Westminster Bank

Meanwhile, over at Westminster Cathedral, Howard and Malozov were also left dumbfounded by the dazzling array of Taboo Items inside the containment test chamber.

"An A Level Taboo Object, the Horn of Fimbulwinter... An A Level Taboo Object, the Achilles Sunglasses..."

"A B Level Taboo Object, the Eye of Ulysses... A B Level Taboo Object, Caesar's Staff... A B Level Taboo Object, Venus Lipstick..."

"C Level Taboo Objects..."

The sheer number of Taboo Items made it feel as though they had just plundered an Old Blood Clan's entire collection, amassed over hundreds, even thousands, of years.

The two men looked at the young man standing amidst the Taboo Items. He folded down the high collar of his trench coat, revealing a young, pale face, and asked them,

"Are these Taboo Items enough? Good enough for an A?"

Malozov was silent, but Howard said, "More than enough..."

It was absolutely more than enough. At the thought of a statue of himself being erected at the Moscow branch, the smile on the old rogue Howard's face grew even more brilliant.

The sight made Malozov grind his teeth in frustration, but he really couldn't find a reason to object. 'Am I really going to have to let that guy Howard... in Moscow... No! That's not right!'

"It's still not enough," Malozov said suddenly.

Howard frowned. "Governor Malozov, the Techniques in the containment chamber haven't reacted. That means these Taboo Items are all acceptable... What are you talking about, 'not enough'?"

Malozov ignored him, his eyes fixed on Baron. "L, your performance in this evaluation has certainly exceeded my expectations, but I have reason to believe you used some special method to cheat..."

"Nonsense!" Howard snapped.

Malozov continued to stare at Baron. "Compared to an A Level, this is sufficient. But compared to an S Level, although the Taboo Items here are enough for an A Level, they still don't make the cut for an S Level."

"S Level?" The young man's expression was one of confusion.

Howard seemed to realize something, and his heart sank. 'Malozov, that's enough,' he thought.

But Malozov stated bluntly, "Your evaluation was S Level, yet there isn't a single S Level Taboo Object here."

"Therefore, this points to only two outcomes: either there's a problem with the Alchemy Technique in the containment chamber, or you used some special method to bypass the Alchemy Technique..."

"Malozov! What are you implying!" Howard interrupted. "This is London! It's not a place for one of the Moscow People like you to run wild!"

Malozov said, "An S Level rating necessitates an S Level Taboo Object. The absence of one suggests there were issues with your field containment test... for instance, cheating?"

"Of course," he said, his tone shifting, "it might not be cheating... which is why I am requesting that the results of this field containment test be nullified. How about another test in two weeks?"

Malozov added, "And I'll take this opportunity to apologize for my previous disrespectful actions toward you."

Upon hearing this, Howard finally understood. 'So he has no intention of accepting the results,' he thought.

"Shameless! You're completely shameless! L, don't listen to a word he says... I'm giving you the S Level rating! And I'll report it to the board of directors..."

"Oh, so Governor Malozov is saying I need an S-Tier Taboo Object... To be honest, I'm not sure if this counts, but it did wander in on its own. I suppose that's where the S Level rating came from."

Who would have thought the young man would be so unfazed? He simply snapped his fingers, and a flight of illusory stairs rose from the ground, like a ladder to the Celestial Kingdom.

This is... The two governors froze when they saw the staircase.

"The Il... Illusory Cocoon!!!"

.........

「London. Westminster Cathedral. The Board of Directors.」

In a dimly lit room, thirteen people were seated around a long marble table. In front of each of them was a Copper Bell.

Their faces were all unusually blurry, impossible to see clearly.

The only thing clearly visible was the symbol on their chests: an "S" pierced by a vertical line. This was the symbol for Gold, as well as the emblem of Westminster Bank.

"Are you saying you convened the board of directors just to request approval for Baron Constantin, this Bloodless, to be made an official member and granted an S Level Tier? Hoover, do you have any idea what you're saying? Do you think Westminster Cathedral is your personal backyard in Italy?" a director with a somewhat stiff English accent remarked. The nameplate on his chest read "11," signifying he was the eleventh founder of Westminster Bank.

"Baron Constantin is targeted by nearly every Law Enforcement Organization and Old Blood Clan on the Inner Side. The drawbacks of making him an official member far outweigh any potential benefits."

The director with the "09" nameplate chimed in, "I know Howard went to the World Tree to find you. He was the one who signed Constantine, wasn't he? He must have gone to you specifically to plead the boy's case."

"But we still haven't dealt with the Malozov situation. In Moscow, he's the only one with enough prestige to deal with those Slavs. We're not about to lose an excellent regional governor for a Lawbreaker who represents a constant risk."

"Governor Hoover, we chose you as the third Governor precisely for your ability to avoid risk... It seems you've finally grown old."

The other directors murmured in agreement.

Clearly, most of the directors were opposed to the idea of bringing a high-risk individual like Baron Constantin into Westminster Cathedral.

Some directors even subtly shifted the attack directly onto Hoover, the third Governor.

Director 09 said, "Hoover, I don't believe this matter requires a vote."

"No," Hoover said. "I convened the board for more than just the approval of Baron Constantin's official position."

"Is this about the Black Dragon Nidhogg from the World Tree?" Director 08 snorted. "For a Governor to sign a contract with such poor prospects for returns... Westminster Cathedral's current manpower is only sufficient for containment. However, the Beowulf Family's Dragon Spear ritual has begun... I can support your decision to invite their next Patriarch to handle the Dragon Slaying..."