Inside the secret meeting room of the Tivian Serenity Bureau Headquarters, Misha, a trusted knight of Prince Harold, is conducting an intelligence analysis for the newly formed investigation team. As she discusses the mystical incidents at Royal Crown University, she mentions the term "detective," which elicits a noticeable reaction from the team members.
"Detective? Who is this detective? How could they possibly figure out the movements of the Eight-Spired Nest and report it to us through the White Craftsmen’s Guild?"
At the conference table, a young man named Vihan asks with a hint of confusion. Across from him, a woman named Jiv responds.
"Probably a codename. This detective is likely a member of some secret society, and that society might be in conflict with the Eight-Spired Nest. That’s why they reported it to us, hoping to use our strength to deal with the Eight-Spired Nest. It’s unlikely that a lone Beyonder would take on an entire society."
Jiv explains, then glances at the large city map on the wall before continuing.
"Didn’t Miss Misha mention earlier that the Eight-Spired Nest might be in conflict with another secret society? They’ve been engaging in divination wars, which has even caused the price of Revelation storage items in Tivian to skyrocket."
Hearing Jiv’s words, Misha nods and confirms.
"Correct. Based on current evidence, the Eight-Spired Nest is indeed in conflict with a society of comparable—or even greater—scale and strength. As I mentioned earlier, although the second report was delayed, when our people arrived at the ritual site beneath Royal Crown University, they found that the Eight-Spired Nest’s ritualists had been completely wiped out. This was likely the work of that society... Since the report didn’t succeed, they took matters into their own hands."
Misha’s words cause the team members to exchange glances. The idea that the society took action because the report failed feels like a jab at them as law enforcement, as if they were ineffective and the society had to step in.
“So... this detective must be the one who saved me, the detective who serves Aka, a subordinate of Paarthurnax... He mentioned on the train that his organization is in conflict with the Eight-Spired Nest, which aligns perfectly with Miss Misha’s description.” Hearing Misha’s words, Gregor thinks to himself. Across from him, a middle-aged man named Mike speculates.
"So... Miss Misha, are you suggesting that we can contact this detective and their society to gather intelligence on the Eight-Spired Nest?"
"Exactly. All signs indicate that this mysterious society has a deep conflict with the Eight-Spired Nest. Their confrontations have likely occurred many times in places we can’t see. Since this society can track the movements of the Eight-Spired Nest, they must have significant knowledge about them. They might even know something about the mole within our bureau. It’s necessary to establish contact with them."
Putting down the pointer in her hand, Misha leans on the table and addresses the team. Hearing this, Gregor frowns slightly.
“Detective and his group don’t actually know who the mole in the Eight-Spired Nest is either. That’s why they had me temporarily replace Adelin within the Eight-Spired Nest, hoping to find clues about the mole... But since Detective’s organization has been fighting the Eight-Spired Nest for so long, they must know a lot of important information about them. Miss Misha’s plan to communicate with them isn’t a bad idea.”
Gregor thinks to himself. Meanwhile, the burly Leo continues to ask Misha.
"So... how do we contact this detective’s society? Are they willing to communicate with us?"
"They contacted us through the White Craftsmen’s Guild, so we can naturally reach out to them through the guild as well. Moreover, they are unlikely to reject contact with us, especially if we offer them compensation..."
Misha explains, which raises Gregor’s curiosity. He raises an eyebrow and asks.
"Compensation? What kind of compensation?"
"A debt of compensation... Hah... Have any of you heard of the detective named Ed since arriving in Tivian?" Misha asks the group. Some look puzzled, while others seem to recognize the name, including Jiv, the only woman on the team.
"Detective Ed? The one who solved the Soaring Theater Murder Case and cleared the dance star Adèle of false charges? I read about him in the papers. He’s a talented young detective who recently appeared in Tivian. What... does he have any connection to ’Detective’ we’re discussing?"
Jiv asks curiously, and Misha nods in confirmation.
