Mission Failed

The weather was good that day.

There was no rain or bad condition that often precede a misfortune, nor any ominous sign indicating that something was off.

It was truly a fine day, up until the moment they met in the elevator heading to the investigative headquarters.

"Ah," uttered Arcangelo Urseau, a Detective belonging to the same investigative unit as Leila, as well as the heir of the Urseau family, a werewolf clan in their teens.

The most important thing was that they both had a reputation for being formidable adversaries within the investigative headquarters.

They scrutinized each other's faces.

Arcangelo was the first to speak.

"Why is Detective Leila here?"

"Why shouldn't I be here?" Leila replied, feeling his sharp gaze piercing through her.

Who was she to be treated as an unwelcome guest? She wasn't even the owner of this place.

She twisted her lips.

"And what reason does Detective Urseau have for being here right now?"

"What other reason should a detective have for being at the investigative headquarters?" Arcangelo replied, not looking particularly pleased.

"I didn't do anything!" Leila trembled.

"You came to receive a mission? Now?" Arcangelo replied.

"It sounds as if you think it's strange to come for a mission right now."

"The meaning is clear, no need to interpret. I was on my way to the investigation director's office to hear the mission briefing."

However, they both felt an ominous sensation. It seemed the other felt the same way.

"A mission briefing? Surely not."

The exact same thought passed through their minds.

"Is Arcangelo going to receive a mission too? That means we'll be receiving a mission together, won't it?"

Both of them concluded it was likely, but they couldn't accept it in their hearts.

"Surely that couldn't happen."

"Well, even if it could, it's highly unlikely."

Ding. The elevator door opened with a signal.

They both stepped out as if in a competition. Thud, thud, thud. A strange tension arose between them.

Leila and Arcangelo looked at each other. Their faces contorted at the same time.

Without saying a word, they moved their legs to arrive at their destination faster than the other.

But they both arrived almost at the same time.

Clang. The door opened.

"Could you open the door a bit more qui...oh."

The owner of the detective agency pursed his lips to speak, but then noticed the situation outside and kept his mouth shut.

Leila Cassilia and Arcangelo Urseau. It was widely known that the relationship between the two was bad.

It was understandable, considering the combination of perennial second place and first place.

"Did you two come together?"

"Absolutely not."

Leila and Arcangelo said the exact same thing at the same time. They glared at each other.

At that sight, the head detective, Robert Pandeia, sighed.

"Close the door carefully and both of you sit down."

"Both of us, did you say?"

Leila received a strong feeling that her ominous premonition was about to come true.

"Yeah. You two have to work together on this mission."

She closed her eyes tightly. Unfortunately, her intuition was not wrong.

"This is really going to be a pain in the ***."

Detective Urseau belongs to a small elite group and receives missions from the highest governing body, the Assembly.

They are responsible for criminal investigations as well as top-secret national security missions such as collecting confidential information necessary for the operation of the country or infiltrating criminal organizations.

Among them, the most important are the missions directly issued by the head detective .

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"If it's a mission that even risks our lives, why should we be assigned together with Arcangelo? Is it right to put us together no matter how important or dangerous it is?"

She had doubts.

They would surely fight.

Arcangelo spoke up, “Why do we need to boast about being number one and two in performance?”

Robert answered compliantly, “It's the mission for 121.”

Upon hearing the code name, Arcangelo and Leila's expressions changed.

121. That was the name of the poison that was secretly circulating through the slums.

Although the investigation was conducted secretly under the orders of the legislature, with many investigators not even knowing of its existence, Leila and Arcangelo were well aware of it.

“Both of you know what kind of poison it is.”

Arcangelo Urseau, the perennial top investigator of the agency.

Leila Cassilia, the agency's perennial second-best investigator.

“Since both of you have been involved in missions related to that drug.”

They were the best of the best, even among the talented investigators of the agency. Robert glanced at them and got straight to the point.

“We've successfully identified the appearance of the producer this time.”

“Is that true?”

Leila's eyes widened.

“Yeah, even though the investigator in charge of the mission was severely injured after discovering it and is currently undergoing treatment as a result of being exposed.”

“Is the body alright?”

