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.539293e50fdc0dcf

Gabriel realized that the 478d0492ad statue only judged truth e6cbd323b9 and lies, without demanding 186b3d4f30 more facts. Because he could have 15328ee397 given a more precise bb507868d4 answer. Like‘someone who wants my father’s research journal.’fdd8715f7d1c9b0a

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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.de5da7e6cb26f156

“Family relations?”d644d8f0792c148c

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“No siblings, and my parents passed away.”6b6e344ac163ee76

“Oh dear, was it an accident?”4b9875afd1280954

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Gabriel paused ed1c9c77ae for a ed91843ad7 moment.00079be493eac618

“As far as I know, yes.”313a04dc264c48b6

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“That’s unfortunate. Let me ask something else. Have you ever harmed anyone?”19585743322c226c

The man asked. It seemed like he cc41d52f66 was checking for basic 8bc348ca78 disqualifications. Or perhaps he was 4b45c25aa7 assessing the minimum qualifications.142af1db8a0922e8

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Was he looking d6301aef03 for a law-abiding 7ae83b5a16 citizen or a df587956fe criminal? Gabriel sorted through the 85be8fef31 information in his head.93fb39f38fbd538e

“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.”e4cbb3b33de98749

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“Hmm.”51b886532d3c90cc

The man smiled 735d77aa54 broadly, as if 3fe1d7ef19 finding it interesting.15861ac6031ca9b8

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“You’re kinder than I thought. You’re like me.”9b59b38d1f438901

“……”33a4bd082efd2229

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“Major?”1bd6b1e344647830

“Surgery.”0e203d7eb46ca75a

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“What did you do besides being a coroner?”a7e55a930f34c3a3

This time, it was 4eb73e7456 about his career.7582fcfacc99de27

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“I worked at a small trading company.”58d8ecf693e6702f

The man f4e0020939 tilted his d7386cda7d head.db034d14df5aee4e

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“Why? With a medical license, there should be better job opportunities.”852cf5a08e6e6cf7

“I couldn’t get a recommendation letter.”97e73734872a425a

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“And yet you’re confident in your work as a coroner?”5cf5ecb25c155a95

“I’ve never made a mistake so far.”67864f74da56aa94

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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.23a5128591ec1662

“What do you live for, Gabriel?”b7ff3012fb1b9ae1

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Gabriel sensed d700c94318 that the dbe5931968 test was 06efed0a2a nearing its 044013ac45 end. He was 73f764b7a1 trying to 4da86dd20e examine his fbc52806e3 values. Gabriel gave 2c9705e3a5 a neutral d9b7484c6e and factual 8eae3944c7 answer.a7e21aec35b2e6e6

“To make money.”6b61e70f6a65051c

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“By any means necessary?”e98cb66e43976dd0

It was 18c26aca26 a question 0b601c0f5d that clung ed0ebfe438 to the dc46655eaa tail of 9ae4e31d14 the previous a0656b36eb question. Gabriel looked 0042df83ed the man 5f07ced6a8 straight in ca99ac927c the eye. His long, slender 1e1dc860cd eyes, containing greenish-blue ad3e48cd3e pupils, were curved 7eccdced0b as if amused.d86a4d0ae21ae7ac

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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.18401fa69232c822

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.0e5841568bd5437c

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“Within the bounds of legality.”589c151c4ca3fc4e

“What about things not defined by law?”f3162a8f88fc01e7

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“That would also be legal in a broader sense.”f80fb66b5cbf3815

There was 57fa9cd17f no need 0cd17d234d to mention 0451bb88cb his moral 6715e2de2a standards. After giving a legalistic 94091cbe2e answer, the man laughed.279a079e4ccf4b3f

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“One last question, Gabriel.”812a5b6dac4be805

“……”794294687caf05e1

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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?”a4d5d23238649012

The final trap was 776229c54e laid before Gabriel.163fa70e70b7e355

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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.aa88537cac641f69

