Chapter 199: A New Way to Obtain Intelligence

Chapter 199: A New Way to Obtain Intelligence

Anderson glanced at Danitz’s expression and continued as if he had noticed nothing at all.

“Still, their brains seemed to have been eaten by living corpses. They were fanatical to the point of stupidity, and that didn’t suit my tastes. I swindled a few things from them and left.

“Hm? Why is your face a little pale? You’re sweating quite a bit. Heatstroke? As a Hunter, shouldn’t adapting to your environment be an instinct?”

Danitz raised his right hand and wiped away his sweat. After cursing inwardly a few times, he forced out a smile.

“I once heard someone say that once a person believes in an evil god, breaking free is almost impossible.”

As he spoke, his chin lifted, as though to say, Let’s see how you survive this. He had completely failed to consider that Gehrman Sparrow had just offended the Aurora Order and was currently being hunted by believers of the True Creator. Nor did he connect that thought to the fact that he himself was now worshiping the Fool, who was suspected of being an evil god.

“That’s quite right,” Anderson replied, his smile carrying not the slightest trace of gloom. “But I never truly believed. Back then, all the lines I recited were phrases I had altered from the honorific name of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom. In any case, they don’t like using their brains. No, they don’t have such things to begin with. As long as you put on a sufficiently pious face and casually come up with an excuse, you can fool them.”

Without waiting for Danitz to expand on the subject, Anderson changed the topic.

“Why did you suddenly bring up the Aurora Order?”

Danitz bit fiercely into his roasted meat, slowly chewed, swallowed, and deliberately waited twenty or thirty seconds before saying,

“Because I just remembered something. Who knows what Gehrman Sparrow did, but the Aurora Order has listed him as a major target that must be eliminated with high priority. Oh, right, the Numinous Episcopate too. And you and I are both publicly recognized as people connected to him.”

“You’re telling me to be careful of the Aurora Order and the Numinous Episcopate?” Anderson nodded in realization and chuckled. “You seem to have said similar things quite recently—the Rose School of Thought, the Church of Storms, the Loen military… Hiss. Sometimes I feel Gehrman Sparrow is better suited to be a Hunter than I am.”

For once, Danitz did not refute him. Instead, he nodded heavily, feeling deep agreement.

Anderson thought for a moment, then suddenly changed the subject without warning.

“What exactly did you come to West Balam for this time? To help Gehrman Sparrow?”

Hearing the question, Danitz fell silent for a second. He put down what he was holding and straightened his clothes in an unhurried manner.

“An investigation into the beliefs of various social classes in West Balam.”

This was the purpose of the trip that he and Vice Admiral Iceberg Edwina had settled on after discussion. In more common terms, it meant investigating the development and spheres of influence of the major secret organizations in West Balam.

Of course, it also involved making initial contact with the local ruling powers and finding out whether they had any need to purchase guns and ammunition.

“An investigation into the beliefs of various social classes in West Balam…” Anderson repeated Danitz’s words. By reflex, he raised his right hand and rubbed his temple, as though he had developed a rather severe headache.

…

After the Tarot Gathering ended, after warning Star Admiral to beware of the Aurora Order and the Numinous Episcopate’s “investigations” and suggesting that she seek assistance from the Moses Ascetic Order, Klein busied himself with completing the three-way transaction between The World, The Moon, and The Sun, obtaining 5,000 pounds in cash.

When dinner was over, he sat with an unlit decorative pipe between his teeth while reading the newspaper. Then he saw his messenger, Miss Messenger, walk…