Secrets: Priestess

Chapter 200 Acquaintance
In the simple small reception room, the Mandated Punishers gathered one after another. Including Roy Welling, there were six of them in total. Roy and Claire discussed cooperation matters.

Roy Welling suggested, "To make our cooperation more effective, I suggest that we each assign a liaison member to each other's team. This way, communication will be more convenient for both parties."

"Daly, will you stay?" Claire turned to ask for Daly's opinion.

Daly smiled, glanced at Claire and said, "You brought me out. If I don't stay, how can you stay?"

Roy frowned slightly as he listened to the two's casual conversation, then asked hesitantly, "Are there no male members on your team?"

Is this because he doubts Dai Li's reliability, or because he thinks Dai Li isn't gentle and obedient enough...

Claire raised her delicate chin, looked at Roy with a half-smile, and said calmly, "This is the 'Necromancer'. He's very skilled in combat, spiritual communication, and communication."

Sequence 6 "Necromancer"?
Roy was startled when he heard this. He stared at Daly, who was wearing strange and heavy makeup. He apologized and even said with a hint of flattery, "As expected of the Red Gloves, known for their elite skills. I was rash with my words. I hope Ms. Daly will give me some guidance."

When investigating cases, Beyonders such as "Secret Peepers", "Corpse Collectors", and "Readers" are the most sought-after, not to mention that this one is a Sequence 6 powerhouse.

Roy's reaction was as fast as the changing weather at sea.

The Church of Evernight had stationed these elite troops, and Roy was somewhat troubled when selecting his own team members. The configuration of the temporarily assembled team of Punishers could be considered high-standard, but he was the only Sequence 6 member.

He couldn't just send himself to the other party...

Roy glanced around, eliminating the two Sequence 8 members first, and finally landed on the blue-haired Alger. He thought to himself:
Alger Wilson was not only a Sequence 7 "Navigator," but also a capable captain. It was not a loss of face to select him for the post.

After making the decision, Roy called out the name, "Alger, you have been assisting Captain Galadilla of the Red Gloves during this period."

Algerton clenched his right fist and struck his left chest, "As you command, Captain Roy."

After assigning the personnel, the two teams began their investigations according to the direction they had just discussed and their personal ideas.

After leaving the Mandated Punishers' base, Alger, who followed Claire, remained silent the entire way, completely different from the chatty "Hanged Man" at the Tarot Club.

Claire hired a carriage and headed directly to Kapin's villa.

Patrolmen from the Cherwood District Police Station, working alongside the Mandated Punishers who remained behind, cordoned off the crime scene. Alger went to negotiate, allowing Claire to enter the scene smoothly.

Kapin's villa was luxuriously built. Passing through the spacious entrance hall, there was a gorgeous hall with gold as the main color. In this hall, looking up, one could directly see the three-story dome with a huge crystal chandelier hanging down.

Here, Claire smelled blood.

Alger spoke at the right moment, "All the bodies here have been transported. When the case was discovered, there were four dead bodies lying in this hall alone: ​​three women and one man. They were all servants of the Karl family. They died of broken necks, as if torn apart by a wild beast, and there were signs of their necks being gnawed."

Although more silent than in the Tarot Club, the "Hanged Man" is indeed a reliable companion.

Claire asked, "Did you get any clues from the spiritual ritual?"

"A total of eleven servants were brutally murdered in the entire villa, but their spirits are relatively normal. It's just that..." Alger said with a wry smile, "They died suddenly. They had no idea who had invaded the villa. They didn't even know anyone had invaded until they died."

Claire sighed softly. Ordinary people were completely defenseless against extraordinary abilities.

Alger continued, "And Capin, the primary target, was destroyed beyond recognition, from his body to his spirit."

Continuing to walk into the villa, Claire asked again, "Are you sure there are no Beyonder guards or bodyguards?"

Alger replied, "No unusual signs have been found on the bodies that have been discovered so far."

Claire didn't try any ritual magic or psychic methods. She hoped to get more accurate and professional information from Daly when she returned to St. Samuel's Church that night.

Claire inspected the entire villa. There was no damage to the ground, and no signs of fighting, indicating that the situation was a one-sided massacre by the invaders.

The underground part was completely burned down, and only a few remaining traces could be judged that it was a dungeon of considerable size.

