The story of the black silk female knight

"That's true, haha~" xN

Everyone smiled, full of confidence that they would catch the imposter thief within a month.

After laughing, Valensa looked at her senior sister:

"In short, we've cut off his escape route by changing his identity. Now we need to figure out a way to force him to show himself, or anticipate his next move and ambush him in advance... Senior sister, you used to be the most outstanding phantom thief. If you were in this situation, what would you do?"

"Me?"

Miss Phantom Thief did not answer immediately.

She paced lightly around the room twice, lost in thought, before sitting down in a chair with her legs together, hands on her lap, clutching her skirt.

"If I were that imposter, my first choice would definitely be to find a new shell and escape from the Divine Continent with my treasure. It's too dangerous here."

But that month-long large-scale prayer event was undoubtedly the church telling me that it knew my purpose and methods and would mobilize a lot of resources to arrest me.

So I have to find a way to get through this month... Even in the continent of Gods, a collective prayer that lasts for more than a month is a bit excessive. Even the most devout believers need rest. When the collective prayer stops, I will have the opportunity to make a new shell.

But getting through this month won't be easy... The Divine Continent is a fully urbanized continent, and there are no desolate wildernesses to hide in. No matter where you hide, you can't avoid contact with the local residents.

The box I stole couldn't be stored in my storage space, and the church even released the information to all residents to collect clues... Under these circumstances, it was very dangerous to hide the box somewhere or carry it with me.

So..."

The phantom thief hesitated for a moment, rubbing her skirt with her hand before continuing:

“I’ll try to disguise that box so that ordinary people can’t recognize it… No, that doesn’t seem to work either. After all, the box isn’t small, and it can’t be stored in a storage space. Carrying such a big thing around would still easily arouse suspicion no matter how it’s disguised… Hmm, in that case, it seems there’s only one best option.”

Miss Thief finally loosened her skirt and looked up at Valensa:

"That imposter will try to open that box... I believe his real target is definitely not the box itself, but what's inside. The ingenious lock is indeed very powerful, but it's not entirely impossible to open. For example, a craftsman skilled in making this kind of lock might have a way."

Once the contents of the box are removed, it becomes much easier for the imposter to hide himself. He can even throw out the empty box to attract our attention, buying himself time to escape and hide.

And if we fail to capture him within this month, there's a high chance he'll create a new shell, use a new identity, and escape with the contents of the box... Unless we completely block the intercontinental teleportation between here and Frenoia, but even that probably won't last long, right?

"This one……"

Zero hesitated for a moment, flicked his tail a few times behind him, and then nodded:

"We won't block it... It's true that it's very shameful for our church to have something stolen from our treasury by a petty thief, but it's even more shameful to block intercontinental teleportation because of a petty thief... So we must find and catch him within this month!"

"Keep an eye on those weapon refiners from the Eastern Continent."

The phantom thief let out a deep, confident breath:

“I’m at least 9% sure that imposter will try to open the box, but the ingenious lock isn’t so easy to break. He’ll have to ask those weapon refiners from the Eastern Continent for help.”

"A weapon refiner from the Tianxuan Continent... Hmm, we do have one here."

Zero thought for a moment and then nodded:

“During the great exodus of believers from the Tianxuan Continent more than 300 years ago, many weapon refiners also came to the Divine Favor Continent. There should be descendants left behind, living in the areas with a relatively large population from the Tianxuan Continent... I will go and verify their identities!”

The group immediately sprang into action, first searching the population database of the Divine Continent to find all the weapon refiners and their descendants who came from the Heavenly Profound Continent back then, and then visiting them separately.

Of course, the two saintesses would not personally participate in such a visit... Their status was too high and they were well-known throughout the continent of divine favor. It would be easy for them to alert the enemy if they acted, and Zero was also responsible for presiding over a continent-wide collective prayer.

The main people in charge of the visits were Valensa, Miss Phantom Thief, Chiba, and Ilana, but it wasn't just the four of them; some priests and paladins who were in charge of intelligence also participated.

After checking the database, it was discovered that the total population of Tianxuan people on the Divine Continent has exceeded 150 million. Among them, there are several thousand descendants of weapon refiners and people who have been exposed to weapon refining techniques. It would be too inefficient to rely on just a few people to visit them.

After four days of covert investigation, a new discovery was indeed made.

It was the result of Thousand Leaf Grass's visit to an old weaponsmith who was almost 130 years old, who provided a clue that was very likely related to the imposter phantom thief.

After receiving the news, Valensa and the others gathered at Thousand Leaf Grass to inquire about the old weaponsmith's specific information.

"That was... just two or three days ago."

The old weapon refiner wasn't a powerful cultivator; at nearly 130 years old, he relied entirely on health preservation and divine grace. Although his body had become somewhat frail, he was still quite energetic.

“That gentleman talked to me for quite a while, so I remember it vividly… after all, it had been many years since anyone had talked to me about those things.”