"A big connection. I’m almost certain that this Ed... and the codename ’Detective,’ are the same person. This Ed is ostensibly a mundane detective, but in reality, he’s a member of a secret society. The cases he handles may seem ordinary, but they often involve mystical secrets."
Misha explains, and Jiv inhales sharply in surprise. She hadn’t expected that the detective who made headlines in the papers could be the same person they’re discussing. Many in the room express curiosity about this detective who operates in both the mundane and mystical worlds.
"This detective’s contact with us actually began much earlier. Back in August, on a train bound for Tivian, a traveler from Ulster was killed. At the time, a man calling himself Ed, a detective, solved the case on the train and killed the fleeing murderer.”
"In reality, the victim was a Hunter, a member of the Ulster Branch. He was secretly transporting important documents to the Tivian Headquarters when he was intercepted and killed by the Eight-Spired Nest. After solving the case, Detective Ed obtained those documents and later returned them to us through the White Craftsmen’s Guild under the guise of a detective... And to this day, we have yet to offer any compensation for this."
Misha continues, and the team members pause for a moment. Then, Vihan tentatively asks.
"So... Miss Misha, are you suggesting that we use the promise of compensation to contact this Detective Ed?"
"Exactly. More specifically, I want to use the discussion of compensation as a pretext to meet Ed face-to-face and have an in-depth conversation about the Eight-Spired Nest. At that time, I’ll need all of you to help me prepare for any unexpected situations. If possible, I’d also like you to help me probe into their background."
Misha looks at the team as she speaks. Sitting at the back, Gregor listens carefully and thinks to himself.
“In order to uncover the secrets of the Eight-Spired Nest, the headquarters wants to contact the detective. This information will likely be leaked to the Eight-Spired Nest through the mole here soon. If we do nothing... it could lead to disaster…”
“This is a war where intelligence is crucial. If the Eight-Spired Nest gains the upper hand in intelligence, something big could happen. And since there are moles in both the headquarters and this investigation team, I can’t easily reveal the situation... This is quite tricky…”
Gregor feels conflicted. Given the current situation, the contents of today’s meeting will undoubtedly be leaked. And because of the mole, if he reveals too much to the headquarters, he risks exposing himself. So, his only option is clear.
“It seems I’ll have to notify Detective in advance.”
Gregor thinks to himself, already planning how to pray to Aka after the meeting to convey this information to the detective.
…
North Suburbs of Tivian, outside the East Gate of King’s Campus.
Under a gloomy sky, a cold, drizzling rain drifts in the wind. Inside No. 17 on the quiet streets of Green Shade Town, the crackling of burning charcoal in a large stone fireplace fills the room with warmth. Dressed in casual home clothes, Dorothy sits by the fireplace, poking at the fire with a pair of tongs. Her slightly furrowed brow reveals that she is deep in thought.
"After waiting for months, the promised compensation is finally coming... Hah, if they weren’t trying to get information about the Eight-Spired Nest from me, would they have just kept dragging this out indefinitely?"
Dorothy mutters with a cold laugh. Just moments ago, she received a prayer from Gregor and learned about the formation of the Serenity Bureau’s special investigation team and Misha’s intention to contact her.
"Speaking of which, this secret investigation team is a joke. On their very first day, the contents of their meeting were almost entirely leaked by the mole, and it was leaked to both sides. How can they expect to catch the mole like this..."
Dorothy continues to mutter. After this meeting, she feels that the Serenity Bureau is completely at the mercy of the Eight-Spired Nest. For a major nation’s secret intelligence agency to be so thoroughly controlled by a single society is almost unbelievable.
“The key factor is that high-ranking mole. A lot of the bureau’s top-secret intelligence is leaked through him. I wonder what position he holds to be able to leak so much critical information without getting caught. The most frustrating part is that his performance is inconsistent. Sometimes he can get information quickly, other times it takes a long time. It’s very unreliable.”
