In a room near Pritz Harbor.
The Loen military demigod Test, wearing a mask, pushed the door open and entered. He said to his companions—the Duchess Georgina in an evening gown, and Qunas, the deputy director of MI9 with the rank of major general:
"There's been no progress at all in tracking the mummy for the time being."
"That's normal. If those mysterious people didn't have sufficient confidence, they wouldn't have come to steal Tutankhamun II's mummy," Duchess Georgina said. "However, we did have an 'ally' present just now. He might know something."
She was certain that the people who stole Tutankhamun II's mummy were not on the same side as the Rose School's demigods. If it had really been the Rose School's methods, there would have been no need to wait until things became so dangerous before using them—they had almost failed to escape.
Test nodded.
"I know… but that one answers directly to His Majesty and doesn't have much interaction with me."
He paused, then turned to ask Qunas:
"You used 'Symphony of Light and Shadow' to influence the demigod near the lighthouse. Did you figure out what Sequence she's at?"
Qunas recalled carefully for a while, then said with some uncertainty:
"The methods she used were similar to those of the Rose School's demigods…
"She's very likely also a 'Puppet'!"
A Puppet? Duchess Georgina's heart stirred, and she blurted out:
"A defector from the Rose School's Temperance faction?"
"Very likely," Test said, lightly nodding with his pair of golden pupils. "Although the making of mummies was influenced by Death worship and sun worship in many aspects, after the Rose School took control of places like the Highlands and river valleys, they didn't prohibit this burial custom. That alone is enough to show that mummies should have a certain use to them—perhaps required for the ritual of some Sequence."
At this point, he let out a self-mocking chuckle:
"There's also another possibility—showing off and performance.
"I think you're both familiar with that. After all, some people in the Intis intelligence agencies have the same style…
"That group might not truly want the mummy. It was just that the conditions happened to be met and there was an opportunity to steal it, so they staged a grand performance. For certain Sequences of certain pathways, this is the key to digesting a potion."
As a being half demigod and half human, he had truly seen a great many things, so the possibilities he considered were naturally more numerous.
Duchess Georgina weighed her words and was just about to express her opinion when she suddenly closed her mouth, as if listening to something.
Test and Qunas also stopped talking, quietly waiting.
They were all very clear that among the three of them, only Georgina was His Majesty's confidant and enjoyed the greatest trust.
After a moment, Georgina came back to herself. She then organized her words and said in a deep voice:
"We might have guessed correctly… I just received news that among the people who stole the mummy, there was a 'Bizarro Sorcerer' and a 'Puppet'…
"It can be confirmed that the 'Puppet' is a surviving demigod of the Rose School's Temperance faction, and the true identity of the 'Bizarro Sorcerer' is Gehrman Sparrow!"
"We can use this as a starting point for investigation."
"Gehrman Sparrow… that crazy adventurer? He actually advanced to demigod?" Test frowned tightly beneath his mask and said hesitantly. "Demigods of the 'Seer' pathway are rare. Is he from the Secret Order?"
Duchess Georgina shook her head. "He has no connection to the Secret Order…"
Then she changed the subject, speaking meaningfully:
"Don't forget that there was also a 'Feathered Serpent' present!
"And a force that both possesses 'Seer' pathway potions and has a 'Death' pathway demigod—there's probably only…"
At the same time, in a remote palace of Sodrac Palace, George III said the conjecture Georgina hadn't voiced aloud to the "Balancer" Drinck Augustus, who had come to report on the situation at Pritz Harbor:
"There's probably only the Church of the Evernight Goddess!"
Regarding the Evernight Goddess Church currently holding the "Death" uniqueness, he had vaguely learned something from the Twilight Hermit Order, which was why he made this guess.
"So that means the Evernight Church has taken in the Rose School's Temperance faction? No wonder Reinette Tinekerr is close to recovering Her peak state," Drinck suddenly understood, then continued, "If that's the case, then this 'Bizarro Sorcerer' Gehrman Sparrow should be a hidden operative cultivated by the Evernight Church, similar to the God of Combat Church's 'Black Blade.'
"At this point in time, sending out such a hidden operative… they're probably coming for us!"
Nodding, George III smiled and said:
"I've also looked over this Gehrman's record. I discovered that when he was previously active at sea, he seemed to have investigated our population trade from the Southern Continent and various islands.
"Moreover, he was close with 'Admiral of Ailment.' That Demoness even began suppressing the slave trade after getting to know him…
"From this, it's clear that he definitely went to sea with a mission!"
Drinck frowned. "In that case, the Evernight Church should already have grasped some of our intelligence… they just don't have decisive evidence yet…
"Should we try to find this Gehrman?"
George III gently shook his head and said confidently:
"Pritz Harbor itself was a setup, a setup intended to be shown to the 'Goddess's Eye'!
"Now that there's that demigod 'Feathered Serpent' and that Evernight Church hidden operative called Gehrman joining in, the effect will be even better!
"Their next step in investigation will definitely shift its focus onto Test, buying us time."
At this point, he paused, then narrowed his eyes and said:
"Even so, we can't allow that 'Bizarro Sorcerer' to continue investigating so freely. We have to set up some obstacles for him.
"Heh, let's leave this matter to the Secret Order and Zaratul. When it comes to demigods of the 'Seer' pathway, they're the most familiar with them."
After discussing for a while longer, Drinck finally took his leave. George III, meanwhile, sat alone upon the throne, thinking to himself:
"Although we failed to catch the criminals who stole the mummy, Hevin really did give his all in this battle… and the strength he displayed was excessively powerful… Did that one bestow some other powerful item upon him again?
"In any case, the promised reward still has to be given…
"Mm, that Dere family daughter under Vera is already a colonel and can be considered mid-to-upper management within MI9… let her accept Hevin's control!"
...
Inside the main control room of the "Ghost Empire," after a full week had passed, Xio Derecha—who had finally completed the "Imperative Mage" ritual in that initial "Hero World" by using the identity of a "Princess"—arrived before Ebner, who had been waiting for her for a long time.
But before she could open her mouth to share her joy, Ebner tapped her on the head with his hand and said with a laugh:
"Alright, you're now under my 'hypnosis' control.
"This was personally designated by that Majesty!"
"What?" Xio raised her head in confusion.
(End of this chapter)