Plano Town (9)
10:46 a.m.
Knight Office Headquarters Market District, Plano Town, Marbleam Kingdom.
Nicandro, Tuno, Vivian and Caleb were inside a room that had two doors and they were with Hereta. All of them were holding a folder clipped with a couple of papers inside it and had a pen on their hands.
"Okay, let's do one last review," Tuno said.
"Group 1 is suspected to be a criminal organization that targets people who plan to participate in the Auction House.
"Their leader is Poncho C. Plato. He's a local Noble and his family is based in Marbleam City. He's 31 years old, married to 3 women, and has 7 children but the first wife divorced him, he's part of the Temple of Blacksmith, both of his Physical and Magic Force are Orichalcum, and he's a weapons and spice merchant and a human and demon-kin slave trader.
"Mr. Plato operates in the Marbleam Kingdom, Orion Kingdom and La Spada Kingdom. However, his main operation is in the Marbleam Kingdom, specifically in Marbleam City and around the Duke Faction's domain.
"He has been arrested twice in the past. The first time was 7 years ago when he failed to provide the right amount of permits for the slaves he was selling. And the second time was 4 years ago when he got involved in a brawl with another local Noble inside a restaurant in Marbleam City.
"There were other instances where Mr. Plato was involved in other altercations. However, he wasn't arrested because he didn't join in the brawl, only his bodyguards.
"The men that were arrested with Mr. Plato are registered Mercenaries with records of physical assault and extortion, but no murder or kidnapping involved in their name. And as for their Physical and Magic Force, they're all under Adamantite.
"All of them, including Mr. Plato, have been checked if they have the Chaos or Lesser Chaos Affinity. They don't have it."
Tuno raised his head and swept his gaze to everyone.
"Does anyone have any questions or wants to add anything?"
Nicandro, Vivian, Caleb and Hereta shook their heads.
"Okay, moving on," he said and then flipped to the next page.
The rest did the same.
"Second group. There are four people.
"The first one is a female named Balyena B. Bayle, 31 years old and single. She's part of the Temple of Hunters, both of her Physical and Magic Force are Orichalcum-Adamantite, she's a Gold Rank II Adventurer from the Marbleam Kingdom, known to be mostly active around the Duke Faction's domain, and she's known as the student of a local Platinum II Adventurer named Gabriela E. Sur who is reportedly missing.
"Ms. Bayle doesn't have any known criminal records.
"The second one is a male named Alfonso Quarto or more known as Alfonso de las Mil Cortes. He's 41 years old, single, he's part of the Temple of Thieves, both of his Physical and Magic Force are Rainbow Steel, and he's a Mercenary here in Marbleam Kingdom who's labeled as retired or semi-retired. His last known contract was 2 years ago as a bodyguard for Viscountess Camila, the ruler of Hembra Town and Cantante Village, and part of the Marbleam Kingdom Count Faction.
"Mr. Quatro has been arrested for minor crimes, such as brawling, public disturbance, and public indecency in the past. As for major crimes, although he wasn't arrested, he was accused of using [Steal] on a female Mercenary and a female Noble when he was 25 years old at Fantasma Town here in the Marbleam Kingdom, one of the domains of Viscount Javier from the Marbleam Kingdom Marquess Faction. The case was dropped after an unknown settlement was made.
"The third one is a foreign man who appears to be in his early 30s. He's claiming his name is Hommoyen C. Fleuriste, he's from the Temple of Herbalist, and he's from the Azatea Kingdom where he works there as a Gold Rank II Adventurer. His Physical Force is Adamantite, while his Magic Force is Orichalcum-Adamantite.
"Other than this Physical and Magic Force, we're still waiting to confirm his other claims.
"And the fourth one is a foreign woman who appears to be in her mid-80s. She's claiming that her name is Vielle C. Fleuriste, she's from the Temple of Herbalists, she's from the Azatea Kingdom, she's a retired Guild Master of the Adventurer Guild in Sable Town at the Azatea Kingdom, and is known as Oiseau Vert during her active years. She also claims to be the grandmother of Hommoyen.
"And as for her Physical and Magic Force, they're both beyond Spirit Steel. She claims that she has mastered her 3 Magic Arts Affinities. Regardless, given that her name is beyond Spirit Steel and she was supposedly the former Guild Master of the Adventurer's Guild in Sable Town at the Azatea Kingdom, her name should be listed on the DG International Laws' database.
