Above the boundless
Klein, holding the "Cross of Darkness" in one hand and the "Scepter of the Sea God" in the other, was observing the real world through the deep crimson star representing "The Hierophant."
In his spiritual sight, within that gloomy alley, besides the short Miss Xio and the member of the Ninth Bureau of Military Intelligence with a gold mask, there was another person hidden.
This was a man in his thirties, with ordinary features, a typical resident of central and northern Loen. Not only was he merged into the shadows, but he also carried a quality that made people overlook him. If not for being above the Gray Fog with true vision, Klein suspected that even if he were present, he wouldn't be able to discover this person immediately until he made some unusual move, and only then could he rely on spiritual intuition to form a corresponding image in his mind.
"Shadow hiding plus psychological invisibility? Partly thanks to an item, partly his Sequence... Combined with other observations, this is not a demigod...
"Right, in the eyes of the King's faction, Miss Xio is only Sequence 7, with no mystical items. If she is indeed involved in Viscount Strafford's matter, then there must be a supporter or even a faction behind her. In the current turbulent situation, directly sending a demigod who knows too much to investigate might fall into a trap, while involving a demigod who is not fully aware would likely leak information to the three major churches, allowing them to take over the investigation...
"In this case, a Sequence 5 or Sequence 6 who is capable, trustworthy, and limited in knowledge due to their level would be a good choice..." Klein muttered to himself, abandoning the idea of using Gehrman Sparrow's identity to "teleport" over and catch the person.
There wouldn't be any useful information for now!
He decided to wait patiently for changes.
Of course, Klein couldn't stay on the Gray Fog monitoring indefinitely. If he did, his real-world body would be unprotected for a long time, vulnerable to any accident. To that end, he had crafted a batch of charms and given them to "The Hierophant," "The Magician," and other
This would be faster and simpler than directly reciting the honorific name of "The Fool" and having Him relay the message!
This was inspired by the "Crest of the Night" provided by
The fact that "Gehrman Sparrow," a newly advanced demigod, could make the charms effective was because, when crafting them, he used the honorific name and symbols of the "Sea God" Kavitua, and the "Sea God" relied on the Gray Fog to respond globally.
That sounds a bit complicated, but simply put, Klein borrowed the status of his other identities.
As for the materials for those charms, they were primarily tin—very easy to obtain and cheap.
...
Under the sparse gas lamps on both sides, her expression was relatively calm, but her nerves were extremely tense.
In her pockets, one hand touched the hilt of the "Blade of Chill" through a tear, and the other slightly gripped a white tin charm.
That was the "Summoning Talisman" provided by "The World," Gehrman Sparrow.
Walking ahead, she circled several blocks, yet the attack never came. The night was so peaceful.
Initially, she worried that the King's faction would directly arrest her openly through official organizations like the Ninth Bureau of Military Intelligence and take her back for investigation. If that happened, summoning "The World" would only put him in an awkward and dangerous situation, making them enemies of all official forces in Backlund. But then she realized this wouldn't happen because it would expose her existence to the three major churches, and then the investigation would surely not be led by the King's faction within the Bureau.
"The investigation must be covert, and the ones acting may not even be military personnel... Hmm, they're still observing, afraid that I'm bait? 'The World' said to solve problems on my own if possible..." Xio glanced around, not daring to relax, and continued to wander around before returning to the edge of East Borough and entering the apartment she rented.
Frankly speaking, she didn't really want to drag Fors into this risky attempt, but at the time, they were both following Viscount Strafford, which meant Fors was also on the investigation list.
Although if Fors hid in East Borough and didn't go out often, the Bureau might not find her, that would expand the investigation, including her past experiences, relatives, friends, and correspondence, potentially affecting others. Moreover, if they hid separately and didn't live together, the scent of bait would be too obvious, making it hard to lure the target.
After getting Fors's consent, Xio ultimately chose to face the subsequent developments together with her friend.
Opening the door and entering the house, Xio had just taken off her peaked cap when she saw Fors put down the magazine, stand up, tuck her hair, and ask with a smile: "Not followed?"
This was a pre-arranged code. On the surface, it was about whether she had been followed, but actually it asked if she had encountered any investigation.
"No." Xio shook her head earnestly.
Fors didn't continue the topic and instead complained about how it was hard to buy good tea or alcoholic drinks nearby, having to walk far to find any.
This warm and peaceful atmosphere continued until late at night. They entered the bedroom and lay down on the bunk beds.
After the candle was blown out, Xio was about to say something when a sacred and pure light suddenly appeared before her eyes.
The light immediately condensed into a human figure, with twelve pairs of fiery crimson wings sprouting from its back.