Backlund.
"Fors, you seem very anxious." Xio put down her morning paper, her voice filled with obvious concern.
It was eight o'clock in the morning. For Fors, it should still be the time she was immersed in her dreams. But at this moment, she was pacing back and forth in the living room in her bathrobe, her unkempt long hair messy, clearly having been restless for a long time.
Fors seemed not to hear Xio's words, muttering incessantly.
Xio tilted her head: "Nothing?"
"It's the letter!" Fors suddenly stopped, grabbing at her hair in a Collapse manner, "I still haven't received a reply!"
"A reply?" Xio blinked, "From your loyal reader?"
Fors nodded heavily, her cheeks flushed with excitement: "It's been over two weeks! He's never gone this long without replying."
Looking at her friend's slightly exaggerated manner, Xio couldn't help but advise: "Perhaps he's just too busy, didn't you say his family had a mishap?"
"Of course I know!" Fors put her hands on her hips, with an expression of "I've already thought of that," "So I specifically sent 100 pounds to help him through this difficult time."
"100 pounds… Heavens! Fors, when did you become so generous?" Xio's eyes widened, nearly jumping out of her chair, looking at Fors with a face full of surprise.
Fors immediately lifted her chin: "What do you mean by that? Am I usually stingy?"
"Uh…" Xio's mouth twitched, "I mean, you just gave him 100 pounds for free?"
"Uh…" Hearing Xio's complaint, Fors felt a little guilty. Her imposing manner immediately weakened, and her gaze drifted, "Ahem… that… I just lent it to him, isn't he in trouble? I'm just helping him with a temporary turnaround."
"He's my first fan, how could I not help him when he's in trouble?"
She paused, then added: "If you, Xio, were in trouble, I would help you too."
Xio sighed. That was true, Fors, though lazy, was truly good to her friends.
"So, after you sent a hundred pounds, he still hasn't replied."
"Mmm." Fors nodded dejectedly.
Xio rubbed her temples. She felt this kind of plot was somewhat familiar, very similar to some scammers she had previously arbitrated.
Feigning pity to gain sympathy, then taking the opportunity to swindle money, a simple but effective scam.
"You and he are just pen pals and haven't met yet, for lending money, it's best to write an IOU." Xio analyzed from the Arbiter's perspective.
"Actually…" Fors turned her face away, her voice getting softer and softer, "He didn't ask for the money, I sent it myself…"
"Ah?"
"Isn't that just giving it away for free?" Xio almost choked on her own saliva. Fors was lazy at times, but her intelligence was fine, so why this time…
This kind of behavior could legally be considered a gift, and the other party might not even need to pay it back.
"Is there a possibility…" Xio carefully chose her words, "that he became greedy after seeing the money, so…"
"No, that's impossible." Fors denied it without even thinking.
"Sigh…"
"Isn't your pen pal also living in Backlund?" Seeing her friend so determined, Xio offered another suggestion.
"If you're really worried, you can go find him?"
"This… wouldn't be good, meeting in private and all."
…
A Shawshank Firm stronghold.
"Is this what you brought back from Tingen?" Plum 6 looked at the item his friend brought back, his face showing difficulty.
It was an infant with disproportionate limbs and a pitch-black head.
If one didn't consider the corrupt and ominous aura emanating from it, it truly resembled an underdeveloped infant still in swaddling clothes.
"Yes, how about it, is this gift a surprise?" Meihua 5 said with a smile.
"Are you sure it's a surprise and not a fright?" Plum 6 retorted weakly.
"Why do you always bring back strange things every time you go on a mission?" Plum 6 sighed.
"Didn't you ask me to keep an eye out for items that could be collectibles?" Meihua 5 retorted righteously.
"This is called a collectible? What about this one?" Plum 6 pointed to Meigao Ousi, who was recovering her human form nearby, "Although she looks normal on the outside, her inside must have been thoroughly marinated by corruption, right?"
He pointed to the woman's neck—a scar shaped like an inverted cross was wriggling under her skin.
Seeing the other party's unworldly expression, Meihua 5 had no choice but to appease him:
"Don't worry, it's already been handled by the higher-ups, otherwise I wouldn't have brought her here to you."
"In short, your task is to study that infant. He is currently in a semi-Sealed Artifact state and should not pose a threat…"
"As for this woman, she should still be conscious. You can just make some simple arrangements for her."
"Alright." Plum 6 nodded. He looked at his colleague, who had a relaxed expression, and couldn't help but ask:
"What exactly did you encounter this time? Wasn't it just a simple person to pick up?"
"Do you really want to know?" Meihua 5 curled his lips.
"Hmm." Plum 6 nodded.
"I won't tell you…"
"Tsk…"
"Just kidding, this is information collected by the intelligence department." Meihua 5 handed him a thick stack of documents.
"Church of the Evernight… Level 0 Sealed Artifact, a fallen bishop… 'Gatekeeper'…" Looking at the documents, Plum 6 couldn't help but lament the Church of the Evernight's simple style.
"So you were inadvertently involved in an incident with the Church of the Evernight?"
"Yes, very unlucky." Meihua 5 nodded.
"Oh, an internal wanted poster from the Church of the Evernight, they even got this." Plum 6 felt curious and quickly scanned it.
Internal wanted poster? Is there such a thing… Meihua 5 also became interested, "Let me see too."
He reached out and picked up the wanted poster, examining it carefully.
"Suspected deserting member: Tingen City Nighthawks 'Klein Moretti'… sequence 8: Clown… uses a revolver, masters various ritualistic magic."
Meihua 5 fell into thought.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing," he quickly returned to normal, chuckling, "I just find it interesting. The Church of the Evernight actually had two traitors in one incident."
"Maybe the Tingen incident was a joint effort by the two of them."
…
Minsk Street, Backlund.
Klein, using the alias Sherlock Moriarty, was sitting on the sofa reading the newspaper, studying possible investment opportunities, trying to find ways to get rich quickly.
After fleeing Tingen, he rented a house here and began working as a private detective.
Unfortunately, in terms of income, it was incomparable to his former Nighthawks salary.
Indeed, a stable job is better… Thinking of his recent cases, Klein sighed.
"Ding-ding-dong-dong"
The bell, pulled by a rope, swayed continuously, its sound echoing through the spacious but relatively empty living room.
"A visitor?" Klein stood up, secretly praying that this time it wouldn't be a case of finding a cat or investigating an affair. As a Beyonder, he yearned for more challenging (and more lucrative) cases.
"Hello." He opened the door, a professional smile on his face, "How can I help you?"
"You are Sherlock Moriarty?" A burly man stared at him with an unfriendly expression.
"You dare to be a private detective on our turf."