The maid was filthy all over, her messy hair disheveled. She had no looks to speak of, and one might even suspect she was a Mouse Speaker. Only the poet paused as he entered and looked the maid over. "What’s your name?"

When he received no response, Freddy took it upon himself to name her. "How about I call you Little Coal Ball?"

The only bright feature on the maid was her eyes. She glanced at her master in name only, and Kraup said impatiently, "The gentleman has bestowed a name upon you. Hurry up and thank him!"

"Thank you, sir! Thank you, sir!"

"I’m not ’sir.’ I have a name. It’s ’Freddy.’"

"Little Coal Ball" saw a wide, toothy grin for the first time. In the world of monkeys, baring one’s teeth is a threat. Not understanding the concept of a "smile," the maid "Little Coal Ball" trembled in fear, completely bewildered.

Rorschach had no interest in the poet’s antics. He suspected this minor Sect leader’s hideout contained more powders, Potions, and materials related to the Sect. A scan with his [Arcane Vision] confirmed it—there was a place where Spiritual Light was gathered.

The young man said with a deadpan expression, "There’s a basement? Take me down."

A chill went down Kraup’s spine. He rolled back the carpet and opened a trapdoor. In his eyes, the Mage’s power and insight already surpassed that of his superiors in the Underground Sect. Being a clever man, Kraup never asked Rorschach any questions directly. He simply answered what he was asked, leaving him to guess where Rorschach came from and why he was causing trouble for the Sect.

’First, I can rule out that useless Count. If a Mage were stationed in the Semi-submerged Area, this branch of the Sect would have been wiped out long ago. Would they really have waited until now?’

’From the surface? Or the Core Area, the Ancient Ruins Area, the Deep Diving Area...’ Kraup shuddered at the thought of the last two.

Seeing Kraup tremble, Rorschach assumed it was because the old man was struggling with the heavy wooden door. He used [Mage’s Hand] to help lift it open and gestured for Kraup to lead the way into the basement.

’Looks like Kraup wasn’t just boasting. This "detached villa" really is part of an old castle. The basement they were in now even has a vaulted ceiling, and the stone brick walls are in better shape than the ones above ground. It seems to be an uncollapsed corner of a dungeon.’

The place was now being used by the Sect leader as a small warehouse for important goods. Aside from flour, sugar, and cloth—hard currency in the Shadow City—there were also repaired tables and chairs. The tabletop was covered with books, documents, various herbs, a small knife, and a mortar for grinding powders, while a small stove sat on the floor.

’I thought this was the office of an old apothecary from my past life!’

"I ask, you answer." Rorschach was pleased with the dungeon-like setting. ’Now *this* is a proper place for an interrogation.’ As he spoke, the trapdoor slammed shut with a BANG. Mr. Klaup jumped at the sound and snapped to attention. "Yes, my lord!"

’This old fox has definitely done time...’ Rorschach wanted to clear up the matter of the ship first. "Speak. What’s the story with that ship?"

"My lord, I have no idea!" Of course, simply pleading ignorance would never satisfy Rorschach. Kraup resorted to a negotiation tactic: first lower the other party’s expectations, then offer up the pieces of information he did have.

"I have a strong suspicion that the Sect has a way to come and go from the Shadow City as they please, and that they can transport massive amounts of goods. As you can see, my lord, all this fine white flour, sugar, and cloth are supplies from the Sect. This time, I received a letter from my superior instructing us to retrieve the supplies from the sunken ship."

’It seems the Sect has more than one ship like this. The sugar and tea on board weren’t just a front for inspections; they were actually destined for the Shadow Land.’

"A letter? How do you communicate?"

"Bats! Tamed bats! I... I have some too, kept in the courtyard." Since bats are naturally cave-dwellers, they hadn’t noticed them upon arrival. To think they were being used as couriers.

"In a moment, you’ll write a reply saying everything here is normal." Rorschach continued his questioning, "Why were all the bodies for the ritual on the ship Elves? Where did they come from?" In Istani, the civil rights of Elves were equal to those of humans. If a massacre like this were discovered, it would undoubtedly cause a massive uproar.

