Diverting the Conversation and Unearthing Secrets

‘No, my mind is in disarray right now; I must steer the conversation elsewhere, or I’ll only end up accruing one-sided affection.’

Yodel took a deep, steadying breath, calming his racing heart. Once his thoughts were clear, he decided to bring up the Eternity Society as a shield, diverting the conversational fire.

“Although we’ve heavily damaged the Eternity Society, they’ve now completely gone into hiding, and I’m unsure if I can eliminate their leader within the remaining time.

“Furthermore, their living corpse experiments deeply disturb me. Could you offer some advice regarding our next steps?”

Thanatos waved a dismissive hand, not in refusal, but to indicate that no further words were necessary.

“Simply act according to your own judgment. You only need to know that no matter how great your mistakes, or how significantly your plans go awry, I, Thanatos, will always be there to back you up. Can that leader truly hide from me if they manage to elude you? It would merely mean a bit of overtime for me.

“Moreover, don’t be too tense. Since the Eternity Society has retreated into hiding, there’s no need for us to insist on an immediate decisive battle. You could also approach this from other angles.”

With Thanatos’s assurance, Yodel’s psychological burden considerably lightened; even if the Eternity Society truly unleashed a bioweapon crisis, it wouldn’t spell the end of the world.

Yet, Thanatos’s guarantee of support did not, in the slightest, inspire Yodel to become complacent.

She had been working beyond her limits for countless years, and for him to trouble her with every single matter would only make him a burden, a notion Yodel found utterly unacceptable.

As a Chosen One, he vowed not to burden Thanatos with anything he could handle himself!

Since the Eternity Society chose to hide and conduct research, Yodel would gather allies. With so many gods and churches, he was certainly not fighting this battle alone.

Looking on the bright side, if he could garner the attention of the kingdom’s military and unite them against the living corpses, this plague crisis might very well be nipped in the bud.

It was crucial to remember that the world’s military technology had reached a level comparable to the eve of World War I, with the added benefit of magical enhancements.

Living corpses? Would machine guns and heavy artillery truly fear their flesh and blood bodies?

Superhuman living corpses? Could they withstand a single blast of Holy Light from an Inquisitor?

The moment he returned from Thanatos, Yodel eagerly sought out his three companions to share the good news of the Eternity Society’s internal strife.

The quartet reconvened after a week, though this time their meeting place was the Church of Sacred Song.

“Are you saying the Eternity Society fell into disarray, with a quarter of them dying due to mutual suspicion?”

The three companions perused the death list in their hands, which meticulously detailed each “traitor’s” date of birth, time of death, and manner of demise.

“I obtained the list from my boss; the information is absolutely reliable.”

Upon hearing that the intelligence originated from a deity, the three had no choice but to believe it, however incredible.

Their previously difficult situation, where the enemy was hidden and they were exposed, instantly became clear, invigorating everyone present.

Lauren and Collins pointed at names on the list, whispering to each other, sometimes recalling, sometimes contemplating, with occasional expressions of surprise and sudden realization.

Yelica, however, was operating on an entirely different wavelength; she cared not for clues or intelligence within the list, only rejoicing whenever a cultist met their end.

Not content with her own amusement, she even picked out some particularly interesting ways of dying to share aloud.

“Oh, look, look! ‘Due to the cult’s complete lockdown, excrement piled up like mountains, and the individual accidentally fell into a cesspit while using the toilet, perishing.'”

“And this one, this is also amusing: ‘Due to a severe shortage of drinking water, in extreme thirst, an individual finally found a bottle of water, only to discover it was a diuretic after drinking it, leading to dehydration from excessive urination, hahahaha!'”

“Alright, they’re already dead; you don’t need to socially execute them too.”

Amidst Yelica’s booming laughter, Yodel snatched the list from her, beginning to read it himself.

Previously, he had only focused on counting how many people he had killed, forgetting to check the specific manners of death. Now, with his curiosity piqued by Yelica, he too wanted to see what kind of “shenanigans” the Eternity Society had gotten up to this past week.

“Hmph, you’re enjoying it just as much.”

Yelica protested even as she squeezed herself next to Yodel, both of them delighting in the Eternity Society’s elaborate self-destruction.

As the two chuckled, Lauren and Collins finally arrived at some conclusions.

“Chosen One, sir…”

“Just call me Yodel.”

“Uh, alright, Lord Yodel…”

“Please, no honorifics…”

Lauren gave a wry, helpless smile. “Alright, Yodel, Collins and I have studied this list and discovered quite a few ‘familiar faces.'”

Collins continued, “Specifically, most of these individuals have criminal records—for murder, robbery, or theft—and many were targets of Minkton’s investigations and apprehensions.

“Therefore, this list is incredibly important to Minkton, as it pertains to many of our ongoing cases. We hope you will permit us to take it back to the agency.”

“Of course, you may use this list as you wish. I wouldn’t be so stingy with my collaborators.”

Yodel had no reason to refuse.

Receiving an affirmative reply, Lauren quickly expressed his gratitude.

“Thank you immensely, then. With this list, our intelligence work against the Eternity Society will surely be greatly aided, and we will spare no effort in digging them out.”

“No, there’s no need. As you’ve probably seen, the Eternity Society has now completely retreated into its shell. Extensive investigation is unlikely to yield significant results. Just maintain routine surveillance; there’s no need to waste manpower.”

While Yodel thought nothing of this statement, it deeply moved the Minkton duo.

The agency had been established for decades, and whether clients or collaborators, all wished Minkton would serve only them. Each one yearned for Minkton to dedicate all its detectives solely to their own cases.

Now, Yodel, as the highest-ranking collaborator, surprisingly didn’t exploit them. Instead, he explicitly stated there was no need to waste manpower and resources on his behalf.

‘Could we possibly have more clients like this?!’

The straightforward Collins immediately stood up from the sofa.

“Rest assured, Mr. Yodel, while we cannot guarantee the completion of every commission, we promise that Minkton will always perform its duties diligently and with utmost effort!”

“Indeed, I trust your assurance. Mutual trust and understanding form the foundation of a lasting partnership.”

After giving new instructions to Minkton, Yodel turned to Yelica.

“Have there been any discoveries from the anatomical study of those four living corpses?”

She shook her head. “Research is progressing slowly. According to the medical priests, the ‘living corpse transformation’ is not caused by curses or supernatural abilities, but rather by an alchemical drug.

“Unfortunately, the Church is not proficient in alchemy, so we are currently negotiating with the ‘Royal Alchemical and Chemical Association,’ hoping to collaborate on the research.”

Yelica then revealed a tense piece of information.

“That living corpse transformation drug was likely under development for centuries, dating back to when the Eternity Society was still causing trouble in Gallorine. Its manufacturing process is complex, making the creation of an antidote quite challenging.”