Chapter 109

What? Little Leon has already been taken away?

Listening to the gentle woman before him recount the situation, the red-haired director’s fox-like eyes instinctively narrowed, his expression darkening as he asked:

“How so quickly? For a case of this level, shouldn’t they normally investigate for two or three weeks first?”

“I also find it strange.”

Emma frowned as she spoke, having gone to retrieve the prisoner with the red-haired director’s order, only to find nothing there:

“It’s good he’s left the death cell, but the one who took Leon is likely someone of extraordinary status—no matter how I questioned them, they refused to tell me anything.”

“That’s not hard to guess.”

After squinting and thinking for a moment, the red-haired director, well-versed in the capital’s politics, spoke up:

“The Duke of Lionheart is the Deputy Speaker of the Upper Academy. Though the Lionheart family has declined sharply in recent decades, they’re still the recognized face of the old aristocracy, so this case is truly troublesome.

Only three people—besides ourselves—could interfere with a case of this level and remove him before the investigation was complete: the Speaker of the Upper Academy, the Prime Minister, and the Princess, who represents the King’s will.”

As she spoke, the red-haired director glanced briefly at Emma, studying her expression, then continued:

“Because of the coup six years ago, the Speaker’s seat remains vacant. The Prime Minister couldn’t have reacted this fast. So the one who took him can only be the Princess.”

“I see.”

Emma nodded, her expression calm as ever:

“If she took him, then Leon’s safety should be fine… Should I go there and bring him back?”

“No. The less we interfere in normal society, the stronger the Watch Palace’s suppression effect becomes, and the lower the intensity of anomalies within its range.

Besides, if the Princess took him, it might even be the best outcome—if she can subdue the Prime Minister and the Merchants’ Alliance, Leon will return on his own, though he might be detained for ten days or more.”

After declining Emma’s request, the red-haired director sighed as she gazed into Emma’s eyes—calm as Mirror Lake.

“Emma, six years ago, when I refused to help you with that favor… were you…”

“Director, let’s not speak of the past.”

Interrupting the red-haired director, Emma lowered her gaze slightly and spoke calmly:

“I was naive back then, unaware of your burdens. You enduring the pressure to shelter me was already incredibly difficult—I shouldn’t have made such an unreasonable demand.”

“…”

“But you never gave up, did you?”

Looking at her longtime friend who avoided her gaze, the red-haired director rubbed her temples hard, then spoke with exhausted weariness:

“At your level, you no longer need to train with firearms—but these past two years, you’ve specialized in sniping, and even made a pact with little Leon, asking him to let you use that sheep’s soul-view once…”

“Does that violate the Bureau’s rules?”

Interrupting the red-haired director for the second time, Emma’s expression remained calm:

“I won’t use any anomaly objects. Leon won’t know anything. It has nothing to do with the Bureau.

Even after completing my revenge, I won’t flee—I’ll turn myself in immediately. Isn’t that a life for a life?”

“Fine, of course it is…”

Seeing her gaze harder than ten times a boulder, the red-haired director knew she couldn’t dissuade her. She nodded helplessly, clinging to one last hope:

“What about your daughter? Has she prepared herself?”

At the red-haired director’s words, Emma fell silent for a moment, then evaded the question:

“Under the redwood tree in front of my house, nine hundred and ninety-seven men with the surname Alman are already dead. We two more won’t make a difference.”

Sensing the fleeting hesitation in her eyes, the red-haired director quickly spoke:

“But can’t you wait just a little longer?”

“I’ve waited six years already…”

“If you’ve waited six years, why not wait just a little longer? Not long—just one more month.”

Gently grasping Emma’s arm to stop her from leaving, the red-haired director spoke softly:

“Think of your daughter—her birthday is coming soon. I have no right to stop your revenge, but couldn’t you wait one more month, just to celebrate her final birthday with her first?”

“...”

“I… I’ll think about it…”

“Then think carefully. When you decide, let me know in advance.”

Releasing Emma’s arm and watching her leave the office, the red-haired director slumped back in her chair, eyes heavy with sorrow, wishing she could drown herself in drink and never wake.

First, the promising new recruit she’d praised before Director Taurus—now inexplicably embroiled in a Lyon family internal conflict, even falsely accused of slaughtering a great noble.

