Completing the Puzzle

The speaker was a woman in her early twenties. As she spoke, she picked up the bottle beside her and took a swig of Langzi.

—Langzi referred to a type of strong distilled liquor made from pure malt. It came in various varieties, such as the sailors' favorite "Fiery Langzi." The bottle in her hand was clearly a high-end product from Intis, similar to Loen's Blackland. Both its bottle design and price were quite "exquisite"… There were even rumors that Emperor Roselle had named it "Brandy," though no one knew the exact meaning or origin of the term.

Indo, being a port city in the Seafaring Sea, served as a natural trade hub for Loen, Intis, and Feysac. As a result, it was always well-stocked with fine goods from all three nations.

The captain of the Demon Hunter squad was a male half-giant, towering at about 2.5 meters. He ignored his subordinates' drinking habits—after all, how else could they handle their cases without alcohol?

However, after hearing the woman's analysis of "Iron Man," he frowned slightly and asked, "Siltana, why would Loen's so-called 'vigilante' come all the way to Feysac to enforce justice?"

"Captain, did you forget what 'Fierce Wolf' and his men have done?" Siltana hiccupped, then glanced at the corpses on the ground with clear disgust. "Scum like him deserved what he got."

"You mean… that so-called 'courage training' for his recruits?" The half-giant captain's expression shifted as he recalled the details. If "Fierce Wolf" Livov had drawn Iron Man's attention because of his organized massacres in Loen's coastal villages, then it made perfect sense.

"Even so, we can't just let him kill and leave as he pleases… Siltana, did he leave behind any clues?" the captain asked gravely.

Siltana took another swig of alcohol, then focused her senses for a moment before shaking her head. "He was very careful—no traces at all. The only thing we can try is divining with this list of crimes he left behind… but don't get your hopes up."

As she spoke, she picked up the sheet of paper and began murmuring an incantation.

A few moments later, she spread her hands helplessly. "Captain, give it up… And even if we did find him, our squad isn't strong enough to stop him."

The half-giant captain pondered for a while before finally nodding. "You're right… Lately, a lot of foreign Beyonders have been showing up in Indo, and crime has surged because of it… I wonder what's really going on."

"It's probably connected to those rumors about the offshore ruins," Siltana scoffed. She didn't believe in such stories—after all, similar rumors had existed in Indo for over a decade, but no one had ever found anything, aside from that one crazy fisherman.

From her experience, it was likely just a drunken hallucination… After all, I've seen an elegant bronze-skinned gentleman while drunk, even though I could never make out his face!

Too bad he was just a hallucination… Siltana sighed in regret before taking another sip. To be honest, he was actually my type.

"Forget it…" The half-giant captain shook his head, then ordered another squad member to inform the police, framing the case as a gang conflict. After that, he turned to Siltana and said, "Duke Greycastle's youngest daughter, Miss Nasha, will be arriving in Indo tomorrow. I'm assigning you to receive her."

"Why me? Duke Greycastle is a real political heavyweight. If his daughter is visiting, the nobles and council members will be tripping over themselves to welcome her. Why would this task fall to me?" Siltana asked, perplexed.

"Because Miss Nasha Einhorn also holds a position in the Church, and her visit this time isn't on any public itinerary." The captain explained briefly, then, after promising to get her a few bottles of fine liquor, successfully forced the assignment onto her.

Siltana muttered under her breath, "Don't tell me even the duke's daughter believes in that ridiculous rumor…"

...

At 16 Port Avenue, in a villa in Indo's harbor district, Ebner and Captain Dunn sat across from each other, eating a late-night meal and sharing their experiences. Meanwhile, Lady Closfia had gone upstairs to take a bath.

—As a Southerner, daily bathing had long been a habit for her. Even while following Dunn on his "heroic crusade," she had never once neglected her personal care.

Of course, since Dunn was still in his "indulging desires" state, he did most of the talking, while Ebner simply listened.

About half an hour later, after hearing Dunn's real experiences—stripped of the embellishments found in newspaper reports—Ebner sighed, "Your life has been intense and thrilling."

"Not as thrilling as the things you've done," a voice chimed in. Lady Closfia, now towel-drying her hair, walked down the stairs with a teasing smile.

"What have I done that's so thrilling?" Ebner asked, puzzled.

Whether it was intercepting the King of Immortality's fleet or answering questions in a dream, the things he had done under the "Doctor Strange" alias shouldn't be much in the eyes of a demigod, right?

