"It's done?"
Lisi paused, looking at him in confusion. "What's done? What incredible thing?"
Wei'en waved the parchment in his hand. "The contents of the Third Era Relic. I've finished translating it."
Lisi and Marco exchanged a look, both seeing the doubt in the other's eyes.
Marco's gaze seemed to ask, *Boss Lisi, have you ever seen a translation done this fast?*
Lisi's shot back, *Hell no. Why don't you ask?*
*Why don't you?*
*Hmph? Don't make me use my trump card, Marco.*
"..."
Marco wanted to refuse, but seeing her glare grow sharper and then flicker toward Tina, he sighed in resignation. "Uh, Wei'en, I know translating that Era Relic is a tough job. You really don't have to rush to submit it..."
"Tough?"
Wei'en looked at their hesitant expressions and asked cautiously, "So, what should I have done?"
The two of them looked like they were questioning their entire existence, which was starting to make him nervous.
'Did I really miss a step?'
Lisi cleared her throat. "When Professor Helvin translated a scroll of parchment before, it took him at least a week, and he had to look up all sorts of reference materials..."
"Don't get me wrong, it's not that I don't trust you. It's just... you did it too fast."
'Too fast?'
'And that's supposed to mean 'it's not that I don't trust you'?'
'She clearly doesn't believe me...'
"Lisi, why don't you take a look at what I translated before you say anything else?"
Wei'en spread the still-damp parchment on the table. "Of course, if you don't believe me, you can always have Professor Helvin confirm the authenticity of this translation later."
As soon as he finished speaking, the short, white-haired girl pushed past Lisi. "Tina believes Wei'en."
"Right, right, of course I believe you. Wei'en, I trusted you completely the first moment I saw you."
Lisi picked up the parchment and began to read.
'Tina has spoken. Things will only get worse if I don't go along with her.'
"Huh?!"
But after just a single glance, her eyes froze. Her hands tightened on the parchment. "Ma-Marco, you need to see this."
"What is it? Did Wei'en make up something completely outrageous?"
Marco grumbled, sidling up next to her with a suspicious look to read along.
"In the year 863 of the Third Era, the Dawn Church used the Forbidden Item 0-34, the Resurrection Casket, to revive Archbishop Rasul Bass..."
"Afterward, they captured over 3,000 of my Lord's followers to offset the negative effects of the Resurrection Casket..."
"After his resurrection, Rasul led the Dawn Church's congregation in a counterattack against the Dusk Knight Legion, slaying Legion Commander Jere Main..."
"While both sides were crippled, Elder Almano launched a sneak attack on the Dawn Church..."
"The dying Archbishop Rasul sealed the Forbidden Item 0-34, the Resurrection Casket, within Krimms Cathedral on the West Coast of the Eastern Continent... Signed, Toto Atkins, Scion of the Eternal Life Association."
Marco's breathing grew ragged. He muttered, "Forbidden Item 0-34, the Resurrection Casket, is in Krimms Cathedral... To think there's a Forbidden Item in the Caster City State..."
Lisi licked her lips. "Wei'en, are you sure this is real?"
Wei'en held up his hands. "This is all translated from this parchment. If that Toto fellow's record is correct..."
Before he could finish, Lisi suddenly barked, "Tina!"
The white-haired girl tilted her head, as if thinking or listening to something. "Tina confirms that what Wei'en said is true."
Wei'en shot her a surprised glance. 'Confirms?'
'Who did she confirm it with?'
BANG!
"Excellent,"
Lisi slapped the table, clutching the parchment. "If the contents of this document are real, we've hit the jackpot this time!"
"So, you believe I can read Gonzalez now?"
"I do, I do. If even Tina confirms you're not lying, then it must be true."
'Tina?'
Wei'en looked at the white-haired girl again. 'Is this her special ability?'
'Telepathy?'
'Or just lie detection?'
Before he could ponder it further, Marco slapped him on the shoulder, grinning. "I can't believe you actually know Gonzalez. Where did you learn it?"
Wei'en rubbed his slightly numb shoulder. "...I learned it from a scholar back home. I'm not exactly an expert."
'I've only reached the proficient level. I definitely can't be called an expert in Gonzalez.'
"This isn't the time for that," Lisi said impatiently, holding the parchment. "I'm going to find Yegor."
"Wait," Marco quickly stopped her, surprised. "Captain, you're going to report to Minister Yegor with just this one piece of parchment?"
"Hm?"
"How about we first discuss how to report this to the minister?"
"Alright," Lisi said after a moment's thought, then looked at Wei'en. "You tell us. What are your thoughts on this information?"
'My thoughts?'
Wei'en thought for a few seconds, choosing his words carefully. "Assuming the contents of the parchment are true, what does it have to do with the people disappearing from the slums? It can't be that..."
He suddenly remembered Yuan telling him yesterday not to say the names and numbers of Forbidden Items out loud. "Someone used 'it,' and then snatched people from the slums to counteract the negative effects?"
"It's not impossible,"
Marco said casually, "If it were me, I'd go to the Cathedral and steal that Forbidden Item too. It's an item that can bring the dead back to life, after all."
"Even if you don't use it yourself, you could sell it. You could get the entire Dumitru District for it."
"That possibility can't be ruled out, but," Wei'en looked at him and asked, puzzled, "then why leave this parchment behind?"
Marco faltered. "Well..."
Lisi, listening from the side, already agreed with Wei'en. That point was indeed highly suspicious.
'Someone who can abduct so many people in an instant shouldn't have left behind an Era Relic that's so obviously a clue.'
"Wei'en, tell us what you're thinking."
Wei'en scratched his head and gave a wry smile. "There are too few clues right now. Based on a single piece of parchment... I can only be sure that the person who left it behind had a reason."
He was just a rookie who'd recently joined; it was impressive enough that he could come up with this much.
Marco stroked his chin, feigning a thoughtful expression. "Maybe he dropped it by accident?"
SMACK!
Lisi smacked him on the head. "If it were you, and you got your hands on something like this, wouldn't you treasure it like a priceless artifact?"
"Hey!"
Marco rubbed his head, wincing. "So it wasn't an accident. No need to hit me, right?"
"Use your brain and think. Are there any clues we missed?"
"Nope. Tina and I searched every single room. If you don't believe me, ask Tina."
The white-haired girl said, "Tina didn't find anything."
"See? Even Tina said so," Marco said, spreading his hands.
Lisi pressed a hand to her forehead, knowing she couldn't rely on those two.
She glanced at Wei'en. 'Maybe it's worth a shot.'
"Alright Wei'en, tell me, what should we do now?"
"Two directions," Wei'en said, holding up two fingers, his expression serious. "First, confirm whether 'it' is still in Krimms Cathedral. If it's not, then the disappearances in the slums are related to 'it'."
"Second, find the person behind all this!"
'An issue this big is definitely not something a rookie like me can get involved in. It's fine to just state some logical ideas.'
Hearing his suggestions, Lisi mulled it over for a moment before shaking her head.
"The first one is impossible. Once the Dawn Church finds out about the existence of the Resurrection Casket, they would never cooperate with the Secret Investigation Department. Besides, our Director wouldn't agree to it either."
"As for the second one... that's also very difficult, unless we have other clues."