# Chapter 10: Headquarters
Leaving the detective agency, Su Xiao brought Isevi Bonnie and Bubu Wang toward the Execution Agency headquarters, while Amu went to comfort his hungry stomach—the breakfast earlier was far too little for him.
The cobblestone streets were bustling with pedestrians. Although a specter had attacked people on the street last night, the commoners showed no signs of panic. After all, humans and specters had coexisted for many years. While the common folk were afraid, they had grown somewhat accustomed to it.
Throughout the journey, Isevi Bonnie remained silent, following behind Su Xiao. She seemed to be deep in thought, a strand of golden hair wrapped around her slender index finger. Whenever she stumbled upon a clue, she would snap the hair off. In her words, pain deepened her memory of certain things.
By the time they walked from the detective agency to the Execution Agency headquarters, Isevi Bonnie had six strands of hair in her hand. Bubu Wang shook his head at the sight—if there were more cases, Isevi Bonnie would end up pulling herself bald.
Su Xiao soon arrived at the Execution Agency headquarters. This was a five-story building with a considerable overall footprint, and there was an isolation zone around it. Aside from the front entrance, anyone daring to approach the backyard or side courtyard of the Execution Agency headquarters would be killed without mercy—and dying there would be for nothing.
That was right, it was that ruthless. Awakened ones were permanently stationed at the Execution Agency headquarters. With them there, the safety index of this place was easy to imagine. Within Zuer City, aside from the Parliament Palace (the monarch's residence and workplace, similar to a royal palace), the Execution Agency headquarters was the safest location.
Precisely because of this, the basement of the Execution Agency housed a large number of classified documents and dangerous items. No one had the right to open it except Monarch Harold. Even Monarch Harold himself did not possess the complete key to the basement. There were three keys in total—one with Monarch Harold, one with Madam Nancy, and the last one with Su Xiao. Only by combining all three keys could the basement be opened.
The Parliament Palace frequently had outsiders coming and going, and those classified documents and dangerous items were ticking time bombs. Looking at all of Zuer City, there was no place more suitable for storing these things than the Execution Agency headquarters.
At the courtyard gate of the Execution Agency, two men leaned against the gateposts on either side. One had a lazy expression, while the other muttered to himself like a fanatic.
"So this is the legendary Execution Agency headquarters? It's a bit different from what I imagined."
Isevi Bonnie looked somewhat excited. Although her IQ was extremely high, this was her first time encountering this kind of mystical-side violent institution. In her imagination, the gatekeepers of the Execution Agency headquarters should have fierce appearances and eyes like hawks. But the two at the gate—one looked like he hadn't slept well last night, and the other was a typical divine stick.
Just then, two pairs of eyes simultaneously locked onto Isevi Bonnie. With just one glance, Isevi Bonnie felt as if she had fallen into an ice cellar. The owners of those eyes seemed ready to tear her apart at any moment. That gaze wasn't human—it was more like... a specter or a demon.
"Legion Commander, this one is... you know, we..."
The awakened one who looked like a divine stick was very polite. The things inside the headquarters were of utmost importance, and no one had special privileges. This was still Su Xiao, the Vice Legion Commander. If it were anyone else daring to bring an outsider here, they would have been detained for questioning long ago.
"I'm bringing her to deal with some trouble. You want to know?"
"No, no..."
The divine stick awakened one waved his hand repeatedly. Living on the edge of a blade was his daily routine, so he cherished this peaceful 'vacation' even more.
"Don't just stand there. Let's go."
Su Xiao patted Isevi Bonnie on the back. At that touch, Isevi Bonnie's body straightened forward as if waking from a dream. Just moments ago, she seemed to have fallen into some strange state.
The group entered the courtyard of the Execution Agency headquarters. The divine stick awakened one looked helpless.
"It's fine."
The other awakened one, who had been sleepy-eyed, spoke. Clearly, he had done something to Isevi Bonnie just now.
...
Inside the Vice Legion Commander's office on the third floor of the Execution Agency headquarters.
Su Xiao was currently sitting behind the desk, holding a document stamped with a classified seal in his hand.
"I know it!"
Isevi Bonnie snapped off seven or eight strands of her hair with a crack, wincing from the pain.
"Woof!"
Bubu Wang glared at Bonnie. This little girl was a bit jumpy when reasoning, and her smile was gradually becoming twisted.
"Legion Commander sir, you said... why is the Ghost Ring causing you trouble?"
Bonnie pressed her hands on the desk. Although her IQ was extremely high, she was still a child.
"If I knew, why would I have brought you here?"
"Uh~"
Isevi Bonnie was choked speechless. It took her a moment to reorganize her thoughts.
"First of all, the Ghost Ring is a force composed of specters. The fact that they can infiltrate Zuer City means they have already taken shape. At the very least, they need the most basic thing for any organization—a power structure. A scattered group couldn't possibly infiltrate Zuer City. And to successfully infiltrate, sneaking around is clearly not a long-term solution.
So they need identities that can be exposed in the sunlight. There are two possibilities for this. One is to accumulate over time—starting from a baby's birth, that identity belongs to the specter. Then they minimize that human's social network as much as possible, eventually replacing them. This gives them a legal identity. The second is to bribe imperial officials, starting from the population registration department. That's faster, but the risk of exposure is higher.
Regardless, they've now completed their infiltration. This level of painstaking effort is definitely not just for coming to Zuer City to eat people. The human meat here wouldn't taste any better than in other cities. So, they want to accomplish something. And you, Legion Commander, along with Madam Nancy, are clearly affecting them. Or rather, is their target the Execution Agency headquarters? What's so special about this place?"
Isevi Bonnie's narration stopped there. Being able to think of all this with just some fragmented intelligence clearly showed she lived up to her reputation.
"Special place..."
Su Xiao tapped his index finger on the desk. If there was anything special about the Execution Agency headquarters, it was definitely the alloy-structured basement. That nearly two-thousand-square-meter basement indeed contained something the specters wanted.
"A 16-eyed specter is special enough. Could their target be this?"
"..."
Isevi Bonnie's brain began to buzz. Things were getting worse and worse. If a 16-eyed specter had appeared, that thing, even if not a world-destroying great demon king, was definitely a terrifying existence capable of destroying a city. Only in ghost stories would there be monsters like that.
"There are three keys. Nancy has one, and there's one here." Su Xiao casually glanced at the 'root carving' on the table—the dried specter claw.
"The last one is at..."
Dong, dong, dong.
A knock interrupted Su Xiao's thoughts. A man with a fitted suit of armor and fiery red hair walked into the room.
"Mr. Kukulin, the monarch requests your presence."
The newcomer's aura was extremely sharp. Su Xiao stood up, picked up the dried specter claw on the table, and with a crack, the dry claw that made one want to play with it shattered, revealing a palm-length key. This key was clearly only a part.
[You have obtained 'Execution Agency Headquarters Basement Key'. This is an important item. Please keep it safe, Hunter.]
The most dangerous place was the safest place. No one would have imagined that the basement key was sitting right on the Vice Legion Commander's desk.