"Although we're still confirming the rest of her claims, she has the necessary papers to travel and also use her Physical and Magic Force: A letter signed by the Royal Family, the Supreme Sergeant and Countess Genevieve of the Azatea Kingdom, and another letter signed by Viscountess Camila, the ruler of Hembra Town and Cantante Village, and part of the Marbleam Kingdom Marquess Faction. They all seem legit.
"All four of them have also been checked if they have the Chaos or Lesser Chaos Affinity. They don't have it."
Tuno raised his head and swept his gaze around everyone.
"Does anyone have any questions or want to add something?"
Hereta raised her hand.
"I just want to confirm something. There's no active Priest or Priestess here in Plano Town who can use [Halo] on the woman named Vielle?"
Nicandro, who was in his early 50s, shook his head.
"I have 3 Magic Art Affinities but I've only mastered two."
In fact, if he had a Status Panel, it would look like this:
Magic Art Affinities:
• Light
• Fire
• Earth
Stats:
• Str - 10 (+270)
• Vit - 10 (+270)
• Agi - 10 (+270)
• Int - 10 (+270)
Caleb, who was in his late 20s, shook his head also.
"I only have 3 Magic Art Affinities as well."
It was a lie. He had 4.
"And my Physical and Magic Force is only Rainbow-Spirit Steel."
It was another lie. His Physical and Magic Force was also beyond Spirit Steel. To be specific, if he had a Status Panel, it would be like this:
Magic Art Affinities:
• Light
• Wind
• Fire
• Lightning
Stats:
• Str - 10 (+240)
• Vit - 10 (+240)
• Agi - 10 (+240)
• Int - 10 (+240)
Lore Magic:
• [Holy Wrath] (40 mana points) - releases a golden light shock-wave that knocks back enemies. It's more potent against targets with evil souls and less potent against targets with good souls.
But despite the lie, his stats were still not enough.
When Hereta, who was in her mid-30s, heard about Caleb's number of Magic Art Affinities and also his Physical and Magic Force, her eyes turned sharp and some sort of carnal hunger flashed in her eyes.
Although she has no idea about his family background, as someone who's part of the Aristocratic Noble background, his stats were quite impressive for his age. In addition to that, his face was easy on the eyes and he seemed to be friendly or well-mannered.
She subconsciously shifted her body towards his direction.
Tuno, who was in his early 30s, shook his head as well.
"Forget about me. I only have 2 Magic Arts."
If he had a Status Panel, it would look like this:
Magic Art Affinities:
• Light
• Wind
Stats:
• Str - 10 (+135)
• Vit - 10 (+135)
• Agi - 10 (+135)
• Int - 10 (+135)
Although his Physical and Magic Force were only Orichalcum-Adamantite, no one in the room would dare to look down on him. That's because he was a Gold Cloak which meant he had the [Resurrection] Class Magic spell of Priests.
And as for Vivian, she didn't say anything or give any reaction and everyone didn't mind.
Putting aside her identity as an Inquisitor, so no one would dare try to fish out any personal details from her, although she was wearing a mask, anyone could tell that she was still in her mid-20s and despite her presence here which indicates she's either very talented or has a very special background, she was still too young.
But just in case, this was her stats:
• Str - 11 (+315)
• Vit - 9 (+293)
• Agi - 12 (+299)
• Int - 8 (+293)
Tuno cleared his throat.
"Our only choices are: send a request to the Main Chapter Temple, send a request to the Holy Crusade, or find a retired Priest or Priestess here in Planot Town. However, all of them must at least have 4 Magic Art Affinities and have at least mastered 3 Magic Art Affinities."
"High Brother Joseph and High Brother Zacharias will be arriving this afternoon around 4:00 p.m. to attend the last day of the festival," Caleb said.
Nicandro and Tuno's eyes became wide.
"Oh? High Brother Zacharias is the one coming this year?" Nicandro said.
Caleb nodded.
"Yes, High Brother."
"When was the last time he came here? Was it 5 or 6 years ago?" Tuno asked.
"I'm sorry, I have no idea," Caleb said with an apologetic expression.
"Excuse me," Hereta interjected.
They all turned to her.
