After walking out of the alley, Syl looked at her white gloves, which were now stained with a bit of blood, and looked somewhat troubled.
It seemed these gloves were definitely a lost cause; she would just have to buy another pair for the Clown next time.
After observing her surroundings, Syl tucked the 10 currency she had taken from Mike into the door crack of a nearby resident and reverted to her original form.
"Fusion progress 1%? It only increased by that much?" Syl looked at the progress increase prompted by the system and frowned slightly.
It seemed that raising the fusion level of the clown card from blue to purple was not an easy task. At least, it was much harder than raising it from white to blue.
Walking out of the alley and returning to her previous position, Syl found that Edward had stood up at some point, looking lost as if he were about to head into the house.
"Hey, kid." Syl waved in Edward's direction and smiled, "I got it back for you."
"Eh?" Hearing the voice, Edward suddenly turned his head and saw Syl, who still looked bright even in the dim sunlight, and the 10 currency she was waving in her hand.
"I told him I was from the Church and saw someone give it to you with my own eyes, so he didn't dare say anything." Syl handed over the 10 currency with a smile, "Make sure to keep it safe next time."
Edward looked at the girl with an angelic smile before him and the 10 currency in her hand, his nose tingling with emotion.
Compared to the previous two kind-hearted people, Edward felt that this one was the true angel, and she was even from the Church of the Goddess of Hope.
"Thank you, thank you." Edward knelt directly on the ground.
These 10 currency were too important to him; they were the hope that could ensure his younger sister could go to school and escape the Ivisa District to become a decent person with a proper job.
Syl nimbly jumped to the side, avoiding Edward's direction and not "receiving" the kneel.
"This is all the guide of the Goddess. May the Goddess bless you," Syl said with a smile, performing a salute of the Church of the Goddess of Hope. "I'll take this kneel as being for the goddess of hope."
After saying that, Syl waved her hand and walked away, taking out her glasses to wipe them. By the time she put them on, Edward, who was still standing there dazed, finally came to his senses.
"I... why am I kneeling here?" Edward looked at the 10 currency in his hand and slowly stood up, muttering to himself, "Just now... there seemed to be a nun from the Church of the Goddess of Hope who helped me get back the 10 currency..."
No matter how Edward tried to remember, he couldn't recall her appearance, but he was certain she must be an angel sent by the Goddess.
Edward stuffed the 10 currency into a hidden pocket inside his clothes, tightened his coat, and prepared to walk toward Old Woman Joanna's residence. He planned to deposit these 10 currency with the kind landlady as support and tuition for his sister.
The current Edward knew well that he couldn't keep this money safe, and he also had a faint feeling that he might not live until his sister went to college.
Even if Mike came looking for him again after the nun left and beat him to death, Edward would never reveal where the money was.
Edward ran quickly toward Joanna's house until he encountered a tall, thin man wearing a leather jacket and a deerstalker hat at the alley entrance.
"Child, I want to ask you something." The man stopped the running Edward.
After hesitating for a moment and looking around, Edward stopped. He looked at the man in front of him and asked, "Is something the matter, sir?"
Edward knew that this kind of attire usually belonged to the priests of the Church of Generosity and Wisdom. They also represented kindness and safety, and just like their church's name, they were usually very generous.
"I'm looking for some information," the man pulled a shilling from his pocket, flipped it into the air, caught it, and held it out to Edward. "Have you seen anyone with green hair recently?"
"Someone with green hair?" Edward almost subconsciously took a step back.
When the man mentioned the description "green hair," an image of a heroic and beautiful face appeared in Edward's mind. It was a very tall, beautiful woman who was also the benefactor who had awakened him.
"Sorry, sir, I don't know her." Edward lowered his head and hurriedly brushed past the man, not even glancing at the 1 shilling coin.
Edward didn't know that this unusual behavior of his had caught the attention of the Investigator before him.
This boy said... her?
This was information that the Church of Generosity and Wisdom had not leaked. Even the descriptions in the newspapers were deliberately guided toward a handsome appearance.
Moreover, this boy dressed in filthy clothes had refused a 1 shilling coin. This was the average weekly wage in the Ibiza region. Although it was only enough for a week of black bread and a dilapidated room... but what person from the Ivisa District would refuse such a generous gift?
At this time, almost everyone in Ibiza was working at the factories. Was this boy not there because of a disability?
Almost instinctively, the Investigator followed the strange bandaged boy and snapped his fingers soundlessly.
A green spark, visible only with Spiritual Sight activated, shot from his fingertip, flew into the air, and suddenly exploded. Its meaning was—clue found, requesting backup.
Meanwhile, Syl, walking toward Iviza West District, had no idea that after she left, a clue about the Clown had already been leaked by Edward.
Now, the closer Syl got to the West District, the more prying eyes were on her. After all, the sacrifice had occurred in the West District, so it was normal for the security there to be tighter than in the South District.
It seemed that only a few streets in the South District leading to other areas were guarded by Investigators. No wonder she hadn't seen any on Buer Street just now; it was just a small street, not a main thoroughfare to other districts.
However, for some reason, Syl saw Investigators in groups of two or three starting to head in the opposite direction from her, seemingly gathering.
"What happened?" Syl felt something was wrong as she watched their movements.
They couldn't have discovered the "artwork" left by the Clown this quickly, could they?
"Pasha, you're only Rank One. Stay here, we'll go take a look." A whisper came from near Syl; it seemed none of them had activated Spiritual Sight to notice her.
"Alright, you guys go then." A slightly familiar female voice came from beside her.
Syl was wearing a black hood, and her field of vision was somewhat restricted, so she had to turn her head quite a bit to look.
But just as she turned her head, her gaze met another's. Syl and the girl named Pasha clearly locked eyes.
"Her Highness the Saintess of Hope?" Pasha exclaimed softly and took a step back, seemingly not expecting the Saintess to suddenly appear beside her.
She tripped over a stone at her feet and lost her balance, falling backward, but a hand grabbed her arm and pulled her back.
"May the goddess of hope bless you," Syl said with a smile.
At the same time, Pasha's voice overlapped with a certain figure.
The girl wearing a monster mask from a mysterious organization in "Mana Tide."
She's also an Investigator? Aren't mages and the Church at odds with each other?
And Little Monster is a member of a mysterious organization? That organization is investigating me, so that's why Little Monster was so surprised to see me.
Is she an undercover agent sent by the Investigators, or is she an undercover agent working as an Investigator?
Syl leaned toward the latter, because the other Investigators called her Rank One, but Syl knew that Little Monster was at the level of Rank Three.
Things seem to have become delicate. Do other churches have this many undercover agents too? How exactly did they go undercover? Wouldn't different abilities be detected?
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