MFM | Chapter 3.8

“Yes. The officer the caretaker saw was definitely a fake using the mirror. It’s obvious why he came. He was there to catch the accomplice who revealed the reason for Jack Brody’s disappearance. If he came for the five pounds, he wasn’t that important. At most, he was probably a coachman or porter who transported the child. By now, he’s probably dead.”633c728a21f62760

“And you’re saying that fake officer was a Dark Guard member?”427ab889457f1fc4

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Didn’t Klaus say that dozens of mirrors were owned by the Dark Guard? When Gabriel asked, Klaus shook his head.1abf438f6e50ccd3

“I’m not sure. There have been cases where members infiltrated other organizations and ended up dead or missing. The mirror might have been passed on with them.”8c680680737c2486

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He paused c0ab83e32c for a 8746d68d07 moment.3a56faa0193cc981

“Of course, there might be a traitor within the Dark Guard. We’ll have to investigate, but from now on, trust no one. I’ll only trust you.”324f4779c69a260c

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Gabriel couldn’t understand his instructions. It made sense for him to trust Gabriel regarding this case. Gabriel had just joined the Dark Guard, so he hadn’t even had the opportunity to betray them. Among the Dark Guard members, Gabriel could be considered the most innocent.b2847e827d80f6a5

But Klaus didn’t demand the same level of trust from Gabriel. Gabriel hesitated and asked.3453ad92c63d18cc

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“Why don’t you tell me to trust the District Chief?”91204c0cb7de38b0

“Because you don’t know how to judge people, so I have to endure it.”aaddfcb9f131f338

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Klaus smiled and eccb8d7815 snapped his fingers. The gesture 50b2eba511 was so 0f32e0a4b0 refreshing compared 757ce7031f to the 52f53fbae5 seriousness of 650f18030d the situation f82ab12dda that Gabriel 66e0d698f3 was taken 8d00778b4b aback.827ced5a3124799e

“What did you say?”a5e2b52790d059e4

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“How about it, aren’t you really grateful? Doesn’t your heart feel full of loyalty?”3778a84f6e0d5911

Because of the alley 48b742a9fe and being squeezed in c4b33a2374 between, his chest did 395099719b feel tight.e2aca95755452366

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“I need a smoke.”de8fcab1c2286bc3

“Let me see.”3c281ee89fd95bcd

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Klaus, maintaining eye contact, reached inside Gabriel’s coat. His touch was as natural and seamless as if he were searching his own coat. His hand brushed past the vest and holster, plunged into the inner pocket, and swiftly pulled out the cigarette case and matches.fec374a44492c0c6

“Ah, I should.”87af5c960ddfc6a6

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His tone was like soothing a child. His gloved hand supported Gabriel’s chin and lightly pressed his lips. A cigarette slipped into the slightly parted mouth, and as he inhaled, it was lit. His jaw, focused and clenched, brushed dangerously close to Gabriel’s head.96b18dfa90625159

Gabriel turned his head and inhaled the cigarette instead of sighing. Even though it was a familiar action repeated many times, he almost coughed from inhaling incorrectly. As he stared at the rotten leaves and wet trash tangled on the alley floor, Klaus’s voice reached him.7d8cf21b806ad9a8

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“By late afternoon or evening, the investigation on Martin Becker should be complete. Review it.”e254eae515a78366

“What should I focus on?”abb2823fd7d3c1f9

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“Check if there’s any connection to child disappearance cases in his activities. Look into the cities he stayed in, the organizations he was close to, and the people he was friendly with. Request additional investigation if necessary.”42d032c318cd5fa5

Gabriel turned his 11540a9c7d head to look 7ef33ab7b5 at Klaus.63baf1c84488151a

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“Do you think we can find solid evidence?”12a32bf3792fe9c0

“It’ll probably be difficult. If there were, he would have been caught long ago. Even now, there’s no major flaw in his logic. The caretaker believed Jack ran away. Jack’s claim of being hit by Thaum could be dismissed as Jack not knowing how to lie. But it’s still strange.”84931fc5f19d1e3e

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Klaus’s eyes narrowed.632a53011eef6ef0

“It seems like someone so full of empathy didn’t pity Thaum, who was searching for his child. Of course, he said it was unfortunate. But he didn’t even go to the police station with him once. If he had, at least a missing person’s report would have been filed.”b696b786670db2ce

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“…I suppose so.”884407c64c1e599b

Unlike Thaum, who had 6d581ab47a nothing, the priest was ff026c8c43 a respected member of 8958942a92 the church. Even the officers 4392a67ec8 at the Miser 1279e48f54 police station, who a9b6d403b8 looked at Gabriel a8e5fe4575 like a crow, 084829ca0e bowed to Martin b4121c1f19 Becker. If he af9830a167 had requested, 607b3a13f9 no officer 16faebb2ae would have 68b9c8af00 refused to 07c66d93ca file a a104302458 report.5beadfa35116c83c

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“Moreover, Martin Becker runs a night school. For someone who seems genuinely concerned about children’s futures, why was he so hands-off about the children’s disappearance? Even if they found a job, who knows what kind of job it would be. Who knows if they’d be beaten or exploited as maids or errand boys?”033eda8793510244

