This woman posing as housekeeper Ancath was actually the "Wizard" Bianca?
Ebner maintained his composure on the surface while remaining inwardly vigilant. He adjusted his glasses, discreetly activating his "Pure White Eyes" to scrutinize the "plain-looking" woman before him.
Soon, through his "Mystic Art," he detected traces of a mystical item around her facial area.
This "Mystic Art"—called "Object Detection"—was developed by Ebner based on the abilities of a "Cryptologist." It could locate mystical items on a person's body, serving as a preparatory skill for "Disintegration."
When combined with the two "Amon's Monocle Lens" fragments in his possession, the effectiveness of this "Mystic Art" improved significantly—even some concealed "Grade 1" sealed artifacts couldn't escape detection.
Inside the study, despite confirming the housekeeper's true identity, Ebner chose not to expose her outright. Instead, he calmly offered a few words of encouragement before instructing Butler Bowen to introduce her to the other household staff.
After they left, Ebner took a sip of coffee from his desk and sank into thought:
"Over a month ago, when Klein, Sharon, and I met with Medici, we inquired about the transmigrator predecessor 'Giuseppe Castilla'—the one Lilith referred to as 'Felipe.'
"The 'Red Angel' told us what stood out most was that man's abnormally peculiar luck. Moreover, Medici recently detected a similar yet distinct aura reminiscent of that anomalous luck passing by.
"Later, Hugh mentioned that the owner of that aura was likely this very 'Wizard' Bianca!
"I recall performing a 'prophecy' at the time to locate Bianca, which pointed me to 'Trier'...
"Now, encountering her so soon—is this her own agenda at work, or some form of convergence?
"Could her peculiar trait of bringing misfortune to her lovers truly be connected to that transmigrator predecessor?"
As he pondered, Ebner mimicked "The Fool's" habit of tapping the edge of his desk. After a moment, he decided to keep the "Wizard" in his household for now, using the opportunity to investigate her background.
But first, he needed to determine her purpose in becoming his housekeeper...
With this in mind, Ebner turned his head toward an empty sofa and politely said, "Miss Closfia, could you examine this housekeeper's psyche? I'd like to know if someone is scheming behind her to target me."
"Very well," a languid voice replied. The study door then opened and closed by itself without a breeze.
While "Sloth" appeared lazy, she was actually quite diligent—perhaps why she could wield the power of "Persona Masks" without suffering significant backlash?
As his thoughts wandered, Ebner continued sipping his coffee while picking up a document on his desk—a detailed report on various newspapers compiled by Butler Bowen.
As a local, his information was naturally more accurate and comprehensive than what "Chesi," controlled by the "Magic Mirror," had gathered.
"So Lyon ultimately set his sights on the Loen Times... But that one is really quite expensive... Looks like I'll have to go talk to that Mr. Wolfe who was successfully brainwashed by Lilith...
"Or maybe I just shouldn't buy it at all? Just have that 'lion' hypnotize Mr. Wolfe's son... After all, it just wants to publish some of Roselle's dirty laundry... There's no real need to actually own shares...
"Besides, based on the information gathered so far, young Mr. Wolfe, while not a Beyonder, isn't exactly a good person either—his hands are just as bloody as old Mr. Wolfe's before Lilith 'reformed' him...
"The only real issue is that since Mr. Wolfe's disappearance, the 'Machinery Hivemind' has been keeping a close eye on the Loen Times. If young Mr. Wolfe suddenly has a drastic change in attitude, it might draw the attention of the official Beyonders..."
Just as this thought crossed his mind, the study door swung open again, and Closfia's figure appeared before Ebner.
—Miss "Sloth's" Sequence 3-level "Psychological Invisibility" still couldn't evade Ebner's "Pure White Eyes."
"Any results?" Ebner inquired.
"Your housekeeper is indeed problematic... She was sent here by Inspector Russell of the Police Department," Closfia replied with a peculiar expression. "But this wasn't the housekeeper's own intention—she was coerced into coming."
Inspector Russell? Isn't that the 'Desire Apostle' from the Nox family who used Les Misérables as a script to advance to 'Devil'?
He's controlling Bianca, sending her here to spy on me... Is this revenge for me ruining his plans on the train?
Hah, I didn't actively go after you because I didn't want to be 'sensed' by you too soon, and now you're coming after me instead?
Wait—could this be due to Bianca's debuff effect? Very likely! So Russell, whose plans went flawlessly for years, had them ruined by me, got noticed by Bernoît, and now is making such a stupid move by provoking me, someone protected by a Saint and armed with multiple demigod-level methods?
At this realization, Ebner's expression also turned peculiar. Shaking his head, he asked again, "What's her objective?"
"She was ordered to gather as much information about you as possible and, if necessary, provide Inspector Russell with personal items like your clothing or hair.
"But this young lady, whose real name is Bianca, doesn't seem to actually plan on doing it. She's just waiting for Russell to meet his downfall so she can break free from his control." At this point, a hint of teasing amusement flashed in Closfia's eyes before she continued, "From the fragments of memory I saw in her mind, every 'master' she's ever had has met with misfortune and lost their lives... So you should be careful too!"
"I have no interest in being her 'master,'" Ebner emphasized first, then asked thoughtfully, "How was she captured by Russell? And what's controlling her?"
"Her capture was just a coincidence... or, as she herself puts it, when she doesn't have a 'master,' her luck tends to be terrible. Not long after arriving in Trier, she got caught up in a murder case, where Inspector Russell noticed her and planted a 'Seed of Desire,' turning her into his servant."
As she answered, Closfia repeatedly applied "Psychological Hints" to herself to prevent her "hostility" from being detected by Inspector Russell. "Also, while it was the 'upright' Inspector Russell who sent her to spy on you, Bianca suspects he didn't originally plan this—it was only after a secret meeting with a member of a certain major family that he assigned her the mission."
(End of Chapter)