Lisi nodded. "That’s right. It’s them."

The Ceres Clan?

Wei’en thought to himself as he put the unfinished blueprints for the Mechanical Puppet into a box.

’Where have I seen that name before?’

’Ceres... Gengrich Ceres?’

He opened his panel and searched through it, quickly finding a relevant piece of information.

[You have been targeted by Gengrich Ceres’s killing intent. Evaluation: The scum has targeted a weakling. Reward: Survival Points +1.] (From Chapter 43)

He vaguely recalled hearing something at the Cathedral back then—words about the Ceres Clan’s honor being ruined and Dawn’s forgiveness.

Wei’en finished packing his things and asked thoughtfully, "Captain, will we need to prepare weapons beforehand?"

"Weapons? No need. It’s just a simple case of a lost item."

Lisi said nonchalantly, "If Yegor hadn’t specifically assigned this at noon, I would’ve taken you to the port to investigate another case."

"Understood."

’I’ll hold off on taking the firearm from the Mechanical Box for now, then. This gives it more time. Maybe I can successfully imbue it with the death attribute in one go.’

Wei’en glanced up at the ghost and the driver. ’If a fight really breaks out, I can just summon Shawa.’

Meanwhile, Marco wore a pained expression. "Officer Lisi, that family just lost one little thing. Do we really have to go?"

"Then you can stay behind and help the Property Management Department prepare for tomorrow’s welcome ceremony," Lisi shot him a glance.

"On second thought, I’ll go. It’s a good chance to chat more with Wei’en on the way."

Investigating a case was obviously more interesting than tedious prep work. ’...though the Ceres family is even more boring. I’ll just treat it as entertainment.’

"Tina, you stay and watch the office. The three of us will go—"

"Tina, go."

The white-haired girl held a box in one hand and a clown doll in the other, sticking close to Wei’en’s side. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

Lisi looked at her, a hint of a headache in her expression. "Fine, everyone’s going. But with you along, this case will be even less difficult."

Marco nodded in agreement. "True. Tina’s spirit vision is excellent for finding things."

With that, the four of them walked out of the office.

Even though this wasn’t Wei’en’s first mission, he still felt a sense of unease.

His first two missions had simply left too deep an impression on him.

The first time, investigating the missing persons case in the Laos District, he discovered a sacrificial ritual by the Despair Sect and ran into Clelia.

The second mission was the one at the Cathedral, where he was ambushed by Melbel and fell into the Spring of Dawn Faith...

’On both missions, if it weren’t for good luck and my panel, I’d probably be long dead.’

’I just hope this mission can be completed smoothly, without any surprises...’

The group arrived at the entrance of the Secret Investigation Department. A mechanical vehicle, the size of an RV, was parked outside. A guard from the Department in a blue uniform saluted them respectfully.

"Captain Lisi, it’s a pleasure to be of service."

"Mm."

Wei’en sized up the mechanical vehicle. Its body was constructed from sturdy copper plates and dark steel, with a sleek, high-quality finish.

The front was covered by a distinctive copper housing etched with the Secret Investigation Department’s firearm insignia. Inside the housing, intricate gears and coiling pipes were visible.

The wheels were wide and also forged from dark steel.

The vehicle’s power engine was in the rear, where a pair of huge steam jets were mounted. The faint hiss of steam and the clang of metal could be heard.

"Let’s go. It’s a bit far, so I requisitioned one of the Department’s mechanical vehicles."

The guard opened the door, and Lisi stepped into the carriage first, with Wei’en and the others following.

Compared to the rugged exterior, the interior was much more refined.

The seats were made of leather and had some give, but there were no seatbelts.

Through the glass door at the front, he could see the driver’s cabin, which had an instrument panel with various clocks and pointers displaying mechanical metrics.

Wei’en gave it a quick scan before losing interest. It was, after all, just a steam-powered mechanical vehicle and didn’t hold much appeal for him.

As the vehicle slowly started to move, Lisi handed him the file in her hands. "Wei’en, take a look at the file first to get familiar with the case details."

Wei’en took it and began to flip through. "Alright."

It was indeed an ordinary case of a lost item; it was just that the owner’s identity was anything but ordinary.

The Ceres Clan was a family that rose to prominence after the founding of Shetland and had a history of 150 years.

Their status in the Caster City State couldn’t compare to other families who held positions like city-state councilors or noble committee members, let alone the Ernst Clan, one of Shetland’s twenty-four meritorious families.

However, the Ceres Clan had its own unique strengths to have established a foothold in the Caster City State.

Namely, they had always maintained trade relations with the major merchant fleets of the Cordo Sea and owned three shops in the Basil District.

In terms of accumulating gold pounds, at least, they were no weaker than other families.

"Is their family very rich?"

Marco, fiddling with a small knife and trimming his nails, said casually, "Extremely rich. A few years ago, their family bought three mid-sized merchant ships specifically to run the Northern Continent route."

"It’s said that every return voyage yields a handsome profit of five times their initial investment."

Wei’en nodded and continued reading the file.

On the night of July 25th, 1578 of the New Calendar, Rutger Ceres, the fourth-in-line heir of the Ceres Clan, discovered that the family’s Guardian Divine Statue was missing.

After a long and fruitless search, the clan patriarch, Sayam Ceres, reluctantly contacted the Secret Investigation Department, hoping to use their power to find this important family heirloom.

