Rode was stunned.

"He's the enemy... can't we kill him?"

Lauren's gray eyes scrutinized him, as if trying to discern the truth in his words.

"He is the most important clue in the Redstone Village case and the only cultist of the Corruption Sect we have in our grasp. We have a lot of intelligence to extract from him, and you need him as a witness. He cannot die."

Rode's heart sank.

He hadn't thought that far ahead. At the time, he couldn't find the soul lock Lauren mentioned, and his first reaction upon discovering the true form was to shoot.

He never expected that one shot would actually kill him.

Now, his suspicion hadn't lessened; instead, it had intensified because he seemed to have the intent to silence and destroy evidence.

"Can't you interrogate the soul? He just died not long ago, maybe you could use some kind of spirit communication..."

Mid-sentence, Rode suddenly shut his mouth, because Bass's soul might be with him.

Lauren also shook his head slightly. "Special interrogation isn't omnipotent. Even with the most extreme methods, we can only obtain partial information, which usually requires deciphering and interpretation. Souls aren't as simple as you think; they're not books you can flip through at will. Moreover..."

He glanced at Bass's corpse, frowning slightly.

"His soul dissipated completely... so quickly. Is it due to corruption, or the methods of the Corruption Sect?"

Rode tensed up. "Soul Devouring" was taboo; if discovered, he'd be finished.

But Lauren didn't seem suspicious of him, nor did he mention the anomalies.

He lowered the iron staff pointed at Rode, rubbing his chin, and said:

"This must have been an accident, not your fault, but mine. I didn't expect you to find his true form. He used Sigres's ancient soul symbol, which is difficult for non-professional investigators to find quickly. I originally intended to corner him bit by bit, forcing him to reveal more information."

He sighed softly, a hint of melancholy in his tone.

"This must be your spark ability. The researchers at the Mechanism Research Institute must have gone off the rails again, replacing the original meaning with their imagined words. Your spark couldn't possibly be called Black Cauldron; that's his own codename."

Rode almost laughed, but remembering he was still in a dangerous whirlpool, he stifled his laughter and asked, "So what do we do now?"

Lauren said, "I'll slightly alter the account, emphasizing the danger of the battle, implying you were in a life-and-death crisis. But if anyone asks you, tell the truth, don't lie. Do you understand?"

Rode nodded. "I understand."

Afterward, Lauren briefly cleaned up the scene.

Soon, investigators wearing large felt hats and black cloaks arrived, taking over the scene and beginning a more detailed search.

Rode was questioned, and he recounted the process as Lauren instructed, omitting the anomalies related to the black line and the soul.

The investigators didn't make things too difficult for him, and after recording his statement, they took his fingerprint.

"Return to the academy first," Lauren said briefly, without much explanation.

An investigator escorted him to a new horseless carriage.

As the wheels turned, the investigator drew the curtain over the window.

The last image in Rode's eyes was of the dim district, a group of people busy under the faint light in front of a large warehouse.

The boundless darkness swallowed everything, making the faint light seem like a candle in the wilderness, worrying that it might be extinguished by the gale at any moment.

——

The effective clues obtained from the warehouse were far less than Lauren had hoped.

And as reports from investigators in other locations came in, Lauren's heart gradually sank.

Having paid such a high price for so little gain, Lauren knew this hurdle would be hard to overcome.

Sure enough, upon returning to the Internal Affairs Tribunal, he faced severe questioning.

"I'm sorry, my negligence caused the failure of this operation. I'm willing to bear all the losses."

At the adjudication meeting, Lauren didn't argue, admitting the facts.

"Bear all the losses?"

A person wearing an iron mask, seated in the front row, said coldly.

"We spent so much to obtain these clues, and you say they're lost? Can you bear this loss?"

"Truly rare, our ace also makes mistakes." A skinny, short old man sneered, "A mistake is one thing, but what if he turned traitor and deliberately destroyed evidence?"

On the high seats, many people frowned.

One person said, "Krama, such speculation is irrational and unnecessary."

The iron mask stood up, looking around, and said loudly, "This isn't irrational slander. A high-level combat personnel making a mistake on such a mission, don't you find it suspicious and against common sense?"

A blond middle-aged man shook his head. "I think you're wrong. No one is infallible. You shouldn't be so harsh on someone who has worked in the most dangerous positions for years."

The iron mask said coldly, "Fine, let's say he made a mistake. But how did that rookie who just ignited his Soul Fire manage to see through Sigres's ancient soul symbol? He must be hiding an unspeakable secret."

The blond middle-aged man said, "That's because his ability happened to counter the enemy. Bass was skilled in concealment and deception, while he excelled in piercing through the fog..."

"Lies!" the iron mask shouted. "His spark is clearly Black Cauldron. Just hearing the name, you know he's good at eating, can eat a lot, and has nothing to do with piercing through fog!"

"This is the Mechanism Research Institute's neg..."

"Enough!" The Chief Adjudicator interrupted their argument. "Manolobana, Mipol, state your conclusions."

The iron mask said coldly, "Immediately suspend all of Lauren's duties, conduct a dereliction investigation, and subject Rode, the main culprit in the Redstone Village case, to a special trial to obtain new clues at minimal cost. Our leniency towards him was a mistake, and it's time to rectify it!"

The blond middle-aged man proposed a completely opposite opinion.

"Lauren shouldn't be punished. We aren't without other leads. Rode, the sole survivor of Redstone Village, has shown unexpected potential. I think we can grant him certain permissions and conduct tailored training."

The iron mask shouted angrily, "Utterly absurd! A murderer and a derelict not only escape punishment but receive rewards..."

"Enough!"

The Chief Adjudicator interrupted him.

"Proceed according to Mipol's suggestion, but keep Manolobana's suggestion on record."

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No one raised further objections. Everyone bowed slightly and said in unison.

"As you wish, Lord Lucien."

But the light in the iron mask's eyes flickered, clearly not aligned with his spoken words.

——

Meanwhile, Rode finally returned to Kimberly Academy.