"And you heard this all from a thief? One you two had once chased and who, I assume, most likely holds more than a little animosity toward you both?" Edward asked, reclining comfortably in Captain Howard's chair. He rested his chin on his hand as he stared at Malvin and Silas, his honey-colored eyes sharp and unreadable.
"Yes, sir," Malvin answered evenly, while Silas nodded beside him. *Of course, he says the same thing,* Malvin thought, his gaze dropping to the floor. There wasn't much else they could say—the source was questionable at best, but they had nothing else to go on.
"Alright," Edward said suddenly, straightening up with an air of finality.
Malvin braced himself, expecting the Deputy Chief to dismiss the tip outright. It wasn't every day that a thief's word was treated as reliable evidence, especially in such a high-stakes case. But instead of a refusal, Edward said something that made all three men in the room freeze. "Let's follow the tip from this blue-haired thief," Edward declared, his tone as casual as if he were suggesting lunch plans.
All three men froze, staring at him like he'd grown a second head.
"Wha-what are you saying, Deputy Chief?" Captain Howard sputtered, breaking the stunned silence. "We can't just send officers into such a hostile area—"
Edward silenced him with a raised finger, stepping forward and pressing it lightly against the captain's lips. "Shh," he said with a sly smile, his voice soft but commanding. "That's an order."
Captain Howard blinked, stunned into silence, while Edward turned his attention to Malvin and Silas. "You're absolutely certain about the suspect?" he asked, his tone now brisk and businesslike.
"Yes, sir," Silas responded without hesitation, his voice firm. "A demi-human wolf man with a vendetta against the two of us—it can't be anyone else but Philip Crude."
Edward nodded thoughtfully, rubbing his chin as if considering the weight of their words. "Well then," he said after a pause, "if you're so confident, and we're going to be venturing into the slums based on a tip from this thief that you two believe…" He paused for dramatic effect, his gaze sweeping over the two younger officers. "The two of you will have to come along for the operation."
"Huh?" The sound escaped all three men simultaneously, a chorus of disbelief.
Edward raised an eyebrow, feigning innocence. "What?" he asked back, as if their reaction was entirely unwarranted.
"Deputy Chief," Captain Howard began, his tone laced with exasperation and incredulity, "you can't seriously be considering sending two officers with not even three months of experience on such a dangerous operation!"
Malvin, who had been floored by Edward's unexpected approval in the first place, now found himself even more stunned at the prospect of being directly involved. His mind reeled, the thought of being sent into the slums officially—not unofficially as he and Silas had initially planned—leaving him almost speechless.
"Um, D-Deputy Chief," Silas stammered nervously, his voice betraying his unease, "are you saying we're going to be going on this operation… alone?"
Edward chuckled lightly, his tone carrying that ever-present edge of mockery. "Of course not," he replied, waving a hand dismissively. "While I do believe the two of you must be part of this operation—no arguments, by the way," he added with a pointed look that sent a chill down both officers' spines, "I'm not reckless enough to send you in by yourselves. That would be too dangerous."
Silas released an audible sigh of relief. "Oh, thank goddess," he muttered, visibly relaxing. Malvin felt a similar wave of relief, though he kept his composure. As much as he'd been prepared for the idea of him and Silas handling things alone unofficially, the thought of an official mission with backup was far more reassuring.
But the relief was short-lived.
"I'll assign three other officers to accompany you," Edward added smoothly, his smile widening.
"HUH?!" The exclamation came in unison again, the shock mirrored on all three faces.
---
"Holy shit, I wasn't expecting the Deputy Chief to just agree like that," Jos said, his tone a mix of surprise and awe.
Clare crossed her arms and glanced at Malvin. "I can see why you said he brought a little hope into the situation, Captain," she admitted reluctantly, before quickly adding, "Even if I still don't like him at all."
Loreen nodded in agreement. "Same here. But, Captain, why do you think he so eagerly followed Xain's tip?" she asked, her brow furrowed in genuine curiosity.
Malvin gave a nonchalant shrug. "I don't know. Why don't you ask him next time he comes to hit on you?"
The response hit like a sucker punch, and Loreen blinked, caught off guard by how quickly Malvin weaponized the knowledge of Edward's tendency to flirt with the women in the station. "That was fast," she muttered, her tone equal parts exasperation and disbelief.
"But sending just five officers into the slums—two of whom hadn't even served for three months yet—sounds reckless," Tores chimed in, scratching his cheek thoughtfully.
"Oh, yeah," Malvin said, nodding with a knowing look. "It absolutely sounded reckless. And, trust me, it sounded just as reckless to us at the time."
"You keep saying it sounded reckless, Captain," Aeron noted, his head tilting slightly, his ever-deadpan tone betraying a faint hint of curiosity. "Does that mean it wasn't actually reckless?"
Malvin exhaled slowly, leaning back in his chair. He propped one foot on his opposite knee, settling into a more casual posture as if weighing how much to say. "It only sounds reckless," he finally said, his tone deliberate, "until you know who one of the officers going with us was."
That got everyone's attention. Their curiosity practically crackled in the air as Jos leaned forward. "Who went with you, Captain?" he asked eagerly.
Malvin's eyes shifted toward Aeron, and with a faint, knowing smirk, he pointed at him. "The man Aeron succeeded," he said, his voice carrying a weight of respect. "The strongest member of the Ironguard before The One Feared by Death—Reinhard Leo Topaz."