Chapter 65: Since We’re Here

“Really no one inside.”

Katie leaned her head closer, curiously looking at the empty coffin, her face full of doubt.

“Could it really have crawled out of the coffin?”

“I don’t think so.”

Anthony shook his head, then struck a flamboyant pose as he took a drag of his cigarette.

“The coffin was buried underground, with such a thick layer of soil on top. I think it’s simply impossible for someone to crawl out from inside.”

“Think or not, what use is that.”

Henry glared viciously at Anthony.

“How about I stuff you in there, bury you, and see if you can crawl out?”

“Then I really won’t be able to crawl out.”

Anthony immediately gave in without the slightest hesitation.

“If you ask me, I’d say the person probably ran off before the burial.”

“Eh? But what about during the funeral? Everyone couldn’t possibly watch an empty coffin get buried, right?”

Katie raised her doubt. According to funeral customs, people had to view the deceased one last time before burial and offer flowers.

“Inspector Lestrade said plenty of people watched him being buried. Nothing wrong there.”

Levi swept a glance around as he answered Katie’s question.

“So this person just disappeared from the coffin? Like magic?”

“I think it’s pretty much the same as magic.”

Levi also leaned closer, carefully inspecting every corner of the coffin inside… hmm, nothing. No traces at all, as if the corpse had truly vanished into thin air.

Perhaps it really had vanished into thin air.

“Now that body is at the Police Station, right?”

Anthony looked curiously at Levi and asked.

“According to your theory, this guy came back from the dead. Could it be related to the rumors? That immortal Alexander?”

“There’s no such good thing—just because people think you won’t die doesn’t mean you won’t die.”

Henry sneered at that.

“And besides, with so many people watching him get buried, how could anyone still think he wouldn’t die?”

“Because humans pursue excitement.”

Levi looked at the empty coffin and sighed softly.

“Look, this man didn’t die from being struck by lightning, didn’t die from being swept into the sea, but in the end died of illness. Do you think that makes a good story?”

“Indeed, as an ending, not very attractive.”

Anthony nodded.

“Exactly. I suspect Alexander is the same. And… I suspect he may not have revived of his own will.”

As Levi spoke, he recalled how when Alexander died, the man had been extremely terrified, even shouting “Please, I don’t want to die.” At that time, who had he been begging for help?

Based on the clues provided by that couple, Alexander had once approached them, claiming they were distant relatives of the Lancaster Family and inviting them to inherit property.

Considering what happened afterward, it was very likely that one of that couple truly was a distant relative of the Lancaster Family. And their daughter—the little girl—had become the sacrifice used to awaken that Ghost Knight.

Why Alexander had to do this, for now, seemed not of his own will. In other words, Alexander himself was only a pawn being manipulated.

As for who this manipulator was… Levi did have a suspect.

It was the mysterious “X” who had killed Madam Durex.

Since the other party could kill Madam Durex remotely through a mirror with a curse, then using the rumor about Alexander to turn him into a resurrected servant was not completely impossible.

But these were just speculations, not even proper deductions—anyone could think of them. The real problem now was that this mysterious X had never been found, which was quite troublesome.

“Alexander’s corpse is at the Police Station, right?”

Anthony asked curiously again.

“What do you plan to do with it?”

“Directly cremate it.”

Levi gave his opinion without hesitation.

In this era, people of the Empire were somewhat opposed to cremation, because they believed cremation was used for cultists, heretics, witches, or other evil beings.

A righteous, good person, a faithful believer, should be buried in the ground.

It was only because those Levi encountered were never good people, that cremating them didn’t weigh on him.

Of course, in Alexander’s case, since he was already dead, cremation carried even less burden.

“What if he crawls out after being cremated?”

Anthony’s mind clearly worked on its own strange circuit.

“Would he become a gray, misty figure then? Or something else?”

“Best if he doesn’t crawl out at all.”

Levi casually replied, waving his hand.

“Fill it up. There’s nothing here anymore.”

“…………………”

Henry was silent for a moment, then quietly closed the coffin and filled the pit.

Anthony, meanwhile, grinned as he stood aside, watching Henry shovel dirt.

Henry looked up and glared at Anthony viciously.

“Keep staring and I’ll bury you too.”

“I’ll pass on that. I really can’t stand underground environments.”

Anthony waved his hand, then stood and walked over to Levi.

“So next, our investigation target is the Church?”

“You have an idea?”

Levi looked curiously at Anthony, who shamelessly nodded.

