Inside the Blackthorn Security Company's conference room.
"Is this what's been happening in Tingen recently?" Dunn, who had returned from Backlund, fell into thought as he looked at the report in front of him.
"Ke Enli, Old Neil… and Klein."
"I didn't expect so much to happen in such a short time since I left." His low voice struck everyone's hearts like a blunt instrument, and a hint of self-blame emerged in his gray eyes.
He should have been in Tingen protecting his companions, not traveling to the capital for personal reasons.
"Captain, it's my dereliction of duty; I haven't fulfilled my responsibility as acting captain," Frey took the blame proactively.
"No, you can't be blamed; we all have responsibility," Luo Yao said, comforting him.
"Oh, by the way, the urgent telegram from the Holy Cathedral earlier has been deciphered."
Xijia Te'ang remembered something and spoke.
"Urgent telegram… What's the content?" Dunn asked.
Xijia Te'ang, the lady with white hair and black eyes, answered without hesitation: "Beware of Ince Zangwill, beware of Sealed Artifact 0-08."
"0-08? So that's it… Is this the real reason why so many incidents have occurred in Tingen?" Dunn nodded, lost in thought.
The few Nighthawks team members present also fell silent, clearly realizing part of the truth.
"Old Neil was taken away for investigation because of the black magic incident, and he's also reached retirement age."
"How are Ke Enli's injuries?" Dunn asked about the other injured teammate.
"He still needs one or two months of rest," Frey's answer was concise.
Dunn nodded, his Adam's apple bobbed, and after a few seconds of silence, he spoke.
"Regarding Klein's matter, does anyone have any clues?"
…
The atmosphere fell silent once again.
In the past few days, everyone had consciously avoided topics related to Klein.
"Ever since Klein was reported, he's been staying behind Chanis Gate…"
Dunn had already heard about Klein being reported from Frey and the others. He didn't blame Frey or their handling of the situation; after all, if it were him, he wouldn't immediately report it to the Holy Cathedral either.
As a newcomer, even if Klein had no issues, he might not be able to withstand the pressure from the higher-ups.
"There are obvious signs of damage behind Chanis Gate. According to the current information, the final attacker was Ince Zangwill."
"His target was Saint Selena's ashes…"
"After we returned from the Circus, we found Klein… he… disappeared…"
After some deliberation, Frey decided that "disappeared" was the most appropriate word to describe it.
"Could he have been eaten by a malevolent spirit?" Leonard suddenly spoke up.
As soon as he spoke, everyone's attention was drawn to him.
"Uh…"
"Ince Zangwill is a Sequence 5 of the Corpse Collector Pathway. It's not impossible for him to release malevolent spirits for assistance."
"And Klein is just a sequence 8; he couldn't possibly be a Sequence 5's opponent."
"Don't tell me you think Klein and Ince Zangwill are in cahoots?"
"No, what I mean is, there are corresponding arrangements behind Chanis Gate; there shouldn't be any malevolent spirits," Luo Yao questioned.
"But Ince Zangwill has the help of 0-08, doesn't he?"
This… Everyone remained silent, not refuting. The power of a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact was beyond their comprehension. With the help of 0-08, it wasn't impossible to bypass some seals and arrangements.
"If Klein wasn't sacrificed, then where did he go?"
"There are residual traces of the Sun domain's power at the scene, which is the most puzzling point," Frey also joined the discussion.
"Ince Zangwill has no reason to carry items of the Sun Pathway. Those traces were most likely left by Klein."
"Did Klein use 3-0782?" Xijia also proposed an idea.
"Doesn't look like it. The residual power traces at the scene clearly exceed the level of a Grade 3 Sealed Artifact."
Leonard thought of Klein's various suspicious behaviors and couldn't help but speculate:
"Don't you find it strange? How could a sequence 8 leave traces of resistance under the effect of a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact?
And there's also a high-level item of the Sun Pathway, unless…"
"Unless he was originally a believer of the Sun," Luo Yao softly interjected.
