Unable to repay my student loans, I had no choice but to work part-time as a demon hunter.

After summarizing, Scarlett's gaze swept over three of the Seven Ministers.

Eleanor Elizabeth, the Gentleman of the Empire, is responsible for controlling the normal metabolism within the Empire, as well as for talent development and the redistribution of wealth.

Charlene, the Patient Minister, is responsible for the Empire's long-term strategic planning, ensuring that the Empire is farsighted in major strategic matters.

The Humble Secretary Thomas is responsible for isolating high-risk knowledge, shaping accurate historical memory, preventing Imperial citizens from accessing information they shouldn't, and controlling wild superhumans who have broken away from Imperial order, teaching them the principles of gentleness, kindness, respect, and frugality.

"Where is that mermaid now?" Qianxunqing looked up.

"Placed in the hands of Gordon Vick, and kept under guard at the Royal Academy of Sciences. This man is an investigator recommended by Martin Holt, a top student of Professor Winslow, a student at the Royal Academy of Sciences, and has an even more prestigious title: Crimson Alchemist," Scarlett explained.

Gordon.

Upon hearing this name, each of the three had their own thoughts.

Elizabeth thought of Gordon's youthful drive and shrewd calculations.

Patient Qing considered whether Gordon's existence was beneficial or detrimental to the Logris Empire in the long run.

The humble minister, however, saw the risks.

"The mermaid won't be safe in his hands," the humble minister said casually. "It would be best to transfer her to a more closely monitored position immediately to avoid a repeat of the same mistake."

"Gordon must have his reasons for doing this," Elizabeth said.

"He has made many correct judgments, but that doesn't mean he will always be right. Mermaids are a kindred spirit from beyond the borders, and they are an important strategic asset for our country, which cannot be lost," said the Minister of Civil Affairs.

"The mermaids came to hunt down the Fishing King, and they have been doing so for the past twenty years, and they are still doing so now." Patient Minister looked up. "From this perspective, they are allies, and the word 'assets' is too wishful thinking."

According to Patient Lord's information, three mermaids broke into the Blackwater Hermitage's sanctuary twenty years ago, almost destroying the place, slaughtering everyone in the sanctuary, and interrupting the Fish King's resurrection process.

He was subsequently hunted down by the Secret Order and lived in hiding until today.

"That's their side of the story. The only thing we can be sure of is that they are loyal to Baal and carry some kind of mysterious mission. For twenty years, they have never tried to contact us, and clearly have no desire to build mutual trust," the Humble Secretary explained.

"What if Gordon could become friends with the mermaid?" Elizabeth couldn't help but ask.

The modest minister stared at the generous minister for a long time.

"Friendship is not a covenant."

"But an alliance can be built on friendship."

"...Gordon has indeed made a name for himself recently, but his luck will eventually run out, and his intelligence has its limits. He is clearly obsessed with speculation and profiteering, and his current achievements are a stroke of luck, but he has also reached his limit." The modest minister remained noncommittal.

Next, the Humble Lord presented his views.

"The Ritual of Noble Life is known only to a select few, but those who do know are the powerful figures within Lundenim. They understand that an eight-hundred-year lifespan can be taken away, and therefore they will not let it go unpunished. Thus, in my view, mermaids are a huge detriment to social stability."

:

"You want to kill her." Elizabeth looked up.

"I will make her disappear." The Humble Lord nodded. "Erase her name, wipe her records, make those who have seen her sign confidentiality agreements, and send her to where she belongs. If we cannot cooperate with her, or if Baal uses her power to invade the mortal world, then the state shall decide how she should die properly."

Elizabeth pondered for a moment.

This is certainly a foolproof idea, for all levels of society.

The myth of mermaids and eight-hundred-year lifespans should have been fleeting, becoming an unattainable dream in the minds of those in power.

The temptation of a mermaid living in the mortal world is too great.

"Scarlett? You've seen mermaids, what do you think?" Elizabeth asked the Special Investigator.

"Ah, me?" Scarlett was lost in thought for a moment.

"What do you think of the mermaid? Do you think Gordon can take good care of her?"

"Regarding the first question, from what I saw on the scene, she is strong and intelligent, and at the very least, she shouldn't be treated like an object," Scarlett said cautiously. "Regarding the second question, my thought is, why not give Gordon a chance? When Ningning woke up, Gordon was the closest to her. She didn't punch her, and Gordon didn't put shackles on her. Instead, he asked her what she wanted to eat."

