A few minutes had gone by, and Jasmine returned to report. "Investigator Damien, I've hired a carriage. They are ready to depart whenever you are."

"Has Lucas returned yet?" Damien questioned her back in response. He was somewhat annoyed as well, given that Jasmine had broken his chain of thought just now.

Sure enough, Jasmine's expression turned bitter. She definitely didn't anticipate Damien was going to wait for her colleague's return.

'Isn't he going to ride on the carriage alone?' She was baffled. With her speed and her colleagues, they could easily catch up to the carriage even if they were to delay by 10 minutes.

"I've traveled a long time to do an inspection everywhere. Now I'm a bit starving, so do you expect me to continue on with an empty stomach?" Damien said coldly when he noticed her baffled look.

"No, Investigator Damien. It was an oversight on my part." Jasmine bowed and apologized.

It appeared that the thought of Damien expecting some food to enjoy in the carriage had gone over her mind. After all, what kind of TI would pay more attention to food than catching the criminals?

Shortly after being subtly reprimanded by Damien, the coachman, Karl arrived with his carriage and saved the awkwardness that Jasmine was facing.

Coachman Karl got out of his seat and paid his due respect to Damien.

"Sir, my humble carriage might not be adequate, but I'll do my best to ensure a smooth journey." Karl bowed and said respectfully. When even the person who had bossed him around earlier was submissive toward Damien, it goes without saying who was the bigger boss here.

Since Karl wasn't guilty of any crimes, he addressed Damien as Sir and not Investigator.

Although the form was a bit different, the meaning implied behind was tremendous.

Only fellow investigators, or those involved in a crime whether they were witnesses or suspects, would refer to them as investigators. Otherwise, the normal protocol was to address the man as Sir and the woman as Madam.

Damien nodded in response and stepped forward. There were some mounting blocks attached to the carriage for ascending, and Damien was quite surprised by the sight.

From a glance, he could tell the coachman wasn't wealthy, but the carriage design and material itself were quite luxurious.

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'Hmm, are these carriages rented to these coachmen as a form of business?' He wondered.

As he entered the interior of the carriage, he realized there were actually more seatings available despite being labeled as a one-person carriage.

Since he stood in place to take a few moments to inspect the interior, Jasmine thought the carriage wasn't to his liking.

"Is the carriage not suitable?" Jasmine stepped forward and asked.

Meanwhile, the coachman, Karl, felt even more terrified that his carriage wasn't up to par for someone of Damien's stature.

'The company wouldn't be deducting my pay or punishing me heavily, right?' Karl was afraid of the possible retaliation from Velgrave Livery & Transport Co.

Velgrave Livery & Transport Co. was the largest and most reputable carriage rental enterprise in Velgrave City. They specialized in providing high-quality carriages to independent coachmen and businesses.

However, that was merely the tip of the iceberg. Aside from operating a vast fleet of carriages, they also offered tailored leasing agreements, repair and maintenance services, and exclusive access to premium routes within the city.

With its centralized headquarters and numerous depots strategically placed throughout Velgrave, it could be said that the company dominates the city's bustling transport network.

So if there were an incident in which Karl managed to offend a TI, it goes without saying his career and livelihood were essentially over. To appease the TI, the company wouldn't even hesitate to throw him away and compensate him to resolve the situation.

That was how fearsome the status of a Transcendent Investigator could be.

"Please forgive me, Sir." Karl hurriedly bowed and pleaded for mercy.

His sudden plea for mercy startled Damien slightly, who had no idea what had just gone through Karl's mind.

'Forgive him? What did he do?' Damien wondered. He turned his attention to Jasmine in hopes of understanding the situation. Yet to his dismay, Jasmine seemed rather hostile toward Karl.

It appeared as if his next choice of words would determine Karl's fate.

"Hmm, I was just curious as to when Lucas will return. As a TI, his efficiency is quite questionable." Damien uttered.

Almost immediately, Jasmine's body tensed up. She had thought the carriage was unsatisfactory. She was ready to apprehend Karl on the spot, but she never expected Damien to be displeased with Lucas instead.

"I apologize. I'll get Lucas here right away." Jasmine hurriedly said.

"Leave it." Damien halted her and proceeded to take his seat. "Who knows if you're incompetent like your teammate? By the time we get to the crime scene, Kyle doesn't appear. Consider themselves off the case."

"I'll keep that in mind." Jasmine nodded.

Although not visible, it was evident that Jasmine was frightened by the statement. To be kicked out of the case before they even got to investigate anything was equivalent to a death sentence in their career. No one would want someone who got booted out of a case by a Seventh Order.

The atmosphere turned awkward and tense as soon as Damien made his decision. Even Karl was baffled on the spot at how the almighty TI would one day feel similar fear.

"What are you idling for either, Coachman?" Damien suddenly questioned when Karl seemed to be in a daze.

"Sorry, Sir, I'll get right to it." Snapping out of his daze, Karl swiftly apologized and hopped onto the driver's seat. He then pulled on the reins slightly to signal for the monster to advance.

It was a monster but also not quite due to its heavy resemblance to a horse. It had the features of a horse, with the notable difference being that it had two heads.

Damien was initially startled by the sight of the monster but kept a calm expression on the surface. To ensure his act as a TI remained immaculate, he couldn't afford to ask many questions. These TIs would catch on that he was a fake if he were to act quite abnormally.

While Damien remained seated inside the carriage, he could finally recollect his thoughts without any interference.

'It's clear that the Ninth Order isn't allowed on the crime scene alone. But how am I supposed to investigate anything when I don't have a clue of the suspect and victims?' He pursed his lips, his eyes staring at the window.

Without his presence, it appeared that the pedestrians in the street returned to their usual routine. Jasmine's presence was still outside, but Damien was able to detect the change in the pedestrians' expression.

They were visibly more relaxed and unburdened without him in the open street. Having thought of that, Damien glanced down at the insignia pinned on his clothes— more specifically, the engraving of the Seventh.

'Sigh, I want to call it quits already.' The Seventh engraved on the insignia felt more like a mockery of his current plight than a symbol of status or honor.