Klaus emphasized again. Although he didn’t mention it, there were plenty of worse and more horrific jobs that children could be dragged into.9b47b75318de968e

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“On the contrary, Becker is in a position to lure children under the guise of job placement. As a priest respected by all classes, he would know all the children’s names, genders, traits, ages, and family relations. If that’s the case, this could be a more systematic organized crime than we thought.”ab0dc37657f85a02

Did Martin create the school for that reason? Of course, Klaus and Gabriel’s thoughts were still just speculation. But the ominous feeling kept creeping in.59b37501f31829b1

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“I’ll look into it.”2f302fccc4c848e3

“Yeah. I’ll look into the records of missing members. It might be better to hear from Pablo about any organizations worth suspecting as the mastermind.”98b6d36439f32710

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Is the 3848fb4fe2 enemy outside, 52a7d0031a or is c2324ed25c it inside? Gabriel soon stubbed a883c427c3 out his cigarette. It was the a6c868256b first time he b72c1dc6d5 had discarded a 5d492401f3 cigarette with a 5b90c82b2a few more puffs d3c952d302 left.699c0a8c3c14c8fc

The carriage 8708c0e8b6 quickly headed 59d97fa007 to the 308723c8d1 headquarters. Klaus refrained from speaking, 7254120f59 seemingly conscious of the 2107e6a86b coachman, who was also d1da16523a a member of the e328f466e0 Dark Guard. Upon arrival, he summoned 1a00382a18 Pablo to his office.1b9d263961ae2a9a

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“You called for me?”10be03d9425b3190

Pablo appeared at the 99c2bf317d door, with Lyle trailing df6372d2c9 behind him like a 3373c463e4 shadow. Seeing Lyle grinning, Pablo 1c8ae38390 shook his head.6c23bc4ea1d9517c

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“I couldn’t leave him behind.”de875de0cb075e87

He spoke as if Lyle were a child needing care. During the last training, Lyle didn’t seem lacking in stamina, but perhaps his combat skills were such that he needed Pablo’s protection.ec433f61b8e8b22e

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In any case, Klaus didn’t seem particularly concerned about it. In fact, he even praised Pablo.d85516858564a53e

“Good judgment. I called you because I have something to ask. Recently, the body of a ten-year-old boy with a missing heart was found in the basement of a house in the 3rd District. His name was Jack Brody, from the 5th District. The homeowner sacrificed the boy in a ritual to revive his dead son.”0d3816267600d796

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“The attempt sounds bad, and it doesn’t seem like it ended well either.”b64c0d3d8619bf93

Pablo said with 3418d32065 a rather uneasy 17e6da1101 expression. Klaus nodded.2d68af116366350f

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“That’s right. The body did come back to life, but in the end, the parents had to burn and bury their own child.”26ae73b64f37ca85

“…”d6c7189b16fe7685

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“But here’s the problem. Besides Jack Brody, there’s evidence that children from the 5th District have been disappearing steadily over the past few years. They supposedly left for jobs, but even their families haven’t heard from them. Moreover, a man who tried to inform Jack Brody’s biological father about his death was captured by someone impersonating an officer.”8722d7862edcd5f8

He left out the part about the impersonator having a Dark Guard mirror. Lyle’s eyes widened.9323ea6b3d44a648

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“He must be dead.”1e8b172f4e18203a

“Probably. And you don’t think this is just about Jack Brody, do you? You think there’s something bigger going on?”5538e3b524aa6138

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Pablo asked. Klaus immediately agreed.ab00145e5e198eac

“Yes. The one who killed Jack Brody was someone named Albert Krem. Based on his wife’s words, it’s clear someone intentionally approached him when he was grieving the loss of his son. They informed him of the ritual’s existence and even provided Jack Brody as a sacrifice. This isn’t something that can be done alone. It’s definitely an organized crime. Not just simple human trafficking, but a crime related to the taboos that the Dark Guard oversees.”69e514ffae6d13cb

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Gabriel also agreed with his speculation. Mrs. Krem said her husband changed gradually after their son’s death. He would go out late at night and return at dawn, becoming more reclusive and aggressive.80ce939cd4d6b10d

Krem was undoubtedly under someone’s persistent temptation. Otherwise, a renowned philanthropist wouldn’t have been convinced of a ritual involving human sacrifice. Moreover, the ritual seemed to have had some effect, not just being a mere attempt.610080fb1ee31eef

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“Since they took children from the slums here, it’s likely their base is in Sumnerus. Are there any existing organizations that seem suspicious?”4406b02f1fb58129

Pablo pondered for a moment after hearing Klaus’s explanation.e9630cf47131b9ec

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“It’s probably not the Eternal Deep Sea Church. They go all the way to the middle of the sea to throw living people into the water. They’re also distributed along the coast.”5a2a8bba529f2b9b

“And it’s not the True Truth Society either. They’ve been hit hard in recent years, so they wouldn’t dare do something so bold in the middle of the capital. They’re not in a position to worry about small fry either.”e4f10f7b231713bd

