"Clelia?" Wei’en sat up in bed, frowning. "What are you doing here?"

Still in her short skirt, Clelia emerged from the shadows cast by the candlelight. She swayed gracefully to a nearby chair, pulled it out, and sat down. "Just came to see you~"

"But this is the Council... if anyone finds out..."

"Relax, relax. No one will find out."

Clelia waved her hand dismissively, then produced two bottles of wine and a plate of roasted meat. "I saw you at the reception earlier. It didn’t look like you ate much, so I brought this for you."

Wei’en paused, stunned. "You were there, too?"

"Of course. As long as I wish it, I can appear anywhere in the Caster City State."

"Then you..."

Clelia sat down beside him, saying with displeasure, "Why so many questions? I was nice enough to bring you food. Don’t you have any words of thanks?"

"Er, thank you."

"That’s more like it~ Come, let’s have a drink to celebrate you killing a captain-level Wizard."

"...You were there then, too?"

"And not just me~" Clelia filled a glass with wine and handed it to him. "A few creepy old geezers were also watching you from the sidelines."

Wei’en hesitated for a moment before taking the glass, clinking it against hers, and taking a sip. "There were others?"

’I wonder if they discovered my source sub-body and my death attribute...’

"Where do you think you are? This is the central district of the Caster City State, where the Council is located. Krimms Cathedral is just a short distance away."

Clelia also took a sip. "But you don’t have to worry too much. It was just one captain-level. They wouldn’t give it a second thought."

"Right."

Wei’en sighed. ’If only I had Clelia’s power right now. To come and go from the Caster City State as I please, without worrying about the Red Moon’s corruption or caring about the power of the Dawn Church, the Secret Investigation Department, or the Ghost Soul School...’

"Did you come to get the necklace back?"

"Not at all," Clelia said, putting down her wine glass. She picked up a piece of roasted meat and began eating it with an unladylike gusto. "I just don’t have anywhere else to be at the moment, so I came here to kill some time."

"...Are you sure?"

"What else?"

A flirtatious glint appeared in Clelia’s eyes. "Want to cash in that favor? I’ll do anything, you know~"

As she spoke, she shifted her posture, crossing one full thigh over the other. "Want to give it a try?"

"Try... what?"

Wei’en’s eyes involuntarily darted down for a glance before he quickly looked away.

’This has to be a charm, right? This is definitely a damn Charm Spell. Why else would she be so beautiful?’

[Evaluation: You have been affected by Clelia Yuli Biondini’s Charm Spell. Your Spiritual Power has been instantly halved. You are beginning to hallucinate. Your body is feeling strange... UGH, I can’t make this up anymore.]

"..."

After being mocked by the panel, Wei’en’s agitated heart instantly calmed, and he entered a state of post-nut clarity. "So, are you sure you didn’t come to me for something else?"

Seeing his expression return to normal, Clelia pouted, looking bored. "No fun."

"Hm?"

"Alright, fine. There is actually something I need your help with."

"I knew it. Let’s hear it."

Hearing that she needed help, Wei’en actually felt a sense of relief. The pressure this siren put on him was just too much.

’Yep, a twofold pressure—both physical and mental...’

"Did you see what happened in the slums last night?"

"Yeah, I saw two streaks of light, one red and one black. And that guy from Dawn..."

Clelia raised a hand to cut him off, seemingly not wanting to hear the word "Dawn." "It was them."

"Them? But didn’t you chase them off?"

"They only left temporarily. Those two... one is Hector de Oliveira, a Favored One of the Despair Sect, and the other is Padilla Danilo of the Red Moon Church."

’The Despair Sect and the Red Moon Church?’

Wei’en looked at her suspiciously. "As I recall, isn’t the Red Moon Church a True God church? Why would they be working with someone from the Despair Sect?"

"Who told you that?"

"Isn’t that what everyone says?"

"Then how do you know the Despair Sect *isn’t* a True God Church?" Clelia shot him a look. "In some places, the Despair Sect *is* considered the True God Church."

"Oh, is that so?"

"The so-called heretics spoken of by the True God Churches are only considered such in certain places. In fact..."

Clelia didn’t continue. "This involves deep secrets. With your current level of strength, it’s better for you to know less."

Wei’en: "..."

’Doesn’t she know that stopping mid-sentence like that is enough to kill a person from sheer frustration?’

"Back to business. Those two getting together means they’re planning to cause trouble for me."

"I know that," Wei’en said irritably. "Even a fool could see that from what happened last night."

"Then do you know *why* they want to cause trouble for me?"

Seeing his expression, Clelia subconsciously licked her lips.

’I want his kidney-body even more now... What should I do?’

"You mean, it has to do with me?"

"Yes. To be precise, it’s related to the first time we met."

Wei’en frowned. "Are you talking about that Era Relic, or the Despair Sect’s sacrificial ritual?" 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

"Both. In fact, Hector thinks I stole their totem,"

Clelia took a sip of wine, moistening her slightly dry lips. "And I suspect that he stole our Era Relic..."

Wei’en thought for a moment and understood her implication. "Huh? Are you saying someone set you up to provoke a conflict between you two?"

"You’re not too stupid."

"But who would do something like that?"

"I don’t know,"

Clelia shook her head. "That’s why I need your help to find them. You’re an Investigator for the Secret Investigation Department. You’re better at this sort of thing than I am."