Became a Demon with Pregnancy System-Chapter 131: Lies

"Lies," she snapped, though not as harshly as before. "When I was cornered by these punks earlier, you almost blew my entire operation by barging in." She folded her arms, half ignoring the fact that she had been masquerading as a "fast-food girl" on the curb just minutes ago. The memory of Luke calling her out on that stung anew.

Luke had to bite back a grin at the mental image: Her purple cheongsam, flamboyant makeup, waiting under the red streetlamp for a cluster of criminals to lure. "Well," he said lightly, "I saw you in danger. Couldn’t help myself." 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

Lenora’s mouth twisted. "Danger? I was only faking half the sedation. I had them right where I wanted them. You complicated things."

Luke raised both palms in surrender. "All right, all right, that’s enough. You want an apology? I formally apologize for messing up your sting." When she remained silent, he continued, "But come on—if you had them so cornered, how come they almost pegged you with poison?"

She clenched her jaw, remembering how close that had been. Luke, for all his annoying bravado, had, in some sense, saved her from an extended fight, maybe even a lethal misstep. "Fine," she conceded, "I’ll let it pass...this time." She then promptly changed the subject, eyes steeled with renewed focus. "You mentioned something about a blood agent problem and a certain infiltration. Care to explain?"

A tense hush fell. The overhead light flickered, illuminating the battered walls. The corridor still reeked of stale smoke and the ozone tang from electricity-based magic. In the background, the subdued criminals groaned, pinned by petrifying residue. Some of Lenora’s black-clad colleagues were handcuffing them or dragging them out for interrogation.

Luke’s expression grew more serious. "I overheard a conversation between Walter Murphy—a local wealthy heir—and some rough type. They talked about a big batch of the military’s blood agent distribution. Word on the street is that it might be tainted or misused. That led me here, suspecting the involvement of a bigger fish."

Lenora’s posture tensed. "The military relies on that stuff heavily for certain campaigns against demons. If it’s compromised, we’re talking about a catastrophic vulnerability in Arcadia’s defenses. But I also know that every batch is thoroughly tested. So where’s the flaw?"

Luke shrugged. "That’s why I came to you. The men we fought might be linked to none other than Laurence Mann." The mention of the name made Lenora stiffen. "He’s a council member of the local Judgment Court, a recognized demon slayer—some call him ’the righteous face of Arcadia.’" Luke’s lips curved sardonically. "But from what I’ve pieced together, it seems he’s far from righteous. Maybe he’s orchestrating events behind the scenes."

Lenora’s mind raced. Laurence Mann, a formidable figure who had once garnered acclaim for championing demon-cleansing operations, especially after fiascos in the southwestern outskirts. Could he, after all these years, have decayed from a demon slayer into a corrupt politician fueling chaos? It felt inconceivable—yet an undercurrent of worry gnawed at her. I recall rumors about a shift in his policies. But would he truly scheme with criminals?

She pinned Luke with a sharp look. "And do you have any proof—besides your guesswork?"

Luke turned his gaze to the unconscious criminals. "We can glean some from them, sure. But more importantly, the manufacturing chain for this blood agent leads us to your dear Councilor Mann. Let’s just say the puzzle pieces fit a pattern: sabotage the totem serpent’s reputation, incite anti-monster fervor, and then funnel the blame for poisonings onto the serpent. Meanwhile, Mann profits from fear, pushing for more extremist measures and possibly controlling distribution of the antidotes or cure potions."

Lenora exhaled, the lines of tension on her brow deepening. She found it disturbingly plausible. Another memory surfaced: only days ago, she’d learned about two suspicious poison-related deaths in Arcadia. Investigations had hit dead ends. If those murders were pinned on the Totem Serpent—the so-called beast that recently appeared near Avalon Lake—it could justify mobilizing a massive force to kill the creature. And if Mann manipulated that scenario, he’d look like a hero while removing an ancient beast that certain parties wanted preserved.

"Will the dragon slayer," she murmured, "become an evil dragon himself...?" It was a phrase from an old axiom: He who fights monsters should see to it that he himself does not become one. The notion that a once-admirable demon slayer might devolve into a villain weighed heavily on her.

Luke heard her whispered reflection. "Sometimes, the greatest threat lies within," he agreed softly. "But I can’t claim to know Mann personally. All I do know is that these scum," he gestured at the criminals pinned to the ground, "serve a bigger cause."

At that, Lenora’s gaze snapped back to the unconscious Scarface, who’d given them so much trouble earlier. She remembered how he and his crew had tried to poison her. "Then the next step is finding evidence," she said firmly. "If you’re right, we need something concrete to expose Councilor Mann—like documents, a witness, or a direct link to these poison incidents."

Luke offered a lopsided grin. "Funny you should mention that. I have a lead—Walter Murphy. He’s not a bad guy, but definitely naive, and he stumbled into a contract to supply or facilitate blood agent manufacturing. He might be able to show us the real chain of custody."

Lenora’s eyes glinted. "Walter Murphy... He’s from the same clan you overheard, right?" She paused in thought. "If we can question him properly, maybe we can trace any anomalies back to Mann."

Luke nodded. "That’s the plan. He’s trembling on the sidelines right now, trying to figure out what’s going on. If we approach him carefully, he might hand over crucial info."

Lenora pressed her lips together, the gears in her mind turning. "I’ll get my Judgment Society colleagues to detain these criminals for interrogation. Meanwhile, you and I—" She hesitated, as if disliking the notion of teaming up with him, "—we can pay Walter Murphy a visit. He might talk if we frame it as protecting his interests."

"Great." Luke smirked. "We’ll be unstoppable, Senior Sister."