Letter

Ryan pulled a stack of papers from the folder and placed them on the table.

He rubbed his temples, clearly having stayed up most of the night in the Archive Room.

"All three missing persons received invitations." He laid out the three records side by side, pointing to each one in turn. "The Viscount's Residence, the Baron's Residence, the Merchants' Guild —three invitations, three different signatures, all pseudonyms."

Amy handed over several handwriting comparison records from the side, and traced a line with her fingertip over the circled area in red.

"But the handwriting is from the same person. The pen strokes, pressure, and even the type of Mo Shui are consistent."

"We've also found his lodgings," Ryan continued, his voice somewhat somber. "The Merchants' Guild's intelligence network is wider than that of the nobles; he sent someone to follow this person. A lodging registration in the Outer City uses the name 'Andre Morris'."

Lu Yuan's gaze shifted slightly.

André Morris.

Yesterday at the Viscount's Residence, this was the name written in the butler's visitor register.

The two lines matched.

"This person isn't listed in either the inner city's register of nobles or the Southern Province's register." Helen closed her Notebook. "A pseudonym. But at least it's an identity he uses repeatedly."

She paused.

"And the timeline... the phone call the Viscount received yesterday, the timing of which perfectly coincides with the time when 'Andre Morris' last appeared at the location. The same person is controlling three timelines simultaneously."

Raymond remained silent for a moment.

"What's the method? Does it match the one used by the Tower of Erudition?"

"It matches, but not entirely." Helen leaned back in her chair, tapping two fingers lightly on the table. "The manner of disappearance is almost identical to what happened at the Tower of Erudition."

"But if the Tower of Erudition wants to take those people away, why bother to forge an identity and visit them in person?"

She shrugged.

"Unnecessary. Unless the person who does it isn't from the Tower of Erudition at all."

Raymond's gaze darkened.

"A third party has intervened."

Helen nodded.

Lu Yuan sat to the side without saying a word.

He was thinking about something else.

André Morris, whatever his real name may be.

The fact that three noblemen could disappear simultaneously, and that the items they used were related to the Sea of Knowledge, is remarkable.

This means that this person's understanding of the Sea of Knowledge far exceeds their own.

Those who have access to the Sea of Knowledge are definitely not ordinary people.

At the edge of my field of vision, the grayish-white text flickered slightly:

[Current Status of Bronze City: +1...1/50]

Lu Yuan's expression stiffened slightly.

Because if this happens, it means that you've gotten involved in some major event.

You need to prepare in advance.

Lu Yuan lowered his eyes, lost in thought with a blank expression.

Just as the report was about to end, there was a knock on the door.

It was a guard Inner-City Outpost, holding a letter in his hand.

"Just delivered, safe, but unsigned."

Raymond took the letter and looked at the envelope.

The envelope was made of ordinary kraft paper, without a sender's name or postmark.

Sealed with wax.

A pattern was pressed onto the wax seal.

The moment Lu Yuan saw the pattern, a chill ran through him.

It is neither a family crest nor the symbol of any organization.

It's a wave.

Concentric ripples spread outwards in layers, with a tiny, distorted symbol pressed at the very center.

It resembles some kind of ancient script, or a totem compressed to its extreme.

He had seen that symbol before.

At the edge of the Sea of Knowledge, when the surface surges, the patterns formed by the converging flowing colors are this shape.

Others did not notice this detail.

In their eyes, the ripples on the wax seal were merely decoration.

But Lu Yuan knew what that meant.

The messenger knew the Sea of Knowledge.

Moreover, he knew that Lu Yuan had stepped into that Taboo.

More importantly, he knew that he Inner-City Outpost location.

Raymond opened the envelope and took out the paper inside.

It contains only one line of text and one address.

The handwriting was neat and the language was standard Imperial Language.

"You saw the color. So did I. --AM"

Below is an address for an Outer City.

Raymond handed the paper to Helen.

"AM? Andre Morris?" Helen frowned.

"It should be."

Karl leaned closer for a look and cursed, "This guy's got some nerve, sending him straight to the branch office?"

