As Luo Wei thought about the witch lady Helena had just described, an image of her began to form in his mind.
She was a young witch with long black hair and mysterious purple eyes. She was a member of the "Heretic" Black Wizard Organization—the Magic Hermitage—which was at the top of the Church's most-wanted list. Due to her extraordinary talents, she held a high position within the Hermitage.
Luo Wei had met her while investigating a case related to the Magic Hermitage. The Hermitage was actually a remnant of an ancient magical empire, dedicated to researching the ultimate mysteries of magic and uncovering the truths of the world. Their goals were undeniably grand.
However, in terms of their methods, they were far more dangerous than some cults, even to the point of being utterly deranged. Just thinking about what they had done to innocent villagers in the name of research during the first timeline made Luo Wei shiver all over...
Compared to them, the "Truth Cult," which had started as a drug-trafficking operation and later became the "Super Scapegoat," seemed almost endearing. At least their goal in deceiving their followers was simply to make money, unlike the Magic Hermitage, which committed atrocities under the guise of pursuing "truth"...
As for Tilis herself, she was among the less radical members of the Hermitage. Even so, the negativity surrounding her was enough to be unsettling.
Tilis was an especially gloomy young woman. Every time her research failed, a flash of malice would appear in her purple eyes, making Luo Wei feel that she wasn't as rational as she appeared on the surface.
Her occasional words and actions exuded a sense of despair, a deep-seated disgust for the world, and a profound hopelessness. Fortunately, she always managed to restrain herself, hiding her darkest thoughts and forcing a tired smile whenever she looked at Luo Wei.
But four years had passed...
Luo Wei wasn't entirely sure if she was still the same person she had been back then...
In her letter, Tilis mentioned that she had come closer to the truth of magic. Had she truly achieved the ultimate goal that the Magic Hermitage had pursued for nearly a millennium?
Or was this just a ploy to lure him into her scheme?
But this was tied to her lifelong pursuit of an ideal. Would she joke about something like this?
Perhaps... it was a bit of both.
Back when she lived in the old mansion, she often discussed occult topics with Luo Wei. Fortunately, Luo Wei's study was filled with many relevant texts, including rare editions that couldn't be found elsewhere. Although she was the quiet, reclusive type, the two of them had plenty to talk about.
Some of Luo Wei's ideas aligned with hers, particularly the "practicality of magic." They both admired Saint Callen's magitech industry and agreed that the Magic Hermitage had gone astray. As a result, Tilis had always seen Luo Wei as a kindred spirit, a comrade-in-arms, and her closest friend.
That was why she believed something like this could draw him in.
As Luo Wei reminisced, Helena and Evelyn gradually quieted down.
Evelyn pointed at Luo Wei's nostalgic expression, deliberately provoking Helena.
"Your brother's reminiscing about an old flame, huh~"
Helena's expression grew darker and darker. She suddenly felt that she might not be able to stop her brother from going there...
Evelyn hadn't even considered this possibility because she knew Luo Wei would definitely go. She picked up the envelope and studied the address written on it.
"Where is this Heglais Town anyway? I've never heard of it..."
She even dashed to the study and brought back a map of the empire's administrative divisions. After searching for a while, she still couldn't find Heglais Town.
"Towns of that level aren't usually marked on the map unless they're particularly important," Luo Wei shook his head, walking to the entrance hall and putting on his coat.
"I'll go see Chief Raymond. He should be able to find out."
"I'll come with you!" Evelyn's figure flashed, and in an instant, she was at the door.
"Me too!" Helena quickly ran over as well.
...
Saint Callen East District Police Station.
In the office, Luo Wei looked at Chief Raymond, who was beaming with joy.
He couldn't help but smile and ask, "Are you getting promoted? You look so happy."
Raymond chuckled and shook his head, "Promotion? Don't even think about it. The position of Inspector General has too many people eyeing it."
Luo Wei frowned, "After all the merits you've earned over the years, and handling cases that ordinary officers couldn't even touch, you still can't get a measly promotion to Inspector General?"
Raymond looked at Luo Wei and the two women accompanying him, his face filled with a bitter smile.
