...IT'S BEEN A WHILE,
CAPTAIN BAILER.
IT'S BEEN THREE YEARS SINCE WE LAST SPOKE IN PERSON,
THERE'S NO NEED TO BE SO FORMAL.
NO. 13
...THERE ARE PROBABLY OTHERS WATCHING RIGHT NOW.
I NEED TO OBSERVE PROPER ETIQUETTE, IF ONLY FOR THE SAKE OF THOSE PRESENT.
THE DEPUTY DIRECTORS MUST BE WATCHING MY APPEARANCE RIGHT NOW.
THOSE PEOPLE WHO REFUSE TO ACKNOWLEDGE ME.
RIGHT. WE CAN SAVE THE SMALL TALK FOR LATER.
NOW THEN...
HOW IS THE PROGRESS?
FORTUNATELY, LOUVANDES HAS NO INFORMATION WHATSOEVER,
SO I AM CURRENTLY APPROACHING THE NOBLES TO BUILD FRIENDLY RELATIONS.
ALTHOUGH I HAVE YET TO HARVEST ANY NOTABLE RESULTS MYSELF,
I WILL MAKE SURE TO BRING YOU GOOD NEWS SOON.
PLEASE WAIT—
HOW CAN WE BELIEVE THOSE WORDS?!
YOU WANT US TO WAIT?
YOU'RE STILL UTTERING SUCH SHAMELESS NONSENSE!
THIS IS... DEPUTY DIRECTOR HENRY'S VOICE...
HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN HOW YOURJUDGMENT NEARLY BROUGHT CATACLE TO RUIN?!
...I HAVEN'T FORGOTTEN.
NO, I COULD NEVER FORGET.
THAT CHILD'S FINAL MOMENTS ARE STILL VIVID IN MY MIND.
A FEW YEARS AGO, I ACCOMPANIED THE DIRECTOR'S DAUGHTER, ESMERALDA, ON HER VERY FIRST MISSION.
I PERSONALLY CONDUCTED THE PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION FOR THE MISSION,
AND AFTER CONCLUDING THAT THERE WERE NO RISK FACTORS, I DEPLOYED HER, BUT...
SISTER...!
ESMERALDA!
IT WAS A TRAP.
THE HEIR OF CATACLE DIED BECAUSE OF ME.
EVEN THOUGH I FAILED TO SAVE HIS DAUGHTER, THE DIRECTOR ALLOWED ME TO LIVE.
I MUST NOT CAUSE ANY MORE TROUBLE.
PLEASE TRUST ME JUST ONE MORE TIME.
THIS TIME, I WILL NOT DISAPPOINT YOU.
WHO WOULD EMPTY WORDS—!
ENOUGH.
...NO. 13.
...YES. DIRECTOR. PLEASE SPEAK.
AS I SAID, YOU HAVE TWO TASKS.
INTERFERE WITH LOUVANDES'S PLAN,
AND FIND THE HOLY RELIC BEFORE HE DOES.
THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE.
...YES. I WILL DO MY BEST.
AND—
IF LOUVANDES PROVES TO BE AN OBSTACLE TO THIS MISSION,
OR IF YOU BECOME CERTAIN THAT HE CANNOT BE PERSUADED—
DO NOT HESITATE TO KILL HIM.
...UNDERSTOOD.
DID YOU GET SOME REST?
CHARLES, İM COMİNG İN.
YEAH, COME ON IN.
IF LOUVANDES PROVES TO BE AN OBSTACLE TO THIS MISSION,
OR IF YOU BECOME CERTAIN THAT HE CANNOT BE PERSUADED—
KILL HIM.
KILL HIM...?
EVEN THOUGH I ALWAYS THOUGHT LOUVANDES WAS INSUFFERABLE,
I DON'T WANT TO LOSE ANYONE ELSE AROUND ME...
CHARLES...
CHARLES. ARE YOU OKAY?
AH, OH. WHAT IS IT?
PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER. RIGHT NOW, I NEED TO GO BACK TO BEING LOUVANDES'S PARTNER.
A MOMENT AGO, I RECEIVED WORD FROM THE GUARDIANS.
FROM THE GUARDIANS? WHAT DID THEY SAY?
WE NEED TO FIND "THEMIS."
THEMIS... YOU MEAN THAT FAMOUS ALCHEMIST?
YES. FURTHERMORE, HE IS THE CREATOR OF "AURA."
"AURA": A DRUG CREATED TO UPLIFT THE SPIRIT.
CONSUMING EVEN HALF A BOTTLE CAN GREATLY ENHANCE CONCENTRATION, MAKING IT A SENSATIONAL CRAZE ACROSS THE EMPIRE.
I HEARD RUMORS THAT THEY MADE A FORTUNE OFF OF THAT, BUT...
WHAT DO THEY HAVE TO DO WITH THE HOLY RELIC?
THEMIS REPORTEDLY MAINTAINS CLOSE TIES WITH THE IMPERIAL FAMILY.
THUS, IT'S POSSIBLE THE IMPERIAL FAMILY TIPPED THEM OFF REGARDING THE HOLY RELIC.
AN ALCHEMIST POSSESSING THE WHEREABOUTS OF THE HOLY RELIC, WHICH NEITHER CATACLE NOR THE IMPERIAL FAMILY KNOWS ABOUT...?
THE PROBABILITY IS LOW, BUT... I CAN'T SIMPLY IGNORE IT.
THEMIS IS SCHEDULED TO ATTEND THE MARQUIS OF BIDEN'S PARTY.
WE SHOULD ATTEND THAT PARTY AS WELL AND EXTRACT INFORMATION.
Hm...
JUST IN CASE, I CAN'T LET THE TWO OF THEM MEET AGAIN THIS TIME.
I SHOULD MAKE CONTACT FIRST AND SEE HOW MUCH THEY KNOW.
BY THE WAY, CHARLES. IS THIS ALL THE CLOTHES YOU BROUGHT?
I DON'T SEE A SINGLE DRESS. JUST TWO SKIRTS AND THREE BLOUSES...?
MOREOVER, YOU'RE NOT A CHILD—
SO WHAT'S WITH ALL THIS LACE?
TO THINK THE LEOPARD-PRINT SKIRT WASN'T EVEN THE ONLY ISSUE...
THIS GUY, REALLY...! WHY DOES HE CARE ABOUT WHAT I WEAR?!
TO THINK YOU WERE PLANNING TO GO TO A PARTY WEARING SUCH UNFASHIONABLE CLOTHES...
THIS WON'T DO.
IF WE WENT OUT LIKE THIS, PEOPLE WOULD DOUBT MY LOVE FOR YOU.
I WILL CLEAR MY SCHEDULE FOR THE WEEKEND.
LET'S GO SHOPPING TOGETHER.
!!..
...FINE, WHATEVER.
HE REALLY IS AS INSUFFERABLE AS EVER.
BUT...
HAVING THAT IDLE CONVERSATION ACTUALLY MADE ME FEEL A BIT BETTER...
I'LL BE THROWING AWAY THOSE CLOTHES, FOR A START.
QUIET. THAT'S MY FAVORITE SKIRT.
IT CAN'T BE HELPED. FOR NOW, I'LL HOPE THAT THINGS GO WELL MOVING FORWARD,
AND I'LL WORK HARD DOING WHAT I CAN DO.
Agent codenamed No. 13 holds a secret meeting with Captain Bailer and the deputy directors three years later. He is blamed for his past mistake that led to the death of the Director's daughter, Esmeralda, but he is given one last chance: to stop Lou Vandes's plan and find the Holy Relic before him, killing him if necessary. He then meets Charles in his guise as Lou Vandes's partner; they plan to attend Marquis Biden's party to track down the famous alchemist Themis. The chapter ends softly with an argument about clothes.
