Chapter 637 Differences
After finishing his conversation with Warren Lechter, the Cathedral’s new Treasurer who Wayne considered to be “version 2.0,”
Wayne began writing a letter to the Mayor in the carriage, hoping to mail it when they passed through the city center later, to push things forward quickly and help the workshop enter the new phase of “channel supply” soon.
It was surprisingly difficult to buy paper and pens in the Dock Area. Although there were many vendors and shops around the small plaza, and even tabloids and cheap publications were easy to find, there wasn't a single place selling proper books or stationery.
The stationery he used this time was obtained from the monks supervising the “public display.” Although the workmanship and materials were a tier below items like Church Licenses or Priest Identification, the quality was still quite good, even better than the paper used for homework at the academy.
He was halfway through writing the letter when the sun began to set. At that moment, the carriage door suddenly pulled open, and Lina’s head poked in. “Why are you back so early today? Did you find anything?”
Wayne’s gaze returned to the letter, and he pondered for a moment: “I’ve generally settled the cheese supply matter with the Cathedral’s new Treasurer, and I’ve also confirmed that there was likely more than one group involved in last night’s attack on me—the number of bodies left at the scene doesn’t add up, and two of them were finished off with follow-up shots, seemingly hit when they were undefended. It feels like someone didn’t want them to survive before the police arrived.”
Lina said “Oh,” and then it was Wayne’s turn to ask, “What about you? Has the intelligence team identified those people?”
“There are all sorts of theories right now; we’re still compiling and filtering. Your incident happened late last night, and it’s not even dark yet. Merlin and the others need to wait until evening to verify and cross-reference some information at bars or in dark alleys. It won’t be that fast.”
With that, Lina shrugged, pulled her head back, and closed the carriage door from outside.
Wayne peered out through the carriage window and saw the girl turn around and approach a group of screening monks who had just returned to the small plaza, continuing to gather information in advance while everyone hadn't fully reassembled.
Compared to the “brainless sweetheart” and “noble lady” styles often seen at the Detective Agency, Lina’s demeanor in front of the monks shifted to another kind, appearing gentle and full of curiosity, like a slightly shy but friendly girl seeking knowledge.
Despite having the same figure and the same face, at first glance, it was as if she had become a different person.
He tried to finish writing the necessary content on a single sheet of paper. There were no envelopes in the carriage, so Wayne could only fold the letter and place it in the hidden compartment under the seat.
When he got out of the carriage to return the pen and ink to the monks, a small group of returning screening monks had already gathered beside Lina. At this point, the intelligence seemed to have been shared, and the crowd had entered a state closer to “casual chat.”
Lina was still playing the curious baby: “…They say that area is Rabbit Gang’s territory. Although it’s closest to the city center, I haven’t actually been there to see it. Is there anything interesting there?”
The monk beside her then casually mentioned some previous observations, such as how the “nightlife” in that area was the most vibrant in the Dock Area, often seeing many people on the streets late at night. The demographic composition was also the most complex, as if people from everywhere were present, a miniature “melting pot of local customs and traditions.”
Wayne knew Lina was just fishing for information, so he didn't listen in much. The information he had on Rabbit Gang was compiled by the intelligence team; Lina might actually know more.
Unlike another kind of “rabbit” Wayne was more familiar with in his previous life, in the cultures of the Old and New Continents, the rabbit is a multi-metaphorical image. It can represent “childlike innocence” and “guidance” in fairy tales, and also symbolize “restraint” and “resistance” in religion, among other things. Sometimes, its meaning can even be completely reversed, representing “evil,” “indulgence,” and “lust.”
As a gang in the Dock Area, Rabbit Gang, of course, wouldn’t be so cultured. They primarily engaged in the sex industry, and the meaning of their name leaned more towards “bunny girls.” It’s even said that they were originally called “The Skeleton Gang,” but the Holy Spirit Church publicly stated that such a symbol was “unacceptable,” so they had no choice but to add a pair of rabbit ears to the skull…
With such an underlying context, Rabbit Gang itself was quite violent. Coupled with the prevailing attitude of “neither encouraging nor suppressing” the sex industry at the time, Rabbit Gang’s territory, being close to the city center, became more like Richmond’s semi-open “red-light district,” well-funded and among the strongest in the Dock Area.
