice it and stepped forward, causing the thread to snap.

Probably just a spider silk.

Luther thought to himself. Seeing that Leonard had already entered, he couldn't be bothered to warn him and followed him into the office.