Chapter 297: Chapter 294: Marquis’s Mansion

"That Marquis sounds pretty brutal," Singrev said, a little worried. They were about to "visit" him, but the Dwarf couldn’t think of a good reason for it.

Freddy told them to relax. "According to the residents of the Shadow Land, he’s actually quite just. It’s just that his way of dealing with criminals is more... severe than in the Upper Realm."

Rorschach, however, had already figured out how to get an audience. ’Since the entire Shadow City is considered the Marquis’s domain, an Underground Sect that can evade the rules of the Shadow Land is a major threat to his rule. As long as I can provide clues about the shipwreck, the Marquis will have no reason not to cooperate with me to figure out what the Return to the Holy Mother Order is all about.’

As they left the Church, the number of pedestrians gradually increased. The Core Area seemed to be the "model district" of the Shadow Land. Even in the dim environment where it was hard to tell day from night, the streets were kept as clean as possible. In retrospect, even the eerie Harold Avenue hadn’t been particularly dirty.

Most of the pedestrians on the street were dressed no differently than people in the Upper Realm, though occasionally a few wore very old-fashioned attire, looking as if they had stepped right out of a historical oil painting.

"They have carriages for hire!" Freddy recognized one at a glance. Just like its counterparts in Storm City, it had a brass bell hanging from the front of its canopy. The vehicle, however, seemed to be pulled by two old donkeys, so skinny their bones showed.

"Do their carriages take money from the Upper Realm?"

"Bartering always works here!" Ignoring the Dwarf’s question, Freddy hailed the carriage.

The coachman lifted his wide-brimmed hat to get a better look. "That’s a lot of people... Where are you headed?"

"The Marquis’s Mansion."

"The Lord Marquis’s castle? You’re going to the Marquis’s Mansion?" The coachman’s eyes widened, his bloodshot gaze so intense it looked as if his eyes might pop out of their sockets. He repeated himself, "The Marquis’s Mansion?"

"Yes." Rorschach took out some cookies he’d found in the captain’s cabin. The coachman accepted them and sniffed the oil-paper package with his hooked nose. "These are fresh. The authentic aroma of wheat and butter... All right, get in, my generous customers."

Once everyone was aboard, he added, "My customers, do not open the windows under any circumstances." He pulled a cord at his side, drawing all the curtains in the passenger compartment shut.

Singrev shot Rorschach a look, but Rorschach didn’t move, simply sitting securely in the carriage. The vehicle had no suspension, and every bump from the wheels on the road translated into a jolt, their backsides banging against the wooden bench. CLANG, CLANG. After what felt like a long time, the carriage suddenly slowed.

Singrev called out to the coachman through the curtain, "Are we almost there?"

The coachman didn’t answer. In Rorschach’s [Arcane Vision], he suddenly saw clusters of Spiritual Light converging on the carriage. At first, they were just blurry orbs, but as they drew near, he saw they were taller than the carriage’s canopy. As if sensing Rorschach’s observation through the thin wooden walls, one mass of Spiritual Light slipped into the compartment, bringing with it a rank, goaty odor.

The pale light outlined a slender hand.

This hand, however, was invisible to normal sight. The others had no idea what was happening. Just as Rorschach prepared to react, the hand reached out and touched Little Coal Ball before quickly retracting.

A moment later, the carriage picked up speed again.

"You are well-behaved guests. The Lord Marquis will see you." The coachman spoke these words as the carriage stopped and the door opened, his tone confirming that he knew Rorschach’s group hadn’t peeked through the curtains.

"Thanks." As they disembarked, Rorschach noticed that one of the donkeys now had two small holes on its thigh, trickling blood.

"Your... donkey seems to be injured," Rorschach pointed out.

The coachman was unfazed. He returned to his seat. "That’s a horse. All horses in the Shadow Land are like this. It’s nothing, sir. Just a scratch." With that, he drove off.

Peering through the wrought-iron gate, they saw a rather large residence, one that wouldn’t have looked out of place in the wealthy districts of Upper Realm Storm City. There were no guards, only a few small figures in the garden holding pruning shears. The little people came bouncing over and bowed to Rorschach, Freddy, and Singrev, pointedly skipping over Little Coal Ball.

"Please inform the Lord Marquis that we have come to see him regarding the shipwreck in the Semi-submerged Area and the Sect."

The little person waited patiently for Rorschach to finish speaking, then dropped its pruning shears and ran inside.

The Dwarf was only a little taller than the small figures, allowing him to see their features in detail. "These servants... they seem to be Mouse Speakers?"

They waited outside the gate for a short while before the messenger returned with other servants. These were dressed much better, wearing miniature tailcoats that looked like doll clothes. Each took one side of the large gate and pulled it open for the visitors.

The miniature valet led them to a study, where they met the ruler of the Shadow Land.

The Marquis himself was a gaunt man. He was unnaturally tall; the tops of Rorschach’s and Freddy’s heads only reached his chin, giving him an oppressive presence when he stood before them.

"Speak, Rorschach Mage. What is your purpose in my Domain?"

Hearing the Marquis use Rorschach’s real name instead of his alias, "Heisenberg," Freddy’s eyebrow twitched. He was suddenly struck by an idea. "Lord Marquis, would it be possible for me to tour your mansion? As an artist, I’m quite interested in porcelain and paintings."

The Marquis nodded. "Show this poet and Singrev out. And your Mouse Speaker slave."

"Little Coal Ball is free."

"My apologies." After he spoke, a servant led the three out of the study, leaving the Marquis and Rorschach alone.

"Your clever little companion is gone. Can you answer the question truthfully now?"

’He knows my name and the Dwarf’s...’ Rorschach had no idea how the man knew, but for now, his attitude seemed amicable enough. Rorschach replied:

"My lord, I am here to investigate the activities of the Return to the Holy Mother Order in Istani. In both the Holy Kingdom and the Empire, we have thwarted its conspiracies and discovered that its personnel, as well as Holy Artifacts of Mother Earth, have been flowing out of Istani."

"You haven’t answered my question. Coming to the Istani Kingdom and entering the Shadow Land are clearly not the same thing."

"Are they really not? A few days ago, a Sect vessel ran aground in your domain—in the Semi-submerged Area. Furthermore, Count Elgin has reported that the Sect is also active in your Shadow City." As Rorschach spoke, he couldn’t help but frown. After the others had left and the door had closed, he’d noticed the smell of blood, accompanied by a faint stench of rot.

The Marquis didn’t answer immediately. He seemed lost in thought, his two pale hands scratching at each other. His knuckles were red and swollen, and bloody lines welled up where his fingernails raked his skin.

When the Marquis remained silent, Rorschach continued, "We discovered a malevolent ritual on the Sect’s ship. I speculate they are using the sacrifice of Gray Elves to enter and exit the Shadow Land in large numbers. According to the ship’s log, they have also been traveling between El Island and Storm City."

The Marquis finally spoke. "So what? Can you stop them?"

"I am merely here to investigate. I want to understand why the Underground Sect is active on El Island, why they come to the Shadow Land, and the source of the malevolent Mother Earth artifacts flowing onto the continent. I cannot do this alone, but I implore you, as the master of this place, to provide some timely assistance."

"And what else?"

"Also... may I please see your Magic Consultant?"