Chapter 214: An Early Inquiry
Chapter 214: An Early Inquiry
"……"
Upon hearing her best friend's question, the red-haired Director's smile involuntarily stiffened, and she shot her a glare.
Can't you just refrain from asking such a distressing question when I'm in a good mood? Besides, do you think I want to be the last? With just the two and a half people left in our Bureau, we've already done everything we can to clean up all the anomalies within the kingdom every year.
Moreover, our Bureau's performance this year was actually quite good. In the first half of the year, we cleared out over ten nests of the Nightmare Black Cult and seized a large batch of anomalies. In the second half, we even managed to eliminate a descended Saint Spirit.
With these achievements as a foundation, even if we didn't rank at the front, we should have been in the upper-middle range. Who knew so many things would suddenly come up at the end of the year?
"……"
"Perfunctory! Lazy! Shameful!"
While the red-haired Director was exchanging glances with her best friend, the Ethereal Image of the Central Purification Bureau's Director in the center of the venue was still slapping the markers of the divisions with the worst performance, criticizing them with deep sorrow:
"As the last line of defense between humanity and anomalies, you bear the safety of the entire race on your shoulders! Look at these shameful review results; I feel ashamed for you! Especially the Virgin Division, you even had the nerve to laugh just now!"
After heavily slapping the Virgin Division's "Lady Beetle" emblem, the Purification Bureau's Director glared fiercely and angrily rebuked:
"The Puppy Bureau and the Lyre Bureau can be excused. The old Director of the Puppy Bureau just retired, and the new Director is still unfamiliar with the work, needing a few more years to hone his skills. The Lyre Bureau had its main force frozen in the glacier during the polar exiles' attack two years ago. It's understandable that their performance was poor.
"But Olivia, what about you? In the first half of the year, your Bureau and the Serpent Bureau conducted a joint operation, but you only managed to catch five believers of the Nightmare Black Cult, while eighty of the Serpent Bureau's colleagues were taken down by you! What is the Virgin Division trying to do?"
"Director, that was just an accident, and it wasn't even a joint operation. The actions of both sides just coincidentally clashed."
Unable to hold back, the red-haired Director stood up and pleaded:
"I took the operation against the Nightmare Black Cult very seriously. After the Central Bureau issued the order to besiege, I immediately sent our strongest, Emma, to complete the task as quickly as possible.
"At the time, Emma had already located the gathering place of the Nightmare Black Cult and was about to set up the [Execution Platform] to make arrests. Who knew that the Serpent Bureau's people were also lying in ambush nearby, and their crimes were even heavier than those of the cultists, leading to them being accidentally injured."
Under the Serpent Bureau Director's death glare, the red-haired Director continued to defend herself earnestly:
"You know that Emma's [Execution Platform] activates based on the severity of the 'crime,' and its effects don't distinguish between friend and foe. As soon as her platform was set up, the Serpent Bureau's people fell, and they howled louder than the cultists. Emma had no choice but to stop, allowing the cultists to escape into the dream realm.
"Director, if I may, instead of blaming Emma for being too harsh, why don't you investigate the Serpent Bureau's cleaners to see what crimes they have committed, and why they fell faster than the cultists under the [Execution Platform]."
"Fine, then let's consider the Nightmare Black Cult incident as a misunderstanding."
Tired of arguing with the red-haired Director, the Purification Bureau's Director forcefully slapped the Lady Beetle emblem and continued to angrily question:
"Then what about these incidents at the end of the year? An anomaly attack occurred right under your nose. Despite the presence of cleaners, hundreds of nobles were killed, causing the kingdom's road and military affairs to be halted for almost two weeks. What do you have to say about that?"
"This… the incident at the Leyne family was purely an accident…"
After inwardly cursing Lyon fiercely, the red-haired Director steeled her neck to argue:
"Lyon wasn't even a full-fledged cleaner back then; he was just a newbie who had joined the Bureau for less than a month. The other side was the heart of a near-god-level demon… Well… the sudden situation was really unavoidable."
"Furthermore, the other party sealed off the estate, preventing him from seeking support from the Bureau. But in the end, not only did he ensure the safety of most people, he even successfully resolved the abnormal incident. I believe this cannot be considered negligence, and he should be commended for his actions."
"Hmph, you always have an excuse. Even failing to eliminate the anomaly in time, causing the deaths of over two hundred nobles, you still dare to call it 'turning the tide' and 'safeguarding the majority's safety'. Your thick skin is an anomaly in itself!"
After mocking him, the Director of the Purification Bureau's expression softened slightly, and he continued, "However, since Lyon is a newcomer and the situation is special, this outcome is barely acceptable. I'll reluctantly consider you passed... But what about the Royal Family?"
"According to our agreements with various royal families, they must provide funding and resources and unconditionally support our purification activities. The divisions stationed in each kingdom also have the obligation to protect the royal family's safety and prevent royal members and important nobles from being disturbed by anomalies.
But in your kingdom, the Princess was attacked by an anomaly and forgotten by the entire kingdom. Later, when a purifier from the Virgin Bureau visited, he had a verbal altercation with the Prince and was confined to the reception room for a good while... Moreover, according to the King's complaint, this wasn't the first time he had acted this way."
"This... this can be explained."
After mentally noting another black mark against Lyon, the red-haired Director, under the curious gazes of her eighty-odd colleagues, continued her defense, "Although Lyon did have a minor disagreement with the Prince, the Princess had previously accepted his marriage proposal. So, apart from being a purifier from the Virgin Bureau, he is also a prince of the kingdom.
Without using any anomalies, he lightly struck his wife's brother a few times during an argument. This should be considered an internal royal family matter, outside the jurisdiction of our Purification Bureau.
As for the Princess being attacked, although we at the Bureau were also negligent, the main reason was someone's scheme in the background, even borrowing part of the effect of the Phantom Vase. I suspect a Director's hand in this, and I've already submitted a report to the Bureau."
"Oh?"
Hearing this, the Director of the Purification Bureau paused slightly, then furrowed his brows and asked, "You're planning to initiate an inquiry against a Director? Olivia, why wasn't I informed about something so important?"
"Well..."
The red-haired Director felt a bit embarrassed and explained, "You previously received a prompt from the Watchtower, and these years you've been relentlessly pursuing the Old King of the Ancients. It's been almost eight years since his last appearance, and when we proposed the inquiry to the Directors, we didn't expect you to be able to project back this year..."
"Didn't expect me to come back, or didn't expect me to still be alive?"
The Director's projection lowered his head and glanced at the Directors in their seats, some looking embarrassed. He then coldly said, "Rest assured, the flow of time in the Old King's domain is only one-fiftieth of yours. Even if you all die of old age, I'll still be alive and well here! Hmph, I originally contacted you around the year-end evaluation just to check in, but I never expected to catch an inquiry against a Director... Come on, Olivia, which Director did you catch red-handed?"
(End of Chapter)
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