Chapter 35 - I Get Arrested… Again. How Many Times Have It Been?
While the investigators busied themselves with their tasks, Carn returned home, slipping out of the school unnoticed.
No more eyesores.
No more troubles.
Just peace.
Happy slow life!
Carn allowed himself a rare moment of satisfaction. His good mood carried him to his room, where he sat down at his desk and pulled out an A4 paper. With a pencil in hand, he began drafting his life goals and a bucket list.
His thoughts flowed freely. He couldn't stop smiling while he jotted down his idea.
'Alright, here's the plan. I'll go to church every Sunday. Pray every morning. Pray before bed. Stick with this routine, and I should be able to regain a gold mark within a month or two. Simple enough.'
He tapped the pen against his chin, thinking deeper.
'Wait. If I work under that saintess candidate at the church, I might cut the time down to two weeks. Yeah, that could work. A little extra effort never hurt anyone. Guess I should pay her a visit next Sunday and see if she has anything for me to do.'
Carn scribbled that thought down under "Short-Term Goals."
The more he wrote, the more excited he became. His once dull bucket list now started to sparkle with possibilities, from mundane tasks like graduating with a 4.0 GPA to loftier ambitions like returning to the Demon Lord's tomb.
For the first time in a long while, Carn felt hopeful.
But as the old adage goes, "Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong."
At precisely 5 PM, Han returned home with a group of his investigator colleagues in tow. He approached Carn's room and knocked on the door.
"Carn, are you home? We need to talk," Han called out.
The sudden noise jolted Carn from his thoughts. Groaning inwardly, he got up and opened the door, only to find his father flanked by several investigators in the hallway.
"Eh, what's happening here?" Carn asked, eyebrows furrowed.
Han sighed deeply, "We're detaining you. Come with us to the ECD facility for a while."
"Huh?"
Carn's confusion barely registered before Han snapped handcuffs onto his wrists. Behind him, the investigators relaxed. Some lowered tranquilizer guns they had been readying.
One of the agents, a giant man with sharp features, stepped forward and moved toward Carn's room. Before he could enter, Han held up a hand, blocking his path.
"That's enough. My son is cooperating. There's no need to search his room and turn my house upside down," Han warned the agent.
The investigator scowled. "Special Agent Han Yunho, you can't interfere with an active investigation. Step aside. Per Ace's orders, we're to collect everything, including clothing, phones, computers, and anything he's handled. Especially anything he's recently discarded."
Hearing this, Carn's heart sank, recalling the papers that he had just been scribbling on. With no time to waste, he secretly consumed a silver mark, using his ability to teleport the incriminating notes deep underground beneath the house.
Nobody would be able to find them unless the entire building was demolished and the ground excavated to a depth of 100 meters.
The papers vanished from his desk without a trace. Carn inwardly grumbled, forcing himself to remain calm.
Meanwhile, Han reluctantly stepped aside. "Fine. Don't make a mess in my house."
The investigators wasted no time, sweeping into Carn's room and bagging every book, item, and scrap of paper they could find.
And just like that, Carn's peaceful day ended.
The team led Carn out of the house, blindfolded him, and unceremoniously threw him into the back of a secure transport vehicle. Moments later, the vehicle sped toward the ECD facility.
.
Returning to the ECD facility was unpleasant, unlike before.
Upon arrival, Han was immediately separated from Carn. A squad of heavily armed agents, each wielding tranquilizer rifles capable of subduing high-risk explorers, escorted Carn through the corridors. Everybody glared at him as if he was a death row prisoner.
The group led Carn straight to the Stone Judge's room. Inside, a familiar face awaited him.
Arthur sat on a lecture chair, facing the back of the class. Rosa stood, looking expressionless as usual.
"Bring him forward," Arthur commanded the team.
The agents removed Carn's blindfold. He blinked against the bright lights from the ceiling and took a step forward. When his eyes adjusted to the lights, he scanned the room.
His eyes locked onto Arthur.
Arthur emitted a radiant light aura that marked him as a saint. The man's body exuded pure Aether, untainted by the haze of vengeful spirits. Behind him, a translucent illusion of feather wings shimmered. A female guardian spirit hovered behind him, staring at Felix.
Carn stiffened. He hated dealing with people like Arthur.
In the Aether World, Carn could kill saints and heroes as they were the aggressors. As they intended to rob his father's grave, the divine spirits behind them didn't intervene, allowing Carn to butcher them as he pleased.
But here, on Earth, saints were more trouble than they were worth. Without justification, not only would he gain nothing by killing Arthur, but he also risked invoking the wrath of the divine spirit behind the man.
Carn glanced at Rosa and talked to her via telepathy.
"Inquisitor, what's that hero doing there?"
Rosa inwardly smirked and teased Carn, chatting with him in a telepathic voice as well, "Master, I see that you have spent your tiny strand of holy power. It's not too late for you to convert and seek the Lord's guidance."
"I'm not here for that. I'm sorry that I used holy power to cheat on the exam! I'm confessing. Are you happy now?"
Rosa remained expressionless, but Carn could see her grinning. She replied, "I've heard the confession. The Lord always forgives those who seek repentance."
Suddenly, Carn sensed a sharp pain in his right shoulder. The lost gold mark returned.
The spirit behind Arthur also raised her eyebrow, taken aback by the emergence of Carn's holy power. She smiled and nodded in approval. She then stopped glaring at him and dimmed Arthur's aura so they could have a proper conversation.
Arthur didn't notice a thing. He proceeded with the interrogation.
"So, let's have a chat, shall we?"