Mystery Detective of the Steam World

Chapter 68 List
After that, Levi quickly led Katie away from the underground cemetery, then met up with the other two and returned to MI7 to report.

"So, are you sure Bishop Raphael is the guy behind all this?"

The old butler stared at Li Wei and asked with a serious expression, to which Li Wei nodded.

“That’s right, Katie proved his accent, and this guy also has the characteristics of the wanted poster I wrote before, so it’s definitely him.”

"So what do they want with the Empire Bridge?"

The old butler squinted, staring at the exquisite model before him—by the way, it was quite heavy, and no one but Katie could really move it.

"Based on my experience, they probably want to do what they did before: target the Empire Bridge, spread some kind of rumor, and then turn it into reality."

"The possibility is very high."

The old butler nodded.

"The reconstruction of the Empire Bridge is a major project, and the consequences would be unimaginable if problems were to occur. However, the government is also very concerned about the construction of the Empire Bridge, and there are always personnel on site to guard it. I don't think they can do anything about the Empire Bridge... I will investigate and see if there are any rumors or gossip about the Empire Bridge."

"As for Bishop Raphael, I hope you can investigate when he came to the Empire and compare it with the time when Professor Franz entered the Master's Academy. I suspect that may be another identity of his."

“I understand. Your investigation has yielded good results. Anthony has also found some evidence. It seems that the Holy Lord Church is indeed related to what is happening now.”

Levi discovered the strange model in the basement, while Anthony found letters between the church's priests and bishops in his office upstairs. These letters specifically mentioned the situations of Dr. Dolittle, Mrs. Durex, and Betty. Although these letters could not be used to convict, they at least proved the extent to which the church itself was aware of the situation.

"So, what do we do next?"

Back in the basement, Levi didn't immediately kill his opponent. Firstly, he was outnumbered, and secondly, he wasn't sure if Bishop Raphael still possessed some mysterious, unpredictable power.

To be fair, when dealing with someone who can kill remotely through a mirror and manipulate the dead to resurrect, caution is absolutely paramount.

Moreover, given Li Wei's status, it would be inappropriate for him to do something like acting first and informing later.

While many say arrests require evidence and counterterrorism only needs lists, those are built on trust. For MI7, a relatively new organization, to have its members commit murder without authorization raises serious problems. If Li Wei were the head of MI7, the murder would be acceptable, but he was merely a partner in MI7; there was no need for him to risk his life for the organization.

Besides, even if the sky falls, the Queen will hold it up.

As for arresting people... how many people can Katie and I arrest?
Wouldn't it be better to come back and report to the authorities?
The list of counter-terrorism personnel is real, but I've never seen any counter-terrorism operation where someone takes on twenty opponents like Rambo.

Wouldn't it be better to fight 200 against 200?

"Wait."

"wait?"

"I've already reported this to my superiors, they should be here soon..."

"Ring ring ring—!"

Before the old butler could finish speaking, a sudden, urgent phone rang, and the old butler picked up the phone.

"Hello...yes, yes..."

The old butler nodded, then covered the microphone and looked at Li Wei.

"Based on your guess, you believe that all church catacombs contain something similar?"

"This is just a guess; I can't guarantee it's true or accurate."

"Okay, I know."

The old butler spoke into the microphone again and gave a calm reply.

"Follow the plan."

It was still dark.

When Bishop Raphael dragged his aching body back to his residence, he felt as if his entire body was about to fall apart.

That damn bastard!
After taking off his robe, Bishop Raphael caught his breath, sat on the bed, and gasped for air.

He wasn't always like this. The former Bishop Raphael was a healthy, disciplined man. He had a great physique and paid close attention to exercise. Because the body is the most precious gift God has given to humanity. It is through the body that people can experience this world. The body is a gift from God, and it needs careful care, exercise, and maintenance.

Therefore, whenever Bishop Raphael saw those fat, bloated people, or those who had tormented themselves to the point of being neither human nor ghost, he felt a sense of disdain. In his view, these people were disrespectful to the Holy Lord, and did not cherish their own bodies, which meant they did not revere the Holy Lord.

But now...

Removing his gloves and looking at his hands, Bishop Raphael let out a sob. His palms were covered in bright red spots, and his body beneath his robes was even more ravaged. And this was only what could be seen; the damage was far greater in the unseen parts!

For Bishop Raphael, going to the toilet was nothing short of torture. On several occasions, the pain was so intense that he even contemplated suicide.

