The strong young man opened his eyes in a daze, his memory still a little confused.
"Well, here is..."
"Lloyd, he seems to be awake."
Valudovarez looked in the direction of the young-sounding girl's voice and saw a trio of people he didn't recognize.
He gritted his teeth and stood up, seeing his subordinates and attackers tied into a string with hemp ropes.
"We are the Special Agent Support Section of the Crossbell Police Department. I am Investigator Lloyd Bannings. You lost a lot of blood after being shot just now. Are you okay now?"
After showing his ID investigation manual, Lloyd asked with some concern.
"Been shot? Me!? Haha, are you kidding? I'm not standing here properly..."
Noticing the holes on his chest and the obviously newly healed scars, his face darkened.
"Hey, can you explain to me what's going on?"
Although Lloyd wanted to give a positive response, he had no intention of just passing by and fooling people.
"It's a pity that I didn't understand the situation when I arrived."
He pointed at the people wearing colorful clothes.
"The people wearing red and black clothes like you must be members of the Sword Snake Gang, right? There are a total of thirteen people here. They are just sleeping under the guidance magic and are not serious. On the other side, those wearing colorful clothes
There are nearly eighty people in total, do you know them?"
"Why should I know these guys?"
Although his attitude was not very good, Varudo still walked over and looked at their faces one by one.
"Most of them look familiar. Oh, I have a slight impression. Isn't this the leader of the small gang that I killed before? Well, so does this one, and so does this one over there. Haha, this is really a meeting of enemies. We come together to seek revenge.
They want to defeat me with their numerical superiority. They have a good idea."
Varudo began to tell the story of how he had gradually emerged as the leader of the Sword Snake Gang in the old city over the past few years. To put it simply, it was to fight and conquer all those who dissatisfied.
Tio, who was behind Lloyd, quietly walked up to Ellie and whispered, "Such a reckless person is actually the gang boss in the old city? How did he survive until now and hasn't been killed yet."
"Probably because he is lucky." Ellie replied, "Let's not interfere. Let's teach Lloyd how to deal with it before Randy comes back."
On the other side, Lloyd also used Varudo's words.
"Because I was taught a lesson by Mr. Varudo before, I felt unhappy and came in groups to make trouble. Mr. Varudo, you think so, right?"
"What, what's the problem?"
Lloyd pointed to the rip in the chest of his clothes.
"The city of Crossbell has a gun control ordinance, and I don't think the average gang member can get a gun permit."
After listening to Lloyd's reasoning, Varudo slapped his thigh and laughed.
"Hahaha, I thought you were going to talk eloquently. Hey, brother, have you mistaken what kind of place this is? This is the lawless old city! It's just buying a guided gun, what a big deal. But here is
There is a store opened by the largest arms dealer in Crossbell. As long as you have Mira, nothing is impossible."
"Then you are mistaken. Even the boss lady will not easily sell arms to laymen like you."
Just as Varudo was laughing wildly, another man's voice interrupted him.
Led by Lloyd, including Ellie and Tio, they all breathed a sigh of relief when they heard the coming voice.
"Randy! Hey, the person you are carrying is..."
Noticing that Randolph was carrying a woman on his back, Lloyd cast a suspicious look.
"The trouble I picked up on the road. Although it probably has nothing to do with your matter, I still have to take it back to the station together. Oh, by the way, the section chief and the police officers from the Search Section 1 all drove here.
We probably have nothing to do here."
As soon as Randolph finished speaking, the harsh noise of tires on the ground rubbing against the granite slabs reached everyone's ears.
In addition to Sergei, the boss of the Support Section, several senior investigators from the First Investigation Section also rushed into the small theater Will-o'-the-Wisp.
"Have you got the situation under control? Investigator Bennings, you have done a good job. Let us leave the subsequent questioning to our search lesson." A dark green-haired police officer in a suit and tie took the lead and came to Lloyd and Watt.
Between Ludo.
"Hey, wait a minute, Mr. Dudley! We haven't found any clues yet."
"No, Lloyd, listen to him. Our Special Agent Support Section is closing down the team."
"Professor!"
Both Lloyd and Ellie beside him cast puzzled glances at Sergey.
"This is my judgment, Randolph aside, this matter is beyond your capabilities."
Seeing the policemen chatting away, Varudo couldn't hold himself any longer.
"You guys, don't ignore me. My people were beaten. This is my business and has nothing to do with you police."
Varudo angrily wanted to push Dudley away with his wave, but his wrist was held halfway by the senior investigator. After a side pressure, half of Varudo's body was rolled up and flipped to the ground.
