After Ebner put away the bottle of perfume, he wasn't in a hurry to leave. Instead, he used his "Aura Extraction" ability to clean up the aura he had left here.
As a "detective" who was good at finding clues, he was naturally an expert in erasing clues.
After doing all of this, Ebner returned along the original route and cleaned up the traces he left behind while taking out the gold coin from the Solomon Empire period.
He rubbed the gold coin that looked uncomfortable no matter how he looked at it. Then, he exerted force with his thumb and wiped away the blood on the gold coin's front profile picture.
Due to such a terrifying encounter in a simple investigation case, Ebner deeply felt that his luck today was somewhat terrible. In order to avoid any accidents on the way to the Harvest Church, he decided to remove the seal on the gold coin to make himself luckier.
Of course, the reason why he didn't hesitate to unseal the Sealed Artifact was also because he had received a telegram from Xio from East Chester County before setting off in the morning. Xio had already set off, and as it was faster to take a steam locomotive, he could arrive in the afternoon.
Holding the gold coin of varying colors, Ebner carefully left Dr. Leonardo's house. He walked through two streets before stopping a rental carriage and letting it take him to the Harvest Church in the south of the bridge.
Due to the dangerous perfume in his arms, Ebner didn't dare take the crowded subway.
Rotans Street, where the doctor's house was located, was located in the south of Cherwood Borough. It was not too far away from West Borough and the south side of the Bridge. There was a main road that connected the border of Borough 3, so the traffic was relatively convenient.
However, at this moment, the carriage was not heading towards the road that intersected the third district. Instead, it was heading towards the bridge in the east.
Ebner, who had transmigrated for quite some time, was already familiar with Backlund's roads. When he saw that the route wasn't right, he was somewhat surprised and wary as he asked the carriage driver, "Why aren't you taking Duke Negan's Avenue?" Could it be that you want to take a detour to scam money?
The main road connecting District Three was built by Duke Negan, so it was named after him.
"Sir, I just came back from Duke Avenue. There was a very serious traffic accident there. It was said that a steam locomotive that a noble master had privately invented malfunctioned. It suddenly lost control and knocked over seven or eight carriages. It even destroyed a gas meter by the roadside… In short, it's still under martial law over there. There are many cars blocking the road, so it's impossible to pass through," the coachman explained.
Was it such a coincidence? If I didn't have the effect of unsealing the gold coins, would I have met the noble who experimented with steaming cars? Then, I would have been knocked over and smashed into pieces by the terrifying perfume?
Ebner let his imagination run wild for a while, then held the perfume more firmly.
…
On Duke Negan Avenue, the police officers who heard the news and rushed over to maintain order worked together to collect the spilled copper pennies back into the gas meter. Only then did the martial law ease and allow the cars to pass through.
A young police officer who was responsible for counting copper pence pressed down on his sore arm and complained to the inspector beside him, "What's the point of counting so many? Who knows how much has been lost… According to me, let the noble who caused the accident take full responsibility and compensate in full."
"The insurance company thinks so too, Shoko. But you should understand that if we can't provide strong evidence of financial losses, that viscount's lawyer won't let go of this opportunity to cause trouble." The inspector beside him chuckled.
Right at this moment, a carriage that was originally parked by the roadside slowly drove past them.
The young police officer named Shoko subconsciously glanced at her. Then, he saw a lady through the carriage window… a lady that he couldn't take his eyes off.
The lady had silky eyes, fair skin, and black hair. She was wearing a purple low-cut gown that revealed her shoulders. Although her face was covered by a veil, making it impossible to see her full appearance, it still made Officer Shoko, who was full of vigor, feel a throbbing sensation. He wanted to jump into the car and kiss her fingers.
Just as Shoko's eyes bugged out and a strange smile curved his lips, the inspector next to him patted him on the shoulder, snapping him out of his fantasy.
"Alright, stop looking. That's not a lady that you can climb up to." The inspector shook his head and reminded his junior with a smile.
"Inspector, how do you know that I won't be able to climb up? That carriage looks quite ordinary…" Although Shoko's thoughts were no longer running wild, his eyes still followed the departing carriage as he spoke perfunctorily.
"Hehe, kid, you really don't want to give up… Do you see that badge on the back of the carriage?" The inspector patted him again in disappointment and pointed at the carriage.
