MFM | Chapter 1.5

He felt something moist wriggling at his fingertips. As if the lion was swallowing saliva. But the teeth didn’t tighten and remained in their initial state.7d1ef84b1914664a

Gabriel realized that 80951d0dd7 the statue only e311e8e3e6 judged truth and c331cc31bb lies, without demanding f49d2c1a33 more facts. Because he could 491357cfea have given a ea6dc7ed3c more precise answer. Like‘someone who wants my father’s research journal.’3994f71ace4c52bf

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But it was also true that he didn’t know the identity of the assailant. So he had to carefully provide only the minimum answer. The man spoke again.54be0955009646ce

“Family relations?”bf6c1f32812db2ac

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“No siblings, and my parents passed away.”a8524dbba06ae66c

“Oh dear, was it an accident?”a906520102b6f5d8

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Gabriel paused for cdd626808c a moment.aec99584d931ebc6

“As far as I know, yes.”9d4e4510f0a034df

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“That’s unfortunate. Let me ask something else. Have you ever harmed anyone?”23ff5bc09b197cfd

The man asked. It seemed like 8207d0b0bd he was checking 3370e43889 for basic disqualifications. Or perhaps 28149797da he was 3ab37ef50c assessing the 380f530332 minimum qualifications.02df7488877b57f3

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Was he looking 797180f37f for a law-abiding 3fcacbe774 citizen or a 407d301609 criminal? Gabriel sorted through the 39b6088c9b information in his head.eecb838b0ccefc25

“Once when I was nineteen, I cracked my godfather’s head with a shovel, and once last year, I broke a colleague’s ribs in a pistol duel.”de8a31b23d0e6747

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“Hmm.”6f9c0d446c371886

The man smiled 0ef4bf7880 broadly, as if 7ff0e204a8 finding it interesting.dc50d32c50693508

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“You’re kinder than I thought. You’re like me.”65e2c40a2b54b8f0

“……”162a1c775b621c57

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“Major?”0058006f19458301

“Surgery.”dba6d42755a54727

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“What did you do besides being a coroner?”8a01007a087af0cf

This time, it 5d3b0dca5d was about his 3faf67e358 career.17acd53c3c73d967

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“I worked at a small trading company.”a27b63de8c5851b8

The man tilted his 6af5f86237 head.b16bf25b194cfbb0

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“Why? With a medical license, there should be better job opportunities.”4f98ee7f9ea2996a

“I couldn’t get a recommendation letter.”1bcd7c42273c467e

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“And yet you’re confident in your work as a coroner?”d9c7eb84f37f6997

“I’ve never made a mistake so far.”131828e2e1576391

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As far as he knew, that was true. The man closely examined Gabriel’s face. As if he could discern signs of lies just from that observation.5c16af5034b2ac63

“What do you live for, Gabriel?”ea439b0712cd0dc6

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Gabriel sensed 995ce05215 that the e09dd5b9ca test was a36f36aa1d nearing its 9cd6d32abc end. He was trying to 07cb668e70 examine his values. Gabriel gave a 971158e79d neutral and factual 565c649f70 answer.911798c2b49444d3

“To make money.”5cee642e90ba7682

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“By any means necessary?”311de32ebf00c1d2

It was 753a8a4f17 a question 9e4576f241 that clung f806e482df to the f29309609a tail of 19a4b7fb2e the previous 7b91f8017b question. Gabriel looked d9bf2fabdb the man 5a725c9b81 straight in 65002ceac0 the eye. His long, slender eyes, 7eae91caba containing greenish-blue pupils, were 65b38d249d curved as if amused.6b35c2e6302890ee

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Which organization did the Dark Guard belong to? The king? The church? A noble individual or perhaps heinous criminals? It was clear that the man hadn’t revealed it in advance for the sake of this question.f21939ca5223041a

His head cooled down, and his spine ached. He desperately wanted a cigarette, but he couldn’t smoke now. Gabriel bit his lip once and let go.412a7b2682a65c81

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“Within the bounds of legality.”e2bcba9c09fe6e53

