Tokyo Knights: The Odd Jobs X Files

"Oh dear, oh dear, aren't the Japanese supposed to be very hospitable and polite...? It's one thing to not answer questions, but why did they just run away...?"

The nun looked confused.

Even so, the nun did not lose heart and asked everyone she passed by about the Amakusa Cross Church, but unfortunately, the answers she received were all "I don't know" and "I've never heard of it".

The Amakusa Cross Church is known for its obscurity among the many denominations of Christianity. If it weren't for a "saint" who emerged more than a decade ago, other denominations probably wouldn't even know the name of this small sect.

Even if a "saint" emerges, no one in the religious community knows about him; he is like a pile of air.

This is exactly what the Amakusa-style Christian cultists want, because after being besieged and suppressed by the authorities so much, it's better that no one pays attention to them.

However, this caused great distress to the nun who sought help from the Amakusa Cross Church. She had been searching the Amakusa Islands for several days without finding any clues about the Amakusa Cross Church.

After walking until she was tired, the nun leaned against a large rock to meditate, sighing, "Alas, the 'Amakusa style' is indeed hard to find..."

Not only was it difficult to find, but she could also sense that the people on the Amakusa Islands were intentionally concealing the existence of the Amakusa-style Cross Cult.

Despite her seemingly slow-witted and naive appearance, this nun believed she had a knack for discerning whether people were lying. When she asked the island's inhabitants for directions, while some were unaware of the way, others clearly knew about the Amakusa Cross Church but deliberately chose not to.

However, the nun was the type of person who wouldn't force others to do something they didn't want to do, so she didn't bother those people.

After resting for a while, the nun mustered her energy and continued to look for passersby, asking them about the Amakusa Cross Church.

Seeing a man and a woman walking towards them, the nun immediately stepped forward, bowed to them, and said, "Excuse me, sir and madam, do you know where the 'Amakusa-style' church is? You mean the Amakusa-style Cross Church?"

Li Xin and Lai Sheng Lei exchanged a glance, and Lai Sheng Lei spoke up: "Miss nun, may I ask what business you have with the Amakusa-style Cross Cult?"

Chapter 777 Crisis Approaching

"Ah, so you two also came to see the Amakusa-style Cross Cult, and you're even friends with the leader of the 'Amakusa-style' cult. That's wonderful!"

When the nun heard that Li Xin and Lai Sheng Lei shared the same goal as her, she immediately smiled with delight.

"May I ask your name, nun?"

In the next life, I will ask the nun about her path with tears in my eyes.

“My name is Osora Aquinas, and I am a very ordinary nun. Nice to meet you.”

The nun bowed politely to Laishenglei and Li Xin.

"Osora Aquinas..."

Lai Shengrui's eyes flickered slightly, then she smiled and said, "So it's Sister Osora. It's a pleasure to meet you. Is there something you need from 'Amakusa-shiki'? Of course, if it's something confidential, please pretend I didn't ask."

"Well, there are some things that are inconvenient to talk about, please forgive me."

Orsola smiled and shook her head. Although she could have used vague words to gloss over the situation, that would have constituted deception, and she didn't want to do that.

"I see..."

Lai Sheng Lei didn't press for details, because she already knew Sister Osora's identity.

Orsola Aquinas, though she looks very young, is actually a senior nun who has traveled to many countries to preach and has achieved great success. She has been received by the current Pope and the higher echelons of the Roman Catholic Church have even given her special permission to build a church in her name, which is a very great honor in Christianity. She may even be remembered in history for this—if the church named after her can exist for long enough.

As for why Rui Kisugi knows these things, well, it's because the church named after Osora is in Tokyo, and the Roman Catholic Church raised funds for her before its construction.

This is standard practice; how could the Christian church build with their own money? They would definitely collect money from local wealthy people.

During his lifetime, Tatsumi Tadakatsu was a major donor to various Catholic churches in Tokyo. Therefore, when the "Osora Church" was first established, the Roman Catholic Church contacted "Fujisaki Ritsuko," who inherited Tatsumi Tadakatsu's estate, to raise funds. Following the principle of having more friends and more options, Kisei Rui casually donated a few hundred million yen as a token gesture.

Because of this donation of several hundred million yen, the Roman Catholic Church invited Rui Kisugi to attend the opening ceremony of the church, saying that they would introduce Sister Osora to Rui Kisugi. Unexpectedly, before the church was even completed, she met the legendary Sister Osora first.

After learning of Sister Osora's identity, Kisara Rui guessed that Osora must have something important to discuss with the Amakusa-style Cross Church, which is also a branch of the Church of Christ. However, this was a matter for the Church of Christ and had nothing to do with her, so she didn't bother to find out.

Just as Kisugi Rui was pondering how to continue her conversation with Sister Osora, a rumbling sound from her stomach interrupted her thoughts.

Osora said in a gentle voice, "Excuse me, I'm just hungry."

