The ghostly footsteps appeared like shadows, and two figures quickly flashed past the street lights. The shadows lengthened into the darkness and then lengthened into the darkness at the next intersection, and so on.
Lehman followed Karin closely, confirming the current position in the foggy field of vision.
This is not the direction to the northwest night district, nor is it the terminal station in the south, but moving to the east of the old city.
Different from the staleness of the terminal and the intoxication of the night area, the further east you go, the heavier the mechanical feel around you, and the heavier the metallic smell in the air.
There is a faint stream of steam flowing across the road under your feet, and you can clearly feel the rising temperature around you even on a cold night.
The empty, clattering toolboxes hammer the tired souls of workers who have just finished the night shift.
It also made Lehman understand and roughly guess their destination, the industrial area.
But why?
Lehman pondered for a moment but to no avail, so he simply asked directly
"Um...are we going to the industrial area?"
"No, let's go to the dark alley, and my name is Karin."
"Well, Sister Karin...is it the dark alley?"
Karin briefly scanned the foggy field of vision and asked
"Can you see the buildings behind a few passages in the eastern transfer area?"
"Barely."
"Well, it seems that your view of the Mysterious Fog is farther than the first-level [Dark Night] of the same sequence. What kind of building do you think that is?"
Leman pondered for a moment and noticed something strange. He frowned slightly but still couldn't find the answer.
"That's a residential area? But can people live in that place?"
Karin continued
"It is said that in the early years, it was originally going to be demolished and turned into a buffer zone for the reconstruction of the industrial area and the old city. However, the senior officials at that time did not seem to care about the buffer zone, and it was easily preserved by someone headed by a certain senior council member of Lenk City.
Come down.
But later, due to industrial pollution and mobile crowds, most of the original residents had no choice but to move away."
"Forced?"
"Yes, due to industrial pollution and the gradual decline of the population, no law enforcement officers were willing to enter frequently and it was recommended to relocate. Over time, it became a criminal paradise. It was not until the union reached an agreement with the local illegal forces that a certain order was restored. That is also
That’s when Dark Alley was born.”
Lehman asked with some confusion
"Where is the church?"
Karin paused obviously and sighed with surprise
"There are not many people here like you who are willing to believe in the church, and I don't know the specific situation in this city.
But I'm afraid it didn't have the charm to attract the attention of the church at first. It was just a way for the government to force residents because they didn't want to subsidize civilian housing.
The birth of the trade union and the chaos in this area were all things that happened later. At that time, the church did not dare to interfere too much in the union's affairs.
The trade unions also refused help from the church and the government. They were on their own and it was actually very difficult to deal with. The chaos in the old city probably began to spread at that time."
"So that's it..."
Lehman replied calmly but was a little confused.
You must know that the Kingdom is dominated by the [Dark Night] Church, and judging from past experience, it is understandable that the [Dark Night] Church does not want to use too many means on the surface, but what about the secret interference??
Does the church have other troubles that need to be dealt with...or is there something hidden inside that is difficult to touch easily??
The two of them were speechless for a moment as they thought about it. It wasn't until they reached the area handover passage that Karin turned around and handed Lehman a mask.
"Lehman, put this on, lift up your hat, expose your eyes, and walk with your head lowered. Try not to let others notice you walking with your eyes closed."
Lehman nodded, took the mask and put it on, raised his top hat and lowered his head, and followed Karin's footsteps to the iron gate at the end of the unguarded passage.
"You are the [Night] sequence, lower your presence and let's go in."
Lehman nodded and activated [Lower Presence], and Karin opened the door accordingly.
A warm wind blew across Lehman's face as the iron door opened, and the sound of mechanical rotation and the sound of iron tools colliding in his ears came from all around the dark alley from time to time.
What's even more concerning is the sight of the people around her in Mystery's field of vision. Karin also took out the iron fan and held it tightly in her right hand, while holding Lehman with her left hand and speeding up her pace.
Lehman's emotions also reached their peak inexplicably. He noticed the peek hidden in the dark alley, and a pair of eyes noticed them... It was not an intuitive inspection, but a naked glance in the foggy vision.
It's just as light as a feather floating over the skin.
Lehman's gaze glanced towards the source unconsciously, but was cut off the moment he touched it again...
"Sister Karin...we were discovered."
Karin was stunned for a moment and frowned slightly. She didn't say anything but just quickened her pace and walked through the scattered shops on the street. Most of the people didn't notice them. The sound of bargaining could be heard in their ears, but almost no one was angry. It was like being beaten.
The unknown gods looked down and suppressed their nature, crushing their greed.
In the noisy environment, there is an inexplicable sense of depression.
The next second, Karin's footsteps suddenly stopped. An unshaven man blocked Lehman's way, and then a whistle sounded from behind him through the current alley, and the sound of conversation instantly returned to
Silence.
The man glanced at the two people provocatively with his foggy vision and then said
"Miss Karin, who is this child you are carrying?"
"The suspects who were ordered to investigate, why don't you even know the news that the investigation team entered the old city? Or are you trying to hinder the investigation?"
The man grinded his teeth slightly and narrowed his eyes, then suddenly glanced at the man running in panic on the street next to him. He raised his hand and shot directly through his brain. He turned around and scolded
"Made, it's so noisy. Are you all trash? You can't even recognize a pest when it passes by. Why are you standing there? Go and get rid of that body."
He kicked the person behind him hard, turned around and said with a smile on his face
"I made you laugh, Miss Karin. That was a thief who stole our money and tried to run away but was blocked like a pest. Come on, come this way and I will take you to see your master, Osman Wendy.
”
Karin didn't speak, she just held the iron fan in her hand tightly and followed the strange man's footsteps, but she still couldn't understand the drama in front of her.
"Since when did you follow us?"
The man just chuckled and took a puff of the cigarette he had lit at some point and said irritably
"Didn't I just say that I'm just here to catch the thief. It was purely an accident that I bumped into you. I don't think it's troublesome."
After saying that, the man pointed to a rusty iron gate not far away.
"No, we're here. I'll watch you go in, so I can rest~ So can you please hurry up? It's very dangerous outside. You have a child with you. It would be bad if there is a sudden fight and killing outside and the child is injured.
."
Suddenly the man squatted down, opened his eyes suddenly, stared at Lehman and said quietly
"You think so...Lehman...little...friend...huh~~"
A cloud of smoke brushed across Lehman's face, and Karin couldn't bear it anymore. She quickly pulled Lehman open the iron door and walked in.