New Gods of North America.

Chapter 739 Breath
After confirming that Lena had decided to attend the banquet that evening, Wayne didn't even bother to ask why Miss Harley had come; he immediately turned around and went to find Doug.

He was instructed to quickly find a way, such as sending someone to the restaurant to inquire about Willie's group, and try to inform Inessa of the banquet as soon as possible.

Although a "banquet" is different from a "ball," male and female guests are not so strictly separated by gender and can be more "mixed-gender."
But because he trusted Lina, Wayne didn't doubt that she would do something terribly wrong, though he was also a little worried that she might come up with another crazy idea...

Just to be on the safe side,

Inessa, you absolutely must participate!

Moreover, Inessa's official status is more legitimate and "qualified" than Lina's.
He was a senior hunter in the Hunter's Guild, and his character was quite upright. Even in the eyes of the Holy Spirit Church and the Bishop of Tyrell, he was a worthy candidate.
With her appearing as one of the partners representing the detective agency, those influential figures who are qualified to know the inside story will likely assume that the detective agency is a neutral and benevolent "good organization."

As for those unfamiliar with the Extraordinary World, they can probably easily see that Inessa is unlikely to be just a pretty face and a slender figure; her first impression of the detective agency will likely be quite positive.
At least it can prevent Lina from pretending to be a brainless sweetheart again, and avoid people with poor judgment from having unnecessary doubts about the detective agency's professionalism.

Even Inessa's past act of leaving the Hunter Association without permission can be considered a virtue, given that she herself has no intention of returning to Windsor.
Americans, in a sense, prefer high-quality characters who "never go back after coming to the New World," especially those from the Kingdom of Windsor. They seem to carry a sense of superiority, as if the New World is superior to the British Empire of the Old World. Many popular novels on the market like to include stories with this kind of element.

After handing the completed letter to Doug, Wayne returned to his office and learned the reason for Miss Harley's visit.

Because right now, Lina and Peter the Spider look like they're giving her a "physical examination."

Lina scratched her shiny blonde hair: "I don't know much about this, but anomalies in the 'Abyss' realm are usually quite obvious. You don't seem to be affected by anything unusual right now, so it doesn't seem like you've been influenced by a higher being. As for the fact that your personality seems to have been affected, my only advice is to use your extraordinary abilities as little as possible."

So it turns out Miss Harley also came here because of the side effects of her extraordinary abilities, making her and Wayne somewhat like "fellow sufferers".

This also reveals that although Lina usually appears carefree, she is actually quite good at "hiding" her true feelings.

She had previously suggested that Wayne get checked out by the twins, but now, whether because she still didn't completely trust Miss Harley or was keeping the matter a secret for the siblings, she didn't mention them at all.

Upon hearing the key words, Wayne sat down as well, intending to have Lina assess him as well: "Then can you tell if I've been affected by the higher-ups?"

Lina ignored it completely and gave a direct conclusion: "No."

Miss Harley hadn't received an invitation tonight, but she probably knew that ladies needed to dress up before attending a party, so although she seemed to have something to say, she quickly took her leave.
After Miss Harley left, Lina heard Wayne tell her about Michael's conclusions, and then explained them to Wayne briefly:
“I am very sensitive to the aura of a sage, and sometimes I can receive warnings from Him. Although I don’t know why you asked that question just now, you certainly don’t have the aura of a sage, nor should you be influenced by any superior being whom He deems necessary to warn you about.”

Well……

Wayne was still concerned about this potential problem: "Are there any other testing methods?"

"If we only consider the people we've met in America, the Church of the Holy Spirit is probably the only one who might have a solution. Those few followers of the evil god from the Tranquility Sect might also have a chance, but they're all gone now."

Lina shrugged. "But if the Church of the Holy Spirit discovers that you have the influence of a higher being, then you'll probably end up either in a grand cathedral or some special monastery..."

Wayne understood. "The one favored by the gods" or "the one favored by evil gods," right?
The former might get a good position in the church, while the latter might get to enjoy special cells or instruments of torture.

Wayne isn't stupid; he wouldn't gamble on this at the church.

If you win the bet, you'll at least be under close scrutiny and subject to various restrictions; if you lose, it's all over.

After saying that, Lina snapped her fingers: "But I think Michael is right about one thing."

"Which point?" Wayne asked casually. "It's that if the influence of the higher-ups is indeed there, then whether it's so subtle that even I or the Sage haven't noticed it, or whether the Sage thinks it's neither possible nor necessary to issue a warning, then you don't need to worry. For now, worrying is useless."

"..."

We can't give up on treatment; we must at least try to save them!

……

After much thought, Wayne finally came up with a guy who might have a solution.

This comes from the hint Lina just gave, which is the "warning of the wise sage".

The last time Lina received a warning from the Wise Sage, according to the detective agency's current assessment, it should have come from a high-ranking Extraordinary being. This person was suspected of having appeared in the dock area, and has most likely already left, but there's a small chance they are still lying low.
If we were to abstractly categorize it, that guy would actually belong to the category of "being able to attract the attention of higher beings," and his rank is estimated to be even higher than Lina's. He is very likely to have connections with some strange higher beings as well.

If Wayne can find that guy, it might bring him some gains.

It just so happens that the guy also seems to be someone who can't be brought to the light, so there's no need to worry about him reporting us to the church; at most, he'll just spread some rumors.

Besides, Peter Clements, that big fat guy, was also a "choice without a choice."
They were originally from the cathedral's guards and had a special relationship with Bishop Corleone. They were the type who were familiar with the inner workings of the church, yet seemed not to belong entirely to it.

Unfortunately, according to the guy with the fake beard, they were leaving Richmond soon, and it's uncertain whether we can still get in touch with them.

Moreover, Wayne really wasn't going to tell the other party such a private matter unless absolutely necessary. The two sides currently had neither a business relationship nor a comradeship, and he didn't know the other party's true character. Wayne couldn't just give away a handle to be used against him.

The only saving grace is that Inessa actually went to Willie's place today.

She figured Wayne wouldn't bother to send a message about something trivial, so she replied via pigeon that she would prepare in advance. Lina then returned to the workshop first, and everyone would meet up near the banquet venue beforehand.

Men have it easier in this regard; Wayne dared to go even while wearing his everyday suit.

In the afternoon, I looked at a briefing on the situation in the dock area and the construction of the cannery. Overall, it seemed alright, and no gang members had jumped out to cause trouble for the time being.

After trying out the new carriage Sanders had bought, Wayne arranged for various necessary gadgets to be placed inside, while simultaneously having the agent return Mr. Paul's carriage, intending to arrive just in time for the appointment.
Before the new carriage was even ready, a carriage that looked even more luxurious than Mr. Paul's was driven over.

Stepping out of another luxurious carriage was the middle-aged maid Wayne had met earlier that day, her expression still indifferent and haughty:

“Miss Anne said that you are also a direct descendant of the Auster family, and you cannot embarrass the Auster family when attending social occasions. This carriage and everything inside are yours.”

Ah this...

Wayne hesitated for less than half a second between "I never accept anything for nothing" and "I don't accept handouts."
Then I chose to accept it.

Things that slipped through the fingers of wealthy families are freebies; they're necessities and don't involve any strange transactions, so why turn down money?

At worst, they can refuse to pay for it and just return it later.

(End of this chapter)