"What's that badge?" Shoko carefully identified it and asked in confusion, "I don't think I've ever seen a noble use this badge…"
"It's good that you haven't seen it before! The background of that badge is a palace, and it represents the royal court. This is the emblem of a court martial officer's house. The lady or young miss from before should be the family of a court martial officer, so you naturally can't afford it."
"I see… Achoo!" Officer Shoko retracted his gaze in disappointment. Then, he suddenly sneezed continuously for a long time before gradually recovering. Only then did he realize that the inspector beside him was actually lying on the ground, panting heavily as if his asthma had suddenly acted up.
…
Holding the Solomon gold coin tightly, Ebner safely arrived outside the Harvest Church on Rose Street in the South Borough of the Bridge.
The moment he got off the carriage, he saw the tall, giant-like Bishop Utravsky walk out of the cathedral.
"Mother has foreseen your arrival. Follow me." Bishop Utravsky glanced at Ebner and smiled warmly.
The Earth Mother had indeed paid attention to me. It seemed like the Blood Duke wasn't lying… Sigh, aren't the deities blocking the astral plane to prevent unknown existences from invading? Why would they pay so much attention to a nobody like me? Is my identity as a transmigrator that special?
Even though Ebner knew that it was impossible for the gods to keep an eye on him all the time, at most, they would pull him when he was in danger of encountering a high-level entity, just like the finger just now… However, the current level of observation was already very frightening.
Forget it. I'll think about it from a different perspective. Although I may have to pay an unknown price to receive this attention and care in the future, isn't it beneficial for me at this stage? Without that person's help, my future might only be left with the path of 'reproduction'.
After consoling himself, Ebner adjusted his mindset and followed Bishop Utravsky into the cathedral.
The moment he entered, Ebner saw all kinds of Beyonder ingredients placed in four corners of the hall. In the middle was a simple baby symbol surrounded by wheat ears, flowers, and spring water.
"The ritual is ready. Give me that item." Bishop Utravsky stopped smiling and said solemnly.
"All right." Ebner didn't hesitate. He immediately handed her the perfume bottle.
Utravsky carefully took the perfume bottle and placed it on the altar. After lowering his head and praying for a while, he began to chant loudly.
"Earth Mother, who brings fertility and life to the world.
"You are the source of life.
"You are the mother of all things.
…
"I pray for your strength,
"I pray for your blessings.
"I pray that you purify the evil filth in this bottle of liquid and give it the nobility of life again. The greatness of fertility."
After he finished chanting, Ebner felt as though a distorted baby's cry was coming from the bottle of perfume. The voice seemed very pleasant, but it also seemed to be very ear-piercing. In short, it was filled with contradictions and strangeness. Ebner even felt that if it wasn't for the Earth Mother's power enveloping them, just hearing the voice would make him and the giant bishop in front of him lose control.
Fortunately, after crying for a while, the voice gradually became low and completely disappeared.
"I actually brought such a dangerous thing with me just now?" Even though Ebner knew that there was nothing wrong with what he had handled, he was still a little scared. He then wanted to open the pure white eye so that he could analyze himself and confirm if he had been corrupted.
But at this moment, Bishop Utravsky, who had ended the ritual, seemed to know what he was thinking. He walked over and said gently, "Under the protection of the Mother Goddess, child, you are safe and sound."
Ebner nodded upon hearing this, but still prepared to go back and confirm it. As for how to confirm it? Apart from the White Eye analyzing itself, he thought of a simpler method. That was to pray to Mr. Fool.
He could pray and say anything.
If Klein gives a response, it means that he didn't see any problems through Sefirah Castle's Eye of Truth. I can also relax.
If Klein didn't respond after a long time, it was very likely that he was frightened by the abnormality on my body! It meant that I was really corrupted.
Despite having such thoughts in his mind, Ebner still expressed his approval of the other party's advice and took the initiative to tell Bishop Utravsky about Dr. Leonardo in detail.
"Leonardo is in trouble…"
"That night, I received news from him and went out. That was why someone took the opportunity to steal the Sealed Artifact. Following that, I was ambushed…"
"What happened… that night? What did Leonardo have to do with you, Father?"
Ebner wasn't too interested in the incident of Bishop Utravsky being ambushed that night, but since this matter was connected to Dr. Leonardo, he had to figure it out.
Although he had cleaned up the traces when he left the doctor's house, who knew if the other party had more powerful reconnaissance or divination methods? This matter involved a high-level existence, so he couldn't help but be cautious.
