I! Cleaner!

"Well... I promise I won't say anything about what just happened."

Looking at the female Cleaner whose expression was uncertain, shifting between extreme embarrassment and relief, appearing both happy and sad, Miss Zhuangpo couldn't help but softly suggest:

"Miss, I really didn't mean to eavesdrop, and I didn't hear much. I just happened to stumble upon it... How about... How about I compensate you a little money?"

"No... that's not necessary..."

Upon hearing Miss Zhuangpo's suggestion, the female Cleaner, snapping back to reality, shook her head, then reached out to grasp the hem of her skirt, staring at her nervously and asked:

"You really didn't hear anything?"

"No, no!"

Miss Zhuangpo hurriedly waved her hand and said:

"I only heard you and an elderly person talking about the port and the pass, because I was afraid you'd notice me, I blocked my ears, and didn't hear anything after that!"

"Alright then..."

Nodding, still half in doubt, the female Cleaner slightly moved aside, allowing the way, and just as Miss Zhuangpo hurriedly bowed her head to leave, she suddenly spoke:

"You're not going to tell anyone about my grandma, are you?"

"Ah?"

Miss Zhuangpo was stunned by the words, then replied with wide eyes:

"Isn't it your father who started the war... Oh no!"

Liar! You said you didn't hear anything?!

Having casually tested, revealing the truth directly, the female Cleaner was annoyed, stomped her foot, and once again reached out to grab Miss Zhuangpo.

At this moment, a leisurely dog barking sounded; from the bowls and dishes on the table beside Miss Zhuangpo, a golden retriever's head suddenly poked out.

In the female Cleaner's surprised expression, that golden retriever slightly reached out and bit Miss Zhuangpo's skirt hem, gently tugged, and pulled her into the bowls and dishes that were smooth like mirrors, and after a shake or two, they disappeared.

Ugh... now it's over...

Watching Miss Zhuangpo being dragged into the bowls and dishes by the dog, the female Cleaner couldn't help but feel a bit helplessly angry.

This woman is also a Cleaner from the Virgin Branch. After she runs away, she'll certainly go to Leon to tell what she heard. Although I can also go to Leon first to confess, the crying I just did dispelled all the courage I had mustered. How could I even start to speak?

With a head full of sorrow, she circled back to the other side of the pillar, put away the small mirror that had gone dim at some point, and left this sad place dejectedly, starting the search for Leon's location.

And after she walked away, a subtle scraping sound suddenly arose beside the bowl and dishes where Miss Zhuangpo vanished.

Accompanied by the sound of a tail swishing against the chair back, Leon's figure appeared on the chair beside the bowls and dishes, judging by the position, if the female Cleaner had just moved her hand an inch to the side, she might have grabbed his shoulder.

Lila is truly... her performance with Miss Zhuangpo is consistently reliable.

Plucking the Secret Tail from his rear and throwing it back into the Mirror World, Leon, recalling what he had just heard, couldn't help but shake his head slightly with a complex expression.

The Director of the Aquarius Branch, Baltro, was right, the war six years ago is really hard to judge who was right or wrong. Even for the Kingdom, which was invaded, it's hard to say they were absolutely innocent.

To many, this extremely brutal and painful war was the complete opposite for him. After all, if not for that war, Anna wouldn't have created the abnormal object, and he wouldn't exist.

In a certain sense, he even had to thank the war; its impact brought him a warm family, gave him a gentle and understanding younger sister, and most importantly, granted him a source of emotional solace.

However, for Anna, who almost lost everything, this topic was somewhat too cruel...

With a slight pang of heartache, he sighed, watching the female Cleaner's distant back, Leon couldn't help but feel some sympathy.

Indeed, most people who join the Clean-up Bureau seem to have some less-than-ideal experiences, even if Melly appears carefree, she too harbors some painful past she doesn't wish to remember.

Based on what he heard, her mother was also a Cleaner from the Aquarius Branch, but she sacrificed herself during a cleaning operation, seemingly even when she could have retreated, she chose to sacrifice herself to save more people.

Although he doesn't know the specifics about the mission, it should have been assigned by Director Baltro of the Aquarius Branch, which indirectly caused the death of the female Cleaner's mother, leaving her and her brother without a mother.

So the current King of the Northern Kingdom likely deeply resents this decision by his great-uncle, having not spoken a word to him for many years, also possibly harboring a hard attitude towards Melly who was brought up by her great-uncle and destined to become a Cleaner in the future.

With a guilty great-uncle burdened with many affairs, a mother sacrificed early because of a mission, a father busy with state affairs and bedridden long-term, the remaining ambitious brother, even if he slightly improves his attitude towards her later, would likely be too preoccupied with state affairs to take care of her.

With this in mind, though she likely didn't worry about food and clothing, her life probably wasn't too pleasant.

A child about the same age as Melanie, with little affection from family, soaking in the Clean-up Bureau full of strange people, growing into how she is today, is already quite remarkable...

Hmm... or although she may not have had a good life, her happiness at times was genuine.

Watching the female Cleaner mid-search for him unconsciously heading towards the serving station, Leon couldn't help but chuckle, then knuckled his finger joints, softly tapping on the bowls and dishes on the table.

"Lila, I already saw you, come out now!"

"Woof!"

With a familiar dog bark, the golden retriever flashed across the bowl, banging out a startled Miss Zhuangpo... but only her head.

Goodness... this scene is truly a bit horrifying...

Watching Miss Zhuangpo's head in the dinner plate, Leon's mouth twitched, hurriedly shifting the vase on the table over to shield the head from frightening others, then he asked:

"Lila, did the Director send you to find me, besides telling me everyone's gathered, is there anything else?"

"Yes..."

Twisting her head on the plate, finding the female Cleaner not nearby, Miss Zhuangpo let out a sigh of relief, then proceeded to convey:

"Director Olivia asked me to inform you that the General Bureau discovered some clues, suspecting that beneath Rehe City, deep in the underground river, there might be a lava tunnel extending to the earth's core. And given the bureau's limited means for investigating the earth's core, it's difficult to monitor the specific situation there.

So the General Bureau's idea is to have you set off a bit earlier, to collaborate with Baltro, Director of the Aquarius Branch, in thoroughly inspecting Rehe City's underground, while guarding against the Slaughter King Association, and promptly addressing the hidden dangers in the underground river of Rehe City."