Searching for Isabel

With Philip's help, Iver arrived at the port at an extremely fast speed.

But of course he didn't go looking for them one by one... doing so would be like searching for a needle in a haystack, foolish and extremely inefficient.

Iver immediately revealed his identity Minister of Everything and ordered all ships to stop for six hours and conduct a comprehensive cargo inspection in an extremely tough manner.

This is a perfectly reasonable request and falls within the scope of the Minister of Trade's authority.

The position of Minister of Trade is currently vacant, Minister of Everything can temporarily issue orders as long as they have the Queen's authorization.

Iver, of course, didn't have Isabel's authorization, but that could be made up for later. He didn't expect to stop the "Succubus" Emma with such an order... but if Emma really wanted to leave with Yulia, then Isabel would definitely be on the only ship that could leave. This would allow him to pinpoint the general area.

After eliminating the possibility of Emma secretly taking Yulia away, Iver breathed a slight sigh of relief.

The "Minister Griffiths" had previously expressed his desire for Yulia's blood, and he was connected to the Eye Demon, who in turn was connected to Emma. Emma's kidnapping of "Yulia" was most likely for the same purpose.

If possible, he actually hoped to find the "Succubus" Emma inside the Lloyd's Building —based on what Iver learned from his brief contact with Emma, there was a high probability that she would hide "Yulia" at Lloyd's's headquarters and set a trap; or she could take "Yulia's" blood, erase her memory, and send her directly back to the Moriarty Manor; or she could bring "Yulia" to his side and then have a second round of negotiations with Iver.

If she absolutely had to get Yulia, then she should have had her other subordinates at the port take Yulia away directly, and then she could return to the Lloyd's Building to create an alibi by feigning innocence.

Although the Grand Guardian had no direct contact with Emma, his extensive experience allowed him to quickly consider these possibilities.

That's why he arrived at the Lloyd's Building first, and then sent Iver to the port to check the situation.

If Emma has returned, she certainly won't leave again so easily. Her schemes either need to be carried out here, or she needs to stay here to conceal her actions.

So there are only a few possibilities for Emma not being here—either she's on her way back but hasn't arrived yet, or she's set a trap and is lying in ambush nearby, or she's run away with Yulia, or she's already killed or controlled Yulia and is taking her blood.

Considering Emma's official status, Iver felt that Emma wouldn't dare to do anything too outrageous.

After all, when Iver first met her, he directly challenged her—at that time, even Emma, who was at the Fifth Level, didn't dare to make a move against Iver was at the Third Level.

Therefore, it can be inferred that Emma is probably the type of person who is rather timid in personality.

She will likely adopt a relatively conservative strategy, prioritizing her own safety over harming others.

Compared to fighting and killing, Emma prefers to weaken or control others through intrigue and traps... Of course, if she didn't have this kind of personality, she certainly wouldn't have awakened into Demon Avatar like a "succubus".

... That's why Iver always felt that Emma's behavior was somewhat strange and inexplicable.

Even if the goal is to capture Yulia, there seems to be no need for the Candle Holder Festival to do so, right? Wouldn't it be better to capture her when they're about to leave, or after they've already left?

Iver was a little confused.

Because this would do her no good and would only disrupt Emma's original plans, Iver was now unsure of what Emma wanted to do.

However, Iver and the Grand Guardian have already blocked Lloyd's's headquarters and the port respectively.

Next, we just need to search area by area.

In this situation, Iver can use the Seeking Person Prayer.

Fortunately, Iver was a priest, so he had a whole bunch of messy prayer rituals.

The ritual for finding someone is only effective when the target or clue is nearby. Its advantage is that as long as the clue is nearby, you will definitely find it. It avoids the situation like with the Eye of Avalon, where you "should have seen it but were blind and didn't."

So, Iver had Philip fly to a high point in the harbor.

He then took out a ritual knife, briefly prayed to sanctify it, and then forcefully plunged the now sharp and sturdy ritual knife into the palm of his left hand, with the tip even protruding slightly from the back of his hand!