“What about things not defined by law?”75619d6344d1faf1

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“That would also be legal in a broader sense.”f825431ff176b60b

There was no 0b6cf0d374 need to mention 8ed7030ceb his moral standards. After giving ba349bb1ba a legalistic 04b6f4954d answer, the 0ed7f980df man laughed.ff2e6154e1232ebc

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“One last question, Gabriel.”4c5ee3f14a0f2647

“……”18b5cfd12254d3bf

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“Do you believe in the divinity of the one and only absolute Goddess Anat and the authority of His Majesty the King, the protector of the Kingdom of Arkham?”b8a6957c5feb9910

The final trap was a6b9ee790f laid before Gabriel.9beb838bf3a6e46d

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The man could be a devout believer or a cynical skeptic. He could be a royalist noble or a revolutionary dreaming of rebellion. Either way, he couldn’t choose the wrong answer.f48bb6ecd2a4b906

‘But if I have no beliefs in the first place.’6be72cb8f0710ebb

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There was no a45c624c52 need to confess f5bfed5306 his conscience. He just 8d2f339bc9 needed to 624a5f2d61 describe the 37c21c6f14 phenomenon he 957bb43ce4 was in. That was also true.4343c5d0f24e532d

So the only answer 698a7716b4 Gabriel could give to 62c1b96a85 the question was one.59045fb0c46f57ab

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“I obey it.”248f3a8f9072a409

The shirt soaked in cold sweat clung tightly to his back. One, two, three… As Gabriel counted silently, the lion didn’t close its mouth. No knife flew to his throat, nor did a gun barrel approach his forehead.f81544080b67bb77

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What that meant fbe76e6147 was clear.7e016474c6380d45

“Congratulations on passing the test, Gabriel. You’re now a probationary member of the Dark Guard. His Majesty leads us, and the church watches over us. Our role is to protect people from all the secrets that shouldn’t be known. You could say we’re the kingdom’s hidden shield.”5e3d9ebfa72263b9

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The man gently smiled as he removed the lion statue from his hand. But Gabriel still couldn’t relax.7e0d00a6eafee134

“How can you prove that the Dark Guard is really such a place, and that you belong to it?”ef2b89cb001c80e7

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“Oh, that’s not difficult.”6902b5acb94396dd

The man thrust his gloved hand into the lion statue. The lion’s teeth clamped down on the man’s wrist as if its jaw would dislocate.8e40f4f14e51f3c6

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“The Dark Guard is an organization founded by Shelom I. By the way, do medical students learn history?”05fc69598fbda75c

“Yes.”4894c4bf5709a0bc

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Even those ignorant of e4ecfc74e6 history would know the c9d9423161 achievements of Shelom I. He was the wise c96984d709 king who ended the 925404fb31 era of the Great d8868c0d81 War against the Evil b960a4fc51 God and brought peace c8dc6ff162 to the kingdom. The man nodded 09ab990585 roughly.a745b70a7c763aea

“When the long-awaited peace finally arrived, all sorts of dangerous relics were scattered throughout the kingdom. Leaving them alone would surely lead to more terrible things. So he made a pact with Edlun III, who was the Pope at the time.”53f81e312e6b57ac

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The man d0b270353c gestured with 82999ce35b the hand b092a4ace2 stuck in 3c029325b1 the lion d096c884db statue.7697a4dd20630cf3

“To create a secret organization to find and collect all the relics. But since the power would be dangerous if it leaned to one side, the royal family would manage it, and the church would oversee it.”f373bd4227d11bb9

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“……But how could they not reveal their identity for such a long time?”817a0f1ddc1cc745

“That was also part of the pact.”258b6e0c0c004121

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The man laughed.f2e7782113833648

“Creating indifference so that the citizens of the kingdom can focus on their daily lives. Treating the rituals of cultists as child’s play, considering stories about relics as ghost tales, and making them believe the city is safer than anywhere else. You’ve lived like that until now, haven’t you?”576dba6b8582e728

