Chapter 24 - Rupert’s Tail

Chapter 24 - 11 Rupert's TailThis was not the first meeting between Bologue and Lebius. As early as during the assessment, he had confronted Lebius, but at that time, Lebius was controlling the Blade-Biting Wolf. It was merely a puppet, but this time Bologue saw Lebius's form with his own eyes.

Somewhat surprising.

In Geoffrey's words, Lebius should be an extremely frightening and unfathomable character. Coupled with the eerie feeling during the assessment, Bologue had already painted a picture of Lebius in his mind.

A cunning and sly figure, yet the real Lebius was unexpectedly a sickly cripple.

"Lebius..." Bologue whispered the name, dragging a chair from the side and sitting down at the other end of the office desk.

Bologue looked at Lebius warily.

He did not underestimate Lebius because he was disabled; on the contrary, he was more vigilant towards Lebius. After all, to become the head of this so-called Special Operations Group with a crippled body, Bologue did not think Lebius was as he appeared.

This was a group wielding Extraordinary Power, and no one could predict what kind of cards they held in their hands.

"You're my boss, and I'm your employee... what do I need to do next?" Bologue asked first.

Lebius paused for a few seconds, unlike Geoffrey, who was adept at human resources. He was not much of a talker, something Bologue could sense.

"No tasks for the time being; the Special Operations Group is still under construction," Lebius said with slight regret, "The group mainly comprises debtors, and finding reliable debtors is not easy."

"Why are you so keen on debtors?"

Bologue asked, sensing from Yas's attitude that the Order Bureau was very wary of debtors, but Lebius was adamant about using debtors to form a task force.

"Because of your 'Blessing,' it's a deceitful force independent of the 'Alchemy Matrix,' and in action, debtors can be unexpected soldiers, the winning hand in perilous situations."

"Sounds like what I'll be executing are suicide missions." Bologue remarked.

"Indeed, to be precise, all mission groups within the Field Operations Department execute extremely dangerous tasks; otherwise, Geoffrey wouldn't have applied to transfer to the Logistics Department."

Lebius said, glancing at Geoffrey, who smiled awkwardly.

"Of course, trustworthy debtors are extremely valuable resources, and we will use you cautiously," Lebius stated earnestly.

"Aren't you afraid I'll lose control? After all, it was you who personally locked me in the Black Prison," Bologue's voice chilled, "or made deals with the Devil, unable to bear Bulimia Nervosa, starting to devour others' souls... and the like."

He wanted to know, given the danger of debtors, how the Order Bureau planned to control him.

"Not afraid, because if you lose control, it means being an enemy of the Order Bureau, and even if you have an Undying Body, you can be neutralized, can't you? For example, by being poured into cement and sinking to the depths of the ocean."

For Bologue's question, Lebius responded calmly, as if he had expected it all along. His emotions seemed to have not fluctuated since the meeting, like a cold mechanical being.

"That's not enough of a threat."

Bologue said, wanting to understand what kind of restrictions the Order Bureau would impose on him, whether a collar or shackles, as this would determine their future relationship.

Geoffrey appeared somewhat panicked, sensing the tension in the conversation, trying to mediate, but these two were somewhat insane, making it impossible for him to join the conversation.

After a few seconds of silence, Lebius's lips slightly curled, looking like he was smiling, but paired with his sickly face, it only sent chills.

"Bologue Lazarus... you're a man of 'desire.'

Lebius murmured to himself, opening a drawer, taking out a document, and scanning it.

"People with 'desire' are rather easy to control... no, this is not even control but mutual benefit."

He handed the document to Bologue, continuing.

"From the beginning, the Order Bureau did not intend to impose any restrictions on you, no shackles, no chains, only a need for alignment in the general direction.

We need you as a debtor to execute our missions, fulfill our 'desires,' and correspondingly, we will satisfy your 'desires.'

We don't even require you to agree with our philosophy, because if you are full of ideals and justice, it will make us suspicious. All we need is that at critical moments, there is a Sharp Sword to cut off the enemy's head, that will be enough.

As long as... you are willing to follow our rules, not to break our order."

It's like a fair trade, mutual satisfaction between both parties. Bologue needs freedom to do what he wants, and the Order Bureau can grant him freedom, but requires Bologue to kill for them.

"People without desires are the ones who need shackles, because nobody knows whether these idle souls will settle for silence or do something absurd to stir their decayed hearts."

