"Mhm, that’s what I was thinking too. I..."

Just then, Tina, standing beside them, stared at Kali with her vacant eyes and suddenly spoke. "Tina, hate."

Huh?

"Hate? Me?"

Kali looked at the white-haired girl in confusion. Although she didn’t quite understand her way of speaking, it was obvious the girl was saying she disliked her.

"Tina, Dawn..."

Before Tina could finish, Wei’en placed a hand on her head and ruffled her hair. "Tina, Sister Kali is a new colleague. We’ll be working together from now on."

"That’s right. Tina, you can’t say things like that."

Lisi also noticed the commotion. She zipped over, put an arm around Tina, and said with a smile, "Kali, don’t mind her. Tina doesn’t have any ill intent."

"Okay."

Kali hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "I understand, Captain."

For some reason, as she looked into Tina’s empty, vacant eyes, a baseless fear gripped her heart. It was as if they were a bottomless abyss that could pull her away from the Dawn’s protection.

"Tina, understands."

Lisi looked around, a headache brewing. She felt less like she was leading Investigators and more like she was looking after a group of problem children...

After a moment of thought, she announced with a sigh, "Since our department’s roster has changed, and Wei’en is strong enough, we’re going to reorganize the teams."

"Wei’en and Tina will be a team. I’ll be with Kali. Marco, you’ll work alone for now. I’ll assign you a partner when a new recruit arrives."

"Starting tomorrow, you’ll handle cases according to your new team assignments. Is that clear?"

Wei’en and the others exchanged glances and nodded. "Yes, Captain."

"Also, Wei’en, if you need backup, press your alarm. I’ll get there as soon as I can. Understand?"

"Don’t worry, I’ll be careful."

Wei’en understood Lisi’s reasoning for reorganizing the teams.

Given Tina’s peculiar nature, now that she had said she hated Kali, keeping them together would be a liability for everyone. It was better to use the new team assignments to separate them.

This was the best way to prevent any accidents and protect everyone.

"Alright, everyone get ready. The evening reception is still on."

Marco asked in pleasant surprise, "Huh? It wasn’t canceled?"

"The ceremony is the ceremony, and the reception is the reception,"

Lisi said, glancing at Kali. "What happened this morning was just an accident. I trust Director Ales won’t mind us mingling with the other people from the city-state."

"That’s great!"

’This is not great at all,’ Wei’en thought.

He had assumed that after this morning’s incident, the evening reception would be canceled too. He never expected those people would still be willing to sit with members of the Secret Investigation Department...

’Could it be that they’ve just gotten used to Director Ales’s forceful and domineering ways?’

...

...

As the bells of Krimms Cathedral tolled, the red moon rose quietly, instantly eclipsing the sun’s light and heralding the arrival of night.

At that same moment, the City-State Council Hall, located in the central district of Caster City State, was brightly lit.

Hundreds of gas lamps hung from the ceiling, and candles representing the Dawn burned along the walls, illuminating every corner.

Long dining tables were laden with all sorts of delicacies and drinks, their tempting aromas wafting from golden plates and silver platters, whetting one’s appetite.

A music area had been set up in a corner of the hall, where musicians played Shetland’s most recent popular piece—"To the Great Dawn." Its stirring, pleasant melody echoed throughout the hall.

Nobles from all over the city-state, officials from the City-State Council, and Holy Professionals from the Dawn Church, all dressed in magnificent attire, gathered in small groups, their laughter ringing out from time to time.

In the center of the hall were the main figures of the day: the members of the Secret Investigation Department, several Holy Professionals from the Dawn Church, and representatives from the City-State Council and the Noble Committee.

On the side of the Secret Investigation Department, led by Deputy Director Balats, were three high-ranking committee members and two department heads.

One of them was the clearly reluctant Yegor, head of the Logistics and Investigation Department.

Meanwhile, the representative for the Dawn Church had been swapped out for the Guardian Knight from the Klande City State—Melbel Osiris.

Deputy Speaker Harrington of the Caster City-State Council and old Count Ernst, the representative from the Noble Committee, mediated between the two sides. They finally managed to smoothly offer their praise for Kali joining the Secret Investigation Department.

Everything seemed so friendly and peaceful.

Well, except for Wei’en...

[You have been targeted by Melbel Osiris’s killing intent. Assessment: If I were you, I would absolutely not show my face in front of an expert at the department-head level. Oh, in the Dawn Church’s terms, that would be the Holy Knight level. Reward: Survival Points +3.]

Wei’en cursed inwardly. In the end, that brain-damaged Guardian Knight had found him after all.

"Sister Lisi, this reception is pretty boring. Can I walk around a bit?"

’If I stay here any longer, there’s no telling if I’ll be cut down by a sudden sword strike.’

Lisi nodded. "It’s fine to walk around, but don’t go too far. After the reception ends, I need to take you all to a safe area to stay for the night."

"Okay."

Wei’en quickly got up and left the makeshift stage. Tina tried to follow him but was held back by Lisi.

As for Marco... he had disappeared long ago. Rumor had it that he’d been called over for a "friendly" chat by that Miss Lydia who had returned from Klande.

Kali, who was sitting in the middle, also noticed him leave, but after a moment of hesitation, she remained in her seat.

Unlike Wei’en, as the highest-ranking member of the Dawn Church present today, she had to stay and accept blessings from all the guests...

Next to her, Melbel watched Wei’en’s retreating back with a blank expression. He lifted a finger slightly, but ultimately let it fall.