July 8, 1399. Early morning.
With something important on his mind, Lynch got up bright and early today.
Hurriedly getting dressed, Lynch opened his bedroom door, then slammed it shut.
He rubbed his eyes, adjusted his posture, opened it again, and slammed it shut once more...
Bang.
The bedroom door was kicked open, and Lynch was dragged out with his arm twisted behind his back.
Lynch didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Wait, why is this fierce woman ambushing my doorway?
The woman blocking his door was, of course, Ms. Natalie Angel.
Today, Natalie wore a long purple silk dress and a sunhat with a white veil. Her usual sword was nowhere to be seen; instead, she held a purple parasol in her hand—though her posture while holding it was identical to how she held her sword.
Her face seemed—maybe, possibly, probably—to have a light touch of makeup. Lynch wasn't sure, but he certainly didn't dare ask. Either way, her lips looked vibrant and alluringly glossy, making one unable to resist wanting to...
Officer Natalie took a step back, covering her lips with wide, surprised eyes. Her face instantly flushed red, and steam practically rose from her head.
Heh, you're not the only one with morning crankiness; men have it too, and everyone must pay for their actions!
And so, just as Mr. Lynch Levive let out a triumphant smile, he paid the price.
Natalie chased him, pummeling him all the way downstairs.
Hiss, this woman really hits hard.
Even after sitting down at the dining table, Lynch was still grimacing and rubbing his shoulders. It wasn't until he met the landlady's thoughtful gaze that he let out a few awkward coughs, pretending nothing had happened. He casually swatted away a tiny paw reaching for the fried ham in front of him, gave the disappointed little face a pinch, and finally finished breakfast amidst the lively atmosphere.
They had agreed to visit the cemetery today to pay their respects to the long-famed Mr. L.
Dressing in his suit handcrafted by Master Christian, complete with his long-treasured cufflinks and watch chain, the handsome young man in the mirror adjusted his bowtie, looking thoroughly dashing.
In the mirror, Natalie appeared behind him. She gently bit her lip as she smoothed out the last wrinkle on his shoulder, her usually sharp gaze showing a rare tenderness.
Winking at the woman in the mirror earned him a soft huff. The familiar reaction brought a knowing smile to Lynch's face. Picking up the prepared lilies, he stepped into the hired carriage that arrived on schedule.
Early morning in Rhine was not yet hot. Workers bustled along the roadside, thick black smoke billowed from distant factories, and the sharp whistle of a train echoed faintly—a new day had begun.
The two sat side by side in the hired carriage. It wasn't their first time sharing a ride, but this time was strange. Neither wanted to speak, letting a curious silence slowly drift through the compartment.
As the carriage swayed, their shoulders bumped gently against each other from time to time. Neither seemed inclined to pull away, letting their shoulders brush once, and then again.
Lynch finally moved. He shifted his body, drawing closer until their shoulders rested completely against one another.
There, now we won't bump into each other anymore, Lynch thought, thoroughly satisfied with his own brilliance.
The lady beside him flushed red once more on her tense face. Gritting her teeth, she glared at him, but she didn't pull back. Instead, her fingers rested against Lynch's thigh...
And pinched.
However, before she could apply any pressure, Lynch's hand clamped down, seizing the weapon about to commit the assault.
Struggle, struggle.
The police officer's face grew even redder. Her formidable strength seemed to evaporate into thin air; despite trying several times, she failed to break free from his grip. After a few attempts, her fingers finally relaxed, and biting her lip, she turned her gaze toward the window.
The wheels rolled along, traveling north beside the Lande River.
Just before eight in the morning, the hired carriage pulled up outside the suburban cemetery.
The door opened, and the respected Sir Lynch Levive was kicked right out of the carriage, followed by the flushed police officer who leaped down right after him.
Tossing two shillings to the coachman—who pretended not to have seen a thing—and telling him to wait, the two stopped fooling around and walked into the cemetery side by side.
Quiet and desolate.
This was the municipal cemetery of Rhine City, the final resting place for the vast majority of commoners. No matter how wealthy or powerful one was in life, death brought equality—leaving behind only a simple headstone to recount their story.
How could that be?
This world had never known fairness, whether in life or in death.
The poor were buried on the east side, most of them without headstones. Burial here was completely free, with maintenance funded entirely by the municipal government. The only difference between this place and a mass grave was that the corpses here were buried underground, and someone inspected the grounds every few days to ensure wild dogs didn't dig them up for a midnight snack.
Ordinary citizens were buried in the central section, which closely resembled cemeteries back in Lynch's previous world. Plots were arranged neatly, weeds were kept clear, and flowers adorned several graves. Dedicated caretakers inspected the area daily, repairing any damaged tombstones immediately. Plots here required purchase, but at around one pound, it was affordable for most citizens.
