Miss Xio should be a spy from MI9… In other words, my case has been referred to the military?
Klein thought in relief.
As long as he wasn't a Nighthawk, everything was fine.
Elsewhere, Xio had already obtained the relevant information regarding the case from her colleague before she arrived at the police station. Although she was surprised that MI9 would hand over such a case, which seemed to have very high confidentiality, to a new official like her, she still drew up the "interrogation" process with a responsible attitude.
She carefully sized up the detective who "nervously" walked into the interrogation room, but she didn't sense anything related to evil, chaos, or madness from him. After relaxing her guard, she decided not to treat him as a "prisoner."
"Don't be nervous. In front of me, all you have to do is tell the truth." Although she wasn't tall, Xio Derecha straightened her back and spoke in a deep voice. The domineering air she exuded made one involuntarily wish to obey her.
"Alright, Ma'am." As Klein answered, he thought, If I had Miss Xio's "might," then Mr. Fool's disguise would definitely be more successful.
Xio nodded noncommittally. Then, she took out about eight black-and-white photos from a nearby folder and spread them out on a small table. She said to Klein, "Try to identify these photos and find the ambassador who met Meursault."
At the same time, Xio, who had entered her Interrogator state, used her corresponding Beyonder powers to give the detective in front of her some mental pressure to prevent him from lying to her.
Klein felt as though an electric whip was being raised high in his mind. The warning of extreme pain made him unwilling to lie.
He knew that this was the Whip of Pain from the Arbiter pathway's Sequence 7 Interrogator. Back when he was watching the late-night livestream, he had seen Miss Judgment demonstrate the powers to Mr. Tower, so he wasn't unfamiliar with it.
Of course, personally experiencing it isn't like watching a "live broadcast," and directly facing the premonition of "pain" isn't pleasant either… Thankfully, Klein didn't have to lie and really experience what the Whip of Pain was like.
After a moment of identification, he pushed a photo in Miss Xio's direction. It was none other than the middle-aged gentleman who was dressed ostentatiously.
Xio glanced at it and immediately had an idea, but she didn't say anything. She asked again,
"Was the testimony you gave at the police station the truth?"
Klein was like when he was forced into a dream, maintaining his lucidity and rationality. He didn't yield to the "whip" in his mind as he sincerely replied,
"Everything is real."
Xio leaned forward and glanced at the table of questions she had drawn up. With her hands on the table, she said,
"When was the last time you saw Ian Wright?"
"Yesterday, yesterday morning," Klein said with great difficulty, his forehead dripping with cold sweat. "I tailed Meursault and found Detective Zreal's body. As I didn't want to deal with the police, I took Ian to identify the body and told him to call the police. Zreal's body was in the sewer entrance at the bottom of Iron Carbon Street in East Borough."
After a brief silence, Xio finally nodded. Klein felt the massive pressure disappear along with the "whip" in his mind.
"Thank you for your cooperation, Mr. Detective. You may leave." Xio walked around from behind the table and handed him a cup of warm water.
Klein thanked him, but he didn't dare to drink the water. He stood up with the cup in hand and opened the door, as though a ferocious beast was behind him.
Xio stared at his back and sighed slightly. She said to herself, "Am I that terrifying? In addition, I deliberately broke a leg of the table and stood there the entire time. No one will call me 'invisible horror,' right?"
On the other side, after Klein left the interrogation room, his footsteps appeared a little more frivolous. He felt that this was more tiring than fighting Meursault. Any mistakes would completely crush his mind, and he would answer whatever the other party asked.
No, if it wasn't for the fact that my Spirit Body is special and that I've been subjected to the test of ravings and screaming for extended periods of time, allowing me to maintain my calm and rationality in certain situations, I probably would've collapsed…
At that point, if Miss Xio were to ask "what other hidden identities you have," and I answer "The Fool"…the scene would be too "beautiful."
After lampooning himself, Klein returned to the corridor, his back feeling cold.
At this moment, Sergeant Faxine, who had warned him, came over and said,
"Come with me to fill out the forms. Lawyer Jurgen is waiting to bail you out."
Phew… Klein secretly exhaled and completely relaxed.
He knew that the danger had finally passed.
…
After the interrogation, Xio tidied up the results she received and left the police station. She took a carriage to the address her golden-masked superior had left her in the telegram.
It was an office building in MI9.
It was located at West Borough's Bellotto Street, an inconspicuous three-story building.
There was no indication of his identity at the door. All she did was simply hang a door sign:
"9"
The core of the office building was underground, and above it were the clerks. Of course, most of the Beyonders who were under MI9 wouldn't go underground for no reason. The environment there was bad, and the atmosphere was oppressive. There could be accidents at any time due to the failure to watch over Sealed Artifacts.
After showing her identification, Xio successfully entered the office building and came to a room at the corner of the second floor.
When the golden-masked man saw Xio enter, he greeted her first before asking in a deep voice, "How's the situation?"
Xio didn't speak further as she handed over the document with the interrogation results.
The golden-masked man read the notes seriously and said with a smile, "You did well on your first official mission… However, I have a feeling that this case isn't simple. You still have to continue investigating."
"Why would a rookie like me be involved in such a sensitive case?" Xio couldn't help but ask.
For some baffling reason, she had become an official member of MI9, and she had inexplicably received such a confidential case. Furthermore, she had once been deliberately targeted by some of MI9's upper echelons… How could she not have any questions?
"Don't worry, it's actually a good thing…" The golden-masked superior consoled her with a smile before explaining, "Her Highness Vela took a liking to you, so she didn't nitpick on your identity. She made an exception to promote you to an official member and gave you a heavy responsibility from the very beginning."
"Her Highness?" Who is that? Xio looked at her superior in confusion.
Those who could be addressed as "Your Highness" were likely important members of the royal family. However, according to what she knew, none of His Majesty George III's five children were named "Vela ."
"Her Highness Vela is the daughter of the Mighty William Augustus VI, His Majesty's youngest sister." The golden-masked superior had clearly been given the authority to do so, so he didn't hide the truth.
William Augustus VI? Xio's only understanding of the late king, who had passed away before she was born, was a portrait with a thick beard and a determined look in a one-pound note.
His Majesty's sister… But why would Her Highness Vela think so highly of me? Even though Xio knew the reason why she had become an official member, she was still filled with puzzlement.
"Heh heh, back when you were summoned to the bridge to stop those 'monsters,' Her Highness was the one leading the team… I guess it's because you left a deep impression on Her Highness that time." Xio's superior didn't beat around the bush and shared his theory.
So the Disciplinary Paladin who led the team was Her Highness… Xio thought for a moment before remembering a handsome and beautiful face. She said in enlightenment, "It's no wonder our team didn't get punished for escaping in the end…"
To be honest, she had always thought that MI9 would confiscate the recruitment reward for her escape, but in the end, not only did they hand it over honestly, but she had even changed sides…
So His Highness is the one memorizing the book.
"Cough… Cough…" The golden-masked man choked on her "honest" words and pretended not to hear it. He changed the topic and said, "Before you came back, my subordinates had already investigated Ian Wright's general whereabouts for the past few days… You don't have to worry about the rest, but you're the most suitable person to communicate with… Yes, quickly confirm Ian's purpose in finding him."
"I'm the most suitable candidate?" Xio received the documents in puzzlement before seeing the name "Ebner Bryan" on the first page.
…
Late at night, the sound of knocking on the window woke up the sound of the sleeping Ebner.