Why would the confidential documents being escorted mention Utopia?
What's so special about this place?
A series of ideas flashed through Wendel's mind, and a buzzing sound seemed to echo in his ears.
At that moment, he felt like he was just relaxing after overworking his brain, as if he was about to get sick.
Wendel quickly forced himself to calm down and carefully recalled all his experiences since arriving in Utopia. He found that every detail was correct and could be found in everyday life.
The only thing that made him uneasy was that his arrival was too coincidental:
It's common for storms to cause Steam trains to make temporary stops, but the fact that the stop was related to the confidential documents he possessed is no coincidence.
Wendel stared intently at the confidential document on the table, hesitating whether to open it and read it carefully.
Perhaps it only mentioned " Utopia " in passing, and my actions would be a serious violation of internal discipline. Perhaps this is a report from an intelligence agent who secretly investigated " Utopia," and its contents will, to some extent, determine whether I live or die... After struggling for a while, Wendel glanced at the deep night outside the window and reached for the document.
Only when you're alive can you consider whether you'll be punished!
Having made up his mind Wendel quickly tore open the outer paper bag and began to peruse the typed documents inside.
As he read, his hands began to tremble slightly, and he felt a chill run down his back, a chill that even the burning coal stove could not extinguish.
From any perspective, the classified report in his hands indicated that Utopia was problematic, and the entire town was problematic.
This might not be a town that exists in the real world!
Wendel felt his mouth go dry, as if he could hear the Death slowly approaching him, dragging his scythe.
He instinctively wanted to get up, but ultimately managed to control himself and didn't react impulsively.
This is because he felt that in the darkness outside the window, in the room upstairs, and in the corridor by the door, there were pairs of eyes watching him.
What to do? So far, nothing unusual has happened... This means that if we know nothing, it's possible to greet the dawn safely... Many of the materials I've read show that rashly revealing that you know there's something strange about the surrounding environment will only lead to danger erupting prematurely... However, we can't do nothing and leave our Fate to luck... Wendel recalled the various dangers he had experienced before and quickly made a decision.
He was prepared to return to the Steam train immediately, thus departing from Utopia in some way.
The majority of people there are normal, while danger lurks everywhere in the city.
Of course, Wendel couldn't just rush back like that; he had to make himself appear normal enough to seem like he had left the hotel in the middle of the night and returned to the Steam train station for some other reason.
Lost in thought, Wendel put away the confidential report, calmly stood up, put on his coat, and adjusted his top hat.
Then, carrying his suitcase in one hand and an umbrella in the other, he calmly walked to the door and turned the handle.
The corridor was dimly lit, with only a few gas wall lamps on each side casting a dim glow, adding a touch of human presence to the otherwise quiet environment where even the sound of a sewing needle falling to the ground could be heard.
As Wendel stepped into the corridor, the wooden floorboards beneath his feet creaked slightly, a sound so distinct in the utterly cold and silent night that it seemed to travel far and wide.
With a slight frown, Wendel casually stepped forward, approaching the staircase located in the middle of the corridor.
He walked away without any hesitation, showing no sign of hiding.
As the stairs drew closer, he suddenly heard a creaking sound behind him.
"Sir, where are you going?" A slightly broken male voice then reached Wendel's ears.
Wendel froze. He slowly turned back and saw the wooden door to the "service room" open, and a waiter came out and stood in the shadows at the doorway.
He quickly put on a smile and said calmly:
"I left something important on the Steam train, and I'm afraid someone will take it, so I have to go back now."
At this point, he muttered a complaint under his breath:
"There was a murder at the hotel. I don't want to stay here any longer. I can't sleep at all."
"I'm sorry," the waiter replied with a slight bow.
"I won't make this public." Wendel nodded in promise, then turned and headed for the stairs without lingering.
Perhaps because of the dim light at night, he walked very carefully and cautiously, each step feeling like he was walking on the edge of a cliff.
One step, two steps, three steps... Wendel, who had been wary of the waiter behind him, finally returned to the first floor.
The hotel lobby was deserted; all the objects were hidden in darkness, their vague outlines illuminated by the faint light from outside, resembling menacing Monster ready to devour anyone.
Wendel looked ahead, walked through the somber hall, and arrived at the doorway.
He had just pushed open the door when he suddenly heard a rustling sound behind him, which sounded like mice moving around, or like someone approaching him very quietly.
