Tina Hates Him, Can She Eat Him?

It really was that missing-persons case?

Not bad luck.

Wei En also returned to his seat and sat down, waiting to get the intelligence.

Lacy's gaze moved to the white-haired girl at the very back. "Tina, you go first. Tell us what you found."

"Tina found something. Three hundred people disappeared at the same time."

Tina rested her crossed hands on the table, just like an elementary school student in class.

"And then?"

"Tina did not find an and then."

Lacy held her forehead. "Marco, you add to it."

"We checked the scene and found that quite a few people had still been eating or drinking before they disappeared... We didn't find any signs of struggle or resistance. Like Tina said, they should have disappeared at the same time."

Marco curled his lip and said, "It was obviously done by something 'high-level.' It might have been a high-ranking transcendent, or it might have been a taboo object..."

If it had been done by something like a Wraith or a Blood Beast, there would definitely have been traces left at the scene.

"What was the coverage area?"

"No. 101 to No. 127 in the Laos District."

"Everyone?" Lacy frowned. "You didn't find a single person at the scene?"

"Unfortunately, no." Marco spread his hands and said, "Even this piece of parchment was only found after Tina used spiritual vision."

"Tina?"

"Tina isn't sure," the white-haired girl said.

Lacy frowned and looked at the parchment on the table. "Then we can only see what it recorded inside."

Marco could not help asking, "You stared at it for ages just now and didn't make anything out?"

"I'm not a scholar who specializes in the Gonzalez Language. With just a few syllables, I can't read every Era relic."

"...Then it looks like our First Department's already meager funds are going to take another big hit."

Wait, funds?

Wei En was just thinking about how to summarize the language and report the intelligence he had "discovered" to his superiors when he suddenly heard the word funds. "What funds?"

"For translating the Gonzalez Language."

Lacy looked as if her heart ached. "Our Secret Investigation Bureau doesn't have scholars like that, so every time we encounter an Era relic, we have to ask Professor Herwin from Kaster Academy to help translate and read it."

"And for the contents of a piece of parchment like this, he charges at least 2 gold pounds in translation fees."

2, 2 gold pounds?!

Was translating the Gonzalez Language this expensive?

Wei En stood up and walked over. "Captain, can you let me take a look? Maybe I can translate it."

"You know the Gonzalez Language?" Lacy looked at him, half-believing and half-doubting.

"A little."

Marco could not help saying, "Wei En, knowing a few Gonzalez Language words won't get this job done. Even one wrong syllable could very likely make the whole thing wrong."

Wei En did not explain further. He reached out and took the parchment. "I'll try."

That was 2 gold pounds... No matter what, he had to fight for it.

"It's fine to try," Lacy said thoughtfully. "Wei En, if you really can translate it, this money is yours."

If their First Department had an investigator proficient in the Gonzalez Language—then their First Department could strut sideways through the entire Secret Investigation Bureau!

At that moment, she instead hoped that Wei En could complete the translation of the parchment.

Wei En nodded. "All right!"

That was exactly what he had been waiting for Lacy to say.

Wei En roughly scanned the contents on the parchment. After finding no words he did not recognize, his heart settled.

Then he took out a blank piece of parchment and, comparing it against the Gonzalez Language text, began writing in the Alders Language.

"Lien, Budan, Solisen, Ruixi, Sashiding, Roland..."

"In the year 863 of the Third Era, the Church of Dawn used taboo object 0-34, the Resurrection Coffin, to resurrect Archbishop Rasul Bess..."

The Church of Dawn?

Taboo object 0-34, the Resurrection Coffin?

He had not expected the contents on it to be this explosive. Even the Church of Dawn and a taboo object had appeared.

But what did this have to do with the people in the slums disappearing?

With this doubt in mind, Wei En continued translating.

"The Church of Dawn captured 3,000 heretics from the Eternal Life Society, absorbing their spirits and blood to offset the negative effects of the Resurrection Coffin..."

Seeing that what he wrote looked quite proper, Marco leaned over to Lacy and asked in a low voice, "How is it? Did you see anywhere he got wrong?"

Lacy glanced at him and said irritably, "If I knew whether it was right or wrong, would I still need to find someone else?"

"Tina believes in Wei En."

At some point, the white-haired girl had also come to their side. Her hollow, lifeless eyes were fixed on Wei En—or more accurately, on him and the Little Ashis.

"Oh? Tina, you think he can translate it?"

Tina shook her head. "Tina believes in Wei En."

"..."

The two of them understood what she meant. She believed in Wei En, but she was not sure whether he could successfully translate the parchment.

But was this really a matter of belief?

No matter how much she believed in him, Gonzalez Language he did not recognize was still Gonzalez Language he did not recognize.

"Tina, you seem especially concerned about Wei En? The new colleagues who came before didn't get this kind of treatment from you," Lacy asked thoughtfully.

After thinking back over it, Marco looked at the white-haired girl pitifully and said, "Tina, you're not even this nice to me. Do you not like me anymore?"

Tina continued staring unblinkingly at Wei En. "Tina likes him. Tina wants to be friends with him."

Marco's body shook. "Ah, this, this..."

Lacy's expression shifted slightly. "Marco, you haven't said anything these past few days to make Tina unhappy, have you?"

"N-no, I haven't. I, I-I-I... Lacy, what do we do now?"

"You're asking me?"

"Then, then how about..." Marco looked at Tina, practically on the verge of tears. "How about we let Tina team up with Wei En?"

Tina liked someone else now?

There was actually such a good thing?

Hold it in. Don't laugh!

"What are you thinking? If those two team up, who's going to take care of whom?"

"But Lacy, you know Tina's personality. I..."

"Shut up. We'll talk later!"

Lacy moved closer to Tina. "Tina, being friends is fine, but can we not switch teammates for now?"

Tina was silent for a moment, then turned to look at Marco. "Tina hates him. Can Tina eat him?"

"Hiss!"

Marco sucked in a breath of cold air, his face turning deathly pale. "Um, Tina, no... La-Lalacy, did, did you hear what she said?"

"...I heard. Hurry up and get out of the way."

Lacy glared at him, signaling for him to leave, then patted Tina on the shoulder and coaxed, "Be good, Tina. Marco is your friend too. You can't eat him."

"Oh."

Tina turned her head away coldly and continued staring at Wei En.

Seeing her like this, Lacy let out a slight breath of relief and quietly retreated to Marco's side, lowering her voice. "You're in a lot of danger right now."

"You don't need to tell me that..."

This time Marco really was about to cry. He did not want to keep teaming up with Tina, but he wanted even less to gamble with his own life.

Dying like that would be too miserable.

"I think that suggestion you made just now was pretty good. Teach Wei En more during this period. In the future, let him team up with Tina."

"Really?"

Smack!

Lacy hit him and snorted. "If you want to laugh, go outside and laugh. Don't think I don't know what you're thinking."

"Yes, Chief Lacy. I guarantee I'll complete the mission."

Marco let out a breath of relief. He really was afraid that if he kept teaming up with Tina, he would die without even knowing how.

"All right."

At that moment, Wei En put down the quill, his expression grave as he looked at them. "This time, we might have discovered something incredible!"

P.S. Since you've already read this far, I hope you'll give it an investment, add it to your collection, or something. Thank you.

Thanks to the big shots Fengliu Kuaihuo Shaonianlang, Ai Laohu Zouzou, Nanke Dumeng, Luoli Ai Chi Yu, and Xinbuliao Niu for the tips.

Thank you.