Chapter 26

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Chapter 26: What … is the Price?

A chilling gust swept across the table, causing the flame within the lamp to flicker violently.

At that moment, Shandela finally looked away from her scrolls and glanced towards one corner of the room—just as expected, a wooden window had been blown open by the strong evening wind, revealing a glimpse of the night sky.

As a great master warrior, she no longer required the typical six to eight hours of sleep like most people. Two hours of rest per day sufficed for her. Normally, she would dedicate this extra time to honing her strength and swordsmanship. However, over the past few days, unusually, she had focused all her energy on investigating the recent incidents.

Despite her diligent efforts, Shandela remained unsuccessful.

The fortune teller seemed to have vanished into thin air. Neither gang members nor local residents claimed to have seen him, and only a handful knew about the Divination House. She even enlisted the help of the West City Police Department and personally conducted multiple visits around the neighborhood, hoping to uncover any leads. While she didn’t expect to apprehend the individual immediately, at least finding some trace was crucial—but the results were disheartening.

She began to doubt if such a person truly existed within Glorious Fortress.

Shandela stood up and walked to the wind-blown window. The city’s nighttime scenery lacked charm, with skies often obscured by clouds and fog. Suddenly, she found herself longing for the nights back on the old continent.

Just as she was about to reinsert the window bolt, a flickering glow caught her peripheral vision.

Taken aback, Shandela realized that from this height atop Distant Watchtower, one should theoretically only see faint streetlights resembling fireflies, and even those would be near the tower itself.

For the first time, she observed nighttime flames not appearing as isolated points of light.

However, Shandela quickly understood that these were no ordinary lights but rather signs of a house on fire somewhere in the city.

This wasn’t particularly alarming, as Glorious Fortress, being a port city, had well-maintained water channels, making firefighting relatively straightforward. Moreover, managing fires was part of the City Guard’s responsibilities, which she took seriously, ensuring their training never slackened. She anticipated that the fire brigade would swiftly arrive at the scene.

Curiosity piqued, Shandela picked up her telescope and aimed it towards the source of the flames.

As soon as she focused, her heart skipped a beat!

The blaze was not originating from any ordinary residence—it was the grand theater on Golden Street! Through the telescope, she could clearly discern the unique silhouette of the theater and the cross-shaped rooftop decoration engulfed in roaring flames. Just a week earlier, Sinclair Theater had hosted the visit of the second prince and his entourage; now, unexpectedly, it found itself consumed by fire.

At the same time, Shandela also observed that there were no signs of fire around the adjacent buildings; only this structure emitted thick plumes of smoke. This raised her suspicions significantly, as the grand theater typically had guards on duty even at night, making it unlikely for a blaze to escalate without intervention. Since it wasn’t affected by neighboring fires, the conclusion seemed evident.

It was almost certainly a deliberate act of arson!

But why would anyone want to burn down such a harmless and renowned landmark?

For some inexplicable reason, Shandela suddenly recalled the vanished fortune teller.

Could this incident be connected to the heretics?

With these thoughts swirling in her mind, she could no longer stay within the tower. Quickly draping her windbreaker over her shoulders, she hurried to its base, waking up her deputy who was asleep on the first floor.

“Lady… you’re going to the fire scene?” The deputy looked bewildered. “Such matters aren’t usually worth your personal…”

“We’re not going to fight the fire,” Shandela interrupted.

“Then what’s your plan?”

“Assemble the troops from City Guard Unit One and have them arm themselves,” she replied firmly. “We’re going to apprehend the arsonist.”

***

“Drink this; it should help you feel better.” Zhu Di brought over a bowl of warm medicinal soup and handed it to Dunn, who lay on the bed.

After finishing the soup, Dunn let out a long breath, his complexion appearing noticeably rosier.

“I had no idea you had such a hidden refuge,” Zhu Di remarked, glancing around with admiration. Despite being located deep within narrow alleyways, the interior of the house was surprisingly spacious. With its three bedrooms and living area, it could easily serve as a proper residence.

“In our line of work, it’s always best to be cautious,” Dunn said while chuckling bitterly. “I just didn’t expect to get caught so unexpectedly while on the move. How is the situation outside?”

“There has been constant traffic, along with intermittent fire alarm bells ringing. I dare not venture out to inquire, but I doubt anyone has noticed this place.”

“Hmm… The horses and vehicles are likely due to the City Guard’s activities. Given the magnitude of the fire at Sinclair Theater…” Dunn set down the bowl and leaned back against the headboard. “As long as no one comes looking for us tonight, we should manage to evade detection.”

“What are your plans moving forward?” Zhu Di turned her gaze back to him, her tone filled with gentleness.

This remark caused Dunn to fall silent for a moment before he spoke again, “Guster’s right, the Jeddy Brothers wouldn’t dare publish such news. Once this storm settles down somewhat, I might return to the old continent… The Northern City Police Department will surely be discreetly searching for me, and I don’t want to involve you further.”

Seeing Zhu Di’s worried expression, Dunn forced a smile, “It’s alright. If they can’t be exposed here, do you think going back there would leave me powerless against them? No one can conceal the truth forever; eventually, the blame will fall on the true culprits. As for you…”

His voice suddenly dropped, as if fearing someone might overhear, “You mentioned hiring a private detective… Were those who stormed the theater also his subordinates?”

“I… actually, I’m not quite sure.” Zhu Di rubbed his head. “Mr. Chao never shares details about his investigations with me. This time was no different; he paid an unexpected visit, instructing me to prepare a carriage near the theater. Only when he said it was time did we rush in through the main entrance. While passing the ticket hall, we encountered fleeing police officers, and we even seized a gun from one of them.”

“So what exactly did you agree to give him?” Dunn’s question sounded unusually strained. “I mean… as compensation. He couldn’t have helped you for nothing, right?”

“Five hundred seryl.”

“That’s it?” Dunn asked incredulously.

“What do you mean ‘that’s it!’?” Zhu Di retorted unhappily. “That’s equivalent to five years of my salary!”

“To most people, it’s indeed substantial, but you have no idea who you’ve gotten involved with…” Dunn closed his eyes, involuntarily replaying scenes from the grand theater in his mind. Were those individuals just the detective’s assistants? They were more akin to fearless martyrs! Unwavering in the face of gunfire and inferno, even unto death, they remained determined to complete their mission. Such devotion cannot be measured by mere bags of coins. While the Northern City Police Department suffered heavy losses, so did these individuals. Out of six, only two survived. How much effort and resources would it take to train four more such devoted warriors?

This cost was far beyond what a newspaper reporter could bear.

“Zhu Di… are you absolutely sure there’s nothing else? Tell me the truth!”

After a moment of hesitation, Zhu Di whispered, “He also requested some… Wish Power.”