Ed and Duolin said all that, but in the end it all boiled down to the fact that this otherworldly guard captain had never played a game called a murder mystery game.
If we translate Ed's somewhat complex statement into plain language, what he really meant was:
Don't be a player, be a DM (dealer/marketer), that way people will trust you.
Because players will deceive players, but DMs won't (at least not usually).
Although the explanation was somewhat roundabout, Duolin ultimately grasped Ed's meaning perfectly, and without hesitation, placed the charcoal stick on the paper and began writing.
Since it was just a draft, he could scribble freely, but Ed, who had been observing the whole process, still noticed some standard formats used only within the Tree Worship Church and began to quietly absorb the knowledge.
As Ed silently jotted down these key points, he couldn't help but criticize his own audacious idea of learning on the spot.
Duolin quickly completed his first draft. The ideal recipient of this letter was a high-ranking member of the Tree Worship Church who might be able to be contacted through some seminary teachers and classmates. Therefore, although it was a secret letter intended for denunciation, Duolin's wording was still very humble, and every word was carefully considered.
Under Ed's tutelage, this straightforward garrison captain, who had only recently graduated from seminary, had begun to develop a more shrewd mind. For a moment, Ed didn't know whether this was a good thing or a bad thing...
But it's better to be fooled by yourself than by a bad person, Ed comforted himself as he read the draft.
The initial draft was very simple, merely including a reminder that something seemed amiss in a certain parish of the Aduolin Province, and nothing more than polite formalities.
As for the specific problems and the evidence, nothing is written—this should be hidden in the second letter, belonging to the decryption part of the script.
Duolin began writing the second draft, and he wrote this more formulaic report much faster than before.
Because many parts of the report had relatively clear formatting requirements, Ed felt that Duolin was doing something like a cloze test, simply filling in the prepared content where it should be, and a report was quickly produced.
The report, which would be sent directly to the Holy See's Records Office, appeared unremarkable. Its content consisted of a summary of some unfinished work by the previous bishop, along with some common data related to the administration of the White Wax Town Parish.
In fact, most of these data could be found in similar records in the archives, but Duolin modified some of them, replacing some legitimate falsified data with the real situation.
For example, what about the seeds that White Wax Town harvested over the past few decades? Since these seeds are neither in White Wax Town nor in the Holy City, where were they sent?
Oh my, I never expected that!
Given the style of the staff at the Records Office, they wouldn't even bother to carefully read this document, which was so formulaic in both format and content.
But the brilliance of this murder mystery plan lies here: what appears to be an ordinary report to them contains data that is enough to attract the attention of the Holy See. However, these issues will be overlooked due to the inertia of thinking that there have been no problems in the past, until someone with ulterior motives discovers the secret within.
And the one who discovered these data problems was none other than the high-ranking official who would soon receive a whistleblower letter.
Ed's probing of the Tree Worship Church's higher-ups was presented to them in a sweet guise—this monumental case, will you take it or not?
After completing the second draft, Duolin copied it again, making no major changes except replacing the correct data with forged results. This was the copy that would be sent to the provincial archbishop.
This report, which was essentially a copy, was clearly not the real third letter. At Ed's prompting, Duolin pulled out a new sheet of paper, but the charcoal stick remained stuck in his throat.
"What's wrong?"
Ed asked in his mind.
Duolin looked somewhat troubled.
" Son of God, if I understand correctly... I'm supposed to 'fawn' over that Fallen One, right?"
It's heartbreaking to see such a good child like this...
Ed sighed inwardly but did not deny it:
" Duolin, I know what you're thinking. We use these methods to avoid meaningless sacrifices... I admit the methods are somewhat... grotesque, but for those Fallen One, I don't mind using any means necessary."
"You're right, I understand what you mean."
Duolin nodded and finally put pen to paper, beginning to write his first letter, a letter devoid of any real content and solely intended to please others.
After finishing the three "magnificent articles" in one go, Duolin looked at them in disbelief and belatedly realized how shocked he had been by his own actions.
He actually wrote so much with ease, thanks to Ed's guidance and instruction!
It felt as if the Tree God had blessed me with wisdom...
"Sir, shouldn't our next step be...?"
"Yes, it's time to send the message. Everything should proceed according to normal procedures, but it's crucial to send someone trustworthy."
Ed made it very clear that the only people who could be described as "trustworthy" were basically the members of Duolin's team.
Duolin will likely understand what he means. Once the squad members are briefly out of contact, I wonder if any players will notice this detail and make some interesting speculations...
"Do you know how to write the next letter?"
Ed asked in his mind.
"I have some ideas, and I would appreciate any suggestions you may have."
Ed thought for a moment and then began to give instructions:
"Well, the idea is actually very simple. Don't think of yourself as reporting something. You've just discovered some strange things in remote parishes. Apostasy is something that you have to discover yourself to be considered real. Otherwise, you'll be implicated. Always remember what I said at the beginning: you're not an actor on stage, but a writer behind the scenes."
"For target A, maintain a frequency of one letter per month, ensuring that each letter corresponds to a section of your briefing to increase its authenticity."
"There's no need for any particular pattern with Archbishop C. Just establish a persona with a few letters first, and then gradually reveal the signs of his corruption."
"I understand... Thank you for your guidance, but if the Holy City's higher-ups Pure Ones, really discover this, what will their response be?"
"Hehe."
Ed chuckled softly in Duolin's mind:
"Of course, let heroes investigate heroes, let good men investigate good men."