The case wasn’t complicated. Aside from the location of the Divine Statue, the approximate time it went missing, and information on all the family members present at the time, there were no other useful clues.

Therefore, Wei’en focused on the information about the family members who were present.

Patriarch Sayam Ceres, 76, an Extraordinary Bloodline Awakener with captain-level strength, an old man with a rigid personality...

The patriarch’s wife, Doxia Ceres, 73...

First heir Ramiro Ceres, 56, an Extraordinary Bloodline Awakener of unknown strength, responsible for sea voyages.

Second-in-line heir Gengrich Ceres, 35, a normal person who manages the shops in the Basil District and has a good head for business.

Third-in-line...

Attendants...

Guards...

After reading, Wei’en pointed to the member information in the file. "That Ramiro Ceres is at home, too? The file says he’s often at sea."

Lisi nodded. "He just returned from a year-long voyage, back from Stilianos on the Northern Continent."

"I see," Wei’en said, handing the file back to her. "So, how do we begin?"

"That’s why we’re here today. During the investigation, I’ll teach you some common methods and things to watch out for."

After putting the file away, Lisi continued, "Although we mostly investigate cases related to the mystical or the bizarre, we occasionally handle private commissions as well."

"Usually, the pay from such commissions is comparable to recovering a level-two aberration."

"It’s that high?"

"Of course. Don’t be fooled by the light workload in Investigation Department One; our income is much higher than most other professions."

’That’s not bad at all,’ Wei’en thought.

At the same time, he wondered if the person who "lost" the family’s Guardian Divine Statue might be the second-in-line heir of the Ceres Clan, Gengrich Ceres—the one who held killing intent toward him.

「...」

「...」

"Natali District, Number 32... This is the place."

The Ceres Manor was located in the Natali District, a noble district within the Caster City State.

Its architecture was every bit as grand and solemn as any other noble estate. The stone driveway leading to the entrance was flanked by green lawns, flowers, and fountains.

The main gate was tall, carved with a scene of two three-masted sailing ships crossing a stormy sea, giving it a legendary air.

Lisi motioned for Marco to knock on the gate, turning back to add, "I forgot to mention, the Ceres Clan are followers of the Storm Church. They’re rather sensitive about hearing words like ’Dawn,’ ’Earth,’ or ’Red Moon.’"

Wei’en nodded to show he understood. ’It’s normal for seafarers to worship the Storm Church,’ he thought.

Soon after, the manor’s gate was slowly opened, and a well-dressed butler, Collins, led the group inside.

Similar to the European-style manors he had seen in his past life, the entrance opened into a wide courtyard surrounded by tall, lush plants and flowers.

At the far end of the lawn stood three palatial buildings: one main and two auxiliary. The exterior walls were covered in white marble, and the finely carved patterns above the windows were exquisite and beautiful.

In front of the main building was a large fountain, flanked by two statues of the same height.

Noticing Wei’en’s gaze linger on the statues, Collins took the opportunity to introduce them. "Those are the founders of the Ceres Clan: Windbreaker Arios Ceres and Pursuer Lemingel Ceres."

His tone was filled with a pride that was somewhat grating.

Wei’en tactfully nodded and didn’t press for more details, lest he be subjected to some legendary tale recorded only on a stone tablet.

"Captain Lisi, Mister Sayam has already instructed me that everyone in the Ceres Clan will cooperate with your investigation. We’re counting on you."

Lisi asked noncommittally, "Sayam isn’t here?"

"The master has gone to the Basil District to take inventory of the goods from the north. He will be staying there for the night." Collins’s face showed his displeasure, clearly dissatisfied with her disrespectful way of addressing Mister Sayam.

"What about the other members of the family?"

"Only Young Master Rutger is here. He will come to receive you personally after he wakes from his afternoon nap. However, I hope you can find some useful clues before he arrives..."

Marco interrupted, "We’ll see about that after we’ve conducted our investigation."

"My apologies, Young Master of the Nascimento Clan. Please forgive my choice of words."

"Here, I am Marco. Investigator Marco!"

Collins bowed slightly and said apologetically, "As you wish, young Master Investigator Marco."

Marco: "..."

Wei’en saw his fists clench. He stepped closer and asked, "Butler Collins, you’re not of the Oldes Race, are you?"

This butler named Collins didn’t have the burly build of the Oldes People. He had grayish-white hair, a slender figure—though his hands were quite large—and a pair of hazel eyes that gave him a somewhat feral look.

"And you are...?"

"Wei’en. Investigator."

"Investigator Wei’en is correct. I am of the Vasquez Race. However, I have served the Ceres Clan for over thirty years, so you need not pay any mind to my bloodline..."

"Of course, of course. I was just asking casually. After all, I’m one of the rare Sarut People in Caster City State myself,"

Wei’en said, then asked pointedly, "Tell me, on the night the Divine Statue was discovered missing, was anyone else present besides Young Master Rutger?"

Collins faltered for a moment before shaking his head. "No one. That night, Young Master Rutger only noticed something was amiss when he was heading back to rest."

"I see."

Wei’en saw Lisi’s questioning gaze and returned it with a look that said, ’I was just asking.’ He then led the skipping Tina into the main building.

[You have been scanned by Colins Vazquez’s Spirit perception. Reward: Survival Points +1.]

’A low-key butler who uses the name of the Vasquez Race as his surname...’

’Tsk. Things are starting to head in an unpredictable direction again.’