Chapter 652 Hidden Informant
As night gradually enveloped Trier, Angel got off the carriage, refused the driver's promotional introduction to a hotel, and found a luxurious hotel in the 13th district on his own.
After all, I came to Trier on a "business trip." If I stayed in a low-end hotel, I might be suspected when the Loen military investigates me... She muttered, using a fake identity she had prepared in advance and a Felkin banknote with the portrait of the first president of the Intis Republic printed on it to check into the "Riverside Hotel."
Of course, she didn't use Irene Watson's appearance, nor Christine Theresa's beauty that was enough to attract onlookers, but a disguise that was slightly modified through the "hypocrisy" ring, but could actually be achieved through disguise.
It felt like she was back to her last trip to Trier. It would be even more like that if there was a college student squatting at the door and a few sneaky members of the "Eighth Bureau" watching from across the street... She came to her own suite and quickly put away her not-so-much luggage. She carried valuables with her or threw them into the "mirror space" to prevent them from being stolen.
After finishing these things, she called room service and ordered a dinner that was not very sumptuous but had local characteristics. While eating, she thought about her next move while looking at the night view of the Serenzo River outside the window.
"First, my official 'mission' is to open up channels for smuggling arms. This isn't difficult, and I don't even need to do it myself. I can just contact Elaine and ask her to provide some channels. Ideally, one that has some connection to the Soran family, but no actual ties. After all, the arms don't need to go through Intis, it's just a superficial disguise..."
"Secondly, there's the Church of Night's mission to investigate the 'Man in the Mirror.' The only legitimate gods in the Intis Republic are the 'Eternal Blazing Sun' and the 'God of Steam and Machinery.' The Goddess Church has no say in this. This means almost no one can openly help me. Even if the Church of Steam is also preaching in Loen, the church in Trier won't side with Night.
"So, the informant Archbishop Anthony gave me is the only power I can currently use. Besides that, I can also try my luck at the local underground Beyonder gatherings. However, similar to Backlund, Tingen, and other places, the gatherings here are bound to be closely monitored by official Beyonders, so the risks are not small.
"If all else fails, I can also look for the 'Witch Cult' in Trier. This might require the help of the faction to which 'White Saint' Katarina belongs. She once offered me clues to potion ingredients, and her stance might lean towards me. However, my old boss in Backlund, Sylvia Langdon, has made it to Trier alive. With her presence, my identity as an official Beyonder could be exposed at any time...
"Finally, regarding the relationship between my own power and the 'pollution' in Trier's underground, Black Cat Vinsa and Arrodes both warned me not to touch it lightly. But perhaps this is the only way I can find to solve the mystery surrounding me... Tomorrow morning, the 'charging' of the silver mirror will be complete. You can try to contact Arrodes for help."
As Angel ate Trier delicacies such as hot bamboo chicken pie and grilled oysters, she also figured out what she was about to do. She drank a glass of non-alcoholic sweet wine in one gulp, asked the waiter to take away the tableware, put on a cloak, disguised herself slightly, and left the Riverside Hotel.
This time, she did not take a hired carriage. Instead, she followed the street signs and the occasionally visible area maps that had not yet been posted and covered by GG, and found Honey Badger Street in District 13, northeast of the Honest Market District and near District 12.
Along the way, Angel inevitably encountered obstacles on a street even more chaotic than Backlund's East District. Several drunks, perhaps because of alcohol or because they saw Angel was alone and her figure under the cloak was quite attractive, staggered and blocked her way.
Before they could even speak, the "disease" quietly released by Angel caused the drunks who were originally unsteady to fall down and vomit, and some even fell into a coma.
Even if a Beyonder came to investigate, they wouldn't be able to find any problems with this level of "disease" and would only think it was a symptom of alcohol poisoning... Angel left the alley filled with the smell of alcohol and sourness, and gradually came to an area with a higher density of street lights and cleaner and tidier exterior walls of houses.
"It seems the informant is doing well in Trier, living close to a more affluent area. Compared to the chaotic streets just now, the air here is much fresher, and there are no wandering pedestrians... Hmm, the smaller the number of Trier's 20 districts, the closer to the city center, and the higher the property prices..."
Angel muttered, and stopped at the door of 46 Honey Badger Street.
This is one of three townhouses, similar to the one Angel lives in on Daffodil Street in Tingen City. Standing on the street, you can see the balcony on the second floor, where some men's clothes are hung to dry, which is quite lively.
Knock knock.
Angel knocked on the copper-clad wooden door, and the dull sound echoed in the deserted street.
A full minute passed before a suppressed male voice came from the window next to the second-floor balcony, asking in Intis:
"Who is it at this late hour?"
According to the information provided by the Archbishop, Angel replied in Loenese:
"Is it late now? Look out the window. The night is watching you."
Hearing these words, the man on the second floor stopped breathing suddenly, and exhaled slowly after a moment, followed by the sound of footsteps that came from near and then gradually approached from a distance.
The door was gently pushed open, and a glance secretly looked at the streets on both sides. Seeing that there was no one else on the street except Angel, he withdrew his gaze and rustled to release a mechanism behind the door.
"Come in."
