The Dark Knight Rises

"It was a pleasure chatting with you, but this is my stop." At the station exit, suitcase in hand, Wayne spotted the driver Veronica had arranged, holding up a large placard that bore his name—*Wayne*. At the same time, he used the moment to bid a tactful farewell to Xifei. Xifei acted as though she didn't catch his drift, smiling as she said, "I missed my train and I'm penniless right now. As a gentleman, do you really have the heart to watch a lady end up wandering the streets?" *Come off it, lady. Do you even know what 'penniless' means?* Wayne rolled his eyes. "I'll buy you a train ticket and throw in three crates of potatoes to boot." "..." Xifei said nothing more, merely smiling as she climbed into the same car with him. The driver was a young man who was stunned by Xifei's beauty and cast looks of envy and jealousy at Wayne. Wayne fell silent again. Anyone with eyes could tell he and Xifei were complete strangers who had just met by chance; there was nothing worth explaining, so he didn't bother. Wayne puffed out his chest slightly. If the driver couldn't figure that much out, it was a deficiency in the man's intellect and had nothing to do with him. Enrold Town was far more bustling than the Town of Kafuno. Under the impact of industrialization, a massive rural population had poured into the town. Were it not for the economic slump of recent years, Enrold Town would have been even more prosperous. None of that concerned Wayne. Mr. Landau's manor was situated in a secluded location away from the urban noise, resting on a low hill north of the town. From its commanding height, one could take in the entire town in a single panoramic view. It was an expansive estate featuring a four-story manor house with white walls and blue roofs. Manicured lawns encircled the house, complemented by landscaped fountain gardens and a gazebo garden designed for the masters of the house to enjoy nature's fragrance. The car drove through the iron gate. Looking upon the luxurious estate, Wayne marveled at how overwhelmingly wealthy his future father-in-law was—even an uninhabited property had dedicated gardeners tending to it. Gazing at the familiar gardens, Xifei saw a flash of sweet memories before her eyes. She exclaimed in admiration, "Wayne, I had no idea you were this wealthy, owning property even out in a secluded town." "You're reading too much into it. This belongs to my girlfriend's family. Her being rich doesn't mean I am." "Can you tell me about your girlfriend? How did you two meet?" Xifei asked with great interest. Convinced she was trying to poach him from Veronica, Wayne didn't want to delve into the topic and gave a perfunctory answer. "Nothing much to tell. She came to the detective agency looking for work, I happened to need an assistant, and feelings developed over time, so we started dating." "She's that wealthy, and you could afford to hire her?" "She paid to work for me. She was the one cutting my paychecks." "..." *What on earth? My daughter threw money at him and chased after him?!* Seeing the baffled look on Xifei's face, Wayne shrugged. "I already gave her a job, so why would I pay her a wage? No need to look so shocked. Once other bosses catch on to this, paying to work will become the societal norm." The concept was so far ahead of its time that it left Xifei utterly speechless. In front of the villa, a butler dressed in crisp, neat attire was waiting to receive the young lady's honored guest. Because the manor house was quite a distance from Londan, there were only four professional maids sent from Londan, responsible for security and housekeeping to ensure the Landau family could stay at a moment's notice. The gardeners and servants had all been hired locally from the town and were not considered trusted household retainers, so they were not part of the welcoming line. Wayne was stunned by the sight of one middle-aged butler and four brawny, solidly built maids. *They're so buff—are they sure they aren't cultists of the Goddess of the Sun?* *Or could this just be my future father-in-law's taste?* *Good heavens, if that's true, doesn't that mean my future mother-in-law looks like the gym instructors?!* *Thank goodness Veronica didn't turn out like that!* While Wayne was dumbfounded, the butler wearing a monocle was equally stunned. *Wasn't there supposed to be only one guest? How did the mistress of the house end up coming too?* Xifei smiled at the butler and shook her head, indicating she did not want her identity acknowledged. Proving his professionalism, the butler read her cues and immediately grasped his mistress's wishes. Without asking questions, he stepped forward and bowed. "Distinguished guests, I am Butler Fra. On behalf of the Landau family, allow me to welcome you." "Uh, thank you, Butler. I'm Wayne, and this is Madame Valentine." Wayne added apologetically, "It was originally just going to be me, but an accident happened on the way. This lady was left homeless, and since I owe her a favor, I can only trouble you to arrange an extra room." Butler: (ಠ灬≖) *Young man, do you even hear what you're saying?!* "I appreciate your trouble, Butler," Xifei said with a slight curtsy. The butler immediately returned the gesture and said politely, "Not at all, Madame. Serving such an elegant lady is my honor as butler to the Landau family. Please rest assured, I shall see to both your daily arrangements as though attending to our very masters." Wayne nodded repeatedly. *Look at that—now that's what you call professional.