Chapter 42: Accepting the Mission

The paladin in armor quickly parted ways with the group. As a cleric of the Divine Glory Church, he naturally had power over the undead. The cemetery was undergoing a crucial investigation, and he was an important security guarantee and couldn’t be absent for long. After confirming that the police station was safe and that the four people involved were unharmed, he left without even taking a sip of water. The guards he brought were quickly reassigned by Duquesne. The three, along with Caroline, were once again led to Duquesne’s office.

Selene, having thought it over, asked Caroline,

“When is the deadline for reading the manuscript? Will I be supervised?”

She wasn’t planning on reading it right away.

On the one hand, she had just had a staring contest with the “Broken Seven Rings,” whatever that was, and her mind had been shaken. Even after receiving treatment, she wasn’t back to her best. If that manuscript did contain some of the God of Wisdom’s “words,” it might be just as shocking as the eye. It was dangerous, and she needed to be in her best condition and fully prepared before attempting it.

On the other hand, the biggest question on her mind right now was what that voice in her head was, and her intuition told her that this manuscript probably wouldn’t give her the answer. So, although she was curious about the contents, she wasn’t in a hurry… After thinking it over, she had a vague feeling that the answer might be in her 《Ascension Tantra》. That was the starting point of her superhuman journey, and, besides her transmigration, it was her biggest secret. If there was anything truly special about her, that would be it.

Caroline pondered for a moment, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, and replied,

“The answer to your second question is no. You can read it alone. As for the first… within a week. The church also uses this manuscript often. I can lend it to you for a week. Just return it to me at the church.”

Then she took the small box from Selene.

“It’s normal not to gain anything. People often don’t get any useful knowledge after reading the manuscript, so don’t worry too much.”

These words were a little strange, a subtle hint, and Richter immediately understood—Caroline also knew that compared to actual gold coins, a manuscript that could only be read once wasn’t worth much. She was subtly reminding Selene that, whether or not she gained any useful knowledge from it, she could always say she didn’t get anything and receive additional compensation from the church.

Priest Caroline was truly a kind and righteous person.

But Selene didn’t understand the hint at all, and she casually replied,

“I have confidence in myself.”

“That’s good,” Caroline smiled, glanced around, but didn’t seem to find any unfinished business among the busy guards, so she also took her leave, taking the small box with her.

After a rather eventful morning, the four returned to where they started.

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

Duquesne rubbed his head, saying with a headache,

“I just thought those heretics were a little strange, and wanted you to take a look. I didn’t expect it to turn out like this…”

Louise’s eyes swept across the office. A cold gust of wind blew in, causing her ears to twitch. She went to close the window and said,

“It’s fine. He was bound by four chains, and you also placed some protective measures on him. This kind of incident is very rare.”

Richter glanced at Selene and saw that she was still in a daze, not planning to speak, so he answered Duquesne.

“So, can you tell us where the station needs help now?”

“After something like this happened, you’re still thinking about working? Should I say that the money I paid you was worth it?” Duquesne tapped the desk. “Logically, I should give you a calming fee right now, but the station’s finances are tight. I’ll probably have to pay you with the other support rewards later.”

Richter casually nodded, not really caring about rewards or payments.

Selene snapped back to reality and frowned.

“The station’s finances are tight? The two from the church also said the same thing. What have you been doing lately? I remember the station’s funding is allocated every mid-month. It’s only been a few days…”

Duquesne began counting on his fingers.

“First, each guard's salary is at least ten silver coins per month. Senior guards earn about fifteen silver coins a month. The higher the rank, the higher the salary. There are currently about one hundred guards in town. Yesterday, we also hired twenty temporary guards. Their monthly salaries alone are about one hundred gold coins… Then there’s food. Guards eat for free at the station. That’s also an expense… Then there are rewards for solving cases, expenses incurred during investigations… And then there’s the maintenance of public facilities…”

The huge numbers made Selene, who had never seen so much money in her life, feel dizzy. She quickly gave up and let Duquesne do the accounting.

The station wouldn’t default on their payments, anyway. They would pay her when they had the money.

“Ahem, let’s talk about how we can help,” Selene coughed a few times. “My old buddies aren’t causing you any trouble, are they?”

“Not at all. They’re all very well-behaved,” Duquesne said casually, then pondered for a moment, slowly outlining his arrangements. “The cemetery investigation is the most important, but the church and the graveyard keeper are handling it. We don’t really need you there. The regular guards can handle the physically demanding and meticulous inspection work.

“Then there are the town patrols. Anyone who can walk and talk can do this. The main requirement is manpower. It’s a bit of a waste to have you do that… Then there’s the investigation into the identities of the cemetery visitors, and some security matters that aren’t complicated, but are very time-consuming…”

Duquesne thought for a moment, then came to a decision:

“You investigate the cemetery visitors. See if there’s anything unusual about them. Then you take on a case. That way, we can reassign the freed-up manpower to the patrol squads.”

“No problem,” Selene readily agreed. Surveillance and investigation, her old job. It wouldn’t be difficult. “What’s the case?”

Duquesne pulled two documents from under the table. One was a densely packed list of names, addresses, and some basic information. The other was a brief report.

“The suicide of the artist on Green Land Street.” Duquesne shrugged and placed the two documents on the table. “The cause of death is clear. He hanged himself. But the two maids who discovered the body insist that he was murdered… Due to certain special circumstances, we can’t close the case directly, so we’re dragging it out. You don’t need to put much effort into it. Just go there in a few days, do some perfunctory investigation, and that’ll be enough.”

Selene thought for a moment, then suddenly understood.

“They were more than just his maids.”

Otherwise, why would the maids go against the police? If their employer was dead, they should just find another job. A simple suicide case shouldn’t involve them.

She also remembered that Modi’s wife also frequented the artist's house. Tsk, tsk, a colorful love life.