The old nun with a kind smile walked the boy to the door of the church.
"Can you answer one more question for me?"
"Of course, please ask, kid."
"Perhaps very presumptuous... What do you think 'God's will' have in common?"
"Oh, this is not presumptuous at all. I can tell you with absolute certainty, child - God's will is everywhere. Your coming is God's will. Your meeting with me is God's will. I am also here.
I will reply to you under God’s will.”
"I don't quite understand. How do you perceive 'God's will'?"
“We don’t need to deliberately perceive, God’s will accompanies us from birth to death.”
The old nun spoke slowly, and then her eyes lit up as if she suddenly remembered something:
"Ah, let me quote a metaphor I once heard from an old gentleman...Boy, do you understand drama?"
"Well, I've seen a lot."
"The script is born from people's wisdom, but no matter how wonderful the script is, we can easily give it some definitions. For example, "McHay" is a tragedy, and "The Two Gentlemen of Bash" is a comedy. This is
Why? Probably because human energy is limited, and even talented dramatists have to make choices in their treatment of the characters in the play. This leads to the fact that some people are the protagonists as soon as they appear on the stage, and some are destined to be supporting roles.
."
"Aren't protagonists and supporting actors necessary for a drama?"
"Yes, kid. In a play, all the characters have the same script. There are obvious differences between the characters, but these differences are led by the person who created the play rather than the characters themselves. Don't you think this
Is it different from our real life?"
"It's a drama after all."
"So, if you think of the world we live in as a 'stage', and we are the 'actors', who do you think created the 'script' for us?"
"Lord God?"
"Well, kid, can you know...or guess whether we will meet again in the future?"
The young man shook his head decisively.
"Yes, God's 'script' is mysterious. It is obviously the same 'stage', but God has prepared a unique 'script' for each of us. In addition, God has also given us the ability to control our own emotions and personalities.
Rights allow us to enjoy freedom. Think about it from another perspective, does God not only not stop us from thinking, but also predict our behavior in advance?"
"You mean...the gods have already learned about people's future?"
"To be precise, God has already planned our lives."
The old nun’s words were full of piety:
"At the last moment of life, we will realize what kind of 'script' God has prepared for us, but before that, God's 'script' cannot be defined by anyone."
"I understand, Lord God's 'script' is 'God's will', right?"
"Well, it's like this, child. 'God's will' will always be with us. We can occasionally detect its existence, but it will take us a lifetime to fully understand it. 'God's will' represents God's relationship with mankind.
hope."
The young man was silent for a while, seeming to be trying hard to accept the old nun's words.
After briefly sorting out his thoughts, the contradiction in the young man's heart was somewhat eliminated, which made him very happy.
The young man thanked the old nun and left immediately.
Walking on a path covered with a thin layer of snow, the fresh air has a hint of wild fragrance. The path is quite short, and there is a carriage parked at the end. The four white horses in front of the carriage are very conspicuous.
Without hesitation, the young man stepped into the luxurious carriage.
At the same time, as if by magic, a large number of heavily armed cavalry emerged from behind the carriage - they had previously hidden their presence with magic.
The carriage drove slowly, and the cavalry followed neatly around the carriage. They all seemed to be nervous and able to cope with any emergencies.
In the car, the boy looked tiredly at the woman sitting opposite him - she had a scar on her forehead, which made her look much older than the boy.
"I almost went to find you, Your Highness."
"Sorry, the scenery near the church is so good that I couldn't help but stroll around for a while."
The woman threw the cigarette butt out of the window.
"Really? I thought you were chatting with people from the church."
"Well, your intuition is so keen."
"It's just a random guess. Did you talk about anything interesting?"
"It's true that I was curious first... Unfortunately, I was too stupid to fully understand what the old man said."
"Don't worry, old people always describe one thing in a very complicated way, so you don't have to blame yourself."
"Isn't the experience of the elderly very valuable? After all, it is the wisdom they have spent decades gaining."
