"Are you really ready?"
"Thank you for your concern, Uncle Yuan," Wei'en said with utmost seriousness. "But please, you must believe that I'm capable of handling this job."
'How could I possibly say no? This is a job that pays 5 shillings a week.'
'Besides, compared to other places, the Secret Investigation Department is extremely safe—easily one of the top five safest places in the entire Caster City State.'
"I'll trust you for now." Seeing Wei'en's expression, Yuan beckoned him over. "Come with me. I've already prepared your letter of recommendation."
"Thank you so much."
Wei'en followed him into the Morris Clinic.
In his predecessor's memories, he had been very envious of the clinic's decor. The skeleton model, the spider doll, all the bizarre specimens… it felt more ghostly than the rooms arranged by the Ghost Soul School.
But the moment Wei'en stepped inside, he realized his predecessor's memories were completely wrong!
To the left of the entrance was what his predecessor had believed to be a skeleton model. In reality, it was a Skeleton Warrior.
The faint black glow flickering in its eye sockets, the chilling aura it emanated, and the rusty Two-Handed Greatsword at its side all pointed to its identity as an Undead Creature.
The giant spider "doll" on the ceiling remained perfectly still when he walked in. But with its six barbed legs, three pairs of wide-open eyes on its head, and the silk thread dangling in mid-air… even a blind man would know this thing was alive!
And what the hell were all those jars and bottles displayed in the cabinet?
Eyeballs from some unknown creature, organs from some unknown creature, a prosthetic limb from some unknown creature…
Huh??
'Is that… a human leg?'
Wei'en's mouth twitched as he took in the room full of bizarre decorations.
'Is this really a clinic?'
'God only knows if people come here to get cured or to get buried…'
Yuan pulled a Scroll from a drawer beneath his desk. Noticing Wei'en's curious glances, he grinned. "So? My clinic's pretty great, isn't it?"
"It's great! Uncle Yuan, anyone can see you must be a doctor of superb skill!"
'This was no time to worry about white lies. Survival was the priority.'
"It may not look like much, but I assure you, this is one of the most highly-rated clinics in the Caster City State,"
Yuan said with a proud expression. "Wei'en, since we're neighbors, I'll give you a twenty-percent discount on any future treatments."
'Are you serious? Really… there's no need for that!'
"My thanks…"
"Don't mention it, Wei'en. Seeing you reminds me of my younger days—just as handsome, dashing, and full of adventurous spirit."
With that, Yuan handed him the Scroll. "If it weren't for Kali, perhaps I'd still be a ship's doctor, sailing the high seas aboard the White Rose. I…"
"Uncle Yuan, my interview is about to start. I should get going."
Wei'en cut him off, stepping forward to take the Scroll before turning to leave. "When I get back, I'll be sure to listen to all the stories of your glory days."
'Having such sharp senses isn't always a good thing.'
The spider silk kept brushing against him from above, and the sound of a greatsword scraping on the floor echoed from behind him every so often. It made him desperate to flee the clinic.
"Oh? Well then, Wei'en, good luck."
Yuan watched him turn and wave goodbye, a small smile on his face. "Such a polite young man. A shame he's male."
HISS HISS HISS…
"Hey, what do you mean I'm a doting father? Kali is beautiful, graceful, gentle, and kind… She deserves the most outstanding young man in Caster!"
HISS?
Yuan looked up at the spider, arguing, "She's my daughter. Of course I have to be careful about choosing a son-in-law."
Just then, the Skeleton Warrior that had been posing as a model by the door slowly turned. "CLACK CLACK." (Morris, he noticed me.)
Yuan paused, then glanced thoughtfully in the direction of the neighboring apartment. "Considering the time that's passed, he should indeed be ready to become a Wizard Apprentice."
"But compared to the previous Intelligence Officers, he's certainly… low-key."
'I never thought someone so cautious would actually agree to my suggestion and join the Secret Investigation Department.'
Oh, right!
'I think I forgot to explain the duties of the Secret Investigation Department's logistics division.'
'Ah, well. Given the turnover rate for Ghost Intelligence Officers, one more little 'accident' won't make a difference.'
Yuan muttered a few words under his breath, then turned, opened a suitcase, and began busying himself with a few newly collected aberrant organs.
...
After nearly half an hour of walking, Wei'en found 102 Dumitru District, the address Yuan had given him for the Secret Investigation Department.
The Dumitru District was more prosperous than Golden Street, which bordered the slums.
The roads were wider and smoother, flanked by tall, exquisite buildings in a heavy Gothic style that lent the entire district a mysterious and tranquil atmosphere.
Shops lined both sides of the street, and well-dressed gentlemen and ladies, arriving by carriage, gracefully entered the storefronts.
Every so often, a squad from the Garrison Army, clad in standardized silver-white armor and carrying Rune Guns, would patrol through the district.
A rumbling steam-powered car, standing out conspicuously among the horse-drawn carriages, would always cause pedestrians to stop and stare with expressions of envy.
The streetlights, spaced just ten paces apart, further underscored the district's special status.
The condensed Dawn Radiance they emitted gave the people living here a greater sense of security.
Clearly, this was the core district of the Caster City State.
Wei'en didn't linger. The detour he'd taken around Krimms Cathedral had already made his tight schedule even tighter.
He walked straight through the main doors of the Secret Investigation Department and, after explaining his purpose to the guard, was led up to the logistics department on the third floor.
TING-A-LING.
"Minister Yegor, the person you were waiting for is here." The guard knocked, opened the door, and saluted the man inside by placing a single clenched fist over his chest.
"Hmph. Let him in."
The guard backed out, gave Wei'en a friendly smile, and then turned to leave.
Wei'en walked in and got his first look at Minister Yegor—
His salt-and-pepper hair stood on end. His skin was pale but coarse, and he had thick brows, large eyes, and full lips. A hideous scar ran from the side of his nose to his temple, which, far from marring his appearance, actually added to his imposing presence.
He was extremely tall and powerfully built—the typical physique of the Oldes Race from the Eastern Continent.
At the moment, he was dressed in a sailor's undershirt common in Caster, leaning lazily in a high-backed chair with his feet propped up on the desk, puffing smoke from a cigar clenched in his teeth.
Wei'en hadn't expected his interviewer to be the department minister himself. He spoke with a slightly reserved air, "Minister Yegor, my name is Wei'en Loft. I'm…"
Yegor cut him off. "I know. Yuan sent you. I have to say, he finally did something useful for once."
As he spoke, he gave Wei'en a casual once-over. "Tell me, where are you from? Drake, Eton, or Okanbei?"
"You rarely see people of the Sarut race in Caster—no, in the entire Shetland Kingdom."
Wei'en pressed his lips together. "The Pretto City State, in the Drake Republic, Minister Yegor."
'Looks like this minister of logistics isn't going to be easy to get along with.'
"So you're from Drake. Makes sense. Only the gentle climate there, in the whole Eastern Continent, could produce a pretty boy like you."
Yegor's tone was slightly flippant, as if he were completely unimpressed by the appearance of a foreigner from ten thousand miles away in the Caster City State.
'Pre—pretty?'
'Is that really a word you use to describe a man?'
Before he could object, Yegor asked, "When can you start?"
'Does the topic always jump around this much?'
Wei'en froze for a second, then collected himself and replied, "Tomorrow!"
"Oh, in the afternoon, you mean?"
Huh??
'Did I use the wrong word, or is there something wrong with his hearing?'
Yegor finally shifted his posture, taking his feet off the desk. He rummaged under a messy pile of books, newspapers, and official documents on his desk, found a sheet of parchment, and pushed it over. "Sign it."
"…Does this mean I passed the interview?"