Angel was not dissatisfied with the man's caution. In fact, it satisfied her imagination of a "spy". If she had just said the code word and the other party invited her in for a detailed discussion as if she had met a relative, she would have suspected that there was a whole team of "Mechanical Hearts" or "Purifiers" hidden in the room, waiting to pin her to the ground.
Of course, as a demigod, even if a team of official extraordinary people were waiting in ambush, they would not be able to do anything to her, but this would be equivalent to ending all tasks in advance, and might even cause disputes between churches, which was best avoided.
Thinking of this, Angel followed the tall and thin man with neatly combed brown hair into the living room and sat down under the dim gas light.
There was no tea or coffee, and he was even a little wary, or rather, worried... Quickly catching the informant's negative emotions, Angel chuckled and asked in confirmation:
"Daniel Brown?"
"It's me," the brown-haired man nodded. He was about 30 years old, and his face already had a weariness that didn't belong to a young man. "It's been eight years, and you're the first person to say that in front of me."
"You've been in Trier for eight years?"
Angel asked curiously, and looked around the living room. She found that it was just like the balcony she saw on the street, full of life. Various small decorations, old coffee pots and cups, some linting carpets, and faintly blackened wallpaper around the gas lamps all showed that this house was used for a long time and frequently, rather than a temporary base.
The door she had just entered had hinges and several bells connected by thin ropes. If the ropes were not released and it was pushed open casually, the ringing of the bells would probably be heard even across the street.
"For eight whole years," Danio nodded, his eyes narrowed and wrinkles appeared at the corners. "I became a believer in steam, but I didn't dare enter their church. I joined the police department, but I didn't dare to be too active, for fear of being exposed after a promotion. I met a few girls I liked, but I didn't dare to confess my feelings to them... Fortunately, you came. Maybe after this time..."
I have a feeling that something will happen after he says this... Seeing this, Angel quickly interrupted him:
"Let's get to the point. You just need to provide some information. You won't be in any danger."
Danio opened his mouth, then nodded after a moment and said nothing more.
Angel first asked a few simple questions, confirming that Danio was a Sequence 9 Hunter working at the District 12 police station on the north bank of the Serenzo River. He had transitioned from patrol officer to civilian, giving him access to intelligence from other districts. Then he got to the point:
"Did you become a Beyonder before or after you started lurking?"
"Before coming to Trier, I became a Beyonder. That accident also led me to join the Nighthawks as a peripheral personnel... Because of this identity, when they sent personnel into Trier, they immediately thought of me."
"Aside from you, are there any other 'personnel' in Trier?"
"At least there's no one around me. Even if there are others, I can't know their contact information."
"Do you know the 'Witch Cult'? Do you have any information about them?"
"I've only seen this name in internal church documents, referring to the Church of Evernight... Trier's police system is similar to Loen's. Cases involving supernatural powers are immediately transferred to the Mechanical Heart or the Purifiers, making it difficult to access internal information. But I'm trying to collect and organize information. Perhaps there's something you need."
This informant, who possessed the physical strength and energy of a "hunter", had a meticulous mind and spoke fluently, answering the questions one by one, and then took out a thick notebook from the study and handed it to Angel.
The latter took it and flipped through it briefly, discovering that it contained information such as the locations and times of underground Beyonder gatherings, records of certain abnormal cases, and areas with significantly higher-than-average crime or death rates. This made her marvel at Danio's meticulous thinking.
Following the clues in her notes, she quickly found the dates of the marriages of congressmen, high-ranking officials, and some wealthy businessmen from December of last year until now. She picked out the parts where the women's backgrounds were less clear and asked Danio to copy them down one by one.
"I need their detailed information, preferably with photos or portraits."
Angel suspects that Sylvia, who has fled to Trier and claims she doesn't want to be a baroness and wants to "do things differently," is among them.
Of course, given the path dependence of the witch sect, there must have been other witches who infiltrated Trier's upper class circles earlier, but it would take longer to investigate, and Angel didn't know them, so it would be better to start directly with his old boss.
Looking at the list of more than 20 items on hand, Danio frowned, estimated it in his heart, and then replied:
"It will take at least three days. I can only check the database during my free time, otherwise it will easily attract other people's attention."
"Then start tomorrow. I'll come find you in three days," Angel instructed, then turned to another page of her notes that interested her. "What's going on with these secret societies composed entirely of women?"
"After the Backlund smog, the police system conducted a screening of secret groups in Trier. I suspect it was at the request of an official Beyonder, most likely to find out if there were any witches. But in the end, it was confirmed that these groups like the 'Bliss Society' and the 'Narcissus Society' were just secret groups of women... women loving women."
Danio had a strange expression on his face and answered hesitantly.
I understand this... Angel closed the notebook awkwardly and tucked it into the hidden pocket under his cloak without hesitation. He prepared to go back and study it carefully. Then he stood up, stretched out his hand, drew a crimson moon on his chest, and said:
"Then I will come back in three days to get the information. May the goddess bless you."
This goddess believer who had been lurking for eight years subconsciously pointed at the triangular holy emblem of the "God of Steam and Machinery" on his chest, and only changed his gesture abruptly at the end.
"Sorry, I'm used to it..."
He smiled self-deprecatingly.
Until Angel left Honey Badger Street and entered another alley, Danio was still standing at the door of his house, staring at this side in the dim light, wondering what he was thinking.
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