Chapter 326: Chapter 326

"Yes, that did indeed happen."

"Did he throw a steam bomb back then?"

Miss Miller asked again, though it sounded more like a statement of fact.

"Yes. I remember the papers said that aside from that one, he'd planted several more in his rented room, which ended up killing a police officer." The latest_epɪ_sodes are on_the novel⟡fire.net

"Right. And do you know why he was carrying something so dangerous while trying to escape? It's not uncommon for steam bombs to explode from being shaken. The one he reluctantly threw at you was a side job taken by a member of the Gear Artisans' Association to make some extra money. By divining the bomb fragments, the Orthodox Church immediately located the underground workshop, which made them suspicious of the Gear Artisans' Association's true motives."

The complexity of the situation and the sheer coincidence of all the events involved far exceeded Jenkins's expectations. If Miss Miller hadn't explained it to him, he never would have imagined this was the truth.

"So, the Witch's House originally came to Nolan for these documents, but they got implicated after blackmailing the marquis with private photos and then losing them, which led them to resent the Believers of Lies. A spy organization from Cheslan was after the military documents in the marquis's possession, but a group of con artists beat them to it. And the Gear Artisans' Association was after something underground but got dragged into this because of a single bomb... The con artists managed to stir up all this trouble at once?"

"A very good summary."

Miss Miller nodded. "But you missed one thing. The Life Sharing Alliance is also involved. Those fanatics seeking immortality were trying to launch a plan called the Children of the Mist. The big strike a month ago was related to it; they wanted to use the polluted fog blanketing the city to create a terrifying creature. Due to a series of coincidences, the plan failed, and most of the organizations working with the immortality cultists have pulled out, but they haven't given up. They're now collecting the lifespans of ordinary people to build their strength. As for the con artists who stirred up all this trouble, they had no intention of staying in Nolan and have probably all left by now. I heard they have another organization in Aediran... And the documents, along with the photos I need, were obtained by people from the Life Sharing Alliance. The exact reason is still unclear, but it's likely they're using those documents to get in the door with high-ranking nobles and further their 'life sharing' cause."

Jenkins slowly exhaled, his eyes gazing unconsciously at the wind and snow outside the window.

"It's certainly a lot to piece together. It took me a long time investigating and using some special methods to figure out what really happened. I'd dare say that right now, there are fewer than ten people in this city, including you and me, who understand the truth. You know, even the cultists involved probably don't know the full extent of what's happening around them."

At this, a hint of a self-satisfied expression appeared on her face. Jenkins played along with a look of admiration, and she chuckled softly at the sight.

Although he had unexpectedly learned about the city's current problems from Miss Miller, these clues seemed rather mundane compared to the battles he had faced in the previous two loops. They didn't feel like the fuse leading to the so-called disaster.

As Jenkins thought this, something else occurred to him:

"So, during your investigation, did you ever hear about an 'Undying Man' plan?"

She thought for a moment before quickly giving her answer.

"Yes, I did hear about it. But all I know is that 'Undying Man' refers to a special ability from ancient legends, a White-Basic type. But all mortals must die. How could an undying person possibly exist?"

She looked at Jenkins searchingly, trying to read something from his expression. But Jenkins remained deep in thought. He was beginning to suspect that Miss Miller might not have any real clues for him after all.

Just as that thought crossed his mind, Miss Miller's expression suddenly stiffened. She whipped her head around to look behind her.

It was the apartment window, which looked out onto a street blanketed in silver and a flurry of swirling snowflakes.

"Jenkins, I'm afraid I've dragged you into this."

He didn't speak. Through his own eyes, he had already seen two Level 5 Benefactors pretending to be pedestrians, slowly closing in on their location.

"No, maybe they're exactly who I'm looking for."

They both stood up at the same time. Chocolate, as if sensing the tension, scurried out from the direction of the kitchen.

Miss Miller suddenly smiled at Jenkins. "I have a great idea. Can you help me out?"

The snow, which had started the previous night, showed no signs of stopping. Aside from a certain man experiencing his third thirty-first, no one knew just how long the storm would last.

Two beautiful women holding black umbrellas stood at the mouth of an alley, looking at the four-story, pale yellow apartment building. They exchanged a glance, and the shorter of the two stepped forward first, politely yielding to an old woman carrying a cat. Treading in fashionable high heels, she sashayed up the steps and knocked lightly on the door.

She immediately furrowed her meticulously drawn, delicate eyebrows. The instant her finger touched the metal door, chalk marks appeared at eye level.

It was as if an invisible hand holding an invisible piece of chalk was writing on the door. The following script materialized:

The woman waited for a moment but ignored the question. From inside, there was only a long silence, no sound of footsteps.

Before coming here, the two of them knew that the woman named Miller was exceptionally strange. She had obtained most of her abilities through her own understanding of the world—an almost unimaginable feat—and the rest of her powers were exceedingly rare. There was no detailed information on her locally; they couldn't even identify the type of her core ability.

That was why the organization had specifically dispatched two Level 5 Benefactors to deal with this Level 2 Benefactor. But the current situation was even stranger than they had anticipated. She could feel that from the moment she stepped onto the stairs, the air around her had begun to feel... off.

It wasn't an illusion, nor was it a dream, yet it was subtly different from the physical reality of the world.

She turned her head to look at her companion, who was standing at the alley's exit wearing a black, lace-trimmed hat. The other woman nodded and walked over confidently. As she crossed the street, she glanced up at the second-floor window, but all she saw was an abyss of profound darkness.

"Should we abort the mission?"

The first woman asked bluntly, her slightly upturned eyes glancing at her companion. When a target's abilities far exceeded expectations, retreating was the smart choice.