’Also, the ritual pattern showed signs of Elven influence.’

"My lord, I truly don’t know! I never imagined this cult was so devoid of conscience! If I had known, I would have been their sworn enemy!" Kraup was once again playing dumb, desperate to prove he was a fine, upstanding citizen.

However, he did offer a somewhat useful clue. "But I suspect they’re all Gray Elves from El Island. The other Long Ears don’t consider them their own kind. In Istani, no one’s going to investigate if a few mu... Mire Elves die." He almost blurted out "mudbloods," but not knowing Rorschach’s position on the matter, he corrected himself with a neutral term.

’Indeed, that’s highly likely. The ship’s log showed frequent trips to and from El Island.’

Rorschach rubbed some of the semi-finished medicinal powder between his fingers. "Another question for you. Do you know why the ’Living Water Body’ has become more active?"

"I know the answer to that, my lord!" The third time was the charm; thank goodness Kraup wasn’t completely ignorant about everything. "It’s because I did it!"

"..."

Kraup launched into an enthusiastic explanation of his "grand plan." "I discovered that the water here is bizarre! It’s active and has a will of its own. And I accidentally found that the Sect’s powder can be used to stimulate it, increasing its activity."

"And then?"

Kraup’s face flushed with excitement as he talked about his scheme. "What’s even more brilliant is that I also found a pipeline from the Storm City water company, which can provide an endless supply of clean, inert water! At least, the water is inactive right when it’s drawn."

"So..."

"So all I have to do is keep ’feeding’ the Living Water Body to drive it mad. Then, the residents of the Semi-submerged Area won’t be able to get water, and they’ll have no choice but to get it from the pipeline I control! I will monopolize the Source of Life! To hell with that Count, everyone will have to bow to me!" Kraup spread his arms wide, as if he were undertaking some incredible enterprise.

’That’s it?’ Rorschach felt his intelligence was being insulted. ’This idiot was tirelessly dumping powders into the water just to create a monopoly on the water supply?’

Seeing that Rorschach failed to grasp the genius of his plan, Kraup explained patiently, "I’ve already figured out the rules. Stimulating the Living Water Body’s activity doesn’t count as poisoning, and I’m not directly harming the Lord Earl. Therefore, under the rules of the Shadow City, I will suffer no punishment. When the time comes, public sentiment will be on my side, and the Shadow Land will one day recognize me as the master of the Semi-submerged Area!"

’So this whole convoluted plan was just to circumvent the "rules" of the Shadow Land. The poet Freddy did emphasize that the Shadow City has a lot of rules. It seems even members of the Sect aren’t exempt from punishment. Could the Shadow Land have a will of its own, with a standing comparable to Mother Earth?’ Rorschach did his best to extract what intelligence he could from this eccentric underling.

’This guy really is a man of zero faith. To think that while the Return of the Holy Mother Sect is still on the rise, it’s already been infiltrated by someone just in it for the paycheck. And he’s even in charge of a whole area, living a corrupt and decadent lifestyle, completely divorced from the common followers. What a huge loss for the missionary efforts in the Shadow City... Even Rorschach couldn’t help but feel a pang of vicarious grief.’

Finally, he had Kraup write the reply to his superior. After watching the man closely to ensure he didn’t try any tricks, like sending a distress signal, Rorschach called the maid to dispatch the letter.

After all this was done, the Mage asked one last question: "How often does your Sect superior visit the Semi-submerged Area?"

"It varies. Sometimes every ten days, sometimes once a month. Their last visit was on the tenth of the month. They drop off supplies and herbs, using that stuff to recruit and control people."

’So, in less than five days.’ Rorschach nodded. Kraup looked like he wanted to say something else, but a sudden chop to the back of his neck sent him slumping to the ground, unconscious.

"Singrev, come to the basement." Rorschach called out using his [Communication Skill].