In the snowy northwest outskirts of Tivian during winter, light snowflakes drift down from the sky, dotting the landscape with white. Amidst the bare, sprawling trees, the heavily guarded Gale Fortress stands tall.
As the temperature drops further, the soldiers patrolling the fortress walls have donned thicker winter uniforms. They carry firearms, stomping their feet to keep warm, exhaling white breaths into the cold air, longing for the warmth of the fires inside.
Deep beneath the massive fortress, within the Serenity Bureau Headquarters, countless staff members continue to move through the corridors of the underground complex. In one such corridor, Misha, the leader of the Special Investigation Team, walks briskly, her footsteps echoing through the hallway.
With a focused expression, Misha, dressed in her Hunter uniform, quickly makes her way to the end of the corridor. At the end is a door labeled "Identification Department." After glancing at the sign, she pushes the door open and steps inside.
Inside, she finds a spacious room filled with tables, cabinets, and locked metal safes lining the walls. The tables are cluttered with various strange and peculiar tools, and several people sit at the tables, engrossed in their research.
As soon as Misha enters the room, she spots a familiar figure—her subordinate, Mike. Seeing Misha, Mike immediately approaches and greets her.
"Ms. Misha, you’re finally here."
"Yes... Take me there..."
Misha nods in response to her subordinate’s words, and Mike leads her to one side of the room. Along the wall are a series of doors. Mike opens one and steps inside, with Misha following closely behind.
Inside, they enter a dimly lit small room. Here, Misha sees two other subordinates, Gregor and Vihan, who had been studying something at a small table. Upon hearing someone enter, they quickly turn around and, upon seeing Misha, respectfully address her."Ma’am."
"I received a notification that there’s been a response, but it was sent to the Identification Department. What’s the matter? Is there something wrong with the letter?"
Misha asks the two men in front of her. Meanwhile, Mike closes the door behind them. Hearing Misha’s question, Gregor nods and responds.
"Yes, ma’am. Detective’s reply arrived not long ago. However, during our routine inspection, we detected traces of mystical tampering on it. So, we didn’t open it immediately. Instead, we sent it to the Identification Department and notified you."
Gregor explains to Misha, who raises an eyebrow upon hearing this and continues.
"Detective’s reply has traces of mystical tampering? Hmph... We reached out to him sincerely... What kind of trick is he trying to pull? What kind of spirituality is it? What exactly does it do?"
Misha asks sternly, and Vihan promptly answers.
"According to the Illuminating Beacon’s detection, the spiritual traces on the letter belong to Revelation. This is extremely rare. We currently don’t know what kind of mystical effect caused this or what risks might arise from forcibly opening the letter. That’s why we haven’t opened it yet and instead notified you."
"Revelation...?"
Hearing Vihan’s words, Misha is taken aback. As a knight serving under Harold, the director of the Serenity Bureau, Misha has worked in the bureau for over a decade and has encountered at least a hundred mystical incidents. However, cases related to Revelation are few and far between.
"Most mystical incidents related to Revelation are conflicts between factions fighting over Revelation reserves. I never expected to encounter a direct Revelation mystical effect here... Where is the letter now? I need to see it..."
Misha asks her subordinates, and Gregor immediately responds.
"It’s here, ma’am. We’re still preparing to have the Identification Department analyze what kind of mystical effect this is. To avoid risks, it’s best not to open the letter until we fully understand the situation."
As he speaks, Gregor steps aside, revealing a table behind him. On the table is a glass case containing an envelope. The wax seal on the envelope remains unbroken, and the white envelope is adorned with intricate, hand-drawn patterns.
Misha steps forward and approaches the table, carefully examining the seemingly ordinary envelope inside the glass case. As she scrutinizes it, something strange happens.
In Misha’s eyes, the patterns on the envelope’s surface begin to shift. The delicate, decorative lines start to writhe like snakes, twisting and transforming on the envelope’s surface. The lines rearrange themselves into Pritt letters, forming words and sentences on the white paper.
Seeing this, Misha’s eyes widen slightly, and she takes a step back. However, thanks to her years of experience in the Serenity Bureau, she doesn’t show any signs of panic. She initially wants to speak, but when she sees the moving letters quickly forming words and sentences she can understand, she closes her slightly parted mouth.
At this moment, Misha sees a letter—a letter only she can see—on the envelope’s surface. As she reads the first sentence, her heart skips a beat.
"Respected Ms. Deblanca, I apologize for contacting you in this manner. However, given that there are prying eyes around you and the entire Serenity Bureau is under close surveillance, I must ensure that only you can see this message. The contents inside the envelope are merely a facade. What I truly wish to convey is written on the envelope itself. When you see these words, please remain calm. If there are others around you, try not to show any extreme reactions. Remember, only you can see these words..."
Reading the words addressed specifically to her on the envelope, Misha’s expression turns serious. After a moment of inner turmoil, she quickly calms herself.
“A message only I can see... So this is the mystical effect on the letter... This detective... really knows how to play tricks…”
Misha thinks to herself. However, what concerns her most at this moment isn’t the mystical effect that allows only her to read the message, but the fact that the detective knows her name.
“This detective knows my surname! He knows I’m the one leading the communication with him! The letter I sent didn’t reveal any such information. How does he know this?”
