"Hey, hey, little brat, was your brain damaged by Jacques?"
In the dungeon, the person who said these words to Thales was not Lausanne II who was laughing sarcastically, but Miss Hilley, who was standing aside with her hands on her hips and frowning.
She raised her hands in disbelief:
"That's all for being pedantic. What else do you want to do now? Reformulate murderers?"
Thales pursed his lips politely and exhaled amidst Lausanne II's nearly dying laughter.
"Of course not," he looked thoughtfully at the vampire killer whose laughter was fading, "no one in this world can be influenced, only you can awaken."
"Tsk, tsk," Healey responded with a disdainful snort, "It would be a pity if you don't go to church and become a preacher."
Thales didn't answer, he just turned his head and smiled at Hilley.
"Who do you think you are, little brat?"
The prisoner's voice sounded at the right time:
“Mohasa, the prophet who saves people in distress?”
Lausanne II, who had had enough laughter, tried his best to raise his head with a ruthless look on his face:
"Am I hopeless? Can I be influenced? Can I wake up? What the hell are you doing?"
The locked vampire killer seemed to have received the greatest insult in his life, and he made a rare rude statement:
"Or do you think that as a prince, let alone rescuing people in need, someone should be rushing to drink from the chamber pot every night and be grateful to everyone?"
After the words fell, Miss Kevin Deere on the other side raised her eyebrows, showing an expression of disgust, and deliberately reached out and slapped her nose.
Thales frowned.
Well, it's not a good start.
Thales sighed and brushed his hair.
Ignoring Hilley's disdainful expression and Lausanne II's cold gaze, he sat on the floor without feeling dirty and stared at the killer thoughtfully.
"As the judge of the old Duke's assassination case, the late Grand Inquisitor Brennan was also on the revenge list Federico gave you, so you broke into his house."
Lausanne II snorted coldly.
Thales' eyes were complicated:
"But you didn't hurt anyone else that night - the gardener, the cook, the housekeeper, the servants, not even the neighbor's dog."
"Because they are smart enough to know not to block my way," the killer said coldly, "What do you think happened to their employer?"
Xi Lai chuckled, made a face in an invisible direction, and shook her head repeatedly.
But Thales was still serious, he just stared at Lausanne II extremely seriously:
"Grand Inquisitor Brennan died by taking poison himself."
Lausanne II smiled maliciously.
"That bad old man planned to have a drink with me with poisoned wine to outwit the suspect, but he didn't expect that I would drink a full glass of wine and nothing would happen." The killer's expression was ferocious. "It's his turn to have a drink. You say,
Does he drink or not?"
Thales looked at the other person with no expression on his face.
Lausanne II suppressed his smile, his eyes were cold:
"Fortunately, he drank it: if it fell into my hands, I would torture him to the point of death."
Hilley raised his eyebrows and rubbed his gloves intentionally or unintentionally.
Thales didn't speak, he just sighed:
"Based on tips from the public, we discovered the hiding place that you and Federico have been hiding in Tomb Street these past few days."
Lausanne II remained calm:
"Why, do you still want me to praise you?"
"It was a building materials warehouse. There were many chains in the isolated secret room." Thales ignored his sarcasm. "It is said that when you are thirsty for blood and lose your mind, you will lock yourself there to avoid
Hurt others.”
Xi Lai frowned slightly and looked at the inhuman captive in front of her.
The dungeon was quiet for a moment.
"Avoid harm? Ha," Lausanne II said disdainfully, "During that time, in order to kill people, I drank a lot of blood."
But Thales shook his head:
"Both Federico and the Corleone family offered to supply human blood so that you could take action, but you refused them both."
"Why, are vampires who don't drink blood weird? I've even seen Northlanders who don't drink!"
"Even if you have to go out to grab blood food," Thales continued, "you will only pick out the lone scum of the Blood Bottle Gang and the Brotherhood, especially the extremely vicious and carefree ones..."
A lone scumbag...
Hearing this phrase, Lausanne II was in a trance.
"It doesn't have to be carefree," he said suddenly, "even the scum in the gutter will still have relatives and friends."
There will be people who are willing to avenge them and look forward to death.
No matter how funny or stupid the scene looks.
Xi Lai's expression changed slightly, and he began to look at the prisoner in front of him with a different look.
Thales narrowed his eyes:
"During that time, the two gangsters were so panicked and nervous that they would rather make less money and finish work early every day, which actually made the security officers feel a lot more relaxed."
The killer came back to his senses and sneered:
"Then why didn't I see you award me the Honorary Citizen Award?"
Hilley, who had been staring at Lausanne II for observation, turned his head at this moment, shrugged and shook his head.
But Thales refused to give up:
"And every time you hunt, you deliberately avoid places where women, children and poor people gather."
Hilley's eyes moved.
Lausanne II's expression paused.
Thales tentatively said:
"I guess—chivalry?"
The next second, the killer suddenly changed his color and growled angrily:
"Shit spirit!"
