Sanguine Inquiry

I greet you on behalf of Seš'qa, Endministrator.

Recently, an anonymous donor sent a blood sample to Seš'qa. A transport vehicle went dark after departing from Valley IV.

The sample is invaluable, showing rare traces of ancient Sarkaz witchcraft ... but...

Camille Arno. Agaš'mekanaz dispatched by Seš'qa. You may call me a Keeper of Wisdom, a special agent for handling Sarkazian and witchcraft crimes.

You may return and wait for my updates.

I will be handling this mission alone.

I do.

No. I don't think there's a soul on Talos-II who would doubt you.

Does this really need the Endmin's personal attention?

More likely Seš'qa sent you here to keep an eye on me.

I do not intend to make things difficult, but this case is linked to a fugitive I've been tracking personally.

I'll handle it myself. One hour will do.

…Oh, so he's actually your friend? I would've been more polite earlier if I knew.

That's right, it's him. Philip had saved up enough creds to move to Morospolis. His application was approved too...

That blighted Sarkaz said, "Maybe he stole it himself".

All of them were so young... I should've contacted the Security Bureau sooner...

But the attack on Valley IV just ... washed all that effort away.

The transport crew vanished along with the blood samples. We're all very worried.

And that guy has the nerve to call Philip a suspect!

Impossible! Philip would never do something like that!

I'd stake my life on it. Philip's a fine young chap, through and through!

The Sarkaz asked about an anonymous donor. I'll need time to dig through the logs...

I'll contact you the moment I have any leads!

I remember his name. Dunning.

No signs of decay on the body. Blunt force trauma to the back of the head ... and no signs of struggle before death.

...It's nothing. Just an old injury.

The blood trail along the way isn't the victim's. This isn't the crime scene.

Char and Philip ambushed him, then dumped the body in the wilderness to obstruct the investigation.

The wound has been treated, not a trace of blood. Only a Vampire could manage that.

...Once again, I was too late.

It stings sometimes when I overuse Arts, get worked up ... or come into contact with certain types of blood.

Struck his own from the back ... utterly despicable.

Endmin, can you contact Druan?

It's those closest to you who cut the deepest. And once the trust is gone ... it never comes back.

We can't let Char escape. I'm heading to the United Parking Lot first.

This is no coincidence ... along with that visitor log. It's definitely Char's ... that bastard...

I've been through this kind of betrayal before. And now, I smell it again.

The dead deserve respect, not desecration.

Huff ... don't worry, I'm okay!

I'm fine! And they're just blood clots...

Cargo handler Jeffrey, where are the transport and the blood samples?

The transport drove to this area... Philip attacked Dunning, then went after me...

Any other unusual details you noticed?

Just as we were leaving, we almost hit a Sarkaz. I spoke to him for a moment ... there was so much blood...

And then ... I can't remember much. It's like there's a fog in my head...

Oh crap! What about Dunning? Have you seen him?

......

Before I blacked out, I saw the vehicle head that way. Try following the road and take a look...

...That Sarkaz who appeared out of nowhere had to be Char.

I... I'm still alive? *Cough*... My head ... ugh...

Thank you so much...

Would you rather trust that driver over my judgment...?

But this time, I'll end his game.

The driver who betrayed his crew, and the disgrace of Seš'qa. Neither of them will get away.

He has a special ability: if enough of his blood is delivered to a location, he can teleport there.

There are many eyes in Valley IV. For Char to escape the warrant, he will need a covert way out.

To lure me to Valley IV, play me for a fool here, and then leave satisfied, that's why!

He deliberately leaves traces so I could find him, like it's some kind of hide-and-seek. And games are not fun without an opponent.

Char donated his own blood. How could I have missed that?

Now I see what's going on.

The driver Philip needed money to cover his losses, and Char manipulated him. The two attacked the rest of the convoy team and stole the vehicle.

The vehicle can then be used to transport Char's blood away, and complete the plan.

As mentioned earlier, Char is also a Vampire.

I'll use whatever means necessary...

...But I stand by this conclusion.

This vehicle's remote-lock system must have disrupted Char's plan.

He hid for too long. Fell out of touch with new tech on Talos-II... One slip is all it takes.

The back of the receipt has Char's handwriting. Proof of his collusion with Philip.

Some other time... I'll tell you then.

The blood samples and his corporeal form must still be in Valley IV.

Even though the bloodstain over there points back the way we came, it's a false trail...

It's ordinary blood, but laced with a trace of Char's witchcraft. He left the invitation for me.

It's fine. To catch him, I'd pay any price.

This time, I *will* catch him.

Besides, don't I have my assistant here with me?

The transport drove along the road normally, but we have here a streak of blood veering off towards the slope above.

The Hub hasn't rained for quite a few days, has it?

The soil is dry. These footprints were left here on purpose.

Hmm, sharp eye. The soil is dry. People wouldn't leave such obvious footprints.

The one behind this is laying a false trail, or ... he's taunting me.

Let's head to the end of this blood trail. See what little surprise he's left for us.

Very likely. If the convoy was attacked right after setting off, it's probably an inside job.

You ... coming along...?

...The leaders of the Stop will definitely want a word with me.