"Both of them have 4 Magic Art Affinities?" Hereta asked.
"Only High Brother Zacharias has," Caleb said. "But he has already mastered 3 of them."
"If you don't mind me asking, how old are they, especially High Brother Zacharias?"
Everyone looked at her and she immediately raised her hands.
"Forgive me if I said anything weird. I'm just curious, that's all."
Caleb shook his head and smiled.
"You didn't say anything weird at all. High Brother Zacharias is 58 years old and has accomplished many things. So I'm surprised that you don't know him."
"So he's very famous? I didn't mean to be rude --"
Caleb shook his head once again.
"You're also not being rude. Putting aside High Brother Nicandro and Brother Tuno who are also part of the Temple of Priests, the truth is, High Brother Zacharias is actually my uncle and I also look up to him so I must've overestimated his popularity."
Tuno cleared his throat.
"Okay, as I was saying."
Everyone turned to him.
"So we're going to ask High Brother Zacharias to use [Halo] on Vielle just in case. As for the rest, we will have High Brother Nicandro for now. Does anyone have any other questions or wants to add anything?"
No one said a word.
"Okay, High Brother Nicandro, Sister Inquisitor Monad and I will now start the interviews," he said and then turned to Hereta. "Please arrange the sequence, Knight Captain."
Hereta nodded and then got up from her seat.
"Just to be sure, the sequence would be: Mr. Plato, Ms. Bayle, Mr. Quatro, Mr. Fleuriste and then Mrs. Fleuriste?"
Tuno nodded.
"Yes, for the first round."
Hereta nodded once more.
"Okay, I'll go to the next room and have my people arrange them in that sequence."
"Thank you, Knight Captain," Tuno said and smiled.
***
11:30 a.m.
Tuno was sitting on a single-seat sofa and was holding a folder clipped with a couple of papers inside it and a pen.
The sofa he was sitting on was one of the sofas surrounding a coffee table that had two kettle-pots, a couple of tea cups and a medium-sized treasure chest engraved with Runes sitting on top of it. On his front was another single-seat sofa and on the sides were tripe-seat sofas.
After finishing what he was writing on the paper, he closed the folder and placed it on top of the coffee table along with the pen.
Some would prefer to hold the folder and then pen and then also write in-between while conducting an interview. But for Tuno, he prefer not to. Based on his experience, the best way to let a person drop their guard and trust you as soon as possible is to make the interview appear like the both of you are having a normal conversation. However, the downside of this approach was that one could get sidetracked or forget about the questions they wanted to ask. Nevertheless, he still preferred this approach.
Ka-cha!
One of the doors inside the room opened. It was the door where the suspects would enter.
"Mar-Please mar-take mar-seat mar-over mar-there," Caleb said and pointed over to where Tuno was sitting.
"Mar-Yes, Mar-Honored Mar-Priest Mar-Crusader," the suspect replied and nodded before moving.
The suspect was a man in his early 40s with red hair and had the typical tanned skin of Marbleameans. Although he was neither handsome nor ugly, he had a roguish but sophisticated look. He wore a somewhat simple set of leather armor and carried no weapons.
As the suspect headed over to Tuno, Caleb stepped outside and closed the door behind him.
When the suspect finally got to Tuno, he bowed.
"Mar-Honored Mar-Lord Mar-Priest."
Tuno nodded and then gestured towards the vacant sofas around him.
"Please take a seat anywhere you want," he said and flashed a warm and kind smile.
Alfonso's eyes blinked for a moment when Tuno talked to him in Zonian instead of Marbleamean. His gaze secretly swept around his surroundings and he immediately spotted what looked like a false wall before returning his gaze to Tuno.
"Yes, Honored Lord Priest," he said and then sat on the empty single-seat sofa in front of Tuno.
"You don't mind if we speak in Zonian? Or would you find that difficult?" Tuno asked with the same warm and kind smile on his face.
"Not at all, Honored Lord Priest," Alfonso said and smiled.
"Please, since it would just be you and me, feel free to just call me Priest Tuno."
"As you wish, Priest Tuno."
"You don't have to be super formal as well. Just imagine we're having a simple chat between friends. But in this case, I ask the questions and you simply have to answer to the best of your abilities, okay?" Tuno said and flashed a very warm and kind smile.