"You saw colors"—what does that mean? Helen looked at everyone. "Who saw any colors?"

The room fell silent for a moment.

Lu Yuan was silent for two seconds before speaking.

"This letter is addressed to me."

All eyes were on him.

"Last night at the scene, I observed the traces in my own way." He phrased it carefully, "If someone were watching us from the shadows, they might have noticed that my observation methods were different from others."

"That's why he specifically asked for you," Raymond said.

"Right."

"A trap?" Helen asked.

"Possibly," Lu Yuan thought for a moment and then said, "But this person is currently the only living lead in the missing persons case."

"Then let's go together," Karl said.

Lu Yuan shook his head.

"The fact that he was able to deliver the letter here shows he has excellent inside information about the Night Watcher. If we send men, he won't show himself."

Karl was about to say something when Raymond raised his hand to stop him.

What are you planning to do?

"I'll go alone. You have the address."

Raymond stared at him for a few seconds, his gaze scrutinizing.

Are you confident?

"The fact that they initiated the meeting means they have something to say, not just a desire to fight," Lu Yuan said calmly. "Besides, it's daytime, and although the Outer City is remote, it's not a deserted area."

"The reason is not enough," Raymond did not immediately refute, but stared straight at Lu Yuan.

Lu Yuan paused, then pointed to himself.

"If something really happens, I have a way to get out of this."

Raymond remained silent for a moment.

He knew Lu Yuan had his own methods; everyone present had witnessed the scene last night at the Ruined House six bullets were fired simultaneously.

Half an hour.

Raymond's voice was flat.

"If there's no news within half an hour, I'll take my men in directly."

He turned to Karl and Ryan.

"You two come with me and keep watch around the perimeter of that street beforehand. Don't go into the alley, and don't alert them."

Although Karl was reluctant, he nodded.

Raymond looked back at Lu Yuan.

"Fire at any time if necessary. The sound of gunfire is the signal."

Lu Yuan nodded.

"OK."

Lu Yuan left the Inner-City Outpost at 10:00 AM.

Sunlight shone on the stone-paved streets of the Outer City, and pedestrians came and went, just like any other ordinary morning.

He walked among the crowd, his pace neither fast nor slow.

The Time Bestower Pocket Watch was pressed against the inside of my chest, the coolness of the metal seeping through my shirt onto my skin.

At his waist was a "Flame" Revolver, its Silver-Plated Bullets already loaded.

The folded letter was in my pocket.

He was thinking about AM.

He could forge identities to infiltrate the inner city's noble circles, make three people disappear in a short period of time, and even know precisely that he had stepped into that Forbidden Land.

This person is dangerous.

But he may also possess what he needs most right now: the Sea of Knowledge, and even the path for those Seeker Forbidden Studies.

However, he probably doesn't know about Forbidden Studies.

When I was promoted and entered that strange place, Forbidden Studies see a single person.

Clearly, he must have other methods.

Bronze City is both safe and dangerous; I need to truly improve myself.

AM claimed, "Me too."

This means that what you are facing is not only danger, but also opportunity.

Lu Yuan was well aware of this.

The buildings in the Outer City are getting older and shorter, and there are fewer and fewer pedestrians.

In the end, the stone-paved road turned into a gravel road, and the houses on both sides became semi-abandoned warehouses and workshops.

There was a dusty smell in the air, and a faint...

The scent of ink.

It's very light.

But Lu Yuan smelled it.

His pace slowed.

There are no cues at the edge of the field of vision.

But his intuition told him that they had arrived at their destination.

Ahead is an old two-story building.

The exterior walls are mottled, the windows are intact, and the door is ajar.

It looks like a bookstore that's temporarily closed.

Above the door frame hangs a faded sign, the words on it blurred and illegible, with only the last character still faintly discernible.

"... ocean."

Lu Yuan stood in front of the door, not going in immediately.

He glanced down at his pocket Pocket Watch.

10:18.

Half an hour is enough.

He raised his hand and pushed open the door.