"I don't think so, Your Highness. People will always get older, but getting older does not mean becoming wiser. Old people are not as gentle and kind as you imagined. On the contrary, most old people are stubborn, and stubbornness leads to failure.
..... Just listen to the experiences of losers. Although failure is the mother of success, this truth only applies to those who have succeeded and who were losers."
The young man muttered in dissatisfaction:
"How do you know if she has failed..."
"You are right, I was the one who was offended."
"..."
The woman decisively admitted her mistake. The boy was surprised and realized something, so he had to say nothing.
But the woman added another sentence:
"It doesn't matter, just come back."
"Well, thank you for your trouble."
The young man closed his eyes and adjusted his emotions, but the woman could clearly see the way he hesitated to speak.
After a long time, the young man spoke:
"Beilene...Beilene?"
"I am here, Your Highness."
The voice called the woman named "Beilene" out of her thoughts.
"How long until we arrive?"
"In about six hours, we will pass through the edge of the Pamu Desert, where there are many villages for rest. After about two days of walking, we will reach Bevera Mountain. The advance troops have already explored the route. There is no
Abnormal, if we continue to move forward, we——"
"Can it be faster?"
The young man interrupted Beilin. It seemed that he was not impatient. On the contrary, the young man secretly marveled at the strength of her memory. However, the young man had other more important things.
"We have to think about your safety. I can understand your mood, but waiting is necessary."
"Okay... But there's no need to worry about safety or anything, right? You're obviously here."
The boy showed a naughty smile:
"I heard that His Majesty will appoint you as the vanguard officer of the Northwest Front Army, is it true?"
"You have appreciated the award, but His Majesty has not given me the relevant notice yet."
"That's it."
"In addition, I am very sorry to be honest with you now...I cannot follow you all the way. In fact, I have to say goodbye to you."
"Eh? What do you mean?"
"There is an urgent task that I need to handle, and I have to set off immediately."
"Ah..."
The sudden news left the young man speechless for a moment.
"His Majesty asked me not to tell you the contents of the mission. He doesn't want you to be sad because of it."
"Sad? Me? Why?"
"You will understand in the future. For now, I beg your forgiveness."
"...raise your head."
Belin did so.
"I wanted to say it from the beginning, don't call me 'you' or 'your highness' in private."
The young man curled his lips helplessly, and then hugged Beilin:
"You are one of the few people who know my secret. I don't want to have a relationship with you that is just a superior and a subordinate."
"Hey..."
Beilin smiled stupidly. She wanted to touch the boy's head, but her hand stopped in mid-air, so she had no choice but to give up.
"Smoking less, the smell of cigarette smoke on your body is getting stronger and stronger."
"I'll try my best."
......
The young man stuck his head out of the car window.
Beilin got on the horse, took one last look at the boy's handsome, childish face, and then rode away.
She galloped away from the cavalry escorting the boy.
She gritted her teeth and breathed heavily.
At the same time, she is extremely calm inside.
Her destination is the same as the boy, but she needs to arrive earlier than the boy, otherwise the boy will most likely obstruct her - this is a scene that His Majesty is not happy to see.
I'm sorry, she thought.
The tall figure who carefully taught His Highness the swordsmanship in my memory came to mind.
Sure enough, people will change.
She held the reins tightly.
Strange...why are you so anxious?
She has always had full confidence in her speed, but this time she could not control her anxious thoughts.
It was as if a voice kept calling her.
She was a little excited, but she couldn't explain the reason.
Probably she is looking forward to some kind of challenge in the future.
The horses' hooves competed fiercely with the earth, making dull sounds one after another, like a thunderstorm, carrying the wrath of God all the way south.
No one can stop her.
This is God's will.
......
"I know, I will do as you say."
"You agree? Yeah~~ It's really helpful! Thank you very much."
"..."
"Then I'll take my leave. If I disappear for too long, I won't be able to explain it to the rigid police officers. Alas... Ah, don't worry, no matter what happens, I won't betray you. If it really comes
In an emergency, just say that I threatened you to do this."