"I will try, Priest Tuno," Alfonso said as he smiled and nodded.
"Oh, I almost forgot," Tuno said and then gestured towards the two kettle-pots, the teacups and the treasure chest on top of the coffee table. "Feel free to have some tea and biscuits. The kettle-pot on the right produces hot tea while the one on the left produces cold tea. The cups also come with Runes. The column on the right is for hot while the column on the left is for cold. And the chest, that's where the biscuits and cookies are."
"Thank you, Priest Tuno."
Tuno nodded.
"Okay, let's begin. Can you tell me your name?"
"Alfonso Quatro, Priest Tuno."
"Where are you from?"
"I was born at Fredo Village, here in the Marbleam Kingdom, Priest Tuno."
"Mr. Quarto, you don't need to say my name every time you answer," Tuno said and smiled.
Alfonso nodded.
"Okay."
"How old are you?"
"41 years old."
"What's your main profession?"
"Mercenary."
"Are you currently under a Contract?"
"Yes."
"What is it?"
"A few days ago, Balyena and the others approached me. They told me that Gabriela was missing and we're here to search for her whereabouts."
"The last name of Balyena is Bayle, right?"
Alfonso nodded.
"Yes."
"Do you know her middle name?"
Alfonso shook his head.
"No."
"I see," Tuno said and nodded. "And who is this Gabriela?"
"Gabriela is a Platinum II Rank Adventurer mostly operating in Fredo Village -- at least in the last few years."
"Do you know her full name?"
A frown appeared on Alfonso's face as he tried to recall Gabriela's full name.
"I believe her name was Gabriela Sur… I can't remember her middle name thought or if she had one."
"I see," Tuno said and nodded. "How did Ms. Balye and the others know Ms. Sur -- wait, is it Ms. Sur or Mrs. Sur?"
"It's Ms. Sur. Gabriela was never married."
"I see," Tuno said and nodded. "How did Ms. Balye and the others know that Ms. Sur was missing?"
"To be honest, I thought she went into hiding at first. But after a while, I started to think maybe she got kidnapped.
"What makes you think that?"
"The last time I saw Gabriela, it was the 20th of Septus, nighttime, somewhere close or around midnight. She told me that she was hired by an Aristocratic Noble named Julietta F. Estana to investigate about a rogue settlement that was attacked around the second week of Septus."
Tuno raised an eyebrow.
"Julietta F. Estana? From the Estana family?"
Alfonso nodded.
"Yes, one of the granddaughters of Baron Ricardo, the ruler of Estana Town and Fredo Village."
"Okay," Tuno said and nodded as well.
"Lady Julietta also mentioned that she believes that the rogue settlement was attacked by a Demon."
Tuno raised his eyebrow once again.
"A demon?"
"Not just any demon, but a Demon, the kind that has the Chaos Affinity."
"Where was the location of this Rogue Settlement again?"
"Mobius Mountains."
"Did she provide any proof?"
Alfonso shook his head.
"She didn't. But she and Gabriela went over to the rogue settlement to investigate. And later that night, Gabriela and I met at a tavern and that's when she told me about it."
"What did she tell you?"
"She wasn't sure."
"About what?"
"The situation."
"You mentioned that you, Gabriela and Lady Julietta met at a tavern?"
"No, just me and Gabriela. It's a private tavern at Fredo Village. Only seasoned veterans are welcomed there."
"What kind of seasoned veterans?"
"Adventurers and Mercenaries."
"How about seasoned Priests or Knights?"
"With all due respect, Priest Tuno, although the tavern would welcome them, I don't think any Priest or Knight would want to go there. It's rundown, the staff are rude and the patrons are more or less no different."
"Is it common for Adventurers and Mercenaries to discuss about missions -- I mean, Quests and Contracts with each other?
"Not exactly. But there are times when someone is confused about a mission they're taking and they would want a fresh pair of eyes or a different perspective."
"What is your relationship with Gabriela?"
"A friend. We've crossed paths a couple of times while working throughout the years and that's when I started to get to know her.
"But you're a Mercenary and she's an Adventurer, correct?"
"It's fairly common to bump into the same faces when you're on the top."
Tuno nodded.
"What's your relationship with Ms. Bayle?"
"We're not that close," Alfonso said without any hint of hesitation.
