It Smelled Bad, but Tasted Good

In theory, Mr. Marshall's symptoms weren't difficult to treat. One bottle of blocker would cure him completely, but when he saw the ominous liquid bubbling inside the bottle and giving off a pungent odor, he became extremely uncooperative.

"You... Hahahaha, think of... ha... something else..."

Even as he laughed so hard he could barely catch his breath, Marshall held up a hand to refuse Ethan.

Ethan could only turn to his superior for instructions. But when he turned around, he realized that Ivy had already left the bedroom. Miss Chloe had joined her in taking refuge by the doorway.

Miss Chloe paced anxiously back and forth at the door. Several times she tried to go in, only to be held back by the pungent smell.

All she could do was try to convey a message to Ethan with her eyes.

—That's shit. Don't pick it up!

Ivy, meanwhile, watched Ethan with great interest, curious about what this usually smooth-talking subordinate would do. If it were her, she'd probably knock Marshall out and force the blocker down his throat.

Marshall was the head of the Brookwood Town branch, transferred there from the Imperial Capital Joint Reserve Bank. His uncle by marriage was a nobleman from Gear City. This five-year stint as branch head was meant to pad his résumé, and, according to protocol, he would be transferred to the head office in the Imperial Capital afterward.

For someone who had grown up accustomed to the finest delicacies, getting him to drink the blocker was practically impossible.

Ivy had heard that many frontline investigators took drugs for long periods to dull their sense of smell and taste, helping them tolerate the odors of blockers and Exorcism Agents. This made them less sensitive to smells, but the damage to their senses was irreversible. After retirement, they would find it difficult to enjoy good food.

Still...

How many frontline investigators lived long enough to retire?

"Mr. Marshall, did you know that human senses can deceive you?"

"Don't come any closer—!"

Still laughing wildly, Marshall backed all the way into a corner of the room with both hands raised. He pulled a pistol from a drawer and aimed it at Ethan, looking ready to take them both down if Ethan came one step closer.

"Mr. Marshall, I heard you come from a distinguished family. One of your ancestors was a high-ranking officer in the Kingdom Army and fought in the brutal Heresy War."

Hearing of his ancestor's glorious deeds steadied Marshall somewhat. With a trembling hand, he shifted the gun away.

"Then have you heard the story of stinky tofu?"

Ethan spoke in a calm voice and stayed where he was. His words had an effect: even Marshall's laughter stopped. Just a few steps away, Marshall shook his head in confusion.

The Golden Hair on Ivy's head stood on end as she listened closely.

That meant Ethan had done his homework on Marshall's background on the way over.

Was he planning to use his family's honor to pressure Marshall?

It wasn't a bad idea.

"In the early days of the Heresy War, the First King was ambushed by Evil God Cultists during a battle. They fought a three-day-long war of attrition in the forest. When they finally routed the cultists, all that remained outside the forest was an empty village. The soldiers of the Kingdom Army were hungry and thirsty. They searched the entire village and found only one local specialty called tofu. And because it had been left out for too long, most of it had spoiled."

As Ethan spoke, the bedroom fell silent. Apart from his voice, all that could be heard was the steady sound of breathing.

Everyone was gradually getting used to the blocker's pungent smell.

Ethan continued, "The spoiled tofu wasn't fit to eat, but if they didn't eat something, they wouldn't have the strength to make it back to town. So the First King made a decision. He had them start a fire in the village and boil a large pot of oil, then fry the spoiled tofu. The oil immediately filled with a pungent smell, and many soldiers questioned whether it was even safe to eat. Amid their doubts, the First King set an example by tasting the fried, spoiled tofu first. To his surprise, it tasted quite good.

"Years later, after the Heresy War ended, the First King returned to the village and remembered what had happened there. He thought of how the spoiled tofu had helped the Kingdom Army through a crisis, so he had the locals imitate what they'd done and prepare the snack. Because it smelled bad but tasted good, the First King named it 'stinky tofu.' These days, stinky tofu enthusiasts favor that pungent smell. Only with such a strong contrast can they appreciate the snack's true appeal."

Ivy's expression grew more and more solemn, until it was almost identical to Marshall's.

She never would have imagined that the First King of the Empire had such a story in his past!

Ethan noticed Marshall wavering, which meant his strategy was having some effect. He had read the Containment Bureau's assessment of Marshall, which said that he had the traits of an old-school nobleman and cared deeply about his family's reputation and honor.

"The blocker's full name is 'A Carefree Mind Mental Blocker 2.0.' You can tell from the name that it's gone through several updates since it first came out. This is the version you see today."

Ethan spoke clearly. "The Containment Bureau's Research Department is made up of the Empire's top scientists. This is the culmination of their wisdom and hard work. Do you really think the world's smartest people never received any feedback or realized that the smell of the blocker puts people off?"

Though those words were aimed at Marshall, they also set Ivy thinking.

She had never looked at the issue from that perspective.

Ethan suddenly seemed to grow taller in her eyes. Every word he said struck her like a heavy hammer, stirring new thoughts within her. He reminded her of the mentors at the Enlightenment Society, all of them among the Empire's most learned scholars.

Compared with them, Ethan was so young. She found it hard to imagine that someone her own age could have an air so similar to that of her mentors.

"Of course the Research Department knows. They also know countless ways to eliminate unpleasant odors, but they haven't done so. They could accept investigators' feedback and change the solution's taste, but the smell and appearance have to stay."

Ethan gave Marshall time to process and think. When Marshall seemed to understand, he continued, "When stinky tofu enthusiasts smell that pungent odor, they think of the First King's heroic years during the Heresy War. In the same way, the Research Department wants to send a message to all the investigators trying the blocker for the first time: this job isn't a dinner party. Only those with extraordinary willpower can survive in this profession."

Ethan walked toward Marshall step by step. This time, Marshall didn't speak. He stared fixedly at the glass in Ethan's hand.

Too many thoughts filled his mind.

He thought of his ancestor, of the First King, and of the tumultuous Heresy War.

Then the bottle was placed in his hand.

Ethan's low voice was like a devil whispering in his ear. "The only question is, are you as strong-willed as your ancestor?"

Marshall's mind raced as he sifted through the complex flood of information and extracted a few key points.

That was it.

The pungent smell was kept to remind investigators of the work they did.

But in truth, the taste had long since been fixed. Just like stinky tofu, it had become a local snack that most people accepted over time.

With that thought, Marshall tilted his head back and downed the blocker in one go.

Then all his thoughts stopped.

His vision blurred, and his body began to sway. He looked at Ethan, with only one thought left in his mind.

Damn it!

You liar!

"That story just now..."

Ivy entered the room and patted Ethan on the shoulder from behind. Something about the scene before her felt strange, spoiling the solemnity of the story he'd just told.

She looked at Ethan, and Ethan looked at Marshall...

Marshall rolled his eyes and stuck out his blackened tongue, his gaze utterly vacant.

That tongue was a lost cause.

She read that subtle message in Marshall's expression.

"I made it all up."

Ethan glanced at the empty glass bottle on the floor and remarked, "Even a dog wouldn't drink this stuff."