Chapter 771 Taking the Initiative
After a major disaster caused by a Beyonder occurred in Kukwa City, Uttar Pradesh, West Balam, reports of the disaster were quickly transmitted to the Northern Continent via telegram. They were compiled and placed on the desk of Archbishop Anthony, the head of the diocese. He had already learned some of the circumstances surrounding Ince Zangwill's death.
But Anthony still has too many questions about the cause of death of the defected archbishop and those who "retaliated" against him.
"The telegram only mentioned that several Nighthawks members led the revenge against Ince Zangwill, but it didn't describe the specific process. Who was it that did it?"
Anthony asked in a low voice as he fiddled with the papers on the table.
"Two Nighthawks who traveled to the southern continent to search for the whereabouts of the Spirit Cult participated in the operation. They are Leonard Mitchell and Daly Simone. I believe you are both familiar with them," Cecima replied erratically. "The three main participants are Klein Moretti, Angel Granger, and Dunn Smith."
After hearing the last three names, Anthony's breathing stopped for a moment, and the shadow between his brows became more obvious:
"The three victims of the Tingen Incident?"
His eyes swept across Cecima's face, and his tone turned to doubt:
"You don't seem surprised, Krestel."
"Because they didn't actually die in early September of last year. Dunn Smith and Angel Granger were rescued by Ms. Arianna who arrived and joined a secret force tasked with tracking down Ince Zangwill and '0-08.'" At this point, Creste Cesimer's expression became a bit strange. "Only Klein Moretti truly died and fell asleep at the funeral attended by his teammates... The Holy See has ordered this to be kept strictly confidential. It must not be disclosed to anyone other than the Archbishop and the Senior Deacon, and no one is allowed to investigate the matter."
Seeing that Anthony's expression had become as strange as his own, Cecima added two more words:
"What I can say is that Klein Moretti was involved in the break-in at the Chanis Gate of St. Samuel Church last month. Furthermore, Angel Granger is the 'Shadow of the Goddess.'"
Archbishop Anthony's eyes widened slightly, and countless thoughts flashed through his mind.
Why did "German Sparrow," who had broken into the Chanis Gate, vanish for no apparent reason, only to reappear at sea, accompanied by the "Death Archon" and the "Golden Queen"? Why did the Raging Sea then undergo a change, and why did "0-17" escape its seal on its own? Why did "Goddess's Shadow" acquire the Beyonder characteristics of Pierce Turner, who had traveled all the way to Para Island to complete the Ascension Ceremony?
"I understand..." He breathed a sigh of relief, his eyes flickering as he changed the subject. "What did Ince Zangwill 'say' after his death?"
"Ilia arrived at the scene afterward and learned a lot from the remaining spirit of Ince Zangwill about things we didn't know before, such as his mental state after failing to be promoted, his exploitation by the Sealed Artifact and his defection, and the details of his collaboration with the Witch Cult, the Aurora Society, and the royal family." Sesima answered calmly, her hands folded on her thighs.
"Any clues about the heavy smog?"
"There are only indirect clues. Ilia said Zangwill's spirit is already badly damaged. This is partly due to his transformation into an incomplete mythical creature before his death, but more likely due to some kind of secret-keeping or contract-based ability. He only remembers a ruin on the outskirts of Backlund, guarded by members of the royal family. It seems some large-scale sacrificial preparations are underway, but he's only entered it a few times under their guidance, so he doesn't know the exact location... This is why I came to Backlund."
Anthony frowned, and he remembered the ruins he found when he led his team to the eastern suburbs after the heavy smog, and the fruitless search. The feeling of only being able to smell the other party but not seeing any human figures made him very uncomfortable.
After a moment, he nodded slightly and said:
"I hope this search will yield some results. I'll provide several teams to help you, including the Soest team, who are returning to Backlund to rest. Mitchell and Simone will also be among them. Is that okay?"
Cecima chuckled and replied:
"I just need to meet with them. What they know is beyond their authority, so perhaps they need to move... Oh, and Dunn Smith will also be returning with the team. He will temporarily be assigned to the Backlund Diocese as a resident senior deacon, codenamed 'Heart of the Goddess'."
Heart of the Goddess... Anthony repeated this nickname, as if he was thinking of a certain sealed object, and his eyes became somewhat deep.
Then he saw Cecima lift the silver metal box beside her and remove the seal, allowing the deep darkness that could attract candlelight to fill the entire office, but a hint of chill gradually emerged, like the cold winter wind blowing into the warm room through the gaps in the doors and windows.
