Mystery Detective of the Steam World

Chapter 269 Encounter
The thing Li Wei hated most was when an investigation turned into a battle.

Especially in the current situation.

"Oh oh oh…………!"

The madman wielding a pitchfork yelled incoherently as he lunged at Li Wei. Seeing the enemy charging at him, Li Wei snorted coldly, swung his cane sword forward with his right hand, and in a flash of cold light, the whistling blade severed the man's neck, decapitating him. Then, like a venomous snake, he swept past, scattering all the surrounding enemies.

"Hey!"

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Katie rushed forward with a shout and punched the other man in the chest. With a dull thud, like a tire bursting, the unlucky guy hit by Katie was sent flying like a cannonball, hitting his companions behind him like a bowling ball, and they all crashed into the wall and lay motionless.

"Ugh... This is incredibly annoying."

Li Wei finally caught his breath after killing the last stubborn enemy.

Just like the old man said, the further in you go, the more of these madmen you'll find. They have absolutely no reason; they just rush in and kill. So Li Wei got tired of trying to reason with them and decided to just take action.

If Li Wei were in a good mood, he should leave now, call for reinforcements—mechs, steam-powered soldiers, airships, tanks—and raze this hellhole to the ground!
But it's all for naught, we can't get out!

Being unable to leave meant no supplies, and every bit used was a finite resource. Fortunately, Li Wei had a cane sword, and Katie relied on her fists, so neither was worried about supplies running out. As for the gun, it was naturally sealed away by Li Wei for the time being. Reality wasn't a game; no one could carry hundreds or thousands of bullets around recklessly, and even with [compression storage], there were limits.

This is also why Li Wei didn't go up to the unmanned turret. Although these madmen are ferocious, they are actually very weak and can be dealt with with a cane and sword. There is no need to waste bullets.

"call……………"

Katie stretched and then looked up at the sky.

"Mr. Li Wei, what time is it? It's always dark here, so it's impossible to tell the time."

"Let me check... it's almost 4 o'clock."

Li Wei took out his pocket watch, checked the time, and spoke.

"Let's have some tea! It's afternoon tea time!"

"You're still thinking about this all the time?"

Hearing Katie's excited words, Levi was speechless, but he didn't object. In any case, given the current situation, no matter how hard they tried, it was impossible to finish in a short time. They might as well call it a day, go back and rest, and then begin the formal exploration tomorrow.

So Li Wei raised his head and looked around.

"Let's go with that pavilion over there."

"Okay!"

Following the excited Katie, Li Wei arrived at a nearby pavilion. It appeared to be a roadside resting place, where one could comfortably enjoy the surrounding scenery. Of course, Li Wei had already had his puppet bird scout ahead to ensure there was no danger before bringing Katie along.

After quickly wiping down the tables and chairs, Katie hummed a tune as she opened the metal suitcase she'd been carrying. From it, she took out a teapot, teacups, a tablecloth, plates…

"You really came prepared."

Watching Katie pull so many things out of her suitcase like Doraemon, Levi was speechless and made a sarcastic remark.

"Hmph, I've wanted to do this for a long time, but I just haven't had the chance."

As Katie spoke, she pulled out what looked like a drawer from the side of her suitcase, placed a teapot on it, and then poured in tea leaves and water. Levi watched as Katie turned the switch, and soon a flame appeared above the "drawer," like a miniature gas stove.

"That's why you brought this suitcase, isn't it?"

Seeing this, Li Wei finally understood why Katie was carrying such a suitcase.

"Humph."

Upon hearing Li Wei's words, Katie puffed out her chest and raised her head in smug satisfaction.

"That's right, isn't it amazing? This is the latest invention that allows people to enjoy hot tea even while traveling!"

"If it's just hot tea, wouldn't a thermos flask work too?"

"That lacks a sense of ceremony; tea tastes best when it's freshly brewed!"

Katie emphasized it again, and then took out desserts and cookies and put them on a plate.

“These were all made by Miss Anna, and they smell wonderful. Her cooking skills look amazing! I never imagined that you, Mr. Levi, would even have an oven in your car!”

"So that's what you guys were doing all this time, huddled in the car..."

Watching Katie enthusiastically take out the desserts, Levi rolled his eyes. A motorhome definitely needs a kitchen, so Levi installed a makeshift kitchen system inside. Of course, this kitchen didn't need gas or electricity as fuel, but rather jet fuel. Or rather, just some jet powder was enough to keep the flame burning for a long time.

