NOVPUBRed Falcon Nicola withdrew his gloved hand and apologized to Lanci.
"Phew, you really startled me. I was wondering what I could have possibly done to be targeted by you like this."
Lanci sighed in relief and shook his head with a smile.
"What the heck, he’s trying to bluff, isn’t he?!"
Talia now realized that Nicola hadn’t actually figured out anything.
His strategy seemed to be to try his luck by probing first; if the person being tested couldn’t withstand the psychological pressure and showed a lapse in their expression, he could close the case right away.
Thankfully, Lanci was singular in that his mental fortitude wasn’t quite human.
His heartbeat wouldn’t even accelerate under such circumstances.
"Don’t worry, Tata. My heart and my actions are as clear as a mirror. All that I do is just, and no words can sway me."
Lanci felt that Tata was probably scared witless and tried to soothe her in his mind.
"..."
Wait a minute, Lanci.
You’ve never played mind games before. Are you truly not guilty?
Talia was a bit confused.
"However, Mr. Landry, could you please describe once again the disappearance of Mr. Lovia, who was in the compartment with you? I still can’t understand why a female assassin would abduct such an innocent old man. You are the only eyewitness present, and I would like to hear your opinion."
Although the atmosphere had become much lighter, it was clear that Red Falcon Nicola still maintained a skeptical mindset.
He narrowed his eyes and scrutinized Lanci.
Colonel Burke nearby seemed to become interested in the matter again after hearing this.
"How are you going to talk your way out of this? I’ve felt from the beginning that the lies you were telling were a bit far-fetched."
A cloud of despair hovered over Talia’s heart; she now felt that the more Lanci explained, the more mistakes he might make, but failing to explain wasn’t an option either.
And Red Falcon Nicola was certainly not going to let him off easy or let him muddle through.
"Don’t worry."
At the critical moment, Lanci remained calm and continued to chat with Talia in his mind, as if functioning on dual threads.
"Before that, I have a question I’d like to ask Captain Nikola."
Lanci turned to Red Falcon Nicola and said.
"Oh?"
Red Falcon Nicola neither agreed nor disagreed, seemingly wanting to hear Lanci’s question first—or perhaps the question itself could reveal much information.
"In your opinion, what is the identity of that female assassin? Because it was the train announcement that alerted us passengers about the presence of an extremely dangerous individual, which means the Empire’s Special Operations Department must have received the intelligence first."
Lanci slightly furrowed his brow, raised his hand to lightly rest his chin upon it, and pondered as he spoke.
For Captain Nikola of the Internal Affairs Service Section One to personally come for the investigation, there must be some significant internal issue.
"Of course, I have no intention of prying into military affairs. Still, since Captain Nikola has asked for my deduction, I also need the necessary information to supplement it for accuracy."
Lanci added another sentence.
"..."
Red Falcon Nicola fell silent for a few seconds.
"It’s not a big deal; of course, I can tell you. According to our intelligence, the dangerous individual on the train today is an important member of the Silvermoon Reform Association and a big fish."
He began.
Since the big fish had gotten away and the moment was lost, the value of this piece of intelligence had diminished to the point where it could be discussed openly.
"The Silvermoon Reform Association...?"
This time, it was Lanci who appeared puzzled, and his eyes involuntarily quivered.
"You’ve just arrived at the Capital, so you might not be too familiar with this organization, but you only need to know that this organization is an absolute menace to the Empire, and equally a thorn in the side for those big shots above."
Red Falcon Nicola added, uncharacteristically elaborating. n𝚘𝚟pub.𝚌o𝚖
"This Empire officer isn’t lying; the Empire’s Special Operations Department does seem to have identified Miss Unity as an extremely dangerous member of the Silvermoon Reform Association."
Talia reminded Lanci in his mind, conveying to him the results of the lie detection.
"What about it, Mr. Landry? In your opinion, should she not be a person from the Silvermoon Reform Association?"
Red Falcon Nikola had grasped a thread of detail, discerning such an answer from Lanci’s reaction.
The young man with black hair and blue eyes, it was just now that he had shown a truly genuine hesitation for the first time.
This awkwardness indicated that the other party was definitely not from the Silvermoon Reform Association, and correspondingly, he might hold other key information.
