Wizard: I Add Points and Hunt Monsters

[You have been observed by ”Forbidden Item 0-91, The Homecoming’s Figurehead.” Evaluation: A Ship Spirit? A truly wondrous and unique existence. Spirit to spirit... Special Rewards: Survival Points +5, Source +1, Resilience Level +1, Spirit Level +1.]

[You have learned the name of ”Forbidden Item 0-91, The Homecoming’s Figurehead.” The trajectory of your fate has shifted slightly. Current Encounter Progress: 5/100. Evaluation: Oh? A peculiar item. Special Rewards: Source +1, Resilience Level +1, Spirit Level +1.]

’Forbidden Item 0-91, The Homecoming’s Figurehead?’

’A figurehead...’

Wei’en’s expression flickered. ’Something related to a ship... Could it be what those people from the Black Pearl are after?’

The Dumitru District, where the Secret Investigation Department was located, happened to be in the core area of the Caster City State. If their target was this Forbidden Item, then everything would become clear.

After a moment, Wei’en dismissed these speculations. ’I need to wait a little longer.’

’Once I confirm the destination of the secret tunnel the Vazquez Race is digging, I’ll know for sure if this Forbidden Item is their target.’

However—

He glanced at Tina, who was following quietly beside him... and the clown doll in her hand.

’I can’t believe the Secret Investigation Department, just like Krimms Cathedral, has two Forbidden Items.’

’Aren’t there only supposed to be around three hundred known Forbidden Items in total?’

’So how come four of them have appeared in the Caster City State alone? They’re starting to seem a dime a dozen, aren’t they?’

’And this figurehead is a Forbidden Item that can actively spy on the outside world. It can’t move around freely like the Demon Clown, can it?’

’Probably not!’

’One Demon Clown is bad enough. If there’s another one, how would the people at the Secret Investigation Department even survive?’

Wei’en impassively scanned his surroundings, pretending he knew nothing.

The Detention Area’s construction was rather ordinary, with a layout similar to the Secret Investigation Department’s other office buildings.

But upon entering, he discovered what made it different. Past the entrance hall was a room filled with countless Rune Arrays.

Unlike the stone tower of the City-State Array, which filled its entire room, these were three separate Rune Arrays. Each corresponded to one of the three corridors inside the Detention Area: the Hall of Heroic Spirits, the Sealing Department, and the Detention Department.

The Hall of Heroic Spirits was on the left, the Sealing Department was in the center, and the Detention Department was on the right.

’The Sealing Department... If I’m not mistaken, that’s where Roger was going when he was about to lose control. It must be to prevent contaminated Extraordinaries from mutating, right?’

’And the Detention Department must be where they hold law-breaking Extraordinaries, or dangerous Era Relics, and so on.’

From the Rune Arrays at the entrance, it was clear that the Array for the Detention Area had significantly more nodes than the other two.

With such a Rune Array in place, the importance of this Detention Area was self-evident.

With these thoughts in mind, Wei’en followed the group into the Hall of Heroic Spirits on the left.

Everyone remained silent along the way, their expressions solemn, sorrowful, grave, or, like Wei’en, calm.

Regardless of what anyone thought of Director Ales, this time, he had given his life to protect the City-State.

At the very least, he had eliminated the Bone-Eating Mother Worm, hadn’t he?

As he followed the path down from the entrance into a spacious, brightly lit hall, the scene before him left Wei’en stunned.

The hall was the size of a basketball arena. Aside from the wall they had entered through, the other three were lined with boxes of various sizes.

They were arranged tier after tier, rising for dozens of levels like steps.

The boxes were forged from an unknown metal and painted with alternating red and blue colors. At the center of each was a round photograph—a portrait of a person in the uniform of the Secret Investigation Department.

On the altars below the boxes, rows of Dawn Candles were lit, illuminating the entire area like starlight.

In the spacious center of the Hall of Heroic Spirits stood a high platform resembling an altar.

On the platform was a single table, upon which sat three items: a pistol, a red uniform, and a monocle.

Once everyone had entered the Hall of Heroic Spirits, they assembled in the center, arranged neatly by department, with chiefs in the front and members behind them.

At the very front of the formation stood several deputy directors, as well as Director Nifa, who at some point had acquired a red and blue box.

She held the box with both hands, turned to face the crowd, and her clear, cold voice echoed through the Hall of Heroic Spirits.

”In the 135 years since its founding, the Secret Investigation Department has lost 23,554 Extraordinaries in the line of duty. This includes five Directors, twenty-eight Deputy Directors, and three hundred and twelve Department Chiefs...”

”And today, this hall will receive its sixth Director—Ales Kilibali.”

”Ales was an outstanding Investigator. From the moment he joined the Secret Investigation Department, he completed countless missions and resolved one crisis after another.”

”He was also the most capable of all our Directors. During his tenure, he grew the Secret Investigation Department from 158 Investigators to the 2,234 we have today...”

”His sacrifice is a great loss to the Secret Investigation Department, but regrettably, this is the final destination for most of its Investigators.”

Nifa calmly recounted some of Director Ales’s deeds. Her words held no exaggeration, but the numbers alone were enough to show the achievements Ales had made during his time as Director.

As she spoke, many people’s eyes grew red, glistening with unshed tears.

Marco’s crying was particularly conspicuous. His suppressed sobs, as if contagious, soon had many others crying along with him.

”SOB SOB...”

For a time, the entire Hall of Heroic Spirits echoed with the rising and falling sounds of weeping.

Wei’en watched Marco bury his face in his hands and sighed inwardly. ’I never would have thought he was such an emotional person.’