Always Running into High-Level Events

Phelps Street, the "Red Gloves" lounge.

After finishing his mission report and returning the Sealed Artifact, Leonard had thrown himself onto the sofa without a shred of gentlemanly grace and was reading today's newspaper.

After the other "Red Gloves" member left the lounge, leaving only Leonard behind, an old man's voice sounded in his ear: "You were just affected by a very high-level Sealed Artifact."

The voice came from the "old grandpa" inside Leonard, Pallez Zoroast, an Angel of the Marauder Pathway.

Leonard was slightly startled when he heard this voice, but he continued pretending to read the newspaper. "How did I not notice? Was it the Sealed Artifact on that informant, Odys?"

"No. Odys did have many secrets, but he was also being affected by that Sealed Artifact." Pallez spoke with a chuckle.

Leonard frowned. "Why didn't you warn me earlier?"

"Because that Sealed Artifact wasn't trying to harm you. It was only delaying things." Pallez said, "If I had warned you earlier, you would easily have been dragged into all sorts of strange events."

Leonard asked again, "What kind of Sealed Artifact was it?"

"The Quill of Alzuhod." Pallez answered crisply.

Leonard shot to his feet. "Where is it?"

"0-08 is in Backlund, which means Ince Zangwill is in Backlund."

"I don't know." Pallez chuckled. "What? Are you planning to report it immediately and then search the entire city for Ince Zangwill?"

Leonard narrowed his eyes slightly. "A vicious wanted criminal like that has been at large for far too long!"

"If your captain, Soest, asks where you got the information, how will you answer?"

Leonard opened and closed his mouth. For a moment, he had no idea how to respond.

"I told you long ago: before you reach Sequence 5, pretend you didn't hear such things." Pallez