I saw him gnashing his teeth, twisting his neck as hard as he could under the weight of the shackles, and yelling ferociously:
"Women and children... didn't Little Knife tell you? Women's menstrual blood is smelly and dirty. It's so unlucky that the blood slaves can't even swallow it!"
Hilley frowned.
Lausanne II was still excited, and the chains on his body kept ringing:
"As for the poor old haters... Why, haven't you, the noble prince, smelled enough of the rotten stench, urine smell, mud and excrement smell in the ditch under the North Gate Bridge?"
Thales waited quietly for him to finish venting his inexplicable anger.
"But a long time ago, you were also one of the poor old men here," the prince said calmly, but it made the killer tremble. "It is said that at that time, the Emerald City was still developing, and there were still large areas of barren fields outside the North Gate Bridge.
There are countless tents and wooden houses set up, and it is full of ravines and pits. When it rains, it becomes muddy and filthy."
Hilley noticed something, and her look at Lausanne II became complicated.
Lausanne II was breathing in a daze, but he reacted in just a few seconds and pulled the chain with a clanging sound:
"So I've had enough! I want to get ahead and live well, is that enough?"
Thales observed him silently, smiled slightly, and continued to change the topic without arguing.
"When you were hunting for blood, you raided the kennel of Sangarei of the Blood Bottle Gang in the suburbs and killed all his men." The young man added, "His people who used to be human traffickers are now cat and dog traffickers.
subordinates."
Lausanne II's breathing calmed down.
"Not only," for the first time, Lausanne II's expression was cheerful and cruel, revealing some of the true qualities of a killer, "I also hung them upside down and drained their blood - everyone listened to their wailing until the night before dawn.
"
Thales frowned slightly and nodded:
"But his dogs, the cats and dogs in Sangare that are locked in cages and left to be slaughtered, wild game cubs, and even vicious guard dogs..."
Thales' eyes moved:
"But they all had their cages opened, their ropes cut off, and they were released."
The prince said solemnly:
"Why?"
The killer prisoner was silent for a while.
"A dog's nose is very good, he might be able to smell me," he turned around and snorted coldly, "Besides, dog blood is not as delicious as human blood."
Thales frowned.
"Look, Lausanne II, I'm trying my best to understand you," the young man looked at the captives in front of him with a headache, thinking about letting Morgan and the others in directly to be "civilized and courteous", "but you seem to be quite resistant to kindness from others.
"
Lausanne II sneered.
"Good intentions are poison," he said unappreciatively, "and are false excuses for people to fall into the abyss."
Seeing the prisoner's helpless appearance, Xi Lai sighed helplessly.
"Told you."
She made a "did you see that?" look to Thales:
"It's just despairing."
"yes."
Thales crossed his arms and nodded seriously:
"It is precisely because he is desperate that he deliberately angers me."
Just want a quick death.
Lausanne II remained silent.
"Please."
Hilley rolled his eyes:
"I'm not talking about him."
Thales' expression froze, but he quickly coughed to wipe away the embarrassment.
"Well, since you refuse to accept kindness and help, it doesn't matter," Thales pulled out a crumpled document from his bulging pocket, "but would you mind giving some away?"
Hilley wondered:
"What?"
Thales opened the crumpled documents, pulled out a few of them, and showed them one by one in front of the killer:
It was a set of sketches, which seemed to depict the interior of a mansion. The stamp of the Police Department was faintly visible under the document.
Lausanne II kept frowning until he saw the last picture:
"What's this?"
"This is the crime scene where the wool merchant Diop and his mistress both died." Thales took back the sketch depicting the two bodies tied to the bed. "In fact, this is the crime scene he rented to his mistress.
, a private residence convenient for their trysts.”
Lausanne II understood and couldn't help but sneer.
"Like the wine merchant Moss, the defense attorney Slimani, and many others on your list who were also killed: Diop once lived in poverty, but after the assassination of the old Duke, he became rich and became the leader of Kongming Palace.
Black account butler."
Thales stacked up the documents and changed his voice:
"However, since then, he has indulged in sexual activities, such as keeping a stage actress as his mistress."
Lausanne II remained unmoved.
"Diop's married wife knew this very well. But just like the wives of many successful people, for the sake of their children and dignity, Mrs. Diop had to pretend not to know, and she had to endure it when her wealthy businessman husband was on a business trip.
She has been suffering and tormented by supporting her mistress’ dignity in front of others, smiling and pretending to be happy,” Thales lamented, “On the contrary, after Diop’s accident, she became much more relaxed.”
Hilley raised his eyebrows.
"One of my men keenly noticed this during the investigation. Through patient conversation and enlightenment, he successfully made Mrs. Diop let down her guard, tell the truth, and gave the address of her mistress's residence - yes, she
I have always known where my husband was on a 'business trip', but ever since he was 'educated' with a stick by the latter, I have never questioned him again, let alone come to catch him."
Lausanne II remained silent.
"It was in that mansion that my two men found Diop and his mistress who were tied to the bed and had died long ago." Thales said with a serious face and got to the point, "They also met you for the first time.
"
After hearing this, the killer finally sneered:
"What I did, do you have any objections?"
