Chapter 276 - 272: Amateur?

Chapter 276: Chapter 272: Amateur?

Compared to the thriving, bustling York Town he’d just left, Mountain Spring Village was a sorry sight.

It was remote, dilapidated, run-down, and desolate. Even the distant farmland was barren, with weeds growing almost waist-high.

The sight sent an indescribable chill through Lloyd.

It should have been a bright, sunny afternoon, yet the light itself seemed to bend and shy away, draping the entire village in a gloomy haze and creating a uniquely eerie atmosphere.

There wasn’t another soul in sight. The other passengers on the long-distance bus that brought Lloyd here had all gotten off at earlier stops, leaving him as the sole remaining rider. The moment the bus arrived, the driver made a U-turn and sped away, leaving Lloyd completely alone.

’This... doesn’t feel right. Judging by the village’s size and the number of houses, there should be several hundred people living here. How can it be this quiet?’

’Could it be...’

’...that they all went to some kind of gathering?’

’Or perhaps...’

’...they were all scared away by that father who loves digging up graves?’

Filled with questions, Lloyd began to wander through the village. After just a few steps, he arrived at a small square in the village center. Beside it stood a small building that looked like an inn, and he could hear signs of human activity from within.

Lloyd prepared to head over and ask for information, but just as he got close, people emerged from inside.

It was a trio. Two were dressed like investigators, while the third fit the classic image of a scholar, complete with a white lab coat and a monocle.

All three wore a badge on their chests resembling a magnifying glass. It looked familiar to Lloyd. ’Where have I seen that before?’

Coincidentally, the group found his uniform familiar as well. One of the investigators took the initiative to speak.

"Are you... from the Holy Judgment Court?"

"I am. And you are...?"

"A pleasure to meet you. We’re from the ’Prosperous and Contented’ Investigation Group."

Hearing them introduce themselves, Lloyd finally remembered the magnifying-glass-style badge; he’d seen it in a newspaper before.

’Right, on the advertisements page...’

Although he didn’t know the actual size or strength of this "Prosperous and Contented" Investigation Group, they at least advertised quite frequently in the paper.

It said they took on cases involving the investigation of unusual incidents, environmental management, private security, and more, boasting a professional and capable team, strong work ethic, and cost-effective service packages.

’They sound pretty professional, I guess?’

Lloyd quickly and discreetly used a few [Enhanced Investigation] casts on them to check their Attributes.

The two investigators were from the [Veto] and [Manifestation] systems. ’And the scholar is from the [Redemption] system?’

’Aside from Rationality, which is over 50, their other three Attributes are all in the 30s. They feel like Tier Two or Tier Three.’

As for their Threat Level, it was displayed as a few strange symbols—

(O_o)??

’Probably means they aren’t enemies, but they’re suspicious and on guard?’

"So, are you also here to investigate that case? The one about the father who misses his daughter dearly?"

Lloyd followed up with another question.

"Oh? I’m surprised you’ve heard of this case. Are you here for this matter as well?"

the [Redemption]-system scholar asked in return.

He then exchanged a look with his two companions. After apparently reaching some sort of consensus, he invited Lloyd into the inn to discuss the details.

Lloyd followed them inside. Behind the counter, he saw an innkeeper wiping down a table, eyeing him with a gaze full of suspicion and caution.

But the man said nothing, simply watching in silence as Lloyd followed the trio to the second floor.

Then, the trio briefly explained the situation to Lloyd.

First, they explained that the villagers had all gone to work at a newly opened logging camp. It was several kilometers away by mountain road, which was why the village was so desolate during the day. It wouldn’t come back to life until evening.

As it happened, the trio from the "Prosperous and Contented" Investigation Group had been hired by that very logging camp for a hefty fee.

Apparently, the grave-digging father had been disturbing the village so much that no one could sleep at night. This severely impacted the logging camp’s productivity. With an order deadline fast approaching, they had no choice but to pay a premium to hire a professional team to resolve the issue.

However, the trio had already been here for three days and still hadn’t found a trace of the grave-digging father.

They had scoured every corner of the village and even investigated the logging camp for evidence, but they still couldn’t find the suspect.

"For a while, it made us wonder if this was all just a false report or a prank. But the client’s attitude and the reactions of the villagers here confirmed that this person does exist. He probably saw us arrive and went into hiding,"

the scholar said with a helpless tone.

An investigator beside him added with a grimace:

"We promised the client a deadline. We have to resolve this within five days, or else we’ll have to return the deposit and pay a penalty..."

After hearing them out, Lloyd asked:

"So, you’re telling me all this because you want to bring me on board?"

"Yes. If we can resolve this successfully, we can pay you a fee based on the market rate,"

the scholar, who appeared to be their leader, said frankly.

Lloyd didn’t hesitate and nodded readily.

"No problem."

He hadn’t come here planning to make any money; he had simply intended to resolve a minor issue while he was in the area.