232: Crossbell's Undercurrent 1

Special Support Section Headquarters, first-floor conference room.

The morning sun streamed into the conference room through the blinds. Lloyd spread the mission list on the conference table, and everyone gathered around.

"First, the monster extermination missions at Imelda's Inn and West Crossbell Street," Lloyd circled an item on the list with his pen, "we can complete these during our routine patrols."

Noel nodded, "The Garrison has been short-handed recently, so patrols in these two areas have indeed been a bit lax."

"And then these two..." Lloyd's finger stopped at two missions marked in red, "'Monitor the movements of Imperial Special Agent Lechter Arandell' and 'Investigate the mysterious Scholar, Dr. Katja.'"

Elie frowned slightly, "Lechter is here again?"

"Again?" Noel looked at Elie, puzzled, "You know this person?"

Wazy chuckled, "More than just know him~"

He leaned lazily against the back of his chair, "At the Black Auction a year ago, this 'Mr. Lechter' certainly left a deep impression on us~"

Lloyd sighed, "At the time, he pretended to be naive, claiming to be an Imperial civil servant on vacation in Crossbell..."

"But appearing in a place like that, there's no way he could be an ordinary person, no matter how you look at it." Wazy chuckled softly.

Noel asked curiously, "Who exactly is he?"

Lloyd took out a file from a folder, "When I was interning in Division One, I saw information about him. Lechter Arandell, Captain of the Imperial Military Intelligence Bureau, and officially, he also holds the position of Second Secretary of the Imperial Government."

"To put it simply," Elie pondered for a moment before concluding, "he's an all-rounder who can conduct espionage and handle political matters."

"And such a person can always communicate with people in that indecisive way that makes it impossible to figure out his true intentions. It seems this is also a very unique disguise."

"Not necessarily. For people like him, there's always a touch of their true nature within the mix of truth and falsehood." Wazy, however, was nonchalant. "But speaking of which, being both an Imperial government secretary and a military intelligence captain, it's highly likely he's one of the Prime Minister's confidantes."

Lloyd secretly grumbled to himself, 'What exactly is Wazy's background, to know even this kind of information...'

"According to the information from Division One, he is indeed Chancellor Osborne's confidant." Lloyd confirmed Wazy's 'guess', "He accompanied the Prime Minister on his visit to Crossbell last year and had unofficial talks with then-Speaker Hartmann."

Elie read the material carefully, recalling something, "He mentioned this when we met at the auction. But his tone at the time seemed like a joke, and I never thought it was true."

Noel mused, "He's definitely a difficult person to deal with. So, his visit to Crossbell this time..."

"His purpose is still unknown, but he's certainly not here for tourism." Lloyd closed the file. "We need to proceed cautiously."

He turned to the next mission, "Next is the investigation into Dr. Katja."

"We only heard a brief summary from you a few days ago about Dr. Katja's detailed information, could you elaborate?" Elie, seeing the second red mission, became fully attentive.

"Hmm. Alright, Noel and I will explain from the beginning."

Noel and Lloyd recounted the detailed circumstances of the operation to apprehend Ernest, especially Topaz's abnormal abilities.

"...And just like that, she disappeared without us even realizing it." Lloyd concluded, "Even Arios and Father Kevin couldn't detect her whereabouts."

Elie's brows furrowed deeper, "Liberl Royal Orbment Technology Research Institute... I've never heard of this organization."

She flipped through the documents, "Moreover, the ability to instantly deploy a shield-like energy technology, a single coin blocking a giant demonic sword, controlling those strange creatures... This completely exceeds the scope of existing orbment technology."

Wazy's expression became uncharacteristically serious. Just from the description, he suddenly had an unsettling guess.

Could it be the Society? No, there are no members in the relevant documents that match Dr. Katja. Could she be a new recruit? But since Kevin was there at the time, it's unlikely to be the Society.

Lloyd keenly noticed Wazy's unusual behavior, "Wazy, what did you think of?"

"Nothing." Wazy resumed his usual lazy smile. "I was just curious about what that strange creature was."

Elie sighed, "In any case, Dr. Katja's danger level needs to be re-evaluated."

She pointed to the mission list, "I suggest we prioritize these two red missions."

"Agreed." Lloyd nodded, "But we need more information."

He looked at Wazy, "Regarding Lechter..."

"Leave it to me~" Wazy winked, "I have some 'friends' in the Entertainment District, so I should be able to find out his whereabouts."

"And Dr. Katja's side..." Lloyd pondered.

"Elie and I will investigate at the Epstein Foundation." Noel suggested, "Since she frequently goes in and out of there, she should have left some clues."

Lloyd nodded, "Alright, then I'll check the hotels near the Rainbow Theater."

