My magic panel is too numerical.

"A decoy?" Pharos asked, feeling somewhat uncertain.

"You recently stayed at Moretti Estate, seeking their protection out of fear of retaliation."

"Um, why stay at Moretti Manor?" Faros asked.

Shouldn't bait show itself often to entice the eye? What bait is ever completely protected?

"You don't need to know, just do as I say." The woman's attitude turned cold. "The church has already made arrangements for your family. You'll stay at Moretti's house until the murderer is caught."

Pharos grimaced, somewhat unwilling.

Well, it's still better than being bullied by the "proxy" lady.

"Also, try to get close to Miss Serena. I'll ask you about her regularly."

"Ah, Miss Serena? Is there something wrong with her?" Pharos asked, his face full of questions.

What do these tasks have to do with bait?

Christina did not answer, but got up and left the confessional.

…………

Night had fallen, and the gas lamps emitted a dim, yellowish glow.

We walked out of the church.

The streets were bustling with people, and Pharos lingered for a moment at the church entrance, waiting for Miss Raven.

"It's faster than I expected. What did Miss Christina tell you?" Miss Raven, who had disappeared into the night, was hard to spot, startling Pharos.

"I said, could you please not speak to me from behind?" Pharos complained, then recounted the conversation in the confessional.

Why would staying at Moretti's house be considered bait?

After listening, Miss Crow raised the same question.

Logically speaking, shouldn't being protected make one safer?

"Who knows what that 'proxy' lady is up to?" Pharos said helplessly.

"So what are you going to do now?"

Faros thought for a moment: "Seeking the Moretti family's protection shouldn't be difficult, the problem is how to get close to Miss Serena."

Although the final outcome still leaned completely towards the Moretti family, he gained an additional layer of identity as a church informant.

"Does the church offer any compensation?"

"The reward should be that Miss Christina didn't twist my head off."

"Don't worry, there will definitely be a reward. Tianqi teaches me the most. Even if I go hungry myself, I won't let my informant go hungry."

"Are you very familiar with the church?" Pharos asked tentatively.

"I'm familiar not only with the church, but also with the academic faction of Moon Shadow City and the Royal Guard."

Pharos was shocked. Could Miss Raven have actually been able to come into contact with people of that level before?

So what is her true identity?

"By the way, Miss Raven, since you're so skilled, could you perhaps give me some pointers on how to allocate stat points? I still have one free point left."

Since yesterday, when the attribute points were naturally generated, Pharos has been very conflicted and hasn't been able to figure it out.

Pharos gently touched Miss Raven and opened the panel.

[Spirit: Reason 1; Spirit 0; Soul 10]

[Intelligence: Language 2; Knowledge 1; Skills 0]

[Body: Strength 2; Agility 0; Charisma 1]

[Prayer: Element 0; Prayer 0; Response 0]

"Since you've asked so sincerely, I'll mercifully tell you that as long as you don't select the 'Pray' option, the rest is up to you." Miss Crow unconsciously puffed out her chest.

"So what exactly is this 'prayer'?"

"'Prayer' is a metonym; the full name means 'deity.' Selecting 'Elements' and 'Prayer' will draw the deity's attention to you, while selecting 'Sensation' will allow you to sense the deity."

"What's the use?"

"It's useless now, but it will be useful after the Divine Favor Ritual is activated. The higher the 'Prayer' attribute, the closer one's rank is to becoming a god, and the stronger the magic one can use."

"What would happen if we did it earlier?" Pharos asked tentatively, somewhat intrigued.

"The 'Prayer' skill is very special. Going from 0 to 1 is a qualitative change. Once you point it out, the gods will notice you and then unleash a super big fart, making others think you are very talented."

"What does 'fart' mean?" Pharos asked, his face full of questions.

Do gods fart?

"When a deity casts its gaze upon a mortal, what do you think will happen? A vision, of course! The church selects talent by seeing if you've had any visions since birth. If you have, they'll accept you, but if you want to go to university, it won't help at all," Miss Raven explained.

Colleges select talent based on "intelligence" and "physical ability," while churches select talent based on "prayer."

Pharos felt that the church was more emotional, while the academy was more pragmatic.

"That's actually quite useful," he said.

"What's the use?" Miss Crow asked, puzzled.

"He's showing off his divine power in front of others."

"Uh..." Miss Crow was speechless. "If you can't get into university, you can become a charlatan and fool the church, then spend the rest of your life as a swindler."

"Then forget it."

Pharos didn't want to become a charlatan, because that would cost him Miss Raven, since Miss Raven disliked the church.

So he was faced with a difficult choice again.

The moon hung high overhead without us noticing, and the night deepened.

Pharos originally intended to walk to Moretti Manor, but after only a few steps, he saw Moretti's driver.

The driver was bald, which made him stand out under the gaslight.

"Mr. Hastings, my master sent me to fetch you for dinner."

"Dinner wasn't cancelled?" Pharos was slightly taken aback.

Although Miss Christina seems to have arranged everything, is it really appropriate to have dinner as usual on such a day?

"It's Master Enzo! He just woke up and wants to see you."

"Enzo? What's wrong with him?" Pharos asked.

"Young Master just woke up, and Master Luca told him about you, so he kept insisting on entertaining his benefactor. As you know, Detective Simon has run into trouble, and we had no choice but to invite you over so as not to upset him."

…………

21b Buick Street.

The blonde woman stepped over the fence alone and pushed open the door to the detective agency on the second floor.

She had shoulder-length blonde hair tied in a ponytail, with wispy strands softly framing her cheeks.

She wore a pure black Gothic court dress, adorned with intricate lace and silk, and a long swallowtail vest that perfectly accentuated her slender waist.

His face was gloomy, but his demeanor was elegant, and his black short-heeled over-the-knee boots made a soft, crisp sound on the ground.

Inside the bedroom, Detective Simon's body had been cleaned up, and white chalk marks had been drawn on the floor.

Beside it, the white "spirit" stood still, quietly looking out the window.

"You've come, Chris," the white "spirit" spoke up. It didn't turn around, knowing how ugly it looked at that moment.

A gentleman should maintain proper decorum in the presence of a lady.

"How did the once top-notch 'Spirit' instructor in 'Moon Shadow City' end up like this?"

Christina showed no sadness; instead, she started to joke around.

"It's retribution. Ten years ago, you and I should have died in that turmoil. The way I am now is the punishment that 'the Lord' has given me."

The white vengeful spirit tried to punch the wall, but its spirit passed through the wall and missed.

"Do you remember what happened yesterday?" Christina asked.

"I don't know! That thing disguised itself as one of my former clients and killed me instantly when I wasn't on guard," the vengeful spirit said regretfully.

His tone even carried a hint of fear.

"Admit it, brother, I've seen your miserable state. It was lust that ruined you."

"Oh Chris, you who once had a major flaw in your 'spirit' have now become a powerful 'agent,' even mocking her dear brother. I'm heartbroken. But my sister, I hope you never have a day when you're consumed by parasites."

"I'm afraid no one has been able to do that yet."

"Hmph, even though I won't be able to see it, I look forward to that day," Simon sneered.