“He's not dead. He'll be able to carry on with everyday life.”

"That statement essentially means that returning is impossible," her face briefly darkened.

"So, I plan to assign the mission of capturing the creator to those two this time."

"To us?"

It was not an incomprehensible decision. They were clearly the most skilled investigators at the top of the agency.

It was a given that the mission, which had to be conducted in utmost secrecy and was serious enough, would fall to them.

It was a rational decision.

"Is it necessary to involve Investigator Leila in this?"

Robert was not particularly surprised by Arcangelo's words. Leila felt the same.

"As expected, it has come to this."

Arcangelo Urseau hates Leila Cassilia.

I don't know why. At first, he looked at things like everyone else, but suddenly started picking fights.

"I understand that Investigator Leila's abilities are superior to those of other investigators, but it is not necessary to go to such lengths."

"Arcangelo Urseau."

"Above all, I do not think that Investigator Leila will be of much help in combat."

Are they about to fight?

"Arcangelo Urseau."

Fortunately, before she stepped forward, Robert spoke up.

"Although you are the heir of the Urseau family, are you aware that you are currently just an investigator under my command?"

Robert's face was chilling. Arcangelo was also briefly speechless.

"I never intended to challenge the authority of the director. It's just inefficient, that's all," said the subordinate.

"That's for me to judge, not you. You're not Urseau Investigator," replied the director.

"I think I can offer some opinions from the perspective of someone who will be deployed to the scene," the subordinate persisted.

Robert rubbed his wrinkled forehead with his hand, clearly feeling the stress from the conversation.

He looked incredibly tired.

"Urseau Investigator. This mission requires a team of two, a female and a male investigator," the director spoke cautiously. The two subordinates immediately understood the reason why.

"That's because of the solution to cipher 121, isn't it?" asked Leila, her face showing surprise.

"Excuse me, director, but have you lost your mind?" she added, unable to conceal her disbelief.

"I haven't lost my mind. I'm not old enough for that," the director retorted.

"How can you say something like that without being insane?" Leila snapped back, her comment clearly violating the etiquette.

Robert, however, did not point out the impropriety of his remark.

"That, there, won't, happen," he finally spoke, pausing after every word.

Arcangelo's reaction was no different from Leila's. In fact, it was even more intense. He gritted his teeth as he spoke.

It was as if he was facing the enemy who killed his parents.

"If I ever get addicted, I'd rather die than seek help from Investigator Leila," he declared.

Robert let out a deep sigh.

"Consider it a safety measure for any unforeseen circumstances," said Leila.

She received an immediate response.

"Then it would have been better to at least ask about the purpose of that measure," Leila continued, "for the sake of understanding."

"Mutual benefit," she murmured to herself.

'Bullshit. It's not like we're benefiting each other.'

It was obvious who the device belonged to without even saying their name: Arcangelo, a direct descendant of the family, and Leila, one of many heirs.

The question of whose life was more important was something that didn't need to be asked, as the answer was self-evident.

Robert couldn't answer Leila's statement because he knew what was in her heart. All she could do was let out a sigh.

"...I cannot accept your proposal," Robert said.

"So you're refusing?" asked Leila.

There was nothing else he could do.

"As you said, I will proceed with this mission alongside Detective Urseau."

"What?"

"It's an inevitable matter, Detective Urseau. Besides, it was designed for safety, so there's no reason to refuse."

“Do you really think that's possible now? I didn't think I was stupid enough for Detective Leila to not know what this means.”

“Separate work from discipline, Detective Urseau.”

Arcangelo looked incredulous. He erased his expression and looked at her.

“Thank you for your understanding, Detective Leila.”

Finally, Arcangelo also shut his mouth. Robert thanked her first for stepping forward.

Leila glanced away briefly.

“...In the end, it's just work.”

She knew how to break things down. She knew some things were inevitable. Not everything in the world can be fair and just.

Above all, she was familiar with this kind of situation.

“So what exactly do we need to do to carry out this mission?”

She felt eyes on her, expecting her to reveal her true feelings. Leila ignored it. Soon, Robert's gaze shifted away.

But Arcangelo looked at her for a long time. Her eyes held a variety of emotions, making it unclear what they meant.