It was only for a few moments, fleeting, almost invisible, but Halton managed to sense it. He was flying through the clouds, his destination the Church of Knowledge, when his soul quivered, singing praises for his god. His Holy Power detected and resonated with the divine aura somewhere nearby.
He slowed his flight and closed his eyes. His silhouette floated atop the sky, below the clouds. Though the Grand Formation prohibited flying, he was an Archbishop of Knowledge. His privilege allowed him to act freely, so long as he did not go against the member of the other Churches or the Knoffvegent Imperial Family.
This divine aura feels familiar. Is it one of the stolen artefacts? Should I investigate?
I come here specifically to request assistance, but the request will not go through faster even if I arrive early. On the other hand, if I can find the origin of this disturbance, I might prevent a disaster from happening. This contribution will aid my request.
Halton drew back his Holy Power, pressed his feet against empty air, and descended the invisible staircase. With his power, no one could detect his presence.
The divine aura ripples faintly and shortly. The artefact owner must not be of other Churches; they wouldn't have hidden the presence of the artefact. If they have to hide the holy aura, their intention must be impure. However, due to some unexpected reasons, their concealment broke, and the divine aura leaked out.
Halton opened his eyes and swept his gaze across the streets. Holy Power, in the form of golden lights, subtly twirled inside him. They emerged from his Archbishop Robe and freshened his mind, igniting his sparks of inspiration. His thoughts raced until a plausible answer came to him.
A clash between the Secret Organisations or the Evil Cults! This explains the lack of commotion, the failure of concealment, and the sudden disappearance of the divine aura. Judging from the intensity of the resonance, the artefact owner must be close.
Halton wanted to use his authority over the Grand Formation to sweep through the streets, but he restrained himself. Such an act would expose his intention. If he failed, he would alert the artefact owner.
I have to observe the suspects secretly. I can't be too forceful, but I also must be quick. Thankfully, the divine aura will linger around the holy-type artefact. My Holy Power will detect it. The artefact owner must lack the means to get rid of the divine aura, not in such a short amount of time.
Halton clasped his hands and prayed. His Holy Power reverberated with his Faith, resembling pure-white light of wisdom. They, like fireflies and stars, danced around each other until their rhythm reached unity. Their radiance expanded, developing into countless symbols, each of which contained profound knowledge of reality and magic.
The symbols turned into countless formations. With a gesture, Halton commanded the vast array of spells. Innumerable visions and sounds manifested around him. They depicted the mundane lives of the mortals who innocently walked the streets, heading to work, stores, friends, and many other variations.
Though Halton was an Archbishop of Knowledge, he could not process all information at once. His Archbishop Robe, though an immense help, was not omnipotent. He had to look through a few at a time and eliminate them one by one.
In a blink of an eye, he had eliminated hundreds of suspects, most of whom were ordinary mortals. These people did not attempt to hide anything, nor did they have the divine aura lingering around them.
Soon, Halton went through an entire street and started looking through the buildings. His countless spell formations locked onto multiple places, but none of them produced any result. Nevertheless, he did not feel dejected. His Archbishop Robe quickly healed his mental fatigue.
This won't work. I'll have to narrow down the scope of my investigation. I can't search randomly, or I won't be able to catch the artefact owner. Halton tapped his forehead. His Holy Power rapidly depleted.
"Father of Knowledge, Divine Sage Who Commands the Truth, please grant me a hint of your infinite revelation," he whispered. "I am pursuing a suspect who has in possession a holy-type artefact."
The silver of Faith inside his soul trembled as a refreshing sensation washed over his body. Muffled voices echoed, praising the might of the God of Knowledge, echoing his divine feats, and spreading his teachings.
If it were someone else who hadn't undergone the teaching of the Church of Knowledge, they would suffer soul injury and gain no information from the whispers.
Halton lowered his head and closed his eyes, immersing himself in the infinite revelation. The invisible voices presented countless possibilities, then debated among each other, excluding the implausible and the illogical, leaving only a few refined thoughts.
The logical choice for the artefact owner is to escape. There are many ways to escape. However, if they want to avoid detection, they can only do so covertly. They also have to suppress the divine aura from leaking outside the artefact.
Anyone who doesn't have any sealed containment can be eliminated. Same for those who walk along the streets or stay inside the buildings. They can't escape too far enough that I will lose sight of them. The only people I need to pay attention to are those hidden from the outside views, especially the sewers, the carriages, and the merchants.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
Halton rapidly calculated the maximum distance of his search and commenced the operation. He went through the farthest suspects and worked his ways inside.
He secretly unravelled a few isolation formations of a few carriages, in which the nobles and the officials, rested, chatted, discussed, or fixed their makeups. They wasted a fair bit of his time, but he consoled himself that, with each elimination, he was ever closer to the answer.
After a while, his attention came to an elegant, pitch-black carriage. Its speed was nothing out of the ordinary. Its driver was a middle-aged man who looked weary and tired out of his mind. He occasionally reined his horses to change direction when the crowds upfront gathered, but he never once informed his patron.
Halton narrowed his eyes. There is an unusual amount of isolation spells protecting this carriage, though their quality is subpar. This is way more protection than an ordinary carriage agency will offer, even for the elite companies. It must be the act of the passenger. What are they hiding?
Halton had a feeling that his effort had paid off, that he was about to uncover the truth. With a smile, he swiftly infiltrated the isolation spells and spread his awareness inside the carriage.