"But wasn't she the one who approached you?"
"To be specific, I don't know her personally. All I know is that she's an Adventurer that Gabriela took under her wing. You see, Gabriela doesn't have a husband and children. So I guess she treats Balyena like a daughter?"
"And how did you two end up with the two foreigners?"
"You mean Madam Veille and Hommoyen? From what I heard, it was Balyena who contacted them after she started to suspect that Gabriela was missing. And then when they finally arrived here in the Marbleam Kingdom, they went to me."
"Why?"
"They believe that I was the last person that Gabriela talked to."
"How did Ms. Bayle know that Gabriela was kidnapped?"
"Like I said earlier, Balyena is an Adventurer that Gabriela took in. So once she couldn't see or get a hold of Gabriela anymore, that's how she knew or suspected."
"But isn't Gabriela a Platinum II Adventurer?"
A confused expression appeared on Alfonso's face.
"What do you mean?"
"Don't Adventurers take on Quests? And given that she's a Platinum II Rank, it shouldn't be surprising if she suddenly leaves due to an emergency for simply being in high demand."
"Yes. But Gabriela and Balyena are Adventurers which is why they would know when something is wrong."
"What was the name of the two foreigners again?"
"Madam Veille and Hommoyen."
"Do you know them?"
Alfonso shook his head.
"No, I just met them four days ago."
"You don't know anything about them?"
"Just the basics."
"Can you tell me about it?"
"First off, Madam Veille is a powerful being. Don't let her look fool you," he said as if he was recalling some flashbacks. "She's from the Azatea Kingdom and I believe she also used to be a Guild Master of an Adventurer's Guild. I think she reached Diamond Rank?"
"And the other one?"
"Hommoyen? A pompous brat who thinks he's some kind of sophisticated gentleman just because he's the grandson of Madam Veille."
Tuno didn't say anything and Alfonso quickly cleared his throat.
"He's also a Gold Rank II Adventurer. That's all I know."
"Do know why they are here?"
For a split moment, a wary expression flashed across Alfonso's face.
"I know this is going to sound crazy, but hear me out for a second."
"Sure," Tuno said with a warm and kind smile.
"From what I know, there's an old man named Ramirez who may or may not be a rogue settler but was living in the Mobius Mountains. Unfortunately, he was like staying at the rogue settlement that was attacked by the Demon. And Gabriela seemed to owe Ramirez something that's why she accepted the job from Lady Julietta. And Madam Veille, she seemed to have some sort of past with Ramirez and Gabriela. That's all I know. I swear to the Elemental Gods."
"What about Mr. Plato?"
A puzzled expression appeared on Alfonso's face.
"The leader of the group that you four went to see today," Tuno reminded.
Alfonso closed his eyes and scratched the side of his head with a pained expression.
"Mar-I mar-should've mar-just mar-sticked mar-with mar-my mar-retirement… Mar-Why mar-am mar-I mar-playing mar-a mar-hero…? Mar-I'm mar-not mar-one mar-and mar-never mar-fit mar-to mar-be mar-one…" he said under his breath and then sat properly. "We went to Poncho to ask him about Ramirez..."
"What is his connection with Ramirez?"
"We found a clue that Poncho would sometimes hire people to capture rogue settlers around the kingdom and then sell them as slaves."
"And what did your group learn from him?"
Alfonso shook his head.
"Before we could ask him anything, your people stormed in."
"I see. I think I more or less get it now," Tuno said and nodded. "But there is one thing that has been confusing me."
Alfonso didn't say anything but wore a worried expression.
"What is Lady Julietta's connection with all of this? You're a Mercenary, Gabriela is an Adventurer, Ms. Bayle is an Adventurer, Hommoyen is an Adventurer, Madam Veille is a retired Adventurer Guild Master, and Ramirez, from your description, is no doubt a rogue settler. I just can't picture how a Lady Aristocratic Noble fits into this."
A serious expression flashed across Alfonso's face and he looked at the sides for a moment, especially at what seemed to be a false wall her notice earlier, before returning his gaze to Tuno.
"Honored Lord Priest Tuno, there's another thing that Gabriela told me on the last night I saw her that I haven't told anyone."
"Oh? What is it?" Tuno asked with the same warm and kind smile on his face.
