Late at night in Igwinte, dark clouds gathered, and the moonlight gradually dimmed.
In a hidden corner somewhere in Igwinte, within a lavishly decorated but dimly lit room, a banquet was currently underway.
A strong smell of blood permeated the room. On the opulent dark red patterned carpet, a long table was set with a white tablecloth. On the table, exquisite tableware and candlesticks were laid out. Red candles on the candlesticks burned with flickering flames, illuminating the piles of mangled flesh within the tableware.
On both sides of the dining table, four figures were seated. All four figures were male, dressed in proper attire, like gentlemen. They were using knives and forks to eat the meat on their plates, just like gentlemen.
At the head of the table, on the main seat, an empty high-backed chair was placed, and no one was seated in this chair at the moment.
"Gentlemen, what progress have you each made in investigating Edrick's matter?" In the position closest to the high-backed chair, a thin-faced, gloomy-eyed middle-aged man with neatly combed dark brown hair and a small mustache wiped a trace of blood from the corner of his mouth, then glanced around the dining table and said.
"No findings..." A young man replied, slowly and casually cutting a piece of meat.
"I have used all my power, but found absolutely nothing. Since that day, there has been no trace of that fellow." The reply came from a medium-built, bald middle-aged man, who was none other than Burton, the owner of 22 Elm West Lane.
"There's no finding anyone named Edrick in this city at all. My men searched all the way down the Iron Mud River but didn't find anyone asking about a person coming ashore. That fellow is either drowned, or he has already left this city... or..."
An old man, dressed somewhat shabbily, with one eye larger than the other, slightly hunched, and his front napkin covered in blood, looked at Burton across the table and said with a hint of sarcasm.
"Or Burton's intelligence is wrong, his henchmen mistook someone else, causing us to waste our time these past few days!"
"What did you say, Clifford? Are you questioning my intelligence?"
Hearing the words of the old man named Clifford, Burton immediately became somewhat angry. He looked at the old man before him and sternly retorted.
"Heh... so what if I am questioning it? If it was really that kid Edrick who betrayed Abbott in Vokan, then he should have run far away long ago. How would he still dare to come to Igwinte and openly sell our things right under our noses? Who gave him the audacity to openly provoke us here? Where did he get this capital and confidence from? So, I think your intelligence is wrong!"
"You..." Hearing Clifford's words, Burton couldn't help but feel anxious. Then he turned his gaze towards the man seated at the table, the one closest to the main seat.
"Buck... why don't we just use divination to divine Edrick's location? We can't find him using ordinary methods anymore!"
Listening to Burton's words, the man with the small mustache, named Buck, took a sip of "red wine", then turned his head to look at Burton and spoke calmly.
"The divination opportunity left by the Mentor is only one time, it is very precious. Unless it is a major safety matter concerning the overall safety of the organization, I will not use divination."
"But... Abbott is already dead..."
"It's the same even if he's dead. I said now is not the time, and it is not the time... The Mentor is currently preparing for promotion and doesn't have time to manage the organization. According to his instructions, everything here is decided by me."
Buck looked at Burton with somewhat stern eyes. Hearing Buck's words, Burton also swallowed a breath and said nothing more.
After scanning the scene, Buck continued to speak.
"Continue to pay attention to Edrick's matter, but because the intelligence might be wrong, there's no need to invest too much energy into it. We have other matters to attend to next."
Next, Buck paused slightly, and when everyone else present turned their attention to him, he continued to speak.
"According to new intelligence, the An Yin Bureau's Team 3 Captain, Gregorius's sister, has arrived in Igwinte. Although the mission we previously assigned to Edrick failed due to his possible defection, this does not mean our original plan must be terminated..."
"Buck... are you saying we should still target Gregorius's sister?"
Slightly narrowing his eyes, Clifford said to Buck, and Buck nodded.
"Gregorius's talent is obvious to all of you. He became an Apprentice Stealth Shadow within less than two years of entering the hidden world. His exceptional force has given us a lot of trouble. If we can deal with him... or preferably entice him to our side... the An Yin Bureau's suppressive force on us in Igwinte will be greatly weakened."
Listening to Buck's words, Burton also nodded and said.
"Hmm... Compared to the other Captains of the An Yin Bureau, that guy Gregorius is the youngest, has the lowest vigilance, and the least experience, so he is also the easiest one to target. As long as we can control his only biological sister and use her to approach Gregorius, then James's fastest knife will become ours to control..."
"So Buck, what is the situation with his sister now?"
Continuing to sip the "red wine", Buck slowly replied.
"According to intelligence, the day before yesterday morning, Gregorius already sent his sister to study at Saint Amanda School."
"Saint Amanda? It's not easy to act inside there..." Hearing Buck's words, Clifford's brows slightly furrowed as he spoke, and Buck also nodded.
"Yes, so we must act outside the school. I am already arranging it. Although it's somewhat risky, this time I have decided to let our people do it personally."
As he spoke, Buck forked another piece of meat and put it into his mouth. The raw meat, uncooked in any way, was chewed in his mouth, and dark red blood flowed from the corner of his lips.
...
On a clear morning, in the western suburbs of Igwinte, on the bank of the Iron Mud River, Saint Amanda School.
In a spacious room, bright sunlight streamed in through the open windows, shining onto a low table. On the low table were several geometric plaster casts of various shapes. Under the sunlight, the plaster casts showed clear relationships of light, dark, and shadow in black, white, and gray. Around this low table, a circle of students with easels were drawing the plaster casts. Each student was intently observing the shadow relationships of the plaster casts, striving to reproduce them on their drawing paper.
And among them was Dorothy.
'Holy crap... I really didn't expect art to be a compulsory subject in this school... This is the first time I've seen a middle school like this...'
Complaining inwardly, Dorothy, sitting in front of her easel, re-examined the geometric shapes she had drawn. The more she looked, the more awkward it felt.
'Ahhh... How can something like art, which clearly requires talent, be compulsory... I really can't handle this...'
After who knows how many times, Dorothy continued to erase the geometric shape she had just sketched, preparing to redraw it.
'Damn it, if I keep redrawing like this, it will never end... Don't let me fail to even submit the homework by the time class is over...'
At this moment, one of their male classmates accidentally knocked over the low table while picking up an eraser, causing the geometric plaster casts on it to fall all over the floor. The sound when they hit the ground was loud enough to startle everyone around.
'Nice kid! I was already annoyed by the arrangement of these plaster casts, it's perfect that they got knocked over so we can rearrange them...'
Seeing the scene before her, Dorothy couldn't help but feel a surge of joy, but she also bent down to pick up the scattered plaster casts on the floor.
Then, after picking up one of the cubes, her brows slightly furrowed.
'So heavy... so cold... this touch, this weight... it doesn't feel like plaster at all...'
Next, Dorothy carefully stroked the cube in her hand again...
'This feeling... it's more like... Stone? Are all these geometric shapes Stone? Shouldn't they normally use plaster for still life arrangements? What's going on?'