Before coming, Valensa had already learned about the old weaponsmith's situation.

This old weapon refiner was a descendant of an excellent weapon refiner from the Tianxuan Continent. However, that weapon refiner had many branches of descendants, and he did not feel obligated to pass on his ancestor's skills.

Therefore, the weapon-refining skills of his bloodline were passed down to his generation. His sons only had some theoretical understanding of weapon-refining, but no practical skills... Anyway, living on the Divine Favor Continent did not require work, and one could just pray every day. The inheritance of skills was more like a spiritual sustenance.

This old craftsman, for example, doesn't sell any crafted products, but he often takes his tools and raw materials to the roadside, where he basks in the sun while crafting small trinkets to cultivate his mind. If interested people come to watch and chat, he doesn't mind talking to them about crafting techniques.

"That day... I was sunbathing by the roadside as usual, and casually made some products that came to my mind for fun."

The old metalworker, sitting opposite Valensa, gently tapped the rim of his teacup with the lid while recounting events from two or three days prior:

"Everyone around here knows me and is quite familiar with me. Many people have even grown up watching me make things on the roadside, so they're no longer curious about my skills... When they see me, they'll greet me politely, but they're not as excited as they were when they were kids, asking all sorts of questions."

However, some tourists who come here occasionally are still interested in chatting with me... just like that gentleman.

At first, he actually asked me if I sold those useless little things... I was amused and told him that this was the continent favored by the gods, and there was no need for such low-level behavior as trading. If he needed anything, he could just pray to Her Majesty the Goddess.

He then seemed to come to his senses and explained that he had only recently arrived on the continent of divine favor and was a pilgrim from Frenoia, and was not yet used to some of the local customs.

Then he said he really liked the little gadgets I made... and started asking me all sorts of questions about weapon crafting.

Since it had been a long time since anyone had chatted with me like this, I opened up and told him a lot about weapon crafting techniques.

As we chatted, I discovered that he was not an outsider at all; he had a certain understanding of weapon crafting techniques, and was particularly interested in ingenious locks.

Hey... he's come to the right person. I'm the descendant of our ancestors who loves and is most skilled at ingenious locks... In fact, the little things I often make on the street are all kinds of ingenious lock cylinders.

We got along better and better as we talked… and towards the end, he even pulled out a diagram with a very detailed drawing of a cleverly designed lock, asking me if there was any way to crack it.

Is this the kind of lock?

Valensa interrupted the old craftsman slightly upon hearing this, showing him the projection of the strange box.

"Yes, that's it."

The old craftsman must have already seen the projection at Thousand Leaf Grass's place; this time, he only glanced at it twice before nodding confidently.

"Although he deliberately changed the colors and some less important details when he painted it, the key part remained the same, which is this lock!"

"Can you crack this lock?"

Valensa asked hurriedly, while also feeling somewhat worried.

If the old blacksmith has indeed helped the imposter thief crack the lock, it will be quite difficult to find the imposter thief in the future.

"No... This is a very powerful mechanical lock, and it's very likely the kind of mechanical lock without a key, requiring specific conditions to open; no other method will work."

The old weaponsmith shook his head:

"That's what I told that gentleman. He seemed very disappointed, but he also earnestly asked me if there were any other ways... In the end, I couldn't bear it and told him about a possible solution."

"What method?" Valensa asked hastily.

"It's very simple... Since this kind of ingenious lock requires specific conditions to open, then find out those conditions, and then try to imitate them to open the lock."

The old blacksmith took a sip of tea, put the teacup down, and shrugged.

"So I suggested that he work on the origin of this lock... It would be best to find the original owner or descendants who set the lock, then perhaps the lock could be opened."

"Was this lock set by its owner or descendants...?"

Valensa nodded thoughtfully, glanced at her senior sister again, and then stopped dwelling on the problem of the ingenious lock itself, focusing instead on inquiring about the suspicious person:

"Do you still remember exactly what that person looked like, sir?"

"Of course I remember!"

The old weaponsmith answered with great confidence:

"He was a very short and thin man with a slightly hoarse voice and a pointed face that looked like a monkey."

Short and thin, with a pointed mouth and monkey-like cheeks.

Valencia quickly memorized the most distinctive features of the suspected imposter, then gestured with her hand to the hem of her skirt and asked:

"When he came to see you, did he bring anything with him? Like a box that was about this tall?"

"The box... I didn't see any box, but he was driving a carriage, and the carriage was quite large, so there should be a lot of things inside. The box you mentioned might be inside."

The old weaponsmith thought for a moment and then said:

“There’s another strange thing… Although he claims to be from the Frenoia Continent, he has black hair, black eyes, and yellow skin, making him more like someone from our Tianxuan Continent… At the very least, most of his bloodline should come from our Tianxuan Continent.”

"Is he from the Tianxuan Continent?"

Valensa was somewhat surprised... This was indeed an unexpected clue, and she quickly made a note of it.