Claire asked Alger, "Mr. Wilson, why do you think the invaders destroyed the dungeon while leaving the above-ground area unaffected?"

Alger paused for a moment and said, "Burning down the dungeon should be a means of eliminating traces, but not burning the ground at the same time... perhaps they wanted to delay the discovery of the abnormality?"

"Who was the first person to discover that Capin had been murdered?" Claire asked. The case report did not mention the reporter or the person who discovered the case, which was unusual. It was probably because the person who discovered the case had a special identity.

Sure enough, Claire immediately heard Alger say, "It's an order from the Archbishop."

After a pause, Alger explained, "The burning of the dungeon failed to escape the Archbishop's notice. If the Archbishop hadn't arrived in time, I'm afraid the villa above ground would have been engulfed in flames as well."

Based on what she had heard and seen so far, Claire had basically ruled out the intruder who killed Capin, and believed it was a passing messenger of justice.

Because there was no reason for such a justice messenger to burn down the dungeon that proved Kapin's evil deeds.

Therefore, it can be basically confirmed that the intruder in this case is someone with interests related to Kapin.

As for preserving the ground portion, it might be, as Alger said, to delay discovery, but it is also very likely that the intention was to mislead the official investigation by leaving behind these traces.

Otherwise, a fire or an explosion would completely destroy the Kapin villa, which would help the stakeholders to cover up their crimes.

Just as Claire was pondering this, the patrol officer outside ran in and announced, "A woman claiming to be from the Church of Evernight wants to come in."

Hearing this, Alger looked at Claire in confusion.

Claire smiled and said, "Looks like my team has arrived...Mr. Wilson, can you go pick her up?"

Daly was left behind in the Mandated Punishers' team. Claire, who didn't want to be alone, had been thinking about who would accompany her in investigating the case before coming to Capin Villa.

Tessa, who plays the role of Alicia, is not able to travel, Flora is her own pseudonym, and Hugh is busy with affairs and is in a dormant state. After much thought, it is finally decided that only Audrey, Miss "Tulip", has the free time and interest to accompany her on this case.

Hmm… However, this unexpectedly led to an offline meeting between Justice and The Hanged Man. I wonder which of them will react first… Logically, the meticulous Hanged Man would have the upper hand, but Justice's current rank is Mind Reader…

Looking at Alger's back as he went to meet Audrey, Claire briefly thought about these trivial matters that could help her relax.

Then Claire looked at the heavy and luxurious curtains blowing in the wind by the window and said, "I wonder how long you wish to observe?"

As Claire spoke, an old man with silver eyes, wearing a black robe embroidered with a storm symbol, walked out in a gust of wind. "Perceptive little fellow, you actually noticed me?"

Claire smiled and said, "Secrecy is the Goddess's authority, Your Excellency, Singer of God."

The Singer of God, Ace Snake, examined Claire and spoke in a magnetic voice, "You're not even at Sequence 4, yet you possess hidden authority. It seems you carry a sacred relic of your church."

Claire didn't respond to the question. She simply took out the ordinary button that Saint Anthony had instructed her to and threw it towards Ace Snake.

Ace Snake controlled the breeze to hold the button up. He showed a hint of doubt at first, then realized it was the cuff of a Church of Evernight priest's robe. He took the button off with a look of sudden realization. His silver eyes betrayed no dissatisfaction as he said calmly, "Anthony, are you suspecting me?"

Upon hearing this, Claire said, "A human trafficker who is known to everyone is living such a comfortable life in Cherwood District. If I were Saint Anthony, I would also suspect that something is wrong with the Church of Storms."

Unexpectedly, Claire dared to say this. Ace Snake looked at Claire calmly and said, "You are the captain of the Red Gloves. Don't you understand that the church and the royal family have an agreement that they cannot actively interfere in worldly affairs unless extraordinary factors are involved?"

Claire wasn't afraid. Although the person before her was also a demigod, she possessed the Holy Coffin and the Emblem of Night, giving her confidence. She said bluntly, "There have been Beyonders with close ties to Capian before."

Upon hearing this, Ace Snake's silver eyes flickered. "Did Anthony discover this news, or did you?"

Claire ignored the question.

