Chapter 19

Chapter 19: Assembly

Igewent, Lower City, on a rooftop somewhere.

The gentle breeze of the day swept over the city, bringing with it the pungent smell from the black smoke in the distance. Carriages and pedestrians moved to and fro along the long streets, while above them, several pairs of eyes monitored from their vantage points.

“Huh… Another boring task…” Grigor, leaning against the wall of the rooftop in his black uniform, sighed and complained, his eyes scanning the team members guarding the perimeter around the rooftop.

“Watching the ‘Gray Hill’ assembly from afar, such tasks can be handled by one squad out of four. We still need to stand by here as backup. It’s really hard to understand why so many people are needed.”

Grigor’s tone was somewhat resentful, and nearby Elena spoke up.

“After all, it’s a special period recently, and the members of the Holy Communion have been active. The Bureau Chief is being cautious and sending more people, which is normal.”

“The Holy Communion… They definitely have someone at that assembly, but we can only watch remotely to prevent any unexpected situations; we can’t enter and search for them. It’s really hard to understand,” Grigor continued to complain, while Elena sighed and said,

“There’s no other way. After all, we had an agreement with ‘Gray Hill.’ He’s willing to share some dangerous information he gathers at the assemblies, but we can’t interfere openly. He doesn’t want others to think he’s a pawn of the authorities.”

“You know… If this assembly of ‘Gray Hill’ were to end, there would be even more uncontrollable small assemblies in Igewent. Not only would we lose a window to monitor the Secret World of Igewent, but after ‘Gray Hill’ gets angry, we’d face a shortage of equipment.”

After hearing Elena’s words, Grigor couldn’t help but laugh bitterly before lighting a cigarette and continuing,

“Heh… What was that saying again? Don’t offend the ‘Craftsman’ no matter who you are…”

…

Darkwater Alley is a small alley located in the lower part of Igewent. This place is quite far from the main streets of the city and requires many turns through side streets to reach. It’s a forgotten dark corner of the city, difficult for non-locals to find.

In Darkwater Alley, a figure in a gray cloak and hood walked briskly, the walls on either side towering. The alleyway between the walls was no more than three meters wide, the walls covered in peeling paint, and above hung lines of drying clothes creating a narrow strip of sky. The dim light and damp air filled with the stench of sewers permeated the area, and the sound of water could be heard under the stone slabs beneath their feet.

In this dark and deserted alley, the cloaked figure continued to move forward, concealing its form until it stopped in front of a small round wooden door. After looking around, the figure began to knock on the door.

Three knocks on top, four on the bottom, then a pause, followed by two more knocks on top.

Immediately, the door opened, and the cloaked figure entered, closing the door tightly behind.

At this moment, on a line of drying clothes in the alley, a crow watched the wooden door, capturing every detail.

“Top three, bottom four, pause two…”

Standing on a rooftop, Dorothy, dressed in a black cloak, recalled the information transmitted back by the crow doll and summarized it.

This was the seventh person she had observed entering through the door, all with the same knocking pattern.

“Almost there, we can confirm the password…”

Muttering softly, Dorothy pulled her black cloth over her face, then turned and descended the stairs. Soon, she appeared at the entrance of Darkwater Alley.

Wearing a cloak and mask, Dorothy directly entered the alley and walked straight to the wooden door, pausing briefly before knocking in the same pattern—three on top, four on the bottom, pause two…

Then, Dorothy stepped back, holding her breath and focusing, the wooden door creaked open.

Without hesitation, Dorothy stepped forward and entered the door. The tall door guard, wearing a wooden mask, showed a hint of surprise upon seeing her, but quickly closed the door.

Behind the door, instead of a spacious room, was a descending staircase. Without delay, Dorothy walked down and soon arrived at a spacious basement.

The light in the basement was dim, with only a few gas lamps hanging from the ceiling. The walls were made of large stone bricks, unadorned.

At the center of the basement was a round table where about twenty people were seated. Each wore a cloak and a masked hood, though the colors varied slightly. Some wore regular clothes with masks, clearly indicating that no one wanted to reveal their identity.

“Wow, everyone has similar taste in clothing. My outfit fits right in…”

Thinking to herself, Dorothy approached the round table and sat down in an empty seat. The people next to her barely reacted after glancing at her.

“It seems like a loose gathering. No membership system; anyone who knows the password can join. It’s not exactly an organization, more like a marketplace…”

Observing her successful seating, Dorothy thought to herself.

Thus, Dorothy silently waited for the assembly to begin. Only a few people sitting next to each other whispered quietly, and the atmosphere in the basement was quiet and oppressive.

As Dorothy waited and a few more people took their seats around the table, the assembly finally showed signs of starting.

With a sound, a door in the basement opened, and four knights clad in full gray-white plate armor stepped out, helmets and armor gleaming, swords at their waists. Their movements were synchronized, their heavy armor making rhythmic sounds as they marched, creating a sense of pressure in the confined space.

After reaching the four directions of the round table, the knights stood still, holding their swords in a defensive stance around the table. Following the knights, a figure in gray-white robes and a stone-carved mask entered the scene. This figure slowly walked towards the high-backed chair at the north end of the table and sat down.

As the figure sat down, the figures around the table stood up, placing their hands on their chests and bowing slightly.

“Mr. Gray Hill…”

Seeing the actions of those around, Dorothy quickly stood up and bowed, thinking to herself,

“This must be Gray Hill. He seems to be someone important even for the An Yin Bureau…”

Looking at the scene, Gray Hill waved for everyone to sit down. After the stone-carved, mouthless mask surveyed the surroundings, a deep male voice emerged.

“Let’s begin…”