The Special Actions Division

The two men passed through the courtyard and entered the main hall, where Elyon noticed not only King Charles II's portrait but also the holy emblems of the eight true gods displayed.

They were received by a woman who looked to be in her sixties, sporting thick bottle-glass spectacles and white hair tied back in a bun. In one hand, she held a newspaper-wrapped fried chicken, and in the other, she was filling out something akin to a visitor's log with a pen.

"Who are you fellas looking for? Typewriters are too darn tricky, I still prefer to fill out these registration forms by hand," the old lady said, seemingly unfazed by the newcomers and striking up conversation comfortably as if she knew them.

"Ma'am, we have an appointment about the werewolf incident at the port on July 28th. We were told to see Pearce once the witness woke up."

"Oh, Pearce, yes, his office is the third one in section D. It's been quiet lately, just one Class-D incident this month. We still haven't resolved last month's Class-A theft case, and now, I have to go through each place myself," the old woman directed them and let out a complaint.

"Respectable madam, may I ask what has been lost?" Elyon had a bad feeling and decided to inquire.

"A newbie? Still a regular human, huh? Someone copied and took away ancient scriptures under royal custody. Although the originals are still there, knowledge like that, once spread, is nearly costless to reproduce. Oddly, there's been no ripple in either the black market or the supernatural circles."

The old lady took a bite of her chicken as she replied.

That summoning ritual to another world was ancient scripture? All those deaths and the involvement of a werewolf led to just a Class-D incident, which made a Class-A seem far more severe than Elyon could have imagined.

Fortunate for him that he had burned the paper to ash, or he would be the one reduced to cinders.

"Don't bother with things that don't concern you for now; let's handle your business first," Captain Kappa intervened.

Section D was on the first floor, and as Elyon and the captain approached Pearce's office door, Elyon noticed the steel doors were all engraved with patterns akin to holy emblems.

"Come in," called a middle-aged man's voice from inside. Captain Kappa opened the door, revealing one of the black-clothed men who had hypnotized Elyon back in June.

"Good to see you, Captain Pearce. I've brought the witness from the werewolf attack on the 28th."

"Ah, thank you, Inspector Kappa. Please, take a seat," Pearce said, appearing not to recognize Elyon, which was understandable given the time passed and the scale of the recent events.

"Coffee? The price of using my abilities is drowsiness, so to avoid nodding off at work, I've stockpiled various stimulants – cigars, coffee, and tea."

Pearce poured steaming coffee from a pot on the stove into two cups.

"There's sugar on the coffee table; help yourselves. You've recovered quite well, young man. I was worried you'd be out for a while, but here you are discharged already."

"It wasn't a serious injury, just some muscle damage."

"Alright then, describe what happened with the case."

Elyon recounted the events, omitting the pendant and his abilities.

"So that's it. You awakened in the face of death; no wonder you managed to kill the werewolf. That explains it. Later, you'll need to log a formal statement for our records. That'll make it easier for us to manage things in the future."

"Registration?" Elyon asked, puzzled.

"Of course. Otherwise, what do we do if a transcendent uses their powers to commit crimes? We register your abilities and the costs incurred while using them. It's for our management and potential recruitment purposes. It's not all bad – if a transcendent is out of work, they can get a job with the navy's combat groups or our Special Actions Division. The pay might not be as high as being a bodyguard or starting your own business, but it's a stable living. Plus, we have experience in preventing loss of control or progressing to stronger levels of transcendence. What do you think about joining the Special Actions Division?" Pearce offered.

"Don't poach in front of me. How about you tell us the background of this case?" Kappa urged.

"Alright, since we're all on the same team and you were directly involved... Do you know who owned the warehouse where the incident occurred?" Pearce posed the question with a hint of suspense.

"Viscount Perth, I assume? There aren't many with enough clout to smooth over an incident like this other than those involved in international trade in Aegisburg," Kappa stated nonchalantly.

"The warehouse is indeed owned by Viscount Perth, and the guards who were killed worked for him, but someone else is responsible for this mess. Some idiot took advantage of his warehouse to smuggle a mummy from the Southern Continent into Aegisburg."

"A mummy? Sold to some collector with a peculiar taste?" Elyon inquired, wondering who in this era would want such ancient remains.

"That fool believed that mummies ground into powder could be used as an aphrodisiac and poured all his money into the venture, hoping for a quick fortune. The leader of the warehouse guards was a transcendent capable of transforming into a dire wolf and one of Viscount Perth's personal guards. Apparently, the transcendent also fell for the aphrodisiac nonsense and tasted some of the mummy powder, which caused him to lose control," Pearce explained with sarcasm.

"Does mummy powder actually have any effect?" Elyon was curious.

"Most mummy powder is just dried human remains; it doesn't do much. But this mummy was likely the body of a demigod. Even after so many years, the transcendent power hadn't completely dissipated. For a low-ranking transcendent to consume such a high-grade substance and not die on the spot – he was very lucky," Pearce responded.

"A demigod?" Elyon was taken aback. Was this world not as low-magic as he thought, with the remains of demigods being used in potions?

"What happened to the merchant?"

"With such a big incident, what else could happen? Though technically, it was the guards who consumed the mummy, and since it concerned the remains of a demigod, even long-dead with most divine power gone, that idiot will likely end up bankrupt after compensation for the deaths. Bankruptcy is probably the best outcome for him. Oh, he has a daughter, Kaelith Edith, who was desperate to join the nobility. Viscount Perth probably wouldn't even want her as a maid now."

Kaelith? The last flickers of memory of this body's original owner seemed infatuated with a woman of the Edith surname. Elyon brushed it off; it didn't concern him anymore. He was just a soul from Earth.

"Sign here, and the case will be closed. Oh, and there's compensation. Viscount Perth personally paid you," Pearce handed Elyon a piece of paper and an envelope.

"Is this like hush money?" Elyon said with a wry smile.

"Sort of. You're a police officer and now a transcendent. Even a viscount can't outright order you to stay silent. If you become a saint or even a demigod by some stroke of luck, the viscount might come begging for your help," Kappa comforted him.

Elyon didn't open the envelope but pinched it lightly, sensing about ten banknotes inside. Buying a policeman's silence wouldn't cost much; it was likely his transcendent status that held value.