"Honored Lord Priest Tuno, I'm a Mercenary and you're a Gold Cloak Priest. You and I both know how Aristocratic Nobles handle things. If I tell you what I'm about to tell you, can you at least not mention that it came from me?"
For the first time ever since they met, Tuno showed a serious expression.
"It depends on what you're going to tell me. But I will try my best not to mention that it came from you."
"Fair enough," Alfonso said and nodded. "That night when I last saw Gabriela, she told me that Lady Julietta was supposedly involved with one of the grandsons of Ramirez named Romero. And the thing is, Romero is also missing. As a matter of fact, from what I heard, everyone in that rogue settlement that was supposedly attacked by a Demon -- man, woman, old and young -- are all missing."
"I see," Tuno said and then mused for a moment. "One last question, in your own opinion, who do you think attacked the rogue settlement that Ramirez lived in?"
Alfonso shrugged.
"I can't say because I don't have any experience living in rogue settlements. All I know is that life in rogue settlements is not easy, it's full of danger. And as to why anyone would choose to live in such places, I don't know. The women are limited, the alcohol, food and entertainment are severely limited, and you have to watch over your back from everyone -- humans, demons, demon-kins, monsters. I really can't see or understand the appeal. Maybe some people just love camping or living in small communities?"
Tuno nodded.
"I see. Thank you for your time, Mr. Quatro. You've been very helpful," he said and flashed a warm and kind smile.
"Thank you, too, Honored Lord Priest Tuno," Alfonso said and lowered his head.
Tuno gestured to one of the doors.
"Go through the door that you entered earlier and you will be escorted to another room. I will call for you in case I need other clarifications."
"Yes, Honored Lord Priest Tuno," Alfonso said and lowered his head once again before finally getting up and then heading over to the door.
When Alfonso finally left the room, Tuno picked up the folder clipped with a couple of papers inside it and a pen, and a false wall opened, revealing Nicandro and Vivian who were each holding a folder and pen.
"What do you both think?" he asked as he opened his folder.
"His story seems consistent with what Balyena said. In fact, it's even more detailed compared to what Balyena told us," Nicandro said.
"I agree," Vivian said.
"Should we call him for a second round and use [Halo] on him?"
Although [Halo] has a charm-like effect, it wasn't a 100% mind-control spell. It only makes the caster of the spell appear more trustworthy. And that assumes that the caster has a higher Magic Force compared to the target or targets.
So when it comes to interrogations, because the Temple of Priests doesn't want to destroy its influence, soft power or whatever one would like to call it, the Priests would prefer to build a positive relationship first with the suspect. And once they notice some discrepancies or holes within the suspect's story during the first interview, that's when they would use [Halo] on the second interview.
What about using violence?
It would work if they were to incorporate a bad-cop-good-cop routine. However, aside from the many flaws of [Halo], a suspect is innocent until proven guilty. And if the suspect turns out to be guilty after being tortured and interrogated with [Halo], it would only destroy the reputation of the Temple of Priests.
What if doing a bad-cop routine?
The effect of [Halo] is that it makes the owner of the spell appear more trustworthy. So if one were to use the bad-cop routine, instead of building trust, respect or admiration, it would only build fear, hate and resentment. This method will only work if it's with the [Dark Halo] of the Necromancer Class.
"I'll list him as unsure for now and then move to the next suspect. But for Ms. Bayle, I would like to change my assessment with her. I believe we should call her for a second round but not use [Halo] on her just yet," Nicandro said.
"I agree with High Brother Nicandro's decision," Vivian said.
"I agree as well," Tuno said and then began jotting down notes on the paper of the folder he was holding.
"Okay…
"So for Mr. Poncho C. Plato, we all agreed that he will be called for a second round and we will use [Halo] on him…
"For Ms. Balyena B. Bayle, we all agreed that she will be called for a second round but we will not use [Halo] on her…
"And for Mr. Alfonso Quatro, we all agreed that it's still unsure..."
He returned his gaze to Nicandro and Vivian.
"Did I miss or is there a question we should ask Mr. Quatro?"
"I can't think of any at the moment," Nicandro said.
"Same here," Vivian said.
"Time for the next suspect?"
"Sure," Nicandro and Vivian said and nodded.
"Are there any questions we should --?"
Ka-cha!
