MFM | Chapter 2.2

Pablo tapped his glass eye. The eye spun around as if responding to him. As Gabriel stiffened, Pablo grinned.

“It’s a relic that lets me see through objects. Of course, I have no intention of seeing the color of others’ underwear, but some people get scared, so I’m telling you in advance.”

“I’m fine. Do members have to use relics?”

“No, each relic demands a different price, and the approval process is complicated. I was lucky enough to have it implanted.”

Pablo raised a finger as if giving a warning.

“You have to be really careful. There are still many relics whose identities are not properly revealed. Sometimes accidents happen because people don’t even know they’re holding a relic. Usually, they look like antiques, but a relic might not look like that at all. The only commonality is that they’re made from parts of monsters.”

“…What’s the most important thing to be careful about when handling them?”

“Getting addicted to relying on relics. The greater the power, the greater the price, and people sometimes pay an unbearable price because they’re captivated by relics. They go completely mad. We call it being consumed by relics.”

“If they’re so dangerous, can’t they be destroyed?”

Pablo pulled up the corners of his mouth.

“It would be nice if it were that simple, but it’s not. They regenerate even if you break or burn them. Besides, having relics gives us a fighting chance.”

He tapped the blackboard with his fist.

“There are more forces wanting relics than just us. For example, there’s an organization called the Knights of Life. They claim to contribute to fighting monsters by creating abominations with relics. Doesn’t their purpose sound plausible? Of course, humans are included in the animals they experiment on.”

“…”

“There’s also an organization called the Order of Saint Margaret. They say you can only become a saint by experiencing pure pain, and that ‘pure pain’ means being tortured with relics.”

It seemed none of them were sane. The world Gabriel didn’t know was crazier than the world he knew.

“How many such organizations are there?”

“Well, there are probably four or five major ones. If you count those with at least a hundred years of history.”

Pablo scratched his head.

What else was there? Anyway, you don’t need to feel guilty when dealing with them. You know, there’s a saying in the law.”

“Self-defense.”

Lyle, sitting next to him, said brightly. The chalk Pablo was holding broke under pressure on the blackboard.

“Self-defense, Lyle.”

Gabriel remained silent. Pablo, holding a new piece of chalk, drew a large round circle on the blackboard. Four lines were drawn below the circle.

“So, the structure of the Dark Guard is like this. The headquarters is located in Sumnerus, the capital, with branches established in other major cities. The head of the headquarters also serves as the commander of the Dark Guard.

Within Sumnerus, jurisdiction is divided by district. The southwest, where the royal palace is located, is the 1st District. The northwest, made up of residential areas, is the 2nd District. The central commercial hub is the 3rd District, and the northeastern industrial zone is the 4th District.

Now, a question: which district will Gabriel belong to?”

Gabriel realized there was a missing part in his explanation.

“Aren’t there any other districts?”

Pablo visibly showed disappointment.

“You’re sharp. Yes, the districts I mentioned have been managed for a long, long time. But the place we’re in charge of is the newly created 5th District. Mainly slums.”

He drew another line below the large circle.

“The reason it was created only recently is that the 5th District wasn’t originally a place for people to live. You know, how Sumnerus expanded tremendously over the past few decades with factories drawing in the population.”

“Yes. That’s why slums formed on the southeastern outskirts.”

“That’s right. But during the previous king’s reign, it wasn’t a big deal. The kind of incidents we handle usually don’t happen there. Ordinary crimes are more common.”

Pablo tapped the line he drew.

“The monsters roaming the sewers were just left alone. They’re not particularly strong, so they’re not profitable, and they don’t come out.”

Gabriel recalled the monster he had seen. And himself, crushed mercilessly by it.

“How weak are they? Can civilians handle them?”

“Oh, of course not. Civilians would faint immediately. Well, maybe if they have very strong traits, they could win.”

“I can win too.”

“You’re not a civilian, Lyle.”

Pablo pointed out Lyle, who had suddenly interrupted. While Lyle was asking Pablo about the definition of a civilian, Gabriel reflected on his own behavior in front of the monster. Even though he hadn’t fainted immediately, he hadn’t won either, so there was no reason to be particularly happy about it.

Gabriel met the eyes of Pablo, who looked tired.

“Did the sudden creation of districts happen after His Majesty’s ascension?”

That was the only drastic change recently. Earlier this year, the previous king, Hendrik II, had suddenly passed away, and the nineteen-year-old Eliné IV had taken the throne.

Considering that the Dark Guard was under the royal family’s jurisdiction, it was an even more significant change. Pablo nodded.

“That’s right. Although it focuses on artifact handling, the essence of the Dark Guard is ultimately to protect the kingdom’s people and maintain peace. His Majesty used that as a pretext to order the extermination of the underground monsters.