If it weren't for the doctrine forbidding suicide, coupled with his own strong will and the availability of pain medication, Bishop Raphael would have... would have done *that* long ago. But for Bishop Raphael, the physical pain was secondary; what was more unbearable was the mental anguish!
He used to be indifferent to women, but now, when Bishop Raphael stood by the window, he would stare intently at any woman who passed by. It wasn't that Bishop Raphael had any romantic feelings for those women; rather, seeing them made him subconsciously think about how he would look good dressed in those clothes!
And then there were the servants and priests in the church. Whenever Bishop Raphael saw their robust physiques, he felt an unprecedented surge of emotion within him, a longing to rush into their broad chests, to whisper sweet nothings in their ear, and to feel their unwavering faith…

That's not true at all!
Bishop Raphael shuddered. He knew he hadn't always been like this, but lately, the way others looked at him had become increasingly strange. Could they really believe he had that kind of fetish?

And all of this is because of that damned wanted poster!
Bishop Raphael didn't know if the other party did it on purpose or by accident, but the arrest warrant did bring him both physical and psychological torment.

However... these are all trials.

The actions of those evil heretics cannot shake my faith in the Holy Lord! My body and my soul belong to the Holy Lord, and only the Holy Lord can possess everything about me…

As Bishop Raphael pondered, he gradually became lost in thought.

"Clang—Clang—"

Just then, the bells rang, snapping Bishop Raphael out of his reverie. He changed into a robe, stuffing a sachet inside to mask the odor emanating from his body, and then left the room. Upon entering the church, he found the servants and priests already cleaning in preparation for the new day's services. As bishop, Raphael naturally had to make his own preparations.

"Dong dong dong."

However, just as everyone was making preparations, the door was suddenly pushed open, and a group of fully armed soldiers strode in.

They were dressed in red shirts and black trousers, carrying steam rifles and wearing tall hats.

Upon seeing this, a cold glint flashed in Bishop Raphael's eyes.

It's the Royal Guard! A special force directly under the Royal Family!

"Bishop Raphael Damian?"

The leading man stepped forward, stared at Bishop Raphael, and asked a question, to which the latter nodded.

"This is the sacred Holy Church, what business do you have here!?"

"Intelligence indicates that you are involved in several recent cases in Chongqing. Please cooperate with our investigation."

As he spoke, the man waved his hand.

"Take everyone away!"

At the man's command, the soldiers swiftly sprang into action, beginning to arrest everyone. The priests and servants, having never witnessed such a scene before, were completely bewildered and unsure of what to do.

Upon seeing this scene, Bishop Raphael's eyes widened in surprise.

He never expected the other party to pull this stunt!
If it were the police investigating, he could use the excuse that they didn't have a search warrant to turn them away. But if the Royal Guard came, that's a different story.

As some say, investigating a case requires evidence, but counter-terrorism only requires a list!
The Royal Guard arrested people according to the list, and no one could refuse!
Are we going to surrender without a fight?

At this moment, Bishop Raphael hesitated. He could guess that since the other side had managed to trace him back, it meant they might have found something, or they might have found nothing at all. Both sides were well aware of Her Majesty the Queen's stance towards the Holy Church. Was the other side planning to use this as an excuse to cause trouble?

Is this just a warning to others, or have they actually discovered something?
Bishop Raphael hesitated, then he saw the other man extend his hand towards him.

Almost at the same time, Bishop Raphael was also startled and subconsciously reached out and pushed the other party!

Bishop Raphael wasn't old, but he wasn't young either, and he couldn't compare to the strong and muscular royal guards. However, when he reached out his hand, the latter was sent flying like a cannonball, crashing heavily against the wall before collapsing to the ground.

In an instant, the previously chaotic church became quiet.

Everyone stared wide-eyed at Bishop Raphael, who in turn stared wide-eyed at his own hands. At that moment, he felt his own power—an unprecedented, incomparably powerful force!
This is the power bestowed by the Holy Lord!
Bishop Raphael turned his head and looked at the emblem of the All-Knowing Eye behind him.

At that moment, he understood!
This is the power that God has given me, and the reason for giving me this power is to protect this church, its sanctuary!

"Get out! Heretic!"

Bishop Raphael looked down at the Royal Guard again, now with an air of superiority, filled with immense anger and majesty.

"This is the holy place of my Lord, not a place for you heretics to run rampant!"

"Fire!"

The Royal Guard is not the police; they won't make any agreements or issue warnings to you. Since the other party resisted arrest and attacked members of the Royal Guard, they are serious criminals, so we should just open fire!

Soon, several soldiers raised their steam rifles, aimed at Bishop Raphael, and pulled the triggers.

"Bang Bang Bang!!!"

The steam-powered rifle, with power almost comparable to a fully automatic weapon, fired dozens of bullets that struck Bishop Raphael directly, tearing his bishop's robes in the process.

Logically speaking, anyone would be dead after being targeted by such a barrage of bullets. However, Bishop Raphael stood motionless in front of the pulpit, letting the bullets rain down on him!
Then, something unexpected happened.

As those bullets struck Bishop Raphael, what gushed from his body was not blood, but pure white feathers!
(End of this chapter)