The Bizarre Detective Agency

Lu Li adjusted his hat, his calm black eyes, hidden under its shadow, scanning the sides of the street.

There wasn’t a single bright orange-painted carriage in sight.

Abandoning the idea of taking a carriage back, Lu Li identified the direction he had come from, pressed the brim of his hat lower, and stepped forward, blending into the crowd as just another passerby.

Most of the men wore black waistcoats over their shirts, with clothing predominantly in shades of black and gray. Some, seeking to display their status and wealth, wore polished leather shoes and carried walking canes. The suspenders commonly seen on Sailors’ Street were almost nonexistent here—clothing marked social class, and only laborers and manual workers would wear something practical like suspenders, which were easy to clean and less likely to slip off.

The women wore brightly colored lace dresses, their hems nearly brushing the ground. The layered folds made the skirts flare out in volume. To match the men’s shoes and canes, the women draped lace veils over their faces and donned wide-brimmed feathered hats so extravagant they made the streets feel crowded. They also wore expensive perfumes.

Most of the carriages passing by were enclosed, but occasionally, a steam-powered automobile with a peculiar design would rumble down the street, venting steam.

The houses along the street were two to three stories high, painted in vibrant or dark colors, with either pointed or rounded roofs.

Everything carried a distinct Victorian aesthetic—

In the distance, a beggar was being shoved and driven away by a patrolling policeman.

—and a touch of ignorance.

There was no doubt that the street where Hades’ agency was located was one of Belfast’s neighborhoods of upper-class residents. Most who lived here were merchants, doctors, lawyers, government officials, or fallen nobles—and, of course, a certain exorcist who valued money above all else.

Lu Li’s calm gaze swept across his surroundings as he recalled the conversation he’d had with Hades before leaving.

“How should I carry it?”

Lu Li hadn’t touched the flintlock pistol, which was so exquisite it could be mistaken for a piece of art. He accepted the box, where 20 silver-plated bullets engraved with runes were neatly placed in a 4×5 arrangement. Including the complimentary one, there were a total of 21 bullets.

“Carry it like this.” Hades pulled a leather holster from beneath his seemingly all-inclusive counter and tossed it to Lu Li. “Slide the gun into the holster, and you won’t have to face those damned things anymore.”

Lu Li didn’t bother asking pointless questions like, “Would you have given me the holster if I hadn’t asked?” Instead, he silently adjusted the holster, slid the flintlock into it, and tucked it into the inner pocket of his coat.

His hand only made contact with the gun for a few seconds, but even so, that brief interaction with the object affected him, filling him with a faint sense of heaviness and gloom.

“A friendly reminder—don’t use it too much.”

Lu Li’s dark eyes focused on Hades. “Why.”

“As I said before, to extinguish the flame in the lamp, you first have to break through the lampshade. But when you place yourself in the same space as them, you essentially become one of them. When you stare into the abyss, the abyss also stares back at you.”

“So the more I use it, the closer I’ll get to becoming like a ghost?”

“Worse than that. You’ll still be alive, but you’ll carry so much of their world’s aura that even without the Spirit Gun, you’ll remain in that space permanently—a living human trapped in the ghost world. Tsk, tsk. And that’s not even the worst part. The truly terrifying thing is, you won’t be able to avoid them.”

Lu Li stopped at a newsstand by the street. Behind the stand, an elderly man with graying hair and a black waistcoat greeted him politely, “What can I get you, sir?”

“A newspaper.”

“Would you like the local Belfast edition?”

“Yes.”

“Alright, please wait a moment.”

The old man turned to retrieve the paper, and Lu Li stood straight, waiting in front of the stand.

“Besides the Spirit Gun, is there any other way to deal with ghosts?” Lu Li asked. After a moment of thought, he added, “A method with no side effects.”

“Of course there is.”

The familiar glint of Hades’ golden teeth reappeared in his mind. “You could hire Exorcist Hades. Other than shillings, you won’t lose anything.”

“How much does it cost?”

“It depends on the ghost’s strength. If it’s just an ordinary ghost, it’s 300 shillings.”

“Strength? Ghosts have levels?”

“Humans have the poor, the commoners, and the nobles. Why wouldn’t ghosts have their own hierarchy?”

Hades scoffed, mocking Lu Li’s naivety.

“This one’s on the house: Ghosts are classified into three levels of strength—Ghosts, Vengeful Spirits, and Evil Spirits. However, most people just refer to them all as ghosts.”

“Why did you say, ‘The more you know, the faster you’ll die?’ This is my last question.”

Noticing signs that Hades was eager to send him off, Lu Li asked his final question.

“Here’s your paper, sir. That’ll be one shilling,” the elderly man said, handing over a pristine, neatly folded newspaper.

Lu Li handed over a coin, unfolded the paper, and the smell of fresh ink wafted up.

[The Parliament of the Duchy of Allen Peninsula has passed the “Wine Act” with 8 votes in favor, 3 against, and 1 abstention. The act limits the planting area for grapes, disallowing any increase from the previous year in order to preserve farmland.]

[A Baron’s Scandal! Last night, Baron Joshua hosted dozens of young men for a wild all-night party in his manor garden—]

[Councilman Oliver proposes increasing daily working hours from 10 to 12 without raising wages. The proposal has sparked criticism from other councilmembers—]

Hades’ final two sentences echoed in Lu Li’s mind.

“You’ll understand. Time will give you the answers.” And, “If you want to ask more questions, make sure to bring money next time! If you take too long, I’ll raise my prices!”

Skimming through a few headlines, Lu Li folded the newspaper and asked the elderly vendor, “Do you have papers from a few days ago?”

“Yesterday’s is sold out, but I have issues from the past seven days, except for the day before yesterday.”

“Give me one.”

Lu Li searched his pocket but couldn’t find a five-shilling coin, so he handed over a ten-shilling note instead.

At that moment, a commotion erupted from the corner of the street.

A group of sandy boys came running from around the corner, shouting as they ran.

“The Rodder had an accident!”

“A fishing boat ran into something weird! It’s at the harbor now!”

“Several people are dead!”

The three shouting boys ran past Lu Li, bringing with them a gust of damp sea breeze.

People on the street, shopkeepers and passersby alike, exchanged uneasy glances. Panic began to spread, first visible in the hurried steps of the crowd, and soon in the disorder overtaking the previously orderly street.

The idle patrol officers snapped out of their daze and shouted as they gave chase to the boys.

“Here’s your newspaper and change, sir.”

Lu Li accepted the small stack of papers and coins, then asked, “How long does it take to walk to the harbor from here?”

“It’s about twenty minutes. A carriage would be faster, sir, if you’d like—”

“Thank you.”

Lu Li nodded politely, cutting off the old man mid-sentence. Without waiting any longer, he turned and headed toward the harbor.