The intense pain turned Iver's face deathly pale, and he trembled violently. He gasped for breath, his body convulsing uncontrollably twice.

Enduring the intense pain, Iver closed his eyes and solemnly prayed, word by word. "I solemnly call upon you, exalted Fire Thief!"

"The Sacred Number is the God of Three, the God of Thorns Binding the Body, the God of Burning Body Chasing Darkness — the Candle Holder's Buck!"

Although, in theory, all pastors are first and foremost believers who hold candlelight.

But this was the first time Iver had ever been so devout to the candle maker.

A golden-red light shone in his pupils, and tiny flames flickered between the fingers of his left hand, which gripped the Ritual Knife tightly. "I beg you to descend into this blood and fire!"

"I am a follower of the Path of Dedication, a priest of the Nine Pillar Gods! I am Iver Moriarty!"

"Please show me the way and tell me if there are any traces of the person I am looking for!"

"I now offer my blood in prayer for truth. I swear this blood is shed for the benefit of others. May the candle keeper and his apostles answer me—"

As he spoke, Iver pulled the blade sharply from his palm and simultaneously raised his left hand in front of his eyes.

A surging, crimson flame erupted from Iver's palm, causing Iver long hair and clothes to flutter violently in the sudden storm.

Staring at the deep red flames, Iver suddenly experienced a hallucination.

He felt as if he were standing in front of a flame, with a sacred bonfire crackling in front of him.

Please, candle maker...

Today is the Candle Holder Festival —she disrupts your ceremony, seduces your priests, and harms the innocent on this sacred day...

But soon, the storm swept past. The flame in Iver's hand gradually dimmed and went out, and the hallucinations in his eyes and ears gradually dissipated.

There is no answer.

The explanation is not here.

"Not here, please turn back a little."

Iver gently patted Philip on the back.

Philip said in a deep voice, "No problem, I'll fly slower, and you can stop when you want."

"Okay, here—please stop."

Iver quickly gave the order.

This place felt somewhat familiar to Iver ... or rather, it was where the dream began.

Because he was currently standing on the site of the "Pelican Bar," which had been shut down previously. The bar had been closed for a long time, and everything inside had been cleared out. It was now an abandoned warehouse, storing some stones.

Iver used the search ritual a second time.

However, this ceremony elicited a different reaction—

The flames gushing from Iver's left hand, which he held up in front of his eyes, created a brief illusion in Iver's eyes.

In a dimly lit alley, he saw a helpless little girl cowering in fear.

Beside her lay an overturned basket, seemingly containing something. She clutched something tightly in her hands, her shoulders drawn in, arms crossed. Her back was pressed against the wall, as if trying to protect something within her embrace.

As a crowd slowly gathered around, her eyes were filled with fear and resentment. She seemed afraid of being beaten, but she didn't use her hands to protect her head...

The hallucination lasted only a brief moment before the flames in Iver's hand dissipated.

But Iver was unusually excited, needing no further confirmation of the ritual. "There's a response! I know the way—"

He did indeed recognize the alleyway in the illusion.

—Not only did he recognize it, but the raven perched on Iver's shoulder at that moment also recognized it.

Because that's the alley where the Noble Red Demon Scholar tried to sacrifice Iver to summon the Shadow Fiend.

Guided by Iver, Philip swiftly reached the precise location Iver had given him amidst the storm.

What Iver saw in his hallucinations was not what had already happened, but what was happening now.

The poor people who had surrounded the little girl were blown away by the storm before they could harm her or complete their robbery, and they lay sprawled on the ground in a sorry state.

They scrambled to their feet and, upon seeing the magnificent, white griffin, fled in terror without uttering a sound—not daring to utter a single cry, they tumbled and crawled away.

Philip's dignified yet complex gaze watched them flee.

Iver jumped off the griffin and tried to reassure the girl. "It's alright, it's alright..."

His words suddenly paused for a moment.

