"Roger, look... no one will ever stand in our way again."
When Lisi said this, Wei'en felt a chill run down his spine, a coldness flooding his heart.
"S-She really said that?"
Lisi nodded calmly. "We only found out later. Ever since that girl learned her family disapproved of her relationship with Roger, her Spirit was slowly corrupted by the Red Moon."
'Red Moon… corruption?'
Wei'en recalled the point of Resilience he'd lost after his wet dream last night. 'Maybe that was a form of corruption, too?'
"And then?"
"And then, Roger let her go!"
BANG!
Lisi slammed her hand on the table in frustration. "Not only did he let her go, he helped cover for her. So many people died... He deserved to be corrupted!"
'Other people died, too?'
Wei'en sighed to himself. He never would have guessed Roger was such a devoted lover. He couldn't imagine what Roger must have been feeling at that moment… a feeling only Roger himself could truly understand.
Falling in love with a Fallen One—how pitiful and tragic.
"Captain, is spiritual corruption irreversible?"
"Reverse it? Of course it can be reversed, but you'd need a divine radiance on the same level as the Red Moon."
Wei'en's expression flickered. "A divine radiance? You mean like the one over Krimms Cathedral last night?"
"Yes, it would have to be at least that powerful."
Lisi shook her head. "An event like that is extremely rare even for the Dawn Church, let alone for unbelievers like us in the Secret Investigation Department."
He figured as much. An event like that was clearly rare; at least, there was nothing in his predecessor's memories about a 'holy grace descending'.
"So, Roger leaving this time was for...?"
"Sealing."
"Sealing?"
Wei'en had thought leaving meant he was executed. He never expected this answer.
"Mhm."
As she spoke of this, Lisi's expression turned somewhat sorrowful.
"Although the process of mutation is nearly irreversible, there are some methods to delay it. Sealing is one of them."
"Are there other methods?"
Wei'en's spirits lifted. If reversing it wasn't possible, then delaying the mutation process was still a good option.
"The most common method is to increase one's own Spiritual Power, and it has to double in a short period. That allows you to expel the corrupting power and achieve a delay."
Lisi sighed. "But those conditions are just as demanding. It's nearly impossible to achieve artificially."
Wei'en said thoughtfully, "That is demanding."
Still, this gave him a few ideas. Increasing his Spiritual Power might be difficult for others, but for him, it wasn't entirely impossible.
After some recent experimentation, he had begun to figure out some of the rules for triggering his panel.
Namely, by directly or indirectly coming into contact with mystical entities. The stronger the entity, the greater the boost he received.
Of course, the flip side was that he would also face greater danger.
"So, Wei'en, no matter what predicament you face, you must always stay clear-headed. The Red Moon isn't the only thing that can corrupt you."
"I understand," Wei'en said with a nod.
"I hope you won't blame me in the future for not advising you to leave yesterday."
"How could I? If anyone's to blame, it's Minister Yegor."
"He is the one to blame," Lisi said with a slight smile. "But in truth, we're all the same... To face misfortune is to invite calamity. That is the shared fate of everyone in the Secret Investigation Department."
'To face misfortune is to invite calamity, huh?'
Wei'en thought about the case files he had seen earlier. The people of this world were indeed truly unfortunate.
But as for 'fate'... he didn't have any deep feelings about the word.
As someone from the motherland, he was most familiar with defying heaven and changing one's fate; struggle was etched into his very bones.
Just then, the office door was pushed open.
"Whoa, look what I just heard."
A slender, flamboyantly dressed young man walked in and said theatrically, "'To face misfortune is to invite calamity. That is the shared fate of everyone in the Secret Investigation Department...'"
"Lisi, you're really starting to sound more and more like Old Jack."
"Marco!" Lisi squeezed the words out through her teeth. "I see you're itching for a beating again. How about you join me in the Gladiatorial Arena for a little 'spar'?"
"No, no need! Just a joke."
Marco's expression changed, and he waved his hands repeatedly. "Officer Lisi, I just wanted to show off a little in front of the new guy."
"Is that so? And here I thought with you coming in early and leaving late, you might have actually improved."
"Nah, how could a little bit of progress compare to you?"
"Hmph!" Lisi shot him a glare. "Where's Tina?"
"Probably not here yet. It's not like you don't know her sense of time is a little... off."
Marco muttered before turning to Wei'en beside him. After looking him over, he said with a brilliant smile, "Marco Nascimento. I'm your senior."
"Wei'en Loft."
Wei'en was also looking at Marco. This was the same person from the photograph.
He just hadn't expected him to be just as he appeared in the photo... hmm, just as much of a goofball.
The difference was that the Marco of today looked much more mature than his photo. He had strong, handsome features, thick eyebrows, and large eyes. His skin was a healthy bronze, and he could be called good-looking.
However, his fashion sense was a real eyesore.
Marco had long red hair, which was tied back into a ponytail...
Furthermore, he wasn't wearing the Investigation Department uniform.
He wore a pink plaid shirt on top, paired with white trousers and a pair of sailor boots, creating a rather bizarre combination.
He looked just like a flashy young man on his way to mess around at a nightclub.
"Officer Lisi, I like him. Do you think you could..."
"No!"
Lisi saw right through him and refused. "This time, even if you get on your knees and beg me, I won't let Wei'en team up with you."
Marco clutched his chest, looking deeply wounded. "Lisi, haven't you noticed? Wei'en and I would make a perfect team."
"Oh?"
"Look at him, and then look at me,"
Marco pointed at Wei'en and said, "With our looks, our charisma, if we went to the Nocturnal... all the freaks in the night would have to run and hide."
"Besides, Tina and I aren't a good match as partners, I..."
BANG!
Lisi shot to her feet, the two pears on her chest seeming to swell by a third. She gritted her teeth and said, "Marco, forget the Gladiatorial Arena. I'll see how much you've improved right now!"
"Huh?"
Marco reacted quickly, spinning around and opening the door. "I've got something to do, I'll be going..."
Before he could leave the office, Lisi grabbed his ponytail, yanking him back as her fist slammed into his abdomen with a dull thud.
'Nocturnal City?'
Wei'en watched them with great interest.
'Teaming up with this guy... might not be so bad...'
Of course, it wasn't that he wanted to go to the Nocturnal City; he just felt that, as Marco had said, the two of them would be an invincible pair.
"Ow, ow, ow... I was wrong, I was wrong! Let go! I won't team up with him..."