"Hmph, I don't need you to take the blame! Put away that hypocritical smile of yours and leave quickly!"
"Okay, okay~~"
Hammons lit a cigarette and returned to the lounge chair.
There was a noise downstairs, and he guessed that the annoying guy had left.
Hammons has always looked down on those people who live in poor areas but are not doing their jobs properly. In Hammons' eyes, they are no different from rats in the gutter, and he will feel sick whenever he sees them.
In this case, why does he want to help the "mouse"?
"..."
Hammons blew out smoke rings towards the ceiling and narrowed his eyes.
He thought of his father's sigh.
The detective's friend, Ferrinold's father, was once indebted to Hammons's father. Moreover, Hammons's father indirectly caused the other party to lose his knighthood due to his negligence. He regretted this until his death.
Still talking about this.
Hammons wants to make up for his father's regrets.
After discovering the existence of Ferrinold, he thought it was time to take action. Therefore, Hammons, who heard that Ferrinold had been arrested, chose to assist the detectives without hesitation.
"Well, even though the person is dead... no matter how much you do, it's just to comfort yourself."
Hammons muttered as if he was giving up on himself.
"However, the principal and interest are so high, it would not be good to delay for too long..."
......
The Lord of Fulvos is listening to the report of his confidant Vito.
From time to time, Vito would glance at the lord's index finger that kept tapping on the table.
He felt that his forehead was heating up and he stuttered when he spoke.
He knows his superiors best—presumably it was his words that made the lord dissatisfied or something similar.
Vito, who was feeling uneasy, quickly shut up as soon as he finished his report.
"Okay, thank you for your hard work."
The lord unexpectedly said nothing and waved his hand, indicating that Vito could leave.
Vito rejoiced and bowed to the lord, then strode out the door.
The lord sighed heavily and held a cigarette in his mouth.
He just received the news that His Highness will visit Woolworth in two months.
Although there was still plenty of time left for him, he did not dare to relax.
"Excuse me, Lord."
The knock on the door came simultaneously with Brooke's greeting.
"Please come in."
In front of the lord was the police chief who covered most of his face with a scarf and wore a hat.
"Your eyes are averting, Brooke. It seems that the interrogation is still fruitless."
"...I disappoint you."
"What's going on? A mere private detective shouldn't be able to stop you."
"His behavior is very strange, sir. On the surface, he is cooperating with our investigation, but he must be planning something secretly."
"Brooke, why are you so overly cautious?"
The lord threw away the unlit cigarette and frowned at the police chief:
"I just arranged for you to perform a show with my entourage, which is enough to convince the people. You care so much about a useless detective... it is an unwise move."
"That's what you taught me."
Brooke hurriedly responded to the lord. Based on the other person's tone, he inferred that it would be disadvantageous for him to continue to quibble, but he still bit the bullet and expressed his suspicions:
"Actually, your attendant seems a little strange... Do you guarantee that she will really obey your orders completely? Since she came into contact with that detective, her..."
"Don't report these petty incidents one by one."
Who knows that the lord doesn't care at all.
"You can do it according to your ideas. In short, it must be done within twenty days. Remember, it is not allowed to harm the interests of innocent people unless it is absolutely necessary, and try to minimize the impact of this matter." p>
"As commanded."
The lord who made the decision stood up calmly. He looked at the people coming and going in the distance for a while, then slowly passed Brooke, who was still standing like a wooden stake, and went downstairs.
The wind blew across his face, and the lord smelled the breath of spring, so he bent down, took off his gloves, picked up a handful of snow, and held it tightly.
Can he handle it properly? He doesn't know.
Yes, he took the initiative to plan everything.
As the lord of Fulvos, he is always suffering from the condemnation of his conscience, but this is the only way he can choose, and he can't look back. He just wants to end this farce as soon as possible, even if it ends hastily...
..He is too lazy to take care of it.
......
In the police station, Chief Brooke is trying to calm down his complicated emotions.
