"Dongdong——"
Angel knocked on the office door.
"Come in." Dunn's slightly dull voice came through the door.
Angel opened the door and walked in. Dunn Smith was wearing a white shirt and a black vest. He was sitting in his armchair, writing something with his head down. The windbreaker and top hat he usually wore when going out were hung on the coat rack beside him.
Hearing the visitor coming in, he looked up, put down the pen in his hand, leaned back and stretched his body.
"Did you meet the Borgias?"
He asked with a smile, as if he had everything under control.
"Well, we said goodbye. Ms. Lorota also... invited me to visit Backlund when I'm free."
Angel thought of what Leonard had just said, and his tone was a little unnatural when he answered.
"Lolota is... a little, um, a little special. You don't have to take it too seriously." Noticing the strange expression on her face, Dunn pressed his finger on her forehead and explained with a wry smile, "But she's a reliable teammate. We will often cooperate with the Backlund Diocese in the future. You'll get to know them. They are all trustworthy people in battle."
Captain, you don't have to emphasize "in battle"...
"Captain, what is it that has asked me to come to your office?"
In order to end this awkward topic for both parties, Angel quickly stated his purpose.
"Ahem - it's like this. During the mission yesterday, you were attacked by an armed man in the dock area. In order to protect yourself, you used the revolver you were legally carrying to fight back and accidentally killed the man."
Dunn seemed to have just remembered why he had called Angel to the office. He picked up a document on the table, opened it, and spoke in a tone often used by the police.
"Yesterday, Frye processed the body of the deceased and handed it over to the Tingen City Police. After comparison, they confirmed that this was the 'Dockside Assassin' who was wanted last week for suspected human trafficking and attempted murder. Well, this is a code name, not a real name. The police are still investigating his identity, but there is little hope. Recently, there have been frequent personnel changes in the upper echelons of the kingdom, and the household registration management is a bit chaotic. The old files do not record his appearance, and the new files are updated very slowly..."
"Sorry, I got off topic. Anyway, the police have confirmed that the deceased is indeed the person on the wanted list. Therefore, the reward on the wanted list, a total of 100 pounds, will be available in a few days."
Dunn muttered as he opened the file bag and handed the document to Angel. Angel took it and found that it was a standard certificate issued by the Tingen City Police. Except for some words of commendation, the rest was consistent with what Dunn had just said.
Is this a bit... hasty?
Angel looked at the "Certificate of Innocence for Murder" in his hand, and a hint of surprise appeared on his face.
Madam Sharon and the Tuxedo Clown of the Secret Order were killed after they attacked the official Night Watchmen. Since there were many witnesses and personal experiences, there was nothing wrong with that.
But this "assassin" whose name was unknown even after his death, could almost be said to have been convicted, wanted and killed by Angel alone. He had no contact with other official personnel before and after. He was put on the police's wanted list just for snatching the account book from Angel in the warehouse of the Labor Mutual Aid Union. He then failed to attack Angel and died in her counterattack.
Of course, this guy was obviously a veteran assassin, and the blood on his hands was probably no less than that of Cole Granger. He deserved to die.
However, by using the identity of an official Beyonder, one can easily exploit loopholes in the operation of this system, label others as criminals, and then kill them to obtain a bounty.
"What's wrong?" Dunn asked curiously when he saw Angel's expression changing. "You killed him alone. According to the rules, half of the bounty will be kept as the team's public fund. If you need the remaining half urgently, you can go to Mrs. Aureliana to withdraw it later."
"No, I just..." Angel hesitated for a moment, but still said what was in his mind.
After hearing her question, Dunn burst out laughing.
He stood up and walked to the coat rack, rummaged in the inner pocket of his windbreaker, and took out an inspector's badge, the same one that Angel received after he became an official night watchman.
"Look, this is our other public identity. The title of Inspector does not only exist in the church's files. It is also on file in the police department. Half of your salary is paid by them, so of course you belong to them."
Dunn sat back in his chair and pinned the badge on the left breast of his vest, which slightly changed his demeanor and made him look more serious.
"This gives us the power to use the police system to track down and arrest criminals - although these powers are subject to many restrictions, this warrant was approved after review and confirmation that the labor mutual aid association was indeed involved in human trafficking - but it does not mean that there are no restrictions and no consequences."
"If it is later discovered that you lied about the wanted warrant for him and used the church and the police system to achieve your own personal goals, you will also be punished accordingly. At the least, you will be demoted, and at the worst, you will be handed over to the church for handling."
After explaining in one breath, Dunn rubbed his temples. Seeing Angel staring at him dumbfounded, he smiled and said, "You don't have to worry too much. The extraordinary items he left behind after his death prove that he is indeed an extraordinary person. And since he was able to appear in that place and attacked your extraordinary person, killing him is a very reasonable and legitimate defense."
After listening to Captain Dunn's explanation, Angel finally understood the attitude of the church, or the official Beyonder organization, towards such incidents.
If she randomly killed an ordinary person on the street, or used the church or police system to deal with them, she would probably have to go to the Holy Tribunal the next day. But if she could kill an unofficial Beyonder, like the three Beyonders who died in her hands, she would not be blamed, but rewarded.
"By the way, speaking of unofficial Beyonders, the true identity of that tuxedo clown..."
