This Trainee Fatui Harbinger is Too Unreliable [332]

"W-what's the big deal about going down there?"

Furina huffed, though her voice betrayed a clear note of hesitation.

"There's nothing I'm afraid of."

"Well then, esteemed Water Archon, please follow closely," Luo Qing said with a sly grin before leaping into the dark, yawning abyss of the manhole. In a few agile movements, he landed in the Ashen River District, the underground expanse shrouded in shadow.

Just as he'd imagined, the so-called Ashen River District resembled an immense drainage system, with circular pipe walls over ten meters in diameter lined with a chaotic network of metal pipes and valves. Alongside the walkways flanking the main canal, makeshift wooden shacks and tents were clustered together, some illuminated by the warm glow of small campfires.

The stench was even more overwhelming down here. Even Luo Qing, who prided himself on a strong stomach, felt a wave of discomfort.

"Are you coming down or not?" Luo Qing called upward toward the entrance.

"I…" Furina's voice wavered from above, her uncertainty palpable.

"I'll wait at your place! Be quick!" she finally declared, and moments later, her footsteps retreated, growing fainter until silence returned.

"She chickened out?" Luo Qing raised an eyebrow, genuinely surprised.

This was the first time he'd encountered such a cowardly god.

What's her deal? Did something happen to her here before? A scandal, maybe?

"Whatever," Luo Qing muttered, shaking his head. I'll make sure to tease her about it later.

Truthfully, he hadn't intended to bring Furina along in the first place. She would've been more of a liability than anything else.

Venturing deeper into the Ashen River District, Luo Qing found himself navigating a sprawling labyrinth of pipes and walkways. The further he went, the more intertwined the pipes became, and the number of inhabitants steadily increased.

The people here were starkly different from the well-dressed citizens of Fontaine's upper districts. Most wore coarse, makeshift work clothes stained with grime, their faces smeared with indistinguishable gray-black filth.

Children darted through the labyrinthine pipes in small groups, their pallid complexions suggesting a lifetime spent without sunlight.

Following the flicker of firelight, Luo Qing eventually arrived at what seemed to be the heart of the district. The area opened up into a vast chamber, the walls towering high overhead. Makeshift wooden lofts and platforms had been constructed against the walls, forming a vertical shantytown that resembled a miniature underground city.

"What is this? Fontaine's version of Zaun?" Luo Qing quipped under his breath.

Just as he was about to delve further into the district, a woman approached him cautiously, her head tilted as she studied him.

"First time in the Ashen River District, sir?" she asked.

"Hmm?" Luo Qing turned to face her, giving her a quick once-over.

Unlike most of the residents he'd encountered, this woman's clothing was notably clean, suggesting she was someone with higher standards—or at least better resources.

"How'd you figure that out?" Luo Qing asked.

"Simple," she replied with a smirk, gesturing toward his boots. Then, she lifted her own foot, wiggling it slightly. "Nobody around here has shoes as clean as yours. Stick around for a few days, and they'll look just like mine."

"Fair enough," Luo Qing said indifferently. "So, what do you want?"

He wasn't particularly surprised to be approached—he'd heard that the Ashen River District was a hotspot for shady dealings.

"Well…" The woman fidgeted with her hands, finally introducing herself. "Name's Lylaine, a former engineer from the Fontaine Institute of Technology. I've been working on a project called Absolute Aesthetics…"

"An engineer? Really?" Luo Qing looked her up and down skeptically.

"Former engineer…" Lylaine admitted sheepishly, scratching her head. "There was… an incident. My colleagues and I were working on a facial reconstruction experiment, and, uh, some of them… didn't look so great afterward. That landed me a stint in Melopet Prison."

"So you've done time." Luo Qing's tone was matter-of-fact.

"…Pretty much," Lylaine muttered. "But my research is groundbreaking! Imagine being able to change your face, restart your life, and become a new person entirely. It's the perfect opportunity for someone living here in the Ashen River District."

"And this has to do with me… how?" Luo Qing prompted, his patience waning.

"Well…" Lylaine hesitated, then rubbed her hands together nervously. "I'm looking for funding to restart my experiments…"

"Ah, you're pitching me for investment," Luo Qing said dryly.

"Y-yeah…"

"Sorry, not interested."

"Oh…" Lylaine's shoulders slumped in disappointment. She muttered under her breath about her lack of talent for fundraising and turned to leave.

Before she could take another step, Luo Qing spoke again.

"How well do you know this place?"

"The Ashen River District?" Lylaine turned back, puzzled. "I know it well enough. After I got out of Melopet, I ended up living here. Can't afford to live upstairs, and this is the only place where I can keep trying to raise funds for my research."

"And have you raised any?" Luo Qing asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well… not really," she admitted, deflating further. "I'd heard this place was a haven for gray-market activities, but it's actually pretty tightly controlled by the Thorned Rose Society. Turns out it's not as shady as people think—it's just poor."

"The Thorned Rose Society?" Luo Qing's interest piqued at the new term.

"They're the group that runs this place," Lylaine explained. "They handle security and maintenance, even paying for the district's only doctor. But since their previous leader passed away, the organization's been in decline. Their new leader—his daughter, I think—is struggling to keep things afloat. Rumor has it they're in a financial pinch."

"Interesting," Luo Qing mused, nodding slightly.

It seemed the Thorned Rose Society could be a useful contact—perhaps even a temporary source of information until the Void Network was established.

"Take me to them," he said, tossing Lylaine a pouch of Mora.

"Wha—?!" Lylaine's eyes widened.

The bag was heavy, easily containing tens of thousands of Mora—a small fortune in the Ashen River District.

"R-right this way, sir!" she stammered, clutching the pouch tightly to her chest as she hurried ahead to guide him.

---

The Thorned Rose Society's headquarters wasn't far, located in one of the larger lofts built into the district's walls. Lylaine led Luo Qing to the front door, gesturing toward it nervously.

"This is it, sir," she said.

"Thanks." Luo Qing nodded, dismissing her with a wave.

Approaching the door, he was immediately intercepted by a man in a sharp black suit and dark sunglasses.

"Sir, this is the Thorned Rose Society. State your business."

"Well…" Luo Qing paused, recalling Lylaine's mention of their financial troubles.

"I hear your organization's been having some monetary issues. Perhaps I can help solve them."

---

T/N: sorry i wont be able to read all comments anymore there's simply too much..

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