Aside from a higher salary, perhaps the greatest perks of being an Intern Investigator were the provided meals and housing. After being assigned—or rather, recruited—by Mado Kureo, Lancer was naturally stationed in the 20th Ward. Early in the morning, he changed into uniform and rushed to the appointed gathering point.
"Mado-san! Sorry I'm late."
As soon as Lancer reached the gathering point, he saw Mado Kureo dressed in his trench coat and a stern-faced Amon Koutarou in his suit. It wasn't difficult to spot them—the crowd unconsciously kept their distance, likely due to the white suitcases they were carrying.
Investigators hunted Ghouls to protect humans, yet precisely because of this, they were mysterious in the eyes of ordinary people. Moreover, besides Investigators hunting Ghouls, Ghouls also attacked Investigators. People greatly respected Investigators, yet instinctively avoided them. No one wanted to be dragged into such troubles—they merely wished to live quietly.
"No worries, we simply arrived early. Alright, let's move out."
If Mado Kureo had felt like a typical old man yesterday, today an indescribable aura radiated from him.
"Mado-san always becomes like this during missions."
Handing Lancer a brand-new white suitcase, Amon Koutarou quietly explained beside him. Lancer, however, didn't mind at all. After all, he knew many things others did not—like why Mado had become this way.
Right now, his attention was fully absorbed by the case in his hand. Clearly, this was the Quinque Mado had promised him, and it would soon become his primary reliance for survival in this world.
"There are too many people here. Let's find somewhere quiet before you open it."
In this world, truly safe places hardly existed. However, finding deserted areas was easy—after all, Ghouls' existence had taught people to instinctively avoid secluded places. Ironically, this made things convenient for the trio now standing in a narrow alleyway.
"Because of its materials, this Quinque isn't very high-grade; at most it qualifies as a B-Rank. But since it was crafted from a Ghoul's Bikaku Kagune, it has no obvious weaknesses. What do you think?"
Mado seemed quite satisfied with the crimson spear in Lancer's hands. Just as he mentioned, the Quinque wasn't top-tier. Its Bikaku Kagune had been extracted from the Ghoul who attacked Lancer, who'd only been an average Ghoul at best. Yet, in Mado's eyes, it probably had special sentimental value for Lancer.
"I'm very satisfied."
Satisfied? Of course he was satisfied. From what Lancer knew, most Investigators from the training camp could only become Rank 3 Investigators upon graduation, and only a rare few outstanding trainees earned Rank 2. Within the CCG, only Rank 2 and above were qualified to receive a Quinque—let alone a custom-made one.
[???]
[Weapon Type]: Spear
[Rarity]: D
[Special Ability]:
Ghoul Hunter — Uses RC cells to inflict additional damage specifically against Ghouls.
[Combat Power]: +50
As Lancer examined the properties of his Quinque, Mado Kureo wore a peculiar expression while surveying their surroundings.
"Lancer, even though you're temporarily on my squad, you've never experienced actual combat. Today, your task is simply 'patrol.' If you spot any Ghouls, signal immediately to me and Amon."
"Yes, sir!"
Still absorbed in excitement over his new weapon, Lancer failed to notice Mado's strange expression or the hesitant look on Amon's face behind him.
From Lancer's perspective, assigning him—a newcomer—to patrol and scouting instead of combat was perfectly normal. What he didn't know was that typically, Investigators operated in pairs at minimum, one senior Investigator and one junior Investigator. A lone "Intern Investigator" on patrol was clearly abnormal.
Moreover, although Lancer knew some plot details, he was severely lacking in common sense. For instance, though there weren't many Ghouls in the 20th Ward, they were certainly not limited to the main characters or their immediate circles. Many Ghouls hid in secluded, rarely-traveled areas... exactly like the alley he now occupied.
Investigators and Ghouls were fundamentally opposed existences.
Ghouls fed on humans; Investigators protected them. Whenever they met, it was a fight to the death. So, what would happen if an inexperienced, rookie Investigator wandered alone into an area frequented by Ghouls? From a Ghoul's viewpoint, this scenario was simply the most convenient form of "takeout."
...
"Mado-san, is this really alright?"
Standing on a rooftop, Amon Koutarou gazed down anxiously at Lancer below. After all, it was he who had found the information about this area's suspicious activity.
"It's fine~ It's fine~ I'm here, aren't I? Besides, don't underestimate Lancer's strength. His experience may be inferior to yours, but purely in terms of combat power, he likely surpasses most Rank 2 Investigators. And a 'weapon's' rightful place will always be on the battlefield. Storing it away in a display case has no meaning at all…"
Hearing Mado's words, Amon momentarily didn't know what to say. Typically, newly graduated Investigators joined group operations to gain experience against Ghouls. Only after receiving approval from mission commanders were they assigned to smaller squads under senior Investigators.
Is he really worth all this special treatment from Mado-san?
Perhaps due to Mado's eccentric personality, many people avoided him—but his strength and reputation in the CCG were unquestionable. Even Amon himself hadn't received such special attention when first assigned to Mado. Unconsciously, this made him somewhat jealous of the younger man below.
At this exact moment, their pupils suddenly contracted. Both Investigators had spotted a Ghoul appearing atop an advertising billboard above Lancer.
"The show begins now…"
At Mado Kureo's oddly distorted voice, Amon Koutarou instinctively tightened his grip on his suitcase.