Detective Agency of the Bizarre

Yodel felt as if he had experienced a dream.

Otherwise, how could he explain being discharged from the temporary hospital after just three days, with Old Belfast already reclaimed? How could he explain the bat monsters that soared through the skies casting shadows had suddenly become allies? How could he explain the oddities of the Shipwreck District becoming followers of the Twisted Shadow?

And why did Mr. Luli suddenly want to hold a ceremony to bestow upon them the Exorcist badge?

"His Excellency Lulian doesn't have time to fool you with a pleasant dream." Langeler, who came to inform him, said, tossing the costume commissioned by Merchant Anthony from the Underground City in front of Yodel.

"One hour later, at the square."

Yodel craned his neck to look out the window but couldn't see the square from his bed.

Langeler left the ward to inform other companions. Yodel unfolded the suit, a tailcoat with an attached flap, which he didn't quite like, but if it was needed for the ceremony...

A few minutes later, wearing the tailcoat, Yodel left the ward and came to the open door of Porter's room, from which noises were emanating.

"...I went to visit the lord of Silent Hill."

The room was crowded with eight exorcists and two of Porter's friends; he was almost the last to arrive, with only Naveen yet to come. Langeler was helping Wengar, who was in a wheelchair, into the suit while recounting his experiences: "We surprisingly hit it off. Count Dracula hopes I'll visit often."

Of course, it was because they were both quite talkative.

"I heard that Count Dracula and Mr. Luli knew each other in the Old Era and even said they had helped Mr. Luli."

"No wonder they became allies," the other exorcists realized.

"Is Count Dracula really a count?" Yodel, who just arrived, asked.

"No, Count Dracula is the name of a painting, but it's also its name," Allen replied.

Langeler looked disapprovingly at Allen, who had cut in.

"What?" Yodel didn't understand.

"Count Dracula is an oil painting," Langeler responded just as Wengar let out a muffled grunt, as an eager answer caused him to inadvertently touch Wengar's wound.

After helping Wengar, who was sweating from pain, get into his shirt and then the suit coat, Langeler left the wheelchair. "This will do."

"How... do I wear this?"

In the room, only Porter and his two envious friends were not wearing suits.

"Guess why those heretics cloak themselves in robes?" Langeler tossed an opaque black robe next to Porter's "feet."

Porter also wanted to wear a suit like them, but he didn't have the choice. He heard that Elena and a mysticologist were trying to reverse the vortex pollution? Hopefully, there would be good news.

In a brief moment of silence, they heard footsteps in the corridor. Naveen was the last to arrive, and they gazed at him with puzzlement.

"Where's your suit?"

"I'm not wearing it," Naveen replied, dressed in loose brown outerwear.

"Mr. Luli might not appreciate it, and the residents might not want to see a group of exorcists dressed like nobles."

Langeler thought for a moment and began to take off his outer coat. "You're right, let's change back."

"Wh...?"

Wengar, with sweat still not evaporated from his forehead, was baffled.

Rustling sounds of clothes being taken off began to fill the ward, but they only removed their coats, keeping their shirts and pants on. Wengar didn't have to endure the pain of removing them again.

During this, Naveen said, "A merchant just told me that besides the badge ceremony, the school has selected twenty residents to become apprentice exorcist reserves."

"Are we going to be teachers?" Allen was very excited.

"Or perhaps colleagues, as they'll be taught by Teacher Hades."

Listening to the companions' speculations in the ward, Lana gazed at the square, where shadowy figures had already begun setting up the ceremony.

...

"The badge ceremony can't be Me, can't be Hades, it can only be you."

The gentle voice of the Mother of the Marsh echoed in his mind.

In the cabin, a wooden box containing the Exorcist badges lay on the desk.

Even Hades wouldn't seize this honor; they all knew who caused the Land of Hope to be born and brought everyone together.

Only Lu Li, it could only be him.

"And this can also serve as your farewell on your last day in the Land of Light..."

Lu Li's departure from the Land of Light to search for Paradise Valley had already been decided: it was to be tomorrow.

Andrea had returned to port last night, docked on the shore, being cleaned by the Twisted Cultist.

Lu Li agreed, buttoning up the top of his shirt, tightening his tie, taking down the black trench coat from the hanger, picking up the wooden box, and leaving Lake Heart Island.

Before the lakeside wooden bridge, Lu Li encountered the Twisted Shadow. It wasn't waiting deliberately here; as Lu Li passed by, it was holding a tarp, gently like the Mother of the Marsh watering flowers, pouring the fish shadows swimming in the tarp into Agate Lake.

"Philomena's new hobby, she likes finding fish from the bay, stocking them in Agate Lake..."

Unfortunately, there were hardly any unpolluted pure fish species in the ocean; the Twisted Shadow could only choose fish that appeared as aesthetically pleasing as possible.

"Since when?"

"Yesterday."

Lu Li watched as the Twisted Shadow poured out the tarp, and the small fish swam into the depths of Agate Lake, gently shaking his head.

"They won't survive."

"Why?"

"Why."

They asked simultaneously.

"These fish are saltwater fish, and Agate Lake is freshwater."

...

Apart from the scattered residents in Old Belfast, all the residents in the camp gathered in front of the square.

On the square, the exorcists automatically arranged themselves by the severity of their injuries to receive Lu Li's badge bestowal.

"Porter."

The robe lifted, stretching out deformed arms to catch the precious Exorcist Badge.

"Wenger."

Wenger, with bandages wrapped around his chest, sat in a wheelchair, straightening his frail chest to receive the Exorcist Badge.

"Langeler."

"I, Desa Rothschild Langer." Langeler also straightened his chest.

"Yodel."

Yodel said nothing, standing tall.

"Elson."

"The Vatare Family is proud of me." Elson suppressed his excitement.

"Naveen."

"I am proud to be an Exorcist," Naveen said solemnly.

"Triss."

"I will not abandon the ideals of the Exorcist," Triss vowed.

"Allen."

Allen smiled shyly.

"Lana."

Lana eagerly rubbed and examined the badge upon receiving it.

"Riel."

The last, Riel, calmly received the badge, though only the trembling hands revealed the unrest within.

Valendo brought a camera to take a group photo of the ten exorcists.

"Would you like to join us?"

Lu Li shook his head, refusing, and his gaze wandered around.

He saw twenty aspiring young people in front of the square, saw the managing deities and allies, saw the former Knight Squad watching with envy, saw the cheering residents and cultists.

And not long ago, they had been surviving in darkness, cold, and hunger, despairing for a future without hope.

The whisper of the Mother of the Marsh resonated in his mind.

"Is this what you wanted? It's so beautiful..."

Here, flowers bloom everywhere, birds sing, trees grow, people laugh.