After exiting the local "Watchers" outpost disguised as a private detective agency, Leonard turned to Dalia Simonis, who had volunteered to join him, and asked, "Where shall we begin? Do you have any suggestions?" Dalia, dressed with an otherworldly grace and a mature elegance, pulled up the hood of her medium-ritual priestess robe and glanced at Leonard Mitchell. "This is the moment to display a gentleman's initiative and style," she said. Leonard looked at the red gloves on his left hand and carefully replied, "Let's follow Captain Sostre's plan. It might yield some leads, but it may not be sufficient—I suspect the Lady of the 'Eye' herself knows this, and is simply assigning us tasks to distract Insinger Zangewell." "Why do you say that?" Dalia didn't joke; her expression was unusually serious. Leonard glanced to either side, his voice unconsciously lowering: "As far as I know, 'Zero-Eight' has the characteristic of 'when you know it, it knows you.' Although we aren't fully aware of its true name or abilities—our reference is merely a self-assigned designation—and thus it should be unaffected, operating at the periphery of its attention, the 'Red Glove' team, which is actively investigating the Ling Sect, has repeatedly discussed the issue of Ins. Zanggeweil. The 'Red Glove' team that is currently focused on Ins. Zanggeweil—I believe our situation may now be within 'Zero-Eight's' awareness. Consequently, Ins. Zanggeweil would be aware that his current condition has been exposed, and thus would consciously create coincidences to avoid detection." Daili recalled the materials related to Ins. Zanggeweil and nodded: "Sost had also raised this point initially, though not as clearly or explicitly as you've described—it was still in the phase of working backward from the failure to identify potential causes." "So, Lady 'Eye of the Goddess' has been simultaneously assigning us to investigate the hunters' interactions with extraordinary individuals and materials in the surrounding area, feigning uncertainty while already preparing to utilize relevant items, set traps, and await Inzam Zangewell's proactive appearance once the spirits gain the upper hand?" Leonard turned to face, speaking as he walked. "That sounds plausible—though I suspect it might not escape the notice of '0–08'..." Dailie trailed slightly behind, thoughtfully adding, "I believe there's still a chance of success. Don't forget that one of the Goddess's titles is 'Mother of Secrets.' " "Could that counteract '0–08'? Would the Church's high-ranking officials or sealings be effective against '0–08'? It's no wonder '0–08' was once obtained by the Church and sealed beneath the sanctuary..." Leonard's green eyes sparkled, and his spirit suddenly brightened. Dailie gave a slight nod, her expression softening in response. A few seconds later, her gaze narrowed suddenly, and she exclaimed, "Do you think our conversation might have been picked up by '0–08'?" Leonard's expression froze—he wasn't sure, nor did he dare shake his head, and between Daili and him, there was a brief silence, each looking at the other, yet no one spoke. "In his view, there were many coincidences in this sequence of events, yet at its essence, it was inevitable—indeed, Sorren Einhorne Medici's ability to construct narratives was at least several times greater than his own. 'After confirming the destination as the eastern region of the Southern Continent, Insi Zangwei sailed across the Storm Sea... Each time, he would enter the Inthi colonial islands, deliberately provoking the official authorities, eliminating extraordinary individuals who reached them through the 'Hunter' path, and, just before danger arose, regain his composure, conceal his traces, and escape to distant lands.' This may seem like coincidence, yet the issue lies in the fact that the same coincidence repeated over and over—wasn't that too coincidental?" From a logical and rational standpoint, too many coincidences imply the presence of some underlying factor or pattern. It is precisely because Ines wrote that passage—leveraging the power of the "Pen of Aler Suhold"—that he naturally toggles between the states of being possessed by evil spirits and being fully in control. Indeed, a cunning man, not merely Ines Zangweil, but also Thorin Einhorn Medici, who, though they have long coexisted in peace, still feign contradictions, as if their harmony is only maintained by external forces. “…It makes perfect sense that Ins. Zangweil acquired exceptional materials for both the 'Praiser' and 'Warrior' paths, as he needed to conceal the traces of the spirit using his collected items from the 'Hunter' path, ensuring that no one would notice that everything had been occurring under his silent approval, with no resistance shown. Moreover, both the 'Praiser' and 'Warrior' paths possess the ability to counter spirits and drive out malevolent forces. A thoughtful observer would inevitably recognize this, thereby confirming their judgment that Ins. Zangweil had been possessed by a spirit. …After repeated provocations, Tony Donn of the Iron Blood Cross finally pinned down Ins. Zangweil and launched a pursuit. Throughout this process, the aspiring 'Conqueror'—the 'Warrior Bishop'—demonstrated his abilities openly and proudly. Especially when a storm unexpectedly interrupted his pursuit, he made a grand entrance before a group of ordinary passengers, exposing the impostor who had been pretending to be Ins. Zangweil.” "This is a bit coincidental, yet not surprising, since the Iron Cross's philosophy holds that the extraordinary should rise above ordinary people. Tony Donahue is bold and arrogant, consistently proving others' doubts with his own abilities and radiating an unshakable confidence—so his performance is entirely fitting. Similarly, his overconfidence has led him to overlook the possibility that Ines Zangewill might also be aboard that ship, which doesn't quite align with his hunting instincts. Yet, after all, everyone makes mistakes! When Ines Zangewill disembarked at the Mid-Island, he noticed the gaze from first class, though he didn't mind—it was precisely the effect he desired. The fact that someone among the passengers recognized him was exactly the ideal outcome!" Well, just as expected… “…neither too early nor too late. Before the 'Red Glove' team of Sost had taken