After the meeting, everyone departed, leaving Doctor Schneider to rest in bed—though he was quite reluctant to do so.
Xia De winked at the Diviner, indicating his desire to talk. Although Xia De hadn't understood the doctor's complex gestures at Lakeview Manor, Miss Annette easily grasped Xia De's intended meaning this time.
Therefore, Xia De walked around Lunqin Avenue. After waiting at the street corner for a while, he saw a carriage stop beside him, and Miss Annette waved from the window, inviting him to get in.
"Detective, is there something you need?"
Since both their destinations were the city center, Xia De boarded the carriage, and it set off again.
"This shouldn't count as taking advantage... Should I give half the fare to Miss Annette later?"
He thought this as he sat down.
"I'd like to ask for your help with a divination, to divine about Sparrow Detective. Oh, that is, the former Hamilton Detective."
Xia De explained in detail his suspicions about Sparrow Detective, emphasizing that it was currently only a suspicion:
"That's pretty much it. I suspect Mr. Sparrow Hamilton is actually a senior spy from Carson Rick. Although he's already dead, it's highly unlikely his identity will affect me, but I'm still a bit uneasy, so I wanted to ask for your help in divining Mr. Sparrow's true identity."
The purple-eyed girl listened patiently, furrowing her brow when she heard the word "spy":
"Although ordinary people don't come into contact with Ring術士, intelligence agencies like the Kingdom's intelligence departments, such as Delarion's MI6 or Carson Rick's Gray Gloves, do employ Ring術士 for counter-divination, but usually, they aren't very strong, as Diviners are quite rare after all."
Miss Annette said with a slight hint of pride, then extended her hand to Xia De:
"I can try. Do you have any personal belongings of that Detective? No need for the body, just items he frequently used."
"Yes, I do."
Xia De took out the former Detective's notebook. This notebook contained daily entries, some true and some false, making it the most suitable personal item.
"Wait a moment."
Miss Annette unbuttoned the top button of her white shirt collar beneath her overcoat, then removed the butterfly-shaped hair ornament from her head and handed it to Xia De to hold. Upon contact, the voice in his ear immediately reminded him that it was a relic.
"The whisper element of relics can affect divination results, so usually, no relics are carried during divination."
The Diviner said, reaching both hands behind her head to simply tidy her brown short hair, tying it with a bracelet adorned with small purple crystals. Her sleeves were slightly pulled up, revealing a small portion of her fair arm, and then she placed the notebook on her lap, which was covered by her skirt.
"Will it be very troublesome?"
Xia De asked curiously.
"It's very simple, just an ordinary person, and only a general divination of his past, so no need for crystal balls or other tools. Sparrow Hamilton is just an ordinary person, not someone outside of fate like you, so I'm quite confident in divining about such a person."
As she spoke, she closed her eyes with a solemn expression, placing her hands together on the notebook. In the moment, Xia De clearly saw her in front of him, yet he also felt that Miss Annette was not there. After this illusion, there were no sound or light effects, but the indescribable aura of the Diviner changed, becoming deeper, more mysterious, and more composed.
She opened her eyes, and Xia De saw a flash of purple light in them.
"An ordinary Diviner shouldn't make her eyes glow, right?"
He wondered in his heart with surprise, but didn't ask further.
The Diviner said hesitantly:
"There is indeed a problem. First, it can be confirmed that this is indeed an ordinary person. His hometown is in the Carson Rick United Kingdom. When observing his blurred past, most of it can be seen through the mist, but for several years after he was conscripted from the army, no information can be seen. It's a very effective but clumsy counter-divination method, indeed similar to the style of the Ring術士 employed by the Gray Gloves."
MI6 is the most mysterious intelligence department of the Delarion Kingdom, but it is also an organization that most people on the streets have heard of. The name of Six Divisions is very similar to a certain agency in Xia De's hometown, and its functions are also very similar. They are directly responsible to the Cavendish Royal Family of Delarion, responsible for intelligence infiltration into Carson Rick, and for screening domestic spy organizations.
The similar intelligence agency of the Carson Rick United Kingdom is called "Gray Gloves," and it is also very mysterious to the public, but almost anyone who reads the newspaper would have heard of it once or twice.
"So what's the probability that Sparrow is a spy?"
Xia De returned Miss Annette's butterfly-shaped hair ornament.
"Over eighty percent. I've encountered similar situations before. Combined with your speculation, it can basically be confirmed that he is a spy."
Xia De took a deep breath. This secret, by now, was finally clear.
Fortunately, Sparrow Detective had plenty of time to deal with his affairs before his death, so it's likely he had already taken care of all his personal hidden dangers, only needing to complete one last contact with his superior.
Therefore, Xia De didn't need to worry about the foreign spy's identity affecting him. As long as he burned that letter in September, this secret would be completely unrelated to him.
"So he was a spy, which explains why he could coincidentally buy the house in Saint Delan Square. Detective, although we are Ring術士, we cannot underestimate ordinary people with guns. High-Ring Sorcerers are not afraid of bullets, but you certainly are. So, regarding the matter of Sparrow Hamilton, you can continue to investigate, and perhaps you'll find something interesting, but be sure not to get too deeply involved. Political matters..."
Miss Annette clicked her tongue:
"They are very troublesome."
"I understand, I just wanted to know who he truly was. After all, to me, he was also a benefactor."
Xia De said, feeling a little melancholic and a little fortunate:
"Thank you for your trouble this time."
"It's just a small matter. I can't divine about your affairs, at least not without paying a price. Only High-Ring Sorcerers can see the fate of people like you. But for ordinary people, it's a small matter. Speaking of which, are you going home, or are you going to Black Raven Library first?"
Xia De looked out the carriage window; the sky was still very bright:
"Please take me home first. I'll change clothes and get a mask. The fare..."
"No need to be so polite."
Miss Annette waved her hand, also looking out with Xia De. There was road construction nearby, and carriages were queuing to pass through the narrow construction section. This seemed to be the Tobesk City municipal department's routine inspection of underground steam pipes in the Summer. The afternoon sun shone through the mist onto the purple-eyed girl's face. She cupped her face with her hand, tilting her head as she watched the streets the carriage passed:
"Compared to what we need to do, these are all minor matters."
After returning home, he greeted the cat, who looked like it had just finished its afternoon nap, then changed into a very ordinary outfit, and found a mask to carry with him before setting off. Due to his work, Sparrow Detective had many items for disguising identities in his room on the second floor, so Xia De didn't need to spend money to buy new ones.
The main entrance of Black Raven Library was on the avenue facing the street. Of course, ordinary guests would enter through the main entrance, but the address Miss Annette gave was for the side entrance.
The labyrinthine alleys near the side entrance had multiple exits. After arriving nearby, Xia De first walked around twice to familiarize himself with the surrounding terrain. Only then did he duck into the alley, put on his mask, reverse his overcoat, and put on a vest before walking towards the Library's side entrance.
