"Mad?" Ebner frowned and asked, "Do you mean his behavior, or his mental state?"
As for behavior, Ebner did know a little, but it was only somewhat excessive, not exactly showing an overly "mad" appearance.
"Both." Sero nodded gravely, his expression serious. "The Nos family angel behind him seems to have had a problem, and there has been no contact for more than half a month.
"And since the Prime Minister obtained power from that being, he is naturally bound by Him. He must perform rituals regularly to maintain his state…
"But now the rituals receive no response, so his mental state has only worsened…
"In my view, he already shows signs of losing control… More accurately, signs of 'degenerating' into a monster."
Performing rituals regularly in exchange for power? That was the method higher-ranked "demons" used to cultivate dependents, much like the Death Announcer and its crew…
That Prime Minister was very likely not a normal Beyonder, but relied on some connection to share the Nos family angel's power, which was how he managed to bypass the Church's inspections and become Prime Minister.
As for why the Nos family angel hadn't responded, I think I can guess a little…
Heh, in that battle at the "Deep Sea Feast," he was stopped by Vera, cursed by Tolzna, and finally forced to flee into the abyss in the form of a toad—the "Blood Duke." Could it be that the Nos family angel the Prime Minister served was that very one?
If He still couldn't respond to His follower's ritual, perhaps it was because His injuries were too severe, leaving Him trapped in the abyss?
As these thoughts turned, Ebner asked in a deep voice, "How much longer can he hold out?"
"At his current state, at most one more month… and his actions will grow more and more insane! Even now, his ability to think has begun to deteriorate. He even believes the angel doesn't respond because he isn't pious enough, so he wants to sacrifice more people to Him." As Sero said this, he took out a list and handed it to Ebner.
Ebner glanced at it and found it to be a record of the Prime Minister's recent string of irrational orders.
"Pushing through a forced 'news control' act, and when Parliament refused, directly dissolving it, changing the electoral system of the MPs… This already undermined the spirit of the new Republic's Charter, hasn't it?
"Ordering Inspector Russell of the Police Department to arrest large numbers of protesting citizens—those with strong backgrounds went through legal proceedings and trials, while those with simpler connections were secretly sent to an outskirt stronghold to be sacrificed…
"This matter was picked up by a Machinery Hivemind team, who are investigating… but the Prime Minister had the Police Department obstruct them…
"Inspector Russell, huh… Is that the Desire Apostle who used Roselle's Les Misérables as a script in hopes of advancing into a 'Devil'?
"He even planted Bianca at my side as an undercover agent…
"Heh, the reason I didn't target him before was because once I had the intention, he might sense it and escape. I wanted to wait for a 'coincidental encounter' before finishing him off…
"But his luck seems good. When I lived in Trier for two months, I never once ran into him.
"Now that I've become a demigod, the 'Shield of Glory'—one of the three special spells I obtained when advancing to Mysticism Magister—has improved in effect.
"Strengthened with divinity, the Shield of Glory's power may not block the perception of angel-level demons, but ordinary devils won't be able to sense his malice ahead of time anymore.
"By the time he does sense it, I'll already be face-to-face with him!"
Ebner commented inwardly while reading, and soon discovered that the Delien family Prime Minister really had gone overboard. He had even dispatched a demigod from the family's "Evil God" faction—the Iron Cross—to assassinate a Sauron family MP…
But that act was ultimately stopped by the family's Church faction demigod.
Ebner tapped the list with his fingers for a while before finally giving instructions:
"Three things.
"First, you must do everything you can to slow the Prime Minister's mental deterioration. He must not cause a major incident before May 1!"
He had to wait until Owen returned, seized the family's voice of authority, and drove the Delien family into true desperation. Only then would it be easier to uncover the secrets they were hiding.
"Second, find a way to have the Eternal Blazing Sun Church send the Delien family's Church-faction demigod elsewhere, away from Trier."
With that lucid demigod around, it was difficult for the family to truly reach desperation.
"Third, find out the Prime Minister and Russell's ritual sacrifice sites, and report them to the Church of Steam."
Sero carefully memorized his master's commands, saluted, then transformed into shadow and left.
After Sero's figure vanished, Ebner lifted his cup and savored the highland coffee alone.
About half an hour later, the door of the private room opened again, and the somewhat exhausted "Prophet" Teles walked in.
Ebner looked at him strangely, because with his current ability to "analyze," it wasn't hard to see that Teles was not only mentally tired but also physically depleted.
"Do you want me to find a pharmacist friend to buy you some 'health potions'?" Ebner asked, his expression odd.
"No need… I myself have some Pharmacist abilities…" Though Teles had a thick skin, he still didn't want to discuss the topic of "not being capable." Instead, he asked, "Why did you ask me out?"
Ebner didn't pry further and only nodded. "I remember you have a friend in the Church of Steam?"
Before he even finished, Teles's expression changed, and he said anxiously, "In my current state it's inconvenient to meet her…"
I wasn't planning to have you meet her now anyway… But did you just expose something yourself? Ebner mocked inwardly, while outwardly saying:
"The matter I want your help with isn't so urgent…"
The two then conspired for a while before going their separate ways.
…..
In Backlund, at No. 22 Hope Street in Cherwood Borough, inside the Trick Hat Hotel.
After some spy-like contact maneuvers, Fors finally met her teacher, Dorian Gray.
She had originally gone to the station to pick him up, but outside she saw her teacher making their agreed-upon emergency signals, telling her to stay away and not approach.
Slipping into the room, Fors asked with concern, "Teacher, what happened just now?"
Dorian shut the door and gave a bitter smile.
"I saw an acquaintance."
He sighed and added, "An enemy."
After that, Fors not only received from her teacher a wondrous item called Lemanore's Travel Notes, which could record Beyonder abilities, but also learned the name of her teacher's former student—now an Aurora Order Divine Emissary who betrayed the Abraham family and incited slaughter—the Traveler Louis Wayne.
Although Dorian solemnly warned her, when Fors heard the other was only a Divine Emissary, she let out a heavy breath of relief.
So after all that, it's just a Divine Emissary… He might not even be able to beat Xio, let alone Ebner! Why was I so nervous just now?
Maybe I could ask Ebner to kill that Divine Emissary, avenge my teacher?
Hmm, posting a hunt mission at the Tarot Club is also an option…
With such thoughts, when night fell, she pleaded with Ebner to add abilities to Lemanore's Travel Notes and also brought up the hunt commission, which was only natural.
(End of this chapter)