Not to mention, Sheriff Fassin knew about the investigation at Dr. Leonardo's house. If someone really wanted to investigate, they would find out sooner or later.
Upon hearing this, Bishop Utravsky sighed and slowly said,
"Sigh, Leonardo is a believer of the Mother Goddess. More than ten years ago, when the previous Backlund diocese bishop was still around, he devoutly believed in the Mother Goddess."
"He's a Sequence 8 Doctor. After I came to Backlund, he helped me a lot. He even used his influence here to introduce me to many potential believers."
"More than a year ago, he said that he bought the potion formula for Harvest Sacrifice at a Beyonder gathering and successfully advanced to Sequence 7."
"At that time, my mental state wasn't very stable, so I didn't delve too deeply into what he said. Now that I think about it, there were signs then…"
"Last Saturday, he suddenly sent me a letter. He said that his devotion had finally moved Mother, that he had listened to the teachings and received divine revelation. The formula he received a year ago was actually a reward."
"At that time, I felt that something was wrong and wanted to go to his door to stop him. But on the way, I realized that some of the defensive rituals I had set up in the church were triggered."
"I hurriedly returned and found a figure sneaking out from the shadows of the cathedral. I hurriedly chased after him, but I stepped into the trap that he had carefully prepared.
"The other party knew my symptoms very well. He had prearranged a black magic ritual that affected my psyche and led me to degenerate… You know what happened after that. I did my best to break the trap and snatch away the other party's Sealed Artifact mask. However, due to the remnant powers of degeneration, my psyche worsened. Finally, with the blessings of Mother Goddess, I met you who happened to pass by."
After listening to the priest, Ebner nodded thoughtfully and asked, "Father, was it a Demoness who set up a trap to ambush you?"
"Demoness of Pleasure," Bishop Utravsky said with certainty.
"Did you see her true appearance?" Ebner frowned as a strange thought suddenly arose in his mind. This giant priest seemed to be very familiar with the Demoness?
Bishop Utravsky was prepared for Ebner's question. He handed him a sketch of a person that had been drawn with a ritual.
"Ma'am Ray… It's really her." After receiving it, Ebner immediately recognized the Demoness of Pleasure, who had previously planned on finding trouble with Xio.
"What Sealed Artifact did she steal? Is it convenient to tell me?" Ebner pressed again. Although he had some guesses previously, he still needed to confirm them.
"It's a Sealed Artifact formed from a syringe and container. When I obtained it, I didn't know its name, nor did I think of naming it after it. It can allow the user to draw out a tube of his blood first, and at the critical moment, it can be infused back. This way, the fatigue will disappear, and the illness and injuries will be reduced. The strength, speed, balance, and other aspects will be temporarily enhanced." Bishop Utravsky didn't hide anything as he answered in detail.
As expected, it's this Sealed Artifact… Ebner nodded secretly. Then, after some thought, he looked up at Bishop Utravsky and said, "Do you think this Sealed Artifact is needed for the Demoness of Afflictions advancement ritual? Pain… I guess I have to experience pain myself before giving others pain and illness."
Upon hearing this, Bishop Utravsky thought for a moment before shaking his head. "The Sealed Artifact's effects aren't enough…"
That's not enough… Father, why are you so familiar with the advancement ritual of a Demoness Sequence 5?! Has this ever happened before?
Ebner lampooned and suddenly had an idea. He thought of the lady with the complicated tattoo on her back and Mr. Leonardo kissing her. He asked again,
"Then, what about a Harvest Priest that has been corrupted by a high-level existence and has mutated vitality and strange powers?"
Upon hearing this, Bishop Utravsky, who had his eyes lowered, widened his dark blue eyes, and his expression turned serious. After a long while, he said, "It should meet the requirements of the ritual… However, there might be some problems with the advancement of the Demoness of Agony… I have to report this to the Holy Cathedral."
How many Demonesses were normal? There was probably something wrong with every one of them! Even Vice Admiral Ailment… Tracy, who was still a Young Lady Ailment, was only slightly more human.
As for corruption, that was even less of an issue. Although he couldn't recall the source of the corruption, such indirect corruption was likely similar to the Rose School of Thought's indulgent faction. It was just that their beliefs and personalities were distorted.
