Is There a Traitor?

After the meeting, the library of Saint Samuel Cathedral.

"How is the strength of our Nighthawks in the Backlund Diocese?"

Saint Anthony asked with a smile.

"Not bad."

Luther answered calmly, his mind Consciousness recalling the two familiar faces he had just seen: Leonard and Miss Daly.

At this moment, he was no longer the same person who wore a blood-red robe and whose face was the same as the one on the wanted poster.

He was dressed in a pure black suit, but his shirt underneath was crimson. He wasn't wearing a tie, and the top button was undone, giving him a somewhat casual look. Using his Flesh and Blood Magic abilities, he altered his appearance, making his facial features hard and defined, and his eyes bloodshot red.

Luther crossed his arms, put his legs up, and leaned back in his chair. Although he still looked handsome, he no longer had the extraordinary good looks and manic temperament he once possessed; instead, he appeared rational and indifferent.

Because he knew people in the Church, he simply transformed himself into someone very different from the person they had imagined.

A black gemstone-shaped cufflink was discreetly set at the cuff of his shirt. This cufflink made his demeanor even more serene, as unfathomable as the Evernight.

"Heh... This is the first time I've known that there's a Concealment force like yours within the Church..."

Anthony chuckled softly, his eyes sweeping over Luther's cufflinks. "Alright, although I don't know what kind of task Ms. Arianna has assigned you, I will cooperate with you."

According to Arianna's character design for Luther, he comes from the headquarters of the Church of Evernight, "Deep Darkness Kingdom," and is a special person secretly trained. The cufflink she gave Luther is itself a Sequence 4 Beyonder Item of the Darkness Pathway. Even without use, it exudes a profound aura, making him seem more like an Extraordinary being of the Darkness Pathway.

However, Anthony Stevenson, being Sequence 3 "Horror Bishop," should have easily spotted the problem. But similarly, having risen to this position, he was clearly no fool, so he wisely asked nothing, simply promising Arianna that he would take care of the Deacon who had been abruptly placed there.

"Thank you for your understanding, Your Excellency Archbishop Anthony."

Luther said calmly.

In fact, Arianna did give him a task before she left.

"The vacant Senior Deacon position is mainly responsible for matters related to the Red Gloves.' Settle in first, then you can talk to Crestet... he's also in charge of this area."

Anthony added.

"OK."

Luther nodded.

The task Arianna assigned was related to this.

So, why did this Senior Deacon position suddenly become vacant?

Because the Senior Deacon who was previously in charge of the relevant personnel committed suicide.

That's right, a Sequence 4, Demigod- level extraordinary being actually committed suicide.

According to Arianna, the Deacon was inside the Saint Samuel Cathedral, resting in a bedroom provided by the Church. When someone went to see him, they found him kneeling on the bed, strangling himself. His Beyonder Characteristic had been released, silently settling on the sheets.

This was the heart of the Church of Evernight, heavily guarded. Those outside heard no sounds of fighting or struggle, as if the Deacon had truly taken his own life.

To prevent panic, the matter was quickly covered up. Except for a very few people, everyone else thought that the Deacon had suddenly been called by the Goddess, abandoned everything, and gone to the Church headquarters to become Ascetic.

In the Church's subsequent investigation, they discovered unusual Spirituality fluctuations in the deceased's bedroom, but the relevant traces had been largely erased, and even the Pathway taken by the murderer could not be confirmed.

"But for a Senior Deacon to die silently in his bedroom, the killer must not only be extremely powerful, but also likely have inside connections."

When introducing the case, Arianna said, "Because the Deacon's decision to rest at the Church was impromptu, the assigned room wasn't fixed... Everyone who knew this information was an insider at the Church."

So you're making me catch the mole, huh?

Luther thought to himself, then asked Arianna, "If I find the traitor within the Church, will that count as my contribution?"

"Certainly."

The latter gave an affirmative answer.

This immediately piqued Luther's interest.

"... Ishmael, Ishmael, are you still listening to me?"

Saint Anthony's voice rose slightly, but he still asked gently.

"Sorry, I was distracted for a moment."

Luther adjusted his posture. "Where were we?"

"I mean, you don't have a place to stay here, do you? How do you plan to settle down?" Anthony asked. "If it's convenient to be inspired by the glory of the Goddess, you can stay in the church..."

And then, like my ex, be killed by someone without my knowledge?

"No need."

Luther shook his head calmly, "The church space is limited and not suitable for me to occupy for an extended period."

"If you'd like to stay outside, that's fine too. As a benefit offered by the Church to Senior Deacon, we can arrange free accommodation for you..."

I also don't want any potential mole to know where I am.

"The Church's welfare should be given to those who need it more. My financial situation is okay; I can rent a place to live on my own."

Luther also refused.

Your noble character is admirable.

Anthony smiled and then stood up from his chair. "I have other things to attend to, and you should settle yourself in as well, so I won't keep you any longer... Feel free to contact me if you need anything."

"Thank you again for your help, Archbishop Anthony."

Luther also stood up and spoke.

"At times like this, all you need to do is praise the Goddess."

The Archbishop said calmly, his finger tracing the shape of the Moon on his chest, "Praise be to the Goddess."

"Yes, praise the Goddess."

Luther wasn't particularly devout, but he quickly cooperated verbally and physically.

After watching Saint Anthony leave, he sat down again and began to think about what he should do next.

First and foremost, don't forget your top priority: promotion.

To obtain the Trinity Templar recipes and their corresponding Characteristic, he needs to gain merit within the Church. Currently, this means either achieving something in Senior Deacon position or finding the mole Arianna mentioned; of course, both can be done simultaneously.

First, find a place to stay, and then consider how to do these two things well.

Thinking this to himself, he walked out of the library, through the corridor, and out of the church. In the Square in front of the church, a flock of white doves flapped their wings and took flight, soaring under the sky.

Luther watched this scene, a sense of reality gradually dawned on him—he had truly returned to Backlund.