"I'm sorry, but my next work needs this kind of information as reference material. I want to write about ghouls."

Eto explained apologetically.

Her attitude was acceptable enough that Akira's expression softened somewhat.

To obtain the information smoothly, Akira answered. "I had curry today..."

"Curry! What kind of curry? Sweet? Spicy?"

Eto immediately followed up.

Her pen flew across her notebook.

"Spicy."

Akira said flatly. "Can we return to the main topic now?"

"Of course, of course—though for me, the interview is the main topic."

Eto smiled. "Anyway, I was about to say: ghoul RC fluid. After dissolving ghouls into liquid and bottling it, I'm not sure what it's specifically used for, but it sounds pretty scary..."

"..."

Akira immediately recognized that she was referring to RC-containing fluid.

That was a crucial material used in manufacturing RC suppressants and Quinques.

"That product is apparently very expensive, and the buyer is... the Commission of Counter Ghoul—CCG."

Eto emphasized her words. "The Sphinx Corporation's president must have had some kind of secret connection with the CCG, right? Oh, and by the way! The underground facility beneath his mansion apparently didn't belong to him at all—it was CCG property. And that president's name was Nanao Yasuhisa—"

Akira's expression shifted at this revelation.

That the CCG procured RC-containing fluid from external sources was something even investigators didn't know. And the underground laboratory that Kanou had occupied had actually been CCG property beforehand?!

Even without fully understanding the implications, Akira's instincts told her this was significant.

She suddenly remembered noticing something odd when she'd searched that underground laboratory—it had appeared to be quite old.

Meaning the laboratory had existed before Kanou took it over. Why would an ordinary company president need such an extensive underground facility? Certainly not for decoration.

She also recalled investigating Nanao Yasuhisa. According to CCG records, he'd been killed by ghouls, but was the truth really that simple?

If Nanao Yasuhisa had secretly cooperated with the CCG, he should have been under their protection. Being killed by ghouls while protected by the CCG didn't add up.

Even if something had soured between them—if the CCG had silenced him—that wasn't impossible either...

Thinking back to that underground laboratory, it seemed purpose-built for "half-ghoulification surgery" from the start. The internal structure was highly specialized and purposeful, suggesting the CCG might have been conducting human "ghoulification" research long ago...

Did an organization meant to protect humans from ghouls really need to research human "ghoulification"? The current "Qs Surgery" was different—that was specifically developed to combat Aogiri Tree, with much higher safety standards. The two couldn't be compared.

And Kanou had been a former CCG coroner who clearly knew about that laboratory's existence and had simply occupied it—after all, it was a perfect experimental environment...

Perhaps Nanao Yasuhisa had died because he'd wanted to leak information about the laboratory, and the CCG had silenced him...

This is bad!

Akira felt cold sweat forming. Everything connected too perfectly—it explained all the unresolved questions from the Kanou incident.

While the author's words might not be true, Akira's instincts told her they very likely were. Like her father, she trusted her instincts.

The more she thought about it, the more terrifying the implications became. If all this was true, it would completely overturn everyone's understanding of the CCG...

Byakuya, meanwhile, showed no surprise whatsoever.

The moment Eto mentioned Sphinx Corporation, he'd already guessed what information she planned to provide.

Simply put: hints that something was rotten inside the CCG. In the original story, Eto had said similar things to Amon Koutarou, but Amon had decided not to report it to his superiors to avoid disrupting CCG unity.

But telling Akira Mado might yield different results...

Both Eto and Byakuya were watching Akira's reaction from the corners of their eyes. Her visible distress was evident.

"...Ms. Takatsuki, where did you obtain this information?"

Akira made her judgment and pressed Eto with a serious tone.

"I told you—I heard it from a president I know."

Eto said.

"Who is this president? Can you tell us?"

Akira continued pressing.

She felt she needed to verify whether this information was true.

"Unfortunately, no. That president doesn't want to end up like his friend Nanao Yasuhisa—dying under mysterious circumstances..."

Eto maintained her composure, not appearing to improvise at all.

"I see..."

Akira found herself at an impasse.

If what this woman said was true, revealing the president's name would likely trigger another CCG silencing operation.

"That's all the information I have for you this time. Now, will you and First Class Amaha accept my interview?"

Eto shifted the topic to her research.

"Mm."

Byakuya acknowledged.

Akira nodded slightly as well.

"What did you eat today, First Class Amaha? The same curry as Miss Investigator here?"

Eto began her interview.

"That's right."

Byakuya nodded.

"Ooh! A couple's meal?"

Eto's eyes lit up with interest.

"We ate at the cafeteria here. There's no such thing as a couple's meal."

Akira answered expressionlessly.

"I see..."

Eto pressed her pen cap against her chin, her tone quite pleased. "Let me rephrase then. You two are partners, right? So—are you dating in private~?"

...

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