But in truth, it’s impossible to annihilate them. As long as there’s contamination, the monsters will keep appearing.”

He let out a low sigh.

“There was resistance even within the Dark Guard. We’re already on the verge of collapsing from overwork just handling our jurisdiction, and this isn’t even happening within our jurisdiction. The monsters are mostly concentrated underground in the slums.”

Monsters are drawn to fear, so it makes sense. What could be more terrifying than having no food for tomorrow? Pablo’s gaze turned to the blackboard.

“That’s probably why the previous king was indifferent to this matter. Humans living close to monsters will gradually go insane. Slowly, suicides occur, and murders increase…”

Pablo looked back at Gabriel.

“Wouldn’t it be great if they just died on their own, saving the budget for the poorhouses?”

“…”

“Isn’t it great?”

“No. It’s not great, Lyle. Be quiet.

Anyway, there was a lot of discussion about who would take on the task, and in the end, the director decided to create an entirely new district. He appointed Sir Rapendell from the 2nd District as the district chief.

But since there weren’t enough members to assign, they sent those who seemed suitable for simple tasks underground—three people who stand out in appearance, can’t read well, and can’t sit still at a desk.”

He frowned lightly and then relaxed.

“None of us can handle paperwork. Except for Susan, we’re not really suitable for external activities either. So when the district chief brought Gabriel in, I thought it was amazing. Wow, since there’s no one to work, they’re bringing someone from outside!”

“Someone!”

Lyle clapped his hands with a bright smile. Gabriel felt a strange sensation. It was the first time he had been so welcomed. Especially since becoming a coroner.

“Doesn’t it bother you that I’m a coroner?”

“No, I said earlier that it’s great. I meant it.”

Pablo showed his stained hands.

“It doesn’t matter why you came in. If the district chief chose you, your skills are probably decent, and your character is likely better than ours. Don’t worry about what others say. It’s not like they haven’t gotten blood on their hands.”

He clicked his tongue while dusting off his hands covered in chalk powder.

“Oh, but if your stamina is poor, you’ll need to work on that. Other districts don’t know how busy we are and call us for support tasks all the time. Plus, since everyone is a mutant, it gets tricky during the frenzy period. If things get bad, Gabriel might have to go out to kill monsters too.”

“Understood.”

Gabriel wasn’t sure if killing monsters could be solved by improving stamina, but he answered that way for now. It wasn’t surprising that the nature of his work wasn’t clear. His previous job was similar.

The company, run by a boss who managed around thirty people with erratic orders, had no clear system. Everything had to be learned by intuition, and tasks had to be handled as they came. Compared to that, this place was kind enough to provide explanations.

“So, what should I do from now on?”

“Well, the district chief said he wants to check your combat skills first. He mentioned coming around lunchtime.”

Pablo checked the clock on the wall.

“I’ll take you to the office, so you can wait there.”

Just as he finished speaking, there was a knock on the door. Pablo shrugged his shoulders.

“Come in. They say monsters come when you talk about them.”

“No, that’s not the district chief’s footsteps.”

Lyle clearly refuted. Before Pablo could turn to look at him, the door opened. The person who appeared through the gap was a man in his late twenties, a Beta. He had a stiff expression as rigid as his angular glasses. After scanning the room, he met Gabriel’s eyes.

“I’m from the 3rd District Investigation Department. I’m Eugene Kerwin. Are you Gabriel Valentin?”

It seemed other districts had multiple departments within them. Gabriel stood up.

“Yes, that’s me. What is this about?”

“I’m here to request your cooperation in an investigation. Please come with me.”

He stood at the doorway as if his explanation was sufficient. Pablo slightly raised the corners of his mouth as he looked at Eugene.

“Gabriel just arrived at the headquarters today as a trainee. What kind of investigation is he being called for?”

“You’ll find out when you get there.”

“You can’t take our member without a proper explanation.”

Our. Gabriel found that pronoun quite unfamiliar. Since losing his family, he had always been outside of ‘our’ at university and at work. He hadn’t expected to hear such an expression in an organization he had suddenly joined.

“Send a crow to request permission from the district chief first.”

Pablo firmly stated, and Eugene furrowed his brows. The already deep crease between his brows deepened further.

“It’s a matter requiring confidentiality and urgency. It’s a waste of time to argue like this. If you’re really worried, you can accompany us.”

He checked his pocket watch as he spoke. It was evident that he found the prolonged conversation bothersome. Lyle looked at Pablo.

“I’ll go. I can hide my tail under my coat.”

“No, Lyle. I can’t just send you with a trainee.”