"The entire Secret Investigation Department, aside from the high-level committee, is divided into five departments."
"Our Logistics Department is one. Then there's the Property Management Department, responsible for allocating supplies and equipment R&D; the Covert Intelligence Department for gathering intel; and the 'Defunct' who handle external announcements."
"The Defunct?" Wei'en asked, confused. "What department is that?"
Lisi said indifferently, "It's another name for the External Propaganda Department. They're called the 'Defunct' because most of the time they're needed to make a public announcement, it's about something bad."
"To be precise, they're the department that announces case casualties and their resolutions."
"I see. So, what's the last department?"
"The Combat Department. The core department of the entire Secret Investigation Department. They..."
Lisi paused for a moment. "Well, you'll know when you see them. In short, anyone who can join the Combat Department is a lunatic."
She spoke as they walked, explaining the workings of the Secret Investigation Department and pointing out things to watch out for, doing her best to give him a complete picture.
This gave Wei'en a very good impression of Lisi.
He didn't stay idle while listening, though. He looked all around, finding everything here new and fascinating.
Of course, he was mainly "looking" with his perceptive abilities.
The place that left the deepest impression on him was an area called the Detention Area.
As they passed it, he felt a strange fluctuation, similar to when he activated the Rune Array that morning, but this was stronger, more bizarre—as if it wanted to devour him.
According to Lisi's introduction, the most dangerous things in the entire Caster City State were imprisoned there. She hadn't specified creatures, which made him think there must be many strange, forbidden items inside.
"Our Secret Investigation Department doesn't have many rules, but there's one you must remember."
Lisi stopped walking, looked at Wei'en, and said gravely, "Never, ever talk about anything related to faith in front of the Director!"
'Faith-related?'
Wei'en looked at her, a little confused.
Although he hadn't been in this world for long, he was aware that the churches held an absolute advantage in many places.
Especially a church with as many followers as the Dawn Church, which could stand up to the Storm Church even in a coastal city-state like Caster.
"Captain Lisi, are you referring to the likes of the Dawn Church?"
"All of them."
Lisi resumed walking. "Dawn's first light, Storm's sea god, the Earth's bounty, and the high-hanging crimson moon—anything related to these four churches is a forbidden topic."
"In short, just remember that. Under normal circumstances, the Director is actually quite easy to talk to."
Wei'en nodded. He didn't think it was a big deal, just a superior with a few quirks.
"We're here. This is the Property Management Department."
Lisi stopped outside an iron gate and muttered, "I have no idea why the Director would assign this place to those scum-sucking parasites!"
Wei'en scanned his surroundings and exclaimed in admiration, "This place is gorgeous."
It was surrounded by colorful flowers and plants, layered beautifully. Some of the flowers looked very expensive at a glance—they were so vibrant.
There was a fountain by the main gate with crystal-clear water, obviously well-maintained.
What surprised him most was the building itself. A single look at its exterior was enough to see how out of place it was compared to the other buildings.
The main door was made of heavy ironwood, carved with exquisite patterns.
The support pillars on either side were made of luxurious white-veined stone. Even his predecessor, who hadn't known much, was aware that this type of stone was worth its weight in gold pounds.
The ground was paved with the same stone, polished to a mirror-like shine.
Uh,
It's purple!
Wei'en glanced at the floor, then quickly looked away, covering his nose.
'I wonder which genius thought of this, paving the ground with "mirrors." It's so unfair to women in skirts...'
"The best location in the entire Secret Investigation Department, the most luxurious building... Rumor has it that when it was built, it used up the Department's entire budget for three years."
Lisi curled her lip. "I thought the former Director built it for the higher-ups. I didn't expect it to end up housing a bunch of good-for-nothing parasites waiting to die."
"You seem to be very..."
"Contemptuous!"
Lisi glanced at the floor and, also realizing she was exposed, awkwardly pressed her legs together. "The people in the Property Management Department are mostly descendants of members who died in the line of duty."
"Originally, the Department hoped they would carry on the legacy of their parents, using the resources of the Property Management Department to improve themselves. But I never thought... I never thought they'd be such disappointments!"
'So they're the second-generation kids of the Secret Investigation Department.' Now Wei'en understood.
DING-DONG.
Lisi pressed the doorbell and said irritably, "Let's just get our stuff and go. This damn floor... If I could afford to replace it, I'd smash it to pieces."
Before the door opened, a voice drifted out. "Now, you can't do that, Lisi. Even if you only broke one tile, your whole year's salary wouldn't be enough to cover it."
"Somlay, hurry up and open the door."
"Coming, what's the rush? We've been colleagues for so long, you should understand the Property Management Department's way of doing things by now, right?"
"I'll never understand." Lisi held down her skirt with one hand, trying to minimize her exposure.
Seeing this, Wei'en took off his jacket and handed it to her. "Captain Lisi, here."
Lisi quickly tied the jacket around her waist, her expression relaxing slightly. "I won't waste words on thanks. I'll treat you tonight and show you the Caster nightlife."
"It's no trouble."
'Still, the nightlife part... I'll definitely take her up on that!'
Just then, the main door slowly swung inward.
A young man with the dark blue Secret Investigation Department uniform draped over his shoulder walked out. He glanced at the floor and smirked, "Come on, Lisi. We're old friends. You don't need to be so defensive."