Half an hour ago, Vito, the lord's crony, arrived at the police station. He asked Brooke to provide all the information on the "stalking pervert". However, before the information was ready, the lord came in person...
Is it an illusion? The lord doesn't seem to pay much attention to the case.
But why does the lord seem to be worried about something today?
——Unsolvable puzzles appear one after another.
Brooke took two deep breaths and then went to the command center on the first floor.
"... Mr. Detective, please do not eat barbecue in the workplace."
"Ah~~Okay, I'm very sorry, but where should I go to eat?"
There was a steaming bag hanging on the corner of the coffee table. On the sofa nearby, a disheveled young man was lying on his back. He reached out to take out the meat skewers from the bag and stuffed them into his mouth.
Looking at Brooke with blank eyes.
"It's up to you, as long as you're not in the command center...it will affect others."
Brooke patiently persuaded the detective, trying to ignore the disgusted looks cast by the police officers around him.
"Well, as long as it doesn't affect other people... Director, can I come to your office and sit for a while?"
"...Why don't you go back to the police station after eating?"
"Because they were closing soon, so I asked them to pack it for me."
The detective explained to Brooke leisurely, and at the same time picked up a skewer of barbecue and handed it to Brooke.
"Try it, please? Before it cools down."
"No."
"Huh? Don't like barbecue?"
"That's not what I meant..."
"Ah, I understand. Without further ado, let's go to your office -"
"What I want to say is...!"
Brooke was about to get angry, but he restrained himself. An unprecedented sense of exhaustion filled his brain.
Recently, this private detective moved directly into the police station in the name of "observation", bringing a lot of "trouble" along the way, or he himself is one of the "trouble".
He regards the police station as his home.
"Oh, you'd better stay here and eat quickly!"
"OK~~ By the way, I saw the lord. Does he have any urgent matter with you?"
"...just urging me to handle the case quickly."
"Oh, oh, oh~~ It's amazing that the lord actually went out for such a trivial matter."
"A small matter? The Lord takes this case very seriously!"
"You're kidding..."
The detective pointed in the direction of the Propaganda Department:
"I saw with my own eyes that the lord asked the guys from the Propaganda Department to immediately print another issue of the newspaper, and the content was to report on the latest developments in the case."
"..."
Brooke suddenly realized: Newspaper? This is not what the Lord ordered him to do yesterday... Damn it! Why did you forget it! It's all this waste detective's fault!
"Director? You look so bad. Do you want to go to the toilet?"
"No..."
Brooke's temples ached, and he didn't want to waste any more words.
"Mr. Detective, let's not pursue that for now - have you received the supporting documents that Bron gave you? It's time to interrogate the suspect."
"No problem, please let me participate."
"Okay."
Brooke nodded and felt relieved.
Finally... Well, now that we can successfully enter the process led by us, the detective who is getting in the way can't play any tricks anymore and just waits to be led around the entire process.
Unfortunately, the pride on Chief Brooke's face only lasted for a short period of time.
......
After sunset, Brooke, who had monitored the entire interrogation process, dragged his tired body slowly back to his office.
As soon as he sat down, he punched the table hard.
Damn! What a bunch of rubbish!
"She betrayed my lord..."
The interrogation was "interrupted".
Although the suspect admitted that the fingerprints on the murder weapon found by the police officers were indeed hers, she denied that it was the iron awl that killed Schimmel, and attributed the fact that the iron awl was contaminated with Schimmel's blood to chance.<
/p>
Her original words were:
"I once thought about killing Schimmel, so I went to her room with the iron awl that night, but I found that she was already lying in a pool of blood... I was so shocked that I couldn't hold the iron firmly.
The iron awl fell into the blood. After I escaped from the attic, I threw away the iron awl in a panic, which caused a series of misunderstandings."
Then, the police officer in charge of the interrogation asked more than a dozen detailed questions in succession, and the suspects all answered them fluently.
When the detective saw this, he added fuel to the fire and pointed out that the suspect was at most a preliminary criminal. He also cited the legal provisions of Woolworth and said that he should not be punished...