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Was he implying that indoctrination and concealment were carried out through doctrines and sermons? Gabriel couldn’t believe that the era of peace he had lived through was maintained under such deception.d4f5e69ef9b1d012

‘I lived thinking all those things were natural.’01b81c65a85fcb2c

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Of course, he couldn’t say he didn’t understand Shelom I’s decision. Monsters feed on human fear. So if countless people didn’t even know about the existence of monsters and relics underground, and even found it laughable, the city would be peaceful, and life would be stable.7f47c07bc74037fa

However, realizing that his thoughts had been manipulated by others, he couldn’t help but feel a faint sense of discomfort. Gabriel rubbed his damp palms on the blanket.3e8a47c2ee27df72

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“So you’re sure you’re a member of the Dark Guard.”b78e9f06329e7df5

“That’s right. Since you’ve already put your hand in, is there anything else you want to ask?”606914ed71f51d3a

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“Your name.”3368175b6aefe2d6

He had to 11819a7b06 ask for the 56d89a6650 name of the ef4fa63669 man in front 4f35d8ac8c of him since a548f89bb6 he needed to b2aa4c4c75 address him. The man lifted 8965dde7d1 the corners of 7e949a5797 his mouth.e97b0257bad5f949

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“Klaus Rapendell.”a8275589acbe912e

It was a name he had never heard before. When Gabriel didn’t show any recognition, Klaus seemed even more amused. While Klaus withdrew his hand from the lion statue, Gabriel took out a cigarette case from inside his coat.703f0ffeab4d06ff

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“Let me know if you don’t like smoke.”892ab6991bfa4e50

“I don’t mind.”0d731a78c3f33c91

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It was a cool permission. Gabriel checked inside the cigarette case. There were four. It hadn’t changed from what he knew. The slightly torn end and arrangement were still the same.9ce7a18697c9f62f

‘It’s certain this side wasn’t discovered.’2113a018aa1cdb70

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Gabriel picked one up and suddenly realized he didn’t have any matches. They must have all spilled in the sewers. As he stood still with his hand inside his coat, Klaus tossed him a matchbox.0ef14780aa34a6d6

Lighting it and 6eb0f7a745 inhaling the smoke 31e736c03a finally made him ea6f09a412 feel alive. As he exhaled fd6bba1410 a long white 805ac331da breath and rubbed c2a54313a2 his forehead, Klaus 9e20da49b0 asked.679e1cd15a2d8ac5

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“You’re a Beta, right?”672fbcabaa9aa7f1

He almost swallowed his d7d809cecb breath. Frowning as if it 052ac0d1f9 was due to the e40e9212b1 cigarette smoke, Gabriel looked 19179d62ed back at him.b775fa106fa783bd

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“Yes.”7ae5636d894678ee

It was fortunate that the question came after the terrifying lion statue was removed. Of course, even if it hadn’t, Gabriel would have come up with an answer. Like, ‘Check my ID.’ In a way, that was true. Klaus’s eyes narrowed.18731caebb72bf20

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“For a Beta, you’re a bit…”b5413021ac2d178d

“……”a527a26391ef1a71

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“Unusual. Haven’t you heard that before?”acfd7c7fdec79945

“I’ve heard I’m tall.”bb1c3d29a4200db4

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Even so, he 5f30c71304 had never been a15248f9ea suspected of being fbea08b6ef a mutant.cc46e3c47e8f8194

‘Is my trait particularly strong?’b5aee0c184699d36

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Mutants recognize other mutants. It’s an area of instinct and intuition. Klaus seemed to have faintly noticed something that was almost entirely burned out within him.0f3be2fbd98dd466

Gabriel silently finished his 560e042af3 cigarette. Klaus, who had 9de703edf3 been staring intently 0d11c4a65c at Gabriel, finally 15c6b697b1 spoke with a ff2ebbc4cb gentle smile, unable c4b7e8433c to concretize his b69c27601f suspicions.c64310330c475900

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“Don’t be too sad. This is a government job, after all. There’s no retirement age, so you can work until you die. Promotion is fast too, I suppose?”09bf1354324e1757

