Chapter 34

107

In a room beneath Saint Samuel Cathedral in Backlund's North Borough, Daly, dressed in a black hooded robe, with blue eyeshadow and blush lending her an uncanny, icy beauty, casually took a seat and picked up the documents on the table. As she scanned them, her gaze suddenly froze. Then her brows knitted tightly, and she asked, holding something back:

"Lanevus? Why didn't I know about this?"

"Why wasn't I notified about last night's operation?"

Seated at the head of the table, Crestet Cesimir had once again concealed his chin and lips behind his upright collar. He said in a low voice:

"I was concerned that you wouldn't be able to control your emotions, which would introduce unnecessary risks to the operation, so I didn't have anyone tell you."

"I understand how you feel. A Nighthawk from the Tingen team is currently receiving guidance and training at the Holy Cathedral, preparing to join the Red Gloves. His reaction was much like yours. But as the person in charge of the operation, and as a senior deacon of the Nighthawks, I had to eliminate any unstable factors."

Daly glanced at the other Nighthawk captains and deacons who had been summoned. She gave a scoff. "Why do you think I wouldn't be able to control my emotions? I'm perfectly calm. I wouldn't act rashly!"

"My anger would only erupt after Lanevus had been captured! That's the professionalism of a veteran Nighthawk, of a deacon!"

"If I'd caught Lanevus, I would have made him understand that men can be fragile too! I would have put a cold, rotting corpse with a completely rigid body behind his ass, and a skeleton covered in barbs and reeking of decay in front of him. I would have made those chilly little creatures go in and out of every opening in his body!"

"Damn it! You just let him die!"

Crestet Cesimir watched Daly calmly, listening in silence until she finished. Only then did he sigh and ask, "How long have you been holding that in?"

Daly froze for a moment, then suddenly deflated like a punctured ball and murmured dejectedly:

"A long time..."

108

"Teacher, I have something to report now that I'm back." Richard persisted. When Owl turned his head back and reluctantly opened one eye to look at him, he hurried on. "It's about the Rose School in the Southern Continent, and the businesses under my-no, under your command."

Owl remained silent. Or rather, it would have been far more frightening if the bird had suddenly started speaking. Alia was terribly nervous. Her knowledge of the "Beyonder world" was limited to a few rumors. Everyone at the poorhouse had placed high hopes on her. She had learned to read and write, and had even successfully gained admission to university. She would have a chance to rise above her social class, going from an orphan girl in the slums to a schoolteacher or a housekeeper. As a believer in the Evernight Goddess, she might even become a government employee in certain professions. Thus, everyone wanted her to have a normal, happy life, and kept her from having any opportunity to join the organization behind the poorhouse-that mysterious cult whose name she did not even know.

But she had always harbored that wish: to gain truly powerful abilities and protect more people, just like the woman who ran the poorhouse.

Richard's spiritual intuition stirred slightly. Owl finally deigned to look him in the eye for a few seconds, then flapped his wings and vanished soundlessly into the darkness.

The Temperance Angel breathed a sigh of relief. "He agreed." Richard turned around, a smile returning to his face. "Alia, let's go to Cherwood Borough. See it? The borough with that towering Storm cathedral spire. We have somewhere to stay tonight. If you aspire to become a housekeeper, you can start familiarizing yourself with noble residences now."

"...How did you reach an understanding with an owl?"

"If he didn't want to deal with me, he would have thrown me straight out." Richard offered the casual explanation, then led Alia along beneath the dim gas streetlamps. They passed swiftly through street after street, finally stopping at the gate of a detached villa with a small garden that Richard knew very well.

As they approached, the wrought-iron gate opened automatically without a sound. Alia jumped in fright and edged a little farther behind Richard.

Richard led the way, climbing the steps with perfect composure. Before he could knock, the black front door opened a crack, spilling warm yellow light from within. The light seemed to carry a touch of magic. Alia, who had been rather frightened, quietly began to relax, losing her earlier wariness. She even felt a little eager to go inside and visit this kindly gentleman-

Someone shook her shoulder. Alia abruptly came to her senses and saw Mr. Ernst's stern expression. Then she realized that, without knowing when, she had walked ahead of him and placed her hand on the doorknob.