Then, her best friend and the Bureau’s top agent, after six years of silent endurance, finally ready to abandon everything to avenge her clan, betrayed and executed during the coup.

And beyond these two matters, she must monitor the nobles allied with the Scale Gold Cult, guard against the True God behind the Red Brick Road Hospital incident, warn and deal with the Scale Gold Cult’s clear violations, investigate recent anomalies in the capital, and launch an inquiry against Director Aquarius…

“Ahh!!!”

With a heavy sigh, the overwhelmed red-haired director grabbed the teapot and gulped down a large mouthful, then pulled a discarded file, wrote her tasks on the back, and stared at it, lost in gloomy thought.

Little Leon’s case had been the most urgent—but now that the Princess had removed him from the death cell, it was temporarily no longer a concern; she only needed to prepare for the Bureau’s follow-up investigation.

Emma’s case was even more urgent, but she had no good solution yet—she could only stall by using her daughter’s birthday, delaying as long as possible until a way emerged.

As for the rest: the inquiry against Director Aquarius needed time to confirm; the capital’s anomalies could be assigned to other Cleaners; the True God behind Red Brick Road Hospital had remained silent.

After the Scale Gold Cult caused trouble, fearing retaliation, they’d vanished—halting all activity entirely, impossible to locate. Even the nobles allied with them…

…

“Tap tap tap.”

As she stared at the list, wondering where to begin, the office door suddenly knocked.

“Enter.”

At the red-haired director’s response, the door opened, and a small, dark-skinned, earnest-looking old man with bloodshot eyes hurried in, carrying a cloth sack.

“Who are you?”

Facing the red-haired director’s surprised question, the old man didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he placed the cloth sack on her desk, then spoke:

“I’m the owner of Charles Department Store. This is the Bureau’s branch in the capital, correct?”

After briefly introducing himself, Old Charles untied the sack and laid out four locked metal boxes on the desk.

“These four boxes contain an object you call an ‘anomaly.’ When faced with an unsolvable problem, if you meet its conditions, it will answer and solve one problem for you.”

This… an anomaly delivered to our door?

Covering the list on her desk to hide it from view, the red-haired director nodded, then narrowed her eyes:

“Yes, this is the Cleaner Bureau. We do handle anomalies. But we rarely accept outside requests, and our very existence is classified.

So tell me—how did you learn of us? And why are you giving us this anomaly?”

So I found the right place.

Hearing the red-haired director’s words, the exhausted Old Charles exhaled in relief, then pointed at the boxes, voice trembling with excitement:

“It told me!”

“My daughter was kidnapped a few days ago and still hasn’t returned. So I asked it a question—it said if I brought it here to you, it would save my daughter!”

Daughter kidnapped?

Catching the keyword, the red-haired director’s brow lifted slightly, recalling the intelligence gathered by Jerry’s rat contacts and Leon’s report on the Holy Descent incident.

Lionheart Lyon, Rose Ma Sai, Tower Shield York.

These three noble houses colluded against Charles Department Store, failed, and were instead pushed to the brink—then the Holy Spirit they summoned was cleared by Leon, so they kidnapped Old Charles’s only daughter…

“Agreed.”

The red-haired director immediately accepted Old Charles’s request, picked up the four boxes, and placed them in her drawer. Then she glanced at the relieved old man and said hesitantly:

“We can save your daughter, but you’ll have to wait a while longer. I’m sorry…”

Wait longer?

Hearing this, Old Charles’s brief relief tightened again. He hurriedly asked:

“Why wait? Can’t you bring her back quickly?”

“We could.”

Sighing half-truthfully, the red-haired director’s expression grew complex:

“But we have few personnel skilled in locating people—and the one best suited for this task just happened to run into a small problem a few days ago.”

With thumb and forefinger, she made a tiny “a bit” gesture, then said with feigned helplessness:

“He got tangled in the Lyon incident and was framed as the killer of the Lyon Blood Night. The Princess wants to protect him, but many councilors are backed by big merchants of the Merchants’ Alliance—they won’t let it go. So the Prime Minister and the Lower Academy haven’t reached a decision yet…”

“Tell me his name!”

Though tormented by his daughter’s kidnapping, Old Charles, seasoned in commerce, instantly grasped the red-haired director’s implication and promised outright:

“I’m the Deputy Chairman of the Merchants’ Alliance. If you guarantee my daughter’s safety, I can get your man out in at most two days!”