The next day, the sleep-deprived Dwarf and Mage were both yawning. Only the poet was full of energy, playing his lute to amuse the maid, Little Coal Ball. Somehow, Freddy had even managed to make her giggle.

"Hey, my teammates, how was your three-man night in the basement?"

’That’s a weird way to put it...’ Rorschach ignored him and dragged out the soundly sleeping Kraup. The Dwarf had discovered a more efficient use for the knockout drug—mixing it with strong Pirate’s Rum and pouring an entire bottle down Mr. Klaup’s throat.

"Not as well as you, O great poet. You’re certainly carefree." Rorschach, who had been on watch for half the night, yawned. It was gloomy outside, making it impossible to tell day from night. He pulled out his pocket watch. Ten in the morning.

"Did you guys know? Little Coal Ball is actually a Mouse Speaker!" Freddy announced his great discovery, making the maid quite embarrassed. The poet continued, "Kraup bought her, but I’ve already made things clear with the young lady. As of now, Little Coal Ball is free!"

The maid’s face was hidden behind her disheveled hair, but you could tell she had become much more lively overnight. Pointing at the unconscious Mr. Klaup, she said, "Old master, bad! Hit Little Coal Ball, kick, kick!" Then, she hugged the poet’s leg. "New master, good! Lets Little Coal Ball eat! Sing!"

"Don’t call me master, and don’t call me ’sir.’ My name is Fre-e-eddy."

"You’re already useless in a fight, and now you want to raise a daughter?" Rorschach and the Dwarf gave Freddy a teasing look. Little Coal Ball was a rare case among Mouse Speakers, possessing relatively advanced language skills. She was now showing off her prize possession—from a corner, she picked up a Rat Skin Cloak from her bedding, proving she was a true Mouse Speaker. "Old master say dirty. No let wear," she said, before draping it over her shoulders.

"We can head back to Garbage Mountain and let Little Coal Ball rejoin the Mouse Speaker Tribe," Freddy said with a shrug.

As the group dragged Mr. Klaup outside, Little Coal Ball whistled. The sleeping bats immediately fluttered down, circling around her.

’So Kraup’s messengers were tamed by the maid.’ Rorschach’s interest was piqued. After all, Little Coal Ball spoke quite clearly, making communication far more efficient than with other Mouse Speakers. On top of that, she could talk to bats. She was practically a little Druid.

"Let’s go. Now that the investigation is over, we’ll report to that Count, then head into the deeper sectors." Rorschach was finding the Semi-submerged Area to be like a Newbie Village. All the villains here were complete pushovers, and he hadn’t seen a single formidable character. It didn’t seem like the kind of place the Mage Association would choose to hide.

Rorschach figured Caroline would never have stopped here. ’Any Caster would feel the same way I do,’ he thought, ’wanting to explore deeper and figure out what in the world is going on in this godforsaken place called the Shadow Land.’

The surreal nature of the Shadow City was on another level entirely. Ever since Rorschach had transmigrated to the Ferolun Continent, he’d found that both the Church and the Casters were generally orderly and rational. The Sects were a bit fanatical, but not completely off the rails.

But this place was something else entirely—a veritable city of devils. The entire atmosphere had shifted the moment he entered. Many of the residents, especially those in the Jiaomao Peak District he’d passed through, hardly seemed human. And then there were the patrol squads from the time of the Old Empire.

Even gaining entry required a near-death ritual, and the tragic fate of the Elf on that Ghost Ship had been horrifying. How could Istani, one of the three great powers, tolerate such chaos festering right beneath its own Royal Capital?

’Please don’t let me find out, after more than a year of relative peace, that I’ve actually been dropped into some Warhammer-esque world...’ As Rorschach walked through the market in Kuai Xie City, he inadvertently stepped on and crushed a fleeing frog.

...

「On the banks of the Tams River」

A magnificent and solemn building stood there. High above its main entrance hung an iron-black shield, emblazoned with a Crown of Thorns pierced by a Sharp Sword. This was the headquarters of the Iron Crown Knight Order. One of its offices had a window that directly faced the Queen’s palace.

A thick, plush carpet muffled the man’s footsteps. He stopped before the door and knocked with a steady rhythm.

"Come in."

Granted entry, Perceval stepped into the Knight Commander’s office. The decor was a testament to the history and art of Istani. Classical oil paintings depicted the heroic forms of past Knight Commanders. The largest canvas showed a grand scene of twelve knights leading the people in overthrowing the rule of the Old Empire. Their swords were pointed toward the sky, and their opponents appeared to be mythological figures.

’Is this an exaggerated, symbolic expression on the artist’s part?’ Perceval wondered every time he saw the painting. ’Or did they truly go to war with the Lord of Order?’ He was certain the members of the Knight Orders were all mere mortals. How could they possibly raise their swords against a deity?

But Istani had indeed won its independence. Under the King’s leadership, the Twelve Knight Orders ruled the Kingdom together, ushering it into an era of prosperity.

"Sir, we have no leads on Subject 021. A second Mage, possibly connected, is named Rorschach. His name has not been erased, so he most likely has not yet entered the Shadow Land." Within the Kingdom, cases involving the Shadow City were designated by number, assigning serial codes to those whose names were purged.

Caroline was the 21st person to have entered the Shadow City and be deemed worthy of a Kingdom-led investigation. Her file had already been obscured by the name-erasing curse; all the Knight Order could ascertain was that she was a Mage from the Empire who had gone missing in Storm City at the start of the year. The reason for the manhunt was that she had accidentally learned something she shouldn’t have.

’If that woman had any sense, the Knight Order’s original plan after capturing her was to simply "politely escort her out of the country." After all, she was a Mage from the Empire, so the Istani Kingdom had to show some restraint. But no, she just had to stick her nose where it didn’t belong!’

"Understood. Have you found the Sect’s ship?"

"No, sir. We’ve searched the entire waterway under Storm City’s jurisdiction. There’s no sign of a shipwreck. It must have ’Fallen.’"

"Those fanatics have never been reliable! The Kingdom never should have cooperated with that... Holy Mother Order. But Her Majesty the Queen insisted... Forget it. Continue your surveillance. And remember to go to the police department and wipe the relevant case files."

"If the ship entered the Shadow City, there shouldn’t be any police records of it..."

"I gave you an order, not a punchline, Knight Perceval! Your performance has been increasingly lacking. Must I spell it out and reprimand you publicly?" Perceval flinched at the Knight Commander’s anger. "My apologies, sir!"

After the reprimand, Perceval paused for a moment, then hesitantly asked one more question. "Should we investigate the Mage named Rorschach? He should still be within the Kingdom’s borders, and he hasn’t entered the Shadow Land."

"No. Those Mages can slip away through a Teleportation Array at any time. It’s not worth the effort to catch one slippery eel. By the way, didn’t he have contact with that... Elf?"

"Benedict, an actor and a detective."

"Hmph. A preposterous combination." The Knight Commander snorted disdainfully and handed over a file. "Focus all your energy on investigating him and his associates. We have Subject 021 to thank; without her, we never would have discovered this big fish. The Gray Elf Rebel Army has grown bolder recently, and things are unstable overseas. It’s time for us to reel in the net. Show Her Majesty the Queen what the Iron Crown Knight Order is capable of."

"Yes, sir!"

"You are dismissed. Since that Elf is a detective, you must be extremely cautious. Do not, under any circumstances, let him know he’s being watched."