The next morning, I had breakfast with Sherubiel in the buffet dining hall. Mendicore was also there with us and he was only busy observing his surroundings.
"How was your first day yesterday, Johann?" said Sherubiel.
"I enjoyed it, although sometimes I feel that my work duties are more numerous than I expected..."
"You know, Sherubiel also used to be a secretary in a certain division of High Heaven before she became part of the research team."
"Sshhhttt... Don't let the others hear this, Mendicore!" said Sherubiel in a quiet yet firm tone.
I just chuckled softly. This buffet hall was also filled with other people who were eating. Of course they would learn more about who they were, and it was feared that it could become valuable confidential information.
"Do you feel that you should contribute to Grivendal as well?" I asked.
"Yes... we actually want to do that as well rather than merely living here and enjoying the available facilities. But we are simply confused about where we would fit in and feel reluctant to ask The Emperor or Commander Gruzhnil." answered Mendicore.
"Maybe you could help High Priest Grishal at the temple..."
"We can't, Johann... Their primary communication is with the angels in High Heaven. If they find out that we are there, it will create another problem." said Mendicore quietly.
Oh... I forgot about something important like that. Because they came from there, the priests crossed my mind.
"Actually, I'm interested in Grivendal's advanced research facilities that you told us about back then, Johann. We could study them and perhaps provide ideas for future discoveries if permitted." said Sherubiel.
"That makes sense as well. Maybe I can convey this matter to Commander Gruzhnil first." I said with a smile. They seemed happy and grateful. We continued finishing our breakfast.
After that, I headed outside the apartment where the same car from yesterday was parked and Grelmure was already there. I got in and Grelmure was enjoying Grivendal-style pop music.
"Won't you get bored picking me up every day?"
"Ohhh... so you don't want me to pick you up anymore? Alright then, tomorrow I won't come here anymore, okay?" said Grelmure, sounding slightly sulky while still starting to drive the car.
"Heeehhh... That's not what I mean, Sir Grelmure. I can actually carry out my activities on my own and you can focus more on helping the commander..."
"Ooohhh... so you actually want a new car, Johann? Hahahahaaa... actually you could have this car. But it seems you're somewhat special to the commander and he still hasn't allowed you to go anywhere alone. I'm a little jealous of you..."
"You should complain to the commander, not sulk at me... You've been with Commander Gruzhnil much longer..." I replied with a slightly sulky expression as well. Grelmure only burst out laughing while apologizing.
When we arrived at headquarters, we all entered the large meeting hall again. Many officers of The Graendall were already present, including Gruzhnil and, unexpectedly... Tiberos. I wondered what activity Gruzhnil would be carrying out today that Tiberos was present in Grivendal. We immediately walked toward them.
"Ahhh... you've finally arrived right on time before the meeting begins, Johann. We will be carrying out field duty together with Tiberos today." said Gruzhnil, who seemed to be in a good mood.
"Johann... congratulations on your achievement! I was also amazed when Gruzhnil told me about your actions during that terrible war. If only we could have helped you all, hahahaaa..." said Tiberos while firmly shaking my hand. I only smiled and thanked him. It seemed that my strange suspicions toward him were gradually diminishing.
After that we all sat down and Tiberos went onto the stage and began presenting the plan of activities for today. I watched as Tiberos stated that, as the main coordinator through The Graendall of Planet Grohn, he would invite other planets to help restore the military condition of Planet Grivendal, which had lost a large number of soldiers and military equipment after the war with the hellish monsters.
Then, to begin that effort, Tiberos had already worked together with Gruzhnil to uncover the mastermind behind the terrorists who started this terrible war. He had already gathered several pieces of evidence and yesterday his team had found a strong new piece of evidence and captured the defectors who had assisted that terrorists. After the meeting ended, we all stood up and then Gruzhnil and Tiberos approached us again.
"For today, we will all head to the location of that new evidence." said Tiberos.
We all then walked out of headquarters where two shuttlecraft were already parked in the large courtyard. It turned out that Tiberos boarded his own aircraft while Gruzhnil and I boarded one together. I was somewhat puzzled as to why he was not with us in the same aircraft. But I dismissed the suspicion, thinking that perhaps he was working on another task that could only be handled in his aircraft.
"Commander, I want to ask something. Will Mendicore and Sherubiel perhaps receive new assignments here?" I said while sitting down as the aircraft began to take off.
"Hmmm... I haven't thought about that yet, Johann. They seem different from you, who still has the same physical form, so I'm confused about where to place them so they can be productive."
I wanted to mention Grivendal's research facility. But I had just realized that the place was a highly confidential imperial asset. Naturally they would not want outsiders who were not native Grivendal citizens to enter it.
