Reincarnated Into A Dead Woman's Body In Another World-Chapter 328: Arc 5, - 22: Where the Trail Leads

The nightly hour struck ten and even so the streetlamps glowed bright and people walked the streets in clothing to stave off the cold.

Building by building a carriage would pass till the steeds and wheels passed the bridge across Dolpool River and made its way to Narcissus Borough.

The water glimmered in the lights of the night, not that they noticed. Their carriage dropped them off at the end of a district that would lead to their destination.

There, they did away with the illusory disguises and opted to go invisible. The buildings around here hardly had any paint or décor, which made it have its own charm.

Red and grey bricks, windows thick with grime and the buildings were clustered with no pattern or order in mind whether height or width. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

Across and along the streets, cables hung taut from wooden electrical poles by the dozen. The odour of chemicals, coals and rubber-like substances lingered lightly in the air as they made their way through the streets.

A hand found its way to Jotou’s arm and held it. "I know where we’re going I think," Hotaru’s voice uttered in the middle of the unbusy street and her hand lowered till she could take Jotou by hers.

"You think?" Fumeko spoke from behind.

"Just stay close," Hotaru huffed in reply.

"H-hey!" Fumeko recoiled her head.

"Sorry detective," Jotou reached her hand out, only to grab Fumeko’s face instead of her arm or hand.

"Here, and here," Asobi brought Fumeko’s hand to Jotou’s and connected them. Then the elf took Fumeko’s hand, linking them all together. "I can’t see you, but I can feel my spell Aru; so keep going, I’ll know if we lose anyone," she cheerily informed.

’What are we? 1st grade students on a school trip?’

Hotaru guided them along the alleys and roads, through the sparse citizens. Some of the structures had their doors still open, illuminating the street outside with yellow lights.

Smokestacks billowed no smoke for the hour, but there were plenty of them to imagine what it’d be like during the day.

The closer they got, the more the breeze blew, carrying a familiar aroma and sound to all of them. Waves crashing against the docks in the distance and a salty scent in the air.

The redhead’s head seemed to go into a daze for a moment; it had been a while since she last felt something like home. She took a second... and carried on guiding them from street to street toward terraced buildings of red bricks.

"Is that it?" Fumeko queried.

In between the buildings and sound of crashing waves, were a few steel buildings with lit lamps that swung to the light breeze. Above one of the warehouses was ’Marksman’s Wholefoods’ with the image of a couple of carrots and a cabbage in fading paint.

"It says the name," Asobi replied.

"It has to be it, but I don’t see a number exactly. Let’s get closer," Hotaru stated before leading them towards the warehouse. No people or vehicle were in sight. It was quiet; merely the breeze and critters of the night.

By the time they got close, Hotaru came to a sudden stop. Jotou bumped into her, "What? What happened?"

"People, talking," the redhead crept closer to the structure.

"To the right, look." To Fumeko’s instruction, they all peered to the right of what seemed to be the entrance. Under the hanging lamp were the numbers ’5632’.

Large windows surrounded the top of the structure all around, whilst the lower half only had large windows to one side. About ten or so metres tall, it must have a second floor and plenty of space from how long it stretched.

"It could just be factory workers on overtime, it still might be a coincidence," or at least that’s what the wolf-woman hoped. On the tips of their toes, they hugged the side of the building and poked their heads up the window to the side...

Nothing. They could glean absolutely nothing other than that the large windows were blocked by something. "We’ll have to check inside," the brunette hushed.

"Uhm, this might be a little late to think about, but what do we do if do find something?" Asobi whispered. "Or, someone?"

"If it’s not just some factory business, then we get what information we can and get out, fight them off if need be."

"Fight?" the redhead spoke through gritted teeth. "Jotou, we can’t just beat random people up and get away with it, this isn’t the Velatos Case, we have no jurisdiction to be here at all!"

"It’s fine, I have a pretty good lawyer~"

"Pretty and good isn’t gonna help defend against breaking and entering and then assault and battery," she hissed.

"Hey, dumbasses," Fumeko rasped. "There’s a stairway around the corner, it probably leads up into the warehouse. Let’s just see everything and I can grab whatever we need with warp; then we leave," Fumeko pulled both hands she held towards the stairs.

"Oh, committing theft should be fine then!" Asobi followed along. A subtle disgruntled growl escaped as a cloud of breath from behind them.

Up the mesh steps they skulked as the stairway connected to a steel platform at the back of the building where a smaller doorway stood.

"Can you pick the lock?" Jotou glanced at the factories, storage facilities and warehouses from the elevated view.

"I can try, but it doesn’t look easy," she eyed the metal door handles. There were spots on the door to chain it up with a padlock, but fortunately no chains were present on the outside. "Sobi?"

"Mhm."

Fumeko reappeared into view and had her hairpin at the ready. She could see faint light coming through the keyhole and peeked through...

Hotaru pressed up her ear against the door and listened in. Footsteps across something metal, things being moved on tires of some sort, light talking here and there—not much she could exactly make out.