“Of course. Actually, it’s simple. Since we don’t know what they’re doing, we just sneak into the church and look for clues. If we can find evidence, isn’t that better than sneaking here in the middle of the night to dig up graves? Besides, we don’t need evidence to bring them to court, do we?”

“Seems like this is the only way now.”

Levi nodded.

As things stood, from the Courtesan Killer case until now, nearly every case was linked to the Holy Lord Church.

Not to mention the ruins and temples he had found, all bearing the symbol of the All-Seeing Eye. To say there was no relation—Levi would never believe that.

“So, since we’re here.”

Anthony gestured invitingly toward the dark church not far away.

“Why don’t we go inside for a walk?”

“Alright.”

Levi checked his watch—there was still a long time until dawn.

Since the Church was suspicious, they should start their investigation there.

Moreover, he had already used his puppet bird to scout earlier; the church was currently empty.

Levi had originally considered investigating it anyway, so now that Anthony suggested it, of course he wouldn’t object.

Since Levi agreed, Katie naturally didn’t object either.

The young lady looked as excited as if she were staying up all night at an internet café for the first time. Henry, as a soldier, was also used to night operations.

Soon, the four of them sneaked to the church doors like thieves—and as expected, the doors were locked.

“Let me.”

Perhaps because he hadn’t been able to shine in the Haunted House before, Anthony was unusually eager this time.

He walked up to the church doors, pulled something out from his hand, and just like a burglar in a film, fiddled with the lock a few times. With a “click,” the doors opened.

It was even faster than opening with a key.

Anthony turned around, only to see Katie staring at him with wide, curious eyes.

“Ahaha, just a little trick, nothing respectable.”

Facing Katie, Anthony only laughed awkwardly, then pushed the door open. Katie blinked, then asked curiously:

“Since you’re picking the Church’s lock, won’t the Holy Lord punish you?”

“Uh… probably not.”

Anthony’s smile stiffened as he quickly replied.

“Besides, it’s only a kind of faith, not like… right? Otherwise, if the Church were really doing things to overthrow the Empire, would the Holy Lord just sit back and ignore it?”

“Oh……………”

Katie nodded, saying nothing more. Levi, however, grew thoughtful.

Would the Holy Lord really intervene?

So far, the cases Levi had encountered all used rumors to affect reality, though on a small scale. But if one spoke of the world’s largest-scale rumor, wasn’t it religion?

Tens of millions, or even more people’s belief—could that not condense into a Holy Lord?

If so, then perhaps the Church’s actions were directly ordered by the Holy Lord itself… and Madam Durex and the others had acted because the Holy Lord had revealed itself.

Uh—now was not the time to think too much. In any case, they had to investigate the church first.

Levi shook his head. If that logic held, then the story of Emperor Arthur was even more widespread, yet no Emperor Arthur had popped up.

Or maybe there was still some pattern he hadn’t discovered.

Levi did not share his speculation with the others.

Having been educated in modern materialism and read web novels, he already held deep-seated common sense: gods were nothing more than higher-dimensional beings or species stronger than humans.

So he did not have much reverence for so-called gods.

But for people of this era, faith was devout. If they knew the Church’s plots were actually orders from the Holy Lord, who knew what they would think.

Besides, this was only speculation without evidence.

And if the Holy Lord really existed, with its power, it could just strike down a bolt of lightning on Her Majesty the Queen in public. Why bother with so much trouble?

Stepping into the church, Levi instinctively looked up at the All-Seeing Eye.

Then, his eyes widened suddenly!

In the place of the All-Seeing Eye, a woman in a black robe floated within.

Her eyes glowed like LED bulbs.

Her long, black hair spread downward, merging into the surrounding shadows, with faint starlight twinkling within—

—cough, no, not dandruff sparkles, but starlight…

“…………………”

The woman silently gazed at Levi, then stretched out her hand, pointing to the ground.

“Detective?”

Katie’s voice sounded from beside him, snapping Levi back to his senses. He looked again at the All-Seeing Eye and found it empty—nothing there.

“What’s wrong? Staring at that symbol?”

Katie looked at Levi, then at the All-Seeing Eye symbol hanging on the church wall, puzzled.

“I was just seeing if I could find any clues.”

Levi’s expression didn’t change much, but his mind was already racing.

“Anthony and the others are heading upstairs to check the bishop’s room. Where shall we go?”

“Hmm……………”

Levi looked at Anthony, Henry, and Katie, thinking for a moment.

“We’ll go down to the underground crypt.”

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