As for the south side of the cemetery, it was like a beautiful garden. Manicured lawns covered the area, with clusters of vibrant flowers partitioning the graves into small, private plots. Beneath elegant jade headstones stood clean, impressive brick crypts. Every grave was immaculate, clearly swept daily. Some headstones featured portraits of the deceased, with their life achievements carved onto the back, presenting a stark contrast to the previous two sections. This was the premium section of the cemetery; being buried here required ten pounds at minimum, along with annual maintenance fees. Only the truly wealthy could lay their bones to rest in such a place.
Lande treated the warriors who laid down their lives to preserve order quite well, offering high standards of care both in life and after death. The Watchers' cemetery was concentrated in a corner of the premium section, with dozens of tombstones gathered together. For some reason, seeing them made Lynch recall a group of people gathered around a bar counter, drinking, chatting, and gambling on lizards.
The Watchers who had passed away over the past century were buried here. It wasn't that only this many had died, but rather that these were the only ones whose bodies could be recovered. The rest remained as mere names in the Watchers' archives.
In comparison, Mr. L was fortunate; at least he rested here.
Engraved in gold on the pure white headstone was his name: Logan Angel. In the photograph on the headstone, a heavily bearded, burly man wore an unsmiling, stern expression. Straightforward and solemn, both his facial features and presence bore a striking resemblance to Officer Natalie.
Glaring indignantly at Lynch, Officer Natalie released her grip on his arm. She stepped forward to wipe down the ledge in front of the grave, took the lilies Lynch handed her, and carefully laid them down.
When she stood upright again, tears shimmered faintly in the officer's eyes. She gazed silently at the photograph on the tombstone. Lynch did not disturb her, standing quietly at her side as he looked at the stern face on the headstone.
After a long silence, Natalie spoke softly, her voice thick with choked emotion.
“Father, I’ve come to see you again. This guy is my... friend. Didn't you say before that you were going to beat him to death? I'll leave him to you.”
Lynch smiled softly, taking a step forward to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Natalie. He took off his hat and bowed deeply toward the tombstone.
Everything was normal. Mr. L didn't crawl out to end him, which allowed him to finally breathe a sigh of relief.
“See? He's quite satisfied with me. Looks like I passed, or he'd have jumped out long ago to beat me to death and protect his daughter.”
“Nonsense, that's because he knows his daughter can beat you to death on her own.” The officer punched Lynch on the shoulder, giving him an annoyed glare. Though tears still filled her eyes, she couldn't help but chuckle as she added fiercely, “If he really came out, you'd be finished. He was terrifyingly fierce when he was alive.”
“Fiercer than you? I don't buy it.”
Natalie raised her parasol in a playful threat before naturally taking a seat on the tomb's stone slab. Leaning comfortably against the headstone, looking like a little child resting against her father's knee, she gazed out at the surrounding garden and spoke softly:
“My mother passed away when I was twelve, and Father raised me on his own. He was actually a very stern man; I rarely saw him smile.”
Lynch patted her shoulder and slid down to sit right beside her. Natalie nudged him discontentedly, trying to push him off, but Lynch shamelessly held his ground. After a few failed attempts, Natalie huffed and gave up, letting him sit snugly beside her before her father's grave.
“He was very tall and sturdy. When I was little, I loved climbing all over him like this, scrambling around with all my might. He never got mad, just protected me while chuckling silly. Unfortunately, he was later transferred to Norin, received a code name, and became a high-ranking member of the Watchers.”
“Only high-ranking members get code names?”
“Mhm. Ordinary combat personnel only have names; code names are reserved for top brass. In the entire Watcher system, there are fewer than twenty living code-named members today. That's why I was so surprised when Victor offered to apply for a code name on your behalf last time. It was a very sincere invitation, but unfortunately, you declined.”
“Working within the system has its perks, but there's too much trouble attached. How could it compare to being as free and unchained as I am now?”
“That's true, and he thought the same way.” Natalie nodded and continued, “After getting his code name, he stayed in Norin and left Mother and me in Rhine. Mother didn't even get to see him one last time before she died; he only managed to rush back three days after her passing.”
“Why didn't you go with him to Norin? Given his status, he should have had the power to bring you both along. Surely it wasn't just to uphold order?”
“Upholding order is always just an excuse; not doing something always stems from other reasons.” The officer sneered softly. “Norin isn't actually a good place. Though I've never been there, I've at least heard him speak of it.”
“Hmm?”
“Like you just said, affairs inside the system are far too troublesome. It is the capital, after all, and the political landscape is exceedingly complex. If you're just an ordinary commoner, you can live a normal life. But because he was part of the Watchers' upper echelon, he had to face endless trouble and pressure.”
