Eldritch Horror Theatre

How could he abandon the fine tradition of achieving several gains with a single action?

Summoning Chief Yuan here naturally saved him an extra trip while allowing him to confirm the situation at the Academy.

On top of that, he needed to settle the compensation for his latest trip.

The name he had ultimately obtained with the Warehouse’s help—back in that place called the Realm of Bliss—was undoubtedly a precious piece of information.

After all, according to the details the Warehouse provided alongside it, this person had been a true believer of the Realm of Bliss’s master prior to the Long Night.

If he could dig up any relevant information on him, it would undoubtedly help deduce the true identity of that mysterious ruler of Paradise.

It might even lead to more information regarding Excellency Stomach.

Therefore, his immediate thought was to consult the Night Watchers’ database.

And among his current channels, Chief Yuan was without a doubt the best candidate.

”Eckhart? Who is that?”Sure enough, rather than shrinking back from the task, she merely expressed her curiosity.

Any name he needed the First Poison Strategist to look up was obviously a massive deal. It almost certainly involved some hidden secret.

But compared to the contributions he had made, running a background check really wasn’t much. Yuan Shan had no intention of shirking the request.

As for the hidden core agenda behind her trip to the Academy—namely, the matter regarding Needle Witch Kelin—she had already received her answer just a moment ago: do nothing.

It was obvious that after a round of subtle maneuvering, their control over the situation was approaching an ideal state. For the time being, they just needed to play their part.

In fact, the very fact that he had summoned her here so conspicuously, rather than sneaking into her office for a secret exchange, proved that the situation was highly optimistic.

So even though her first reaction upon walking through the door had been to complain, Yuan Shan was actually in quite a good mood and wasn’t in a rush to confirm the finer details.

”Think about what I just asked you to do. If I knew who he was, would I be asking you to look him up?”

Unfortunately, her curiosity was met with immediate disdain.

Looking at her like she was an idiot, Fu Qian reminded her that checking his background was exactly what he was commissioning her to do.

...

”There should at least be some search parameters, right?”

That did seem to be the case... Being directly challenged on a purely logical level, even a veteran political survivor like Chief Yuan felt her thick skin take a slight hit.

However, she was a seasoned veteran after all, and instantly shifted the issue to the technical side of things.

”He lived before the Long Night, was a loyal follower of a certain faith, and is suspected to have committed suicide when the Long Night arrived.”

Naturally, Fu Qian didn’t stoop to arguing. He instantly rattled off three key elements to narrow down the search.

”Suicide, huh...”

Chief Yuan seemed somewhat sentimental today.

On one hand, she didn’t look overly surprised that he was digging into such ancient history; on the other hand, she actually let out a soft sigh at that final word.

”What’s wrong? Do you know him?”

Fu Qian asked, momentarily curious.

”I don’t. But as for suicide... that was far too common during That Long Night...”

Yuan Shan shook her head.

”Even though my understanding of it is limited, it’s clear that long before their lives were ever directly threatened, many people had already suffered mental breakdowns because of their faith and ultimately resorted to extreme actions like that.”

”I can imagine. What about the ones who didn’t break?”

At her words, Fu Qian was reminded of the sights he had witnessed while boating alongside Su Gao.

”The ones who didn’t break... heh. Naturally, they resorted to even more extreme actions—they tried to fight against That Long Night.”

With a light chuckle, Yuan Shan blinked at him.

”In other words, the very first Night Watchers.”

...

It was truly a tragic yet heroic origin.

Although it wasn’t exactly a closely guarded secret, just speaking of those millennia-old events was enough to make one feel the sheer courage of that era.

He wondered if the little friend lying in that coffin would ever have the chance to obtain such power.

”And where are those people now?”

Amid his musings, Fu Qian clearly didn’t mind learning a bit more and smoothly followed up.

”Unfortunately, the vast majority of them died during those extreme attempts... It was far more serious than simply failing to receive a response from the gods. Legend has it that during the Long Night, the power they had gained through their faith was also severely crippled.

”On the flip side, the dangers they faced were completely unprecedented. Curses, monsters, omnipresent madness...”

Yuan Shan sighed softly. Even though she hadn’t lived through it herself, she could perfectly picture the horrifying scenes of that era.

”Also, don’t forget that the current Night Watchers haven’t existed continuously since the Long Night. Theoretically, our history is only about as long as the Federation’s. So, to be perfectly honest, I’ve never met a single Night Watcher who actually lived through those dark times.”

”I’ve heard as much. Clearly, after laying low for several centuries, they came out swinging with massive moves.”

Having crammed a fair amount of historical data recently, Fu Qian knew Yuan Shan wasn’t exaggerating.

The title of the Night Watchers made its official debut right around the time the federal system was implemented with an iron fist. The rules dictating how transcendents interacted with ordinary mortals were also established during that era.

He had to admit that aside from the desperate struggles during the Long Night, the truth behind that sudden shift in the world order was equally tantalizing.

What exactly had driven all of that? Could the Warehouse have played a part in it?

”In short, even the oldest members of the Supreme Council are nowhere near that old... So, regarding this name you gave me, is there anything else I should look out for?”

Having vented her melancholic emotions, Yuan Shan casually wrapped up the history lesson and steered the conversation back to the task at hand.

”Keep the investigation strictly confidential. Even from the Supreme Council.”

Her initiative was quite gratifying. Naturally, Fu Qian didn’t hold back.

...

”I knew it. By all rights, I really ought to just lock you up right now...

”But don’t worry. It’ll be a massive headache, but I can get it done.”

After staring at Fu Qian in silence for a long while, Yuan Shan finally agreed, looking entirely like she had just been dragged onto a sinking ship.

”I appreciate the hard work. I’ll be waiting for the good news.”

Chief Yuan rarely took on extra work willingly, but once she committed to a task, she was incredibly reliable.

Fu Qian didn’t care in the slightest about how she would actually pull it off; his words of encouragement radiated nothing but absolute trust.

”If you want to hear that good news, you might want to consider visiting my office next time...”

Naturally immune to his flattery, Yuan Shan merely glanced out the window at the still-gloomy sky, signaling that he should try being a little more discreet next time.

”No problem. I mainly just wanted to save us both some time today.”

Even as Fu Qian made his promise, she had already stood up and taken her leave with brisk efficiency.

...

See? It really did save time.

Although Chief Yuan hadn’t really believed him, Fu Qian’s excuse was actually completely honest.

After she left, he casually unlocked the front doors to open up shop. Barely half an hour later, another familiar figure appeared outside.

Gray hair, crimson eyes, and a flawless beauty that carried a faint trace of the inhuman. Who else could it be but Demigod Serana?

Yuan Shan had been absolutely right. Giant bats were incredibly sensitive to abnormal atmospheric changes, too.

Smiling, Fu Qian stood up. But instead of immediately rushing out to greet the Anchor Point he had left behind for the Greed Worms, his gaze shifted toward two customers who had accidentally stumbled inside.