"Sometimes, doing too good a job isn't ideal... You see, if I get promoted, who's going to handle these tricky cases?"
"That's just too real..." Luo Wei sighed, wondering if he should ask Ophelia to help pull some strings for Raymond.
But after some thought, he decided against it. It wasn't that he didn't want to ask for her help, but he was worried that if Chief Raymond got promoted through her influence, he'd be branded as part of the Fifth Princess's faction, which would inevitably lead to unnecessary trouble.
While Raymond had managed to survive encounters with monsters time and time again, whether he could navigate the treacherous waters of imperial politics with his level of political savvy was another matter entirely...
"The reason I'm happy isn't about a promotion. It's that after all this hard work, I finally get to take some administrative leave..." Chief Raymond leaned back in his office chair, looking utterly relaxed.
"The golden beaches of the southern cities, with the sun shining every day... Just thinking about it makes me feel good..."
The three of them were momentarily stunned. Finally, Luo Wei gave a wry smile.
"Chief, the place you're taking your vacation... it wouldn't happen to be Brugge, would it?"
"How did you know?" Chief Raymond suddenly sat up straight.
He looked at Luo Wei's resigned and thoughtful expression, and a sense of foreboding washed over him...
"You're not planning to go there too, are you??"
Luo Wei nodded honestly, "Yes."
Then he glanced at Officer Leon, who was standing by the filing cabinet, "I asked him to look up some information about that place..."
Chief Raymond froze, the smile slowly fading from his face.
"Oh no, oh no..."
"You going alone is one thing..."
"Me going alone is one thing..."
"But if we both go together! Who knows what kind of huge case is going to pop up there!!"
He hurriedly ran over to his assistant, "Quick! Check if there's been any bad news in Brugge recently! Cult activity! Enemy spies! Black wizards! Serial killers! Human traffickers! Aberrant monsters! Rogue supernaturals!!"
Evelyn glanced silently at Luo Wei, "That's quite the comprehensive list. I can't imagine anything else happening besides those."
Luo Wei nodded in agreement, "The Chief has seen it all."
Chief Raymond kept muttering and sighing, his voice filled with resentment.
"Ah... my administrative leave..."
"I've already bought the round-trip tickets! My wife even picked out her swimsuit!!"
Officer Leon looked helplessly at his boss, then brought a stack of files over to Luo Wei.
"Mr. Luo Wei, I found information about that Heglais Town you mentioned."
"The town was actually removed from the administrative divisions ten years ago. In other words, Heglais Town no longer exists..."
He looked at Luo Wei with confusion, "But you said you received a letter from there? That's impossible..."
Luo Wei looked surprised, "Really?"
He immediately started flipping through the old files, while Evelyn and Helena leaned in curiously.
Officer Leon continued, "I skimmed through the files earlier. Heglais Town's fishing industry was thriving ten years ago. The townspeople relied on fishing, so the town was once very prosperous. They often held festivals, and the locals were known for their simple, hospitable nature."
"So what happened to the town later?" Luo Wei asked, thinking that if a fishing town suddenly declined, it must have faced some difficulties in that area.
To his surprise, Leon walked over and quickly flipped through a few pages, stopping at some old newspaper clippings.
The clippings had yellowed with age, and the text was barely legible, but Luo Wei could still make out some unusual and eerie clues.
"An unknown plague, townsfolk driven mad, grotesque appearances..."
"Frequent disappearances, residents of neighboring areas avoiding it like the plague, no one dares to go to Heglais Town for the seafood trade."
"Brugge City Hall dispatched troops to suppress the situation..."
"The incident was left unresolved..."
Luo Wei silently flipped through the yellowed old archives, feeling a dark cloud hanging over the small town of Heglais, obscuring the truth of what had happened back then. It also made him wonder about Tilis's purpose in inviting him to visit...
At that moment, a mission prompt fittingly appeared.
**[Chapter 3: The Shadow of Heglais]**
**[Proceed to Heglais Town to investigate the concealed truth of the incident. Further tasks await updates...]**
**[Save Point: Saint Callen East District Police Station]**
**[Available Save Slots: 5/5]**