The Mechanics Guild headquarters was located in the Los district, where mostly workers and clerks lived. The Los district and the Honiton district, both built along the Ferreglen river, lay to the south and north of the Silver Star district respectively, separated by the river. Reyn's old apartment had been not far from the Mechanics Guild.
The car sped at full throttle and reached the destination in under twenty minutes. Pollock jumped out before it fully stopped and rushed inside. Reyn and Frida followed.
Reyn was in the Mechanics Guild for the first time. Looking up, he saw a multi-story building nearly a hundred meters tall, towering over Lunshande city, second only to the Mages Tower. At its base stood several more structures—one-story spacious workshops from which the hum of working machines emanated. The sight reminded Reyn of large factories from his previous life.
At the Guild entrance, left and right, stood two three-meter humanoid mechanical golems. Cast from silvery-gray metal, their bodies were thick plate armor, and they held huge swords. Fierce, massive, and immobile, they inspired awe. As Pollock approached the entrance, both golems' eyes flashed red. A faint grinding of gears sounded inside them, white steam jetted from their backs, and with incredible speed, they raised their swords, clanging them crossed to block the way.
"Halt," came sharp, emotionless voices from the mechanical golems' heads. "Present your documents."
Pollock hastily stepped back two paces, pulled out his demon extermination squad ID, and shouted loudly:
"Demon extermination squad! Let us through immediately!"
The left mechanical golem turned its head, looked at the ID, but seemed unable to recognize it and stayed still. A superhuman in guard uniform hurried out from behind the gate. Pollock tossed him the ID and yelled:
"Emergency! I need to see your chief! Open the gates!"
The guard merely glanced at the ID, and his face changed instantly.
"Yes, sir!" He didn't dare delay, pulled a metal box from his pocket, pressed something on it, and both mechanical golems immediately retreated to their positions. At the same time, the Mechanics Guild gates swung open quickly.
Pollock snatched back his ID and dashed into the building. Hurried footsteps echoed in the first-floor hall, drawing the attention of busy people. Pollock rushed to the counter and quickly asked the girl behind it:
"Where's Trevichi? Is he still in the Guild?"
The girl Pollock addressed was in her early twenties. Dressed in a neat work uniform, with a pretty face, she was startled by his urgency, thinking something terrible had happened, and nearly bolted. Pollock sighed helplessly and held up his ID high again.
"We're from the demon extermination squad! Who knows where Trevichi is?" He raised his voice so everyone in the hall could hear.
Silence fell for a few seconds, then someone finally replied:
"Mr. Trevichi left this morning and hasn't returned yet."
Pollock looked at the responding man and clarified:
"You're sure?"
"Yes," the man replied firmly; he seemed a mechanic too. "I saw him leave myself. It was before the end of the workday; he left early, so I remember well."
"Damn it!" Pollock couldn't hold back. It was clear Trevichi had sensed trouble and fled. A fifth-level mechanic hiding in a million-strong city would be incredibly hard to find. If they didn't catch this fallen in time, the consequences could be unpredictable.
"Lazies from the Bureau! Can't even check a person discreetly! Not only did they learn nothing, they tipped him off!" Thinking of the possible severe fallout from Trevichi's actions, Pollock couldn't help mentally cursing.
Reyn, standing nearby, however, kept his cool. Trevichi's curse had been active at least two months. He'd hidden that long, surely plotting something. Perhaps he'd used his Mechanics Guild position for dark deeds. He'd covered his tracks at home, but not in the Guild—that would be impossible. This morning, sensing exposure, he'd fled home without destroying Guild evidence, and wouldn't dare major moves lest the Mechanics Guild catch him red-handed.
Reyn looked at the girl at the counter and asked:
"Where's Trevichi's office?"
"Fifth floor, left from the elevator, first door."
Hearing their talk, Pollock instantly got it and bolted to the elevator first.
Bam! The door flew open with a crack. Trevichi's office was fairly large. Besides a luxurious desk and chairs, several large cabinets stuffed with books and documents stood there. Reyn and his comrades began turning everything upside down, hoping for something useful.
"What are you doing here?" a voice came from the door. A middle-aged man was about to sternly reprimand them, but his tone shifted: "Reyn, how did you end up here?"
"Mr. Kenji." Reyn set down the drawer he held and quickly explained: "I'm now a member of the demon extermination squad. Trevichi is afflicted by the curse, became fallen, and fled. We're searching for clues to find him."
Kenji, who had been about to chat with Reyn about old times, paled sharply upon hearing this:
"Trevichi became fallen? You're sure?"
"Over ninety percent. We just came from his house; no one alive left there," Reyn replied.
"What is this junk, utterly useless!" Pollock tossed aside a stack of books. He eyed Kenji and asked irritably: "Who are you? And what relation do you have to Trevichi?"
"I'm the deputy chairman of the Mechanics Guild," Kenji replied with dignity. "Trevichi is my subordinate. We didn't socialize much outside work, but we knew each other well enough." He paused thoughtfully for seconds and continued: "Five months ago, Trevichi suffered severe injuries in an explosion while repairing a magical airship. He took two months' leave before returning."
Kenji's meaning was clear: Trevichi had likely become fallen during that incident.
"Five months ago..." Pollock was extremely displeased. "He worked that long after the injury, and you noticed nothing wrong?"
Kenji spread his hands:
"We're the Mechanics Guild, not the demon extermination squad. Anyway, he made no errors at work."
Pollock seethed, but understood that a deliberately hiding fallen superhuman was truly hard to spot. The Mechanics Guild bore some responsibility, but not the main one.
Reyn hurried to smooth things over:
"Mr. Kenji, you knew Trevichi well. Where do you think he might hide?"