Lai Sheng Lei paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "May I have the honor of inviting you to dinner, Sister Osora?"

"No, I should be thanking you. Thank you, Miss Laisheng. May God bless you."

Osora swallowed hard, clasped his hands together, interlocked his fingers, and expressed his gratitude to the person who had come to him.

....................................

Inside the restaurant, Osora ate with great elegance, but her appetite was inconsistent with her graceful dining posture.

Looking at the ever-growing pile of plates that was about to engulf Orsola, Rui Kisugi's eyelids twitched.

Although Japanese cuisine is known for its small portions, it's surprising that Osora could finish so many dishes by herself.

Lai Sheng Lei asked in as calm a tone as possible, "Sister Osora, you seem very hungry?"

"Yes."

Osora stopped eating and said in a gentle yet calm tone, "To be honest, I've been on this island for several days now. Since I didn't bring any money with me, I've been eating wild fruits that I find on the island to stave off hunger."

"Then the accommodation..."

"It's summer now, the weather is warm, and it's not cold at night, so the benches in the park can be used to rest."

"Then, washing up..."

"There's a river on the island, and I'm washing clothes downstream. It won't contaminate your drinking water, so please don't worry. As for the clothes, they'll dry overnight in this weather. Also, thank God it hasn't rained these past few days, otherwise it would have been really terrible!"

Osora clasped his hands together, bowed his head, closed his eyes, and gave thanks for God's love.

This person calmly uttered some terrifying words!

Li Xin and Lai Sheng Lei exchanged a glance, both reading shock in each other's eyes.

They never imagined that this woman had survived these past few days like this!

Especially for Laisheng Rui, although she knew that the gap between the rich and poor among the clergy in the Christian church was very serious, Osora was a famous nun who had been received by the Pope and built a church in her own name. How could she be so destitute that she didn't even have money for lodging and food?

What's even more shocking than Osora's ordeal is her attitude. Instead of complaining or grumbling about her life of sleeping in the open, she remained remarkably calm.

After praying, Osora continued eating. It was clear that she was very hungry. Although she had wild fruits to fill her stomach, it was certainly not enough. Moreover, she had been wandering around the island for days, which had greatly depleted her energy.

If she weren't not the kind of clergy who were lazy and lived a life of luxury in the church, she would have collapsed from exhaustion by now.

After a hearty meal, Osora wiped her mouth with a napkin and thanked Li Xin and Laisheng Lei, saying, "Thank you both, thank you for the treat. I will find a way to repay you once I have settled down."

Lai Sheng Lei naturally wouldn't care about such a small amount of money, and said with a smile, "No, consider this meal as our offering to God."

Shaking her head, Osora said to Laisheng Lei, "No, no, no, God is God, and I am me. I cannot represent God, and this meal that I ate cannot be considered an offering to God. Miss Laisheng, please give me your contact information, and I will definitely repay you."

Osora's attitude surprised Rui Kisei.

The Heinz family's businesses are mostly in Europe, and most European countries are Christian. Therefore, Lai Sheng Lei doesn't have much contact with Christian believers. Even if they receive help from others, those Christian believers will first thank God. As for those who help them, they will think that they were sent by God and that it is God's merit.

Especially those clergy, who often command others "in the name of God," as if they were born with the right to make others serve them. It's rare to see a clergyman like Osora who separates himself from God so clearly.

It seems that Sister Osora was indeed quite capable to be able to preach and succeed in non-Crusaded countries.

After thinking for a moment, Lai Sheng Lei said to Sister Osora, "By the way, Sister Osora, I wanted to ask, you've been on this island for several days now, haven't you found a 'Amakusa-style' church yet?"

"Yes."

Orsola nodded and said to Rei, "I've been asking around on the island for days, but no one has told me the whereabouts of the 'Amakusa-style' church."

After a pause, Orsola added, "However, I'm certain that the 'Amakusa-style' people are on this island, but they don't seem to welcome me very much."

Lai Sheng Lei nodded slightly. Just then, Li Xin stood up, walked to a table at the back of the restaurant, knocked on the table, and said to a pretty young woman who was eating at that table, "Miss, do you know about 'Amakusa Style'?"

The girl had shoulder-length black hair and was unremarkable except for being somewhat pretty; she was the kind of ordinary girl you could see anywhere. When Li Xin suddenly asked her a question, she stammered and became nervous: "Sir, may I ask what you just said?"

Li Xin looked at the black-haired girl calmly: "It's nothing. I just noticed that you glanced at us twenty-three times, fifteen of which were when you were looking at Sister Osora. So I was a little curious if you were related to the 'Amakusa Style'."

The black-haired girl was stunned for a moment, somewhat incredulous. With her tracking skills, how could she have been discovered? But she still pretended to be nonchalant and said, "Sir, you misunderstand. I'm just waiting for a friend, not looking at anyone. I'm watching the door!"

