It was afternoon.
Lu Yuan set out from the Alchemy Workshop, walking along the cobblestone paths of the inner city toward the branch.
The sunlight was pleasant, casting a warm yellow luster onto the bronze-colored exterior walls of the buildings.
There weren't many pedestrians on the street; occasionally, a carriage would pass by, the sound of wheels rolling over the stone slabs echoing in the alleys.
It was very peaceful.
But Lu Yuan knew this peace would not last long.
Raymond had already written and submitted a written report regarding what had happened at the bookstore this morning.
This afternoon's meeting would be presided over personally by Vice Director Kraus.
The level of importance had changed.
When he arrived at the branch, several people were already standing in the foyer.
Raymond leaned against the wall, a document tucked under his arm.
Seeing Lu Yuan enter, he gave a short nod.
Helen sat on a bench with her notebook open, flipping through something.
Karl stood by the window with his arms crossed over his chest.
Hoguer was there as well.
This caught Lu Yuan slightly by surprise.
Hoguer was responsible for outer city patrols and the Ascension Society; he usually did not participate in inner city investigation meetings.
His presence here meant the superiors had merged several investigative lines together.
At exactly three o'clock, the door to the second-floor meeting room opened.
A young Nightwatcher poked his head out.
"Come in."
The meeting room was not large, containing a long table and about a dozen chairs. A sectional map of Bronze City hung on the wall, with pushpins and red strings marking recent investigation areas.
Kraus sat at the head of the long table.
Today, he was not wearing his formal uniform jacket, just a dark shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows.
A stack of files lay before him, with the top cover labeled "Inner City Disappearance Investigation Report."
Lu Yuan noticed the report had already been leafed through. The edges were creased, and there were pencil markings in several places.
Once everyone had entered, Kraus did not waste time with pleasantries.
He spoke immediately.
"I have read the report."
His voice wasn't loud, but the room instantly fell silent.
"Three disappearances, three noble families, all occurring on the same night. To date, the investigation confirms the involvement of at least two external forces, along with a Knowledge Pathway transcendent operating under the pseudonym 'Andre Morris' and his backing organization."
He looked up, his gaze sweeping across everyone present.
"There are no issues with the seals. The Guards performed a full check yesterday, and everything is normal."
These words were spoken with great weight.
Lu Yuan heard the subtext: the defenses of Bronze City were solid, so do not scare yourselves.
"But things that shouldn't be here have appeared in the city," Kraus's tone grew cold. "Living eerie appearing in the inner city is no small matter."
Hoguer interjected from the side.
"Things haven't been quiet in the outer city lately either."
He flipped open a briefing he had brought.
"In the outer city port district, we've found three suspicious sites of activity over the past week. Two have been abandoned, but one still shows signs of life. This isn't the work of local factions; the methods are very unfamiliar, involving organized transport of supplies."
"Who are they?" Raymond asked with a frown.
"Not confirmed yet," Hoguer shook his head. "There weren't many traces left behind, but the scale isn't small. We're currently screening for them."
Kraus did not respond immediately after listening.
He picked up a pencil and drew a line on a certain page of the report.
Then he spoke the most important words of the meeting.
"People from the imperial headquarters have arrived."
The atmosphere in the room shifted.
Raymond's brow furrowed. Helen's pen stopped moving.
"They arrived three or four days ago," Kraus said flatly. "They didn't come looking for us. They went straight to the Polymath Tower."
Silence.
Kraus didn't stop. His tone sank, and he spoke each word as if through clenched teeth.
"Not only that."
"They also brought a group of Ascension Society members with them."
When these words landed, the air in the meeting room felt as if it had been sucked away.
Hoguer's head snapped up, his expression changing.
He opened his mouth as if realizing something.
"Those three traces in the outer city..."
"That's right," Kraus glanced at him, his tone indifferent. "Now you know who they are."
Hoguer's face darkened completely.
"The Ascension Society has no base in Bronze City," Kraus's gaze swept over everyone. "They never have."
"But now, these people are stationed in the outer city. Blatantly."
He paused.
"And without going through us, the Nightwatchers."
A deathly silence followed.
Lu Yuan observed the expressions of everyone present.
Hoguer's fists were clenched. Raymond's brow was tightly knit.
Even the usually steady Karl had rarely sat up so straight.
"You should all understand what this means."
Kraus's voice was low, but every word echoed clearly in the room.
The imperial headquarters had bypassed the Nightwatchers to directly bring in a faction that had never had a foothold in Bronze City.
This was a blatant attempt to strip them of their authority.
And the Nightwatchers headquarters hadn't even provided advanced notice. Clearly, the Nightwatchers' interference in the Polymath Tower's affairs had made certain people extremely dissatisfied.
Everyone present felt a chill at the implications of this.
Lu Yuan etched each piece of information into his mind.
Kraus allowed a few seconds of silence for everyone to digest the news.
Then he continued.
"Now for the arrangements."
His tone shifted from statement to command.
"Three days. I want results."
"I don't need the complete truth, but at least give me a direction—whether these three are dead or alive, who took them, and what their purpose is."
He looked at Raymond.
"Your team is primarily responsible. If you don't have enough manpower, borrow from Hoguer."
"At the same time, I will mobilize other Nightwatchers into a separate team to participate in this mission. You'd better move quickly."
Raymond nodded, saying no more.
Kraus then looked at Lu Yuan.
His gaze lingered for a second.
"You keep an eye on the Morris lead."
"Understood," Lu Yuan replied with a nod.
"Keep the items he gave you safe. Report any contact immediately."
Lu Yuan nodded again.
Kraus withdrew his gaze and scanned the room one last time.
"Our external stance is to observe. Do not take the initiative to attack or alert them. However, report all anomalies without exception."
He stood up and picked up the files from the table.
"Meeting adjourned."
The sound of chairs scraping filled the room.
Lu Yuan stood as well, following the crowd toward the door.
Just as he stepped outside, Hoguer called out to him from behind.
"Wait a moment."
Lu Yuan stopped.
Hoguer walked over and gestured for him to move a few steps deeper into the corridor, away from the others.
His voice was kept very low.
"Do you know what the locations of those three outer city outposts mean?"
Lu Yuan looked at him without speaking.
Hoguer pulled a heavily folded piece of paper from his pocket and spread it out.
It was a simple map of the outer city with three circles drawn in charcoal.
"The Port West Warehouse Area, the Port East Living Area, and the North Ward Cargo Station," Hoguer's finger pointed to each of the three circles in turn. "These three spots weren't chosen at random."
Lu Yuan looked where he was pointing.
The positions of the three circles happened to block the vicinity of the three main channels leading from the outer city to the inner city.
It wasn't a total blockade, but it was enough for monitoring.
Any large-scale movement of personnel entering or leaving the inner city from the outer city would not escape the sight of these three points.
Lu Yuan understood.
"They aren't just stationed there," Lu Yuan said quietly.
"Correct," Hoguer folded the paper and shoved it back into his pocket. "The inner city mission you are involved in is very likely connected to the Ascension Society. Once a conflict arises, we Nightwatchers may not necessarily be a match for them in Bronze City."
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