* The butler's professional demeanor was in top form, and his manners were impeccable. His polite reverence was so profound that anyone unaware would think the master of the house had returned! With the butler being so hospitable, Wayne felt quite honored and invited Xifei to step inside the manor house. Ten seconds later, Wayne's eyes welled with tears. Poverty had truly limited his imagination. He had tried his hardest to envision the luxury of this place, but the reality was... each detail made any sum under nine figures look like pocket change. Compared to this grand estate, the luxury train was practically a woodshed—no, the woodshed of a maid's family. If an estate in an out-of-the-way town was already this extravagantly lavish, wouldn't the ancestral estate in Londan be astronomical? Wayne let his wild imagination run loose: *The Landau family's maid broke up with the gatekeeper, all because long-distance relationships never work out.* The butler first escorted Wayne to his guest room. Once the door was closed, he offered a deep bow to Xifei, expressing his apologies for earlier offenses. Xifei smiled faintly and pointed to the guest room across from Wayne's. For the foreseeable future, she would stay right there. At the same time, she instructed the butler not to contact Londan; she didn't want *that guy* calling to pester her. The butler had barely nodded when the telephone in the parlor rang. It was an incoming call from Londan, from Auston Landau. Mr. Landau already knew his wife's whereabouts and was furious—so furious he wanted to sink Wayne to the bottom of a river right now, this very instant. Not long after he began investigating Wayne, word had leaked because his subordinates outsourced the investigation, alerting Wayne that an important figure had him in their sights. Fortunately, Wayne had sought help and ended up asking Mr. Landau himself. With a simple trick, he had sent the boy out of Londan. Judging by results alone, everything had turned out quite nicely. The process, however, was an eyesore. For the sake of this matter, his daughter—who hadn't spoken to him of her own accord in ages—had reached out personally, her tone noticeably gentler... *You little punk, you really deserve to die!* Mr. Landau had made up his mind: he would "never" be able to appease that "important figure," and by extension, Wayne would never be able to return to Londan. Want to hit on his precious darling daughter? Bah, not a chance! Mr. Landau's smug satisfaction hadn't lasted long—just a single night. The next day, when he received a phone call, he couldn't laugh anymore. Wayne wasn't hitting on his daughter anymore—he had moved on to his wife! How could there be such a coincidence? The kid had to be doing this on purpose! And yet... Mr. Landau trusted his wife. Given Xifei's pride, she could not and would not take a lover on the side. Yet the intelligence gathered in his hands was horrifying to behold. Just in case, he decided to place a call to ask. *Stay calm! That punk named Wayne has something going on with your daughter!* Xifei didn't answer. She looked down on her scoundrel husband with utter contempt. With rumors spreading that his wife was having an affair with a strange man, all he did was place a phone call instead of rushing over to commit murder on the spot! Scumbag! Bastard! Go die! *** Londan. Mr. Landau hung up the unanswered phone, his entire face dark as thunder. "Wayne, was it? Very well. You have successfully piqued my curiosity..." *** Back in Enrold Town. In the dressing room reserved exclusively for the mistress of the manor, Madame Xifei found plenty of clothes and jewelry. The jewelry hardly mattered; what was crucial were the garments. They fit her proportions with exact precision, as though tailored to her very skin. She hadn't vacationed here in four or five years, yet the manor house was still kept perpetually stocked with clothes for her... "That bastard. A person's figure changes, yet the clothes here are all one single size. He clearly didn't put his heart into it!" Xifei huffed and slipped into an evening gown, spinning before the mirror. She instructed the butler to invite Wayne so they could share dinner, intending to bring up the matter of magic over the meal. The result was not encouraging: Wayne declined the invitation to dine together. Xifei shook her head, then nodded. Her earlier behavior had been quite aggressive, so it was only natural for Wayne to become wary. Very good. Staying aloof from women was a good habit; she hoped Wayne would keep it up. On the windowsill, a black owl landed, clutching a magical card in its beak. Taking it into her hand, Xifei read with a solemn expression: "The Catacombs of Paris have projected into Londan... The Death Knight's whereabouts are unknown, but someone in Londan sighted his sword, Shadow Nightmare..." "The Dark Knight rises, unstoppable. Suppressed by his overwhelming might, the Alliance is unable to expand its influence in Londan." "The claws of death and darkness hold sway over Londan..." "The Domain of Mist is now deeply rooted and nearly impossible to eradicate. A cataclysm could strike at any moment..." Xifei let out a sigh. Being a regional high priestess truly was no easy task. Great status and power also meant carrying heavier responsibilities and confronting far stronger foes. "Death Knight..." "Dark Knight..." "Domain of Mist..." She pondered for a moment. This could wait no longer. She resolved to make her move on Wayne tonight, take him as her disciple, and return to Londan as soon as possible to take charge of the situation.