I! Cleaner!

“……”

Facing the Serpentarius Director's sarcasm, the red-haired Director, also sitting inside the [Parasitic Mistletoe] fruit, glanced at him but didn't speak.

Seeing her ignore him, the Serpentarius Director's slightly gaunt face couldn't help but show more impatience, and he evaluated with a gloomy face:

‘That kid might have a good heart and caught your eye with his so-called kindness, but he's completely useless in other areas!’

‘To accomplish that kind of world-changing feat, strength, intelligence, skill, and courage are all indispensable.

He might indeed have some special methods, but his soul strength is only at the level of an ordinary True God, and he can't even see through your [Parasitic Mistletoe]. If he were ambushed by someone of my level, he would definitely die!’

‘……’

‘Also, he just gave up on the idea of rescuing people after being contradicted a few times by that Vernon, and was easily coaxed away. His intelligence is clearly not up to par either!’

‘……’

‘As for the courage to ignore all opposing opinions and practice his own beliefs, and the skill to handle things when encountering resistance… he's completely lacking in all of these areas! If you ask me, he's just a lucky do-gooder. I really don't know what you see in him!’

“……”

‘Olivia? Why aren't you saying anything?’

Facing the Serpentarius Director's repeated questioning, the red-haired Director glanced at him through the fruit, then frowned and said:

‘You're so noisy… Be quiet, let me think!’

‘……’

Think my ass!

Seeing that the red-haired Director was still being stubborn at this point, the Serpentarius Director's face darkened slightly. He stood up from the fruit he was parasitizing, and said with displeasure:

‘Then you stay here and think! I have my own things to do, and I don't have time to stay here with you… Also, remember our bet!’

After glancing at the red-haired Director, who was still frowning and thinking hard, seemingly encountering some problem, the Serpentarius Director complained annoyedly:

‘The kid you fancy is really something else! He can't even pass the first test I arranged! According to our agreement, if he fails to make me…’

‘Don't move!’

Just as the Serpentarius Director was about to ask her to fulfill their agreement, the red-haired Director suddenly raised a hand and squeezed. The two small, tender leaves of the [Parasitic Mistletoe] slightly curled, gathering the two hanging bright red fruits, and with a whoosh, they burrowed back into the security guard's blood vessels.

The moment the two fruits retracted, a small section of a knife tip appeared bizarrely on the wall diagonally behind the execution area, neatly carving out a chestnut-sized hole.

Immediately afterward, an eye, with a color both of them were familiar with, silently stuck to the other end of the hole, its black pupil staring intently in the direction of the security guard.

‘……’

Holy crap!

After meeting Leon's scrutinizing gaze through the four layers of concealment—fruit, blood vessel, skin, and clothing—the Serpentarius Director's arm trembled slightly, and he felt a slight chill run down his back.

Judging from the current angle, if Olivia hadn't noticed something was wrong and retracted the [Parasitic Mistletoe] in advance, he and she would probably have been discovered! Are the new generation of Cleaners this cautious? They have to come back and check again even for such a small matter?

‘I've figured out what the problem is.’

Slightly shaking the fruit she was hiding in and bumping into the dumbfounded Serpentarius Director, the red-haired Director looked at Leon's black eyes and said with a complex expression:

‘The test you arranged was too straightforward, making him aware of some oddities… Especially when you influenced this security guard to mention the Church of Lumina to him, he would definitely be extra careful.’

???

After looking at the eye that was still staring intently, the Serpentarius Director couldn't help but say with a face full of disbelief:

‘Leon is much more wary than the average person, and he likes to consider the worst-case scenario first in everything. Even within the Cleansing Bureau, he's one of the most cautious.

Based on my understanding of him, after discovering the issue with Low Fever Syndrome, he would definitely go to Lord Taurus to inquire about the situation first. After concluding that you might be behind it, according to his habits, he would probably consider the possibility that 'the Serpentarius Director has secretly taken control of the entire Sicariven Kingdom'.

And before coming over, he deliberately notified the Sicariven Kingdom's royal family, which is equivalent to actively exposing his whereabouts, so he would be wary of anyone who actively approaches him… even not just people.’

‘……’

So… the security guard I controlled was just approaching and saying a few casual words to him, and he immediately became suspicious?

‘I said it before, your test was too obvious.’

After looking at the Serpentarius Director, who had been rendered silent, the red-haired Director blinked and continued to analyze:

‘The security guard you controlled was acting too 'enthusiastically'. After living in such a high-pressure environment in the Sicariven Kingdom for decades, he still took the risk of abandoning his post to specifically remind him to be careful, which is itself a suspicious thing.

And even if Leon doesn't know enough about the situation in the Sicariven Kingdom and didn't notice anything wrong at first, but later learns that you risked violating the royal decree to casually mention the Church of Lumina to a 'traveler', he would immediately become suspicious of you one hundred percent.’

‘……’

The latest novel is first published on Six/Nine/Books/Bar!

Isn't… isn't it possible that the security guard is a good person, or a talkative chatterbox? Seriously, don't you guys get tired of suspecting this and suspecting that every day?

‘Although Leon is a bit special, judging from the content of the Cleaner's work, Cleaners who are accustomed to suspecting everything are the most likely to survive. Leon is just more careful than most people.’

Seeming to guess what the Serpentarius Director was thinking, the red-haired Director habitually explained for Leon, then glanced at the Serpentarius Director and continued to add:

‘Or someone with exceptionally outstanding talent, who might not be very smart, but is indeed strong enough.’

‘……’

I hate you guys with too many thoughts!

The Serpentarius Director, having been subtly mocked, had nothing to say and could only sit back down with a dark face, waiting in the fruit for a full five minutes amidst the prisoners' screams before that chilling black eye disappeared from behind the hole in the wall.

However, just as the Serpentarius Director breathed a slight sigh of relief and prepared to leave the [Parasitic Mistletoe], he was once again stopped by the red-haired Director.

‘Don't move.’

‘???’

‘Look to the left, at the large gear in the shadow below the crank.’

Following the red-haired Director's guidance, he looked towards the mechanism on the side of the execution area used to suspend prisoners, and in the exceptionally smooth side of a brass gear, he saw a familiar black eye, and the Serpentarius Director's scalp couldn't help but tingle.

Isn't… isn't this kid gone yet?

‘Leon has a puppy from the [Mirror World] that can directly observe targets through any nearby mirror. With his methods, he doesn't need to dig holes in the wall at all, and even if he did, it wouldn't be so easily discovered.’

Looking at the black eye on the surface of the gear, like a small black spot that was almost impossible to detect without careful observation, the corners of the red-haired Director's mouth couldn't help but curl up slightly, and she slowly analyzed:

‘So, based on my understanding of Leon, his actions of digging a hole and looking over just now were most likely to make people relax their vigilance. After discovering that he has 'left', people like you, once you breathe a sigh of relief, are likely to expose yourselves.’

‘……’

‘Speak up, why aren't you saying anything? Hmm?’