"Young people have good strength and drive. There is no future as a gangster. Why don't you try going to the police academy?"
"roll!"
Standing up and rubbing his shoulders, Varudo looked at Dudley with fear.
"Wow, you're not mediocre." Randolph whistled when he saw this scene.
"The people here are all the ace commissioners of the First Investigation Division. They have always been responsible for the aftermath of matters involving external forces. Okay, let's go. Let's first send the Republic agent that Randolph secured to the police.
Go to the bureau."
After Sergei finished speaking, he turned around and prepared to leave.
Ellie's pupils shrank when she heard a certain keyword. "Professor, you said she is..."
"I see... No wonder Xiong has such an attitude." Randolph also reacted, "But then again, why do you know her identity, Section Chief?"
"The Republic traveler who disappeared in the central square last week. I have seen her information, so I recognized her face when I saw it. As for why I concluded that she is an agent... you will know it after you see her enough."
Sergey said casually.
"What kind of reason is this? I just use experience to vaguely go over it, and it always seems very perfunctory. Isn't there a more reliable way to judge?"
"Sorry, that's the situation. In fact, since she was subdued by you, you have some guesses, right? It's just that you don't know which side this person belongs to."
"Well..." Randolph was choked by the rhetorical question. It is indeed unrealistic to say that there is no suspicion.
The conversation between the two lasted only for a while. After getting in the car, the group immediately ran to the police station.
In Sergey's car, Lloyd, Ellie, and Tio were each thinking, and among them, Lloyd slowly came back to his senses.
"Wait a minute, section chief. The person who called the police! Who is the person who called the police!?"
"Huh? You noticed it."
Sergei blew out a smoke ring.
"Of course, I originally thought that this incident was caused by new residents who were unfamiliar with the old city because they rarely saw fights, so they called the police. But to change my mind, what if that person was warning us about the large-scale chaos that occurred behind us?
The fighting incident...well..."
"No way, Lloyd, are you thinking too much?" Ellie was a little stunned after hearing Lloyd's guess.
What came next was the boss's words.
"No, Ellie, being suspicious of anyone is the basis of being an investigator. Criminals are always more cunning than you think, so an experienced investigator can more or less simulate the criminal's inner thoughts."
After listening to Sergey's words, Tio took out the crime index measuring device on a whim and measured it for everyone. After discovering that except for herself and Ellie, the data of the other three men were very explosive, Tio
Silently, he stuffed this unreliable instrument back into his pocket.
"So, Section Chief, who is the person you just mentioned..." Lloyd interjected and asked.
"I don't know. The person who called the police called the police anonymously. Although I don't know how he used the coin-operated communication equipment on the roadside to call the emergency line of the police station. Even the sound signature was 'no such person found', probably
What trick was used to change the voice... Until more clues are presented, we will not know whether the other party has good intentions or malicious intentions."
"Can you even do something like change your voice?"
"But don't be too hasty, you are just newbies who have just been police officers for less than a week. Be open-minded and don't take everything on you. As Dudley said, there were no casualties in this incident.
You have done a great job.”
After hearing Sergei's comfort, Lloyd, Ellie, and Tio all nodded. Only Randolph, who was sitting in the passenger seat, looked out the window. He might have some other ideas, but Sergey had no plans.
to interfere with him.
After arriving at the police station and handing over the suspicious woman, the group returned to the Secret Service Support Section building.
Before organizing the report, the five people gathered in Sergei's room.
"But...is it really okay for it to end in such an anticlimactic way?"
"It seems that you are very unwilling, Lloyd."
"Chief Sergey! I also want to know what happened!" Ellie also said.
Tio also nodded.
"Well, it's not that I can't understand your feelings. So, let's just stop here or continue the investigation. It's all up to you to judge for yourself. I have nothing to tell you about the inside story of this incident.
, you have to investigate everything yourself."
"Hey, Chief, are you serious?" Randolph, who had been silent just now, blurted out.
"If I order you to stop, it will probably dampen your enthusiasm. Compared with other urban areas, there is a reason why the security in the old city is extremely lax. As long as that reason is involved, the situation will become very troublesome. It has always been
For similar incidents, there is a search department responsible for the aftermath. If I were to make the most appropriate judgment from the standpoint of my superiors, I would definitely tell you to leave it alone. You can tell by your expressions that you won’t accept it, right?
?”
"...Of course not." Lloyd said firmly.
"Hey, if you give up at this time, you will definitely not be willing to give up if you think about it in the future." Randolph patted Lloyd on the shoulder, showing that he would stand by his side.
Tio did not decide immediately, but asked Sergei an additional question.