Scarlett had seen a report submitted by Martin from the Blackwater Hermitage, which even the Empire's enemies believed was a terrible thing to leave Gordon alone with single women.

Therefore, she had no doubt about Gordon's affability, but she didn't know how to express it tactfully to Qi Qing.

"And most importantly, we need to find out who performed the Noble Destiny Ritual. Someone who can evade the Empire's eyes and ears, murder supernatural beings, and escape subsequent pursuit is probably more worthy of our attention than the mermaid and Gordon," Patient Minister reminded.

The three exchanged glances and slowly found a barely acceptable consensus.

For now, consider the mermaid as a potential strategic ally, using her power to locate and kill the Fish King, and also to explore the secrets of Baal through her.

Gordon Vick was appointed as the primary contact person to find the beneficiaries of the Noble Life Ceremony.

"Bring him to Mount King." Elizabeth closed the report. "Ultimately, I am responsible for him."

……

The next day, Gordon slowly woke up.

The room still smelled of sweat, soap, and love; the sheets were beyond repair, but the bed frame had once again withstood the pressure.

Gordon carefully moved Vera's leg away.

"Where to?" Vera asked without opening her eyes.

"Check your mailbox."

"Will you give it back?"

:

"As long as there are no documents in my mailbox asking me to do this or that immediately."

Gordon got dressed, went downstairs to the street, and checked the metal mailboxes.

In addition to several letters from GG and invitations that he was unwilling to attend, there was also a black letter from the Imperial civil service system.

Upon opening the door, all that was inside was the summons time and a room number in the government building. Nothing was mentioned except that Gordon should arrive on time in two hours.

Junwang Mountain!

Gordon went back upstairs and told Vera about it.

"Going to Mount King again?" Vera felt a little uneasy.

"Don't worry, this time it's probably not about beheading me. I just became an investigator." Gordon stood up.

Vera hugged Gordon around the waist. She didn't say she didn't want to go; she just hugged him quietly for a while.

Come back soon.

"Understood." Gordon kissed her forehead.

Then, Gordon went to a nearby stable and led out a furious animal.

Enraged from being suppressed for too long during the continuous downpour, he kicked the stone slabs in frustration as soon as he left the stable.

Gordon mounted his horse and rode towards King's Mountain.

The closer you get to King's Mountain, the wider the streets become, and the more police officers and soldiers there are. Flags unfurl again in the sunlight, and the shops along the street look both respectable and quiet.

I climbed high and gazed at the mountaintop.

The blazing sun shone brightly there.

Many high-ranking ability users who committed serious crimes were executed on Mount Monarch. The official statement was clear: all evil will be burned to ashes under the Emperor's watchful eye, and no traitor can escape the punishment of Eternal Noon.

That's certainly reasonable.

But then Gordon thought of the law of death.

When an ability user dies, the manner of death, their dying thoughts, and their personal traits will condense into a new source substance.

In ordinary combat, it is difficult to precisely control these conditions; the battlefield is chaotic, and the way to die is random.

Execution, however, is different. The empire can control the location and instruments of torture, as well as the materials the prisoner reads and sees before death. It can even shape an absolutely precise method of execution through interrogation, objects, and rituals.

Like the tidal birth ritual, both can produce source matter in a directional and regular manner.

Of course, this is just speculation. Gordon is extremely loyal to the Empire and would never speculate on how the Empire exploits the ultimate value of those with abilities.

:

As Gao Deng rode his horse across the unseen boundary, a blazing sun once again appeared high in the sky.

The government buildings, the Privy Council, the Navy Department, and the financial authorities stretch along the mountainside. The classical buildings appear tall and majestic in the sunlight. The clock tower chimes every fifteen minutes, and countless civil servants move from one building to another.

Gordon handed his fury to the servants of the Royal Stables, untied the white cloth from his arm to reveal the crimson dragon in the sunlight, and then walked toward the Government Building.

The civil servants walked around, some noticing the investigator's badge, others seeing the bright red armband, and finally seeing Gordon's face, they couldn't help but whisper to their colleagues.

"Is it him...?"

"That person..."

"The Crimson Alchemist..."

Gordon transcended these idle gossips and ascended the steps of reverence.

One step, two steps...

He recalled how Elizabeth had ordered the end of Eve's exile, how the council here had passed laws deciding the fate of 80,000 people, and how Ningning's story might be discussed repeatedly here.

Ten steps.

It's still ten steps.

Gordon reached the top of the stairs, his heart at peace.