"Yes, you did it," Thales nodded slowly, "My men, including the police department who investigated the case, also think so - a ruthless killer who leaves no survivors or witnesses."
Lausanne II snorted disdainfully.
Thales observed his expression, paused briefly, and spoke softly:
"Until Judge Brennan, he refused to sign the case report when he reviewed it and ordered it dismissed."
Lausanne II was slightly startled.
"Brennan?"
"Yes, that's the old judge who had a drink with you."
Thales sighed and pulled out another page, on which Brennan's signature was clearly visible:
"In fact, this was the last case he handled during his lifetime - the laws of the Emerald City stipulate that all cases of unnatural death within the jurisdiction must go through a final review by the trial hall and confirm that there are no problems before the case can be closed and the body can be buried."
Xi Lai, who was listening in, had a premonition of something and his eyes moved.
"It was the meticulous Grand Inquisitor Brennan who noticed at the last step of the case that the closing report on the Diop case was too simple, hasty and incomplete."
The killer froze.
Thales sighed softly and pulled out another report from the file:
"Until this morning, Brennan's student and successor, Acting Grand Inquisitor Ibonin, finally got the latest and most complete autopsy report in a hurry."
Thales cleared his throat:
"Based on the oral accounts and recollections of the on-site coroner and police officer, and after repeated cross-checking by the three coroners, the police department confirmed that the death times of the two deceased persons, a man and a woman, were not consistent, with the female earlier and the male later.
Later, the difference can be estimated to be up to twelve hours."
What?
Hilley was slightly surprised when he heard this and turned to look at Lausanne II.
But the latter didn't move at all, just staring at the darkness above his head.
"Even the cause of death was different: the male deceased's wrist artery was cut with precision and sharpness, and he eventually bled to death."
"But the other female deceased died from multiple blunt blows to the head," Thales read the report with a slightly gloomy tone. "The rope marks on her hands show that she had a fierce struggle before her death."
At that moment, the killer's eyes were extremely complex.
“Even the two deceased persons were tied to the bed, and the knots tied at their hands and feet were made in completely different ways: the knots used to tie the male deceased were simple and tight, indicating that the person who bound the deceased was obviously stable and experienced; the knots used to tie the female deceased were
It’s messy and complicated, and there are many dead knots that are ineffective and repeated, which may mean that the binder is panicked and nervous.”
Thales put down the report and sighed softly.
"My two men, firstly, the incident happened suddenly and they didn't have enough time. Secondly, they are neither professional nor have relevant experience. Thirdly, they only focused on the target person and did not observe the other deceased at the scene carefully enough..."
Thinking of Glover and Glover, Thales spoke with a heavy tone and mixed emotions:
"As for the police department that later took over the scene... First of all, the big shots in Kongming Palace said: Reduce the impact, close the case as soon as possible, and do not hesitate to appoint the 'murderer' if necessary. Secondly, the police officers assigned to the case are all human beings Well, especially since there are so many things involved in this case, it is conceivable that no one wants to cause trouble. They just want to wrap up the case quickly and end it as soon as possible. One more thing is worse than one less thing."
In other words, everyone is more concerned about the power struggle behind it, but no one pays attention to the details of the case itself.
That's why the complete autopsy report was suppressed and not released.
For the stability of the overall situation, and for the benefit of many parties.
Thus, living human lives are ignored.
The voice in his heart was calm and cold:
This is a conspiracy from top to bottom, consciously or unconsciously.
The reasons are sufficient and the motives are reasonable.
The price is the disappearance of the truth.
Until the aging Judge Brennan used his last breath of persistence to pierce the shroud covering everything.
Lausanne II was still looking at the dark ceiling in a daze.
Xi Lai understood something. She looked at the killer in front of her in disbelief: "So, you...you..."
Thales' cold and serious voice sounded at the right time:
"Lausanne II, you killed Diop and drained his blood. There is no doubt that you may have resorted to inhuman powers and torture."
However, he paused and changed the subject:
"But his mistress is not, at least she was not killed by you - a professional killer who even avoids women and children when hunting."
Lausanne II came back to his senses and shouted fiercely:
"Pooh."
Hilley frowned fiercely, but Thales didn't care at all. He spoke slowly and asked seriously:
"Tell me, killer, what happened?"
"I'm tired of killing people. Let's try another method." This time, Lausanne II was straightforward, but he was still full of hostility and sarcasm. "What's wrong? I'm surprised?"
Thales shook his head.
"You used to kill people cleanly and without leaving any traces. Only at Diop's mistress' house, you stayed there and seemed to be rummaging for something, so you bumped into one of my men. Why?"
Lausanne II turned his head to the other side and sneered disdainfully.
"Killers all have their own quirks," he gritted his teeth. "After killing two people, you have to leave some souvenirs."
Thales frowned slightly.
"He's helping you, asshole!"
Hilley was irritated by the other party's attitude. She finally couldn't hold it back anymore and pointed at Thales, who was solemnly crossing his arms, angrily:
"Don't you see that this stupid, hopelessly pedantic little brat is your only hope now?"
