Leonard, who had been somewhat nonchalant, raised an eyebrow slightly, touched his chin, and asked in a low voice, "Prince Edessak?"
"I remember that the military intelligence and the Church of the Storm recently investigated that nobleman's sudden death, and it seemed to be related to him?"
It was precisely because Sherlock Moriarty had gotten involved in this matter that Leonard had given up on further investigation, so he was quite familiar with this important figure.
Bishop Elektra nodded noncommittally, her tone becoming more serious, "The Church will not interfere with the internal affairs of the royal family, nor will we intervene, but we must be careful not to be used by people with ulterior motives."
"Get ready and let's go!"
Leonard deliberately slowed his pace, walking at the very back of the team, intentionally creating some distance from his teammates ahead, and then he whispered to himself, "Old man, what did Duke Aaron want with you last time?"
"Also, what exactly was that paper crane the Captain put behind the Chanis Gate?"
An aged voice, carrying a hint of dissatisfaction, echoed in Leonard's mind, "You're getting bolder and bolder now, we haven't even left St. Samuel Church yet."
"Beyonders below Demigod are one thing, but if that Archbishop happens to notice this side, this distance won't hide it from his ears."
Leonard's expression stiffened slightly, and he looked around somewhat guiltily, then he heard Pallez's voice sound again, "That paper crane you mentioned was left by a High-Sequence Beyonder of the Fate Pathway. Heh heh, as for its function…"
Pallez's voice paused, as if he had thought of something, and his tone took on a strange quality, "Hmm, it's probably somewhat similar to the Solomon gold coin you picked up in Tingen back then."
His eyes widened abruptly, Leonard suppressed the question that almost blurted out, took a deep breath, and asked in his mind, "Are you saying that a high-level existence is also parasitic in that paper crane?"
While asking in his mind, Leonard's steps paused, and after a second of Stalemate in place, he quickened his pace and got into the Church of the Evernight's carriage.
In less than a second, Pallez had transformed from preliminary parasitism to deep parasitism, which was also the tacit understanding he and Leonard had formed.
Under normal circumstances, to accommodate Leonard's emotions and maintain what Pallez considered to be a superficial privacy, he generally only performed preliminary parasitism, using Leonard to hide himself, extend his life, and recover from injuries.
Therefore, he could only perceive surrounding matters through Leonard's senses and could not interfere with his thoughts or steal his ideas, so Leonard had to actively speak when communicating with Pallez.
However, in inconvenient situations, Pallez would proactively perform deep-level parasitism, directly communicating at the Spirit Body level.
"Foolish!" Pallez scolded somewhat exasperatedly, then said with a tone of disappointment, "I already told you, that's a High-Sequence Beyonder of the Fate Pathway, where would there be any talk of parasitism?"
"That paper crane is more like a positioning, or rather, a coordinate on the River of Fate. I can probably guess what that final person is doing."
"Heh, Backlund is really lively!"
Leonard, who only half-understood, thought for a moment and tentatively asked, "Then do I need to continue secretly monitoring Doctor Aaron, or subtly disclose this matter to the Church?"
Pallez chuckled and said leisurely, "If that ruins his plans, and he makes a move against you, don't blame me for not helping you."
Leonard was immediately dumbfounded, subtly wiping away the cold sweat from his forehead, "He? The high-level existence you mentioned is an Angel? This…"
Pallez's Spirit Body was almost fused with Leonard's at this moment, clearly sensing the emotional changes in his heart, and warned him with a serious tone, "Only take on what you can handle. Some things are not told to you for your own good. A Sequence 7 who knows too much can easily die without knowing how they died."
"Your primary task now is to seek advancement within the Church of the Evernight by all means possible, and become a Senior Deacon or an Archbishop."
"Whether you want to seek revenge on Ince Zangwill or understand the secrets of this world, strength is the most fundamental factor."
"Furthermore, think about what your Goddess's honorific name is?"
Rendered somewhat speechless by Pallez's words, Leonard pondered for a moment, his eyes brightening, "'The Empress of Misfortune and Horror'!"