Cecima fiddled in the box for a while and took out a palm-sized wooden box. The surface of the box was pure black, almost blending in with the current environment, but it inexplicably attracted Anthony's attention, making him want to keep it for himself.
This is not right... Anthony, a saint, quickly discovered the problem, collected his thoughts, and with difficulty shifted his gaze to Cesimar, asking thoughtfully:
"After disassembling '1-63', what extraordinary characteristics will be given to 'Goddess's Shadow'?"
"Yes. Until then, please keep it behind Chanis Gate. It cannot be stored with activated seals, as this will arouse their violent desires. It must be inspected by two or more members together, otherwise someone might secretly take it out of Chanis Gate and take it for themselves. Well, the same applies to women."
After handing the wooden box containing the extraordinary characteristics of the "Immortal" witch to the other party, Cecima looked at it reluctantly.
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On Sunday afternoon, Angel arrived at Earl Hall's house in Queens by carriage.
Since today's event was just a small salon for psychology enthusiasts, she didn't dress too formally. She only wore a popular summer dress and shawl, revealing half of her white calves.
Even though she didn't deliberately spread the charm of a "witch", this bright color attracted the attention of almost everyone present, including most of the women. Even the organizer of the salon, Audrey Hall, came over with shining eyes and gave her an intimate hug.
"You're almost overshadowing me..."
She said softly, blinking her eyes to indicate that it was just a good joke, and gently squeezed Angel's palm with her right hand.
This was a secret signal between the two, indicating that there were members of the "Psychological Alchemy Society" present.
While Audrey was introducing her to the others present, Angel also carefully observed these guests, some of whom were genuinely interested in psychology, some were just here to kill time, and some wanted to get close to Earl Hall's daughter. He soon discovered the hidden "audience" among them.
Stephen Hampress, a furniture merchant, had crossed paths with the Baron during the incident where Sindras was hypnotized. He was a Beyonder of the Audience Path, and behind him was the Manipulator Hvin Rambis... Angel recalled this information in his mind, and without changing his expression, he took the initiative to step forward and accepted his gentlemanly greeting.
"You must be Miss Christine Theresa, the one that has captivated all of Backlund lately. Now I understand why even Baron Syndras couldn't forget the brief time he spent with you."
Hampres has a neatly trimmed mustache and elegant and charming dark brown eyes. He looks more like a university professor than a furniture businessman, and his tone is soothing and layered.
Angel chuckled softly as he spoke, his eyes revealing his interest in this gentleman who had just turned thirty, but he politely kept his distance, so as to be consistent with the recent rumors without being too distant and arousing the suspicion of this "audience member".
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Angel joined several aristocratic ladies she had known before and joined the salon for a pleasant gossip session. However, she noticed from the corner of her eye that Audrey and Hampres had left the hall through the side door one after another, and no one knew where they were going.
I hope the previous arrangements are perfect and everything goes smoothly... Angel thought secretly, and heard a woman next to him who was nearly 30 years old and still unmarried asked teasingly:
"Christine, I heard you're very interested in the businessman who recently came to Backlund from Disi?"
"I heard he is over forty years old." The other lady's eyes were a little dull, and she obviously couldn't believe that the beautiful Miss Theresa would fall in love with a middle-aged man who was more than twice her age.
"Not only that, the last time he attended my father's dinner, he went to the bathroom four times in a row. Maybe his body..." A young girl covered her mouth, her face flushed, not knowing what she was thinking.
Why are the rumors getting more and more outrageous? At least I can confirm that there is nothing wrong with his health. Well, for now... Angel reluctantly withdrew his gaze, ready to correct the image of Dwayne Dantès in everyone's mind.
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A reception room in the side hall.
Audrey, feeling a little nervous, sat upright on the sofa. Beside her lay Susie, a big golden retriever who seemed a little bored and kept shaking her head.
A moment later, Stephen Hampres entered the room under the guidance of the maid. The door was not locked and there was a small gap, which prevented ordinary conversations from being heard and prevented something harmful to Audrey from happening in the room.
Hampres, dressed in a gray tuxedo, sat down casually opposite Audrey. He looked toward the door, then glanced at Susie at his feet, and finally stopped at her emerald eyes like gemstones.
"Audrey, report your findings."
The corners of his mouth curled up slightly, and his tone was as normal as if he was discussing academic issues, but what he said was a cold command.
Here we come!
Audrey's expression became a little stiff, and her eyes looked straight at Hampres, but she was shouting with joy in her heart.
This is exactly consistent with her inference!
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