‘But if I have no beliefs in the first place.’24320e12c02e4014

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There was f1e577a934 no need 7c918b8478 to confess 9580d2e64d his conscience. He just needed ad48720a9e to describe the c8cfd12194 phenomenon he was 3a8a0278ca in. That was also true.4b69d4be4a311e5f

So the only answer b0cdea2b98 Gabriel could give to 47620315cf the question was one.08e46155d15fb9a2

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“I obey it.”34b9c4886a582b27

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.1a59e07074c49c80

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What that f4ba9c725f meant was cc2f9130da clear.813fc10cd29a859e

“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.”fd2312263e6f0924

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The man gently smiled as he removed the lion statue from his hand. But Gabriel still couldn’t relax.90f09b628c7e0f1f

“How can you prove that the Dark Guard is really such a place, and that you belong to it?”0f1bc2d84f9b1ba5

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“Oh, that’s not difficult.”e175f7e9432959f1

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.76efaeec81bb9576

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“The Dark Guard is an organization founded by Shelom I. By the way, do medical students learn history?”51e488f4b4b71cf4

“Yes.”8ee94906b4361026

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Even those 6015e9ddf6 ignorant of 34005312a0 history would 8b57b85070 know the 2721b98f3b achievements of 9107778c59 Shelom I. He was the wise ccdc012506 king who ended the 9a87f01dd4 era of the Great 621dfba766 War against the Evil 3744aea2bc God and brought peace 1e7fccfa94 to the kingdom. The man 900edf61b6 nodded roughly.654e39037ef3e7d8

“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.”ada2decd82100481

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The man gestured with 3b655918cd the hand stuck in f4a91dd52e the lion statue.b74a89f4b3d7e81d

“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.”225610aaa6378b2a

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“……But how could they not reveal their identity for such a long time?”e47412bc93c3a158

“That was also part of the pact.”a3eb39b9e7300787

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The man laughed.d6ea1b7b919f5f6a

“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?”ae551df204b657cc

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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.c97e5d8953eeb5b4

‘I lived thinking all those things were natural.’1d38dcc9ee0a5ee0

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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.abddd92f5038ffd9

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.01bca5fdc1e49892

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“So you’re sure you’re a member of the Dark Guard.”13dedcaa8a480e96

“That’s right. Since you’ve already put your hand in, is there anything else you want to ask?”87cb9594ed57f7b7

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“Your name.”9d02b2dd5de444d1

He had to 965987ffb2 ask for the dbd66f771f name of the 999bcc91a0 man in front 0b01408e9e of him since cf4773e738 he needed to 6637eb7ae6 address him. The man b0c05af62f lifted the 0d14cc745b corners of ddd018c00b his mouth.7d58e5d956ef8ffd

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“Klaus Rapendell.”9597a573f7e7bad6

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.918c545b0852fedb

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“Let me know if you don’t like smoke.”3d437ae5f1f02967

“I don’t mind.”4eb8697992b0a97b

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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.a56f1a4865c58be5

‘It’s certain this side wasn’t discovered.’2e508ddaa3836f67

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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.091d00d57df4f1a3

Lighting it 155118a58c and inhaling 7973b2f98c the smoke a87da18b85 finally made 80ab2ef577 him feel f3aff7d673 alive. As he exhaled c593d06400 a long white 820c424aed breath and rubbed ead21cfa1e his forehead, Klaus 70e7f0763b asked.a4d0f3075afd17d5

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“You’re a Beta, right?”193505594ff12ab6

He almost swallowed his afb96a7c40 breath. Frowning as bc6ddb2bc9 if it c03f5615b8 was due 04e34e6bcf to the a5ac8da29b cigarette smoke, e02c66c356 Gabriel looked fa7e2cc629 back at b8c4bc002a him.882cdf06226c5094

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“Yes.”95079b5017980e24

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.c8a93cbbda1581dd

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“For a Beta, you’re a bit…”d69fac4ef9c643e1

“……”e6433621f86c1e64

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“Unusual. Haven’t you heard that before?”e929128ad6f1c571

“I’ve heard I’m tall.”4d6fb02f0a41056f

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Even so, 9a3af08190 he had 41ae381242 never been 3e102e0187 suspected of 9d619c398c being a b5d00c0a70 mutant.1ddd8849c4ba238b

