After returning from the gray fog to the safe house in reality, Ebner touched his chin and murmured silently to himself, "Mr. Fool was a little moved just now… He even chatted with me about some past events from his previous life…"
Recalling the emotions Klein had just tried so hard to suppress, Ebner smiled knowingly, then began pondering the answers Arrodes had given him.
"The 'God's Box' actually has a lid? Since Arrodes mentioned it deliberately, it's clearly very important… Why did Roselle take it away? Was it for the plan he mentioned earlier—to release Mr. Door, break through the seal of the Western Continent, and have the 'Sefirot' help him get rid of his contamination?
"I can't be certain for now, but there's a high probability that the lid is in the hands of someone connected to Roselle… Hmm, Bernadette is excluded… Even in his madness in old age, Roselle deliberately avoided dragging his little princess into these disputes.
"So who could it be? His adopted son, Yaldabaoth? Edwina's teacher, the former Lenburg princess Isabella? The former Bayam Empire princess Bruna? Some succubus lover? Or one of his Men in Black subordinates?
"This possibility list is a bit long…
"Next, I'm a little concerned about a term Arrodes mentioned… 'One personality of the Queen of Calamity'…
"I used to think the Queen of Calamity had split her soul… Now it seems she's been divided into two personalities? And the ability to make an angel split into different personalities… there are only a few possibilities…
"Is Cohinem polluted by the Moon like Roselle was, or influenced by the 'Celestial Worthy' or the 'True Creator'?"
At this thought, Ebner couldn't help but picture the Golden Goblet saying to the Book of Calamity, 'Adam gave me humanity.'
"Lastly, the fifth survivor's characteristic is a woman in her twenties… This clue is almost as good as useless, since the other four are all women in their twenties, all beautiful, and it's easy to guess the fifth is probably similar…
"The only useful information is that the lady is currently in Backlund.
"And the contamination on her is most likely dominated by the 'Knowledge Moor,' so the abnormal abilities she displays are probably also related to knowledge…
"Is there such a lady in Backlund? Hmm… I should not have met her before. Looks like this fifth survivor is hiding very well."
After thinking for a while without any leads, Ebner decided to have Xio pay attention to the libraries or the laboratories of various universities in the future to see if there was a lady who matched the criteria…
After all, being contaminated by the 'Sefirot' was sometimes involuntary, and that survivor would surely crave all kinds of 'knowledge.'
Temporarily setting aside the matter of the 'God's Box,' Ebner glanced at the clock and felt that there was still some time before Xio and Madam Helene returned. So he put on his coat, his top hat, picked up his cane, and went out to call a carriage, heading straight for the Harvest Church.
Some of his plans still needed Lilith's consent and cooperation…
…..
West Borough, No. 9 Bellotto Street, MI9 headquarters building.
Xio came to the door of Her Highness Vera's office, hesitated for more than ten seconds, and finally knocked.
"Come in!" Her Highness Vera's voice quickly came from inside.
Xio took a deep breath, pushed the door open, and walked in, approaching the desk.
Vera put down the document in her hand and asked, "Is there something you need?"
Xio was silent for a few seconds, then said hesitantly, "Actually… I have a personal request to make of you…"
"Let's hear it." Her Highness Vera looked at Xio with a faint smile, as if she had already guessed something.
"It's just… I have a friend… uh, Detective Ebner Bryan… He wants to meet you tonight at a safe house. He said it's something very important he needs to discuss with you… I don't know if…" Xio reported haltingly.
She knew her explanation sounded suspicious, but she didn't want to lie to trick Her Highness into going, so she could only try to show her "sincerity" as much as possible.
But before she could finish, she heard Her Highness Vera agree cheerfully, "Alright!"
The normally dignified voice even carried a faint trace of excitement.
"I know this is impolite… but I suggest you… uh, what did you say?" Xio stopped halfway, suddenly realizing what she'd just heard, looking at Vera in disbelief.
Goddess above, I haven't even used the prepared speech yet!
"I said I agree to this meeting." Vera, seeing Xio's expression, couldn't help but smile, her heroic features softening considerably.
"Then… tonight at ten… at Safe House No. 5, the one I've reported." Although surprised, Xio calmed herself and gave the time and location for the meeting.
As for why she reported the safe house to MI9? Naturally, it was to get reimbursed for the rent. And she inflated the reported amount to also rent those unreported, truly private houses.
"That works." Vera stood, walked to the window, and pushed open the glass panes.
Only then did Xio notice that at some point, the room had filled with some transparent mist, which was now quickly dissipating as the indoor and outdoor air mixed.
She didn't think much of it, since there was always a water-boiling device in the room—a standalone steam mechanism—so a little water vapor was perfectly normal.
Xio originally wanted to explain Ebner's purpose, but Vera waved her hand and said they would talk after meeting.
With nothing else to say, Xio took her leave.
After she left, Vera looked through the window toward the towering Gothic clock tower in the distance.
It was Backlund's most famous landmark—the "Clock of Order."
Her gaze then passed the clock tower, toward the layered, ornate palace further away—the king's residence, Sodorak Palace.
Vera's lips curved slowly as she thought, So you're really selling me out? The frequency of surveillance is much higher than before! Unfortunately, I am not the real Vera… That naive girl who firmly opposed you died long ago in the mission you arranged.
Hmph, but my opinion of you hasn't changed. Someone so lacking in resolve, who doesn't even dare eliminate me for fear of the royal family's opinion, and instead schemes to borrow an outsider's hand… How could someone like that ever ascend to the 'Black Emperor's' throne?
An emperor must carry out their will, enforce the order they set, and never compromise!
Rules built on compromise, in violation of the natural state of things…
Vera gave a cold smile, then packed up and left her office, heading in good spirits toward her villa.
She was going back to change into something more appropriate.
…..
St. George's Borough, in a cluttered room of a factory.
A cracked mirror suddenly gleamed, its surface turning dark and deep, as if connecting to another world.
Suddenly, a pale hand reached up from beneath the mirror's surface, as though passing through rippling water.
A figure emerged from the mirror—it was Vice Admiral of Ailment Tracy, wearing a white shirt and beige trousers.
She glanced around, finding nothing, and frowned in puzzlement.
At that moment, moonlight suddenly shone into the room, and a beautiful silver-haired lady appeared before her.
The lady's beauty was so exquisite that Tracy lost herself for a moment, feeling a sensation similar to when Ebner had "charmed" her.
Shame and annoyance welled up inside her, but the lady was undoubtedly a demigod—and a stranger at that—so she dared not reveal her feelings. Instead, she greeted politely and cautiously asked, "Madam, where is Ebner Bryan?"
Although Ebner had let her go previously, to prevent her from committing further crimes, he had taken some of her blood and hair to track her location.
If he ever heard news of her doing evil again, he could remove her at any time.
This time, Ebner had used her blood and hair to perform a ritual, summoning her here for a meeting.
The silver-haired lady was, of course, Madam Helene, who had come to Backlund with Ebner. She glanced at Tracy a few times, her severe expression softening slightly, for Tracy's soul wasn't as filthy and degenerate as she had imagined.
It was still not clean, but remained within the bounds of an ordinary human.
"Ebner asked me here to resolve the matter of your mother being controlled…"
(End of this chapter)