The Last Gentleman

Chapter 13

Several kilometers away from Green Lake Town, atop a small mountain, a group of well-dressed "gentlemen" observed the happenings in the town using various methods.

One of them, a middle-aged man with a noticeable paunch and a receding hairline, quietly remarked:

"This month's assessment seems to involve several prominent families. Holding it in 'Green Lake Town' might be too harsh... If the risk is too high, we could lose some high-quality talent."

At that moment, an elderly man with white hair, hands clasped behind his back, and a perched owl on his shoulder, responded:

"I would rather raise the selection bar than invest resources in those who cannot handle crisis situations. The town's population is nearing its limit. The supply of 'skins' has been decreasing for months now. If this continues, it will be challenging for the organization to maintain the gentlemen's training, and our internal balance will be disrupted.

"If you are dissatisfied with this, Professor Sman, you are welcome to raise it with the higher-ups."

The portly Professor Sman quickly raised his hand in apology.

"Professor Chamberlain, I’m just making an objective observation. I have no objections to your choice of location for the assessment. If any threats beyond the scope of the assessment arise, I hope everyone present will act promptly to subdue them."

"Naturally."

At this moment, the white-haired elder noticed a peculiar young man who chose to walk alone down the town's streets, rather than join a group.

His dark attire and the fleshy growth on his shoulder stood out.

"Professor Sman, this young man doesn’t seem to be listed on the assessment roster. And he bears no obvious insignia of a family or school."

Professor Sman, who was in charge of personnel, followed the elder's gaze toward Yi Chen.

"Oh! Indeed, an unfamiliar face. This must be a last-minute addition to today's assessment. His sponsor is Wilbert Astorga, the head of the 'Seven Day Cemetery', who sent a letter via a raven from the cemetery, requesting his participation in this month’s assessment."

When Chamberlain heard this name, he seemed to drift into a recollection.

"Wilbert... that guy was a loner during his training, with hardly any friends and always keeping to himself. Eventually, he earned the right to establish a cemetery of his own and live in seclusion. I’m surprised someone like him would recommend talent to the organization."

As the two chatted, the other gentlemen also noticed the lone young man. He had chosen to stay at a suspicious-looking inn.

"A place without 'skins' for decoration, and merely relying on ordinary senses, he's already picking up the town's abnormalities and moving toward danger? This young man is interesting."

As the temporary supervisor of this assessment, Chamberlain had only planned to fulfill his duty here. However, this young man from the cemetery piqued his interest.

---

Green Shade Inn

Yi Chen held an aluminum key, marked with '#0206', and aligned it with the scratched and dented keyhole. The lock mechanism clicked into place, and the door creaked open.

A diamond-patterned carpet covered the floor, with dust deeply embedded in its fibers, giving the room a barely passable level of cleanliness.

In the somewhat cramped room, there was a wooden bed about 1.5 meters wide. The dark bedspread seemed to cover stains left by the previous occupant.

The vertical glass window was plastered with newspapers bearing the headline 'Green Lake Town', blocking out the sunlight.

On the wooden coat rack by the window hung a piece of clothing, as if the previous guest had left in a hurry, forgetting to take it… or perhaps, never having left at all.

Drip, drip...

A constant dripping sound came from the bathroom on the right side of the entrance. After checking, he found that the showerhead was leaking, leaving a damp and cold layer of water across the bathroom floor.

"Phew... time to take a break."

Unfazed, Yi Chen sat on the edge of the soft bed, picking up the 'Green Lake Town Flyer' from the nightstand.

A map of Green Lake Town was drawn above.

The entire town was built around a lake, shaped like an inverted "L."

The bustling town center was located at the intersection of the streets.

On the back of the flyer were some perks for visiting tourists.

1. Green Lake Town offers free boat rides from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM daily, available to all visitors.

• Each visitor can only ride the boat once per day.

• This service is not available at night. If you receive an invitation for a boat ride at night, immediately decline and report it to the Town Security Office.

2. Every day, Green Lake Town offers tourists "natural green water" sourced from the lake’s deep springs, which purifies the body of impurities and enhances physical health.

• Green Lake is the heart of the town, so avoid wasting this resource. Once you receive the green water, you must drink it entirely.

• Only staff in green uniforms are authorized to serve the green water. If anyone else offers it, be sure to refuse.

3. Green Lake Town hosts a bonfire party every evening in the town square, providing free, delicious local food.

• All participants or passersby must wear masks.

• During the event, if you notice anyone not wearing a mask, distance yourself and report it to the Security Office.

• The party is held exclusively within the town center and nowhere else.

Yi Chen stared intently at the words on the flyer, murmuring to himself:

"These rules are somewhat like those in the cemetery employee handbook—guidelines, in a way. Breaking them could lead to rather frightening consequences.

Is it common in this world to have these sorts of rules?

Moreover, the flyer’s 'rules' only seem to apply broadly to the surface of the town.

It doesn’t mention specific details about places like this inn I’m staying in…”

At that moment, Yi Chen felt a squirming sensation.

A furry black ball crawled out from his sleeve and settled firmly on the bed.

It opened its toothy mouth, letting out a strange sound.

"Rules are created by you humans to minimize and avoid disease, as well as mitigate danger.

Pathogens hidden in this world can spread through any channel, in any form,

and may even take physical shape, influencing and invading individuals through certain interactions.

Following certain rules can reduce the likelihood of infection and lower the chance of dangerous incidents.

But it’s only a reduction, not an absolute prevention.

To truly eliminate danger, stronger measures are needed.

That’s about it…

After all, my memories come from Grave No. 6 in the cemetery, pieced together from fragments, so I don’t know much."

"Who discovered these rules?"

"It was probably a human prophet or some gentleman with foresight, but I’m not too sure."

"Well, that’s a discussion for later. Let’s first focus on investigating this inn.

Try to find out what kind of infection problems exist in the town."

At this point,

Little Grape’s eye rolled to its teeth, and it spoke excitedly,

"Hmm…I can sense a severe infection here in this inn, and deep within this town, a greater threat likely lurks…maybe even a big grape to feast on~ Be careful now, and try not to die."