After "bold assumptions" came "careful verification."
Merlin clearly hadn't expected that the investigation team, which had worked together tirelessly and fearlessly last night, would already have two members quietly turning against him today.
Thus, his suggestion, "Everyone should rest well tonight, recover their strength quickly, and we'll continue tomorrow," unknowingly provided an opportunity for certain individuals with ulterior motives.
Although it was said to be "resting," the Church still couldn't be sure whether those cultists had any further plans.
Therefore, even though there were no large-scale operations planned for tonight, essential surveillance outposts still needed to be set up. So, with Wayne and Lina's tacit cooperation, the Detective Agency secured the two outposts closest to Rabbit Gang's territory, and no one suspected their motives.
Merlin even seemed quite worried, "Wayne, you were just attacked by an unidentified group last night. How about you stay at the residence left by those cultists tonight to guard it? To avoid any further incidents."
"Don't worry," Wayne patted his underarm gun holster. "We private detectives are used to being sought for revenge."
Objectively speaking, Wayne and Lina couldn't yet be certain that the place they suspected truly housed those cultists.
Moreover, Wayne actually had no intention of completely monopolizing all the Extraordinary Person materials. After all, those individuals had committed malicious acts comparable to terrorist attacks. If the incident couldn't be officially concluded according to protocol, the Cathedral's constant surveillance of the Dock Area might have an adverse impact on his subsequent plans to combat the gangs.
They could only compromise: the Detective Agency would find an opportunity to quietly seize a few spoils of war in advance, and the rest of the matters would be handled according to the Cathedral's wishes.
After night fell, several carriages from the Detective Agency began to head towards the designated surveillance outposts.
At this time, the box carriages used by the partners were all empty; everyone was crammed into the covered freight carriage for a meeting, and even Doug, who had originally just come to deliver pizza, was pulled in.
Wayne's opening remarks sounded quite high-minded: "Lina and I suspect that those cultists might have temporarily abandoned their original safe house and instead secretly seized a residence near the safe house. However, this is currently just our speculation, and the monks of the Cathedral have been working hard these past few days, so there's no need to add extra workload for them. Therefore, it's best for us to confirm the situation first before notifying them for a joint arrest."
Inessa probably felt that this reason was acceptable and did not try to stop them.
However, she still felt that doing so was not very stable: "The average rank of those cultists should not be low. Even Connal was severely injured very quickly when fighting alone before. If he hadn't received timely treatment, there might have already been casualties. If we investigate rashly on our own, we might not be able to stop them from forcibly breaking out."
Lina quickly stepped in to assist: "At least now, the few of us partners should be able to protect ourselves when facing those cultists. Moreover, Wayne's Extraordinary Person ability can neutralize the pollution they cause, so I think the danger is still controllable. The initial investigation can be carried out by me. If we really encounter them, everyone can provide support from nearby and simultaneously call Merlin and the others. At the very least, it won't cause a large number of casualties immediately, and it can also save manpower."
To be fair, the disparity in combat power was indeed a problem. Lina herself was a good example; when she was focused on escaping, she could even evade pursuit and run from the Old Continent to the New World.
Although those cultists didn't seem as capable as her, their Feathered Serpent was clearly not to be underestimated. A slight burst with the magic circle almost wiped out the entire group.
Wayne had been so full these past two days that his appetite had decreased by seventy percent, and he indeed didn't dare to act rashly.
But there are always more solutions than problems. Even Inessa, a Hunter as strong as she is, can't avoid occasional injuries in conflict, making her appear pitiful, weak, and helpless. It's even less likely that those cultists could escape completely unscathed.
Otherwise, how could the Silent Sect be chased and beaten by the Hunter Association? The fellow hiding in the rubber warehouse last night certainly didn't choose to flee because he was kind.
Even nuclear weapons have a coverage area. That chaotic "Coatle" can't possibly be more powerful than the "Wise Sage"... right?
...
According to the Hunter Association's theory, battles between Extraordinary Persons are very particular about "ability counter" and "first-strike advantage."
The maxim, "A Hunter never hunts unprepared," which is held as a golden rule, means precisely this.
Rabbit Gang's territory in the Dock Area was relatively lively at night, but this liveliness was ultimately limited. In reality, only one so-called "bar street" truly offered vibrant nightlife.
The offerings seemed quite rich, with relatively respectable bars, as well as strip clubs that only put out their signs on the roadside at night. Even at the entrances of various dark alleys nearby, ladies dressed more generously than Western women would appear, occasionally proudly displaying themselves and beckoning to passersby, sometimes even offering a free blown kiss.
Furthermore, there was no supervision in this area at night, so many unmarked carriages were parked directly on the road outside bars or clubs.
Carriages, drunks, tourists, and ladies; enthusiastic yet wary touts; silent men squatting or sitting in corners; even the glow of tobacco held in mouths or hands looked like fireflies scattered throughout a summer night.
But after turning one or two more streets, people would realize that this place was still, after all, within the Dock Area's boundaries.
The lights quickly became scarce, and in fact, compared to areas like the warehouse district, it appeared even darker, with even streetlights being relatively sparser.
Wayne was checking the results, hiding in the darkness, searching for targets from a great distance with a telescope.
Although Lina had secretly inquired about the addresses of the houses the two monks had investigated at the time, the phrase "a house nearby" was not so easy to pinpoint. At this time, there were few houses with lights on in the vicinity, and if there were, the curtains were often drawn to prevent light from escaping, which indeed added a lot of trouble to the investigation.
By process of elimination, the monks should not have used the back door when investigating during the day, and the locations from which one could directly monitor that house from a window were limited.
Although Lina said that some of those cultists seemed to be able to sense Peter the Spider's approach, considering that they were unlikely to have occupied the nearby house through "friendly communication" and probably wouldn't choose to "short-term cohabitate" with strangers, combined with Inessa's sensing of the blood smell in the surroundings, the target was finally basically confirmed.
There's no need to talk about chivalry with such treacherous villains.
Wayne also chose a drastic approach, "Let's start the direct investigation from the street. Lina, you go first. If you hear any movement, I'll lead Sanders and Connal to breach the front door, and Inessa will support from the open ground, waiting for an opportunity. Everyone else, maintain your distance and block the escape routes around, try to injure the opponents with firearms, and do not approach rashly."
"All the firepower is concentrated at the front. What if the other party escapes through the back alley?" Inessa asked.
Wayne had actually considered this question, so he had secretly asked Lina in advance to judge whether the house repair compensation cost or the potential gains were more valuable.
Lina felt that Extraordinary Person materials of a certain high rank could not be easily priced, mainly because it was not certain that anyone would sell them even if one wanted to buy them. And things truly carrying the aura of an evil god like "Coatle" were even rarer and highly sought after; not just any cultist could receive Their "gaze" and "blessing."
Then there was nothing more to say; it was a gamble.
Wayne's solution was also very simple: "Before the operation, everyone should try to clear their respective directions, and Doug will be responsible for coordinating with the owl. If those cultists are indeed in the house and they attempt to continue escaping, we will directly airdrop high explosives and bomb it. Avoid causing casualties, but do not consider economic losses."
For the Detective Agency, the worst-case scenario now wasn't letting the cultists escape.
It was doing all the work but getting no reward.