Looking at the dirty, thin, and lightly dressed girl, Iver suddenly realized—he seemed to know her.

This is the same little girl who came to buy flowers from Iver Iver he was in a wheelchair and being taken to the Pelican Bar by Hai Na!

Although Iver wasn't wearing Clerical Robe's robe, the flower girl instantly recognized Iver: "He's... a kind older brother!"

Clearly, not everyone was kind to her during her flower-selling days. Therefore, she remembered the few who were friendly to her, such as Iver.

She suddenly made up her mind, or as if she had figured something out.

"Big brother, I have money now... I have money now..."

As the girl spoke, she reluctantly handed the wad of White Crown Coin she was clutching in her hand to Iver: "This money is for you... I'll just... I'll just take one bill..."

She realized that she couldn't keep or spend the windfall she had received.

But she felt unwilling to give them to those fierce and vicious people who wanted to harm her.

At that time, Iver gave her a Red Coin and didn't ask for change. She then carefully returned the nine Copper Coin to Iver, simply because she didn't want to accept charity—although she was only selling some not-so-good flowers or wildflowers, she was not a beggar, nor was she standing up to sell.

Even though many of her peers were engaged in that kind of business, she wasn't. She earned her money through labor, and although it barely provided enough to fill her stomach every day, she still maintained her dignity.

... But that dignity was shattered the moment that gentle, smiling, beautiful woman handed him One Hundred White Crown Coins.

If it were just a Red Coin, she could return it. But if it were a White Coin, she would be conflicted. Not to mention it was One Hundred White Crown Coins.

A deluxe meal of fried sausages, a fried egg, and a bowl of mashed potatoes cost only four Copper Coin, while one White Coin could buy fifty such dishes. She couldn't even calculate how much one hundred White Coin could buy. She only knew it was a large sum of money that would keep her from going hungry for a very long time... enough to allow her to move away from the dangerous Lloyd District and live in a prosperous and safe Metropolitan District! She could even hire a priest to cure her mother's illness, go to school, or buy herself a clean and warm new set of clothes! Perhaps she could do other things, but she couldn't even imagine them.

She couldn't possibly return the huge sum of money, and could only accept it while sobbing and weeping.

She knew in her heart that she had to hide this huge sum of money, otherwise she wouldn't live to see tomorrow. But she couldn't suppress the excitement in her heart... As a result, because of her overreaction, she was directly targeted by other gang members who were idling around during the Candle Holder Festival.

Soon, that beautiful dream shattered like a broken mirror. She awoke to the reality that she ultimately lacked the power to change her fate, and might even die soon...

So she only thought about giving the money to a very small number of people who were good to her.

It's better to have them taken away than to have them taken away by those who bully you!

She clenched her fists and thought to herself.

But when Iver saw the money, he suddenly paused.

One hundred White Coin... Who would suddenly give such a huge sum of money to a poor person?

They were either kind-hearted, but Lloyd District, dignitaries who thought they were doing a good deed, or scheming, bloodthirsty spectators looking for a spectacle.

In addition to their own search rituals...

The images of the two people then appeared in Iver's mind.

Isabel, or Emma.

So Iver immediately asked the girl, "Who gave you this money? Was it a pretty older sister?"

"Right!"

The flower girl's eyes lit up, and her hesitant hand, which had been struggling to hand over the money, became much more relaxed. "Brother, give the money back to her! I can't carry that much..."

Iver simply pushed the money away and asked, "What color is her hair? What color are her eyes? How tall is she?"

"White hair, very white, like snowdrops. And red eyes, a little scary, but also very beautiful, the color of roses... She was a little taller than me."

The girl answered obediently, gesturing as she spoke, "Just this little bit..."

Iver immediately realized it was Yulia! Or rather, it was Isabel disguised as Yulia! —Finally found her!

The fact that the girl's money hadn't been taken away yet suggests she probably hadn't gone far.

So Isabel is alive and safe!

Iver immediately breathed a sigh of relief, feeling as if the whole world had suddenly become brighter.