Chapter 80: Vintage Detective
It was obvious which job he should take on, given the three things the Whisper Guild could do. Guarding duty is not his cup of tea and poses risks since it involves protecting someone. Cillian isn’t the type of person to do it.
On the other hand, doing a secret deal like a broker is something Cillian is inclined to do if there is no other choice, but he moved past that. Because there would be people involved, and if the deal turns out to be a trap, hypothetically, it also poses risks.
That’s why Cillian, whose kit is designed for stealth, deception, and tracking, chooses information gathering amongst the three.
Because Cillian can just wing it by doing solo and yolo.
"You want to do this mission alone?"
Leo asked as he couldn’t help but be worried that his son was tackling a mission alone when, usually, people who did this would go with a few people.
Information gathering is not as easy as it sounds.
But Cillian was very adamant about working alone. That’s his specialty anyway.
"Yeah."
Cillian carefully looked at the mission he received.
Name: Missing Expedition
Description: An exploration team of seven researchers and two escorts disappeared while surveying an ancient ruin that they thought belonged to the previous era.
Reward: 10 gold coins.
The reason Cillian chose this mission was that, as far as he knew, official organizations were already looking into the incident. He’s not just going to do everything in the dark and do it openly.
It seems the person asking about yesterday’s mission is not willing to wait for the authorities to conclude it for themselves.
That’s why it was a so-so mission.
Besides, Cillian can go outside and explore more, which is one of the things he wanted to do.
"Well, if you want to do it alone, that’s no problem. In that case, you’re going to have to dress in a proper suit so you look presentable to those people. There are clothes you could use from that drawer. Since this is an open information gathering, you can dress like a proper detective."
Leo pointed at a drawer that was suited for this mission, and Cillian started moving towards the huge cabinet that lay bare for him to see.
’What a banger of a cabinet.’
Cillian couldn’t help but admire the abundance of clothes and items inside. He began picking out the clothes he would wear and the accessories he would bring before entering a dressing room.
"You have a very handsome kid, sir."
One of the receptionists commented to Leo, who answered with a slight smile.
"I’m his father, after all. But I guess I have to thank my beautiful wife, too."
Eventually, Cillian left the dressing room fully dressed that somehow caused a reaction from the ladies watching him.
Cillian slowly walked forward to look at himself in the mirror and couldn’t help but be amazed at how a properly dressed, handsome dude could become even more attractive because of his clothes.
A fitted black waistcoat layered over a crisp white dress shirt, paired with a narrow black tie and matching trousers. Below the white flag above his head is a plaid cap resting atop his messy dark hair, while a silver-chained monocle rests at his right eye. Decorative chains and cross pins were attached to the vest, completing the vintage look of a true detective he only saw in movies and read about in webnovels.
’I’m so fucking handsome.’
Cillian couldn’t help but be thankful for being transmigrated into a slightly handsome dude who was no different from the face he had gotten from his previous parents back on Earth.
"Cillian."
Leo handed him an ID he could use for the investigation and ten copper coins as his starting expenses.
"By the way, the Fragmented Pieces you handed to me, I’m still looking for an Artisan who can make them into an Artifact. But honestly, if you want to secure someone who will make Artifacts for you, it’s better if it’s the Dwarves who do it. Pretty much Artisans in the land of humanity are good at hiding or are already owned by someone else."
Cillian remembered that he had also asked about turning the Fragmented Pieces he possessed into Artifacts after Leo suggested that he attend therapy. One of them came from the corpse shepherd, while another came from the summoner shepherd. Aster had obtained the Piece of the Ruiner that they fought first.
This was one of the deals he made with his father that made him attend Arthur’s counselling sessions.
Cillian received the ID that looked like a badge and took a sneak peek inside, and saw his name with a company called Broker’s Guild. Then he put the copper coins and put them into his pockets.
"The guild is merely a company by name. It is one of the guilds that the Viola Family used legally in the upper world. The people who are investigating this case will immediately know that you worked for the Viola. You will get reactions, but who cares when you’re working for the Lord?"
’I guess that’s true.’
Leo then finally said one last time.
"We have at least a dozen elevators in the possession of the Whisper Broker. Some elevators are shared by other gangs. Are you sure you really wanted to do this thing alone?"
As if Leo wanted Cillian to be accompanied by some people since it was still his first mission, he was trying to convince him to be babysat by some of his men.
But Cillian continued to be strong in his choice.
"I can do it alone. Trust me, Father. I will not mess this up and bring you good results."
For some reason, Cillian didn’t notice the change in Leo’s face because it was so subtle, but it was there. Being called ’Father’ somehow caught Leo off guard because it had been a while since he had been called that by his son.
With a light cough, Leo grabbed a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it over to Cillian.
"Once you memorize it, tear it apart."
’I can indeed memorize them, but I’ll write them through my system later on since it’s much more convenient to do so. I will transfer my notes there later on.’
Cillian mused inwardly before giving Leo a small nod. Then, for a moment, an awkward silence enveloped the two of them.
"You should go, Cillian."
"R-right, I should."
Once preparation was done and he was ready to go, Cillian waved his hand towards his father before turning around to leave the house branch of their gang.
His steps trailed as he began to examine the notes given to him by his father.
On the other hand, Leo watched as Cillian walked forward while the same lady from earlier commented with a slight chuckle.
"It’s like seeing your son graduate from school, isn’t it?"
Feeling guilty and remembering the pain he instilled from his son during the time Cillian was younger, Leo couldn’t reply with that humorous comment.
Saying ’I know, right?’ or ’He’s all grown up now’ kind of things in the same proud tone coming from the receptionist wouldn’t feel right at all.
It just doesn’t feel right when Leo completely understood that the reason Cillian became distant was because of the ideals he had brought to him to become the best of the Sparrows.
But that destroyed Cillian and Leo, understanding its consequences far too late.
That’s why he hadn’t asked for forgiveness.
He merely watched his son continue growing, as it was like what he was witnessing right now.
That’s the only thing he could do after the torment he had given.
With a sad smile, Leo turned around.
"Enough chit-chat, let’s get to work."
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