...
Lying on the soft red cushions, a lady in a black and white suit pressed herself against her maid, who blushed and closed her eyes. The lady lowered her head and licked the maid's cheek until her tongue found its way to the maid's right ear. She whispered something inaudible, then bit softly on the earlobe.
The maid moaned, her lips shivering, unable to purse together. Her hands gripped the cushions below her, feeling the damped spots and the sweats of both herself and her lady. She gradually relaxed her legs, but a bout of electric pleasure tensed them up, repeating the motions in a chaotic rhythm, giving her no timing to prepare herself.
"Please, I can't," the maid said, her steamy breath thickening the air. "My voice will leak. It's embarrassing. I'm just an ordinary woman, not worthy of your body!"
"Then scream your heart out," the lady whispered. "I've already sealed the carriage off. No one will not disturb us. We will ride around the capital while I pry open every part of your body, then you will do the same for me. This is your reward for your tenderness."
The lady's hands slipped into the maid's clothes and invaded every part valuable. Her fingers rubbed against the petite breasts while she teasingly unbuttoned the black laced bras of her maid.
The maid trembled, desperately holding in her pleasing cries. The fear of someone's hearing her voice and ruining this blissful moment clutched her heart, but it also excited her until she could hardly control herself. Her lady's eyes, black like the darkness of the night, pierced through her clothes and scoured her delicate body. Such a gaze melted her mind, fusing it with her heart, letting her desires take over.
"Oh, you're starting to take the initiative." The lady laughed. "There is no need to hurry. We have all the time in the world. I can teach you everything, even awakening that which sleep inside your innocence."
"Please be rough and forceful. Though I am not perfect, I'll strive to become one for you, Milady."
"I'll mould you into my perfect with my playful hands." The lady licked her lips and slid downwards. Her hands grabbed the maid's dress and took it off forcefully. "Your scent is like strawberry. Will you taste like it?"
The maid instinctively covered her crotch with her hands, then she trembled, struggled, and finally placed her hands on her thighs, holding onto herself, her eyes burning with anticipation. Her lady pressed her face against the maid's left leg and nuzzled it, rubbing her sweat-filled cheeks against the soft, bouncy flesh.
"Please don't tease me. I can't wait for it anymore!" The maid averted her gaze as her face turned cherry-red. "This body, this heart, and this self, they are all forever yours. Please ruin it with your own body; please ruin me with your affection!"
"If you keep saying lovely words like that, I will lose control of myself." The lady stroked her fingertips upon the palace of ecstasy. The maid tensed her back and arms, her breaths running out. The fingers abruptly dove further. "Don't be shy. Let your emotions guide you. There is only you and me in this place."
"But," the maid stuttered. "This is my first time, and Milady is too skilful!"
"Then, I'll let you do the same to me. We'll reveal our secrets to each other; you won't be alone." The lady moved up and kissed the maid. "Don't worry. In this world of ours, there are only us two."
...
Halton cut the vision inside the carriage the moment the scene of the noble lady pushing her maid onto the messy, wet cushions. His mental barrier collapsed as he subconsciously clenched his fists, trying his hardest to erase the obscene scene and its implication out of his mind.
Though he only glimpsed such a private affair for an instant, he felt like he had sinned greatly. Shame and guilt rapidly built up in his heart and ruptured like a downpour. Panic spread from his brain to every part of his body. He profusely sweated, his mind numbed.
So that is why they put on such an unusual amount of isolation spells. They are . . . following their hearts. Their actions are not out of the ordinary nor sinful. The God of Knowledge does not forbid the act of love.
"Father of Knowledge, your devotee has sinned." Halton controlled his panic and closed his eyes. "My conviction has not wavered, and my act is on the side of the good. However, I shall not deny my wrongdoing. Please forgive your devotee and grant him another chance."
The silver of Faith inside Halton vibrated. He lowered his head and cleared his mind, placing his focus back on the mission.
I mustn't waste any more time; I'll confess my mistake in the Crown Chapel later. The priority is still finding the artefact owner!
With newfound determination, Halton spread his awareness throughout the streets and the sewers. Countless spell formations around him displayed an endless amount of information. Halton pushed himself further, enduring the splitting headache, to prove that his mistake did not cost him the mission.
As time passed, Halton started to feel the pressure weighing on his shoulders. He had searched through countless carriages, sewer systems, as well as the nearby hidden compartments and trains and some suspicious pedestrians.
Still, the artefact owner was nowhere to be found. It was as if they vanished into nothingness, leaving zero evidence, hiding in plain sight.
Why can't I find them? Instead of the artefact owner, I found a lady and her maid pleasuring each other. How twisted is that? What bad luck is this? It's too coincidental!
Halton frowned. The bubbles of thoughts in his mind burst open, revealing countless scenarios.
Coincidence? Hidden in plain sight? Of all the people I've examined, that carriage was the only one I failed to search. Because of my panicking, I preemptively cut off the possibility. I vaguely recalled an inconspicuous suitcase lying on the floor. My awareness cannot pierce through its leather surface; there is an isolation spell at work.
Could this be a ploy to divert my attention? Am I overthinking this? Doesn't matter; I'll know the truth when I check again. If their act is fake, I'll smite them until their bones turn into dust!
After preparing his heart, Halton swiftly locked onto the elegant black carriage. His spells overworked themselves as his awareness penetrated through the layers of isolation spells.