There was no doubt that the final voting result was 4:3, or even 5:2. The cooperation with the 'Owl' had a preliminary intention, but according to the discussion, this was only limited to the 'research of food that both humans and ghouls can eat' and would not lift the hostile relationship with the Owl.
And when Lancer handed over the 'food,' this matter actually had little to do with him.
Although several investigators in the meeting expressed suspicion about this matter, even they knew how important this matter was. No matter how much they hated ghouls, they couldn't stop it.
As everyone left with various thoughts, Lancer also followed behind Kureo Mado, leaving the headquarters and driving towards the 20th ward. Neither Lancer nor Kureo Mado spoke on the way, just like when they came.
Lancer originally just thought that Kureo Mado was conflicted about his relationship with the Owl, but after listening to the other person's 'speech,' Lancer realized that he had underestimated the other person.
This man's second half of his life was surrounded by hatred, but even so, the only 'gentleness' in his heart was not contaminated by hatred. Even though he had become a bit crazy, he still did not forget his 'original intention.' He became an investigator to protect humans, and the reason he had always refused a promotion was just to 'fulfill his wife's dying wish.'
The city of Tokyo in the middle of the night was incredibly quiet, but there were hidden dangers in this quietness. Countless ghouls were lurking in the darkness, and Kureo Mado was leaning his head on his hand and looking out the window in silence. He couldn't see anything, but at this moment, he was squinting his eyes as if he was seeing something.
Lancer thought that the other person was probably reminiscing about his wife, so he also didn't bother him.
What's more, Lancer was also thinking about whether he should tell the other person the Owl's identity.
It was likely that no one would have thought that the leader of Aogiri Tree, the 'One-Eyed Owl,' was the popular novelist Sen Takatsuki. After all, the gap between the two was simply too great. One was a tyrannical ghoul king, while the other was a petite, quirky, ordinary woman.
But if he were to let the other person know the Owl's identity, he would probably really go and cause trouble for the other person. The other person wasn't Yoshimura, the 'Non-Killing Owl.' Lancer didn't think that Kureo Mado, an ordinary investigator who was getting on in age and was already past his prime, could kill the other person.
If he told him, the other person would most likely die. If he didn't tell him, he would feel that he couldn't even tell his benefactor who his enemy was...
But just as Lancer was conflicted, Kureo Mado, who was sitting on the side, had turned his head at some point.
"Lancer."
"I'm here."
Although he didn't know why the other person suddenly called his name, he still responded.
"To be honest, I still have some regrets about inviting you to join the CCG and become an investigator."
"?"
"You are different from me. You could have completely gone back to your home country and lived your life as an ordinary person, instead of fighting on the front line against ghouls as an investigator like you are now..."
Kureo Mado words made Lancer let out a wry smile. Go home? Where was his home? If he could, he would indeed hope to live his life as an ordinary person, but unfortunately, when he mysteriously came to this world and might mysteriously go to other worlds in the future, he knew that he would probably never be associated with the word 'ordinary' again.
But it was clear that he couldn't say these things to Kureo Mado, and the other person didn't seem to want to pursue it. Instead, he continued to 'talk to himself.'
"The so-called 'investigators' were originally just a group of ordinary people who were unwilling to let themselves and their families become ghoul food. And I am even more so, a layman who joined under the influence of my wife. But when we became members of the CCG, when we were given the name 'doves' by those monsters, we were no longer ordinary. We are the last barrier for a peaceful human life. I have too many regrets in this life, but the only thing I don't regret is picking up this briefcase next to me. Lancer, you and I were both not aiming to be 'investigators' when we joined the CCG, but I believe that the life you have lived during this time will also become a precious memory for you in the future..."
What did the other person's words mean?
Although he had less than a month left before he left, shouldn't he be the only one who knew about this? It was impossible for the other person to know, so why did the other person sound as if he had a hidden meaning in his words?
Was it because he didn't kill the Fueguchi mother and daughter before, and this time he even took off the 'explosive collars' while Touka Kirishima was taking them away? Or was it because the other person was suspicious of the origin of the thing he handed over today? It couldn't be that he was suspicious of the issue of his strength increasing in a short amount of time, right?
Upon closer inspection, there were quite a few suspicious things about him. But when he was about to speak, he realized that maybe it was better to not say anything at this time? Anyway, he was going to leave in a month, and when he suddenly disappeared, it might cause the other person to guess wildly, and maybe... that was a good thing?
"I'm sorry, I said some strange things. Today's events have made my heart a bit chaotic."
"No, you are overthinking it. What you said... I won't forget."
The other person didn't say anything to Lancer words and just nodded.
Then, silence returned to the car.
Lancer didn't know how much change he had brought to this world, but he firmly believed that his efforts would not be in vain.
And just as the CCG was focusing on the matter of 'food,' Aogiri Tree on the other side did not stop its 'expansion.'
Their operation in the 11th ward had made the CCG look bad, but it hadn't actually caused much of a blow to the CCG. And the conquest of the 9th and 10th wards had also been at a standstill...
"Are we still going to attack the 'Ghoul Detention Center · Cochlea' in the 23rd ward next?"
"Naturally. Although the previous operation didn't cause any fatal damage to the CCG, for us, it's nothing more than an increase in casualties. We can only proceed with the next step of the plan by conquering 'Cochlea'!"
To his teammate's question, Tatara, who was the official commander of Aogiri Tree, chose to answer in the affirmative without hesitation. And the other high-ranking cadres next to him didn't seem surprised at all. After all, as the other person said, weren't the so-called 'subordinates' just the stepping stones to fulfill their 'wishes'? If they could sacrifice themselves for this, wouldn't it already be the best ending for them?