The weather lately has been fluctuating between hot and cold.

Karl himself never expected that merely revealing a hint of an aura, one that no ordinary person could withstand, would make the mole confess without hesitation.

Under the witness of a lawyer, Andrew confessed everything from start to finish to the police inspector at the precinct and was then immediately taken into custody. Upon learning of the involvement of the Fogfolk, his family didn’t even entertain the thought of bailing him out.

This also signaled the resolution of the technical leakage issue that had been plaguing Thomas Rowan and the company’s top brass. Although the matter of the buyer and the pending disputes over the design blueprints still required attention, as long as the other country was willing to abide by the constraints of the internationally recognized arbitration tribunal still nominally in place, the matter would ultimately not be difficult to resolve.

“Many, many thanks, respected Mr. Karl the Investigator. “

Thomas Rowan clasped Karl’s hand with both of his own, with a broad smile shaking the hand of the man in the herringbone striped brown suit, “Truly the elite of Hirst Detective Agency! With such an employee working for him, it’s no wonder Hero’s company could even brush off the Territory Office’s deliberate obstruction. “

“Uh? Ah… Well, yes.” Outside the police station, Karl, who knew nothing about the Land Office’s harassment, forced a faint smile as the other man shook his hand.

……

At the same time, He Yishu finally let out a long sigh after finishing filling out various application forms. The sheer volume of troublesome paperwork alone would be enough to dissuade most people from wanting to leave their country for a trip, not to mention the hefty fees involved.

When he returned to the small meeting room entrance, the counter clerk, Miss Faerie, who had been waiting there, led him towards the small reception room that Yang Zicang had “requisitioned ” for a day.

Pushing the door open, He Yishu was briefly taken aback by the unfamiliar face of the man before him. When the other man smiled and spoke in Yang Buchen’s voice, he asked:

“So, can you tell it’s me?“

“Uh… I can’t recognize you at all. But it would be closer to perfect if you could tweak your height and build a bit as well.” Noticing him preparing to leave, He Yishu asked, “Where are you headed?“

Yang Zicang, wearing the human-skin mask given to him by the Steffen people, said, “You’ve come just in time. Come with me to meet my charge. Chances are we’ll be travelling together to Hydrapower City anyway.“

“Picked up the job to Hydrapower City?“

A smile lit up He Yishu’s face. “Want to come along to Hails Bretchc? Xue Qi and Hailikoni are always talking about you, and the Major General would like to thank you in person again.“

Yang Zicang, wearing the face of “Medwiser, ” picked up a thin jacket.

“I believe Hailikoni thinks of me, but Xue Qi too? Haha, you’d do better not to polish others’ opinions of you on their behalf. “

Ebiser and Lianna spent the entire afternoon at the rented estate, nearly completing their application formalities simultaneously with He Yishu.

However, being part of the “Honorary Clan, ” their applications were quickly approved and scheduled to be mailed to their residence.

In the afternoon, the crystal-clear sunlight finally poured down.

The group had just stepped out of the rented estate’s main gate when they glimpsed a tall, middle-aged man carrying a case, walking shoulder-to-shoulder with a girl of seventeen or eighteen toward a vintage horse-drawn carriage in the distance.

Suddenly, the man’s suitcase slipped out of his grip, scattering its contents all over the ground.

“Oh! Are you hurt? “

Lianna, today clad in a white dress, noticed the private belongings—shoes, hats, among others—of the pair strewn across the floor. Donning a blue naval-style hat, she quickly rushed over to help.

Then, Lianna, the approaching Ebiser, and the two behind them, including Yang Zicang, noticed that the man bending to pick up items, along with the vibrant girl beside him, both had rounded ear shells.

“You are People of the Mist? “

Lianna, slightly surprised, made this remark, then chuckled ruefully at herself. This was a settlement for the Gentle Folk of Mist, so why be startled to meet a few of them?