After hearing these words, I didn't know whether they were words of encouragement or disparagement. Thales had a strange expression.
In fact... the word "little brat" is already too much.
"I don't need help."
Lausanne II looked cold and his eyes were lifeless.
No need for hope.
That thing disappeared many years ago.
Hilley laughed angrily.
She raised her eyebrows, rolled up her sleeves and was about to pull off her gloves: "Really, then you must need another kind of help. I promise you won't regret it..."
Lausanne II's eyes turned cold.
Thales sighed, stood up to comfort the eldest lady, and spoke softly:
"It's not poison."
The angry Xi Lai blurted out without thinking:
"What?"
Thales signaled her to calm down and turned to Lausanne II:
"Judge Brennan, the night you went to kill him according to the list, he took out the expensive old wine that he had treasured for many years and invited you to drink it together."
Lausanne II's expression did not change.
"But what he put in the bottle was not poison."
Thales' tone was calm, but the other two were stunned.
"It's a powerful analgesic that his wife used before she died - Brennan didn't want to kill you or poison you, he just wanted to numb you."
Thales looked at Lausanne II and sighed:
"Obviously, he didn't know your details and misjudged the efficacy of the medicine."
At that moment, Lausanne II was stunned.
Not...poison?
"But, but Brennan himself..." Hilley understood, but was still confused.
"Brennan's real cause of death was heart abnormality and organ failure caused by an overdose of analgesics," Thales turned over another page and spoke in a heavy tone, "In other words, he was old and died - if
This will comfort you."
[When I go here, no matter what the situation is... there is no need to pursue any further pursuit, let alone revenge, but destiny has arrived, and destiny is due.]
Thales couldn't help but look sad when he thought of the words in Brennan's suicide note.
Lausanne II understood something.
You are so comforting.
He stared blankly at the boundless darkness above his head.
fart.
"Then why..." Xi Lai frowned.
Thales knew what she was wondering about and handed her the drug identification report that was later added:
"Under the pressure of fierce public opinion and eagerness to solve the case, the Police Department intentionally or unintentionally mistook analgesics for poison - after all, the principle of many deadly poisons is to cause nerve paralysis, leading to cardiopulmonary failure."
Of course, you have to say, as an old judge who is aloof and stubborn, and often questions or even rejects closing reports without giving face, does Brennan's long-standing bad relationship with the Police Department and other major government agencies play a role in this?
, that’s hard to say.
and……
Thales sighed in his heart: when Brennan died, the person in charge of the Kongming Palace and the person responsible for the major government offices in the Emerald City had been changed from Zhan Kelvindir to Xinghu from the Royal Capital.
Duke.
The chain on Lausanne II's body rang slightly, attracting their attention.
"I, I don't understand."
The killer finally spoke.
He gritted his teeth, breathed quickly, and his eyes were frozen.
Why……
Why did that old man want to be so...
Thales was silent for a while, turned over the crumpled papers in his hand, and took out a few old yellowed papers.
"I also have an old document here that records the Emerald Celebration a long time ago: the late King Eddie led his family and his chariot to the Emerald City in person to appease the allies and have fun with the people."
Thales paid attention to the other person's expression:
"Until the attachés of the royal family bullied the people in the market and smashed up the vendors."
Sure enough, the killer's expression changed slightly.
"After the incident, the public was dissatisfied and public opinion was raging. Fortunately, the Bright Star royal family acted impartially and never sheltered. They took the initiative to hand over the culprit to the Emerald City authorities: a young servant who came from the South Coast Territory, was poor and had no background, and was not gregarious.
, just temporarily joining the royal family."
At that moment, Lausanne II's eyes trembled.
Hilley's eyes went back and forth between Thales and the prisoner, with complicated and subtle meanings.
"Originally, it was an ordinary privilege case. The principal culprit confessed his crime in public and was punished. The people were angry and applauded. The Emerald City handled matters efficiently and timely. The kingdom's politics were clear, equal and just. The royal family's reputation for impartiality was intact or even better.
Floor, the guards cleared their grievances and proved that 'the team is generally very decent', everyone is satisfied with this matter, everyone is happy, and it is over..."
From an angle that no one could see, Lausanne II gritted his teeth.
"Yet Assistant Inquisitor Brennan - who was not yet the Grand Inquisitor at the time - refused to accept this outcome or to punish the poor little squire in a daze."
Thales sighed and put away the fiercely worded and uncompromising letter written by young Brennan to the Duke of Leinster:
"He ignored the advice of the Duke of Leinster, risked offending the royal family, and withstood pressure from many parties and obstruction from above and below... When he could not find the criminal involved, he insisted on King Eddy II attending the trial in person, as the first
The person responsible took responsibility for his subordinates' misdeeds of bullying the people, and ordered him to personally apologize. Finally, he listed seven crimes according to the city's laws, and in front of the entire Emerald City, he fined my grandfather a full three times.
One thousand, seven hundred and twenty-eight gold coins, and the case has just been closed."
Hilley frowned upon hearing this, while Lausanne II remained motionless.
"Does it sound familiar?"