Compared to the priest's nervousness, Ebner heaved a sigh of relief. This was because there was at most a newly promoted Demoness of Afflictions behind this matter. This Demoness of Agony was very likely to be Ma'am Ray whom he wanted to deal with.
Thanks to Teacher's arrangements and guidance, this Demoness currently doesn't have any help other than relying on some members of MI9. Furthermore, she's currently on the wanted list of the three Churches, especially the Church of the Lord of Storms. She doesn't dare to easily reveal herself, so she won't be able to quickly find out what I previously investigated…
At the same time, Ebner was once again determined to get rid of this demoness. If she were allowed to continue growing, she would definitely find out what her teacher and herself had done to harm the world, not to mention how corrupted and twisted her personality would be.
After Ebner regained his senses, he saw that Bishop Utravsky was already busy contacting the Holy Cathedral in a special way, so he tactfully bade farewell and left.
As for the matter of outsourcing this case to the Church of Earth Mother, there was actually a tacit understanding. Ebner had read the original novel and knew that the Church of Earth Mother had a complete set of processing mechanisms for the so-called "divine revelation". Since the priest had already reported it to the Holy Cathedral, even if that Dr. Leonardo was still alive, his future fate was most likely to be imprisoned under the cathedral.
But as Ebner started out the door, something occurred to him and he turned back inside the church.
Bishop Utravsky, who had just contacted the Holy Cathedral, didn't show any surprise when he saw him return. He calmly asked, "Child, is there anything else?"
"I'm trying to ask if those pregnant women who are pregnant because of Leonardo… and the baby they're carrying will have any problems?" Ebner thought about how nervous Sergeant Fassin was about having a second child and wished he had a good answer.
Perhaps because he had unsealed the gold coin and was rather lucky, Bishop Utravsky replied calmly, "Most of it doesn't matter. That's the power of the Mother Goddess's normal domain. Only pregnant women who are pregnant because of that bottle of perfume are more difficult. After the perfume is purified by the Mother Goddess, it will lose the augmentation of the strange power, and it might result in miscarriage. It will require the help of a physician or apothecary to have a chance of preserving the fetus."
I heard that Sergeant Fassin's wife was in a bad condition. It could be because of that bottle of perfume… Ebner thought for a moment and thought that he might be able to introduce the sergeant to Darkwill… Of course, he had to get the chubby Apothecary's approval first.
After receiving the answer he wanted, Ebner bade the priest farewell once again and left the Harvest Church in satisfaction.
He quickly took the subway back to the rented apartment in East Borough. Then, he sealed the room with his spirituality, preparing to pray to Mr. Fool.
…
Tingen City, inside a terrace house at 2 Daffodil Street.
Klein, who had just returned home from combat training, felt sore all over. He sat on the sofa in a very inelegant manner and casually picked up today's newspaper.
Then, he immediately saw Lanevus's wanted poster.
"He actually swindled more than ten thousand pounds… How detestable!" Klein condemned angrily before seriously memorizing the appearance of the great swindler who was wanted by the three Churches.
He had a full forehead, black hair, and brown eyes. He wore glasses that were almost round, and the corners of his mouth were slightly raised. He seemed to be mocking everyone…
Apart from the pair of glasses, Lanevus didn't have any obvious characteristics. He was very ordinary. Klein lampooned inwardly. Just as he was about to flip open the second page of the newspaper, his spirituality suddenly stirred as though he heard an illusory voice.
Someone is praying to me? Who is it? The Tower or The Hanged Man? Is he preparing to take leave on Tuesday?
Klein walked into the bathroom with a belly full of question marks. Then, he took four steps counterclockwise and boarded the gray fog amidst his screams and murmurs.
The moment he entered the towering temple, Klein saw a familiar crimson star contracting and expanding. It wasn't large, but it was persistent.
"Is it Tower praying?" Klein pondered for a moment before carefully spreading his spirituality towards the dark red.
The moment the two came into contact, his mind buzzed as he saw a blurry and distorted scene. He heard an illusory and overlapping prayer:
"The Fool that doesn't belong to this era;
"You are the mysterious ruler above the gray fog;
"You are the King of Yellow and Black who wields good luck."
"I pray for your help."
"I pray for your blessing."
"I beg you to listen to my description of the Sealed Artifact, Clown Mask…"
Klein watched this scene with his mouth agape as he muttered to himself, "What's going on? Is this promotion?"
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