This place will indeed change the fate of many people, but Gordon himself has changed the fate of many people so far, so he is not afraid and has no intention of changing his mind.

"Hey, Investigator Vic." Scarlett walked over briskly.

"Miss Scarlett," Gordon greeted her.

When not in combat, Scarlett is like a carefree, happy street urchin, wearing a tan action jacket, trousers, and leather boots, with a scarf, looking young and nimble, completely unlike the Crimson Meteor that traverses the battlefield.

"Come with me, we haven't had our celebratory drinks yet. How about we grab a drink sometime?" Scarlett said, her hands in her pockets.

"Although I have a high alcohol tolerance, I don't have a drinking problem..."

Gordon felt that Scarlett was the type who would change after drinking alcohol.

"There's a whole lot of 'pleasure' between drinking and alcoholism, so don't be so afraid of alcohol," Scarlett said with a grin.

She led Gordon through multiple security checks and finally to the familiar office.

The room features creamy white wallpaper, geraniums growing under the windows, and the air is filled with the warm aroma of fine tea and baked goods.

Lady Elizabeth sat behind her desk, her expression still gentle and smiling, yet she could never truly put anyone at ease.

"Welcome, Mr. Vic." Elizabeth extended her hand to Gordon.

:

"Madam," Gordon greeted Elizabeth.

"The person is yours, Elizabeth." Scarlett turned and left.

"Miss Scarlett!"

"I'm only responsible for rescuing the mermaid; the rest is up to you." Scarlett leaped up, slammed the door shut, and disappeared from Gordon's sight.

"It's about the mermaid..." Gordon turned to look at Elizabeth.

"Rule number one: Mermaids don't exist in the world." Elizabeth smiled.

At Lord Humility's insistence, Elizabeth's first objective was to eliminate the contamination of supernatural knowledge to the greatest extent possible.

The Humble Secretary wanted to make Gordon Vick understand that there are many things in this world that are not allowed to happen.

"Understood, we just encountered an unidentified foreign woman who had fallen into the water," Gordon immediately replied.

Elizabeth paused for a moment and looked closely at Gordon.

"A thousand-strong army launching a general assault on the chapel across the water?" Elizabeth said.

"A joint project involving multiple departments to dredge the sewers."

"Olivia?"

"The wanted tax evader resisted arrest and was eventually shot dead on the spot."

"The Holy Sword and the Holy Grail?"

"The former is an ancient water control tool, demonstrating the courage of the ancient Lundenim people in constantly transforming and conquering nature through hard work. The latter is an ancient souvenir with cultural value."

"A ritual for a noble destiny?"

"Don't believe or spread rumors. Beware of fake medical scams. Scammers accurately exploit the basic concerns of the elderly about aging and their desire for longevity, and concoct a series of unscientific so-called ritual therapies. There is no such thing as 'mermaid life-borrowing.' If citizens find any suspicious advertisements, they should immediately report them to the nearest public official. The reward is up to 100 gold pounds, but we usually give 5 copper points."

Elizabeth nodded.

Very well, Gordon has finished her job, and the Imperial Secret Service has gained another young person who doesn't need training.

"So, regarding the follow-up arrangements for the benevolent treatment of this foreign woman who has difficulty walking... I feel that the university's underground water tank is not qualified to receive foreign guests on a long-term basis." Elizabeth flipped through the documents.

"What should we do then?"

"Archbishop Gregory wants her to undergo a jurisprudential review."

"That doesn't sound very friendly."

Eve experienced jurisprudential scrutiny.

:

That was how the Logris Empire Church dealt with heretics and cult ideas.

Now, according to the standards of the state religion, they will also investigate how many heretical ideas Ningning harbors that are detrimental to Saint Joshua, whether she has some evil purpose, such as opening a portal to bring Baal to Lundenim, or giving birth to some strange creature in the human world.

"A church protected by Royal Anglican knights is safer than a university," Elizabeth said.

"This is not appropriate. I am a semi-renowned medical authority in Lundnim and know how to take care of our foreign friends. We must keep up with the times and stop sending any dissidents to the church. Many facts have proven that this is not beneficial."

"What if we gave you the complete case?"

"What?"

"You are also a formal investigator, capable of handling cases independently. Perhaps you are confident that you can take on a case independently and resolve it properly."

"What are the criteria for a solution?"

"Find out who murdered this foreign woman's relatives and bring the perpetrator to justice. Establish an alliance with her to ensure she harbors no evil intentions towards the Empire. And, ensure her safety."

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