Li Xin smiled slightly and said to the black-haired girl, "There's no need to be so wary. I'm friends with the leader of your 'Amakusa-style' sect. I've come here to ask her some questions."

"Sir, I don't understand what you're saying. If this is supposed to be a pickup line technique, then it's terrible!"

The black-haired girl looked displeased.

At that moment, a wooden plaque was handed to the black-haired girl. Rai Kisugi held up the plaque and said, "Now, can you tell us about 'Amakusa-style'?"

The black-haired girl was clearly taken aback when she saw the wooden sign. She didn't bother to pretend anymore and took the sign to examine it carefully.

"This is... the cult leader's wooden plaque! How did it end up with you?"

The black-haired girl looked up at Laisheng Lei.

She seemed to have a way of identifying the owners of the wooden plaques, and was even able to recognize that the previous owner of the plaque was Kanzaki Kaori.

"Of course it was given to me by your leader. Otherwise, would I have taken it from a 'saint'?"

Lai Sheng Lei smiled and said, "Your leader said that if I come to the Amakusa Islands, I can use this wooden sign to ask the locals for help. I want to find your leader. May I ask if this young lady can help me?"

The black-haired girl looked at Laisheng Rui: "If you know our leader, why don't you contact him directly instead of asking me about the 'Amakusa style'?"

She had already largely believed what Laisheng Rui said, since it was indeed unlikely that someone could take away the wooden plaque from Kanzaki Kaori, a "saint".

How could someone capable of taking the wooden plaque from Kanzaki Kaori only take an ordinary wooden plaque with no special abilities and only commemorative value? So, apart from Kanzaki Kaori giving it to him voluntarily, there is really not much other possibility.

But if there's a wooden plaque given by Kanzaki Kaori, it means that Kisugi Rui and Kanzaki Kaori have a good relationship, so how could she not have Kanzaki Kaori's contact information?

If this matter isn't explained clearly, the black-haired girl still won't be able to trust Lai Shengrui.

Laishenglei was silent for a moment, then said, "I can't get through to your leader on the phone."

Black-haired girl: "..."

Okay, this does seem like something the cult leader would do.

....................................

On an inconspicuous little island in the Amakusa Islands, Kanzaki Kaori smiled and said to the black-haired girl, "Itsuki, it's been a long time!"

Upon seeing Kanzaki Kaori, the black-haired girl Itsuki's eyes flashed with excitement: "Master!"

Looking at the familiar faces she hadn't seen for many years, Kanzaki Kaori sighed inwardly and said to Itsuki, "Itsuki, you've come at the right time. We need your strength to find the sacred artifact."

Upon hearing Kanzaki Kaori's words, Itsuki exclaimed happily, "It's a great honor!"

After the initial excitement subsided, Itsuki remembered that she had important business to attend to, so she said to Kanzaki Kaori, "Master, three people want to see you. Two of them claim to be your friends, and the other is Sister Orsola of the Roman Catholic Church."

"My friend?"

Kanzaki Kaori was puzzled, and Itsuki replied, "Yes, it was a man and a woman, and the woman was holding your wooden plaque."

Upon hearing Itsuki's description, Kanzaki Kaori immediately recognized the man and woman. She smiled and said, "Oh, it's them. Then it's nothing."

But then Kanzaki Kaori frowned: "But how come Sister Osora of the Roman Catholic Church is with them?"

Although Sister Osora had a good reputation, she was, after all, a member of the Roman Catholic Church, and the Roman Catholic Church... well, shouldn't it be Li Xin's enemy? How did he get involved with Sister Osora?

Kanzaki Kaori couldn't understand it, so she could only say to Itsuki, "Take me to see them."

"Yes, Master."

Wu nodded.

On another small island, Kanzaki Kaori met Li Xin and Kisugi Rui. Kanzaki Kaori looked Li Xin up and down and said, "I didn't expect that your injuries would recover to this extent in just a few days. I thought you would be bedridden for a year or two."

Li Xin smiled and said, "I've always been tough and resilient since I was a child."

Kanzaki Kaori looked at Kisei Rui: "Miss Rui, I'm sorry, my cell phone was out of battery and I didn't even notice. I'm sorry to have troubled you."

Well, the reason why Rui Kisugi couldn't get through to Kaori Kanzaki's phone was simple: she forgot to charge her cell phone.

"It's alright."

Lai Sheng Lei naturally wouldn't care about this.

After greeting Li Xin and Lai Sheng Rui, Kanzaki Kaori looked at Osora beside them.

"Sister Osora, I've heard so much about you."

Kanzaki Kaori said to Osora.

"Not at all, I am the one who has long admired you, the Pope of the Amakusa-style Cross Church, the 'Saint' Kanzaki Kaori."

"Osora said politely."

"Then, may I ask, Sister Osora, why did you come to see me?"

Kanzaki Kaori asked Osora.

"Of course, but I'd like to speak with you alone, is that alright?"

"Osora asked."