As for what had happened in the Daniel Labyrinth Grand Hall, he had deliberately left out details about the Ghost Empire when talking with Dunn earlier.

"Helping the Chained God break free and reducing the Mother Tree of Desire's influence over the Prisoner pathway… Isn't that thrilling enough?" Lady Closfia said with a half-smile.

The Chained God escaped? The Mother Tree of Desire's hold over the Prisoner pathway has weakened?

Does this mean… Tolzna ran off with the Uniqueness?

I see now… The sacrifice of "1-025" was meant to exploit its corruption, giving Him a chance to break free from control!

But even if the Mother Tree of Desire was caught off guard at first, She should've had time to intervene… Unless… something else distracted Her at the same time!

Ebner's mind raced through countless thoughts.

"Abyssal demons, Roselle's adopted son, the 'Whisperer,' 'Duke of Terror' Yaldabaoth—he took control of the Church of the God of Combat's senior deacon, Niango Eichia Maipanin, and used him to conduct a grand sacrificial ritual on Sonia Island.

"And the target of the sacrifice was the Devil Monarch Farbauti.

"In the end, Abomination Suah arrived on Sonia Island and successfully stopped the ritual."

As if sensing what Ebner was thinking, Lady Closfia spoke with a playful smile, bringing up something that seemed unrelated.

But her words were like a bolt of lightning, instantly connecting countless scattered clues and completing the theory Ebner had formed in the Source Fortress.

Niango Eichia Maipanin… That name isn't unfamiliar to me. He's the father of that "Bonebreaker" who fought "Admiral of Blood" at the Pirate Conference. He's also the mastermind behind the pirate arms smuggling operation and the one who falsely accused Gwen, putting a bounty on her head.

It's as if all of the Church of the God of Combat's dirty work was his doing…

Edwina once mentioned that this newly promoted demigod intercepted the Black Emperor when the King of Immortality was hunting her, but he was later repelled…

Now it seems he wasn't simply repelled—he was controlled by Yaldabaoth, with Nast's cooperation!

Yaldabaoth and Nast were both nobles granted titles by Roselle. They had a foundation for working together.

And this confirms something—Roselle was definitely an essential "piece" in this grand scheme. He must have had some connection with Daniel… The question is, did he merely obtain some of Daniel's relics, or… was Daniel never truly dead in the first place?

Sigh… Still too little evidence. All I can do is speculate…

Also, the Church of the God of Combat was definitely involved in that plan initiated by Daniel, where various high-ranking figures intervened. They were just in charge of Plan B… which was helping Farbauti escape!

After all, there's no way a god wouldn't notice when a high-ranking demigod—who was also entrusted with overseeing Church affairs—got mind-controlled.

And a massive sacrificial ritual happening on Sonia Island, only to be "conveniently" stopped by an angel of the Rose School of Thought? That just makes the Church's role in this even more suspicious… They practically let it happen in broad daylight!

But if the Chained God has escaped, then Farbauti is likely under even tighter watch now… and it seems that Maria, the "Admiral of Blood," who might have been His contingency plan, is going to be in an even worse position.

While these thoughts ran through his mind, Ebner looked at Lady Closfia, who had wrapped herself tightly against the cold. Sincerely, he said, "Thank you for the information, Miss Closfia."

"No need to thank me… The Mother Goddess instructed me to share what I know with you," Closfia replied with a vague smile. "These pieces of intelligence come from a gathering I attended. They may not all be true… or rather, they may not be the whole truth."

"Psychological Alchemists'" Council meeting, huh?

As expected, that Feysac priest was also involved in Daniel's scheme… or at the very least, he was aware of it!

While Ebner was deep in thought, Dunn, who had been listening on the side, was utterly lost. However, since his current "indulged desire" was explaining rather than seeking knowledge, he didn't ask any questions.

Closfia glanced at the former captain of the Nighthawks, her expression tinged with amusement. After all, the Mother Goddess had specifically instructed her to let him overhear all of this… But for what purpose, even she had no idea.

She wouldn't dare attempt to pry into a deity's intentions—she could only observe the people involved.

After Closfia showed no further interest in the topic, Ebner tactfully shifted the conversation and brought up the matter of his advancement ritual for Mysticism Magister.

Upon hearing his request, Closfia pondered for a moment before smiling and saying, "I can assist you with the ritual… but you'll have to agree to one condition."

(End of Chapter)