Chapter 78: Bystander’s Name

The perspective of Zuri:

Finding any leads here might prove difficult—the bar staff didn’t point us towards anyone noteworthy, so we’re back to tedious person-per-person questioning.

"I saw someone that might be of interest to you."

Oh?

As Boro kept pressuring her into going, I glared emptily while having a backseated ache in my head—there was something here I could use, so why isn’t it surfacing?—come on, brain, do your neat little squirm and pop a lightbulb atop my head.

[MENTAL CLARITY ACTIVATED]

"Boro, quit being frantic and calm down—we can have a System Summon issued to her and then she’ll have no choice."

He came up to me silently—he evidently didn’t fancy escalating his voice. "Hey listen, I think you got a point there but can we really spare all that time?"

I took a quick peep at the woman and then back at him. "I got something for you to do, Boro—can you comply and trust my instincts?"

He paused for a second, temporarily hesitating until finally submitting. "Sure—what do you want me to do?"

I subtly smiled—he couldn’t see my face anyway. "You watch her from a distance—I’ll take my sweet time with the Summon and I want you to log abnormalities according to the time-span it takes to reach her."

Could tell he wasn’t cognizant of my plan—good, let me orchestrate and you sit back and enjoy the musical. "Just be vigilant—don’t let anything happen to her— and I mean that sincerely, if there’s a rat then there’s a risk with the Summon."

"I’ll do that and—"

Then I added before he could say anything else:

"And once she’s near the Bureau, I want you to get in and wait for her—I’ll be back in the Information Center so you’ll have to be her escort."

Yet again, I rapidly glanced at the woman. "I’ll let the guys at the bureau know—they’ll assign you to it."

"Got it," Boro replied with firm trust in my words.

Once I got to the bureau, I was rather swift with my priorities:

"Any big-shots here today?" I placidly asked a colleague. "You didn’t feel him earlier?"

Without waiting for my response, he then added, "Kross is here—don’t think he’ll be here for long, though."

"Yeah?—where at?"

I went to Kross and told him these exact words:

"I’m trying something—can you track anyone leaving and entering until my return?—and be on high alert when you’re doing that as well."

And something else...

A rather specific detail.

After over an hour, I had them issue the Summon to Maddy.

The plan was to weed out whether the rat was in the Information Center or the bureau—take turns with letting each faction know about Maddy coming in.

The perspective of Kross:

This Zuri fellow—he’s a clever little dude, ain’t he? He’s just a new recruit, yet he managed to earn the praise of Smile—he called him intellectually stimulating, which was the highest form of compliment in this expertise.

I’ll give him the credit for this and do what he told me.

"Do you know where’s Boro?" said a man, he was in charge of some shit or whatever.

"Think he’s still out," replied another colleague to him.

"Ah... I was told to assign him specifically. Well, in that case someone else will have to do."

He skimmed over.

"You— Edgar, get down to the entrance—someone’s coming and you’ll need to guide her upstairs."

A while longer passed...

Then...

"Eh?" escaped my mouth instinctively.

A strange creature just entered the building—what is that?—some sort of human hybrid?

I feel two MANAs simultaneously in it—the fuck?—fucking gross.

Tapped my finger as I sat on a chair with crossed arms.

He was right with something.

Someone odd was here—if I didn’t pay attention to each specific source of MANA mixed with the crystal essences complementing me, I’d probably gloss over it without detecting its peculiarness.

Should I check it out?—I feel somewhat lazy, though.

[ANALYSIS ACTIVATED]

[ANALYSIS COMPLETE]

[RESULTS: HUMAN]

Tsk... boring.

A few more minutes passed...

She seems to be here now.

So, nine people—and that creature.

Until suddenly, I flinched—everyone did.

Two people had just died.

I guess, he told me his plan to avoid this—he should’ve been more specific if he were expecting death to take place, that said.

Softly, I smirked—out of respect for Zuri, that is, nothing else.

Was already on my way down when I encountered a man practically stumbling over himself in his haste, his eyes darting about wildly like a stray.

His fear withered as he witnessed my presence—as it should.

"Kross— you—"

I cut him off.

"I’m on it—save your breath."

That thing appears to be gone as well—so it was the assassin.

Downstairs, I glared at the scene.

A woman and someone from the bureau.

This woman, though—what’s with the way she died?

Instantly, I extracted information from her System.

One of the pipeline employees?

And this one... that’s strange.

Even with my custom System, it doesn’t appear to yield anything.

Was the System terminated?—someone that knows how to tamper with MANA workings?

For the first time, my eyelids widened at the scene—this was most undeniably, a peculiar predicament.

Wait, I do recognize the dude though...

Wasn’t it the one...

"Ah... what?! Kross what did you fucking do?!" yelled a man at the entrance of the hallway.

His expression was horrified.

He angrily stomped on the ground as he neared me.

"I told you to be on high alert!! That means you needed to prevent anything like this from happening!!"

I really do recognize the dead one—the dude this Zuri fellow always hung around with, they came in a pack of two when they started working here.

"It’s on me—I didn’t think something so unsightly would happen here today."

Allowed to take the blame.

It’s correct.

I should’ve been more careful.

His focus then switched onto the man on the ground—he had his throat sliced wide open.

"Boro, I’m so fucking sorry!!"

He began tearing up holding his dear friend.

I can’t tell you this because the least I can do is avoid being abrasive... Zuri...

...but now I owe you a favor... and that means...

Tenderly, coldness went over my eyes.

...I’ll kneel the man responsible for this in front of you.