Detective Agency of the Bizarre-Chapter 1471 - 15: Misty Manor

Lu Li was not dealing with ghouls for the first time.

Whether it was the ghoul migration he encountered after crawling out of the underground rock layers, that book "Strange Community Atlas," the anatomy lesson in the Midnight City Illusion, or the invitation sent to ghouls three days ago.

They are beings that are both powerful and weak.

Stronger than humans, weaker than the strange. Stronger than divinity, weaker than themselves.

Both in social structure and individual power, they are close to humans; the strength of ordinary ghoul servants and civilians is hardly different from that of an adult male, and without the plague contamination, they are not even a match for armored soldiers.

Yet the plague can easily wipe out a small town—though it is negligible to true strangeness.

At least until the Weird Times now, the main composition of these ghouls that do not reproduce remains infected, sacrificed humans, and a few weak strangeness.

When Lu Li and Elena arrived again, the Ghoul Sorcerer answered that ghouls were not interested in attending the banquet, but were willing to take a share in hunting strangeness.

And they couldn’t forcibly capture the Ghoul Clans either—their divinity, the King of Ghouls, might notice and descend.

"What is the second goal?"

Leaving the Ghoul’s Lair, Lu Li asked Claire, who stayed behind.

"I don’t know, the remaining ones are more or less the same."

Balance is the only reason for harmonious coexistence among the strange.

"How about the Rat Men."

Lu Li thought of yesterday’s only guest—the Rat Men.

The banquet ended without a result, so the Rat Men enjoyed all the food alone, returning to the burrow with their transparent stomach stuffed full.

"They lack appeal; even if they stand with us, it will only make the strangeness think, ’This bunch of rats has already been enslaved by the new lord,’ and then become more cautious."

Lu Li has many ways to discreetly resolve most of the forces in southern Midnight City—but they need living strangeness.

An empty Midnight City is meaningless.

"Can we capture solitary strangeness?" Elena asked.

Strangeness wandering in southern Midnight City is far more numerous than strangeness forces.

"We should leave trouble with them last." Claire said.

If targeting undominated strangeness, it might be detected by strangeness clans, thereby becoming vigilant. But targeting strangeness clans, whether detected or not, won’t affect continuing to capture those undominated strangeness.

"Claire, you know this place better than any of us..." Elena hoped Claire would have a way.

"Of course... Of course, you need a hero, and that hero is naturally me." Claire proudly lifted her head, sharing her idea, "Misty Manor, if besides ghouls there’s any force that can convince the south, I can only think of them."

Images of faces shrouded in mist gathered behind iron bars filled Lu Li’s mind.

"They did not attend the banquet."

"Doesn’t that just show they’re wary of us, right? As long as their concerns disappear, we’ll have the first—oh—the second guest."

Objectively, without prejudice, strictly speaking, Claire’s wisdom isn’t the smartest in Giant Tree Academy, nor at the Tea Party or among those present, even tending toward chaos due to becoming strangeness, but she is undoubtedly trusted.

So—even if the plan is absurd, suspicious, inexplicable, Lu Li still decided to try.

They discussed in an abandoned house on the street:

"Strange Currency is a good gift, but not enough. You give money to the poor, of course, you can gain the poor’s gratitude but not their trust."

"...I think both gratitude and trust can be gained if someone is willing to give me some shillings when I was a librarian."

"Shut up, Ophelia! I’m talking about strangeness! Lu Li, you have to follow strangeness rules. Give them things they like... Quickly, ask me what to give!"

"What to give."

"Smoke... I know it sounds ridiculous, but smoke would make Misty Manor friendly to us."

"This is important, Lu Li, very important. You have to follow their rules. Our handshake is polite, our smile is goodwill, but to strangeness, a handshake might be an attack, a smile might represent a threat. You must, must, must remember this."

"Continue."

"If Misty Manor accepts the smoke, it means they no longer resist you, then you can show your exceptional charm."

"Alright, go do it, bring back a perfect beginning."

Claire didn’t tell Lu Li in detail what to do; she was more like handing Lu Li a tool.

Later that day, Lu Li and the others went to Misty Manor again, having the Mycelium Monster put down the logs and set a bonfire outside the manor.

The blazing flames lifted the brightness, and thick smoke rose, disturbing the misty faces in the manor.

Elena expressed friendliness, talking to the misty faces behind the fence. Gradually, the straight smoke from the bonfire was stirred by invisible air currents, bending, twisting, and flowing into the manor’s mist.

The iron gate creaked open, and the misty faces accepted the gift and invited them into the manor.

Elena looked at Lu Li, and Lu Li stepped into the solitary manor veiled in mist.

In the mansion, Lu Li saw other family members of the mist—four more mists.

Two of them resembled the misty faces, while the other two appeared lower in stature.

Lu Li’s gaze fell on the stairway wall facing the living room. A weathered, faded oil painting hung there: a boy and a girl crouched beside an elderly woman, with a middle-aged couple standing behind them.

They should be the owners of this manor.

Lu Li noticed the five surrounding mists.

Is it just a coincidence?

The communication Lu Li couldn’t understand continued between Elena and the misty strangeness until some point when Elena came to Lu Li’s side: "They hope you remove your hood."

"What do you think?"

"I don’t know... They seem trustworthy, but I’m worried it’s a trap."

"What did you talk about?"

"They said they come from an ancient family, and have been here since awakening. That painting is them when they were alive, but they don’t remember the past."

Elena narrated and speculated: "They might be the souls of Midnight City."

Or perhaps they’re fakes like the fake viscount, but it doesn’t matter.

"They aren’t strange enough to disregard a Cursed Title."

"I understand... Please remove your hood."

So Lu Li removed his hood, revealing a human-like face that did not seem fabricated.

The sudden contraction of the misty strangeness’ mist bodies indicated their unease, two slightly smaller mists even tried to approach Lu Li, blocked by the misty faces.

Lu Li revealing his identity made the conversation atmosphere between Elena and the mists pleasant; shortly afterwards, Elena excitedly said they agreed to attend tomorrow’s second banquet.

More importantly, the misty family could likely once have been the soul of Midnight City.

The success at Misty Manor made Elena gradually know how to invite strangeness, urging Lu Li to go to the next strangeness that needed an invitation.