"Not too foolish…" Pallez affirmed Leonard's answer and chuckled, "The Evernight Goddess also possesses certain authority in the domain of fate. The Church of the Evernight might not be clear about what the Angel of the Fate Pathway lurking in Backlund is doing, but it cannot be hidden from the Evernight Goddess."
"The fact that you were able to obtain this paper crane from the Doctor named Aaron is itself a gesture of goodwill; otherwise, given his standing, he would have 100 ways to make sure you found nothing!"
-----------------
Deep within St. Samuel Church, in a quiet room.
Anthony Stevens, with a clean-shaven face and deep-set eyes, smoothed his black and red Archbishop's robe, pushed the telegram in his hand to Aaron, who sat opposite him, and said gently, "The airship will arrive at Pritz Harbor next week. Cesimir will first take that Grade 1 Sealed Artifact back to the Cathedral, and Miss Audrey will be escorted by the remaining Nighthawks, returning to Backlund by steam train."
Taking the telegram, Aaron glanced at it and accepted Archbishop Anthony's arrangement. The airship was equipped with a special formation for sealing Grade 1 Sealed Artifacts, similar to the Chanis Gate.
That Senior Deacon Cesimir, after all, had not yet advanced to Demigod, so to successfully deliver that Grade 1 Sealed Artifact, which was almost completely activated in the Southern Continent, to the Cathedral, indeed required the assistance of the airship.
Putting down the telegram in his hand, Aaron looked at Archbishop Anthony and said contemplatively, "Once the headquarters of the East Tuck Charity Clinic is officially established, I hope the Church can cooperate with us to first set up medical points in the medically underdeveloped East Borough and the Dock District. The East Tuck family has already prepared the corresponding 'Apothecaries'."
A hint of surprise flashed in the depths of Archbishop Anthony's eyes. According to custom or common sense, for such a public welfare medical organization, having a sufficient number of professionally qualified Doctors would already be enough, and specific "Apothecaries" were not needed.
But he didn't ask much either. After all, the East Tuck Charity Clinic was operating under the banner of the Church of the Evernight, and such a request, which could win more believers for the Church without much effort on their part, naturally could not be refused.
After greeting Archbishop Anthony, Aaron skillfully drew a crimson moon on his chest, "Praise the Goddess! May the Goddess bless you…"
-----------------
Outside the Red Rose Manor, a graceful figure in a heavy black dress and a veiled face slowly walked towards the exquisitely decorated carriage, accompanied by two maids. On the little finger of her left hand, which wore a black gauze glove, a blue gem subtly appeared.
Silently, the carriage door opened, and the old butler, whose hair was meticulously combed, stepped down and made a polite gesture of invitation, "Miss, the charity clinic's unveiling time is approaching, and His Royal Highness is waiting for you."
Trissy, wearing a fine black veil, nodded coldly and entered the spacious and warm carriage.
Prince Edessak was wearing a dark blue overcoat with a large collar, and his chest was adorned with golden sashes, making him look exceptionally noble.
He rubbed his diamond collar pin, his narrow eyes filled with a hint of recollection, "At the beginning of the month, it was Talim who invited me to attend the unveiling of this charity clinic. Perhaps I could meet many councilors and nobles who could help me establish myself within the royal family."
"I didn't expect…"
Sitting quietly opposite Prince Edessak, Trissy remained silent, as if she hadn't heard anything.
Having long been accustomed to Trissy's reaction, Edessak shook his head helplessly and began to urge the butler to have the convoy proceed towards the North Borough.
North Borough, 135 George Street, inside a simple yet tasteful hall, Klein, dressed in formal attire, handed his invitation to the receptionist at the front desk.
The young receptionist wore a black and white long dress characteristic of the era, with a beautiful face, in the prime of her youth, and naturally curly brown hair, carrying a hint of playfulness.
After taking Klein's invitation and verifying its authenticity, she gestured behind Klein and asked with a smile, "Alright, sir, may I ask, um, is this pastor your friend? Does he also have an invitation?"
Klein expressionlessly glanced behind him at Emlyn, who was wearing the robe of a clergyman from the Church of the Earth Mother. This fellow, for some unknown reason, insisted on joining in the fun.