He checked the time, "It's 9 AM now. We'll split up and meet back here at 12 PM."

"Understood!" Everyone responded in unison.

Just as everyone was about to split up, the conference room door suddenly opened. Chief Sergei, with an unlit cigarette in his mouth, slowly walked in.

"Chief!" Noel instinctively stood up and gave a standard Garrison salute.

Sergei waved his hand casually, "No need to be so formal."

He walked to the conference table and glanced at the mission list on it, "Have you finalized your plan?"

Lloyd nodded, "Yes, we plan to split up and gather information, then meet back at noon to summarize."

"Hmm." Sergei pulled a lighter from his pocket, but looked around and put it back. "You can decide for yourselves."

Noel blinked, "Chief, aren't you going to give us specific instructions?"

"The Special Support Section operates on a laissez-faire policy." Sergei shrugged, "Unless it's an emergency, I won't interfere with your actions."

Wazy chuckled, "As expected of the Chief, truly an understanding superior~"

Elie, however, couldn't help but retort, "Chief, you're not just being lazy, are you?"

The conference room suddenly fell silent for a second.

Sergei raised an eyebrow, a slight smile playing on his lips, "Oh, you saw right through me."

He admitted without a hint of guilt, "Indeed, approving reports one by one is too much trouble."

Noel's eyes widened, "Th-this is allowed?"

"Of course." Sergei said calmly, "The Special Support Section was established precisely because of 'trouble.'"

"You need to get rid of those rigid bad habits from the Garrison as soon as possible."

Lloyd smiled wryly and shook his head, "The Chief is as consistent as ever..."

"However, there's one thing I still need to remind you about." Sergei suddenly became serious. "Regarding the investigation into Lechter and that Dr. Katja, you need to be extra careful."

He looked at Lloyd, "No one from the Imperial Intelligence Bureau is easy to deal with, and that mysterious Scholar..."

Sergei paused, "Even Arios couldn't detect her whereabouts; such a person is not someone you can handle easily."

"Understood." Lloyd nodded solemnly, "We will proceed cautiously."

"That's that." Sergei turned and walked towards the door, "I'm going to have a smoke."

As he reached the door, he suddenly stopped, "Oh, right, remember to go to the Police Academy this afternoon."

"Huh?" Lloyd was a bit puzzled, "Is something happening?"

Sergei waved his hand, leaving the conference room without looking back, "You'll know when you get there, just consider it a surprise."

Noel watched the Chief's receding back, muttering softly, "The Garrison wouldn't be this casual..."

Wazy said with a smile, "That's the Special Support Section's style~"

Elie tidied the documents on the table, "Alright, we should get going."

Lloyd checked the time, "It's 9:10 AM now. Everyone keep your communications open and meet back here promptly at 12 PM."

"Understood!"

Everyone quickly sprang into action, each leaving the headquarters with their respective tasks.

Crossbell Central Square, an ancient clock 'dominated' the center of the square.

Lloyd walked through the bustling streets. The sunlight reflected dazzlingly off the clock tower. He turned into an alley; the back door of the Rainbow Theater was not far away.

"According to Chief Sergei's information, Dr. Katja should be staying in a hotel nearby..."

He was about to continue when he suddenly heard a familiar voice behind him:

"Well, well, isn't this Officer Lloyd?"

Lloyd froze, then slowly turned around.

A red-haired young man in a casual suit leaned against the wall, toying with an Imperial coin. He wore frog-eye sunglasses and had a harmless smile on his face.

"Lechter Arandell..." Lloyd secretly became wary, "Long time no see."

"What a coincidence~" Lechter approached with a smile, "I just arrived in Crossbell and already ran into an old friend."

He tilted his head, "Is your Special Support Section busy lately?"

Lloyd remained vigilant, "Just routine patrols. But you, what brings you to Crossbell this time?"

"Of course, I'm here for tourism~" Lechter spread his hands, "I didn't get to enjoy myself properly last time."

He leaned in closer, lowering his voice, "I heard you're investigating a mysterious Scholar?"

Lloyd's pupils constricted, "How do you know?"

"Oh, don't be so tense~" Lechter smiled and stepped back, "I just happened to hear some rumors."

His glasses reflected the sunlight, obscuring his eyes, "That Scholar is not simple, you know..."

"You know her?" Lloyd pressed.

Lechter smiled mysteriously, "Who knows~"

He turned to leave, "Oh, right, say hello to Miss Elie for me."

"Wait!" Lloyd called out to him, "What exactly..."

"See you next time, Lloyd-kun~" Lechter waved, his figure already disappearing into the crowd.

Lloyd stood rooted to the spot, his brows tightly furrowed.

'He knows we're investigating Dr. Katja, and he seems to know a lot about her. This mission is probably more complicated than I imagined.'