“Sounds like a contrived story. Ever since the new sea route was discovered, there has been no end to stories of people becoming rich from taking risks,” Soest casually commented on the content of the telegram. As he thought, he looked towards a particular Red Glove. “I recall that we had investigated Dwayne Dantès before and had an exchange with him in his dream.”
“Yes,” the Red Glove who was responsible for the task nodded and replied. “I didn’t directly ask him about such matters, but I could tell that Dwayne Dantès was very familiar with the Southern Continent. He had plenty of experience there.”
However, he didn’t inform his teammates about his conjectures, because he had no basis for them.
Soest didn’t pay great attention to the matter as he said, “Do you have any problems with the clues related to Gehrman Sparrow?”
“Since this crazy adventurer was still at sea in recent weeks, when did he come to Backlund?” As a Nightmare, Cindy repeated her doubts, “What I’m concerned about isn’t the exact time, but whether he has the time to travel to Backlund. After all, we’re rather far from the sea.”
Soest nodded gently and said, “In the meeting, a deacon raised this question. According to the time and venue of Gehrman Sparrow’s last sighting, he normally has no way to arrive in Backlund last night and complete an infiltration.
“Of course, I’m referring to normal circumstances.
“The missing servant told us that when he was sweeping the square, he suddenly lost control of his body. He froze on the spot and was unable to cry for help. Then, he saw bright colors like an abstract oil painting, and he felt that his body was floating upwards.
“Later, he lost consciousness, and after awakening, he found himself in a room in East Borough.
“The former matches with the Keeper’s description of being possessed by a Wraith. The latter is suspected to be a Traveler’s Teleport.
“If it really is Teleport, then Gehrman Sparrow can appear in Backlund at any moment.”
As elites of the Nighthawks, the Red Gloves knew about the various Beyonder pathways far better than their colleagues which were at the same level. They were no strangers to Wraiths and Travelers.
After listening to the captain’s explanation, another Red Glove added in thought, “It’s rumored that Admiral of Blood, who was hunted by Gehrman Sparrow, is a Wraith.”
The details matched!
And as for Gehrman Sparrow being able to obtain the powers to become a Wraith, it wasn’t unacceptable. The easiest method was to find an Artisan to make one’s prey into a mystical item.
Cindy recalled even more information with this stimulus.
“It’s said that Gehrman Sparrow has the ability to change his appearance… And the infiltrator had disguised himself as the Keeper.”
Another detail matched!
“Excellent thinking,” Soest raised his hand to rub this temples. “According to these details, we can come to a preliminary consensus that the infiltrator is Gehrman Sparrow. And this way, the name list we came up with might be erroneous. Gehrman Sparrow doesn’t need a companion to frequently come to the cathedral to pray to gather information. He can change his appearance every day and enter to figure out the situation. This will be more indiscreet than using a companion.”
As the largest and most holy Church of Evernight cathedral in Backlund, the number of believers that came to Saint Samuel Cathedral on a daily basis was too numerous to count. No bishop could remember every unfamiliar face that they once met.
“That also means that the names we have here are meaningless?” Leonard raised his hand to rub his brows, sounding rather desultory.
“That’s somewhat obvious. Our focus now should be on Gehrman Sparrow. The other targets can be placed aside as we perform the most basic level of surveillance.” Having said that, Soest clapped and said, “Alright, get busy.”
Leonard didn’t have any objections. He happened to hope to find the Machinery Hivemind, Mandated Punishers, and MI9 to gather some information.
…
On Tuesday morning, Klein woke up naturally, feeling relaxed and calm. He had the feeling of joyful emotions slowly coming to life.
He leisurely took in the scenery outside and the scattering golden sunlight. He regained his drive and began formulating his plans for the next couple months and even the year.
Klein’s thought processes slowly became clear. Although he still felt worried and fearful, this no longer affected his mental state and capacity to take action.
Retracting his gaze from outside the balcony, Klein walked into the bathroom and washed up.
Soon, he opened the door while feeling highly spirited, and he saw his valet, Richardson, and butler, Walter, waiting outside.
The gentleman was wearing white gloves as he politely bowed and said, “Good morning, sir. There’s only one item on your schedule today. It’s to join an event at the East Balam Military Veterans Mess with Member of Parliament Macht at three in the afternoon.
“He’s a new member of parliament, so by accepting his invitation, it will also indicate your political inclinations. You still have the opportunity to be hesitant about it.”
Klein thought for a moment before saying, “There’s no need. It’s my choice.”
He paused and asked in an inquiring tone, “It will be my first time visiting the East Balam Military Veterans Mess. What should I take note of?”
“Praise their work that they have established in East Balam. Use this opportunity to make some donations. There’s no need to give too much or little. 500 pounds is a rather suitable sum,” Walter provided his opinion.
At the same time, he quickly did a count of his present assets.
Klein didn’t speak further as he walked out of his bedroom, going to the second floor where the dining room was in order to have his breakfast.
…
In the basement of Saint Samuel Cathedral, Leonard Mitchell returned to his office earlier than his teammates.
He had already obtained the relevant information and had learned of an inconspicuous matter.
Prince Edessak, who passed away in the Great Smog of Backlund, had once hired a private detective to investigate the death of equestrian teacher, Talim Dumont.
And that private detective’s name was: Sherlock Moriarty!
Following that, he pounded down at the documents on his desk with his fist, planning to seek out even more clues.
After some careful recall, Leonard finally recalled what it was. He pulled out his drawer and took out a deck of tarot cards.
Then, he found The Fool card and placed it on a piece of paper. On it, he wrote three names:
“Sherlock Moriarty, Gehrman Sparrow, Dwayne Dantès.”
After some hesitation, Leonard drew a line linking the three names to The Fool card, indicating that they might very well be members of a secret organization that believed in The Fool.
Among them, he was most unsure of Gehrman Sparrow’s identity as he wrote a question mark.
Later, Leonard took out The Emperor card and stuck it beside the name, “Sherlock Moriarty.” He labeled it “suspected to be.”
Suddenly, he found a date very familiar.
Early January!
Gehrman Sparrow’s first appearance was in early January!
“At the end of December, Sherlock Moriarty left Backlund and headed south for a vacation. He has yet to return.”
After considering the point that “looks could be changed,” he began imagining the detective in different disguises.
As he did it, Leonard’s gaze froze bit by bit as he couldn’t help but frown.
