510 The Returning Bishop (1/2)

Paavo Court… Cleves didn't directly answer the woman behind the telegraph office's door. He turned to glance at Gehrman Sparrow, waiting for his decision.

In the eyes of this former adventurer, it was a difficult task for fifteen people to get back to the White Agate safely. They couldn't and shouldn't be distracted by helping her search for someone. However, he was well aware that the current pillar of support was Gehrman Sparrow and Blazing Danitz. They were the only ones who had the right to decide on the matter.

Klein remained silent for two seconds, then he spoke in a measured voice.

”What does he look like?”

He believed that having more information would help him escape this strange, foggy city, so he casually asked in passing. As for whether he would help take note of the person's whereabouts, it all depended on what happened next.

While inquiring, Klein also warned himself not to pursue the matter too deeply or else it might risk triggering the danger dormant in Bansy Harbor.

Between understanding the situation and avoiding the risks, he had to engage in a balancing act—no more, no less, without leaning too far left or right.

This might be an easy or difficult feat, because no one knew what would happen once he took the step. He could only judge based on his experience and intuition, and he could fall into a pit at any time. This left Klein highly stressed as his mind whirled at an unprecedented speed.

In the dense darkness and thin fog, the telegraph office's door remained tightly shut. The woman inside paused and said, ”He's… a very handsome… man.

”He has two eyes, two ears, a nose, and a mouth.”

Why does this answer sound so scary…. Is there something wrong with this woman? According to the customs of Bansy Harbor, she shouldn't have even responded! Blazing Danitz had the urge to kick open the door, rush into the telegraph office, and check the situation inside.

It was at this moment that he saw Gehrman Sparrow put his hand on his hat and turn to the side.

”Storm cathedral,” Klein briefly stated their destination.

He didn't bother with whether there was anything wrong with the woman at the telegraph office. It was just like how he didn't delve into the secrets of the owner of the Green Lemon Restaurant or the customers who had chosen to stay the night.

The wind was getting lighter, and the fog was thinning. The candlelight from the cathedral was shining through the narrow windows high above, like a beacon in a storm.

After Klein used Sun Halo again, Donna and the others regained some of their courage, like people who had fallen into the water and desperately grabbed onto the last straw. They hurriedly walked on the empty streets in silence.

Soon they arrived outside the Storm cathedral, but the doors were shut tight.

Glancing at the Storm Sacred Emblem on the door, Klein raised his hand and knocked three times.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

A vigilant male voice immediately came from behind the door.

”Who is it?”

”Gehrman Sparrow,” Klein replied straight away.

He could already tell that it was Captain Elland.

”Why are you here?” Elland asked again without opening the door.

Klein raised his cane and calmly said, ”You helped me pay White Shark's compensation.”

After a moment of surprise and amusement, Elland made an initial confirmation that it was the real Gehrman Sparrow outside. At the very least, even a monster adept at disguising wouldn't have known something that was privy only to the two of them.

He still felt hesitant until Cleves, Urdi Branch, Donna, and company sounded out in succession. Only then did he relax and allow his first mate, Harris, to unlock and open the door.

A heavy clunking sound rang out, and Klein saw Elland in his boat-shaped hat, sword in one hand, and musket in the other.

”Something happened here too?” he keenly asked, based on his conclusion from the situations from before.

Elland stepped aside to let Donna and the others in. Then he pointed at the prayer hall and said, ”The priest I knew, Jayce, died in there. He was decapitated, and Bishop Millet is nowhere to be found. Same for the other priests. Also, the servants in the church are all gone.”

A dead priest with a missing bishop? The whole cathedral is devoid of the living? This is a little problematic… Klein gripped the cold Azik's copper whistle, his heart sinking.

Of course, he was very clear that the priest and the bishop weren't the main force of the Church of Storm that managed Beyonder matters in Bansy Harbor. Underneath this cathedral, there was definitely a Mandated Punisher team formed out of 6–8 Beyonders, as well as an indefinite number of Sealed Artifacts. Even High-Sequence Beyonders wouldn't be able to wipe out this force in a short span of time without causing a stir.

As long as they're alive and able to use Sealed Artifacts, the problem shouldn't be too terrible… So, at this point in time, what is the Mandated Punisher team doing? Based on his previous experience as a Nighthawk, Klein made a guess of the standard operating procedures.

In the process, he followed Elland to the prayer hall and examined the body of the deceased priest.

Jayce died a tragic death, as if his head had been decapitated while he was still alive. Unlike the monsters outside, his esophagus and head were separated.

With Klein's Spirit Vision, this priest no longer had any remnant spirit. It would be very difficult to have a successful spirit channeling ritual.

Is it due to a unique killing technique, or has it been dealt with accordingly… It's different from the monsters outside. Was it because the operation happened in a rush? Combining all that he knew, Klein concluded his previous speculation.

He felt that there were two possibilities. One, there was something of local origins, perhaps a living Sealed Artifact or a Mid-Sequence Beyonder, who had lost control underground. It escaped the cathedral and killed Jayce while fleeing, causing the abnormal changes in Bansy Harbor. The bishop, priests, and Mandated Punishers were in desperate pursuit, attempting to form a seal again or get rid the perpetrator. The servants had been led underground and were under the protection of the remaining Mandated Punishers.