Wendel felt a tingling sensation in the back of his head, but he resisted the urge to run away and casually looked up at the sky where the rain had stopped.
Then, he took a breath of the cold, crisp air, determined his direction, and headed towards the Steam train station.
His pace quickened, as if he were somewhat afraid of the night and eager to end the journey.
As he walked, Wendel caught a glimpse of a sign out of the corner of his eye:
" Utopia Telegraph Office"
The telegraph office... perhaps I could try sneaking in and sending an urgent telegram to both Backlund headquarters and the Escoson Military Base, hoping for a rescue from the Demigod... If I'm really trapped here and can't leave, this is the only way to save myself... Wendel's thoughts shifted, and he subtly took a few steps to the side, arriving at the entrance of the Utopia Telegraph Office.
Instead of rushing to find a place to sneak in, he focused his attention and listened intently to the movements inside.
He then heard intermittent, rather heavy breathing.
This made Wendel sometimes feel that there was no one inside, and sometimes that there was more than one person.
Suddenly, the breathing stopped completely.
In that instant, every hair on Wendel's body stood on end.
His intuition told him that a figure was standing quietly behind the telegraph office door!
Without hesitation, Wendel immediately abandoned the idea of sending a telegram, crossed the gate, and continued on his way.
On the journey ahead, even a gust of wind made Wendel tremble with fear, afraid of encountering unknown dangers.
Time slipped away in Wendel's torment, and finally, he returned to the Steam train station, only to find the gates tightly shut, preventing him from entering.
This was no challenge for Wendel. He first handed the umbrella to his left hand, which was carrying the luggage, then went around to the side, found a wall, pressed his palm down, and easily flipped over it.
After landing firmly on his feet, Wendel breathed a slight sigh of relief and walked slowly towards the platform ahead.
Just then, he heard a barely audible footstep behind him.
"What are you doing here?" A deep, husky voice then rang out.
Wendel's toes clenched instantly, and cold sweat broke out on his back.
Without hesitation, he remained ready to act at any moment while slowly and stiffly turning his body to the back.
The first thing that caught his eye was a classically styled glass lantern, followed by the platform staff member from before.
Wendel sighed and said with a hint of resentment:
"On a night like this, in this kind of environment, it's not appropriate to appear in this way."
"As a gentleman, one should try to avoid startling others."
"I'm not a gentleman," the platform staff member replied rather unfriendly.
Wendel casually pointed to a corner of the platform:
I'm going to the restroom.
He had already observed the platform's environment and layout.
"Then why did you come here?" the staff member pressed.
"I'm lost," Wendel replied succinctly.
Then, he ignored the other person and walked step by step toward the platform's restroom.
Behind him, the staff member watched silently without saying a word.
This put a lot of psychological pressure on Wendel, but he maintained his steady pace very well.
In the washroom, under the glow of the gas lamp, it took Wendel nearly a minute to relax his tense body and successfully urinate.
Back on the Steam train, looking at the passengers sleeping in different seats throughout the carriage, Wendel finally regained a sense of security.
He didn't sleep for the next few hours, focusing intently on preventing any unexpected events.
Just as Wendel was becoming oblivious to the passage of time, the sky gradually brightened, dispelling the darkness.
Over the next two hours, the travelers to Utopia returned one after another. Some bought a bottle of the famous local red wine, while others looked haggard, as if they were still hungover or had been beaten up.
Wendel was wary of them, but failed to notice anything unusual in the details.
Ugh!
Finally, the whistle sounded, and the Steam train began to turn heavily and slowly from a standstill.
With a clanging sound echoing through the air, the train departed from Utopia Station.
After that, they experienced another darkening of the sky, but fortunately, no storm came, and the Sun soon pierced through the clouds, illuminating the earth.
To Wendel, everything was perfectly normal, from the moment he arrived in Utopia last night until now. If it weren't for the confidential report hidden in his pocket, he certainly wouldn't have thought there was anything wrong with Utopia.
When the Steam train arrived at the next station, a familiar one, Wendel finally relaxed, though his head was throbbing in waves, and he felt completely drained.
At this point, he quickly reviewed his experience in Utopia.
As he looked back, Wendel suddenly sat up straight:
When he went to the restroom last night under the pretext of doing so, he was carrying a suitcase and an umbrella, which didn't seem like something a passenger who had just gotten off Steam train would do.
The platform staff member either didn't notice this, or they did notice but didn't expose it for some unknown reason!