It wasn’t a particularly comforting statement. Summing up the meaning of his words, it was clear that members of the Dark Guard generally died early, leaving vacancies.930a76efcbfd5453

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But despairing and trembling with anxiety now wouldn’t help survival at all. If perceived as incompetent and worthless, he’d be the first to be abandoned. Gabriel feigned a calm expression and sought something that could be a comfort to him.6cdf9f74dd3b78f7

“How far does the Dark Guard protect its members? The person who chased me today might come back.”785f005d3833102b

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“Really? You’ll be fine with this. Take it.”10b8118c25ee120d

Klaus pulled something out 668c4e02d5 of his pocket and 476cf0e230 tossed it. Gabriel caught it. It was a small 7abef80445 silver whistle with no 8be576ee28 embellishments. At first glance, caa452f73a it looked like e068b6d768 a toy children 8f9dac1e03 would play with, 35292c22b0 but if it daf43ba419 was something used 7024d7fe6b by the Dark 314e9c610c Guard, it might bbc55007bf have special efficacy.3a6617db7ac6bd70

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“……What kind of utility does this have?”0ccd263583791b62

“Oh, it has a tremendous effect.”2096cda4ee1b19c7

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Klaus said brightly.2e7a1a89130964bc

“If you blow it, I’ll come to save you.”f58f6d1fbfcab83c

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Gabriel furrowed his brows slightly and tucked the whistle into his coat. It wasn’t very reassuring, but it seemed better than nothing. Klaus, with his arms crossed, leaned back against the chair.68b5e5c16024a837

“Anything else you want to ask?”279435e4012b5e31

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Naturally, Gabriel had 94f8a6d79f to ask about 9dc62b3b21 the next most 0825952a17 important thing after 1990d91bf0 his life.390fab12439299d7

“Does the Dark Guard also pay a salary?”80a26771dc11306c

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“Full members get more than 3 pounds. Probationary members get less. Probably a little over 2 pounds?”a995595184c4c7af

“When can I become a full member?”71cf6a35c5944bdc

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“That depends on you.”3439768d8ffe0ed2

“Be specific.”d15da75980d7d95f

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Gabriel demanded in aeacebbafe a firm tone. Klaus grinned.39db93d7c0b3763b

“I really meant it. For someone like you, well, maybe a year?”af0216a5eeb93503

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If he could endure 7e24b0bcc8 just a year. Gabriel quickly calculated 655f347d01 in his head. With a weekly salary 81fbed3a36 of 3 pounds, the 17689857a6 expected monthly savings would 7aed14bd16 be 6 pounds. It would take fe744d1cab about 166 months 89dd6c9ce9 to save a 4f5058df82 thousand pounds, which 6f72b2a4a7 equates to roughly c98ba8fa66 14 years.34195e20c2de5613

From a e292b49aff whopping 83 9489b85836 years to a1c0f6e1e7 14 years. The moment the 905bd71149 possibility of buying 200ecc31b3 a house was 6a20960e3a brought forward by b16ac9a5c6 nearly 70 years. That was at 6ee88b4e20 least a comforting a8ea1d777a thought for Gabriel.34e30250bc695b19

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As the smoking ended, Klaus approached Gabriel. Picking up the matchbox near Gabriel’s knee, he finally returned the gun.30ae245255ad1aed

“Here. Take your bag too.”2bb24dbccd8b3413

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When Klaus drew b267b53685 back the curtain, f5404bfbd6 the view of 07c51917a1 a fairly spacious 9c394866c8 room was revealed. On one d586090fd9 side, five 6d9e696262 pristine white a2d27fc39c beds were 412d22bc3c placed at 87913d8e95 regular intervals, a65b147b91 and on 1e6bd0cdea the other f511715e4e side, there 5d0fcaba90 were cabinets 5b13a4e9ba and an 2022c31678 operating table.d7656ad5f570808d

“This is one of the temporary quarters used by the Dark Guard. They’re spread throughout Arkham.”c66588452aff1461

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