After all, pastries are not as easy to preserve as cookies, so they must be made fresh. However, Li Wei did not expect Katie to be so resentful that she actually prepared everything.

Aside from the small quantity... that's normal, after all, there are only two people, how much can they eat?

After preparing the dessert, Katie and Levi sat down and looked at the scenery in front of them.

"Hmm, this is really interesting..."

"interesting?"

"Yeah, it feels like nighttime here now, hehehe, drinking tea and eating snacks in the middle of the night. You'd get scolded if you did that at home."

That's true. Nowadays, if a child stays up late eating and drinking, their parents will beat them.

Li Wei smiled and then looked at the town in front of him.

Silvery moonlight streamed down from the sky, and in its glow, Gothic spires rose quietly, exuding a dreamlike magnificence. "Looking at it this way, this place is quite beautiful."

Katie stared wide-eyed at the town buildings bathed in moonlight.

"Mr. Li Wei, what will this place look like after we lift the curse?"

"I don't know. If the heir is alive, the other party should inherit."

"This place is beautiful. I remember seeing this style in a book; it should be the late Renaissance style of the Third Reich. Every house here is so beautifully built; it would be such a waste to just abandon it like this..."

"That's true."

Li Wei nodded. Some things really could only be done by people with money to burn. Building a town like this would cost a fortune. Putting everything else aside, just look at it: all the streets have sharp railings, and every bridge railing is carved with exquisite statues. You can tell that only a nouveau riche with deep pockets could build such a place.

With money and the ability to build, such a beautiful town was created.

The only pity is that this place is too remote and rarely visited. Even after the curse was lifted, Li Wei couldn't think of a way to attract people here.

Or perhaps we could develop a tourist attraction? But given the transportation conditions…

"………………………"

Just as Levi was idly pondering some equally pointless questions, the sound of boiling water and the refreshing aroma of tea wafted over. Katie cheered and then picked up the teapot, pouring herself and Levi two cups of tea.

"Come and try my cooking, Mr. Li Wei!"

"It's a bit late to say this now, but you actually know how to make tea..."

"Hmph, I learned it from my maid. She's a master at making tea."

Katie poured the tea with a smug look on her face, then placed the teapot aside and picked up a teacup. Levi also picked up his teacup and took a sip.

"………………………"

"how is it going?"

"It's good, quite delicious."

I don't know if it was the technique or the tea that was good, but at least the tea I brewed tasted pretty good. It was fragrant with a slight bitterness, which suited Li Wei's taste quite well.

"whee………"

Hearing Li Wei's praise, Katie smiled happily and held her teacup with both hands, taking small sips of tea.

And so, the two of them drank tea, ate snacks, and enjoyed the scenery.

After enjoying a moment of leisure, Li Wei put down his teacup.

"Is it fun just watching from the sidelines? Why don't you join in?"

"Hey?"

Hearing Li Wei's words, Katie was stunned for a moment. Just then, accompanied by footsteps, a tall figure emerged from the shadows of a house not far away.

His face was wrapped in bandages; he was nearly two meters tall, dressed in a black leather jacket and a top hat. His messy white hair and beard peeked out from the bandages, making him look rather comical. The stranger stared at Levi and Katie and began to speak.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Levi, and I'm a detective. This is my assistant, Katie."

Li Wei turned around and looked at the stranger, whose tone changed slightly upon hearing Li Wei's reply.

"You're the detective the young lady was talking about?"

"That's right. If I'm not mistaken, you're the one who brought Miss Sophia Krant here, and you're also the one who gave her her grandfather's letter?"

"How did you know?"

Upon hearing this, the other party immediately became nervous.

"For a detective, this is just basic skill. We investigated in a nearby town and learned that Miss Sophia Krant had stayed at a hotel there, and someone who looks a lot like you had visited her... It's just a very simple investigation and deduction."

"Since that's the case, you should already know the situation here, so why are you still..."

"So what should we do? Struggle? Despair? Run around like madmen like those people?"

Li Wei chuckled and stared at the tall man.

"Since you're already here, it's important to have a good mindset. Sir, now you can tell me the real reason you came to see us—it can't possibly be to join our tea party, of course, we don't object."

"...Of course not."

The tall man stared at Li Wei, his gaze complex. It was the first time he'd seen someone so relaxed and carefree in this cursed place. To be honest, he didn't quite believe the girl's nonsense, but since the person she spoke of had actually come…

"follow me."

The tall man turned around.

"I'll take you to see the young lady."

(End of this chapter)