In Wayne’s mental list of targets to strike, Rabbit Gang ranked almost only behind The Sailor Gang, with whom he had a direct grudge.
On one hand, it was because some of their deeds were truly “inhumane,” with several of their leaders, big and small, even appearing on Tiriel’s list. On the other hand, Wayne simply couldn't stand them.
What kind of riff-raff dares to call themselves “Rabbits”… Next life, change it to “The Elephant Gang” or “The Raccoon Gang.”
After a short period of slacking off in the carriage, Inessa and Merlin, the two workaholics, had not yet returned with their teams. Instead, after everyone had enjoyed the chef’s delicious meal today, Doug, who had been instructed, came over first with the pizza Parker had made.
Lina took two slices for Wayne into the carriage. She picked one for herself and started munching on it, stretching her long legs and relaxing on the seat, her entire demeanor transforming into a “picture that would make a mother want to give her a beating.”
Just as Wayne was about to complain, he heard Lina mumbling from across him, “You eat quickly too. It seems the safe house where those cultists are hiding has been found.”
Huh?!
Wayne was truly speechless: “You made someone search trash cans again?! They actually have time for afternoon tea now?!”
I just saw you chatting with someone; isn’t this turn of events a bit too exaggerated?
Could it be that the Silent Sect’s hidden characteristic is “smelly,” and the Truth Sect’s specialty is actually rummaging through trash cans?
“I didn’t find it… I was just outside chatting with a few monks about their findings today, and two of them mentioned it unintentionally.”
Lina looked over innocently, “They said that today, while screening recent rental housing in Rabbit Gang’s territory, they saw a middle-aged man sitting by the window in a nearby house knitting with yarn, and his movements were so skilled it was like a ranch worker from a picture book. I think what he saw was very likely one of those cultists.”
Wayne had heard the meme about a certain empire where “everyone loves to knit”: “That makes sense… But can you really confirm they’re cultists just based on that? They could also be other illegal immigrants from Windsor?”
Looking at the map, Rabbit Gang’s territory was neither within the ritual’s range nor close enough to the Ireland territory, making it an excellent choice for a safe house.
Moreover, a middle-aged man, not working during the day but knitting at home, and living near the houses being screened, was indeed suspicious.
Lina’s face showed a skeptical expression, as if to say, “Do you even hear what nonsense you’re spouting?”:
“Knitting with yarn became popular among Windsor’s poor because many couldn’t afford ready-made clothes and had to find ways to keep warm when they were around sheep. Even now, Windsor people still consider wool-knitted garments not respectable enough; even the upper class’s acceptance of knitted items like scarves, gloves, and socks isn’t very high.”
“But Richmond isn’t a wool-producing area, and yarn might be harder to buy than finished clothing. People with such a hobby shouldn’t be short on money, so why would they live in the Dock Area? Besides, ‘sitting by the window knitting’ is, in other words, monitoring the surrounding environment, which sounds very much like disguised surveillance.”
Hmm…
This was slightly different from Wayne’s stereotypical impression of the “Empire on which the sun never sets.” In his memory, even a particularly famous Prime Minister of a country knitted all the time, and he thought it was a national hobby of the Windsor Kingdom.
However, considering the differences between the two worlds and eras, Wayne chose to trust the judgment of the professionals. He quickly picked up a slice of pizza. “You didn’t tell the monks about this discovery?”
“No,” Lina said, chewing on her pizza and pondering, “Actually, it probably doesn’t matter if I tell the Church, since those Coatle believers probably don’t have much valuable stuff left anyway…”
Wayne added a piece of knowledge for Lina: “When the new Cathedral Treasurer came today, he said that because this involved an evil god belief, all extraordinary materials harvested must be handed over to the Church.”
Lina, who was chewing, immediately closed her mouth and paused. After a moment, she continued, “Then I won’t tell them either…”