Only then did fear catch up with her.

Richard led her naturally into the house, and Alia stood stiffly in the spacious entrance hall-this place alone was larger than the poorhouse classroom. She had not noticed much as she entered, but once the hall's crystal chandelier came on, the glare nearly blinded her.

Handwoven, glittering tapestries hung with gemstones, wallpaper gilded in gold or silver, gold and silver threads everywhere, crystal, gemstone inlays and mosaics, countless magnificent objects she could not name... Alia trembled with apprehension. She felt she had entered some extraordinary place, where even selling herself to human traffickers might not earn enough to buy a single chair.

"You've brought another guest."

An unfamiliar voice rang out, carrying a strange magic that made people instinctively look toward it. Alia noticed someone sitting on the sofa with his back to her, his tone betraying neither pleasure nor anger.

"The third room from the left on the second floor is a guest room. It is now open to you, and you may use all the facilities inside," the owner of the house told her. "Go and rest. Don't let me see you."

Alia looked at Richard, who added, "Go straight to bed once you get there. Don't snoop or listen in out of curiosity, and don't touch things at random."

"Consider this a task I'm giving you." Richard smiled. "Good night, Alia. Sleep well. See you tomorrow."

109

Watching Alia make her careful way up the stairs and disappear at the top, Richard finally breathed a sigh of relief. He swiftly composed himself, walked over without any change in expression, and sat opposite Edward.

Edward put down his newspaper. "Begin your report."

"Yes." Richard glanced at the Backlund Daily that had been set aside and spent a few seconds organizing his thoughts. "The Rose School in the Southern Continent has been making some strange moves again lately. Their sacrifices have become more frequent, and many signs suggest that they're cooperating with the Blood Sanctify Sect. I suspect they're planning something big, but I haven't found any leads yet."

"Mm."

"The second matter is the large-scale disappearance of indigenous people in the Southern Continent. According to the report from our person in charge in Backlund, trafficking has also appeared in the East Borough. Some of the women who lost their factory jobs after machinery was introduced have mysteriously disappeared. Supposedly, they found work, but she hasn't arranged any for them yet."

"Mm." Edward remained unhurried. "I know about that too. It's because someone wants to become the new Black Emperor."

"The Black Emperor?" Richard paused slightly. Having lived through a Black Emperor's ascension and fall, he quickly put the pieces together, and his expression suddenly changed. "So that's it... The new bills rushed into law, all the new styles and building designs that have appeared over the past twenty years, the Loen Kingdom obtaining the Balam emperor's crown... Were the missing people abducted to become anchors for the future Black Emperor? No, no, that would be far too few. Were they taken to build mausoleums?"

"Mm."

"The Seven Gods... With Emperor Roselle's precedent, there's no way the Seven Gods wouldn't see it. Are they planning to support an obedient Black Emperor?"

In all fairness, which emperor or king sat on the throne made little difference to the populace. In this era, ordinary people could hardly live easy, happy lives regardless. But a change of monarch often meant social unrest and conflict, and if the emperor died, war would undoubtedly bring an even greater catastrophe. The Temperance Angel bore George III no ill will; the Employee Examination Act had even slightly improved his opinion of him. Moreover, the Seven Gods seemed to have tacitly approved the matter. All things considered, he seemed to have no reason to oppose him.

But we can't just forget about the people who were trafficked. I can secretly investigate the mausoleums' locations and find a way to bring them back. Richard ventured, "There can only be one Black Emperor. Then Emperor Roselle...?"

"It makes no difference to me who the Black Emperor is." Edward took a sip of tea. "As long as they die spectacularly enough."

"I'm very much looking forward to seeing how he meets his imperial end, provided George III has what it takes to become the Black Emperor."

Richard felt regret for a few seconds, but the emotion soon vanished from his heart. He sat up straight, ready to receive criticism.

"It seems you're prepared." The Abyss Angel sneered. "Have you gone to make trouble for Suah this year?"

"N-no." Richard remained composed. "But I've made trouble for the Rose School many times, taken plenty of slaves and living sacrifices from them, and successfully escaped Suah. I also managed to collect Beyonder characteristics from the Indulgence Faction through sting operations. They can be used to train new recruits."

