Chapter 441

Chapter 348: Appointment

On the northwest outskirts of Tivyán during the winter, fine snow lightly fell, small white flakes slowly descended from the sky. In the densely branched woods, the heavily fortified Wind Fortress stood guard.

Due to the further drop in temperature, the soldiers patrolling atop the fortress walls donned thicker winter uniforms. They held their firearms, stamped their feet, and exhaled steam as they gazed at the snow-covered sky, reminiscing about the warmth of the hearth back home.

Deep within the massive fortress, inside the Anonymity Headquarters, countless staff members busily traversed the sprawling corridors of the underground space. In one corridor, Misha, the leader of the special investigation team, was walking briskly, the sound of her footsteps echoing through the hallway.

With a focused expression, Misha, clad in a hunter’s uniform, hurried to the end of the corridor, where a door bore the sign “Identification Department.” After glancing at the sign, she opened the door and stepped inside.

Upon entering, she found herself in a spacious room filled with numerous tables and cabinets. There were many locked iron cabinets stacked against the walls, and various peculiar tools spread across the tables. Several people sat at the tables, engrossed in their research.

As soon as Misha entered the room, she spotted familiar figures gathered at one of the doorways; they were her subordinates, and upon seeing Misha, Mike stepped forward to greet her.

“Ms. Misha, you’ve finally arrived.”

“Um… take me there…”

Acknowledging her subordinate’s words with a nod, Misha followed Mike towards one side of the large room, where there was a row of doors along the wall. Mike approached one of the doors, opened it, and stepped inside, with Misha closely following.

They entered a dimly lit small cubicle, where Misha encountered two other subordinates, Gregor and Wei Han. They were at a small table, seemingly studying something. Upon hearing someone enter, they quickly turned around, and upon seeing Misha, they greeted her respectfully.

“Madam.”

“I received word that there’s a reply from the detective over there, but it was sent to the Identification Room. Is there a problem with the letter?”

Misha inquired of the two in front of her, while behind her, Mike was closing the door. After hearing Misha’s question, Gregor nodded in response.

“Yes, madam, the detective’s reply just arrived a short while ago. However, after performing a routine inspection, we found traces of extraordinary phenomena on it, so we didn’t open it right away and sent it to the Identification Department, notifying you.”

Gregor explained to Misha, who slightly raised her eyebrows upon hearing this and continued speaking.

“The detective’s reply has traces of extraordinary phenomena? Hah… We sincerely reach out to him, and what sort of tricks is he playing? What kind of spirituality does this trace possess? What effects does it have?”

Misha asked sternly, to which Wei Han immediately responded.

“According to the Radiance Lamp’s detection, the extraordinary trace on the letter belongs to ‘Enlightenment,’ which is quite rare. Currently, we do not know what kind of extraordinary effect caused it or the risks of forcibly opening the letter, which is why it has not been opened, and you were notified.”

“‘Enlightenment’…”

Listening to Wei Han’s words, Misha felt a mix of surprise. As a knight under Harold, the bureau chief of An Yin Bureau, she had been working in the bureau for over ten years, facing at least a hundred extraordinary events, and encounters related to “Enlightenment” were scarce.

“Most extraordinary events regarding ‘Enlightenment’ are associated with conflicts over the storage items of ‘Enlightenment.’ Who would have thought there would be an extraordinary effect related to ‘Enlightenment’ here?… Where is the letter now? I want to see it…”

Misha inquired of her subordinates, and Gregor immediately answered.

“It’s here, madam. We are still preparing to have the personnel from the Identification Department study what effect this extraordinary trace might produce. To avoid risks, it’s best not to open the letter until the details are confirmed.”

Saying this, Gregor moved aside, revealing the table that had been obstructed. On the table stood a glass case containing an envelope, which still bore its intact wax seal. The white envelope was adorned with exquisite patterns that appeared hand-drawn.

Taking a couple of steps forward, Misha approached the table, carefully scrutinizing the seemingly ordinary envelope within the glass case. As she examined it, a peculiar scene unfolded before her eyes.

To Misha, the patterns on the envelope’s surface began to shift. The originally delicate designs undulated like serpents, twisting and transforming into letters that assembled into words in the Tivyán language on the white paper.

Seeing this scene, Misha’s eyes widened slightly, and she took a step back. However, thanks to her years of experience in the An Yin Bureau, she didn’t show any signs of panic. She wanted to speak, but as she watched the moving letters swiftly form words and phrases she could recognize, she closed her slightly parted mouth.

In that moment, Misha read a letter that only she could perceive, and when she saw the first sentence, her heart involuntarily jolted.

“Dear Ms. Debranca, I must apologize for contacting you in this manner, as there are prying eyes around you. The entire An Yin Bureau is under heavy surveillance, and I must ensure that this content reaches only you. The content inside the envelope is merely superficial; the message on the envelope is what I wish to convey to you. Please remain calm when you see this text, especially if there are others nearby. It is best not to show any extreme reactions, as only you can see these words…”

Gazing at the writing specifically addressed to her on the envelope, Misha’s expression turned solemn, her emotions quickly settling after a brief turmoil.

“Content that only I can see… So this is the extraordinary effect accompanying the letter… This detective… truly knows how to play tricks…”

Misha thought to herself, yet what concerned her most was that the other party knew her name.

“That detective knows my surname! He knows I am overseeing communications with him! The letter I sent previously didn’t disclose any related information; how does he know?!”