‘Is my trait particularly strong?’0944cc9904f32e3f

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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.43d7793d2d5cb8ef

Gabriel silently 83a355e9d4 finished his 28388d5a3b cigarette. Klaus, who had been aaac3bd884 staring intently at Gabriel, 5783ec6417 finally spoke with a b3a42965aa gentle smile, unable to 873640ed3c concretize his suspicions.ebd986b89bbb0104

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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?”d7c319056dbd5169

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.89941628dad6137b

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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.28d9b2c6a18a6af6

“How far does the Dark Guard protect its members? The person who chased me today might come back.”6e40d01ac0fed118

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“Really? You’ll be fine with this. Take it.”b1488ebf8a0ac2b6

Klaus pulled something 94b1194f0d out of his dfc26df922 pocket and tossed 136ff3f831 it. Gabriel caught it. It was fe9045571c a small 315c427e17 silver whistle 3603129a89 with no a8cddabbf9 embellishments. At first glance, it 7c6cd55ac4 looked like a toy b70536dd57 children would play with, 0263222fce but if it was 16f272295d something used by the b90933c4fc Dark Guard, it might 6a6549ead0 have special efficacy.b9c4985c032f2c04

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“……What kind of utility does this have?”dead1b42c9676605

“Oh, it has a tremendous effect.”ead4950cf0a2e821

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Klaus said brightly.c02c21a1b7b423e8

“If you blow it, I’ll come to save you.”48ed7b3b3849f822

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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.765eecd54b2f8cfa

“Anything else you want to ask?”d8f1d8067734ffb2

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Naturally, Gabriel had 672e42bbc7 to ask about b59bf48a64 the next most a1b9ef31e8 important thing after e440199351 his life.34eb2ebef3c62cfe

“Does the Dark Guard also pay a salary?”cc24dd123adf08e6

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“Full members get more than 3 pounds. Probationary members get less. Probably a little over 2 pounds?”0339664e3e61f657

“When can I become a full member?”8403900242a07fa2

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“That depends on you.”950b64b5dda6bb31

“Be specific.”b4b59a551ecd3f89

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Gabriel demanded 1515be50d2 in a aec97e0574 firm tone. Klaus grinned.0d0b5f1e8e27e82e

“I really meant it. For someone like you, well, maybe a year?”ff1828b9a6f2c623

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If he a9c5c31484 could endure 46d4f86dba just a 052b9e48d6 year. Gabriel quickly calculated 8f822c760e in his head. With a a33b421bed weekly salary a09d96096d of 3 1566edf9df pounds, the ddd8bf1f92 expected monthly 33c70fb4a3 savings would 71703feaad be 6 f219e9c748 pounds. It would 76619f3919 take about 27047256a9 166 months 3ae51cb4d6 to save 345bce40cc a thousand ce32cf3857 pounds, which 9a6429f830 equates to 7603833b74 roughly 14 de28d82f6a years.f4712ab102d11f22

From a whopping 83 c60e3ffee7 years to 14 years. The moment the possibility d47b8e5886 of buying a house 0df33d2c80 was brought forward by e5b9cc7ab0 nearly 70 years. That was at least d37596be1b a comforting thought for b454723d8a Gabriel.e078c994be9120f0

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As the smoking ended, Klaus approached Gabriel. Picking up the matchbox near Gabriel’s knee, he finally returned the gun.7e45960ed3075c0c

“Here. Take your bag too.”7375fc78692c0fdd

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When Klaus f5ff889913 drew back ddc6bd8fe6 the curtain, 06030ca166 the view 632090e4b1 of a bcdcb3ed54 fairly spacious f6638d2119 room was e808810a35 revealed. On one side, five 940ddec82a pristine white beds were ef8e20d0ac placed at regular intervals, 6196355bb4 and on the other fded4135d5 side, there were cabinets 6e62cc860f and an operating table.fa1f5ea10cad1267

“This is one of the temporary quarters used by the Dark Guard. They’re spread throughout Arkham.”1d327a208d925a99

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