"Welcome to the team." Leo, warden of the suppression team, shook Kael's hand firmly, a gentle smile on his face.
"Thanks."
Kael nodded, slightly taken aback by the man's bright nature. He was under the impression that Leo was a reserved man who took his job seriously. However, from what he could see, it seemed the dynamics changed when outsiders were present.
This was true for the other men, as they began to visibly relax once the director and his men left the Common Lounge. After a round of pleasantries during which Leo introduced the other team members to Kael, the warden led them on a tour of the facility.
Taking another look at the impressive gear worn by the suppression team, Kael was once again reminded of the kind of resources available to ARISA.
Dressed in black tactical gear that resembled a certain knight's armour, the suppression team was equipped with state-of-the-art magic weaponry designed and built with the divine armaments as its base.
Each member had a sleek-looking short sword, sheath and attached to their back, while handheld pistols were clamped to their right thighs. Given their level of armament, one would think they were at the facility for a fight.
"What have you seen so far?" Dave asked once they left the lounge, his head lowered as he scrolled through the files on the tablet.
"The same thing; practically nothing," Leon replied without looking behind. "Like the kid's home, forensic did not find anything. Also, the kid's room was cleaned before the investigation began, so we can't find anything there. Though whatever personal belongings of the kid have been secured as evidence."
The first place Leo led the group was towards the living quarters, and as he explained, there was nothing to see. "The teams of the other commanders have already done their sweeps as well, and the gathered intel has been passed to us as we did with ours."
The entire floor was empty of personnel from the facility, as all of them had been gathered on the ground floor and were under the supervision of the rest of the suppression team, awaiting interrogation. A specialised room had already been prepared. All that remained was for the commanders to carry out their work.
"Will the other commanders be coming down here to interrogate the personnel after us?" Kael asked after they moved away from the living quarters, heading for the second floor.
"That won't be necessary," Dave replied. "We'll interrogate them and pass what we learn to them, while they focus on investigating potential suspects in the other cities."
This was part of the arrangements the field commanders had come to after some discussion. There was no point in all of them coming down here when one person could do the work for them.
Dave, Riley, Aria, and Elara were the nearest to the training facility, bearing the responsibility on their shoulders. "The second floor has mostly remained unused since the kids had not awakened yet." Leo added, briefly leading the group to look.
Due to the spaciousness of the place, it took several minutes to walk from point A to point B. However, with the detectives familiarising themselves with the footage and files on the tablet, Leo could take his time to fill them in.
"There is a bit of a problem, though," Leo's words prompted Kael and Dave to look up from their tablet. "Some of the personnel aren't happy we're here. To them, we're treating them like criminals when they should be mourning the death of the children they practically raised."
The group was almost to the ground floor, where the personnel were seated. "Well, too bad for them. We're not here to pat them on the back for a job well done."
"..."
Kael couldn't care less what the personnel were feeling. Future heroes of the world were murdered, and there could be accomplices among their ranks. They couldn't afford to wait for them to feel better about themselves.
Walking past the slightly shocked Leo, Kael appeared in the main lobby. His appearance swiftly turned heads as the majority stood up, some looking nervous, some expressionless, while a few had frowns on their faces.
A second later, Dave appeared beside him, taking a moment to look at the gathered personnel. The lobby resembled an airport lobby, granting a view of the outside, where a track field and obstacle course could be seen.
"Everyone."
Dave stepped forward after a moment of taking in the sight of everyone. "My name is David West, and this is my associate, Kael Neren. We will be interviewing you about the murder of the future chosen heroes."
"Why are you treating us like suspects?"
One of the instructors at the forefront asked with a frown, his hands crossed over his chest. With a physique that would put bodybuilders to shame, the instructor cut a domineering image.
"All we've ever done is take care of the kids, train and teach them the ways of the world," the instructor added, his companions agreeing with his words.
Soon, murmurs began to fill the lobby as more and more of them began to express their displeasure. Leo and his men wasted no time and moved closer to Dave and Kael, while the rest spread out to take their earlier formation in the lobby.
The personnel keenly watched the movements of the suppression team. While Leo's men did not make any attempts to draw their weapons, the fact that they were armed bothered them.
"Answer me this..."
Kael moved to stand by Dave's side, his tall figure drawing everyone's attention. With his left hand in his coat pocket and right hand holding the tablet, Kael continued.
"Who has the means, motive and opportunity to murder those kids?" The lobby turned silent as they listened to what Kael had to say. "Someone with barely any interactions with them or someone who has known them for a long time?"
"What are you insinuating?" The instructor did not like how Kael painted them in a negative light.
"I'm not insinuating anything," Kael stood his ground, unfazed by the man's frown. "I'm saying... that until you're proven innocent, you're all suspects."
'Nicely done, Mr. Neren.'
Dave glanced at Kael subtly, picking up on his subtle tricks. 'He's not just making them doubt each other—he's watching who reacts.'
As anticipated, some of the personnel shifted their gazes, exchanging uneasy glances. Kael did not care about the logic behind the question; he merely cared about how the people would react.