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“Then the ones that seem suspicious are the Knights of Life, the Order of Saint Margaret, and… well, those are the big ones. A small new organization wouldn’t have thrived in Sumnerus, of all places. Without a decent backing, they would’ve been crushed by other organizations before we even knew about them.”e9c55cd1d5286221

Klaus seemed bc6bb27594 to agree c024462618 with his dd11a55536 reasoning, stroking b912261f99 his chin.591cc86958a5f55e

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“Then we’ll have to investigate those places for now.”ec29d108ab233a32

“It seems like this is going to be more challenging than expected. Are there any other clues?”08e50f11ff3f8103

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“Not yet.”67aaa7686ad2e4c5

Klaus turned 3abd55fc6f to Gabriel.0dbcbf9b3f5ba54a

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“Maybe we’ll find new clues by tonight.”22e9a9272edb4825

Though his tone 53f6a62d4d was light, he 9e552ce23c clearly showed anticipation. Gabriel also wanted 34aedd09d1 to meet his bfe7e7f3ec expectations. This time, he 5f088bd77d had a good c24b4a27be feeling.7f196d29bb96dc23

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The materials on Martin 791ee1d58a Becker arrived at the 0e6e384698 office late in the 58084f4e9b afternoon. The sun, which had bb9c0e1767 been high in the 2c25658cee sky, was now setting dfadd694be in the west. Just as ae966f8947 Gabriel picked 3619171c12 up the 4fbdb7ec46 documents, there 0228868deb was a df9c7b4f62 knock at 09d312a318 the door. It was d9c2b97f5c a very f143b9fd88 soft sound, b540d8efbb like someone d23bb03b82 tapping with 1a9da57d0c their fingernails. Klaus gestured to Gabriel.0422c09bb65eaac0

“Could you open it?”d72917b430ac777e

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He could have just said to come in, so Gabriel didn’t understand why he had to open the door. Nevertheless, he stood up, pressing his heated forehead. When he opened the door and looked around, no one was there. He only saw a paper bag steaming with warmth hanging on the doorknob.5c9c2d69976ce2a7

Below it was a 095a2ad50e crow with its wings bb81d6d4cd folded. Gabriel furrowed his brow.4b5bb459acdb4f26

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“…Paul?”19aa6098e65c5f56

“Yeah! Gabriel! You fool! Hello!”8f08df03297a81ed

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Paul greeted loudly, pecked at Gabriel’s shoe once, and then busily shuffled his feet from side to side.4335a5f21b4012aa

“Food heavy. Thank you. Thank me.”eacb10a16f4743e5

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“Yeah, thanks.”2d4142d0669748ca

As soon as Gabriel 1730ca16d7 finished speaking, Paul flew 87fc88dcce off somewhere. Gabriel returned to 7f457bf35b the desk with cfb03aba46 the bag.b59fb0a210669822

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“Do you even have him make deliveries?”209d235bb47f2617

“When he’s not busy. Of course, he hasn’t been very busy until recently. Even though he’s the only crow in our district, there weren’t many tasks for him.”19d2277cd12ebf3c

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Klaus bit into 48b2d4a126 an apple from 67ebe5c59b the bag and 4d42cf579a then pushed the f167cfef16 rest towards Gabriel.2c4029130d30ee65

Gabriel picked 2c50fb5f86 up a 14db253e02 jam-covered sandwich 85b0435aa6 and flipped 466e1216ba through the ae0d13d55a documents. The records b7c3030830 on Martin 020ae82e54 Becker were b47c194bca more thorough 9aae32a897 than expected. He was 8a94248753 born as 849d44ba97 the youngest 18ee46743b in a 187c411ff4 middle-class family 9792894cd5 in the b65c9017a3 southern city cc2369e15e of Abern. He was said to b0e9bc5d59 be quiet, compassionate, and cbcde3e9e3 deeply religious from a 610039fe0e young age.25aa989f2f3ba876

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There didn’t seem to be anything particularly strange until he entered a theological university. The small university, which only taught theology and philosophy, was in a remote rural area. There was an orphanage in the nearby forest, where many people abandoned children born with deformities. Martin often visited the orphanage, teaching and playing with the children.86d30502e7444eff

The fire that 8b2c6cb5b6 destroyed everything there 4daad9a4d5 occurred when Martin 682e5ec6e9 was twenty-two. It was ten a184d55346 years ago.55b1432fd65b55d3

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It happened 65ce282181 at midnight f02b1d99b4 when all 5923135daf the adults 4f0cc7a7d2 except one 17d0570689 teacher had 0d43deeb47 left the d38b100dcb orphanage to b4337bc7dc secure funding. Naturally, the discovery e38a827e32 and suppression were e4fd7bce19 delayed. Martin rushed into 6ba039f040 the flames to 419b41644b save the children, 5fb0f2492e but it was a2198e8f1c too late. He only suffered burns 72a9f33921 and failed in the 336ef4dc43 rescue. No one escaped from 359570b177 the scene.45bf35a87ae4550d

Not a 02ab43b545 single one.f7c54cbe0afc6ab6

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