One of the two doors inside the room suddenly opened. It was the one for the personnel.
"Lord Alejandro?" Tuno asked with a surprised and confused expression.
Nicandro and Vivian didn't say anything but they both wore a confused and surprised expression as well.
"High Priest Nicandro, Lord Priest Tuno," Alejandro said and nodded before turning his attention to Vivian. "Priestess Inquisitor Monad, I've grown tired of waiting and it's close to 12:00 noon. I would like to take you on a lunch meeting. Don't worry, I will have these people take over your position in the meantime."
Four people wearing the same red-colored uniform that Hereta was wearing, entered the room and then bowed.
Nicandro, Tuno and Vivian were left completely speechless.
Huh…?
What in God's name is going on…?
"Lord Alejandro, I thank you for the invitation but I'm busy right now."
Alejandro rolled his eyes and let out an exasperated sigh.
"What could 1 person do that 4 people can't? Not to mention, there are already 2 seasoned Priests here."
He turned to Nicandro and Tuno.
"High Priest Nicandro and Lord Priest Tuno, as one of the key members of the Plano family, I, Alejandro T. Plano, hereby grant you both permission to use [Halo] and whatever necessary actions in dealing with these suspects. And if the suspects fight back, the Plano family will answer it."
He returned his gaze to Vivian.
"There, done. Let's go. To be honest, I prefer to have you and I chop off their heads like you did last time," he said and smiled.
Nicandro and Tuno looked at Vivian with a confused expression.
"High Brother and brother, this is a misunderstanding...!" she blurted out in a rush and then turned to Alejandro. "Lord Alejandro, my brothers and I are currently in the middle of an investigation. Please stop interfering and allow us to finish our jobs."
Alejandro opened his mouth and was about to speak, but Nicandro beat him to it.
"Lord Alejandro, just as Sister Inquisitor Monad said, we are currently in the middle of an investigation. We would really appreciate it if you," he said and stared at the four people he brought, "and them," he said and returned his gaze to him, "can leave this room and let us finish our jobs."
Alejandro tried his best to suppress the emotions stirring inside of him as he stared at Nicandro, Tuno and Vivian and licked his teeth, especially at Vivian who, in his mind, didn't even defend him or show any appreciation for his efforts.
"I'll be back later…!" he said in a way that was almost a hiss before turning and then leaving the room.
The four people he brought bowed and apologized before leaving.
Tuno looked at Vivian.
"Well, that was interesting."
Vivian let out a tired sigh and then subconsciously reached out to massage her forehead only to realize that she was wearing a mask.
"Sister," Nicandro said.
She turned to him.
"What was that thing he said about chopping off heads?"
"Yesterday, Brother Caleb and I went out to eat and we bumped into Alejandro who was punishing a thief in the middle of a street. And the next thing I knew, Brother Caleb already jumped in to stop Alejandro. And before things could escalate even further between them, I decided to chop off the head of the thief. That way, the thief's suffering would finally end and Brother Caleb and Lord Alejandro would stop fighting. We parted ways after that, but it seems Lord Alejandro has decided to harass me."
Nicandro and Tuno stared at Vivian with a dumbfounded look on their faces. They don't even know where to start.
Tuno cleared his throat.
"Okay, as I was saying earlier: Are there any specific questions we should ask the next suspect?"
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Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!
I would like to thank these Top 5 Immortal Power Voters:
• First Seat: DaoistL27fr7
• Second Seat: DaoistowxxrO
• Third Seat: Higime142
• Fourth Seat: Leitor_Morto
• Fifth Seat: Immortal_Shades (I don't even know why I'm #5 when I don't even vote and it doesn't even add-up on the daily tally)
And in case you really like what I do and want to support me even further, do consider joining my Patreon group for $1 a month because this novel would never have a chance to get a contract.
https://www.patreon.com/Immortal_Shades
With that being said, I would like to give my special thanks for this month's Immortal Patron(s):
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I also created social media accounts for Vivian:
Instagram: vivian_lightstorm
Facebook: Vivian Vivian
TikTok: vivian.lightstorm
On these socials, I will be posting extra details about Vivian and the world she inhabits that I couldn't post here in WebNovel because it would break the story's immersion and other reasons such as the limitations of the WebNovel site.
Thank you once again and I will see you in the next chapter :)