“Mm-hmm!” The girl with long, twin ponytails nodded smartly, brimming with vitality.

“But I grew up right here. My name’s Shirley Kaden. Hey there, little sister, what’s yours?“

“I’m Lianna.“

The man, having secured his box, stood up and looked at Ebiser beside him:

“Hello there. This child is my offspring,” he then turned to He Yishu, who was sizing them up from behind, “Greetings, fellow landsman.“

As for “Yang Zicang” next to He Yishu, who was sporting indigenous makeup, Kaden merely nodded in acknowledgment before moving on.

After a bit of small talk, He Yishu and “Medwiser” managed to make a simple acquaintance with the individual they were meant to protect.

Ebiser gazed into the distance. Kaden gently patted the back of his daughter, who was now almost as tall as him, and led her onto the old carriage parked by the roadside.

Ebiser’s eyes lit up slightly: “That’s actually one of the Honor families’ carriages.“

“Honor families?” He Yishu beside him asked curiously, “Is there a difference from nobility?“

“Heh. Essentially, there’s no real difference. Perhaps for most people from these families, they can’t even tell the distinction, nor do they remember it clearly anymore.“

The overlooked “native Medwiser” silently scrutinized Ebiser, then cast a sidelong glance at the fair-skinned young girl in a white dress and a flat, dark blue naval cap who was stealing peeks at him from the side.

Catching his gaze fixed on her, Lianna nervously averted her little head in a hurry.

She unconsciously felt her heartbeat quicken slightly, tucked in her chin, covertly darted her eyes to the side, then swiftly averted her gaze, pursing her lips to suppress the smile threatening to curl upward.

……

“Congratulations, Buchen. “

Yang Zicang had just returned to the small conference room when Schmidt, clutching a box, burst in excitedly.

“Congratulations to me? “

“Heh heh, it’s only been a few days, and the third assistance mission is complete. Our investigation firm has just landed its second deal. I’ll negotiate the compensation myself and follow up. Trust me—once this is all over, your ‘Radiance’ is about to be born. “

He smacked the box as he set it on the table.

“Here, this is your ‘Crystal of Serenity.’ Simple to use—you know the drill, right? “

Yang Zicang only then realized: wasn’t that investigation into the turbocharging tech leak already handled by Karl alone?

-｛Distributor Loki·Tata Mingqi shows “admiration “.｝

Yang Zicang picked up the “Crystal of Serenity, ” sensed the mental intent embedded within—instructions on how to use it—and then chose to activate it.

｛I begin to control the “Crystal of Serenity. “｝

｛I invest 1R in the “Crystal of Serenity. “｝

“How cheap. ” Compared to its deposit, this was ridiculously low. True to form, just rented land.

Watching Yang Zicang use it, Schmidt chuckled. “Want to test it out? “

“I trust you, but… ” Yang Zicang chuckled. “I’m ready. “

A silver-white ring immediately lit up on Schmidt’s chest. Threads of light flickered but, as if unable to find their target, diffused into the surrounding air instead of directly connecting to Yang Zicang’s chest.

“It’s fine, but… “

“What’s wrong? ” Schmidt asked.

“I’m a little worried again, that someone might not be able to find me. Haha, though that kind of thing is basically impossible. “

“Haha, yeah. That’s a normal mindset. Most people who first come here know it’s unlikely anyone will send them a dedicated Telepathic Link, but they still occasionally turn off the ‘Shielding’ ability of their Crystal of Serenity to see if anyone’s looking for them. They get used to it eventually. “

“Mm, I understand. Well then, thank you. Also, about that escort mission you suggested I take on before, I think there shouldn’t be a problem. I need to buy mana crystals anyway, so I might as well go to Hydrapower City and check it out. “

After explaining everything to Anxi, Yang Zicang, who was staying in a small 10-N unit in the rented area, tossed and turned for a long time. He waited until midnight to activate the “Crystal of Serenity ” effect and slowly fell asleep.