Thales looked at the prisoner with sharp eyes:
"Especially the little attendant, the small role, the temporary worker who was pushed out to take responsibility?"
The chains on Lausanne II shook.
【Then come and have a drink with me, kid.】
Flashing before his eyes was the night not long ago when he approached the old judge, the old judge, with only one sword, and the relief, understanding, and even... sympathy on his face.
【Let me tell you everything and you will understand.】
At this point, Lausanne II finally understood something.
But he remained silent and his expression was as solid as a stone statue.
Thales was a little discouraged and waved the document in his hand:
"Please, even for Brennan's sake..."
"not only that."
Lausanne II spoke out.
"They are not just bullying people."
His tone was hollow, almost acquiescing, which surprised Thales.
I saw the killer staring blankly above his head, looking at the deep darkness with no end in sight, no matter then or now, in dreams or reality.
Back then, what kind of royal guards would be stupid, or in other words, cheap enough to oppress the people at the bottom? Or the local people in the Emerald City?
Just when the king was out patrolling the south coast?
"They just want to frame that innocent attendant." Lausanne II said blankly.
Not because of the civilian attendant himself.
Rather, it was because the knight teacher behind the little squire was a swordsman with many talents and a high reputation. He was also a former squire who had only a small acquaintance with the late king and had a deep friendship with him.
However, he insisted on being neutral and impartial, and refused to hold important positions. Therefore, he was valued by the king, and his every word was very important, and could even influence the royal family to appoint a heir apparent.
The one who not only gave the attendants the opportunity to change their destiny, gave them skills, and showed deep kindness to them...
It also gave them political shackles that bound them for life, caused them endless suffering, and caused them to kill each other...
Joaquín Grand Knight.
Lausanne II's eyes were empty and he was in a trance.
Thales and Hilley looked at each other.
Maybe it's more than that.
Perhaps the case of bullying the common people was related to the political game between the royal center and the Nan'an leader when the king was on tour - whether it was reputation or actual profit.
Thales thought silently.
A knight squire from the South Coast, in the ranks of the royal family, oppressed the people in the Emerald City, arousing resentment among the locals, damaging the reputation of the king, causing headaches and dilemmas for all parties...
From the identity to the impact of the incident, no matter what the link is today, it is full of complicated calculations and tug-of-war.
Thales thought silently:
Just like what I am experiencing now as an envoy from the royal family in the Emerald City.
"As for that stupid attendant, he was passing by, or in other words, he was tricked into passing by, and he took action to stop him," Lausanne II said blankly, "otherwise, they would beat the hawker to death."
Of course, back then, he was rewarded for fighting against injustice...
It was the oppressed hawker who was terrified and cowering in the courtroom. In front of everyone, he identified the perpetrators in unison:
That little attendant was the one who bullied him.
Hilley turned his head and sighed.
Talking about the past, the prisoner in front of him finally spoke, but for some reason, Thales didn't feel the slightest sense of victory.
Instead, an inexplicable sadness welled up in my heart.
[Every time I put down the gavel and take off my official robe, I still can’t help but think about it again and again:
Every time I review a case, do I thoroughly investigate the facts of the case and make no omissions?
Am I detached, neutral and impartial in every trial?
Every time I speak, do I think clearly and explain appropriately?
Every time the hammer falls, am I worthy of my oath and original intention, not only protecting the interests of the weak, but also restraining the arrogance of the strong, upholding fairness, and not failing the law?
Over the years, have I ever misjudged a case? Have I wronged a good person? Have I ever contributed to oppression and exploitation?
Have I ever let friendship and loyalty, hatred and anger, interests and gains and losses, cloud my judgment without me knowing it, or pretending not to know it?】
Thales couldn't help but think of the self-doubt in Brennan's suicide note, and he felt even deeper now.
"So, Brennan was right to persist."
Thales exhaled, braced himself, and said to the dazed prisoner, "No matter what the reason - justice, truth, duty, or conscience, he finally recognized his old friend..."
Still apologizing for the assassination of the Duke that year.
"No matter in the past or now, when the entire Emerald City wants your life..."
The young man closed his eyes and couldn't suppress the sadness in his heart:
"He's the one who really wants to help,"
Jingle Bell……
At that moment, the chains on the prisoner began to rattle.
[I understand, child, I have seen people like you...]
The words of the old judge before he died rang in his ears, gentle and melancholy.
Lausanne II suddenly opened his mouth!
He breathed heavily, as if he would drown in the air if he took one less breath.
Severe pain erupted from the wounds on his body, but it could not affect him in the slightest, and the bloodthirsty monster in his body was nowhere to be seen.
[What do you want to let go of, but the pain is overwhelming? What do you want to hold on to, but you feel empty and empty...]
Lausanne II suddenly found that he had been shaking.
But he knew that this trembling was completely different from the trembling he experienced when facing flames and sunlight.
Those are instinctive tremors, animalistic fears.
And now...
The fear now is...
[You understand too little, and you don’t understand too much... You don’t know what to be loyal to, so you can only grit your teeth and lower your head, numb your eyes, and slightly relieve the pain and depression...]