Seeing that Claire didn't answer, Ace Snake's demeanor softened slightly. He sighed softly and said, "Things are moving faster than I expected. Before I could decide whether to capture him directly or wait and see, Kapin was slaughtered. It's as if someone knew Kapin had been exposed."

Claire was surprised when she heard this, "Is there really a problem in the Church of Storms?"

The rumor that Capin was Backlund's biggest human trafficker had been circulating in Backlund for a long time, but nothing had happened. However, when the Church of Storms was preparing for a secret investigation, Capin, who was designated as the focus of the investigation, was silenced. This was hard not to arouse suspicion.

Ace Snake said without hesitation, "I'm checking."

Claire suddenly understood. No wonder the Mandated Punisher said Archbishop Ace Snake took this case so seriously. Not only because of the crime of human trafficking, but also because there was a suspected traitor in the Church of the Storm who was tipping off an unknown enemy!
Ace Snake looked at Claire and said solemnly, "If you discover anything that's inconvenient for the Mandated Punisher to know, you can contact me directly at the Holy Wind Church."

After saying this, Ace Snake disappeared from the scene in a gust of wind, regardless of whether Claire agreed or not.

Not far away, there were other people's voices.

Claire recognized the voices of Alger and Audrey, who were walking towards them.

Claire's thoughts were still on Ace Snake. Even if there was a traitor within the Church of Storms, the Mandated Punishers' usual strong attitude and the presence of Cardinal Ace Snake would never reveal this to her or the Church of the Evernight Goddess and request cooperation.

"Unless... the demigod, the Singer of God, is also in some kind of trouble." Claire murmured in her heart, feeling more and more that the events and people involved behind Capin, Beth, Alicia and others were extremely complicated.

……

Audrey, in disguise, stood in front of the cordon. She was excited and nervous about being invited to participate in a case involving extraordinary factors.

But even after showing the officers of the Cherwood District Police Station his official credentials as Senior Inspector Backlund, he was still stopped by these officers.

Audrey was not allowed to pass until a man with blue seaweed hair came jogging over.

"Is it Ms. 'Tulip' from the Church of Night?"

"Yes." Audrey nodded, and looked at the dark blue-haired man in front of her with suspicion. He was not very strong, of medium build, and said, "You are..."

"I am the Mandated Punisher in charge of this case, Alger Wilson."

Audrey's emotions were surging at the moment. If it weren't for her role as an "audience member", this surprise would have almost appeared directly on her face.

Because Audrey confirmed that the man in front of her was the original companion in the Tarot Club, "The Hanged Man"!
It wasn't just because of the familiar figure and hair color, it wasn't just because she once suspected that the "Hanged Man" was a Beyonder from the Church of Storms, it wasn't just because of her Beyonder ability of "mind reading", but also because she had watched this figure from afar!

Restraining her excitement and surprise, Audrey judged from the "Hanged Man's" behavior and demeanor that the other party did not recognize her!
"Luckily, I'm investigating the case under the identity of 'Tulip'. Fortunately, I've disguised myself..."

Audrey calmed down and didn't intend to directly reveal to The Hanged Man that she was Justice. She chatted with him about the martial law here: "Mr. Wilson, please come and pick me up. I didn't expect that even a senior inspector would be stopped outside."

As she spoke, Audrey secretly thought: Let's see how long it takes for the Hanged Man to discover my identity...

In response to Audrey's question, Alger calmly replied, "Ms. Tulip, this is your first time participating in a joint investigation... Because this case has been handed over to our Church of Storms, even if other senior inspectors want to intervene, the police officers assisting with the martial law must first inform us, the Mandated Punishers."

While talking with this "Tulip" and leading her into the villa, Alger felt a faint doubt in his heart.

When they first met, although the other party concealed it well, Alger still caught the other party's slightly surprised change of mentality.

This "Tulip" knows me!

Alger made this judgment.

But what puzzled Alger was that he didn't know anyone in the Church of Evernight...

Well...if I have to name someone I know, it's only the "priestess" Meazza Claire who died in Tingen.

Alger thought about it in his mind, but other than confirming that he had never had any previous interactions with the Beyonders of the Church of Evernight, he didn't discover anything new.

Could it be that it was someone I knew before who joined the Church of Night and became a member of the "Red Gloves"?
Alger thought so.

(End of this chapter)