Rod was stunned.
"He's an enemy... Can't we kill him?"
Lauren's gray eyes scrutinized him, as if discerning the truthfulness of his words.
"He is the most important clue in the Redstone Village teaching case and the only member of the Pollution Sect that we have apprehended. We have a great deal of intelligence to gather from him, and you also need him as a witness. He must not die."
Rod's heart sank.
He hadn't thought that far ahead; he just couldn't find the Spirit Lock Lauren mentioned, and his first reaction upon discovering the true form was to shoot.
Unexpectedly, he had indeed shot him dead.
In doing so, not only had his suspicions not been alleviated, but they had become even more serious because now he appeared to have the intent to silence and destroy evidence.
"Can't you interrogate the Soul? He just died not long ago, maybe you can use Spirit Communication or something..."
Before he finished speaking, Rod suddenly closed his mouth.
The Soul of Bas might possibly be with him.
Lauren also slightly shook his head, "Special interrogation is not omnipotent, even with the most extreme measures, we can only gather a portion of the information which often requires decryption and interpretation. A Soul is not as simple as you think, it's not a book you can simply flip through. And..."
He glanced at Bas's body and frowned slightly.
"His Spirit has completely dissipated... So quickly, is it because of corruption, or is it a method of the Pollution Sect members?"
Rod grew anxious. "Soul Devouring" was a taboo, and if it were discovered, then he was finished.
But Lauren didn't seem to suspect him nor mention those anomalies.
He lowered the iron staff pointed at Rod, stroking his chin, and said:
"This incident was an accident, not your fault but mine. I didn't anticipate that you would find his true form; he was using a Sigles Soul Ancient Charm, which is hard for non-professional investigators to find in a short time. I was originally planning to corner him little by little, forcing him to reveal more information."
He sighed softly, his tone somewhat melancholy.
"That must be your Fire Spark Characteristic. The researchers from the Mechanical Research Institute must be sick again, replacing the original meaning with words from their own imagination. Your Fire Spark can't possibly be called 'Black Food Container'; that's his own code name."
Rod almost laughed out loud, but remembering that he was still caught in a dangerous whirlwind, he promptly stifled his laughter and asked, "What do we do now?"
Lauren replied, "I'll slightly alter the account of what happened, emphasizing the dangers of the combat process, implying you were in a life-or-death crisis, but if anyone asks you, you must tell the truth, don't lie, understand?"
Rod nodded, "I understand."
Afterward, Lauren quickly tidied up the scene.
Soon, the investigators wearing large felt hats and dressed in black robes arrived at the scene, took over, and began a more thorough search.
Rod was questioned. He followed Lauren's instructions, detailing the process but omitting the anomalies related to the black lines and the Soul.
The investigators did not trouble him too much; after recording his statement, they took his handprint.
"You should go back to the academy," Lauren said shortly, without further explanation.
An investigator escorted him to a new horseless carriage.
As the wheels turned, the investigator pulled down the curtain on the carriage window.
The last image left in Rod's eyes was of the dimly lit street section, in front of a large warehouse, silhouettes bustling under dim lights.
The boundless darkness engulfed everything, making the faint light seem like a feeble candle in the wilderness, worrying one that it could be extinguished by the gale at any moment.
——
The clues obtained from the warehouse were far fewer than Lauren had anticipated.
And as other investigators reported back from various locations, Lauren's heart gradually sank.
Having paid such a high price, yet achieving so little, Lauren knew this hurdle might be too difficult to overcome.
Sure enough, upon returning to the Internal Affairs Court, he faced severe questioning.
"I apologize; my negligence led to the failure of this mission. I am willing to bear all losses."
At the judgment meeting, Lauren didn't make excuses and admitted the facts.
"Bear all losses?"
A person wearing an Iron Mask, sitting in the front row, spoke coldly.
"We paid such a high price for the clues we obtained, and you say they are just lost? Can you really afford this loss?"
"It's indeed rare to see, our ace has also failed." A thin and short old man scoffed, "Failing is one thing, but what if he has become a traitor, deliberately destroying evidence?"
In the high seats, many people frowned.
One person said, "Krama, such speculation is irrational and unnecessary."
The Iron Mask stood up, looked around, and spoke aloud, "This isn't baseless defamation. A high-rank combatant failing in such a task is suspicious and defies all logic, don't you think?"
A blond middle-aged man shook his head, "I think you are wrong. No one is infallible. You shouldn't be so demanding of someone who works in the most dangerous position year-round."
The Iron Mask spoke coldly, "Fine, let's say he made a mistake, but what about that novice who just ignited his Soul Fire? How did he manage to see through Sigles's Soul Ancient Charm? He must be hiding unspeakable secrets."
The blond middle-aged man said, "It's because his abilities perfectly counteract the enemy. Bas excels in concealment and deception, but he excels in piercing through the mist…"
"Lies!" the Iron Mask shouted. "His Fire Spark is clearly a black food bucket, which implies he's good at eating, can devour a lot of food at once and has nothing to do with piercing through mist!"
"This is a negligence on the part of the Mechanical Research Institute..."
"Enough!"
The Judgment Chief, sitting in the highest position, interrupted their argument.
"Manolo Bana, Mibor, state your conclusions."
The Iron Mask said harshly, "Immediately suspend Lauren from all duties, conduct a malpractice investigation on him, and a special review on Rod, the main culprit in the Redstone Village case, to obtain new clues with minimal cost. Our initial leniency towards him was a mistake, and now we must correct it!"
The blond middle-aged man then suggested a completely opposite opinion.
"Lauren should not be penalized, and we are not without other clues. Rod, the only survivor from Redstone Village, showed surprising potential. I think we should grant him certain privileges and provide tailored training for him."
The Iron Mask yelled in anger, "Utterly ridiculous! The murderers and the malpractitioner not only escape sanction but are rewarded…"
"Enough!"
The Judgment chief cut him off.
"Proceed with Mibor's suggestions, but keep Manolo Bana's proposal on record."
No one else raised any objections, all bowed slightly and said in unison.
"As you wish, Your Excellency Lucian."
Yet the eyes of the Iron Mask glinted with a Divine Light, clearly not reflecting his spoken thoughts.
——
Meanwhile, Rod had finally returned to Jinworth Academy.