"Have you found the final sequence one characteristic of the Prisoner Pathway?"

"N-not that either." Richard was still holding on. "But I was lucky enough to find another angel of the Temperance Faction! Of course, he can no longer be called a survivor. He's already dead and has become a spirit world creature. He can still receive information from the real world on occasion, though he continues to think I'm no longer one of his companions since I changed my faith. And since I'm a cultist, he doesn't like me. He's unwilling to cooperate with me to expand the Temperance Faction further, but I don't need him anyway."

"What use is one more angel? Can you advance to sequence one by consuming two sequence two characteristics? It's been nearly two hundred years, and you still haven't finished your ritual!"

"Yes, yes."

"Then did your organization turn a profit this year?"

"It... it ran a loss of one thousand seven hundred and twenty pounds, five soli, and three pence." Sweat began to form on Richard's forehead. "I've already issued new internal Reform Regulations, simplifying everything to cut expenses. I've also invested my own money in emerging banks and the steel industry. We expect to start turning a profit in ten years, but funds are still tight for now. Of course, if you're willing to give me a little operational funding, Teacher, it wouldn't take much-about the value of this coffee table would do. Then we could make trouble for the Rose School a few more times next year..."

"Suah is alive and kicking, the Rose School is thriving, and you're being chased all over the place by Suah and the Seven Gods, finding time in between to escort a little girl to university-and you still dare ask me for money?" Edward was so furious that he laughed, the corners of his mouth showing signs of splitting toward the back of his head. "Do you need me to tell you what your actual job is? Did you come here today to have me schedule your death?"

"I was wrong-"

"But operational funding isn't out of the question." Edward suddenly changed tack. "I can give you ten thousand pounds. You won't need to go making trouble over the remaining months of this year to boost your year-end performance."

Alarm bells instantly rang in Richard's mind, but his body honestly leaned forward, signaling his eagerness to hear more.

"Go collect Roselle's diaries for me, particularly those the churches have forbidden from circulating. It's time to put your connections to use," Edward said calmly. Only then did Richard notice the old, worn notebook beside his hand. "Also, help me find traces of the Abyss. I have a premonition that someone is going to make trouble for me, but I don't know who."

Looking for Emperor Roselle's Diary? It seems that, though you won't say it, you still very much want to save His Majesty Roselle... As for the Abyss, your pathway is better suited to sensing those boundaries with reality. Why send me? Richard said delicately, "I'll do my best with the diaries, but if I'm the one searching for the Abyss, the results may fall short of your expectations. Why don't you..."

"I can't be bothered."

"Oh." The Temperance Angel could only obey. "I've heard of survivors who happened to see devils and the Abyss somewhere at sea. I was indeed planning to make a trip out to sea before the new year, to check on how things are developing in Bayam."

"Decide for yourself," the devil said. "Fail, and there's no money."

"I will spare no effort," Richard immediately amended.

After a few seconds of silence, Edward thought for a moment, then, contrary to his usual nature, raised a topic himself. "The girl you brought is interesting."

"I'd be glad to hear more."

"She has the potential to become a Beyonder." Edward looked out the window. "But she won't gain divinity, and she will die."

Richard was perfectly calm. "Everyone dies. I can't stop her from taking the Beyonder path, but I would be happy for her to die as a human."

"She also has a connection to Traynor. How strange."

Richard's expression shifted slightly. Richard grew restless. Richard began to think.

"I've long felt that Mr. Traynor's conduct is far too permissive. Changing partners every month is something my old-fashioned Temperance Faction beliefs simply cannot condone." Richard was very serious. "I hope you'll allow me to give him a little harmless advice!"

"She's a university student. She couldn't possibly go to Trier anytime soon." Edward spoke to himself, a hint of puzzlement in his voice. "So why would Traynor come to Backlund? Who sent him here?"

"Could it be war? Because of the Black Emperor? Interesting..."

TBC

Traynor: I was throwing a party and flirting with women when Richard suddenly barged in and nagged me for two hours. He even swiped two sets of pure silver cutlery on his way out.