As for the murder case at Earl's Mansion... the suspect even regarded all the evidence as a frame-up of the real murderer...
After struggling for a long time, there is still no progress.
He is obviously a private detective who stalks people all day long, how come he knows so many crooked ways!
Brooke held her chin, puzzled.
But he was just wondering. After all, even if the detective was eloquent, it could not change the fact that Brooke held power. As long as he wanted to, with his identity as the chief of the Woolworth Police Department, he could "create" a job that met the requirements at any time.
The confession he requested.
He just hoped that the detective would take the initiative to compromise.
"Dong dong dong, I'm in."
He heard the detective imitating a knock on the door with his mouth, and then the face that gave him a headache appeared.
It was he who asked the detective to come see him, so he calmly pointed to the single sofa beside him and motioned for the detective to sit down, but the detective stood as if he didn't notice.
"Let me tell you first, bribery is useless."
"Bribery? Haha, why didn't you first suspect that I would threaten you?"
"Because threats are useful~~"
The detective explained nonchalantly, which made Brooke feel that no matter what he said to him next, he would always maintain this attitude.
"I don't want to bribe or threaten you. It's just you and me here. There's no need to hide anymore. Tell the truth. What are you going to do? How can you not stop me?"
"Oh, I don't understand what you mean."
"Stop pretending to be stupid. I have sent the rest of the people away long ago. You don't have to worry. Just answer me quickly. This is the opportunity I give you."
"What chance... You are actually willing to make a deal with me. You are just like the lord."
"Whatever you say."
Burnout fills Brooke's brain.
"You should know, right? The person you want to save is actually the lord's servant. She has no choice, but you rely on sweet words to make her have useless fantasies, and at the same time, you get yourself into trouble.
Why bother?"
"You are too curious, Director. Moreover, your question is so complicated that even I don't know how to answer you. But you, Director, have you forgotten your position?"
"I'm just following orders."
"Don't treat me like a fool, and don't pretend to be deaf and dumb. You are the chief of police in Woolworth. What does this mean? Don't you know?"
The detective strode closer to Brooke and stared at him.
"As you hold a high position, your first duty is to uphold justice. Don't forget why the people of Woolworth trust you. Don't forget that you are the chief of police in Woolworth. Don't forget that your
Your career won't make you great, but your behavior will."
"I know...I said...I have orders that cannot be disobeyed——"
"A poor excuse! Can't be disobeyed? Damn bastard! That guy is just a villain who does evil behind the scenes. Even I am not afraid of him. What are you afraid of?"
Facing the detective's questioning, a look of embarrassment flashed in the corner of Brook's eyes. He felt sweat dripping from his forehead, as if his weakness was being peered into.
Fortunately, with many years of experience, Brooke quickly controlled his expression and immediately regained his composure, although he was still a little uneasy.
Brooke felt that he was being played by the young man in front of him, but he couldn't get angry.
"...Do you think you are punishing evil and promoting good? However, you do not have the corresponding ability, you are trying to show off, and doing so is harmful and unprofitable. Or do you want to be a hero? Then you can pretend to be nothing.
If you understand, you can also become a hero in solving crimes."
He tried to use words to make the detective angry and win back the enemy.
But the detective didn't take the bait at all, and instead smiled stupidly.
"You misunderstood, I don't want to be a hero at all."
"Then what do you want?"
After going round and round, we return to the original topic.
"Well - I just want you to be a real police chief, but you can't do it, can you?"
"..."
The detective deliberately poked at Brooke's sore spots, which made it difficult for Brooke to deal with it.
There is no doubt that he can come up with countless reasons to refute the detective, but he cannot settle himself in the same way.
Brooke looked away and reached for the tea cup, but accidentally knocked it over.
The tea wetted the documents on the table, and the cup fell to the ground with a "pop" and broke into pieces.
What a mess! Brooke cursed secretly.
......
The next day.
"Good morning, Director."