Dorothy ponders further. The best example of the mole’s inconsistency that Dorothy knows of is Davic.
When the Serenity Bureau captured Davic, the Wolf Blood Society contacted the Eight-Spired Nest to buy information about him. However, the mole in the bureau couldn’t locate Davic for several days while he was in the hospital. It wasn’t until Dorothy controlled Davic to visit the headquarters that the mole finally got the information and reported it to the Wolf Blood Society. Even then, they had to rely on Gregor, who hadn’t officially joined the headquarters, to gather intelligence. Given the mole’s previous intelligence capabilities, this was quite unusual.
Therefore, Dorothy can only conclude that the high-ranking mole planted by the Eight-Spired Nest within the Serenity Bureau is highly capable of gathering top-secret intelligence but is also very unreliable. Due to various reasons, many critical pieces of intelligence cannot be obtained in a timely manner, which is why Adelin and others were also infiltrated to assist. This speculation was later confirmed by Werewolf Smith.
“The high-ranking mole in the headquarters can be set aside for now. The current issue is that Misha, the investigation team leader, wants to meet Detective Ed to gather information about the Eight-Spired Nest. If I want to claim that compensation, I’ll have to arrange for Ed to meet her…”
“But if I agree to the meeting, this information will definitely be leaked to the Eight-Spired Nest through the other moles in the investigation team. Those guys know that Ed was behind the incident at the Royal Crown University ruins, and they might not let it slide.”
Dorothy thinks to herself. She is inclined to send Ed to meet Misha, not just for the compensation but also to take the opportunity to ask about the pure Shadow deity and the holy symbol. Since Misha is a trusted aide of the bureau director, she might know something. After all, with such a large Mirror Moon statue in the headquarters, it’s hard to believe the higher-ups don’t know some secrets.
So, Dorothy plans to have Ed meet Misha, but the problem is that if the Eight-Spired Nest catches wind of this and has some scheme in mind, things could get complicated.
“A high-ranking mole who seems to have eyes and ears everywhere, and even the investigation team formed to catch moles has several moles in it. Is the Serenity Bureau running a brewery? If I hadn’t planted my own mole in there, I don’t know how they’d ever win.”
Dorothy complains internally. If it weren’t for the triple identity she arranged for Gregor, she might have been outmaneuvered by the Eight-Spired Nest. But complaints aside, Dorothy is also thinking about how to deal with the current problem.
"If we could... expose the other moles in the investigation team besides Gregor, the situation might improve."
Dorothy mutters to herself, then starts thinking about how to uncover the moles in the investigation team. After a long while, she comes up with an idea.
"Maybe... we can try this... I’m not sure if it’ll work..."
Dorothy murmurs, then decides to act. She closes her eyes and begins to pray to Aka.
"Great Aka, please convey my words to Mr. Mayschoss. I have received his intelligence, and it is crucial. Detective expresses his gratitude.”
"Given Mr. Mayschoss’s special status, in order to avoid arousing suspicion from the Eight-Spired Nest, he should relay the contents of this meeting to them exactly as they were. If the upper echelons of the Eight-Spired Nest receive information from other moles in the investigation team but not from Mr. Mayschoss, they will become suspicious. For now, he needs to maintain all his roles perfectly.”
"Lastly, I have a small request for Mr. Mayschoss. Please use the method of relaying prayers to convey the information of all investigation team members to me. I need to know their appearances, names, and Beyonder paths. When you pray, visualize their appearances in your mind and pray. Remember, the images must be clear."
After finishing her prayer, Dorothy opens her eyes and sends the message through the information channel directly to Gregor. She then continues to poke at the fire in the fireplace with the tongs. After a while, she sets the tongs aside, stretches, and gets up from the stool, moving to sit on the nearby sofa.
Leaning back on the sofa, Dorothy watches the flickering flames in the fireplace, feeling their warmth as she quietly waits for Gregor’s response.