Klei was sitting, bruised and battered, in a suite at a lavishly decorated high-end hotel.

He was obviously dissatisfied and indignant about his arrest, his gaze continually shifting among the special agents donning leather jackets with triskelion epaulettes standing nearby.

These men had suddenly emerged from the shadows and attacked him with apparent madness, yet never to the point of lethality. Not until he was beaten into vomiting blood, rendered powerless to resist, did they drag him into a car and bring him into this room.

"My men might have been a bit aggressive, but I was anxious, so don't hold it against them, Mr. Ernest Kreine. Come on, have a cup of tea, and let's discuss some matters I'm keen to know."

Sitting opposite Klei was a man who, at first glance, seemed exceedingly young, yet as he reclined casually on the sofa, he inexplicably gave Klei a sense akin to facing Sandro, or even someone much more formidable than Sandro.

He pushed a cup of hot tea toward Klei.

Klei sniffed, wiped away some blood, and said, "I don't like tea. Just ask what you want."

"You're a straightforward person. I like straightforward people. I'll be direct then—have you ever seen the King of the Beihai?"

The man's previous words seemed conversational, but the last sentence was almost a demand, implying a command for an answer.

Whether subconsciously or compelled, Klei sat upright and said, "I have seen him."

"Where?"

"Saint Kuanti."

"Who is he?"

As he asked this question, the man stared into Klei's eyes, his tone becoming more grave, rigid, and cold, like a preset program imposing that Klei had to answer accurately, with no room for silence or deceit.

Klei swallowed and shook his head, saying, "I don't know."

"You don't know?" The man frowned. "How could you not know? Tell me every encounter you've had with him."

"I... only saw him once. At that time, we were..."

Klei vividly recounted everything he witnessed at the foot of the stairs, including how the King of the Beihai commanded the scene and acquired the dazzling crown.

"Then the space shattered; I passed out, and when I woke, I was safe."

He concluded.

The man seated across from him gave him one last deep look before withdrawing his gaze.

As if relieved from a lengthy interrogation, Klei collapsed into his chair, mentally exhausted.

"Thank you for your cooperation, Mr. Ernest Kreine. You were honest; I like honest people. Honest people deserve rewards; that's the rule—so you're free."

The man gestured to his subordinates to take Klei away.

"Oh, give him a handkerchief to wipe off the blood. We can't have people saying the Kingdom Defense Bureau abuses civilians."

Not until Klei was tossed onto the steps outside the hotel did he finally exhale a breath.

Using a handkerchief to wipe the blood from his face, Klei glanced back at the hotel and spat out a mouthful of blood.

"*****."

Thankfully, it's over.

————————

Ethan was found after Klei.

By then, he was already aware of Klei's capture.

Facing the sudden visit from two Kingdom Defense Bureau agents, he first asked Anya to prepare two cups of tea, then calmly stood up and said, "Gentlemen, may I change my clothes? As you can see, I'm not suitably dressed for going out."

Before they arrived, Ethan was at home painting, dressed in light and comfortable home attire.

"I won't run, please rest assured."

Eventually, the two agents allowed it, and Ethan changed into a dark green suit before accompanying them to the hotel.

At the entrance, he encountered Vincent, who had also been invited.

He and Vincent exchanged a glance.

Neither spoke.

The two were taken into separate rooms.

Ethan underwent questioning first.

It was the same young man from before, this time also prepared with tea.

Ethan picked up the cup and sipped.

"Ethan... Bolita, you don't seem afraid?" The man looked at him.

"Officer, in theory, everyone fears the Kingdom Defense Bureau, but I haven't done anything to threaten the Kingdom's security; I've always been a righteous person, so I don't think I have anything to fear."

Ethan placed the teacup down.

"Interesting, Ethan, you're very interesting. I've read your file and find you intriguing, but I need to ask you a few questions first—answer poorly, and your intrigue diminishes rapidly."

The man laughed.

"Firstly..."

The next moment, an overwhelming pressure swept over Ethan.

He felt as if he were engulfed by a tremendous wave.

"Have you seen the King of the Beihai?"

"Yes, I have."

"Where, and what were the particulars of the scene?"

"I only saw him once... at that time..."

Ethan recounted almost the same perspective as Klei.

"Finally..."

As Ethan was about to articulate the outcome, the man suddenly leaned forward, in a posture full of intense pressure, and growled softly, "Ethan! Is the King of the Beihai your brother Vincent? Tell me!"

Ethan felt his consciousness almost waning.

Yet in the next instant, he slowly said, "No."

The tide retreated.

The man sat back down on the sofa, as if nothing had happened.

"Ethan, well done." He remarked plainly.

Ethan, however, was drenched in sweat, clutching the armrests of the chair; his consciousness was already a chaotic mess.

It was really too exhausting, facing the man's mental assault while desperately hiding his 'True God's Name.'

Fortunately, it had already passed.

"Rest a while. I'll now go next door and question your brother; if he also has no issue, I think you brothers can happily return home for dinner."

The man said, getting up and exiting the room.

Ethan meanwhile stared at the wall; on the other side was Vincent.

Vincent...

Surely won't have issues either.

After all, the premise of this plan's execution stems from him.

Fifteen minutes later.

The door of the room was opened again, and the man returned, sitting opposite Ethan.

"Ethan, now, I can reintroduce myself: I am Solomon, Special Agent at the Kingdom Defense Bureau, Agares Solomon. Apologies for troubling you brothers, but I wish to impose on your time slightly further."

"Because I have a small matter for which I need your assistance."

"As you wish."

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