Lausanne II bit his lower lip so hard that it bled.
That stupid old man.
He clenched his fists and forced himself to repeat this.
Everything you do is meaningless...
help?
madness.
madness……
How stupid!
[It’s okay, kid, I’ve had it too, it’s okay, in the end you will understand, it will pass, it will pass...]
The old man finished speaking and slowly fell down, clutching his heart.
But she still smiled at him.
"Ahhhhh!!!"
The next moment, Lausanne II, who couldn't bear it anymore, screamed at the darkness.
Hoarse and desperate.
"I don't need it," the killer said emotionally, "I don't need his help at all!"
unnecessary!
Why?
Why!
madness!
madness!!!
Thales and Hilley were initially shocked by the killer's sudden move, but when they came to their senses, the prince understood something.
"You do not need?"
Thales snorted coldly.
"Who do you think you are, a killer? The suffering prophet Jurlands?"
Lausanne II's roar weakened.
"Do you think your unfortunate experiences and past setbacks are really that important, so crucial, so unique, so incomparable?"
Thales' eyes were cold and his voice was stern, which surprised Hilley next to him.
"Does it mean that everyone in the world, no matter tall, short, fat, thin, rich or poor, must be deeply touched and can't wait to sympathize with you, pity you, and save you? So that you can still pretend to be arrogant and self-righteous and picky."
, I need this help, I don’t need that help’? Who do they want to help and who don’t help? Damn it!”
Not sure whether he didn't understand or was really touched, the killer turned his head blankly and stared at Thales.
"And why do you think that, as the chief inquisitor of the entire Emerald City, you are the only one Brennan can help, wants to help, wants to help, and must help?"
Thales took a deep breath and quickly flipped through the documents in his hand.
"Especially, those who don't have your skills and strength, are stubborn and stubborn, but also want to get fairness and truth in this world..."
Thales threw the documents on the Diop case in front of Lausanne II:
"Ordinary people."
Lausanne II turned his eyes:
The paper stopped just on the autopsy report of Diop's mistress.
The killer's breath hitched.
Just listen to the prince's cold voice:
"For example: in the Emerald City back then, the young attendant was innocently framed and pushed out to take responsibility."
The killer shuddered slightly.
Lausanne II's breathing quickened, his expression became fierce, he turned his head and gritted his teeth:
"You know shit!"
Thales showed no signs of weakness and snorted coldly.
"Yeah, I know shit, but you?"
Thales looked at a piece of letter paper in the document in his hand and remembered the late Grand Inquisitor who was solemn and majestic in court, who repeatedly reflected on himself in the letter, who was full of longing for his late wife, and who devoted himself to his work. Then he looked at the motionless and unmoving in front of him.
, a vampire killer who claims to be cold-blooded and self-righteous, can't help but feel angry and unworthy of the former.
The next second, Thales slapped the document in his hand on the ground in front of Lausanne II:
"Even if you know, it's just bullshit!"
He was still angry and gave the prisoner a middle finger:
"You may not care, Lausanne II, but the fact is: even when you are weak, you have given up, surrendered to reality, closed yourself up and destroyed your conscience, and boasted that you have seen the world and know the truth. From now on, you will only pretend to be sophisticated in your thin life.
and empty sarcasm..."
Thales said angrily:
"In this world, there are still people, countless people, at every moment, sparing no effort in the darkness and striving forward!"
Just for the end of darkness, that light that may never come.
After the words fell, the dungeon fell silent.
Lausanne II stared blankly at the paper in front of him, still silent.
Thales clenched his fists, his chest heaved, and tried his best to adjust his emotions.
On the other side, Hilley Kevindill, who had witnessed the entire process, let out a long sigh.
She walked forward slowly and bent down to pick up the papers scattered on the floor.
"Okay, it's okay, calm down."
The eldest lady's voice was surprisingly gentle, as if she was comforting a child.
But it seemed to be surprisingly useful. Thales took a deep breath to calm down.
She sorted out the documents, raised her head and asked:
"what's next?"
Thales closed his eyes, opened them again, gritted his teeth and said:
"No more. We can go."
Hilley was startled, looked at the document in his hand, and then looked at Lausanne II who seemed to have lost his soul and remained motionless.
"What? That's it?"
Thales turned his head away from the prisoner and nodded with all his strength:
"that's all."
Hilley frowned. She glanced at her gloves and then at Thales, wanting to say something, but finally sighed:
"Okay, let me listen to you."
She stood up and walked towards the small door of the dungeon first.
The chains squeaked.
"She's dead."
A hoarse voice sounded, and the breath was like a gossamer.
Their footsteps stopped in unison.
Xi Lai turned around and said doubtfully:
"What?"
I saw Lausanne II still staring at the darkness above his head, and said dullly:
"When I arrived, the wool merchant's mistress was already dead."
Thales and Hilley looked at each other, then turned around again.
"How did you die?"
Thales asked.
Lausanne II slowly turned his head, and his eyes that focused away from the darkness were calm:
"I, I tied the wool merchant next to her body and interrogated him - I even used supernatural powers."