"We can't rule out that possibility…"
"In other words, if Klein isn't Ince Zangwill's accomplice, then he's very likely an undercover agent who defected when he thought he was exposed…"
…
Narcissus Street.
The task of notifying Klein's family ultimately fell to Frey and Leonard.
Because Melissa was still in school, they met Benson, who was enjoying a rare day off.
"We haven't received any news from Klein for a long time."
"Could it be that Klein had an accident?!"
Seeing two people claiming to be Klein's colleagues visit, Benson suddenly had a bad premonition.
Looking at Benson's anxious expression, Leonard deliberated his words, trying to comfort him.
Frey, on the other hand, wove clumsy lies while observing the other party's eyes, so similar to Klein's.
"It's like this, sir. Due to the cultural relics being transported from the Southern Continent, the journey was long, and Klein, as a consultant, unfortunately encountered an accident on his way back and went missing."
"Missing…" Benson's eyes were filled with disbelief.
"Where did he go missing? Did you look for him?"
Leonard and Frey exchanged glances, choosing to brazenly continue the lie.
…
"That's how it is. We will continue to search for Klein's whereabouts."
"Here's 400 pounds, which is compensation. If the subsequent investigation clarifies things, there will be more…" Leonard pulled out a wad of banknotes and handed them to Benson.
Normally, according to Klein's situation, as a potential heretic and suspected defector, there wouldn't be any so-called "compensation."
The 400 pounds here were pooled by Dunn, Leonard, and the other Nighthawks team members.
Benson glanced at the banknotes, making no move.
"Sigh…"
Leonard sighed and continued:
"Regarding Klein's disappearance, there are still some circumstances that need to be investigated, and your cooperation might be required."
…
"You suspect Klein is a cultist…"
"Impossible. Klein has always been a believer of the Goddess and has never betrayed the Goddess."
"Calm down, sir, that's not what we mean." Seeing Benson getting agitated, the police officer in charge of the interrogation tried to calm him down.
Outside the interrogation room, several Nighthawks observed the situation inside.
"Didn't see anything unusual; he probably doesn't know anything," Luo Yao analyzed the situation inside.
"It could also be the Southern Continent cultist attack incident; it sounds too fake, after all, that was Xijia's idea…"
Leonard took the opportunity to complain a bit.
"Hey, your poems aren't that great either, why are you always making fun of me…" Xijia, standing nearby, spoke in a displeased tone, her face stern.
"My fault, my fault…" Leonard chuckled awkwardly, feeling in the wrong.
"The Captain just pulled him into a dream to check his thoughts and didn't find anything abnormal."
"Klein should have never revealed anything about the Nighthawks to his family."
Everyone lowered their heads in silence. Clearly, the investigation had reached a deadlock.
"Oh, by the way, Leonard, you said you want to become a Red Glove? Are you serious?" Xijia suddenly remembered something and looked at Leonard.
"Yes, the application has been submitted. I can feel that I've pretty much mastered my potion and can become a Sequence 7 now."
"Actually, I had a similar feeling some time ago, but I wasn't in a hurry to seek promotion," Leonard chuckled self-deprecatingly.
'However, even if I truly became a Sequence 7, in that situation, I still wouldn't have been able to do anything.'
Thinking of this, Leonard felt a bit melancholic. He, who considered himself the protagonist of the era, lamented his weakness for the first time.
"Is it because of Klein's matter?"
Frey knew that Klein and Leonard had a good relationship.
"We have to find out the truth, don't we?"
Leonard forced a smile.
There was another reason: the neighbor in his body had been urging him to leave Tingen quickly.
According to him, there were too many gazes in Tingen recently, and for someone in Leonard's situation, it was better to leave and avoid the limelight.
As long as he became a Red Glove, he would most likely be transferred to Backlund, far away from Tingen.
Moreover, in the investigation of this incident, Leonard, at the other party's suggestion, also concealed some things.
For example, on the day of the Circus incident, he was actually near the accident scene, and for example, the information about the person named "Lorne Disonke" whom Klein had investigated.