Misha thought in shock, realizing that someone knowing her name clearly indicated a mole. Could it be that there were not only moles from the Eight Pinnacle Nest within the An Yin Bureau but also from the detective’s organization!?

Seeing the beginning of the letter, Misha felt a chill run down her spine. However, it seemed the detective had anticipated her thoughts, as the subsequent content of the letter addressed her inner doubts.

…

“Ms. Debranca, are you surprised that I know your name? Are you suspecting that we have infiltrated the An Yin Bureau with moles? Rest assured, we do not have informants on your side. We know your information because it has been disclosed by the agents implanted by the Eight Pinnacle Nest beside you. We acquired intelligence about you from the Eight Pinnacle Nest, learning that you were preparing to contact me.

Yes, as you now suspect, we have spies within the Eight Pinnacle Nest, and there are also spies from the Eight Pinnacle Nest within your investigation team. Your information was leaked to the Eight Pinnacle Nest by a member of your team, and our informant within the Eight Pinnacle Nest passed that information on to us, which is how I know your name.

It is precisely because there is a mole within your unfortunate investigation team that I am communicating with you in this manner. I do not want more information to be known by those from the Eight Pinnacle Nest. I hope we can establish a more discreet channel of communication.

In your previous letter, you asked if we could meet to discuss issues regarding the Eight Pinnacle Nest. My answer is yes, but considering there are eyes of the Eight Pinnacle Nest within your team and the entire headquarters is shrouded in the shadow of a powerful mole, I request that our meeting be one-on-one. In other words, neither of us should bring any subordinates, and you must not disclose the contents of this letter to anyone in the headquarters to avoid attracting the attention of the Eight Pinnacle Nest.

During the meeting, I can provide you information about the mole within your team, as I have gathered intelligence on him. However, this information is not free, and you will need to offer something equally valuable in return. I hope you are mentally prepared for that.

Of course, you might suspect this is a trap and that my request for you to come alone is a plot against you, but I assure you it is not. To dispel your doubts, I propose that we meet at St. Hymn Cathedral in the Church District, right under the church’s watchful eyes, allowing you to be at ease regarding any ulterior motives I may have. Under the radiance of the Three Saints, you may attend the meeting with peace of mind.

Due to limited space, I can only say this much in this letter. We can discuss more detailed matters once we meet.

At 2 PM on the 19th, in St. Hymn Cathedral in the Church District, I will wait for you on the far-left bench for half an hour. Please make sure to come, and finally, I remind you again, the contents of this letter must not be revealed to anyone, especially your subordinates, unless you believe it is absolutely necessary.”

…

Standing before the table, Misha’s gaze was locked onto the envelope in the glass case, her expression filled with seriousness and intensity. Her demeanor caught the attention of her subordinates around her, and they couldn’t help but wonder why Misha was reacting so gravely to the envelope. Wei Han, standing beside her, couldn’t help but ask directly.

“Ms. Misha, what’s wrong? Do you see anything special about this letter?”

Hearing his question, Misha paused slightly, then shifted her gaze to him, her eyes glinting with a peculiar light.

“No… I don’t see anything special about this letter. I’m not sure how this extraordinary trace was produced.”

“Is that so…”

Upon hearing Misha’s response, Wei Han and the others felt a slight disappointment. At that moment, Misha continued speaking.

“Since there is an extraordinary trace on this letter, let’s not rush to open it. We should wait for the identification to confirm there’s no risk before we open it. You all stay here and coordinate with the Identification Department. I have other matters to attend to, so I’ll leave first.”

With that, Misha turned and left the small room. As she pushed the door open, she unintentionally glanced back at her subordinates, a sense of caution creeping into her expression.

For Misha, regardless of the facts… since that detective knew of the existence of this investigation team, it was highly probable that something had gone awry internally. The investigation team established to probe for moles might have already encountered internal issues right after its formation, which felt quite ironic for Misha and the entire An Yin Bureau.

“It seems… necessary to meet that detective after all…”

With that thought, Misha briskly pushed the door and stepped out of the room.

…

Time flew by, and in no time, a full day had passed. The calendar in Tivyán turned to December 19, nearing the year’s end.

In the North Tivyán Church District, the sky during the day was not as lightly snowy as the day before; only the cold wind howled atop the church spire. Under this chilly breeze, the number of people coming to the church for prayer and confession had noticeably diminished.

Wearing an ordinary thick brown-yellow trench coat, Misha walked briskly among the sparse crowd in the church square, her steps firm and unwavering as she strode forward. Upon reaching the steps, she entered the large wooden doors of St. Hymn Cathedral, revealing a broad space deep within—under the high stained glass, the Savior of Radiance and the altar of the Three Saints stood there, with rows of wooden benches extending toward the back, sparsely seated with people coming to pray and confess.

Once inside the cathedral, Misha had no intention of praying. Instead, she quickly walked to the end of the left-side row of benches, looking for something. However, there was not a single person in that row. Just as Misha frowned in confusion, a male voice called out from not far behind her.

“Excuse me, are you Ms. Misha?”

Hearing the voice, Misha turned to look in the direction it came from, finding a man wearing a low hat, clad in a black trench coat, with a pale complexion and a hooked nose. He was currently smiling at Misha.

“You are… the detective?”

Looking at the man before her, Misha instinctively asked, and the man shrugged and extended his hand.

“Ed, my name is Ed… It’s a pleasure to meet you, madam.”