According to Federico's plan, he should have simply killed someone, but...
"After I killed the wine merchant, the wool merchant began to worry. He was worried that someone would reopen the case of the Duke's assassination. He was even more worried that someone - no matter who it was - was going to kill him or get him to testify, so he planned to flee the city to avoid trouble."
Lausanne II said slowly:
"But he didn't have enough cash on hand, and he didn't dare to go home to get the money. Then he suddenly remembered that he had spent a lot on his mistress, and he wanted to repay some of it as travel expenses..."
Thales' eyelids twitched.
Hilley frowned and asked:
"So, his mistress didn't want to pay, so Diop killed her?"
Lausanne II shook his head with dull eyes, causing the chain to rustle.
"On the contrary, she was happy to do it, and it was just a little more - all the savings she had gained from being an actress."
Having said this, Lausanne II snorted coldly and said sarcastically:
"For this man, this 'true love' she found after all the hard work."
Hilley couldn't help but wonder:
"What? Then why is Diop still..."
"Because she has no cash in hand, only bank checks, and she needs to go out and sign to withdraw the money," Lausanne II said coldly, "Obviously, Diop doesn't believe her and thinks this is an excuse for her to get rid of herself."
Love.
"He is still suspicious, thinking that since he is involved in such a big case, she might betray him later..."
Love.
"I even feel that if he leaves like this, sooner or later someone will ask her about his whereabouts..."
Love.
"He also questioned, given the other person's qualifications and appearance, how could she have fallen in love with him who is old and ugly if she didn't want him to be rich? Now that he is no longer in glory, she will definitely abandon him..."
Love.
Lausanne II’s sarcastic expression became more and more obvious:
"The more he thought about it, the more he became afraid, and the more he thought about it, the more he hated him, so he yelled and cursed, saying that she used to be an actress on stage, and she was sold out. She was used to acting on every occasion, and she must have a lot of cash hidden behind her back..."
Listening to Lausanne II's reconstruction of the scene at that time, Thales became increasingly depressed and frowned.
"She felt wronged, angry, retorted, and became emotional, so the wool merchant took action, tied her up, tortured her, threatened her, and forced her to question her..."
Hilley sighed fiercely:
"coward."
Lausanne II snorted coldly and continued:
"It was then that the woman seemed to wake up and finally saw through 'true love', so she became unexpectedly tough..."
At least he's tougher than her lover.
"He also said something about the health of his bed, which made the wool merchant unhappy, so he picked up the sculpture beside the bed..."
Thales couldn't bear to listen any more and concluded his speech:
"So she died."
Lausanne II sneered.
"Or to use what the guy said when he begged for mercy," the killer's eyes showed disdain and hatred, "'I just wanted to teach her a lesson and scare her, but I didn't expect that she would die.'"
"Coward." Hilley repeated again, his tone cold.
After the words fell, silence returned to the dungeon.
Only the atmosphere is depressing.
After a long time, Thales finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Now," he looked at the report in Hilley's hand with sadness, "this case is complete."
At least, for the actress who quit the stage for true love.
And to the conscientious Judge Brennan.
I hope they can rest in peace.
"Although it is strange to say this," Thales reorganized his thoughts and tried to return to the topic, "but whether it is the Diop case or... you seem to be a principled killer."
Lausanne II opened his eyes suddenly!
"Principles are bullshit."
He seems to have turned back into the cold-blooded killer:
"I hate cowards. I want to torture one to death when I see one. That's all."
Moreover, many innocent people have died at his hands over the years.
He has long...
Principles are abandoned.
But Thales just looked at him calmly.
"Theresa."
"Huh?" Hilley turned his head.
"That woman, Diop's mistress, her name is Teresa," Thales said quietly. "After the Year of Blood, she was abducted by human traffickers to Harvest Town. She gave birth to two children before she was fourteen years old.
As a child, after several years, I finally found a chance to escape and was taken in by a theater troupe in Emerald City. I started working as a backstage chore until I stepped onto the stage."
Lausanne II took a breath.
"Unfortunately……"
Lausanne II closed his eyes.
"if……"
Tails paused for a moment, but after all he couldn't continue, he just sighed:
"She deserves a better life."
No matter as a human being.
Still a woman.
"I could have saved her." Lausanne II croaked.
Thales raised his head in confusion:
"What?"
I saw the vampire killer looking at the darkness in front of him, as if looking at the past, and said quietly:
"She was seriously injured and on the verge of death, but I, I was still able to save her."
Thales and Hilley exchanged glances.
Lausanne II looked in a trance:
"But she said..."
In the evil murmuring dream, the woman, the dying Teresa, said to him in despair...
"Her life is too miserable."
Lausanne II said blankly.
Regardless of being ignored, trafficked, enslaved, fostered, betrayed, or killed...
Whether in my hometown, in the human trafficking market in Sangare, in Harvest Town, or in the Emerald City...
No matter gritting one's teeth and enduring, or forcing a smile, no matter crying every night, or leaning against the door to show off a smile...
It's all too bitter, too bitter.
Regardless of love or family, there is still hope for the future...