"I don't know that," Kenji thought briefly and waved a hand. "But I have one way. Follow me."
All three followed Kenji to the second floor and entered a spacious room. Upon entering, they were stunned by a massive machine. Incredibly bulky, it took up nearly half the room. It consisted of countless parts: gears, racks, levers, shafts—tens of thousands of elements, each polished to a shine and gleaming metallic. Neatly assembled in rows, fitting tightly, they formed a complex, precise mechanical device.
The moment Reyn saw this machine, he recognized it instantly.
"Difference engine? Or analytical?"
In his past life on Earth, someone had built an unfinished difference engine, kept in a museum with a few copies. The more advanced analytical engine existed only in blueprints. But in Ellunes, this mechanical computer seemed to have found practical use. Reyn's eyes widened as he studied it, soon noting it differed greatly from the difference engine he remembered. This device wasn't purely mechanical. It connected to a steam engine powering it. The steam engine didn't run on coal but some expensive magical crystal fuel. Its surface was covered in runes and patterns emitting magical energy. This energy not only heated the steam engine but partially flowed via tubes into the huge mechanism, for unknown purpose.
"Difference engine combining mechanics and magic?" Reyn was very curious about its uses.
Beside the mechanical device was a control panel with two operator-like people sitting there. Via the "Voice of All Things," Reyn understood they were both mechanics. Seeing Kenji enter, both stood and said respectfully:
"Your Excellency Deputy Chairman."
"Mm, sit," Kenji pulled a white card from his jacket. One side had numerous tiny holes, the other his portrait and brief info. He handed it over and ordered: "Pull up Trevichi's work archives for the last three months, including all documents he handled and his movement logs."
"Yes, sir," the mechanic took the card, inserted it into a slot before him. His lips moved slightly, as if murmuring a spell. The sound was faint; Reyn caught only fragments: "...Strike the great bell... Move the lever... Breathe life... Sing together, praise..."
Then he pushed a side lever.
Whirr...
Magical light flared, energy flowed. The steam engine roared, driving pistons. Power transmitted to the difference engine, bringing it alive. Rows of large and small gears spun, parts with engraved numbers whirled and blurred. The huge mechanical device emitted rhythmic metallic clicks.
Clack-clack-clack...
Sounds poured like raindrops. Not music, but a strange, mesmerizing harmony in the clanging. The room trembled faintly for a moment. Watching this stunning scene, Reyn's heart raced. He inexplicably felt the beauty of mechanics and a light intoxication. Not just him—Pollock and Frida stood shocked, speechless. Kenji, seeing their reaction, couldn't hide a satisfied smile.
The mechanic pulled out a book, opened it as if searching, then quickly entered a number sequence on the control panel. The machine ran for dozens of seconds and clicked to a stop. A bright magical beam shot from the panel, lighting the opposite wall and projecting a full page of crisp text. Reyn scanned it quickly and saw it all concerned Trevichi. He was very surprised. So this magical difference engine output info this way—even more astonishing than he'd thought.
"Input, computation, control, storage, output... Aside from very slow computation speed and complex control, it's almost no different from a computer," Reyn marveled.
The wall records were numerous and complex but neatly systematized: points, columns, text and numbers mixed, densely filling the page. Over a hundred pages total. For those unfamiliar with such databases, it was like Chinese scribbles—an ordinary person wouldn't understand a thing. Pollock looked for seconds and felt dizzy, vision blurring. Frida looked lost too. Reyn, however, was well familiar. His brain worked at full speed, eyes flying over lines; meanwhile, he activated his phone's photo function, discreetly snapping each page to find useful clues.
Kenji had the mechanic step aside and took over. He scanned records, pushing the lever after each page. The machine ran seconds, wall content shifting to new pages. Minutes ticked by; only machine and magic sounds filled the room. Pollock kept checking his communicator watch, pacing impatiently. Just as he could hold back no longer and was about to ask, Reyn and Kenji said simultaneously:
"Warehouse thirty-five in Valen port."
"What?" Pollock didn't catch it right away.
Kenji looked at Reyn with undisguised surprise and explained:
"That's the place Trevichi contacted most in the last three months. He used his position to procure lots of materials and ship them there. Though covert, the maganalyzer's stats exposed him. Trevichi must be hiding there now."
Reyn thought "maganalyzer" a fitting name for this difference engine.
Pollock ignored the explanations. He grasped only one thing—Trevichi's location found—and shouted:
"We're going there now!"
Before finishing, he bolted outside.
Reyn lingered briefly to bid Kenji farewell, but the man stood and said:
"I'll go with you. Trevichi's a fifth-level mechanic, one of our guild's top specialists; he's very strong. I'm afraid you won't manage him alone."
"Then we'll have to trouble Mr. Kenji," Reyn didn't refuse.
Kenji sighed:
"As deputy chairman and his direct superior, it's my responsibility."
They delayed no more and headed down to depart.
The demon extermination squad car pulled out of the Mechanics Guild gates. Kenji's car followed. They sped full throttle and soon reached Valen port. This port lay on the riverbank in Los district. Los was factory-packed, plus hosting a major force like the Mechanics Guild, so port cargo volume was huge. Thousands of dock workers toiled ceaselessly, painting a prosperous scene. En route, Pollock had reported to Supreme Captain Davenlak, so reinforcements should arrive soon.
The two cars passed through the port and quickly found warehouse thirty-five. It was somewhat aside from the port, in a secluded spot. Few people around, only one road to the gates. From the car, they saw the warehouse gates tightly shut, everything seemingly fine.
Pollock drew his spirit weapon and, turning to his two comrades, said:
"Don't spook him yet, we...
BOOM!
A powerful explosion hurled the entire car into the air, turning it into a massive fireball.