"Of course, personally, I feel that person doesn’t quite resemble the one from the Silvermoon Reform Association you’ve mentioned,"
Lanci honestly replied.
"Then who do you think she is?"
Red Falcon Nikola’s brows furrowed, seemingly finding this reply worthless, not the answer he was seeking.
If today’s investigative leads were to end with this black-haired, blue-eyed young man, it would greatly disappoint him.
"The female assassin seems more like a spy from the Allied Forces, and well, Mr. Lovia has been delightful company all along the way, I shouldn’t slander him like this, but, the fact is, Mr. Lovia spoke with that female assassin for a moment, and they definitely weren’t using the Empire’s language, if I’m not mistaken."
Lanci continued to explain with a serious expression.
"..."
Upon hearing this, Red Falcon Nikola fell into deep thought.
Meanwhile, Colonel Burke’s expression became one of shock, staring at the astonishing Lanci.
A spy from the Allied Forces, that would be an external issue.
In a certain sense, its severity was on a different level than that of the Silvermoon Reform Association.
"Are you certain there’s no mistake in what you’re saying?"
Red Falcon Nikola asked Lanci, enunciating every word.
Although if it pointed toward "Mr. Lovia is a spy from the Allied Forces," then everything would become crystal clear, and behind it might be an even larger case.
However, its prerequisite would be whether there truly was a problem with Mr. Lovia, the 62-year-old publisher.
"Of course."
Lanci nodded affirmatively.
"Good, thank you, Mr. Landry, for the information provided. We will follow up, investigating Mr. Lovia based on what you’ve said. If your information proves useful, I will, on behalf of the Empire’s Special Operations Department, personally express our gratitude and apply for your commendation."
Red Falcon Nikola revealed a smile and extended his hand towards Lanci.
This answer was enough.
His years of experience had always made him feel that this young man named Landry had mysteries about him, or rather, deep down, he did not want to trust him.
If their Empire’s Special Operations Department were to investigate and find dubious points about Mr. Lovia, it would naturally prove the innocence of this Landry Washington, and incidentally, it would be a great achievement, making the escape of a dangerous person of uncertain rank from the Silvermoon Reform Association seem trivial.
But if there was nothing suspicious about Mr. Lovia, then Landry would have essentially exposed himself, and he would be apprehended immediately.
"No need for thanks, we are all people of the Empire. Being able to contribute to the Empire at this juncture is our responsibility and obligation, as well as our mission and an honor."
Lanci firmly shook Nikola’s hand.
Inside, Talia began to feel uneasy again.
"Lanci, what he just said is also true; he is always doubting you, and the investigations that follow will be relentless! You shouldn’t have spun such an outrageous lie."
Talia reminded Lanci.
She could read the thoughts of Red Falcon Nikola, this captain from the Empire’s espionage department, better than Lanci.
On the surface, the two could still shake hands with a smile, but now Nikola’s suspicions of Lanci had deepened.
"It’s alright; this incident is nearly over, don’t worry. In the Empire, I assure you I’ll let you eat well and sleep well every day, without living in constant fear."
Lanci telepathically conveyed to Talia.
Next, all he needed to do was secretly report the information that "Mr. Lovia, a sixty-two-year-old publisher from Granweifley in the Northern Border of the Cerryti Empire with some savings, a border civilian wanting to do business in the Imperial Capital Brilda, is in reality a spy from the Poseen Kingdom who infiltrated the Cerryti Empire many years ago," so that the Empire could successfully uncover the issues with Mr. Lovia’s identity. As the apparent provider of clues, Landry would then be celebrated as a great hero.
"You were born for this..."
After reading Lanci’s thoughts, Talia almost didn’t know what to say.
This time, perhaps due to the pressing situation, Lanci had to act this way, and it could even be said to be impeccable. Often, the deeper the suspicion, the more trust earned after realizing it was all a misunderstanding due to guilt and relief.
Although this might not be too effective for someone as suspicious as Red Falcon Nikola, who may not feel guilty and could even remain doubtful.
But if Lanci kept up this charade, Red Falcon Nikola might actually place him on the whitelist.
The kid seemed like a fish back in water as soon as he was in the Empire...
Was it acting, or was it genuine...
