New Gods of North America

Luke Matthew's reaction wasn't as surprising as Wayne had imagined.

After hearing Wayne's question, he seemed to quickly come up with an answer, as if he understood Wayne's reason for asking.

Wayne didn't doubt the other party's intelligence, after all, those who didn't need to worry too much about graduating from the academy didn't seem simple,

especially those students whose family background and economic conditions were more "ordinary."

However, Luke Matthew's answer wasn't the kind Wayne wanted.

He simply shrugged his shoulders and took another sip of beer:

"Ian told you about this? It seems the relationship between you two is closer than I thought.

"The reason I'm trying to get the position he promised is to get the protection of the Fisk family. By the Holy Spirit, if I hadn't met Ian, I wouldn't even have been allowed to leave Georgeberg.

"Virginia is too harsh for us fallen ones. I'd rather run to Los Angeles on the West Coast than stay here."

Hmm...

Wayne thought for a moment, "Does the academy's church usually manage you?"

"Of course," Luke Matthew nodded. "After arriving at the academy, the people from the academy's church quickly approached me and made me drink holy water. Before that, when I was in Louisiana, I didn't even know I was a fallen one, except for an exorcism I experienced as a child.

"After that, Pastor Pasiel asked me to report every week during my time at the academy. He also told me about the Virginia Church's requirements for the fallen ones."

This was in line with Wayne's guess.

According to Tom Hagen, the cathedral was relatively tolerant of the professors and students of the "academy." They wouldn't actively confirm their "fallen" status while they were in school.

The academy's church itself had to accept the management of the Georgeberg Church and didn't have much real power.

The most advantageous approach might be to take advantage of the time difference and information gap, and take the lead in incorporating some unattended and unprotected "wild fallen ones" into management in the name of "small parish acceptance."

"What do you think of Pastor Pasiel as a person?" Wayne asked.

Luke Matthew thought for a moment:

"He is a respectable elder and is very considerate of fallen ones like me. But the Virginia Church is really unbearable. We can't leave without permission, and the regulations are very detailed and strict. We also have to drink disgusting potions every week. If possible, I hope to leave as soon as possible."

Wayne continued, "Has Pastor Pasiel, or anyone else, ever asked you to do anything for them because of your 'fallen' status? I mean things that are not suitable for public discussion."

"That's not the case..."

Luke Matthew pondered for a moment. "During my time at school, I basically acted with the members of the brotherhood, mainly with Ian. Pastor Pasiel doesn't encourage me to have too much extra social interaction, although he occasionally asks about Ian."

After Luke Matthew finished speaking, he asked the question for the first time, "Wayne, why are you asking these questions?"

Wayne just made up a reason, "I'm a private detective and I run an agency. I'm very curious about this kind of secret thing. Has Pastor Pasiel asked you about me?"

"No."

Luke Matthew's expression seemed fine:

"But he always asks me to abide by the church's management and forbids me from revealing specific details to others. He mentioned you when he emphasized this matter last time, and before that, he would mention Ian—ah, no wonder you asked me these questions. It turns out that you, like Ian, also have some understanding of this."

What a coincidence?

Wayne pondered for a moment. If considered from the perspective of "looking to the future," Ian Fisk's side obviously had a better prospect.

Assuming he was Luke Matthew, he would definitely choose the Fisk family over Pastor Pasiel of the academy church, unless the "cost" of sheltering Luke Matthew was huge, which might cause Ian Fisk to give up, or there was some reason of equal weight.

Wayne quickly made a decision, walked to the window in the room, and opened the thick double curtains.

Although the dormitory looked dark at this time, it was still bright outside.

He turned to look at Luke Matthew, "I plan to leave directly from here."

"Ah? I thought you were planning to join the brotherhood today." Luke Matthew was slightly stunned. "Or is the test I gave you too simple, making you feel it's not challenging enough?"

"That's not the case."

Wayne was already riding on the window frame, planning to grab the window frame and fall onto the lawn later:

"I came here today mainly to respond to your invitation, so as not to let you lose face in the brotherhood. I have already found a more time-consuming extracurricular project and may not have time to hang out in the brotherhood anymore.

"But next time I meet Ian Fisk, I will tell him about your care for me. He usually communicates with Miss Ovelia, and perhaps she can help me pass on the message."

Luke Matthew seemed to give up persuading him when he heard this, "Actually, you can go out through the main entrance. We won't stop those who give up."

Wayne waved to him at this time and then flipped down from the window sill.

...

"I feel that Luke Matthew doesn't seem to have any major problems, at least with his identity, it's difficult to find any handle that could be truly detrimental to the detective agency."

After sneaking out of the brotherhood's dormitory, Wayne quickly saw the detective agency's carriage, then got in.

After telling Inessa and Lina his preliminary judgment,

Wayne looked at Seth Grayson, who was being held as a hostage in the carriage "just in case."

"Where is our dormitory's 'dorm leader,' Mcken Reef, usually at this time?"

Seth Grayson thought for a moment and then gave an answer:

"Today is not the day he needs to report to the church. If he has already finished dinner, then he should be studying in the library—his relationship with his roommates is not very harmonious, and he usually doesn't spend too much time in the dormitory. Sometimes he would rather stay in the dormitory's common lounge than go back too early."

"Then let's go to the library and see."

Several agents had already silently withdrawn, some of them got into another carriage, and Lane returned here to be the coachman.

"There shouldn't be a fight in a place like the library, right?"

Lina thought for a moment, "If there is no danger, then after dropping you off, Inessa and I will go back to the detective agency first. Piano lessons are too tiring, and Miss Ovelia's enthusiasm is also terrible... I should have signed up for the bar exam course."

Ha,

Now you know it's not easy to be a young rich woman, right?