After the Count boarded, the vehicle roared to life again. Rorschach couldn’t help but wonder—if it burned coal like other vehicles, where did this mobile palace get its fuel?

Trading one commission for another was certainly feasible, but it promised a long negotiation. Heeding the Minstrel’s warning, Rorschach and the Dwarf steeled themselves, determined to prevent the Count from exploiting any loopholes.

"I can look for your person, yes, but it’s not every day a Mage comes along. I need you to do me a favor as well. Let’s call it mutual assistance." Elgin would never have spoken of "mutual assistance" with the Minstrel or the Dwarf. ’What is your station compared to mine? A Mage, however... now that’s a different matter.’

He sized up the young man. In the Count’s experience, an arrogant brat like this was probably a Low Tier Mage. At his age, most were still Apprentices; simply becoming a full-fledged Mage was reason enough to be proud.

Evidently, the Count had fallen into this underground world quite some time ago. He was unaware of a certain cost-effective Caster wholesaler known as the "Empire Royal Magic Academy."

Just as the Count was about to speak, the carriage began to shake violently. The Minstrel lost his footing and fell flat on his rear. The Dwarf’s combat instincts immediately showed, while Rorschach simply levitated and grabbed a handrail.

A closer look revealed that the four legs of the Count’s lounge chair were riveted to the floor. He gripped the arms of the chair tightly, shouting, "Careful!"

A tentacle burst through a window, followed by a second, and a third. They violently forced the frame open, writhing their way inside and slapping against the already dilapidated furniture.

The tentacles were jet-black and reeked of filth. Rorschach looked closer and realized they were similar to the ones they’d encountered while crossing the bridge.

The worst part was the stench. A potent cocktail of garbage dump and ancient latrine assaulted the carriage, so acrid it made their eyes water. Rorschach decisively cast an [Air Filter Bubble] on himself, then on the Dwarf and the Minstrel.

The Count fought fire with fire, taking a sharp whiff of smelling salts. Suddenly, the stench in the carriage seemed almost bearable.

The man was hardcore.

A blast of frigid air suddenly erupted from Rorschach. The others felt a cold wind howl past, their exposed skin stinging as if cut by knives. The Dwarf felt as if he were back in his homeland in the dead of winter.

The tentacles near Rorschach froze solid and shattered into fragments one after another, exposing the sewage and filth within. Luckily, it was all frozen solid; otherwise, the carpets the Count had so painstakingly collected would have been utterly ruined.

"It’s water! Just like back at the bridge!" Rorschach realized what the creature was made of. He sent the icy fragments flying out the window, but the carriage continued to shake, the motion growing ever more violent.

The driver struggled up from the floor. He scrambled into the locomotive at the front of the train and threw all the controls, pushing the engine to its maximum horsepower. It roared, spewing a massive cloud of steam.

Rorschach didn’t dispose of all the filth; he collected a small, frozen piece as a sample. Throughout the ordeal, the Count remained impassive in his chair, observing Rorschach’s performance. His only apparent concern was not falling out of his seat, not that the tentacles might attack him.

The train finally broke free from the "water’s" attack, lurching into the next station before grinding to a halt.

"Well, that saves me the trouble of explaining. As you should all know, I patrol my domain by traveling a loop formed from parts of the Crimson and Gray Lines. We just passed through an abandoned section of track that runs parallel to a main sewer line.

"The water tentacles have attacked the train before, but lately, the water has become increasingly active, restless as if it’s springtime. I’m constantly worried about the train’s water tank... Also, while my exalted authority protects me from the tentacles’ attacks, people like you, my other guests, and my poor, loyal servants are not afforded the same peace."

"Can’t you just keep the train at one station?" The Dwarf’s thinking was straightforward—if you avoid the problem area, the problem is solved.

"Fool! It is my duty and my right to patrol my domain!" Constantly traveling on the train, moving through his territory, was perhaps the only thing Elgin did that truly substantiated his title of Count.

"So, what I need from you is to investigate why this foul water has become so agitated and to solve the problem. In return, I will order my subjects to help you find your person. My commands still carry weight in the Semi-submerged Area."

"Count, that doesn’t sound like an equal trade!" Freddy felt that investigating a stinking, troublesome, and dangerous sewer wasn’t equivalent to the Count simply lifting a finger and giving an order.

Elgin was surprisingly amenable. "Very well, then I have a second commission for you. I’ve recently discovered a strange faith spreading among my subjects. Although I have repeatedly decreed that unauthorized religious activities are forbidden, some people continue to defy me."

This was Elgin’s greatest taboo. The authority he’d received from the Shadow City should have meant that anyone who violated his carefully issued decrees would be punished by the Shadow Land itself. And yet, for some reason, these strange activities persisted no matter how many times he forbade them, making the Count feel that his authority was being flouted, and stirring a sense of... fear.

If the rules of the Shadow City were to fail, he would be nothing but a decrepit old man whose neck anyone could snap.

"If you can conduct a thorough investigation into these suspicious individuals—where they came from, who they worship, and what they’re planning—then I will also help. I will gather and deliver to you any and all information I obtain that is related to the person you’re looking for."

Now that was unexpected. Freddy thought it was a good deal. ’This could work.’

After all, finding a single person was like looking for a needle in a haystack. But proselytizing was like broadcasting to a crowd; tracking that down would be far less difficult.

"I think we can accept the second commission," the Minstrel whispered to his employer. But everyone noticed that Rorschach’s mind was elsewhere. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

Rorschach had taken out the small, frozen sample of the "foul water." He held it aloft with a [Mage’s Hand] and gently heated it until it melted.

Once thawed, the "foul water" returned to its aggressive state, writhing within his control as it tried its best to escape.

’If all water and other liquids had this kind of vitality, that would be truly terrifying.’

In Rorschach’s [Arcane Vision], this small piece of "foul water" emitted a faint green [Spiritual Light], similar to an electrical charge. It was distributed across its surface, but when it extended small tentacles, the [Spiritual Light] would concentrate and glow brighter at their tips.

He conducted a small experiment. He cast a [Small Decomposition Skill] on it. The tentacle dispersed, and the "foul water" seemed to temporarily lose its vitality as the [Spiritual Light] vanished completely. A moment later, however, it all returned, and the water began to writhe aggressively once more.

"Do you have an empty bottle? Preferably one with a stopper." Rorschach asked the Count for a bottle, forced the "foul water" sample inside, and then lined the inner wall of the bottle with a [Blue Light Barrier] to prevent its escape.

Once that was done, Rorschach announced decisively, "We’ll take both jobs!"

"Excellent!"

"Huh?"

The Minstrel grabbed Rorschach’s sleeve. "My dear Mage, are you just looking for trouble? Aren’t you in a hurry to find your teacher?"

Rorschach shook his head. "I believe my teacher entered the Shadow City of her own volition. She’s a Caster as well; she wouldn’t be easily forced into a corner. Besides, I came to Istani to investigate a Cult in the first place. Now it seems I have a lead."

Freddy gritted his teeth. ’He really thinks he can get rid of me for just two Gold Coins. If he wants me to keep acting as a guide, it’s going to cost him extra!’

"Money isn’t an issue." So far, Rorschach found the Minstrel to be a decent guide.

Rorschach held the sample of "foul water" up to the Count. "Do you have a Microscope? I need to analyze this filth."