“Power struggles?” Lynch's past life experience made it easy for him to understand the phenomenon where throwing a brick in the capital might hit ten department-level officials. Yet he was still somewhat puzzled. “If I remember correctly, the Watchers report directly to the royal family and hold a unique position. Couldn't he just do his job and avoid taking sides?”
“Mhm, but what about family? Especially family members outside the occult world. They would constantly face malicious people, and a single slip-up could drag the entire family into ruin, requiring non-stop vigilance. Think about it—would you take Mrs. Maggie and little Martha to Norin to live like that, even for a few days?”
“Definitely not. Wait, hold on...” Lynch caught himself slipping up and broke into a cold sweat, screaming insidious trap in his heart. “Your example has a major flaw. I'm telling you, watch what you say. Careless words come with consequences.”
“Hmph, men.” Natalie cast him a charmingly fierce side-eye. Still feeling unsatisfied, she stepped lightly on his foot. “No wonder Mother always spoke of him like that in front of me. You creatures, even if you can control your hands and feet, can never control your minds.”
“It can't be helped—the power of imagination is infinite. If humanity loses its imagination, the world loses its future,” Lynch said with utmost seriousness. “There was a saying back in the Mythological Era: to judge whether a person is upright, look at what he does, not what he thinks. It's the exact same logic.”
“So you admit that toward my friend...”
Lynch almost slapped himself. “No, absolutely not!”
“Heh.” Natalie bumped hard against Lynch's shoulder and sighed. “I can tell. You don't even want to bring me or that person, let alone two ordinary people. Father had the exact same concerns, and the situation in Norin is even worse than you imagine.”
“Hmm?”
“A massive number of cultists, lunatics, wanted fugitives, murderers, and mysterious heteromorphs are hidden there. Half of the country's dangerous individuals are concentrated in that city.”
“Hiss, are there even any normal living people left there?” Lynch understood what Natalie was warning him about and squeezed her hand. “Thank you.”
“Hmph, I was just talking about Father. Who was warning you?” This time, Natalie didn't struggle, letting Lynch hold her hand as she reminisced in a soft voice. “But I was young back then and didn't understand any of this. I always felt he had abandoned us. Even when Mother made excuses for him, I refused to listen and hated him deeply. After Mother died, he found a way to transfer back to Rhine, but I opposed him at every turn.”
“I couldn't tell.” Lynch gently stroked Natalie's rough hand, which bore deep calluses from years of wielding a sword.
“That's because your eyesight is terrible.” The officer burst into a short laugh and mumbled, “Actually, I admired the guy immensely and always treated him as my role model. Whether practicing sword skills or upholding the ideals of the Lord of Order, I was imitating him. But I was so rebellious back then, steadfastly refusing to admit it. Arrogant and full of myself, I caused him endless trouble, yet he always indulged me, never truly losing his temper with me like he did with outsiders. Honestly, I wish he had given me a thorough scolding—if he had, I wouldn't have been arrogant enough that night to try and help him, getting caught in danger, and he wouldn't have...”
Before she could finish, her voice choked up, tears already streaming down her face.
“Even at the very end, he never blamed me. Instead, I was the one he worried about most, constantly anxious about my future.”
Lynch squeezed her hand tightly. After a brief pause, he suddenly pulled her up to stand shoulder-to-shoulder before the tombstone again, speaking solemnly:
“Rest assured, Father. I'll take care of this woman from now on. Although I have my... flaws here and there, I swear upon the crimson moon that I will treat her with all my heart and never let her down, or else may lightning strike me down.”
【I don't manage this department, otherwise I'd have struck you with lightning long ago.】
Ignoring his neighbor's taunt, Lynch finished pledging his loyalty and, under Natalie's stunned gaze, pulled her into his arms and kissed her deeply.
Her sharp gaze gradually softened, and her eyes slowly closed. Natalie placed her hands behind Lynch's back, awkwardly responding to his touch.
Even the wind seemed to soften.
Who knew how much time had passed, but just as they both began to feel short of breath...
Boom.
A loud explosion made them spring apart instinctively, exchanging bewildered looks.
Neighbor, do you really have to be this responsive?
Muttering in his mind, Lynch let out a dry laugh. “See? Father heard us and is giving us his blessing.”
“Blessing my foot! Stop talking nonsense! He clearly saw your bad intentions and asked for divine retribution to strike you!” Natalie pinched him indignantly, but her brows quickly furrowed. “That wasn't thunder—it sounded like an explosion over in the city. Could it be one of the factories?”
“Let's go back and check it out.”
Rate on N.U.
