Deputy Director

"After entering Crimson Cathedral, I stayed in the main hall for a moment, then passed through the side portico..."

Wei En looked at the people before him and recounted in detail what had happened after he entered the cathedral.

During that time, he did not mention anything about Kali being Saint-Favored. He only said that a neighbor had brought him into the cathedral, intending to guide him into believing in the Church of Dawn.

Although, on the way back with Marco, Wei En had expected that he would face an inquiry next, he had still underestimated the impact of this mission.

There were actually so many people in the Secret Investigation Bureau paying attention to the results of his investigation...

The originally spacious office of Investigation Division One was now packed with more than a dozen people.

Aside from Yegor Payne, the minister of Logistics and the Investigation Department, and Lacy, Marco, and the others from Division One, the rest were all members of the Secret Investigation Bureau's High-Level Committee.

And the person at their head was none other than Baratz Cartwright, the Deputy Director of the Secret Investigation Bureau.

They all wore the black uniforms that represented the Secret Investigation Bureau's High-Level Committee, each holding an ornately carved scepter inlaid with gemstones, sitting upright on high-backed chairs as they quietly listened to his account.

They looked both noble and proper, while maintaining considerable authority.

"Wait. Who is this Miss Kali?" the old man seated in the middle asked with interest.

This man was Baratz Cartwright, the Deputy Director of the Secret Investigation Bureau.

His face was kindly, and his tone when he spoke was gentle. His bright eyes revealed wisdom tempered by years.

His silver hair was already streaked with white, but it was groomed meticulously.

One hand held his scepter, while the other held a pipe, from which he took a puff every now and then.

Wei En answered stiffly, "A neighbor. Her father is Yuan Morris. I was able to enter the Secret Investigation Bureau through their recommendation."

Yegor, who had remained quiet from the beginning, spoke up from the side to explain, "My Lord Baratz, I can testify to that."

"No need to be nervous, Yegor. I know Yuan is a specially appointed doctor in your Logistics Department." Baratz looked at him with a half-smile. "It's rare for you to care about an Investigator, too..."

Yegor said nothing. He calmly raised his right hand to his chest and bowed slightly in salute.

Lacy opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but Marco tugged her back, and only then did she give up the thought.

Wei En stood opposite them, watching their movements in puzzlement.

He secretly guessed that something must have happened before.

That Deputy Director's words just now clearly carried a hidden meaning. It did not sound like sincere praise, but more like teasing.

"Please continue. I am very curious about what happened afterward," the old man said gently, exhaling a smoke ring.

"Yes, My Lord."

Wei En continued, "When I passed through the portico... later, after entering the Chapel... therefore, a total of two fluctuations were detected. One was in the Confessional, and the other was inside the Chapel."

"Wait, you're saying two fluctuations were detected?" The man who spoke was named Dorf, a middle-aged man with a build similar to Yegor's and a face full of whiskers.

The people beside him also wore the same astonished expressions, as if shocked by this news.

"Yes. I'm certain there were two."

Wei En looked at them. "The distance from the Confessional to the Chapel is over three hundred meters, already beyond the detection range of the instrument."

The implication was that there was no possibility that the same Forbidden Object had been detected due to being too close.

"Deputy Director Baratz, this matter must be made known to My Lord Alais as soon as possible!"

"Dorf, don't be in such a hurry. Alais still needs to rest for a while."

Baratz waved his hand and said unhurriedly, "In other words, aside from the known Forbidden Object, the Church of Dawn has also secretly hidden another Forbidden Object inside Crimson Cathedral."

He was not asking a question. Rather, he repeated the information he had obtained as if talking to himself.

Only after quite a while did Baratz continue asking, "And after that? What happened to you?"

"Inside the Chapel, there was a statue of Dawn. I... I was contaminated by the power of Dawn faith."

Wei En's heart tightened. Sure enough, the matter of being dragged into the Fountain of Dawn Faith was also something the higher-ups of the Secret Investigation Bureau cared about.

Moreover, from what this Deputy Director had just said, he could tell that after Director Alais Koulibaly used that Forbidden Object, he needed to rest?

Hopefully it was not some serious backlash...

"The power of Dawn faith? No wonder..."

Baratz did not doubt his words. He even showed an expression that suggested this was what made sense. "All right. We have heard the course of events. Do any of you still have questions?"

"This is a matter of great importance. I think we should still let Alais..."

"Dorf, how to handle this must be discussed and decided by the full committee, not by obeying Alais's orders alone. Don't you think?"

Dorf gritted his teeth. "...I understand, Deputy Director Baratz."

"What about the rest of you?"

The people from the Logistics Department went without saying. His gaze was mainly fixed on those elderly men.

After a long while, seeing that no one spoke, Baratz nodded and said, "Then go back for now. Yegor, make preparations."

"Yes."

"Until there are new instructions, this matter is absolutely confidential."

Baratz tapped his pipe, then rose and said, "This... mission was completed exceptionally well. Yegor, apply for some extra rewards for him. Use the standard for a second-level mission."

Dorf cut in again. "That's against the rules..."

Baratz glanced at him and said evenly, "We will not forget those who have made outstanding contributions to the Secret Investigation Bureau, and we will be even less stingy with them."

Seeing how firmly he had spoken, Dorf had no choice but to retreat, though his expression turned even more sinister.

Yegor bowed. "Understood."

Rewards?

Wei En's eyes lit up, and he bowed as well. "Thank you, Deputy Director Baratz, My Lord."

Hadn't he nearly died inside Crimson Cathedral precisely for the rewards?

Although he did not know what the reward for a second-level mission was, judging from everyone's reactions, it had to be something extraordinary.

"You are an excellent Investigator. Keep working hard. I look forward to your outstanding performance in the future."

Baratz patted him on the shoulder and walked out of the office with a smile, the others following close behind.

Once they had left, the others finally relaxed. Yegor wasted no time lighting a cigar and stuffing it into his mouth.

Lacy took a deep breath and asked, "Minister, what should we do now? From what the Deputy Director meant, the follow-up mission is still going to be assigned to us?"

Yegor glanced at Wei En, blew out a smoke ring, and said flatly, "Prepare well."

"Prepare for what?" Lacy asked, puzzled. "Shouldn't we hand the mission over to the Combat Department like before?"

"This time is different. It was only a preliminary test. It doesn't prove anything."

As he spoke, Yegor also headed for the door. "I'm leaving first. As for the reward, help this kid think it through. Since Baratz has already spoken, don't let the opportunity slip by."

Lacy stared at his back and spat viciously, "Bastard!"

"Hm?"

Yegor turned back. "Were you talking about me?"

"...I was talking about the bastards in the Combat Department."

"You'd better be. Otherwise... you know the consequences."

Lacy: "..."

Wei En blinked. That sounded strangely familiar, didn't it?