action, Ines Zangweil met with Palenk Tassib of the 'Pale Hand' faction of the Spirit Order, hoping to secure their assistance in banishing the malevolent spirits… (erased and rewritten) “…the developments have been rather strange. Dely Simonne and Leonard Mitchell of the 'Red Glove' team in Sost had not yet gathered sufficient clues to draw a conclusion when, suddenly, a letter from Renette Tini科尔 arrived with a clear verdict. “What exactly went wrong? Ines Zangweil found this particularly puzzling. In his view, unless Palenk Tassib or other key figures from the Spirit Order could be personally apprehended, no one could reach such a conclusion so swiftly. “This has left his preparations somewhat rushed, yet fortunately, the outcome is precisely what he had hoped for. "...The 'Red Glove' team led by Sostre detected anomalies in Ins. Zangewell from reports received across various locations. Dailie Simonne proposed the hypothesis of a spirit possessing Ins. Zangewell, a notion that gained broad acceptance. 'She claims it's a reasonable assumption,' Sostre notes, 'but in fact, she already has some insight—through Leonard Mitchell, known as a 'parasite.' Leonard's information, in turn, comes from a letter sent by Renette Tynicol. Who is the sender of that letter?' Meanwhile, both Leonard Mitchell and Dailie Simonne now suspect that the spirit possessing Ins. Zangewell follows the 'Hunter' path. "...After discussing with the serene church's high steward, Iliya, the senior steward of the Night Church, believed Dail's hypothesis and decided to use a Level 1 seal item obtained through the path of the Hunter as bait, luring Ins. Zangwiel, the one afflicted by the evil spirit, to willingly step into the trap. To conceal this objective, she asked the Sost 'Red Glove' team to continue investigating the relevant leads. Unfortunately, they overlooked a key assumption: although Ins. Zangwiel was indeed possessed by the evil spirit, his actions were not affected at all. All his prior efforts had been carefully staged, following the advice of Solon Einhorn Medici, designed to mislead the Night Church's members and prompt Iliya to launch a premature attack. A single willing and cooperative 'Red Angel' spirit was sufficient to alter the course of the battle." In fact, the true purpose behind Ins. Zangwei's journey to the Southern Continent is to: Hunt and eliminate the senior steward of the Night Church, Elyia, in order to acquire her exceptional traits and prepare for his own promotion. He aims to prove to everyone that the Night Church's decision to overlook him back then was profoundly foolish. Of course, before launching this campaign, Ins. Zangwei must first fulfill Lord Solon Ainhorn Medici's desire—the pursuit of high-tier exceptional traits within the 'Hunter' path. To maintain secrecy, he has decided not to conduct local hunts, but instead to travel to more distant regions. With the convergence of the undead essence of the evil spirits, the status of the 'Red Angel,' and the unique qualities of the 'Gatekeeper,' Ins. Zangwei now possesses the high-tier ability of the 'Death Path'—'Soul-Realm Transit'—enabling him to travel swiftly to distant lands and return within a short timeframe. This capability he has deliberately concealed up until now. "Once Soren Einhorne Medici was satisfied, Inz. Zangweil decided to start by killing Dely Simonne and Leonard Mitchell, feigning an awareness of the Night Church's preparations, launching a forced counterattack, and then losing his composure to head straight toward the 'trap.' 'He doesn't want to leave any unstable elements behind. Every avenger emerging from Tinggen must fall!' The notebook was turned to a blank page, and a pale hand picked up a quill to add a final note: 'Everything will go smoothly today.' ........ Cookwa, Western Province, Xibairan. 'Your investigation still not complete?' Anderson asked casually as they walked side by side. 'Almost!' Daniz replied, slightly distracted, 'Do you have anything you'd like to discuss?' At that moment, Anderson produced a map and a stack of documents, smiling and said, "I've now pinpointed the general location of an ancient tomb. According to the customs of the East and West Brawns, it must be filled with abundant treasures. In their culture, death is not an end but a new beginning—thus, there will be numerous burial goods." Daniz was momentarily stunned, surprised to ask, "Don't you not understand the Duthan language? How did you gather all this information?" Anderson chuckled, lifting his left hand wearing black gloves and spreading his fingers out. "I don't understand it fluently, but I can temporarily borrow their language skills until I've collected all the necessary information." "I knew you wouldn't be completely helpless!" Daniz said, slightly gritting his teeth, then pointed toward the main street adjacent to the square. "Goodbye!" Anderson didn't stop him, merely smiled as Daniz walked away. At that very moment, both of them noticed a figure approaching from the other direction. The figure held a classical quill pen, dressed in a black clerical robe, with dark gold hair, no wrinkles, and a face as refined as a classical sculpture—one eye deep blue nearly black, the other veined with fine blood vessels—advancing step by step toward Anderson and Daniz. Anderson did not recognize this middle-aged man, yet his body trembled unexpectedly, as if facing a predator. A sense of imminent danger surged in his mind, his pupils dilating sharply! Suddenly, a gentle voice resonated in his ears: "Don't be afraid." Who...? Anderson turned茫然ly, only to find that beside him, where there had been no one before, a figure now appeared unexpectedly. This figure had always been there, yet had always been overlooked. He wore a simple white robe, a light golden beard covering the lower half of his face, his eyes clear and childlike, his expression warm and reserved. Gazing at the quill in the hands of Ines Zangewell, the middle-aged man dressed simply as a parish priest, half-closed his eyes and raised his right hand, tapping it four times in front of him. There hung a silver pendant cross at his chest. Note: A section reused content from earlier, so a bit more was added—nearly four thousand words in this long chapter. Seeking monthly support! Last day and a half to secure your monthly ticket!