Misha is shocked. If someone knows her name, it clearly means there’s a mole. Could it be that not only does the Eight-Spired Nest have a mole in the Serenity Bureau, but Detective’s faction also has one!?
As Misha reads the beginning of the letter, a chill runs down her spine. However, as if anticipating her thoughts, the detective addresses her concerns in the following lines.
…
"Ms. Deblanca, are you perhaps surprised that I know your name? Are you suspecting that we have a mole within the Serenity Bureau? Rest assured, we do not have any informants within your organization. The reason we know your information is that it has already been leaked to the Eight-Spired Nest by a spy they planted near you. We obtained your information from the Eight-Spired Nest, which is how we learned about your attempt to contact me.
Yes, as you might have guessed, we have a spy within the Eight-Spired Nest. Meanwhile, your investigation team also has a spy from the Eight-Spired Nest. Information about you was leaked to the Eight-Spired Nest by a member of your team, and our informant within the Eight-Spired Nest relayed this information to us. That’s how I know your name.
It is precisely because your unfortunate investigation team has a spy from the Eight-Spired Nest that I am communicating with you in this manner. I do not wish for more information to be leaked to the Eight-Spired Nest. I hope we can establish a more secure channel of communication.
In your previous letter, you asked if we could meet in person to discuss the issue of the Eight-Spired Nest. My answer is yes. However, given that your team has a spy and the entire headquarters is under the shadow of a powerful infiltrator, I propose that our meeting be one-on-one. In other words, neither of us should bring any subordinates or assistants. Please do not disclose the contents of this letter to anyone else in the headquarters to avoid alerting the Eight-Spired Nest.
During our meeting, I can provide you with information about the spy in your team. I already have their details, but this information is not free. You will need to offer something of equal value in exchange. I hope you are prepared for this.
Of course, you may suspect that this is a trap—that I am asking you to come alone to harm you. However, I assure you that is not the case. To alleviate your concerns, I suggest we hold the meeting in the Hymn Cathedral within the Cathedral District. Under the watchful eyes of the church, you need not worry about any malicious intentions on my part. Under the radiance of the Three Saints, you can attend the meeting with peace of mind.
Due to limited space, this is all I can say in this letter. We can discuss the details further during our meeting.
On the afternoon of the 19th, at 2 PM, I will be waiting for you on the leftmost bench at the far end of the Hymn Cathedral in the Cathedral District. I will wait for half an hour. Please make sure to attend. Lastly, I remind you once again: to prevent the Eight-Spired Nest from learning of this, do not disclose the contents of this letter to anyone, especially your subordinates, unless you deem it absolutely necessary."
…
Standing in front of the table, Misha’s eyes remain fixed on the envelope inside the glass case, her expression filled with seriousness and focus. Her intense reaction catches the attention of her subordinates, who are puzzled by her behavior. Vihan, standing beside her, can’t help but ask directly.
"Ms. Misha, is there... something unusual about the letter?"
Vihan asks, and upon hearing his words, Misha pauses for a moment before shifting her gaze to him. Her eyes gleam with an unusual light as she responds.
"No... I didn’t notice anything particularly special about the letter. I’m not sure how this mystical effect was created."
"I see..."
Hearing Misha’s words, Vihan and the others feel slightly disappointed. Misha then continues.
"Since there are spiritual traces on this letter, it’s best not to open it hastily. Wait until the Identification Department confirms there’s no risk before proceeding. You stay here and coordinate with the Identification Department. I have other matters to attend to, so I’ll take my leave."
With that, Misha turns and leaves the small room. As she pushes the door open, she subtly glances back at her subordinates, her eyes now filled with caution.
For Misha, regardless of the truth, the fact that the detective knows about the existence of this investigation team means there’s likely already a problem within it. The irony is not lost on her—a team formed to investigate moles may already have been infiltrated by one. This is not only a blow to Misha but also to the entire Serenity Bureau.
“It seems... I need to meet this detective after all…”
With this thought, Misha quickly exits the room.
…
Time flies, and soon a day and night pass. The calendar in Tivian flips to December 19th, nearing the end of the year.
In the Cathedral District of North Tivian, the daytime sky is no longer sprinkled with light snow, but cold winds howl around the church spires. In this biting cold, the number of people coming to the church for prayers and confessions has noticeably decreased.
Dressed in a thick brown coat, Misha walks briskly through the sparse crowd in the church’s front square. Her steps are firm and unwavering as she approaches the grand wooden doors of the Hymn Cathedral. Stepping inside, she is greeted by the vast interior, illuminated by the light streaming through the tall stained-glass windows. At the far end stands the altar of the Radiant Savior and the Three Saints, with rows of wooden pews extending backward, sparsely occupied by those who have come to pray.
Entering the cathedral, Misha has no intention of praying. Instead, she quickly makes her way to the far end of the leftmost row of pews, searching for something. However, the row is completely empty. Just as Misha frowns slightly, a male voice sounds from behind her.
"Excuse me... are you Ms. Misha?"
Hearing the voice, Misha turns around and looks toward its source. She sees a man wearing a low-brimmed hat and a black coat. His face is pale, with a hooked nose and deep-set eyes. He smiles as he looks at Misha.
"Are you... Detective?"
Misha asks tentatively, and the man shrugs before extending his hand.
"Ed. My name is Ed... It’s a pleasure to meet you, ma’am."