"So here's the question: do you know who's behind this?"
"There's a lack of evidence, but the person behind it can't be a nobody."
"Indeed, something a few minor country nobles couldn't pull off would be something like this. Kidnapping, transporting, releasing, and then controlling the calamity's range to prevent it from running rampant on their own estates." Carlo shrugged. "Why don't you arrest everyone who might have been involved and torture them?"
Vilka glanced at him. "This is inconsistent with Vicania's grace. The justice of the Grand Duke and the Church requires convincing evidence, not the deterrence of violence. Arresting nobles without solid evidence will only make others feel insecure and push them to the opposite side."
"Then let's use Vicania's authority. You just sent down a Golden Bough, so sending down a few more won't be difficult. Let's cut down a few more and see how many people are still standing on the opposing side."
"... Moreover, those nobles may possess methods we are not yet aware of. Utilizing calamities is already highly unusual; if we act rashly, it might prompt them to take even more radical measures."
"Tsk tsk, so what you're saying is that the previous part was just nice talk for show, and this 'moreover' is the real concern—they're worried they're hiding something big that they'll spill the beans on you."
Isaac had a general idea of what was going on. What Vilka wanted was to find out if the other side had any other tricks up their sleeve. If they really didn't... then she could show the other side what Vicania's authority was all about.
To this, Vilka offered no further explanation, but instead said, "In half a month, the Vista Council will hold its annual meeting, at which time all the nobles will attend in person."
"If enough evidence can be gathered before the meeting, it can be settled all at once during the meeting. If anyone flees Vista beforehand out of guilt, that also serves as proof."
Carlo clicked his tongue. "Looks like you already have some stuff in your hands and have figured out how to close the net, but it's not quite enough to be a fatal blow yet. You need to run errands and gather more clues."
" The Joint Investigation Bureau will be responsible for following up on the investigation, and your Section Nine also has priority in knowing the details of this matter."
"Are you trying to use me as free labor?"
"Then I forbid you from participating in the investigation."
"That wouldn't be fun, would it?"
Seeing that the two were about to start arguing, Isaac quickly interjected, pointing to the shackles on the ground. "These are the ones we're taking with us, aren't they?"
Vilka nodded. "Of course, the Joint Investigation Bureau will take over the investigation into the origin of these shackles."
Carlo chimed in, "Not only should we investigate, but we should investigate discreetly yet discreetly."
"Some people will get impatient, but I'll arrange for people to cooperate and make the noise bigger."
Isaac looked at the two who had inexplicably reached a tacit understanding again, thought for a moment, and roughly understood what they meant.
Being low-key means maintaining a "secret investigation" on the surface, while being high-key means deliberately leaking information in secret.
The shackles themselves don't reveal much; the casting processes are largely the same, and the procurement channels change hands multiple times. If you really trace this batch of shackles back, you'll most likely break off at some point.
But those behind the scenes have no idea how much the Joint Investigation Bureau has investigated or who they have tracked down. This uncertainty makes them uneasy, and if they feel threatened, they are likely to take action, which would expose more information.
"Then it's settled." Carlo waved his hand. "Let's call it a day and head back to town."
"Good afternoon, citizens of Vista. In the name of the Duke, I hereby announce the following to all citizens:"
Yesterday, the Joint Investigation Bureau of Abnormal Events in the Western Territory carried out a special security operation in the wilderness area on the outskirts of the city and successfully eliminated a dangerous alien species that had been active for several days.
The Joint Investigation Bureau confirmed that the operation proceeded smoothly and orderly, with no casualties on our side. Follow-up work has begun, and traffic in the surrounding area has returned to normal.
"His Highness has read the operation report and has instructed the Joint Investigation Bureau to continue to strengthen its monitoring and response to any unusual situations throughout the Western Territory. He hereby issues the following order: If any unusual situation is discovered, it should be reported immediately to the nearest Joint Investigation Bureau or church organization without delay."
"May Vicania's glory endure forever, and may order prevail in the Western Territory..."
Back in Vista, Isaac went to the Joint Investigation Bureau again for lunch, this time for nothing more than a potato-filled meal. Looking out the cafeteria window, he noticed a loudspeaker on a telephone pole emitting a deep male voice. "What's that?"
"A radio broadcast? Used to directly announce notices from the Grand Ducal government. Never seen one—oh, you really haven't?" Carlo stirred his mashed potatoes. "It was only installed in Vista in the last couple of years, and currently it's only available in the city center, and only for major announcements, otherwise the newspapers would protest."
"It feels much more convenient than newspapers; even illiterate people can understand it."
"That was the original intention. Recently, the parliament has been arguing about how to extend the network to surrounding towns, but the technology isn't a problem."
That's a problem beyond technology. Isaac wasn't surprised; local nobles certainly didn't want the Grand Duke to speak directly to the people of their territories.
He looked away and noticed that not far away, Agent Grayson from Section Two was glancing back and forth at their table, clearly hesitating whether to come over.
Carlo noticed it too, and nodded. Grayson, unable to pretend he hadn't seen it any longer, had no choice but to come over. " Schuster, Mr. Lessing."
"Sit down, standing there looks like you're being punished."
Grayson sat down in the empty seat next to Isaac, clasping his hands together. "Well, gentlemen," he said, "Regarding Mr. Harper's matter, Section Two has some deductions. They believe the person who took off his clothes might be from... the Ghoul Cult."
"Do we really have to talk about ghouls while we're eating?" Carlo took a bite of potato.
Grayson was a little embarrassed by this, and Isaac asked, "What is the Ghoul Cult?"
The fact that they are referred to as a religious order rather than a Cult indicates that they do not belong to the orthodox church order, and they are generally classified as cults in every city.
Grayson became more fluent and spoke faster when he got to a topic he was good at, " The Ghoul Cult has many internal factions, including the Assembly of the Long-Lived, the Immortal Brotherhood, the Eternal Ones... But because they are closely related, they can be regarded as being in the same framework. The Joint Investigation Bureau uniformly refers to them as the Ghoul Cult."
Unlike other Cult that worship a specific deity, the Ghoul Cult does not have a single object of worship; much of their worship revolves around the concept of "immortality" itself.
Carlo put down his spoon and continued, "As for being called ghouls, it's not because they eat human corpses—although they do eat them—but mainly because this Cult has various secret rituals that use human corpses as raw materials."
"Some factions advocate devouring the flesh and blood of the dead to absorb their remaining spirituality, while others believe that refining corpses can perpetuate the soul. Still others argue that the boundary between the living and the dead is itself a constraint that should be broken. In any case, it all revolves around corpses."