After Bernadetta left, I ran to the police and the fire brigade and helped them, as did other good-hearted Seekers. Almost all Seekers learned basic first aid to prepare for an Abyss opening up in a city center. I was no different. The Seekers on the scene were also clearly experienced.
As a clan master in the regalia, I took command, and we managed to see to all the injured before sunset. Though many had been seriously hurt, we were at least fortunate that no one had died. And thanks to having a few experienced Healers on the scene, the wounded could be attended to almost immediately. Those with light wounds were fully healed, and those with more serious injuries were healed to the point that they could at least make it home.
I was taking a quick smoke break when the captain of the fire brigade appeared.
“Thank you so much for your help,” he told me. “Because of you, we moved fast and saved a lot of people. On behalf of all the firefighters here, you have our gratitude.”
“Just doing my duty as a citizen of the empire,” I said. “You worked just as hard as us Seekers did. But I’m wondering…were you able to discern the source of the explosion?”
“No, we still don’t know what it was. The police are investigating as we speak.”
“I see. In that case, would you mind passing on a message for me? I’d like to be informed of what they find. I’ll be here until then.”
“Got it.”
The captain ran off into the distance. The explosion site had been cordoned off by the police, and only related personnel were allowed access.
“This is going to be front-page news tomorrow, that’s for sure,” said a bystander not far from where I stood.
At present, the sun was just sinking over the horizon. Just as I was beginning to look suspicious, standing under the light of a streetlamp surrounded by cigarette butts, someone unexpected appeared before me.
“Well, this is a surprise,” I said.
“Good evening, Noel.”
It was Goat Dinner’s clan master, Dolly Gardner, a bold grin plastered on her face. Behind her was a police officer.
“Well, uh, I’ll leave you two to it,” he said.
I watched him go, then turned my gaze back to Dolly. “You’ve been following the incident, then?”
Of course she had—her appearing with the police officer was far too convenient.
“I do like men who are observant, Noel,” she said vaguely. “I heard from the fire brigade that you wanted to learn more about the case?”
“I didn’t know you were already on it. But now that I do, I’m hands-off—I don’t have time to compete with you over something like this.”
I spun on my heel and made to leave.
“Don’t be so hasty,” said Dolly, stopping me. Her expression was suddenly earnest. “I want to ask you a few questions. Let’s call it an exchange. You were here when the explosion went off, right?”
“I was. What of it?”
“Did you notice anything at the time of the explosion? A Seeker of your caliber would have picked up on anything amiss.”
It was a keen observation—and I had noticed something.
“I did pick something up,” I said, “but without context, I can’t give you anything concrete. I think you should tell me what you know first.”
Dolly sighed, then offered a nod. “Fine. Take a look at this.”
She brought out a photo and passed it to me. It was a hybrid beast—a woman. I’d never seen her before. Who is that?
“Her name is Reisen,” said Dolly, answering my unspoken question. “She’s a broker here in the empire. She dresses like a streetwalker, but she is incredibly dangerous and deals mostly with spies from neighboring countries.”
“And that’s why you’re following her?”
“Among other reasons, yes. Basically, she’s a threat to the empire. I’m already working with the police to track her down. In the midst of that investigation, we came up with some new information. Have you heard of the Netherworld Faith?”
I shook my head.
“It’s a religious organization,” Dolly said, lowering her voice. “A cult of fanatics who worship beasts as gods.”
“What wonderful hobbies people have…”
“They conduct strange rituals that last several days, and they’ve been known to kidnap people to use as human sacrifices. The people at the top of the organization are all anti-establishment.”
“So they’re a terrorist organization hiding behind the facade of a cult?”
“You got it. At the center of the Netherworld Faith is the broker, Reisen. It’s possible she founded it to help a foreign agent.”
“An agent whose main objective is to cause widespread damage through terrorism.”
The most likely suspect was the Republic of Rodania. Loki was there undercover, and I’d received news that fishy activity had been going on for some time.
“So, was this explosion their work?” I asked.
“It was. However, it wasn’t a planned act of terrorism.”
“What does that mean?”
“That explosion happened because I messed up,” said Dolly, her eyebrows creasing with frustration. “That building was used by the cult’s executives. I had one of my people watching the place so we could get a lead on Reisen’s location, but we didn’t get any information to aid in our investigation. I had no other choice but to have my operative kidnap one of the higher-ups so we could interrogate them. None of them are battle-hardened, and my operative was A-Rank. I never imagined that something like this would go down.”
I heard the harsh rage welling up in Dolly as she went on.
“The operative was caught in the explosion and sustained critical injuries. I rushed to the scene when the police contacted me, and I tried to heal her, but her chances look bleak. Her injuries are simply too great, and there’s nothing more I can do with my healing skills. If I’d only been more careful, this never would have happened…”
I understood Dolly’s regret so much that it hurt. I, too, was in a position of leadership. With one command, my companions could live or die. That responsibility was a weight we carried, and it didn’t ease off as your rank increased. It was not something to ever take lightly either—it was the duty of anyone in a position of power.
“I’m sorry to hear it,” I told her. “And I pray for her full recovery.”