As soon as Brooke entered the door, he saw a sleepy detective greeting him, as if the detective didn't remember what he said last night.
"...This is the first time I saw you in the morning."
"It was also my first time to have a good night's sleep at the police station."
Brooke instantly felt like he was being ridiculed.
"...Where are you going?"
"Buying barbecue. Director, do you want to come with us?"
"Come back as soon as possible."
Brooke, who didn't want to talk nonsense, left the necessary explanation and left.
He has secretly vowed to never let that annoying detective bother him from now on, so he needs to stay away from the detective appropriately. Unless the detective does something particularly outrageous, he will not interfere.
But soon, Brooke regretted it.
Because until noon, the detective was nowhere to be found.
Brooke became anxious.
Forty minutes ago, the men he sent to follow the detective brought news that the target was missing.
But he didn't plan to go to war, and only arranged a few police officers to look for the detective.
Brooke knew that he still had some leverage, so he planned to wait and see what happened.
While soothing himself, he returned to the office, trying to divert his attention by dealing with other matters, but it was this move that made him discover a serious problem - the seal representing the identity of the police chief was missing.
The sudden theft hit Brooke like a heavy hammer.
"Boss, boss! There's a situation!"
The person standing at the door with a look of disbelief was Devin.
"A man set himself on fire in a house on West 37th Street. Many people at the scene heard the self-immolator shouting things like 'I am a murderer'..."
"He is the murderer... He is the murderer, so what did we arrest?"
"This..."
"Hurry up and get someone over there to investigate!"
Brooke's roar left Devin at a loss.
"Why are you dazed? Can't I control you?! Go!"
"Yes, yes!"
How could someone claiming to be the murderer appear now? This is definitely a trick of the damn detective!
Brooke punched the table hard.
Wait, if the seal is in the hands of the detective, what if he takes the opportunity to use the director's name to create a death certificate...
Strong uneasiness spread in Brooke's heart.
He immediately told his secretary:
"Everyone who has not been assigned other tasks should go find the missing detective!"
Then Brooke called a few assistants and rushed to West Thirty-seventh Street with him.
Although the secretary thought it was a bit inappropriate, Brooke still insisted on going to the scene to take a look in person. After all, it was a murder case. In addition, he could not figure out the detective's trick at the moment, and he did not want an accident to happen because of his contempt.<
/p>
As soon as Brooke arrived at his destination, he stepped into the cordon, and four or five police officers who were searching immediately surrounded him.
"Why haven't you put out the fire yet?"
"There are a lot of incendiary bombs buried in the house, and they need to be eliminated first."
"What about the deceased?"
"When we came, there were no shouts and no bodies were found."
"..."
Brooke looked back: more and more police officers and guards were shooting snow blocks or using [Ice Attracting Technique] towards the burning house.
"Evacuate the people first, then go to help and confirm the information of the deceased as soon as possible."
"Yes."
After the explanation, Brooke did not feel relaxed at all. Instead, he was a little nervous, as if he had forgotten some important link.
His heart was beating violently, making it difficult for him to breathe.
An ominous omen.
Brooke looked around and after roughly confirming that there was nothing unusual, decided to return.
At this moment, he vaguely heard the loudspeaker broadcast in the distance:
[This time...after objective analysis...it is a long-planned...]
It is the voice of the lord.
This broadcast is controlled by the police station...Is the Lord at the police station?
Brooke frowned.
[Based on the information provided by the police station, it can be preliminarily determined that the self-immolator is closely related to the case...]
"Huh? How..."
As the broadcast gradually became clearer, Brooke began to notice that the Lord's speech was not normal.
[With the honor of the Colby family as a guarantee, as the lord of Woolworth, I declare that the murderer, the self-immolator, has been punished by the gods. May the victim rest in peace. I take this murder case particularly seriously.
, also hope...】
......
When the pale Brooke got off the carriage, Vito, who had been waiting at the door of the police station for a long time, stopped him.
Vito's next words completely confirmed Brooke's speculation: