Chapter 198: A Former Organization

Chapter 198: A Former Organization

“Ince Zangwill.”

Upon hearing that name, every Red Glove present fell silent. For a moment, no one spoke.

Ever since that former archbishop’s defection, the Church of Evernight had never relaxed its pursuit of him. The archbishops and high-ranking deacons at the very top had taken turns assuming responsibility, assisting one another and often traveling with the corresponding Sealed Artifacts to search for clues. Yet they had never been able to lock onto Ince Zangwill. Again and again, all sorts of coincidences caused them to miss him. Not only had they failed to see even his shadow, he had also carried out several major incidents and killed multiple Nighthawks.

To the entire Church of Evernight, and especially to the ranks of the Nighthawks, this was both hatred and humiliation.

Leonard Mitchell’s lowered hands clenched of their own accord, and his breathing grew a little heavier.

He quickly forced himself free of the emotions that had suddenly surged up and shifted his attention elsewhere.

No wonder Dwayne Dantès met Ince Zangwill on an island midway through the Berserk Sea. Ince’s destination was also the Southern Continent—also East Balam!

Amid the silence, Daly Simone spoke again in that hollow, drifting voice as though issued directly from a spirit body. Its tone showed no obvious change, but it carried a trace of coldness, and her pace of speech quickened slightly.

“Where are they meeting?”

The Numinous Episcopate member shook his head blankly.

“I don’t know.”

Daly asked several more questions in succession, but none produced the answer she wanted.

In the end, she took a step back and turned her gaze toward the captain of this Red Gloves team, Soest.

Soest sighed, considered his words, and said,

“First, report this intelligence to Her Excellency Eye of the Goddess and let her contact the Holy Cathedral. Ince Zangwill, who carries 0-08, is not someone a single Red Gloves team can deal with.

“Second, continue investigating along the trail of Palenque Tacibli. We must hope to clarify Ince Zangwill’s purpose. Under circumstances where we cannot track him or lock onto him, grasping his goal is more important than grasping his whereabouts. It may allow us to set a trap he has no choice but to enter.

“Finally, from now on, pay close attention to every coincidence that happens around you. No matter what the cause seems to be, report it to me!”

“Yes, Captain!” the Red Gloves answered in unison.

Leonard remained silent. He turned his head slightly to glance at Daly Simone and found that this “Gatekeeper,” who called herself a Spirit Medium, likewise had not spoken. Her gaze was deep.

At the same time, Pallez Zoroast’s slightly aged voice echoed in Leonard’s mind:

“Heh. It seems I’m about to witness a drama of pursuit and escape.”

What does the old man mean? What is he hinting at? We’ve only just decided to investigate Ince Zangwill’s purpose, and 0-08 already knows? Leonard withdrew his gaze as a thought suddenly came to him.

If someone who was supposedly already dead secretly carried out the corresponding investigation, would that allow them to avoid 0-08’s perception?

…

After sleeping for two hours, Klein rubbed his still-swollen, aching head and slowly sat up in bed.

Then he pulled the bellcord by the door and waited for an attendant to come upstairs.

Before long, a local indigenous man wearing a white shirt and red vest, deliberately dressed in the Loen style, came to the door and knocked.

Klein turned the handle, pulled the outer door open a crack, and instructed in a low, hoarse voice,

“Send another lunch to the room. I ate too early earlier.”

At that moment, his appearance had already changed into that of his tanned marionette, Enzo. As a gentleman with two servants living in a luxurious room, he could not possibly go to the door personally to give instructions to an attendant.

“One lunch. Any special requests?” The indigenous attendant took out paper and…