Lebius added, seemingly recalling some unpleasant past events, frowning slightly.

Bologue did not respond. From the moment he took the document, he stopped speaking, his eyes locked onto the information in the document, his breathing slightly quickening.

"What... is this about?"

Bologue glanced at Lebius with a somber expression.

"I reviewed your action report and noticed you were investigating an extraordinary crime, so I took the liberty of checking the relevant files," Lebius smiled, "I take great care of my subordinates."

"What is this so-called 'Man-eater'?"

A voice filled with malice squeezed out between Bologue's teeth. Geoffrey, who heard "Man-eater" nearby, also showed a change in expression, as if the term held a deeply unpleasant meaning.

"A group that has risen in Opus in recent years; their main business... you should understand from their name, right? They secretly perform Condensation on ordinary people, harvest souls, forge them into Philosopher's Stones, and sell them at high prices to Demons hidden within the city."

Lebius spoke slowly.

"The manpower of the Order Bureau is limited, and coupled with Opus's chaos, countless strangers arrive here daily, bringing new disasters. Initially, we didn't pay much attention to this group until recently when their scale began to rapidly expand."

Bologue remained silent, continuing to peruse the files. Many familiar pieces of information appeared before him, the majority of people had become deceased, including a photo of Priest Doron.

Turning to the last page, a black-and-white photograph, a name, and some scribbled text met Bologue's gaze.

"The Order Bureau also faces opposition from enemy organizations. We suspect 'Man-eater' is funded by our adversaries, allowing them to continue their growth unchecked, they will inevitably disrupt the balance of Opus, so we have decided to act against 'Man-eater' in the near future."

Lebius shifted his gaze to Bologue, observing his reaction, speaking step by step.

"Bologue Lazarus, I've been watching you for a long time, just like when I asked you during the assessment why you are obsessed with the moral justice, and you called it an immutable axiom."

Sharp eyes scrutinized Bologue, as if attempting to devour him, greedily encapsulating Bologue completely within their vision.

"I like your explanation; many things require no reason."

Bologue stared directly into those sharp eyes without evading.

The office sank into silence, and such silence did not last long. Bologue leaned back against the chair, fully relaxing, exhaled deeply, picked up the file, flipped to the last page, and looked at the photograph and name on it.

The myriad events within the Black Prison flashed before his eyes, the Devil's debts, unknown enigmas, fiery revenge...

"It's truly an irresistible invitation."

Bologue chuckled.

He stared at the photo in the documents, "This person... do you need him alive, or dead?"

"Alive," Lebius added, "we need him alive; we need to pry more intelligence about 'Man-eater' from his lips."

Bologue took a deep breath, his attention towards Lebius changed.

As stated, the Order Bureau doesn't need to control him; their purpose aligns perfectly.

Bologue must make the greedy Demons pay the price, and this is exactly what the Order Bureau desires as well. Bologue needs to find that damned Devil, redeem his soul, and the Order Bureau shares this intent, swearing to banish the Devil from the human world forever.

In this way, their interests are almost entirely aligned.

"What kind of actions will we be responsible for once our Special Operations Group is established?" Bologue asked.

"Has Geoffrey given you the badge?" Lebius didn't answer the question.

On hearing this, Bologue took out the badge from his pocket, engraved with a meteor twisted into a vortex.

"This item is called Rupert's Tear, it's molten glass dripped into cold water, forming tadpole-shaped glass upon solidification, resembling a tear."

Lebius said, extracting a Rupert's Tear, its transparent tear with a slender tail, a trace left from before solidification.

"It has a peculiar property: while the 'tear' part can bear much more pressure than regular glass, the moment you touch its 'tail,' the incredibly tough 'tear' will instantly shatter."

Lebius lightly pinched the tail of the tear, and a scarcely audible cracking sound was heard. In the blink of an eye, the tough transparent tear was filled with countless cracks internally and collapsed.

"'Rupert's Tail,' that's the code name of our Special Operations Group; we will be the sharpest sword, striking precisely at the enemy's 'tail.'"

Lebius explained.

Bologue watched the powder that shattered into dust on the table and turned his gaze to the badge, only then realizing that it was not a meteor carved on it, but a Rupert's Tear being swallowed by a vortex.

"I guess I have no more questions."

Bologue pondered for a moment, looked at the scattered papers on the table, and the pen beside them, he asked.

"So... where should I sign?"