Who Was the Blood Bishop?
"Sure."
Sharron nodded slightly after hearing this. "I'll contact a few other extraordinary individuals in the next couple of days. Once the team is complete, I'll come find you."
As expected, the noble cemeteries of the Fourth Epoch were quite dangerous. Besides him, Sharron had already made an agreement with some other extraordinary individuals to form an exploration team.
"Speaking of which, why didn't you invite those people to help you kill the 'Rose School of Thought'?"
Luther suddenly remembered something and couldn't help but ask.
Not only those people, but Luther himself only received the message from the Queen; Sharron did not attempt to use her own power.
"I tried speaking to a few of them, and they all refused when they heard they had to fight against an ancient, evil organization."
Sharron explained.
Why tell them it concerns the "Rose School of Thought"? Wouldn't it have been enough to just lie to them?
Luther thought to himself, but didn't ask.
Sharron and her group belong to the "Temperance Faction, which may mean they have high standards for their words and actions and cannot lie.
He was guessing to himself.
"Alright, it's settled then."
Luther said this.
He wasn't in the habit of small talk, and after finishing his business, he planned to leave. Klein also got up, and the two walked out of the bar together onto the street.
What have you been up to lately?
"Busy Acting, huh?"
Klein answered.
He felt both happy and pained. He was happy because he was about to get his hands on the Characteristic of the Human Skin Shadow, but he was pained because he would have to pay a huge sum of money for it. How many Detective cases would he have to complete to earn that back?
Tomorrow is the Tarot Club, Luther probably won't make it to explore the tomb in time. That means I have eight days to raise the cash.
Klein thought to himself as he talked to Luther.
After exchanging a few more words about Roselle's Diary and Ince Will, and confirming that neither of them had any leads, they said goodbye at the street corner and went their separate ways.
Meanwhile, in Empress Borough.
The Andean Count's mansion is currently surrounded by relevant personnel.
The area was inhabited by the upper class, and they had plenty of ways to find out the details of the case. Soon, news of the Count of Andes' conversion to a cult and his murder by unknown assailants spread throughout the aristocratic circles. People talked with great interest about the count's bizarre death and the evil cult he had converted to.
"Judging from the methods used to interfere with the Divination, it was most likely done by that [Blood Bishop]."
Inside the lavishly decorated bedroom, numerous extraordinary individuals were surveying the scene. The leader of the "Machinery Hivemind" team respectfully addressed the important figure whose back was turned to him.
"[Blood Bishop]. Who is that?"
It was an elderly man dressed in a white Priest's robe and wearing Clergyman's Soft Hat. He was none other than Archbishop Horamick Hayden, the head of the Church of the God of Steam and Machinery in the Backlund Diocese and a member of the Council of the Gods.
This important figure also serves as a professor in the Physics Department at Backlund University.
"Archbishop Your Excellency, this is a report from MI9."
The Squad Leader explained, "Do you remember the infamous Kaping Case? That was the first time the [Blood Bishop] appeared. He also later killed Lanevus, who was pregnant with the Evil God's Offspring, and was suspected to be the 'Desire Apostle' behind the Serial Murder Case."
"So."
Horamick nodded noncommittally.
After a moment of silence, he said calmly, "Bring Ikanser up."
The Squad Leader went out as instructed. Soon after, the Deacon of the Church of Steam walked into the bedroom carrying the Silver Mirror in his arms, still sporting his signature afro and a bitter, resentful expression.
"Your Excellency the Archbishop."
He bowed.
"The Divination has been interfered with. Try using 2-111 to check for clues."
". yes."
Although he had already guessed why Horamick had called him over, Ikanser's face still stiffened slightly for a moment.
Hearing that there might be new clues, the extraordinary individuals who had been struggling with their investigations quickly gathered around, and an empty room was immediately filled. Not only "Machinery Hivemind," but even MI9, who had come to help, sat down at the table to witness the Deacon using the Sealed Artifact.
As more and more people gathered around him, Ikanser's expression grew increasingly somber.
He took a deep breath, finally made up his mind, and reached out to touch the surface of the Silver Mirror.
The room fell silent, and everyone held their breath.
After stroking it three times, Ikanser asked, "
"Your Excellency Arrodes, my question is, who were the extraordinary beings who appeared here last night?"
The light in the room dimmed, and a hazy mist rose from the surface of the Silver Mirror, eventually transforming into a moving image. Within this image, several peculiar entities were present:
A man, his body as pale as a corpse, roared and charged like a wild beast, leaving many marks inside the building;
A middle-aged man in a tuxedo moved elusively, like a ghost, difficult to detect;
Another woman, in a similar state, was dressed in an elegant black dress and seemed to be at odds with the pale corpse.
"The 'Mutant' Pathway, indeed, is the 'Rose School of Thought'."
Someone said in a low voice.
They found items in the Andean count's house that confirmed the count had become a follower of a cult from the southern continent. This, in turn, seemed to reveal a deeper reason for his previous commercial success.
Although someone was speaking, the mirror display did not end. The image then shifted, seemingly to reveal the last person present, but soon all that could be seen was a crimson expanse, nothing more.
"Um?"
Ikanser frowned.
No one else noticed, but he, holding the Mirror, did: when the final image was displayed, the Silver Mirror seemed to tremble almost imperceptibly.
"Even with 2-111, can't the target be clearly identified?"
The others said disappointedly.
This scene is exactly the same as what they see during Divination and Spirit Channeling.
It seems this [Blood Bishop] won't be so easy to catch.
After the mirror displayed the answer, it quickly returned to normal, and bloody words appeared on its surface.
It's coming.
Ikanser his unease, Icons looked down at the mirror. Soon, he was bewildered by the questions that appeared on it.
The Mirror had the following written on it:
How would you react if the person you want to please and the person you're genuinely afraid of were both present at the same time?
"I'll be confused."
He said hesitantly.
Congratulations, you got it right.
White writing appeared on the mirror surface.
It passed just like that?
Ikanser breathed a sigh of relief, but also felt somewhat incredulous.
"Keep asking it, what was the reason for the conflict between the two sides?"
Horamick said.
Ikanser asked as instructed, and the Magic Mirror Arrodes replied that it was a conflict between ideals and beliefs. However, the question Arrodes posed next made his heart tighten:
Of all the people present, who do you most want to please, and who do you fear most?
Everyone fell silent, and couldn't help but look at the Deacon with the afro.
Ikanser's lips twitched; he didn't know what to say.