But... Char...

You're right, Endmin. Abandoning the clues in front of us out of impulse is exactly what he wants.

My mistake for not noticing Char's ambush. I should have neutralized them first...

...Have I made you feel that way?

Char ... stole from me when he left Seš'qa. I have to ... get it back with my own hands.

Seš'qa... It has my absolute loyalty, but...

It's not you specifically. It's just...

...Char has to die. And he has to die by my hand.

I wanted to end this on my own but I kept failing. In the end ... all I did was push others away.

I just realized. Seš'qa asked you to keep an eye on me because of this exact attitude.

Let's stick to our original plan. Find the blood samples first.

He's the reason why I became an Agaš'mekanaz.

No. Even if I hadn't become a Keeper of Wisdom, I'd still be hunting him now.

When you refuse to trust others, you forfeit the right to be trusted as well.

There's movement underground. This has to be Char's hideout.

Char invited me here. This place must be rigged with traps.

......

I'm not trying to push you away, it's just...

Endmin ... let's make a deal.

Stay outside and be my backup.

Would you trust me? No matter what happens?

If that's the case, then...

...We shall do this together.

Why would he abandon the vehicle here... It doesn't make sense.

The blood samples are gone... No signs of struggle in the cab. The vehicle's ignition has been remotely locked.

As the vehicle could no longer work, maybe the driver took the samples and fled on foot...

Let's check the surrounding area again.

According to the worker in charge, the vehicle went that way.

Nothing special. Observation, investigation, standard skills for the Keepers of Wisdom.

If you have no objections, that settles it.

If you insist ... we can split up and search.

...How do you know that name?

Seš'qa gave it away. I knew it...

...Fine, as you say. You have Seš'qa's authority.

If we find him and he's behind the sample's disappearance... leave him to me. Alone.

We're always on the hunt for criminals.

Wait here for a moment. I'll go check if any clues were missed.

Ordinary blood. Based on the color and scent, it was spilled recently.

An omen of ill fortune.

Correct. His voice is the source of the witchcraft...

This blood trail points toward the Plateau Trunkway, which matches the clue we found at the station...

Surprise —

This isn't the sample we're looking for. It's just ordinary blood. But the witchcraft...

But given the absence of other leads ... let's just follow the blood trail.

They seem to suddenly appear out of nowhere. No sign of witchcraft being used, though. Very strange.

Ugh ... *cough cough*! H-HELP ME!

Leave this to me, Endmin.

Vampire...? BAWS?!

No, you're not —

Alright, then let's fight side by side.

The station has two exits. The transport vehicle you mentioned left from that side.

They were headed for the Power Plateau. The station had another batch of cargo to send, so we asked Philip to take it along.

But I'm not sure about that cargo's actual destination...

Everyone says he's really good at work.

We once had an opening in the UW. His transfer to Morospolis got approved and I was really happy for him.

But nobody expected something like this to happen...

We can compensate for the samples ... but I want our transport team to be safe...

Philip's skittish but kind. Sometimes he'd even sneak food to long-ears that wandered into the base.

My team likes him, but some said he's like a man behind foggy glass. Always felt a bit distant.

Dunning isn't much of a talker. Jeffrey always says he's just trying to act cool, but...

It's because he's from Triglava, and he's got a bit of an accent. Worried people might laugh at him.

You'll know him the moment you see him. That kid's got a booming voice and charges into everything like a whirlwind.

I'm counting on you for this, Endministrator!

Maybe it's because he hardly ever talks about himself, or says anything about his family.

But when it comes to hunting Char ... I won't back down.

Wait for me—

Mom's calling us! Dinner's getting cold! Come on, take my hand!

......

Getting back on topic, I've mapped the truck's stops along the route. We'll follow this road for a stretch, then head to the United Parking Lot.

While we can't jump to conclusions based on a name alone, the odds of his involvement are very high.

This piece of the puzzle ... is very helpful. Thank you.

Char is a Vampire too. We come from a Sarkaz lineage who can wield witchcraft through blood.

He's extremely dangerous and cunning. I've faced him a few times but never managed to capture him.

I accept their suspicions. And I do not intend to dispute their reasons.

I don't need friends.

Char...

He was once a member of Seš'qa too, but he fell from grace and became a Landbreaker.

That's probably why they asked you to "assist" me.

Endmin, we'll move once you're ready.

Alright. Stay alert.

Be quick.

Better coordinate with the Security Bureau next time. Can't have another mess like this...

Endmin! Are you looking for the missing transport? That's great. We've been so worried...

No problem at all. The log is over there. And if you need anything, just let me know!

We'll give you our full support. Please, find those kids!

We're getting closer to Char.

There are traces of witchcraft around here... Let's track the vehicle first. Char takes priority.

We're out of time.

That can wait for later —

I won't let him get his way...

He's cunning and deceptive. This is his trick to stall us and escape. Don't fall for it.

I have nothing else to say. Please leave.

......

The intel I need is all secured.

Three crew on that vehicle. The driver Philip, and cargo handlers Dunning and Jeffrey.

......

Suit yourself... I'm heading over first.

As for the donor's information... I'll look into it through other channels.

...The transport's point of origin.

......