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Chapter 16: No More Twists, Right?
"Hmph, enough with your excuses. But the rookie, on the other hand, truly has a valid reason!" After giving Leon an approving glance, the red-haired woman’s stern expression softened slightly.
With a gentle tone, she reassured him: "Leon, don’t dwell on the missed intel. You reported the Contaminated Individual as soon as you detected them, dealt with this troublesome demon, and even coaxed it into leading you to Emma. When Emma was trapped, you took out the target with a single shot, saving her and hundreds of others from losing too much life force. As someone who joined the Cleansing Bureau only a few hours ago, you’ve done more than enough. The loss of intel was just an unavoidable accident."
"No way! I contributed too, didn’t I? Why are you being so unfair?"
Before Leon could respond, the black goat—fuming at the stark contrast in treatment—blurted out, "That shot was his, sure, but I helped pinpoint the location! How is it that for him, it’s an unavoidable accident, but for me, I’m getting sent to the kitchen to be stewed?"
"Why should you be stewed… Do you not realize what you’ve done?" The red-haired woman sneered.
"Don’t think I don’t see through you! Leon might not know that Emma is immortal, but you certainly do! If Emma wasn’t in danger, you could’ve easily had Leon bring you closer to the hospital. From there, you could’ve amplified the malice of the contaminated individual from a distance, driving him into a frenzy and forcing him out into the open to be captured!"
"I just... I didn’t think of it at the time..."
"Don’t give me that! Don’t tell me you forgot—you’ve used this exact tactic countless times while under my command. Why the sudden amnesia this time?"
Leaning back in her chair with her arms crossed, the red-haired woman fixed her piercing gaze on the now cowering black goat, smirking coldly. "When you could’ve captured the target alive but instead led Leon to kill him outright, it raises suspicions. So, spill it. Were you planning to absorb the target’s wicked soul? Trying to lure Leon into helping you regain your strength? Or perhaps… you were colluding with whoever was behind this. Did you fear the target might leak information if captured, so you silenced him yourself?"
"You’re talking nonsense!" Accused of betrayal, the black goat immediately flew into a rage. "I didn’t! This is all baseless speculation! You have no proof!"
"The Cleansing Bureau isn’t a court of law. Since when do we need evidence?" After another derisive snort, the red-haired woman suddenly furrowed her brow, staring thoughtfully at the black goat.
"Hmm… I admit, I was joking earlier, but now that I think about it, there are indeed some strange details here. Everyone in the bureau was dispatched, but I stayed behind in the capital. What kind of mastermind would be stupid enough to send someone to cause trouble just three streets away from me?
“Unless… they weren’t trying to cause trouble at all. Unless it was a deliberate suicide mission. And if that’s not the case, then there’s only one explanation: the mastermind has a mole within the bureau who knew I left the capital yesterday!"
Holy crap?!
Hearing the red-haired woman’s perfectly logical deduction, Leon’s eyes widened in shock as he stared down at the black goat in his arms.
No one else from the Cleansing Bureau was around yesterday. Who else knew the chief had left except for you? Could it be… you’re the mole?!
"No... I didn’t…!" Glancing at Leon’s shocked expression and then at the red-haired woman, whose eyes had narrowed again without it noticing, the black goat shuddered. Puffing up its goat-like eyes, it angrily protested: "I didn’t leak any information! You can’t frame me!"
"Is that so?" Upon hearing this, the red-haired woman slowly stood up, bracing herself against the desk with both hands. Leaning forward with an imposing presence, she enunciated each word deliberately: "How do you explain all these coincidences? It’s one thing for trouble to break out just as I suddenly leave, but yesterday, you clearly could’ve captured the target alive. Instead, you chose to use Leon to silence him. How do you explain that?"
"It was an accident, I told you!" The black goat snapped back.
"I specifically helped that kid take the shot so he’d get his hands dirty! It’s good training… habit-forming…"
"Good training to rely on killing whenever a similar situation arises, gradually lowering his moral bottom line under your influence, unknowingly inching toward corruption… Am I wrong?"
After glancing at the black goat, who had fallen silent after being called out on its scheme, and then at Leon, who visibly shuddered, the red-haired woman—who had been frowning moments ago—quirked her lips into a smile. She leaned back comfortably into her chair and spoke warmly to Leon: "Leon, remember what you’ve just heard. If you encounter a similar situation in future missions, recall today before making your decision."
"I… I’ll definitely remember." After casting a wary glance at the black goat, Leon hesitated for a moment before carefully placing the goat’s head back on the red-haired woman’s desk. "Please… take this back."
After observing Leon’s demeanor, the red-haired woman chuckled. "What? Afraid you won’t be able to control it?"
"Uh…"
"It’s fine. You should keep it." Approving Leon’s caution, the red-haired woman rested her cheek on her left hand, twirling a strand of her crimson hair with her index finger.
Smiling gently, she said to Leon: "Generally speaking, anomalies with their own intelligence and desires aren’t suitable for rookies to handle. But the fact that you managed to stay rational under its influence proves you’re at least qualified to hold it. Plus, Emma mentioned to me this morning that your soul vision spans two kilometers. That shows you have high compatibility with this thing. Combined with your cautious nature, I believe you’re fully capable of handling it."
Having finished her assessment, she rose from her seat, walked around the desk to where Leon still hesitated, and affectionately placed the disgruntled goat’s head into his palm.
"Take it. Remember to stay rational in the future and not let it cloud your judgment or decisions. I believe in you."
"…" Looking at the red-haired beauty before him, who smiled encouragingly and expressed her trust in him, Leon felt his heart inexplicably quicken. He instinctively averted his gaze but quickly forced himself to look back, nodding earnestly with a serious expression.
"I will!"
"Tch… You wish!" Rolling its eyes upward and glancing at Leon’s slightly reddened earlobes, the black goat—who was seething with frustration—couldn’t help but sneer:
"Just because she holds your hand and says a few sweet words, you’re already dizzy and lost? If she hugged you and kissed you, would you die for her? Hmph, the only reason I’m at a disadvantage is that I’m a goat. Damn it, if I were a beautiful woman too, I’d have you wrapped around my finger in seconds… Mmph… Mmph! Let go! Even if you cover my mouth, I’ll still say it! You damn…"
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