Hearing Mozo's confident reply, the man known as the Chief Captain first gave him a suspicious look. Only then did he sit back down, folding his arms across his chest.
"You're sure? It's not that I look down on you, but how would you even know these things? I've read your file. You grew up in the Special District. You shouldn't have access to this kind of knowledge."
Mozo nodded in understanding.
"I get your concern. But as someone who oversees supernatural matters, you must have your own way to verify the truth, don't you?"
The Chief Captain stared at him for a long moment, carefully studying his expression. Then he turned to the man with glasses.
"Go to the vault and bring that thing here."
At the same time, he handed over a medal, seemingly some kind of authorization token.
The man with glasses took it and immediately left.
However, not long after he stepped out, a knock sounded at the tightly shut door.
The Chief Captain frowned slightly. That was too fast.
Before he could think further, the person outside seemed to feel they had already been polite enough and pushed the door open directly.
The first thing that entered Mozo's sight was a knight. A female knight.
She had long silver-white hair tied casually into a high ponytail. Her features were refined. While she wasn't as stunning as Audrey or Miss Windsor, she was still undeniably beautiful.
There was even a faint resemblance between her and Miss Windsor, or at least a similar aura.
What stood out the most, however, was her armor. It was exquisite, almost like a piece of art. To Mozo, this kind of armor used to exist only in dreamlike operas or games from his previous life.
After entering, she scanned the room to confirm it was safe, then stepped aside and bowed slightly.
"My lady, you may come in."
A moment later, Catherine Windsor walked in, now dressed in a light blue gown.
Like the knight, she glanced around first. Not to check for danger, but to look for Mozo. The room's layout made it hard to see everything at a glance.
The moment she spotted him, her eyes lit up and she hurried over.
Seeing this, the Chief Captain rubbed his forehead with a troubled expression. He already knew that from this moment on, the initiative of the interrogation would no longer be in his hands.
He had specifically ordered people to delay Miss Windsor. So why had she still arrived so quickly?
And more importantly, why was she so concerned about a commoner?
Could it be that the Duke had also noticed something and deliberately left everything to him?
Fortunately, Mozo had already stated that he would reveal the most important parts.
Meanwhile, Miss Windsor stopped just in front of Mozo. Her cheeks flushed slightly, and she lowered her head, speaking softly.
"Sir Knight, don't worry. Now that I'm here, you will definitely be treated fairly."
As she spoke, she even clenched her small fists in a cute, determined gesture.
Mozo returned a grateful smile, though inwardly he felt a bit of a headache.
This Miss Windsor… seemed to have developed some kind of feeling toward him.
But it shouldn't be a big problem.
A sheltered noble girl, suddenly experiencing something like this, could easily mistake gratitude and emotional shock for affection. Once she returned to her usual luxurious life, she would probably realize it was just a misunderstanding.
Still, her goodwill was undeniably beneficial for Mozo right now. It allowed him to face the officials with much greater ease.
Before long, the man with glasses returned, carrying a pocket watch.
Mozo didn't recognize it, but it was most likely a Sealed Artifact.
As expected, Miss Windsor spoke softly from behind him:
"That's Sealed Artifact 2-1111, the Judicator's Pocket Watch. It can determine whether someone is telling the truth. The cost of using it is quite… interesting.
The user must confess a secret they don't want others to know to a wall at seven in the evening. If someone lies, it will emit a sharp ringing sound."
Technically, it was the knight who whispered the explanation to her first, and then she relayed it to Mozo.
Mozo nodded in understanding.
A Grade 2 Sealed Artifact. That likely meant it originated from the Beyonder characteristics of a mid-sequence transcendent.
The only pity was that it wasn't close to seven yet. Otherwise, he might have had the chance to overhear the Chief Captain's embarrassing secret.
Soon after, under the watchful presence of both the Chief Captain and the Judicator's Pocket Watch, Mozo recounted everything he had heard.
Of course, he deliberately blurred certain details.
Regarding the automaton, he only mentioned that it appeared at a critical moment and saved the elven master craftsman. He did not reveal that he himself had redirected it earlier.
Fortunately, he had done so in advance and placed it close to the scene. Otherwise, with his current strength, escape would have been his only option. Among Sequence Five Beyonders, Shadow Mages had one of the strongest suppressive advantages over lower sequences.
Not to mention that Mozo's own pathway had almost no combat capability at this stage.
As expected, his statement, while omitting key details, contained no lies. The Sealed Artifact did not react at all. It also successfully led the others to believe that the automaton had been prepared by the elven master craftsman.
Mozo was quite experienced when it came to dealing with Sealed Artifacts.
After all, in that dreamlike opera of his past, he had either obtained or personally contributed to the creation of countless such artifacts. From the untouchable Grade 0 artifacts down to the barely useful Grade 4 ones, many were connected to him in one way or another.
Finally, after laying the groundwork, Mozo delivered the most crucial statement:
"That crown lost its original color after being removed. I believe it had completely lost its power at that point. As for what happened next, I assume you already know. I encountered the two black-robed men who returned and managed to protect Miss Windsor."
He deliberately avoided mentioning that the crown had been worn by him.
Saying so might be explainable, but it would also risk drawing suspicion toward his connection with the Sun King. So once again, he blurred the truth.
His wording made it sound as if the Golden Legion had fallen dormant the moment the crown was removed from the statue.
After finishing, Mozo calmly met the Chief Captain's gaze.
The Chief Captain glanced at the pocket watch, then nodded.
"I understand. Thank you for your cooperation, Mr. Mozo."
He stood up and extended his hand. Mozo smiled and shook it.
At that moment, the Chief Captain suddenly asked:
"The crown lost its color right after being removed from the Sun King's statue, correct?"
"Of course."
Yes.
Just not from gold to pale…
but from silver to gold.