There is no one-size-fits-all antidote.
But she was stuck in too deep and struggled to escape. She tried to commit suicide several times, but she lacked the final courage.
So now, she finally...
fed up.
At that time, he suddenly understood...
"I can't save her." Lausanne II's eyes were lifeless.
From the very beginning, it was doomed that it would not be saved.
Neither Thales nor Hilley spoke, and the atmosphere in the dungeon was extremely depressing.
"But she did hide a sum of money."
Lausanne II suddenly spoke, as if waking up from a nightmare, slightly anxious:
"It's in the mezzanine of the guest room. Your person came too quickly and I didn't have time to find him."
Thales couldn't help but be surprised:
"Money? Guest room?"
Lausanne II took a deep breath, gritted his teeth and spoke:
"After she got rich, she hired mercenaries to go to Harvest Town and snatch her two children out. But she didn't dare to tell anyone about it, so she could only hide in the theater troupe and do odd jobs..."
Thales and Hilley looked at each other.
"I understand," the prince responded with a heavy tone, "I will send someone to handle it, and her money will be properly distributed to them."
Lausanne II let out a breath and rested his head on the cold ground again.
"Thanks."
He said numbly.
There was another long silence.
Until Thales sighed.
"What exactly changed you?"
He couldn't bear to look at the injured, disabled and disheartened killer in front of him, and shouted an unfamiliar name:
"Joe Boyer?"
Lausanne II trembled slightly.
Xi Lai looked at Thales with a lot of questions on his face.
"If you don't plan to kill me," Lausanne II still looked at the darkness above his head and swallowed, numb and mechanical, "you can leave, Your Highness."
Thales did not speak, but stared at the cold-blooded killer in front of him with complex eyes, the former knight's attendant.
Finally, he closed his eyes:
"Let's go, Shirley."
Shilai on the other side sighed and put away the documents in his hand:
"I told you, it's useless."
She looked sharply:
"The only one that works is Jacques."
But Thales shook his head:
"It's not Jacques who works."
The prince turned and walked toward the dungeon door, leaving his prisoner behind.
"It's what Jacques asked him to see," Thales said solemnly, "or in other words, what he didn't want to see."
"Humph, just pretending."
Hillai curled his lips, glanced at the numb prisoner on the ground, and quickly left side by side with Thales:
"I said, how much more time do you have to waste before you are willing to use my method?"
Thales' tone was as calm as his footsteps:
"Please, Heeley, give me another chance."
The eldest lady snorted coldly, and was about to refuse and ridicule as she was accustomed to do, but she glanced at Thales' pale side face and when the words came to her lips, she finally changed her mind:
"Hey, okay—for the last time."
"Thanks."
Thales exhaled and stopped as he held the door handle.
"I'm sorry, Lausanne II, but I'm afraid you won't like what I'm going to do to you next." He lowered his head and said.
The killer's indifferent sneer came from behind:
"Haven't you done enough?"
Thales was silent for a while:
"But I do think you still need it."
Lausanne II sneered again, accompanied by rude sarcasm:
"What, are you going to take off your pants in front of me next?"
The door opened, and Thales and Hille both disappeared outside the door.
There were salutes and greetings coming from outside the door.
And the noisy footsteps, large and small, coming and going.
But to Lausanne II, that didn't matter.
The bloodthirsty monster in his body that looked terrifying but was actually cowardly and always escaped at critical moments secretly emerged, thirsting for blood, but he ignored it one by one.
Lausanne II just stared blankly at the darkness above his head.
when……
It’s just sunrise?
There was a loud sound outside the dungeon door, including scolding and uproar, as well as the prince's scolding voice that was hard to ignore, and the eldest lady's unique and annoying sarcastic voice.
But that has nothing to do with him.
He was just locked in the darkness, focusing on...
Waiting for sunrise.
Waiting, I don’t know when, the light will no longer shine on him...
Blazing light.
Snapped.
The wooden door was opened again.
This time, a strange footsteps broke into his eardrums.
The steps are not heavy, but they are steady and powerful. It is obvious that he has practiced the lower body.
as well as……
Lausanne II's nose twitched.
It's a light perfume smell.
It's just right, not too rich or too gaudy, and even has an indescribable sense of freshness.
Relaxing.
who is it?
New guards?
The visitor slowly approached, and finally appeared in his field of vision through the dim candlelight.
It's a woman.
But the moment he saw the person clearly, Lausanne II's eyes trembled after he had been numb for a long time!
"Hey, even your hands are gone?"
The new woman covered her mouth and nose, turned away, and snorted sarcastically or in relief:
"I really didn't expect that with your ability, you would be so miserable."
Lausanne II's breathing stopped.
The boy was right.
He won't like this.
The killer stared blankly at the person in front of him, holding back countless complex and subtle emotions.
But maybe what the boy didn't know was that, in a way...
He is better than the girl Kevin Dill who has weird magic, can call back the dead, and create illusions...
Even more cruel.
Much more cruel.
"Hey."
The next second, Lausanne II spoke with difficulty and called out the name he had not heard for many years: