Qianyuan: My crew comes from the world of anime.

He walked up to the hunched-over missionary and spoke in a voice that sounded like a deflated balloon:

"Hmph~ How come you two poor losers got here first?"

Luo Tianming: "..."

Okay, now he knows what kind of person this guy is; he's a megalomaniac.

Beethoven's face trembled as he asked, "Where are the others?"

Missionary: "The others haven't arrived yet..."

He waved his hand irritably, as if shooing away some annoying fly.

"Alright, alright, it's hard to even listen to you... Is this 'newcomer' next to you your apprentice?"

Missionary: "No...this is [Robert Schumann]."

"...!"

Upon hearing the name, Beethoven unconsciously swallowed.

"Are you serious?" His voice rose two octaves. "He...he's Robert Schumann?! That's...amazing!"

Suddenly, the missionary looked at him with a cold gaze and said, "That's irrelevant. From now on, anyone who enters the site is prohibited from discussing their original names, titles, or anything like that."

Big?

Luo Tianming felt that there was something hidden about this so-called code name, "Robert Schumann," that he didn't know about.

Beethoven left, taking his large group of followers with him. He showed no gratitude whatsoever for the food and pre-prepared cabins offered by Luo Tianming and the others.

……

Right after he left, the second submarine also docked.

It was a Jupiter separatist submarine, and when they docked at the station, they deliberately harassed the Nautilus with active sonar as if in provocation.

They only quieted down a little when Lucy couldn't take it anymore and remotely hacked into the ship's systems, inputting incorrect signals and causing their nuclear reactor to catch fire.

The second person to arrive was someone whose aura alone suggested he was not to be trifled with. He had a thick beard, and his face was strikingly sculpted, with cold, piercing eyes hidden beneath caterpillar-like eyebrows.

Luo Tianming already knew the visitor's name in advance: [Bach]

[Bach] walked straight up to Luo Tianming, looked him up and down with razor-sharp eyes, and asked:

"You are Robert Schumann?"

Luo Tianming: "...Yes"

Before Luo Tianming could speak, he continued:

"Forget it, it doesn't matter who [Robert Schumann] is. Anyway, the archbishop hasn't shown any signs of coming. Even if someone uses this code name, what does it represent?"

"More than that, what I care about is: missionary, why didn't you plan ahead and instead chose such an abandoned site to hold such an important event for the sect?"

Missionary: "[Bach] Your Excellency... It doesn't seem to be your job as 'Minister of Propaganda' to handle matters concerning the organization and selection of the venue."

Bach laughed nonchalantly: "You always think that everyone should do their own job, that's called being pedantic... If it weren't for me, the Painted Skin Church would never have been able to establish its own site in the 'Dark Sea Plain' region."

Missionary: "But as far as we know... you seized that site, which has made the Europa Alliance even more nervous about us."

[Bach]: "It should have been done a long time ago. The alliance has softened its stance towards us recently. If we don't take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take bolder action, we will be wasting it."

The missionary said, “But our attitude toward the Europa Alliance is one of appeasement. As long as we don’t take sides, the Alliance will gradually relax its oversight of us. This is the Archbishop’s intention.”

[Bach]: "But the archbishop isn't here right now."

After saying that, he quickly stepped over the two people who remained in place, and without saying a word, he and his men occupied the most central and best-heated spot in the station.

The men he led were exceptionally capable and taciturn, as well as well-trained like a gangster.

Luo Tianming couldn't help but ask, "Is this the enemy we need to be wary of? He doesn't seem to be very religious?"

“No,” the missionary replied, “quite the opposite. If the archbishop were here, he would be the most loyal dog of all…you could see him wailing and howling, bowing every three steps like an ascetic.”

"No one in the Painted Skin Cult is more devout than him... However, he seems eager to complete the 'ritual,' but the archbishop always says it's not the right time yet... This makes him think that his 'devoutness' is not enough."

Luo Tianming: "...Alright, so the rest of the people aren't all weirdos, are they?"

Missionary: "The next one won't be."

Luo Tianming had just breathed a sigh of relief when he heard him add, "The next one is even more perverted."

"..."

Schubert, known as the 'freak,' stepped off the airlock. He was a tall and elegant gentleman among the crowd. He wore a thick British gentleman's suit jacket, and his crisp suit trousers revealed white socks inside his leather shoes.

A face that shows no signs of aging, yet possesses the full head of white hair of a politician.

He was more like an official of the Alliance than a 'cultist'.

Of course, this made the 'rumors' that Luo Tianming and the missionary had just discussed about him even more bizarre and strange.

Upon seeing the two, he enthusiastically wanted to hug them:

"Hey, do we have any new friends?"

The missionary didn't intend to respond, and Luo Tianming had no interest in embracing men. He lowered his captain's hat and said:

"Hello, Mr. Schubert... I am Robert Schumann."

Luo Tianming stared intently at his face, trying to discern some emotion from it.

His attitude changed rapidly, from initial flattery and goodwill to a moment of astonishment, followed by a deep frown... and finally, regret.