"He's in charge of the Search Section 1...Does that mean 'he' was often in charge of this kind of thing before?"
Sergey, who understood what she was going to ask, nodded. The last person left was Ellie.
"I kind of understand. If it's because of the confrontation between the two sides...it seems that I am right to come here. This is the best social practice for me. It is a completely different experience from the other side of the battle line."
The first half of her murmur was so quiet that no one heard it except Tio, who had a keen perception, but she quickly expressed her determination to pursue this matter in a louder voice.
"Well, but if you, inexperienced newcomers, are allowed to act recklessly and end up seriously injured or even losing their lives, I will probably not be able to sleep well. So I want to at least introduce you to a reliable guide.
Bar."
"Guide?"
Lloyd took a business card from Sergey.
"Grimwood Law Firm? Hey, I seem to have heard this name somewhere."
"That's a law firm located on West Street. There is a bearded lawyer named Ian."
After hearing Sergei's words, Lloyd's memories were quickly aroused.
"Ah! I remembered, that office is located behind the bakery, right? Speaking of which, when I lived in Bellheim on West Street, I also said hello to him."
And Ellie nodded.
"I've heard of him too. Lawyer Ian seems to be a lawyer who provides legal advice to companies, traders and other groups, right? I've also heard that he often provides legal aid to ordinary citizens."
"Well...he also takes this incident very seriously. After all, he also...well, in short, I mentioned to him about the Secret Service Support Section when I went to see him before today. As long as you tell him your identity
It shows that he should at least listen to what you have to say, so you should take this opportunity to say hello to him."
"Understood, without further ado, everyone, let's set off immediately."
Captain Lloyd gave the order, and the group immediately hurried to West Street before it got dark.
"Speaking of which, Lloyd was also born and raised on West Street?" Tio asked.
"Well, Oscar from the bakery is a good friend who I grew up with. Aunt Reti and her family from Belheim have also taken good care of me since the beginning. When I greeted them before, they greeted me warmly. However,
Forget it for today, let’s set off quickly.”
Tio originally wanted to visit the place where that person was born and grew up, but since Lloyd had no intention of going back to see it, she did not continue to insist on this topic.
Their destination was located in the northern part of the West Block, relatively close to the residential street. It was a two-story single-family building.
"Grimwood Law Firm, it seems, is here." Ellie, who is most familiar with this generation, stopped.
It was supposed to be Lloyd who would lead the way, but in fact, Lloyd hadn't returned to Crosby for three years. Crossbell had changed a lot, and he, a "local", really didn't necessarily know the way.
"I have met that lawyer several times before, but I didn't expect him to be such an amazing person."
When I walked to the door, I found that the door of the law office was half open, and the voices of a gentle man and a middle-aged and elderly man with a deep voice came from inside.
"...Then, lawyer, I'll ask you to take good care of me from now on."
"Well, you too, Mr. Harold. It's important to work hard, but don't forget to spend more time with your family."
"Yes, remember your teachings. Then I will take my leave today."
A purple-haired man carrying a briefcase came out. He was startled when he saw the four-person support team standing at the door.
"Mr. Hivas?" Ellie called out the man's name at once.
"It's Miss Ellie. Do you need a lawyer? Come in quickly, I won't nag you here."
The purple-haired man said hello politely and left.
Watching his hurried away figure, Lloyd asked curiously.
"Is this Ellie someone you know?"
"Well, Mr. Hivas is a trader, mainly engaged in the purchase and sale of agricultural products. Because his home is very close to my home, we sometimes meet on the road. But it's just a nod to the extent of knowing each other. But speaking of... he
My wife, Ms. Sophia, does have dazzling red hair. This kind of hair color is quite rare in Crossbell. Maybe you are related to Randy?"
Among the several subcategories of silver hair, pearl gray and pale gold are both rare hair colors in Sisemlia. Basically, people with the same hair color as Ellie are somewhat related by blood.
Well, for example, the neighboring army general Alleria Le Guin, whom she met once in Ordis, the sea capital, was Ellie's distant cousin, so she made the connection from this.
"Hey, hey, don't get involved with me. Just because they are rare doesn't mean they don't exist. I saw one in the old city today."
"Ahem. Sorry, sorry." Ellie coughed lightly to demonstrate her embarrassment.
Lloyd and others didn't pay attention to the little incident here, and they opened the door and entered the law office.
"Oh, did you forget something?"
A rich male voice came from the top of the stairs, and a man with a beard came down the stairs.
"Ah, how rude. Welcome to Grimwood Law Firm. Do you have any questions?"
