280
About ten minutes earlier, inside a carriage outside the Quelaag Club.
Ikanser Bernard, the memorable deacon with distinctive, bushy hair who was leading the Machinery Hivemind's operation, had come to visit again. Given the danger and confidentiality of the matter, Klein left the club with him and sat in the carriage outside to discuss it in detail.
Ikanser pressed down the hat propped up by his bushy hair, took a seat, and lowered his voice. "The Mandated Punishers have found Patrick Jason Beria."
"How did they find him?"
Klein was half surprised and half curious. According to the revelations he had received through divination, Jason Beria had been wearing a human skin all along. His true appearance and aura were not what they had identified. It was practically impossible to find him this easily! Had the Mandated Punishers really found the Devil beneath the human skin?
At this, Ikanser gave a rough account of what had happened:
"The Mandated Punishers found a lead, but that alerted the Devil to the danger ahead of time. Before they could complete their encirclement, he forcibly killed two Mandated Punishers and escaped. This greatly angered the Church of Storms' higher-ups. The bishop of Holy Wind Cathedral, 'Spellsinger of God' Ace Snake, personally gave chase. You probably saw a gale just now. He caused it."
"He is the Archbishop of the Church of Storms' Backlund Diocese and one of the Cardinals of the entire Church of Storms."
It sounds normal, but something feels strange... According to Mr. Isengard's and my conjecture, someone else may very well have put on "Patrick Jason's" skin, giving the real Jason Beria a chance to secretly accomplish his true objective... Klein weighed his words and asked:
"Are you certain the person discovered was Jason Beria?"
Ikanser's expression immediately grew