"Sorry, Commander. Back then after we left the research center in the northern region, they were very curious about how that unlimited energy was created. I couldn't just provide an abstract description, so I explained it in more detail. It turned out they were amazed by Grivendal's technological advancements. I also know that they were originally researchers in High Heaven. So could they perhaps become part of the Grivendal Research Agency?"
"Hmmm actually I knew that as well when I spoke with that angel girl and Mendicore. I really can't place them directly into the facility we visited back then. However, they still seem capable of contributing to the Capital Research Agency. I'll try coordinating with my acquaintance later, Johann."
I was happy and thanked Gruzhnil. I was convinced that each of us could contribute to this empire.
"I want to confirm something else, Commander. Does Grivendal have a Space Agency that studies other solar systems beyond this one?"
Actually I knew that Grivendal certainly had one considering its highly advanced technology along with its close ties to High Heaven.
"Hahahaaa... of course we do, Johann! You saw yesterday that our spacecraft could travel between planets in outer space. However, we haven't explored other solar systems very far yet. In the past, our focus was on strategies for dealing with the threat of the Realm of Terror..."
"Why are you suddenly asking that? Do you miss your home planet, Johann?" asked Gruzhnil with a somewhat sad tone.
Once again I was surprised that Gruzhnil could guess where my line of thought was heading. It seemed he felt that I was beginning to grow bored of being here and was imagining returning to my hometown planet, Earth. I told him about my conversation with Grelmure yesterday.
"Ohhh... Actually we had never known the name Planet Earth, your homeworld, before you came here. It could be extremely far from Planet Grivendal. In my opinion, High Heaven knows about that place because they possess all information in the universe. If we relied solely on Grivendal's Space Agency, it would take a very long time. I'm sure it wouldn't be so easy to ask High Heaven to locate Planet Earth. It's not that we don't want to grant your wish; I myself also imagine that one day I might be able to visit your home planet." explained Gruzhnil.
I nodded while smiling at him because he understood my thoughts as well, and I enjoyed the beautiful scenery of Grivendal that never became boring no matter how often I saw it. Not long afterward, the aircraft landed and we all disembarked. When I looked at the crime scene location, the first thing that came to mind was an abandoned building usually seen in movies.
But before me there was only a forest view and a structure that looked like the entrance to a bunker. Many soldiers of The Graendall were already present there. I thought again that it made sense for devil-worshipping terrorists to build their headquarters underground. I was curious about what was inside.
"Let's head inside immediately. Several suspects who helped carry out this terrible act of terror are being secured by our troops in there." said Tiberos.
We walked into the terrorists' hideout. The atmosphere felt like a horror dungeon fantasy. Instantly I was reminded of the prison beneath the palace of the hell ruler of the Zigurath region. Why was I beginning to feel uncomfortable even though I had been in places far more horrifying than this? Perhaps because something like this didn't exist in the game.
Inside, many members of The Graendall were still moving about and briefly saluting Gruzhnil and Tiberos. I saw that the place was decorated with satanic-style ornaments. Dried bloodstains could be seen on the floors, corridors, cells, and walls. The lighting consisted only of ordinary torches. We walked until we reached a larger room where many people could be seen sitting in hunched positions while elite personnel guarded them.
"Are they the suspects, Commander?"
"That's right, Johann. Last night we conducted a raid operation in this place and they apparently were still hiding here. So I requested that they be detained here first before later being transferred for interrogation one by one." said Tiberos.
I observed those groups of people wearing the same armor as the terrorists before the invasion from the Realm of Terror began, as well as the vests usually worn by devil-worshipping cults. But what was strange was why they were curled up as though they were frightened. If this related to the testimony of the surviving suspect from the attack on the main energy facility that Gruzhnil had presented before, he had not seemed frightened at all and had instead challenged everyone until he was ultimately killed by something that could not be explained. The people here should have been laughing like madmen and no longer fearing punishment.
I glanced toward Gruzhnil and saw that he was processing the scene without immediately reacting with joy. Could it be that Gruzhnil and I were both sensing something strange here?
"Tiberos, did your troops see them storing any other bodies? Because when I first came here I saw many dried blood splatters everywhere..." asked Gruzhnil.
"That's exactly what confuses me, Gruzhnil! I communicated with them earlier on the aircraft to ask about the possibility of additional victims' bodies, but they knew nothing. They also said that when the raid happened yesterday, they suddenly regained awareness and knew nothing about what had happened before, as if they had been hypnotized. Could this be the work of those demons?"
I fell into thought again after hearing Tiberos's statement, which was difficult for me to process logically. Why would these supposedly hypnotized terrorists suddenly snap out of it simply because of a raid?
In truth, I was beginning to sense that something was strange about this case involving the uncovering of the mastermind behind the demon invasion of Grivendal, but I could not say anything about it yet and chose to keep it to myself for the time being.