The bearded lawyer walked up to the four people in the support section and continued to introduce, "You all look very young. Do you have any problems with loans? Or are you ready to find partners to start a business together? No matter what, please feel free to ask
Let me consult."
"Ah, no, that..." Lloyd waved his hand.
"Oh, if you look carefully, it seems... I've seen you somewhere before. You should be a child who lives near here, right?"
"Well, haha, you actually remember me. Well, about four years ago, I lived in an apartment near here. Let me introduce myself formally. My name is Lloyd Bannings."
"Oh, that's it. No wonder I feel familiar... hmm...? Bannings...!?"
Hearing the change in his tone, everyone looked at him curiously, "Well, you are the people Sergei mentioned. It seems that there is something serious to talk about. Let's sit down and talk."
After sitting down on the sofa, Lawyer Ian made everyone a cup of green tea.
"Speaking of which, I also saw an article about you in the latest issue of Crossbell Times. As soon as you took office, you became active. I heard that the parents of the rescued children spoke highly of you.
Woolen cloth."
"Haha, it's our duty, this is what we should do." Lloyd said modestly.
"But speaking of it, Guy's brother has also become a policeman. I feel like this may be Lady Edes's arrangement."
"Um, lawyer, who are you and Brother Guy?"
"Oh, just like you now, he occasionally comes over to exchange information with me. But he is a very good investigator, and I am more helped by him."
"Wait a minute, Lloyd, do you still have a brother who is a prosecutor?" Ellie asked immediately after hearing about this for the first time.
"What? You're really out of touch. You didn't tell us earlier." Randolph also cooperated.
"……………………" Tio was shocked and remained silent. However, because she was always reticent, no one noticed anything different about her.
"I'm sorry, I just never thought of saying it. And... he passed away four years ago."
"Why?"
"He died on the job."
"...Ah...I'm sorry for bringing up your sadness."
"No, it's okay, it's okay. I've gotten over my sadness a long time ago. Ellie, you don't have to apologize." Lloyd quickly indicated that he had no problem.
Lawyer Zai An also closed his eyes and observed three seconds of silence.
"...I deeply regret what happened to Guy. I personally have also investigated that matter, but unfortunately, no clues were found."
"Is this like this... No, let's not talk about eldest brother for now. After all, lawyer, we came to you today because we have something to ask."
Lloyd told lawyer Ian all the superficial information about the fight in the old city.
"I understand the general situation, but it's a bit strange. It would be a little too inexplicable to say that this incident was done by someone there."
"Lawyer, please stop playing riddles and tell us what you know." Randolph said.
Ian nodded, then stood up, locked the door, and then returned to the sofa to continue.
"Perhaps you have heard that there are several unexplained car accidents, gas explosions, and fires in Crossbell every year. Because both parties exercise restraint and the scale is small, they can be easily covered up."
"Lawyer Ian, do you mean that those were not accidents?" Lloyd immediately grasped the key point, "But in that case, why didn't you pay attention to it? No, wait... Could it be that the person responsible for the aftermath is the Search Section?"
"As you can imagine, tracing back to the origin, intelligence personnel from both the Empire and the Republic regarded Crossbell as a place of war. Even though peace was maintained on the surface, the secret war under the surface never stopped.
.In this regard, it is indeed a big thank you to you.”
Accidents happen frequently, who is to blame? They are all incompetent police officers! The police officers are useless! The government does nothing!
"The scale is very small..." Ellie was a little concerned about a certain word.
"The number of people who are involved in secret wars and die every year is probably less than ten. And this casualty limit is an unspoken rule set long ago. On the one hand, the intelligence personnel of both sides use Crossbell as a mainland information relay
The station collects political, economic and military intelligence from various countries, and on the one hand, it is to eliminate the other party's spies. Therefore, they will not target the Crossbell people. Being involved in the accident can only be said to be bad luck."
"No! For anyone, this kind of thing itself is...ah!" Ellie noticed the family photo on lawyer Ian's desk and quickly fell silent.
"But Lawyer Ian, you said the situation is different this time, right?" Lloyd didn't dwell on the issue of numbers, he was focused on other aspects.
"Well, the reason why it is called a secret war cannot be brought to the surface. Both sides are competing secretly. Maybe this is just a test, but I can't see clearly what will happen in the future. That's all I can say. Lord Roy,
Miss Ellie, Miss Tio and Mr. Randolph, if you have any new information, you are welcome to come to my office again, and I will also collect some information in this regard."
"understood."
After Lloyd stood up and thanked him, he left the law firm. Others followed closely behind.
After everyone left, Lawyer Ian gently touched the photos on the table, and the smile gradually disappeared from his face.