Mystery: The Last Shepherd

Chapter 139 The Rules of Playing a Hermit
Backlund, East District.

The world is distorted.

A frenzied and chaotic sound filled his mind, and no matter where he looked, grotesque faces appeared at the bottom of his vision. These constantly distorting faces were full of malice, rebuking and laughing wildly, constantly stimulating Lu Ze's nerves.

Luze is moving forward.

He endured unimaginable torment, his face blank, a warm hand supporting his arm, guiding him forward. In this chaotic and distorted world, only this hand could bring him peace of mind.

Lu Ze followed that hand, taking steps one by one.

If it weren't for Cecilia, I wouldn't even be able to walk.
He thought to himself with a wry smile.

It was precisely because he believed that his sister would guide him from the outside world that Lu Ze was able to focus his mind on himself, resist his semi-madness, and even have time to think while walking.

He was pondering why the "Hermit" potion had been slightly digested yesterday.

Remember when the character Fari mentioned that the key to digesting the potion lay in its name? The term "hermit" originally referred to a monk who secluded himself from the world to practice asceticism. They lived simple, even austere lives, achieving salvation through asceticism and devotion to the divine.

However, Lu Ze's behavior yesterday had absolutely nothing to do with this explanation.

Perhaps it should be understood more literally, in its literal sense, as a hidden cultivator?
The hermit's potion ability is "Shadow," which allows extraordinary beings to become shadows, move secretly, or hide in the shadows. It seems that what corresponds to this meaning is "hermit," so does that mean I should believe in the true creator?
As Lu Ze analyzed the various possibilities, he suddenly felt the arm supporting his arm gently patting him—a signal they had agreed upon.

He pulled himself out of his thoughts and connected his spirituality to the depths of his mind.

"Wow—"

The illusory sound of ocean waves then arose, instantly dispelling all auditory and visual hallucinations, and Lu Ze's mental world returned to peace. He breathed a sigh of relief, looked around, and found himself in front of a row of townhouses.

"Brother, we've arrived."

He saw a girl with azure eyes standing beside him, supporting him with one hand and carrying a suitcase in the other, smiling as she spoke to him.

To avoid being reported, they quietly moved out of their original residence and found a rental property through a notice posted at a nearby bar. In other words, they came to view the property today.

After some consideration, he decided to stay in the East District for the time being. The chaotic environment there was more suitable for hiding. Moreover, the strong negative emotions in this place were actually beneficial to his role-playing.

Yes, it's a bit smaller than No. 6 Narcissus Street.

Lu Ze surveyed the exterior of the apartment building, thinking to himself. The two walked to one of the townhouses and stopped.

“8 Houseington Street, right? That’s the place.”

He knocked on the door, and after a while, the apartment door was opened a crack. Lu Ze noticed that there was a chain hanging on the door.

"who is it?"

Behind the door was a wary-looking girl, who appeared to be around 12 or 13 years old.

Good afternoon. We saw a room available for rent at the nearby "Golden Dreamland" bar. Where are your parents?

Lu Ze stepped forward, greeting her with a smile that usually appealed to women. However, this time, his face seemed to have no effect. The girl looked at him warily, then looked past him to see what was behind him.

"Is it for the two of you?"

she asked.

"That's right, we are siblings."

Lu Ze replied with a smile.

"Then come in."

The girl unlocked the door and opened it to welcome them in.

As she opened the door, she placed a pair of scissors that she had hidden behind her back on the cabinet in the porch.

"Quite alert, but still a bit lacking. If she were really a bad person, she could easily lie and get in; that thin chain wouldn't be effective at all," Lu Ze thought to himself, following the girl inside.

The house is a two-story structure. The first floor has a living room, kitchen, and bathroom, while the second floor mainly consists of bedrooms and a study. The house is somewhat empty, with little furniture.

“The living room, kitchen, and downstairs bathroom are shared. I live downstairs, and you live upstairs. Including furniture usage fees and a deposit, the weekly rent is 10 soules, payable in full for six months, which is 13 pounds.”

The girl spoke in a deliberately sophisticated tone, showing them each room of the house.

There was no one else in her family besides her.

Lu Ze noticed that the bedroom, which might have belonged to her parents, was now empty, and the Secret Man's eyes could see a faint aura of death lingering inside. It seemed that they had been dead for some time.

"So, are you interested in renting it?"

The girl deliberately raised her voice, pretending to be nonchalant, but Lu Ze could see the tension in her eyes.

Do girls who have lost their parents and are living alone have to rent out their family's house in order to make a living?
Lu Ze probably had a guess in his mind.

Thinking of the similar experiences that the Rondor family had previously encountered, he sighed slightly.

This is the East District; it would be incredibly difficult for this young girl to protect her property on her own. She was lucky to have met them; otherwise, she might have disappeared without a trace long afterward.

"Pay three months' rent upfront, then pay rent every six months thereafter."

Luze decided to do something good and said, "Six pounds."

He didn't ask where the other party's family members had gone; instead, he went straight to negotiating the price.

The girl frowned, and after a moment she nodded reluctantly, "Alright then, come to my room and sign the contract."

The three of them went downstairs together to the girl's bedroom/study. Her desk was piled high with textbooks and papers, and she seemed to be studying very hard.

The girl pulled a standard contract from under a pile of books. "Do you have any identification?"

"I was in a rush to get here and forgot to bring it."

Lu Ze said casually.

The girl gave them a scrutinizing look. "I'll assume that's how it is. This is the East District, which is very dangerous. Don't cause any trouble after you settle in."

"Okay, okay."

Lu Ze coaxed the other party, took the contract, glanced at it, and signed his name after finding no problems.

Do you usually have classes?

He asked casually.

“I attend grammar school in the Georgewood district.”

The girl gave a brief reply.

“Studying is indeed very important; there is no hope of staying in the East District.”

Lu Ze sighed and handed the signed contract back.

“My name is Kafka Anderson, and this is my sister, Cecilia Anderson. And you, little girl?”

To prevent any unforeseen circumstances, Lu Ze temporarily adopted a pseudonym, and for his younger sister, he simply changed her surname as well.

"My name is Emily."

The girl took the contract and signed her name on it.

(End of this chapter)