"Might be a problem..." Fumeko notified as the thin kite-shaped strips of her dark purple scarf flapped behind her. "The way this lock looks and the way the light’s coming in, the door’s probably barred from the other side."

"What do we do now? Go back to the company?" Asobi looked about.

"I can, try blinking in through the keyhole? But I have no clue what’s on the other side," Fumeko shrugged.

"Do you really have to be so reckless?" the redhead scolded.

"Well, there’s no way for us to tell what’s inside for now since the windows are all blocked and the only entryways are obvious. Unless we have hours to sit here staking out the place, there’s a cautious way to do this.

You can blink in detective. Catch a glimpse of whatever’s going on in there as quick as possible. If whatever’s going on in there is suspicious, try to unlock the door from the other side if possible.

If you need to blink out cause of danger, don’t hesitate for something else like evidence or intel, just get out. If you think whatever’s going on needs our attention immediately, just tap on the door lightly.

I’ll break down the door and we can stop whatever it is that’s going on. Does that sound like a plan?" Jotou plotted.

"Hmph, sounds like one to me," Fumeko smirked.

"How are you gonna get in safely, we don’t know who might be on the other side. You might get spotted immediately," Hotaru protested.

"That’s where you come in Aru; I trust your ears," Jotou replied.

"I..." she sighed. "I can’t be a hundred percent sure. Can’t Meko go in invisible?"

"That makes the spell go all wonky when she blinks," the magician told.

"Can you cast through the keyhole?" Jotou suggested.

"We’ll have to see! Or not see," she giggled.

"Alright, wolfy be ready to tell me to go. Sobi I’ll give you a second at most to turn me invisible and I’ll give you guys a sign or open the door myself," Fumeko closed an eye and looked through the hole.

Hotaru placed a hand on the brunette’s shoulder, "When I let go, you go in." She patiently listened for footsteps... One passed by and stomped downwards and away... Hotaru let go of her.

"Woosh." Without a second to spare, purplish-black shadows engulfed her from the floor and she disappeared. Asobi peeped through the keyhole to see it blocked by a purple pinafore.

With an eye on her, she poked her pinkie finger to the keyhole, "Invisibility," white light shot through the hole and covered the girl in purple, making her disappear. A few seconds passed... then a few more...

Hotaru’s heart began to beat faster till she heard something being shifted near the door. She stepped back and waited for a couple more seconds.

The handle turned millimetre by millimetre and gently the door opened without a sound besides a slight creak. "Hurry," an invisible voice rushed.

Concealing their footsteps, the other three made it in by signalling Fumeko with an outstretched hand. Fumeko shut the door behind them.

Now they stood on a walkway in the warehouse made of metal mesh and the railings of steel went from corner to corner. More mesh stairs were built on the other side of the door and a few wood doors were along the walkways on the right.

"Yeah, we uncovered something..." Fumeko said as silent as a mouse.

Undoubtedly, there were people in the lit rooms behind the wooden doors. However, Fumeko managed to tug on them to pull them towards the edge of the walkway.

Next to the stairs, the four of them peeked over with their hands on the railing. Below was... too many areas to even look at one thing, out of the too many things...

Fabric was used to cover every single window in the warehouse and the front door was barred by several beams slotted in. Only the lights they needed were turned on.

Clutter of containers and crates made almost a maze below, whilst some clutter had stacked its way up and covered the view of some of the walkway up top.

Crates and shipments were not only being opened up, but also sealed by various individuals. Several shutter doors were opened up row by row with people going in and out.

More towards the back, but still in the centre, several runes were drawn in crimson in a massive circle on the concrete floor. In the centre of the circle was an entire alter made of made of some translucent white crystal it seemed.

Upon it were several knives of different shapes and length, a few of them still tainted with fresh blood. Parchments sat on the altar as well, some of them folded up or cut into smaller sizes.

However, around the runes on the floor was the greater sight that made their eyes bubble... Several translucent figures stood—or rather floated—in wait.

Coming in all different hues, sizes, shapes and twisted visages, were ghosts. One or two floated around the area, aiding in the lifting and opening of crates.

Underneath their feet, through the mesh, they noticed a tall rectangular pillar that had a glowing white sphere at the top. They could barely make out the engravings of runes down the stone pillar’s front going all the way down.

The sphere pulsed in white light, dimming and brightening every second like the ocean’s waves; all the while making a low howling noise that sent a chill down their spines—like hundreds of ghostly wails crying together in harmony.

They focused and stared around the area, scanning everything they could as the sound of light chatter and footsteps filled their ears.

"TUFF!!" "BASH!" "CRASH!!!"

The four of them jolted and jumped to the abrupt noise crashing through the scene. They shut their lips tightly to cover their yelps.

People from the lower floor all stopped and turned to find the source; some in shock, some not. A door above broke apart by the hinges and flew across the warehouse- "THUD!"

At the same time, something else made its way down. "SPLAT!" "CRACK!" A splatter of sanguine fluid stained the concrete below—something that was once a person, now a broken corpse that didn’t make another noise...