"So... why are you telling this?"
Vivian looked at Tendo, wanting to refute several tis, but she couldn't find a single reason to.
Because if she connected what Tendo said with what had recently happened to her, everything made sense.
But knowing the truth was one thing; accepting it was another.
Seeing Vivian's dazed expression, Tendo knew he needed to press harder.
Danica was the crucial "key" to opening the Gate of Miracles.
Vivian was his indispensable "stepping stone" to that Gate of Miracles.
As for whether what he was saying now would affect the plot, Tendo wasn't worried at all.
In the original work, the person who caught Vivian and gave her this information was Yu Chen, the current Vice-Captain of the Fifth Division.
So, at this mont, Tendo was simply taking over a scene that originally belonged to soone else.
"Vivian, this world is very complex, and people's hearts are hard to fathom."
"You can never know how many masks a person hides, nor can you know if the side you see is the side she wants you to see."
As his voice fell, a large amount of black ink-like liquid suddenly appeared around the docunt labeled 'No. 23.'
This ink enveloped the No. 23 docunt, rapidly curling it, turning it black, and finally reducing it to a pile of dust.
Then, an invisible wind suddenly appeared in the interrogation room, scattering the dust from the table, leaving no trace.
"The loss of a holy artifact will certainly make Bishop Cleve accountable to his superiors, but as long as Saintess Euphemia gives her nod, Cleve, unable to complete the bishop transfer ceremony, can maintain his current position."
"And without concrete evidence, the higher-ups of the chanicum Church can't forcefully intervene in the affairs of the Cogwheel Church."
"After all, those iron lumps value and adhere to their doctrines the most."
"At this point, do you still believe the Saintess is preaching?"
Tendo leaned back in his chair, his tone lazy, but every word struck at Vivian's heart.
"I bet right now, she's probably busy contacting her accomplices, telling them to temporarily 'disappear.'"
Even though he had explained it to this extent, Tendo still chose not to stop.
He looked at Vivian's pale face and threw out a truth even crueler than the previous ones.
"Vivian, guess who revealed your information, and who allowed to find you so quickly?"
Vivian froze for a mont, then gasped, "Old Jack?!"
"Impossible! He's always been helping us, even covering for Chen Kong..."
"Covering?"
Tendo chuckled, his laughter carrying a bone-chilling coldness.
"Do you really think the 'safe zone' in the Rust Iron Hell was sustained by just Chen Kong and Old Jack?"
"Why would those unruly gangs give up such a huge piece of the pie as District 12, just because Old Jack watched them grow up?"
"When did the ruthless gang leaders of Rust Iron Hell beco so filial?"
Tendo left his seat and walked to Vivian, looking down at her.
"Miss Knight, the best way to control mad dogs isn't to beat them, but to feed them while also putting on leashes that can be tightened at any mont. Old Jack... is the leash the Church uses to restrain its mad dogs."
"Otherwise, how do you think Bishop Cleve and Saintess Euphemia kept track of the lower city's movents, and how did they ensure those gangs wouldn't break free from control?"
The interrogation room fell completely silent.
Vivian sat blankly in her chair, her lips trembling, but no sound escaped them.
The doubts she had unconsciously ignored before now clicked into place in her mind like a jigsaw puzzle.
And finally, they ford a dark, hellish picture she had never imagined.
At the sa ti, the dinsion viewers on Platform 13 were also shocked by the cruel truth Tendo had revealed.
'The Saintess is a villain, and Old Jack too? Oh my god, this Steam City is too dark!'
'This twist is too brutal. How much of a blow must this be to Vivian...'
'Mr. Ink has too much information. What exactly is his identity?'
'Considering the Hidden Star Society that appeared at the beginning of Season 2, I suddenly understand why President Einit is called the strongest Star Envoy of this era. If it weren't for him, the New Federation would probably be in utter chaos!'
Tendo said nothing more, just quietly watched Vivian.
He knew how agonizing it was to have one's beliefs shattered, but so truths, no matter how cruel, had to be revealed.
Because that was the price of growth.
After a long period of silence, Vivian's voice was hoarse as she spoke, "If that's the case, then why are you still helping ?"
Tendo took off his glasses, wiped them, and then put them back on, resuming his usual gentle, good-natured appearance.
"If I had to say why, it's probably because I... don't quite like dark places."
With that, Tendo turned to look at little Danica and said with a smile, "Danica, tell Vice-Captain Yu that until the Association issues specific asures for this Miss Knight, he will be responsible for her full-ti supervision."
"Oh, okay."
Little Danica nodded, then used the communication terminal hanging around her neck to relay Tendo's command to Yu Chen.
Once Yu Chen arrived, Tendo, using 'lunch' as an excuse, left with little Danica.
Leaving Vivian alone with the Vice-Captain who always kept his eyes narrowed.
Looking at Vivian, who sat alone in her seat, dispirited and preoccupied, Yu Chen suddenly stood up and turned off the surveillance caras in the room.
Then he returned to Vivian and said sothing that made her mind go blank.
"Vivian, I don't know exactly what 'Ink' told you, but rember not to trust him too much."
Vivian looked up, utterly shocked at Yu Chen, who had now opened his eyes and wore a serious expression.
Yu Chen didn't explain much, only quickly added, "Don't ask why I say this, and don't try to investigate the truth behind it."
"Because the waters here are far deeper than you imagine."
"Just rember that most people here, whether it's this Steam Branch or the Cogwheel Church, are not to be trusted."
"And you don't have to worry too much; I'll find a way to help you resolve this and clear your na."
After speaking, Yu Chen reopened the surveillance and turned to leave the interrogation room, leaving Vivian alone, her mind in turmoil from this series of sudden reversals.
First, 'Ink' suddenly said that both the Bishop and the Saintess of the Church were not good people.
Then he said Old Jack wasn't a good person either, but an informant planted by the Church in the Rust Iron Hell.
Finally, this strange Vice-Captain suddenly told her that 'Ink' was not to be trusted.
By now, Vivian couldn't distinguish right from wrong.
Or who was good and who was bad.
Because everyone here seed to wear a mask, and only she showed her true face...
Soon after Yu Chen left the interrogation room, the scene abruptly switched to the Captain's office of the Fifth Division.
Tendo was seen sitting alone at his desk.
In front of him, a single file lay on its own.
Just as Tendo was about to place this file into a confidential box, the dinsion viewers caught a fleeting glimpse of so content on the file.
In the upper left corner of the file, there was a yellowed photograph.
The photo showed a child with narrowed eyes, and the background of the photo was 'Cogwheel Church Third Orphanage.'
Although it was just a glance, combined with what Tendo had just said, so dinsion viewers guessed the identity of the child in the file.
'Is Vice-Captain Yu one of the missing orphans?'
'But why is he wary of Mr. Ink? Based on the previous plot, Ink is clearly an enemy of the Church.'
'Don't say anymore, my head feels itchy, like I'm growing a brain.'
'Is it possible that Ink is actually an undercover agent planted by another villainous organization in the Association? He's revealing the Church to Vivian just to muddy the waters, and he doesn't have good intentions at all.'
'Conspiracy theories again?'
Amidst the heated discussion among the dinsion viewers, Tendo put away the file and turned to look at the clear sky of the upper city.
Perhaps it was because the weather was nice today, or perhaps he had thought of sothing joyful.
Tendo's lips slowly curved into a gentle smile.
It was impossible to connect him with the sinister scher Yu Chen had spoken of just monts ago.
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