Lord of Mysteries: The Assassin's Dark Path

At 8 a.m., Sirren Textile Factory.

John and Susan were surprised to find that Varina, who was always early, was late this time.

Susan asked casually, "Did you two swap shifts again?"

"No," John replied, equally puzzled. "Yesterday after work, he even said he'd treat me to coffee today. He wouldn't skip work just because of that, would he?"

"That's strange... Could he have overslept?" Susan speculated but suddenly remembered something. "Hey, do you think we should inform Mr. Luca?"

"Let's wait," John suggested. "No need for him to get penalized. When he shows up, we can just have him make it up to us."

"Alright, that works," Susan nodded.

By midday, they had a feeling Varina wouldn't be showing up at all. They decided to wait until the afternoon; if he still didn't appear, they'd tell Mr. Luca.

During lunch, the two went out to eat together.

At the café, a waiter recognized them and asked, "Excuse me, are you colleagues with someone who didn't come to work today?"

"How do you know that?" John and Susan asked in unison, astonished.

The waiter glanced around nervously before lowering his voice.

"Last night, he was here for dinner, but a few gang members showed up to hassle him."

"Then those guys chased after him. I don't know what happened after that—don't ask me. I want nothing to do with it," the waiter said hurriedly and walked away, not wanting to get involved.

John and Susan exchanged bewildered looks, each seeing the same question in the other's eyes: When did Varina start tangling with gangs?

It was hard to believe.

Back at the factory, the confused pair went to Mr. Luca's office and relayed what they had learned. Mr. Luca nodded, indicating he understood, and then sent them back to work.

...

At 8 a.m., Varina woke up on the couch in the bar.

Opening the door to the billiard room, he saw that the bar was already open. Several cleaning maids were tidying up the mess left by last night's customers.

An idea struck him. He walked up to a middle-aged maid sweeping the floor and asked, "Excuse me, do you know where the 'Workers' Housing Improvement Association' is in the Bridge District?"

The maid was clearly startled by the unexpected question. She hesitated before answering, "It's on Middle White Rum Street, about three or four blocks from here."

"Near the subway station by the East District?" Varina confirmed.

"On the same street," the maid nodded.

After thanking her, Varina left the bar.

He had a few options for finding a new place to live: advertisements in the newspaper, private housing improvement companies, the Workers' Housing Improvement Association, or signs posted on house exteriors.

Considering cost-effectiveness, the association was the most suitable choice.

By noon, after visiting White Rum Street, Varina secured a new place to stay—a single-room apartment with a shared bathroom among three households, similar to his previous residence.

After lunch at a nearby diner, he spent the rest of the afternoon shopping for household items and replacement clothing. By 2 p.m., he had moved into a private space, sparer in furnishings than before but otherwise comparable.

Sitting on the bed, Varina felt a sudden, unfamiliar sense of emptiness.

He had grown used to the busyness of daily work. Even on rare rest days, there was always something to do—buying supplies, tidying up, and so on.

It was the first time he had nothing on his agenda.

He tried to settle down and read, but his mind wouldn't focus. Ultimately, he decided to go out and take care of something he hadn't planned to address just yet: finding Xio Derecha.

This "Judgment" lady from the original novel was one of the few channels Varina could think of for connecting with another circle of Beyonders.

In Backlund, there were three Beyonder gatherings mentioned in the original text.

One was hosted by the old "Eye of Wisdom." Another was run by the Aurora Order's Mr. A. The third was a higher-tier circle—the one where Sharon later acquired the "Gatekeeper" mystical artifact.

Varina wasn't sure if the Eye of Wisdom's gathering had the "Assassin" potion formula, but he was certain Mr. A would have it.

He bought a copy of the Backlund Post and followed an advertisement to a small detective agency in the Cherwood District.

Adjusting the angle of his flat cap to hide the bump on the back of his head, Varina pushed open the door.

"Hello, I'm Detective Ron. What can I help you with?"

Detective Ron greeted him warmly, personally leading Varina to the reception area while habitually studying the client's features.

"I'd like to hire you to find someone. How much would it cost?" Varina asked.

"About 4 pounds," Detective Ron explained. "That's the standard rate for finding people, though the final price may vary depending on the difficulty."

"Who is it you're looking for? Do you have a description or perhaps a sketch?"

Drawing from memory, Varina described the person as clearly as possible:

"A petite yet authoritative woman named Xio Derecha. She's likely a bounty hunter with some fame in the East District and has dealt with several gangs."

"That's clear enough. I'll help you arrange a meeting once I find her, correct?"

"Yes," Varina nodded. "I'd like to meet her as soon as possible, so I'll check in daily for updates."

"If she's truly a bounty hunter, that shouldn't be difficult," Ron replied. "How quickly I locate her will depend on a bit of luck."

After finalizing their agreement and signing a standard contract, Varina paid a 1-pound deposit and left with his copy of the contract.

...

At 8 p.m., the Bravehearts Bar.

Varina, holding a "Half-and-Half," found Kaspars in the card room.

Perhaps due to prior arrangements, Kaspars wasn't engaged in the lively gambling sessions. Instead, he was resting in a corner.

Varina roused him with a tap and got the confirmation he wanted:

"The gathering's on. I've already put in a word for you. Let's head there now."

Kaspars led the way, limping as they exited through the bar's kitchen to the back alley. They wound their way to a pitch-dark building.

"Two pounds. That's what we agreed on."

Kaspars handed Varina an iron mask that covered the upper half of his face while holding out his hand for payment.

Varina paid without hesitation, donned the mask, tilted his hat brim down, and raised his coat collar.

Seeing that he was ready, Kaspars knocked rhythmically on the door.

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