“So,” his voice was filled with deep disappointment, “Archbishop Yakov won’t be attending this concert?”

The missionary bowed his head and said, “The will of the Holy One is unpredictable. There is an old saying in the East, ‘The dragon appears but its tail is never seen,’ which is a metaphor for the elusiveness of things. We cannot understand what the Archbishop is doing. He is already a ‘pioneer,’ and we can only follow in his footsteps.”

Schubert seemed to accept these words, but he just waved his hand in disappointment: "Don't bother me unless it's important. Call me when the concert starts."

Having said that, he waved his hand... and the believers on the ship began unloading the 'cargo'.

No, strictly speaking—it's a woman.

All sorts of women, imprisoned in chains, their limbs severed and placed in containers, crawling on all fours on the ground...

This Schubert seems to have unusual hobbies, especially in the sense of 'sex'. As a receptionist for the Painted Skin Cult, he would hold so-called 'banquets' wherever he went, inviting all kinds of social celebrities.

Even Archbishop Yakov considered the nature of these 'banquets' to be somewhat extreme.

…………

Luo Tianming smirked: "If all the people who come are this weirdo, I'm already thinking of quitting."

The missionary reassured him, "Don't worry, the next one is Mozart, who is an old friend of mine."

After the first three memorable guys, we finally met someone who seemed normal.

A small, old man with a neat mustache, his brown eyes filled with sadness and weariness, walked with his head down and almost bumped into Luo Tianming and his companions.

He looked up in surprise: "My God, isn't this... Your Excellency the Missionary?"

Missionary: "Jeffrey, it's been a long time... Let me introduce you, this is currently codenamed [Robert Schumann]."

"Captain Luo, let me introduce you... This is Jeffrey, codename [Mozart]. He is mainly responsible for internal investigations and purges within the sect."

"..."

This caused Luo Tianming to immediately withdraw his hand, which he had intended to shake.

Although they seem to have a good relationship, unfortunately, this guy and Luo Tianming, who is a 'special agent,' are naturally at odds.

Fortunately, he only needs to receive these important 'guests'... The rest of the people who haven't arrived yet probably won't make it to the concert.

"..."

Strangely, when Luo Tianming asked what the special meaning of the name "Robert Schumann" was, both the missionary and "Mozart" gave him enigmatic smiles.

Watching them leave, Luo Tianming couldn't quite understand their purpose.

Why would they assign him a title that was once associated with 'archbishop'?

"...Hey~"

A hoarse voice, so loud that Luo Tianming almost mistook it for a missionary calling him, rang out from behind him.

Luo Tianming turned around and saw a person completely shrouded in a black robe.

He continued in his hoarse voice:

"You are Robert Schumann?"

"..."

Luo Tianming was already getting tired of this problem.

The man, however, seemed quite engrossed, muttering to himself in a barely audible voice:

"Good...you're very good, not bad, at least that old guy's eyes haven't gone blind."

In response to his rude tone, Luo Tianming warily asked in return:

"who are you?"

“Me?” He let out a chilling laugh. “Heh heh, I am… ah, I am…”

"Just call me [Liszt], I don't think anyone uses that code name, right?"

Luo Tianming: Not yet.

[Liszt]: "Then it's settled. I arrived at this station before you all. I've been observing you for a while now. You're an interesting person."

"I hope everyone has a great time at this concert."

Luo Tianming: "..."

He was just about to ask what this guy was doing there when the missionary behind him asked, "Captain Luo, what are you doing?"

Luo Tianming: "I'm here..."

Turning my head, the guy who called himself "Liszt" was gone.

"..."

From the start of the concert... one strange thing after another began to happen.

However, the real eeriness has only just begun...

The next day, people discovered that Beethoven was dead.

Chapter 115 Strange Things

"This is a 'detective case'."

After listening to Luo Tianming's description, Nan Mengya immediately spoke up.

“Absolutely right. Look: party, locked room, murder, an inescapable meeting place... This is exactly the opening of a detective novel.”

JK had an "I see" look on her face, but the others didn't understand what she was talking about.

I just find it hard to believe that the person named Beethoven that Luo Tianming mentioned died.

Similarly, he found it very strange when he heard the news from Lucy... How could someone who seemed fine when he was received yesterday suddenly die this morning?

"..."

Lucy shook her head, indicating:

"I don't know either. I just heard someone shout 'Beethoven is dead' over there. It's still very noisy, and I can't hear any useful information."

Luo Tianming pondered for a moment: "We'll find out soon enough whether it's true or not..."

Bang bang bang!

A rapid knocking sounded at the airlock, and outside stood a somewhat anxious missionary and his followers.

As soon as the airlock was opened, the missionary in front of him said, "Things are not good..."

Luo Tianming interrupted prematurely, asking, "[Beethoven] is dead?"

Is it really him?

The missionary was taken aback for a moment, then regained his composure:

“It was definitely him, I saw it with my own eyes… but how do you know?”

Luo Tianming: "People have been shouting since just now. I just think this is very strange."