Emlyn didn't notice Klein's eye-roll. He withdrew his gaze from the banquet hall's decorations, and upon hearing the receptionist's question, he lifted his chin haughtily and snorted softly, "I am Detective Sherlock's friend. Although I don't have an invitation, I am also a licensed Doctor registered with the Medical Association. Perhaps we might have collaborations in the future."
As he spoke, this Vampire gentleman actually pulled out a professional Doctor's license from his pocket. The receptionist didn't actually check it, maintaining a formal, polite smile on her face, "Sir, you misunderstood. I wasn't questioning you. Every guest who receives an invitation can bring a friend to attend the unveiling ceremony."
"However, we still need to register your name for us to tally the guests' charitable donations after the event."
"Donations!" Klein's heart gave a sudden lurch. Fortunately, he had already advanced to "Faceless," and his control over his facial muscles was superb.
"Why didn't Doctor Aaron tell me I needed to donate when he gave me the invitation?"
His right hand, hidden in his sleeve pocket, subconsciously felt his deflated wallet. Advancing to "Faceless" had almost drained all his savings, not only using up his contribution points from MI9 but also leaving him owing Mr. Maric of the Rose School of Thought a full 500 pounds.
Mr. Fool, short on cash, subconsciously looked at the Vampire beside him, and seeing the originally somewhat arrogant expression instantly stiffen, Klein suddenly remembered.
Compared to himself, this guy was truly a pauper. All his savings went to buy those puppets, and what little remained of his family fortune, after a visit to the Church of Harvest, had been intercepted by that Giant Bishop.
I'll borrow some money from Doctor Aaron later to tide me over… Suppressing the urge to cover his face, Klein nodded lightly with no change in expression. After completing the registration, he walked towards the banquet hall on his own.
As a professional Doctor representative specially invited by the organizers, Doctor Aaron's location was very easy to find, and Klein immediately quickened his pace, "Good afternoon, Doctor Aaron."
Hearing his name, Aaron Ceres immediately turned around, raised a glass of champagne and clinked it with Klein, then smiled and pointed to the woman standing beside him, introducing her, "This is my wife, Wilma Gladys, currently a middle school teacher."
"Wilma, this is Detective Sherlock, whom I've mentioned to you before."
Nodding to the lady whose belly was already slightly bulging, Klein coughed lightly, lowered his voice, and subtly expressed his predicament.
Aaron Ceres looked at Klein with some surprise, as if he had thought of something, his eyes became strange, and he patted his shoulder, saying earnestly, "Sherlock, going to those places too much is not good for your health. If you have that kind of pressure, I can ask Wilma to introduce you to some gentle and virtuous ladies."
Klein, feeling somewhat bewildered by the strange look, reacted and his mouth twitched slightly. He quickly explained, "You misunderstood. I didn't go to those frivolous places. I simply made some investments with those commission fees, but the principal cannot be retrieved at the moment."
An investment in my own strength… Klein silently added in his mind.
Clearing his throat to hide the embarrassment on his face, Aaron Ceres took out 100 pounds from his wallet and handed it to Klein, lowering his voice to remind him, "This is the first large social event in Backlund since Duke Negan's assassination. Many councilors, nobles, and other members of high society will be attending."
"Sherlock, this is a rare opportunity for you. Don't be stingy during the fundraising later. Perhaps you can use this to make connections with other important figures, which might help your situation."
Having already decided to leave the vortex of Backlund under the guise of a vacation to the south in a while, Klein took the pounds and thanked Doctor Aaron.
Just then, some commotion came from the front desk. A brown carriage was the first to stop at the entrance. The crest on the carriage was a flower and two rings.
Knowing that Klein was somewhat lacking in this kind of knowledge, Aaron Ceres whispered, "That's the carriage of the Royal Court Guard Captain, Viscount Stratford."
Klein nodded imperceptibly, and for some reason, a sudden inexplicable sense of irritation arose in his heart, then the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.
The Court Guard Captain did not enter the banquet hall. A more luxuriously and subtly decorated carriage slowly stopped. It was the same carriage that had taken him to the Red Rose Manor to meet that Prince.
What a coincidence… Klein was still hesitating whether to go up and report his latest investigation progress to his current employer, when a chill instantly arose in his heart, slowly seeping into his skin and flesh, making his spirit instantly highly tense.