Mystery: Death Singer

Ugh!

A loud whistle echoed in every corner of the station as the locomotive, pulling more than twenty carriages, slowly entered the steam train station in Backlund.

Wearing a gray-blue overall, Edric carried a suitcase and followed the crowd off the train, stepping onto the ground of Backlund, the capital of the Kingdom of Rune.

This "City of Ten Thousand Capitals" is vast in area and has a population of over five million, making it the most prosperous city in both the northern and southern continents.

As soon as he got out of the car, Edric frowned and sniffed. A hazy fog hung everywhere, visibility was extremely poor, and there was a faint, strange smell in the air.

After leaving the station, Edric boarded a nearby horse-drawn carriage and instructed the driver with a clear destination: East Backlund.

Before he arrived, he had already learned about the city briefly and superficially through Azik's words, and knew that Backlund, like Tingen, was divided into several districts.

The safest and most strictly managed areas are Queens and the West End. The residents of these two areas are mostly nobles and wealthy businessmen, who are undoubtedly the upper class of the entire Backlund.

As for the North Side of Backlund, it is quite safe, in some ways even better than Queens and the West Side, because the Church of the Night Goddess has its headquarters in the Backlund parish there.

Hillston represents an economic, commercial, and financial center, a cradle and paradise of wealth, a haven exclusively for the gold pound.

The Joewood district is home to numerous small businesses and residences, as well as the Holy Wind Cathedral, which belongs to the Church of Storms, making it a relatively safe area.

The St. George district is lined with factories and is home to the St. Hillland Cathedral, which is the center of the Church of the God of Steam and Machinery in Backlund and even the whole of Loen, and is known as the Second Papacy.

In addition, there are the dock area, the south area of ​​the bridge, etc.

Of course, Edric had no interest in any of the aforementioned areas. He had neither substantial assets nor a suitable status, so he certainly wouldn't be foolish enough to voluntarily send himself to places that would attract more attention.

Therefore, he only had two choices from the very beginning: the East District of Backlund and the Bridge District. These two areas had the largest concentration of poor people in Backlund and also housed the largest population in the entire country.

These two districts are plagued by poor security and chaotic management. There are so many homeless people that even the officials of Loen don't know exactly how many there are. There are also many wild extraordinary individuals and secret organizations hiding here, making them an ideal hiding place for Edric.

Due to the usual delays of the steam train, Edric arrived in Backlund at nearly 11 p.m., so he didn't rush to find a place to rent. Instead, he found a cheap hotel in the East District and decided to make do for the night.

Silent all night.

The next morning, Edric got up early and left the hotel with his suitcase. He found that the environment in the East District of Backlund was not much better than the Iron Cross Street where he had stayed before. If it weren't for the fact that this place was spacious enough, it would be even worse than Iron Cross Street.

The East End has the largest population, which means it has the most housing in Backlund. Edric rented a one-bedroom apartment without much trouble. The rent was 4 soules and 3 pence per week. He paid two weeks' rent upfront, plus an equal deposit, for a total of 17 soules.

Watching the landlord leave, Edric couldn't help but sigh to himself that the capital city was indeed the capital city. Even though the environment and conditions of this new house were similar to his rented room on Iron Cross Street, the rent for the two was worlds apart.

Edric changed into a set of deliberately distressed clothes, put his things away, locked the door, and left the apartment, blending into the atmosphere of the East End without attracting any attention.

In the East District, residents dressed similarly to Edric were considered relatively decent; most others were ragged, emaciated, and looked as if they might collapse and never wake up again.

Because of the large number of poor people here, the East District is also the most concentrated area of ​​gangs in the entire Backlund. You can find the gang that controls it by following the clues in any decent-looking neighborhood.

For example, Edric is now standing at a crossroads. If he goes straight, he will enter the territory of the Zmang Party, a gang of people from the highlands. If he turns right, he will enter the territory of the Huili Party, a gang that specializes in prostitution.

The block to the left has no overt ruler, but it is actually closely connected to a wealthy man in the Joewood district. Even the Zmanger Party, which is known for its fierce and combative nature, avoids that area.

Edric bought this information from a vagrant for five pence. Although it was rudimentary and didn't delve into anything profound, it at least gave him some understanding of the land beneath his feet.

Edric didn't linger at the intersection; he turned and walked into the block on the left, heading directly towards the Backlund Bridge area further away.

He didn't know much about the wild Beyonders in Backlund. The only Beyonder gathering place he knew of was the "Brave Man's Bar" in the Bridge District. In order to find the potion ingredients he needed, he would naturally go there to try his luck.

The reason for not taking a carriage was that a public carriage had just passed by, and taking a taxi would be too conspicuous, so we simply walked there. Along the way, we could also familiarize ourselves with the streets, killing two birds with one stone.

…………

Tingen, Blackthorn Security Company.

Klein, who hadn't slept well the night before, walked into the living room yawning and met the gaze of a gloomy-faced Rosanne. Rosanne's eyes lit up, and she eagerly asked:

"Klein, what exactly happened yesterday? Leonard suddenly told us to leave first, and the captain went out with Old Neil early this morning. I asked him what happened, but he wouldn't tell me..."

As she spoke, Rosanne unconsciously puffed out her cheeks, looking as cute as an angry pufferfish.

Klein opened his mouth, but ultimately didn't tell Rosanne everything that had happened yesterday. Instead, he smiled and changed the subject:

"You're wearing a new dress today? It looks really good on you."

"Here we go again," Rosanne muttered, pouting, then rolled her eyes at Klein. "I've worn this dress so many times! And Leonard's expression was so scary yesterday, how could I possibly be in the mood to buy a new dress..."

Klein gave an awkward laugh, and just as he was wondering what to say, he heard familiar footsteps behind him. He turned around and saw Dunn Smith, who had just returned alone from outside.

"team leader……"

Dunn raised his hand, glanced at Rosanne, who was already quietly pricking up her ears at the bar, and gestured for Klein to go to the office to talk amidst her dissatisfied grumbling.