After asking the old blacksmith some more detailed questions and confirming that there were no more clues, Valensa, on behalf of the Church of the Sun, thanked the old blacksmith and performed a standard blessing ceremony for him before taking her leave.

According to the information provided by the old weaponsmith, the imposter thief is indeed already looking for a way to open the box, and his next step is likely to be to investigate the box's owner... namely, the former Inner Palace Knight of the Central Continent Empire who has already gone to explore other planets.

“This time, we might be able to lure him into our trap... I have a plan.”

Inside the temporary stronghold in the Tianxuan people's settlement, Valensa looked thoughtfully at her senior sister, a confident smile on her face.

"What method?"

Thousand Leaf Grass, Ilana, and the two saintesses who were communicating remotely via projection all looked at Valensa with curiosity.

Only the phantom thief, who was being stared at by Valensa, seemed to understand, and her eyes lit up as well:

"Junior sister, do you want me to pretend to be the person he's looking for, and lure him into a trap?"

"good."

Valensa smiled and nodded, then looked at Zero and Velenkaza projected beside her:

"If I remember correctly... information about planets should be kept at a very high level of secrecy within the Church of the Sun, right? In other words, not many people should know the truth about that senior Inner Templar Knight going to another planet?"

"Yes!"

Zero's eyes lit up, and she even snapped her fingers... Even though the projection only showed half of her body, it wasn't hard to imagine how joyful her succubus tail was at that moment:

"Only a few people know that she went to explore other planets. Most people think that she just retired somewhere to enjoy life. There are even rumors that she eloped with her elven lover!"

"That's easy."

Valensa snapped her fingers and continued:

"I don't think that fake phantom thief has the ability to know about the planet. We can easily fabricate a descendant of that predecessor to lure him into a trap!"

“I understand what you’re thinking… You want Miss Red to impersonate that person, right? It’s easy for us to create this person; I just need to say a few words and move my fingers… But this person is just a temporary creation. How can we let that imposter thief know about it? If we use too obvious a method to promote this person, won’t it make him suspicious?” Zero asked again.

"Therefore, we cannot use the church's official channels to let him know about this. It would be best if he learned about this fictional character by chance."

Valensa had already thought about this, and said with a smile:

"Those priests and paladins in charge of intelligence work should all be good at this... These next few days, have them put down their work, disguise themselves as ordinary residents, and spend their days playing in the entertainment venues in the Tianxuan people's settlement. Just spread some ambiguous rumors while chatting."

"Do you think that imposter is still lurking in this area?" Zero asked.

"Highly likely... even if he's hiding in other areas, he'll definitely come back here to look for clues about the ingenious lock."

Valensa said confidently:

"If you want to gather information, the most common way is to go to entertainment venues and listen to gossip... The more detailed the gossip, the more likely it is to be just a gossip. On the contrary, some vague information is likely to be true information... People who are often in charge of intelligence work should be able to grasp this. I believe that my brothers and sisters can do a good job."

"I understand what you mean."

Zero nods:

“Although I’m not very good at intelligence work, the Midara sisters certainly know how… I’ll pass on your words to her, and she’ll take care of it.”

. . . . .

The clandestine visits and the bi-weekly collective prayers had little impact on the Tianxuan people's settlement, and the locals continued their leisurely lives as always.

Every day, people sleep until they naturally wake up, offer a brief prayer at the Divine Grace Restaurant, enjoy a delicious meal, then find a favorite entertainment venue to while away the time, and continue eating and sleeping until the day is over... Apart from regularly going to the nearby church to pray, this is pretty much how the residents of the Divine Grace Continent live.

The Tianxuan people's residential area hasn't changed much these days. Every day, all sorts of rumors and gossip circulate in the entertainment venues where people play cards, chess, drink, and watch sports.

What was said unintentionally was taken to heart by someone hiding in the shadows. One of the most clichéd gossip stories was carefully noted down by someone lurking in the dark.

The woman involved in the scandal was a young, newlywed wife who possessed beauty and a stunning figure that most people admired. She was a womanizer and cheated on her husband shortly after their marriage.

If it's just a pretty married woman having an affair, it's not a big deal... Even with the protection of a goddess, it's impossible to guarantee that every relationship will remain faithful forever. Infidelity happens every day after marriage, and often, infidelity doesn't mean betraying love; it could simply be an inability to resist desire and loneliness.

The reason this beautiful married woman's affair story is so talked about is because she married a man but had an affair with another woman, who was even her husband's sister. She even loudly mocked her husband's incompetence while having sex with her lover, and others overheard them... In short, the story has become more and more outrageous.

Another point is that this beautiful married woman's identity is not ordinary... It is said that her ancestors were important figures who led many believers from the Tianxuan Continent to evacuate, and can be considered benefactors to all the Tianxuan people living on the Divine Favor Continent... It is quite poignant that she has done such a thing now.

That's all the rumor is about, and it sounds like it's mostly exaggerated. Many people laughed it off after hearing it, commenting on how clever the young people are.