Angel thought of another Beyonder who died at his hands yesterday, the one who was a member of the Secret Order who was suspected to have Sequence 7 strength, and asked.
"Leonard went with the police to investigate overnight yesterday. They used the carriage they rented to locate their temporary base in Tingen City. However, they were very cautious and quickly evacuated after the mission failed. We were unable to find any more valuable clues. I asked Old Neil to do some divination, and the conclusion was the same as the previous divination for the 'Assassin'. Either there were too few clues, or the other party could interfere with the divination."
Dunn shook his head and didn't have much expectation for the subsequent results.
As a secret organization established in the last century, this kind of action is in line with their identity. If they were to follow the clues and catch other members just because one Beyonder died, that would be too unreliable. They simply cannot survive for thousands of years...
As for divination, after Old Neil's failed divination for the "Assassin" last time, she had long since given up hope.
But Klein, the "fortune teller", seems to have a very high success rate in divination... Could it be related to the name of his potion?
"Why not let Klein try?" Angel asked curiously, thinking of another teammate who could tell fortunes.
"Perhaps due to some previous experience, he was frightened when he saw the corpse of the clown again yesterday. Forcibly using divination may cause the risk of losing control, so I didn't let him try it."
It turns out what Rozanne said was true... I shouldn't have doubted her expertise in gossip.
Angel apologized to Roshan in his heart, and then asked, "Some experience, have you seen someone die in a similar way before? Is it a relative or friend?"
"It's a further development... You should ask him for details, but it's better not to do it in the next few days." Dunn seemed a little hesitant and ultimately did not continue the topic.
"In short, this was his first time personally witnessing the killing of an enemy at close range. Although he did not do it himself, it is understandable that he was uneasy and had wild thoughts..."
When you put it that way, it seems that I, who did it myself, am inexplicably cold-blooded... Angel looked at Dunn, who was looking at her with a smile, as if there was something else behind his words.
"Well, actually... I didn't sleep well last night, and I didn't eat well either. I was worried about the revenge of the Secret Order, and worried about... uh..."
Under Dunn's scrutinizing gaze, she could no longer make up a story.
"Dongdong——"
Just as the two were looking at each other in silence, there was a knock on the door.
"Captain, Miss Rozanne said you were looking for me?"
It was Klein's voice.
The sudden appearance of the person in the topic eliminated the weird atmosphere between the two. Dunn raised the corners of his mouth and said to Angel with a smile: "Let's do it this way for now. Ask him to come in when you go out."
Seeing that the captain had ordered her to leave, she hurriedly left the room.
Klein was standing outside the door, wearing a black coat, ill-fitting pants, and holding a cane. Compared to the tuxedo he wore yesterday, this slightly old-fashioned suit made him look more reserved.
Thinking of himself who was also covered in mud and had a torn coat yesterday, Angel guessed that the other party sent the suit to a tailor shop for repair.
Klein was stunned when he found out that it was Angel who came out. He saluted like a gentleman and said, "Good morning, Miss Angel."
"Good morning, the captain is inside and he asked you to go in directly." Angel also greeted him.
Klein seemed to have something else to say, but when he heard Dunn waiting for him in the room, he pursed his lips, nodded silently, passed Angel, walked into the office, and closed the door behind him.
Angel did not leave the corridor, but leaned aside with his arms folded and waited.
A few minutes later, Klein pushed the door open and walked out. He saw Angel leaning against the wall. He raised his eyebrows, seeming a little surprised.
The two did not talk at the door of Captain Dunn's office, but walked to the other end of the corridor in tacit understanding. The sound of Mrs. Orianna's typewriter came from another closed office, effectively covering up other sounds outside the door. Miss Rozanne's soliloquy came from the reception room outside the partition. She seemed to be reading a newspaper.
"Do you need me for something?" Angel asked first.
Klein hesitated for a moment, then nodded as if he had made up his mind: "Yes, are you free on July 14, which is this Saturday evening?"
"Saturday... the day after tomorrow? I should be free."
Since she had doubts about whether Klein could escape from 2-049's control on his own, Angel had been looking for an opportunity to talk to him alone these past two days. When the other party took the initiative to invite her, she quickly agreed.
But Klein's next words were beyond her expectations.
"That's great. I've reserved a table at the Silver Crown Restaurant at 6pm on Saturday. Um, it's the one on Daffodil Street." Klein spoke very quickly, as if he would lose the courage to continue speaking if he slowed down. "You know, my family just moved to Daffodil Street at the beginning of the month, and we've been looking for an opportunity to celebrate. They're all free on Saturday. You saved my life during the operation yesterday, and I think..."
He seemed to think he had expressed himself clearly enough and did not continue, but looked at Angel expectantly.
Under his gaze, Angel was somewhat confused. She thought Klein invited her to have a more "private" conversation, to confess her own secrets, and she was even prepared to listen to a carefully fabricated lie.
Unexpectedly, I was invited to a family celebration.
With Klein's brother and sister present at the same time, there was no way we could talk about the mysticism...
Of course, it is also possible that the other party is taking this opportunity to invite me, and will find a time to talk alone after the celebration. After all, given my current gender, a young man inviting me alone may be misunderstood as having other intentions...
Angel thought about it, hesitating whether to accept the invitation. Seeing Klein's expectant look, he couldn't help but nodded.
"Okay, I'll be there on time."