Laos District

"Lacy, however you arrange it, that's what we'll do."

Marco and Wei En exchanged a glance. Sure enough, the Secret Investigation Bureau did not want the Church of Dawn to know about the taboo object either.

"Mm."

Only after saying all that did Lacy look at Ariana and say, "Your task this time is very simple. Assist me in investigating the whereabouts of some missing persons in the slums."

"...All right. Nothing else?"

Lacy nodded. "Your abilities are very suited to this work."

Ariana looked at her rather unhappily. "But your tone... doesn't express even the slightest attitude of asking for assistance."

"Asking? Isn't it because of Yegor's orders?"

"That's true," Ariana said, still stubborn. "But if something like this happens again, I'll definitely refuse."

"Suit yourself."

Lacy said indifferently, "If the case weren't urgent, I would definitely apply to Yegor for Lord Nifa's help. Compared to Lord Nifa..."

"Lacy, you're still as hateful as ever!"

That said, Ariana also had to admit that compared with Lord Nifa's prophecies, his own ability was indeed not worth mentioning.

"Got a problem?"

Ariana curled his lip. "...No."

Damn violent woman. If the gap in strength were not too great, he would absolutely turn and leave on the spot.

Fight?

What kind of joke was that? Wouldn't that just be courting death?

"That's how it is."

Lacy did not stop walking, striding forward. "Once we reach the Laos District, Marco, go notify the garrison to guard the perimeter. Wei En, you take Tina and go in with me first."

Marco nodded. "Understood, Officer Lacy."

Wei En gave a hum, then lowered his head and hurried along without another word.

As for Tina, she did not even make a sound, her eyes fixed on Wei En without blinking.

The group left the Dumitru District, circled around the central district where Crimson Cathedral was located, and headed straight in the direction of Golden Street and the Laos District.

Ariana looked at Crimson Cathedral and said unhappily, "The Church of Dawn is really overbearing. If you're not a believer of Dawn, they actually won't let you pass through the cathedral area."

"Not satisfied?" Lacy glanced at him. "You can go reason with Bishop Andrews and demand that he retract this religious decree."

"This is clearly the Shetland Kingdom, the Kaster City-State, the preaching ground of the Storm Church."

Ariana decided to ignore her and went on talking to himself. "The Lord Consul actually agreed to such overbearing behavior from the Church of Dawn."

"The Church of Dawn's strength isn't something the Storm Church can compare to."

"Of course I know that, but I still feel..."

"You haven't forgotten the Bureau Chief's orders, have you?"

Lacy said sternly, "It is strictly forbidden to come into conflict with the churches. If what you just said was overheard by believers of Dawn, it would bring huge trouble to the Secret Investigation Bureau."

"Hmph, you don't need to tell me."

Ariana curled his lip and stopped speaking.

Kaster City-State had rules like that too?

Wei En searched through his predecessor's memories, and indeed found no memory of him ever entering the cathedral area.

Although he had long known how powerful the Church of Dawn was, he had not expected that even the area where the cathedral stood was forbidden ground.

Seeing the atmosphere grow increasingly strange, Marco spoke up. "Speaking of Dawn, you all saw the Church of Dawn's Divine Grace Descent ceremony yesterday, right?"

Ariana immediately nodded. "Of course I saw it. Such dazzling light almost made my eyes undergo 'distortion.'"

"Make fewer jokes like that too." Lacy looked at him displeasedly.

"...Has no one ever told you that you have absolutely no sense of humor?"

"What did you say?"

"Nothing. I was saying that the Church of Dawn's Saint-Favored should be the next candidate for Holy Maiden, right?"

"Candidate for Holy Maiden? I doubt it!"

Marco looked like someone watching the excitement and not minding if things got bigger. "This Divine Grace ceremony was far too sudden. I'm afraid the people eyeing that position won't allow this Saint-Favored to spoil things."

"You know about these things too?" Ariana looked at him in surprise. "Then do you know the identity of that Saint-Favored from last night?"

The Saint-Favored's identity?

Wei En quietly perked up his ears. If they were talking about this, then he would not be conflicted anymore.

Marco said irritably, "I wasn't even there. How would I know something so secret? Don't tell me you know?"

"Of course!"

Hearing him speak with such confidence, Lacy could not help looking at him. "Go on, then. I'd also like to know who exactly became the Saintess candidate."

Seeing that she was interested too, Ariana could not help smiling smugly. "Lacy, your Division One really should keep in touch with the Secret Intelligence Department more often. To think you don't even know something this—"

Lacy glared at him. "Are you going to tell us or not?"

Wei En also glared at him subconsciously. There was nothing more annoying than someone deliberately keeping people in suspense.

"...The people from the Secret Intelligence Department didn't tell me exactly who it was. I only know that the Saint-Favored is Bishop Andrews's student."

Seeing their expressions fall, Ariana hurriedly said, "Somlai from the Property Management Department was there watching the ceremony yesterday. He should have seen her."

Lacy snorted. "So you said all that just to say nothing."

Marco chimed in, "So that's all you know? And you call that knowing the Saintess candidate's identity?"

Ariana said indignantly, "I also know she's a student at the Church of Dawn's school, and she's very pretty!"

"What excellent firsthand intelligence, Captain Ariana," Marco said sarcastically.

A church student, and the bishop's student?

Wei En thought thoughtfully, That does sound a lot like Sister Kali...

After Ariana's bout of nonsense, none of them were in the mood to chat anymore.

Before long, they arrived at the slums of Kaster City-State—Laos District.

Wei En had been here a few times before, but if he had not been short on money, he absolutely would not have wanted to stay here any longer than necessary.

Filthy roads, walls covered in strange graffiti, garbage piles that could never be cleared away, and the stinking black sewage along both sides of the road...

These were Laos District's signature "attractions."

As for the people who had lived here for a long time, aside from being thinner than those in other districts, everything else about them seemed very... normal.

At least with Wei En's five senses, which surpassed ordinary people's, he did not discover anything wrong.

But if his panel was included—

[You have been corroded by the power of the Nightmare Realm. Evaluation: You won't be so lucky next time! Reward: Survival Points +2.]

[Because your Spirit level is greater than Level 20, the corrosion of the Nightmare Realm's power has failed! Special Reward: Spirit level +1.]

[You have obtained the affection of the abyssal creature—the Bone-Eroding Mother Insect. It very much longs to reproduce on your body! Evaluation: Having discovered your aura again, it longs for you even more. Reward: Survival Points +1.]

[Because your Tenacity level is greater than Level 8, the Bone-Eroding Insect invasion has failed! Reward: Survival Points +1.]

"As expected!"

Wei En looked at the prompts on the panel and sighed helplessly. He had known those Bone-Eroding Insects were still around...