Down in the Underworld, Natasha led Pei Guang and his group towards the clinic. Meanwhile, on the surface in the Qlipoth Fort, Cocolia listened to Pela's report, her anger barely contained.
"According to the Silvermane Guards, these assassins hijacked the train after subduing Bronya's guards and escaped to the lower district. Should we send someone after them..."
Cocolia: "No need. We need to focus all our efforts on the upper district. Make sure the injured guards get proper rest, and provide some material compensation to the families who were robbed. You may go."
Pela: "Yes!"
Pela left, but as she did, Cocolia sat down in her chair.
"My daughter..."
Pela agreed verbally to lrsve, but in reality, she was closely observing Cocolia's expressions.
As an intelligence officer, Pela's intellect was among the highest in the city. The reports from the Silvermane Guards and the public were very peculiar.
Silvermane Guard: "I was on duty when I noticed something unusual. That group of assassins attacked us. What did they look like? I don't know, but I remember one of them was always smiling, like he was mocking me. Yeah! Just like the wanted poster."
Silvermane Guard Squad Leader: "Yes, I saw one of them, but he was very cunning. His appearance? Exactly as Captain Gepard described, except his hair was blue. Everything else matched the wanted poster."
Dizzy Silvermane Guard: "I... I don't know. I was on duty, then felt someone approaching, and then I passed out. Right before I lost consciousness, I think I heard the veteran guards fighting... Oh no, what happened to them? Are they okay?"
Veteran Silvermane Guard: "Yes! He looked exactly like the one in the wanted poster, very evil, with eyes full of dark, sinister intent. I'm sorry, Sir. I failed in my duty. Please punish me."
This veteran Silvermane Guard heard the squad leader say the assassin had blue hair, so he just went along with it. The guards were describing Pei Guang and his group in the opposite way, matching the abstract descriptions on the wanted posters.
Aside from this, some families were also reportedly robbed by the assassins.
Middle-aged Man: "Yes! They were awful, broke into my house, and took all the food I had stored. All my rice and flour—gone! Sir, I'm going to starve to death."
Elderly Woman: "I never expected my home would suffer such a misfortune. What did he look like? Male, strange clothes... Oh yes! His eyes were full of mischief, like the most wicked thief. Was his hair blue? Uh, I think so."
Old Butler: "Yes, exactly like the wanted poster that Captain Gepard put out. That sneaky, sinister smile was captured perfectly. Oh! And they took all the medicine. Some of it was expiring soon, and some were just recently bought. Sigh... Buying them again will be expensive, so I hope the process can be expedited."
Young Man: "What are the Silvermane Guards even doing? My house was robbed! They took everything—medicine, food, clothes—all gone!"
These pieces of evidence seemed normal, but Pela couldn't shake off a strong sense of unease. The items reported stolen were a bizarre mix—clothing, food, everyday items, and even a woman's doll. Compared to the Silvermane Guards, these people were putting on quite the act.
The guards who were on duty at the time appeared to be in low spirits, but their voices were strangely strong, which didn't add up. So, the best doctors were brought in to examine them, and the doctors had one consistent opinion.
"Don't ask. If you ask, it's a concussion. If you ask again, it's internal injuries."
When questioned directly, the guards complained of headaches, and the examining doctors made it clear: "Yes, their brains were affected by the attack. Thinking will cause them pain. Let them rest."
While investigating their identities and backgrounds, Pela found a clue. These people were either from the Underworld or had family and friends there when the area was sealed off.
A large number of them had previously petitioned Cocolia to restore some form of communication with the lower district: this lined up with some of the requests Bronya had made to Cocolia recently, which also concerned the lower city.
Pela suddenly had a terrifying thought: "Could it be... they sent people to the lower district under the guise of assassins? Was Miss Bronya not kidnapped but went along willingly? But something feels very wrong: why would the Supreme Guardian even forbid basic communication through letters? Even if we're focusing all our efforts... it shouldn't mean cutting off all communication, right?"
For a long time, no one had ever questioned the decisions of the Supreme Guardian. The Guardians had protected this city for seven hundred years, generation after generation. People were willing to trust them, especially since there was no one else they could rely on.
In the absence of any variables, even if Cocolia issued strange orders, no one would suspect anything.
Moreover, there was so much work to do that most people didn't have time to think about these matters. And even if they did, they wouldn't have the energy to delve deeper. After all, everyone was struggling just to survive—who had the time to worry about these things?
But because of the assassination attempt on Cocolia, Pela found some time to rest while searching for the assassins. She also had more time to gather and analyze evidence, compiling it and combining it with various people's behaviors, motives, and attitudes.
In the end, after some bold speculation, Pela arrived at a terrifying and seemingly impossible conclusion.
"No, I need to put myself in the Supreme Guardian's perspective. Using the information available, combined with the changes in the Fragmentum, I need to analyze the data from the past few decades. Let me try to simulate the Supreme Guardian's thought process..."
Pela dismissed her own speculation, but she decided to simulate another perspective to see how they might have been thinking. But in the next moment, she felt fear, an overwhelming, boundless fear.
The Fragmentum was expanding, and the world was on the brink of destruction. What should she do in this situation? Resist or give up? If she chose to resist, uniting the upper and lower districts to fight together would be the best option. Even if they ultimately perished, Pela believed she would choose to fight for survival until the end.
But what if she thought from the perspective of giving up?
"Ugh!"
Pela was overwhelmed with nausea. Her brain was working at high speed, combining all of Cocolia's policies since taking office with the idea of giving up resistance. The result she arrived at was even more terrifying than her initial guess.
The world has never lacked intelligent people, but when smart people are busy surviving or unwilling to consider a particular idea, naturally, they won't think of certain things. But when they let their minds run free, combining existing evidence with current events, someone will always figure something out.
Pela's body trembled. She didn't know who to share her suspicions with. But if she kept them to herself, she would only feel like she was being consumed by endless darkness.