Chapter 43
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Chapter 43: An Unexpected Discovery
The woman’s flirtatious tone and ostentatious attire instinctively repelled Shandela. In the presence of the lord, however, she suppressed her impatience and extended her hand to greet the newcomer. The priestess’s hand was unnervingly thin, the bones almost palpable beneath the skin, and chillingly cold to the touch.
This wasn’t her first encounter with a priest from the Divine Machine Church, but this one was certainly unlike any she had met before.
“Don’t be fooled by Ge Wei’s youthful appearance; she’s already recognised as a great master among the clergy,” Li Qiang said with a smile. “More importantly, she has an innate talent for manipulating arcane divine artifacts, which will undoubtedly aid you against the heretics. She’s recently arrived from the Old Continent and is not yet familiar with Glorious Fortress. Please take care of her in your daily duties.
Despite her reluctance, once the Lord made such a request, it would be considered disrespectful to refuse. Shandela could only agree, saying, “I will do my best, Lord.”
***
Back at the Distant Watchtower, Shandela closed her office door and looked sternly at the priestess of the Divine Machine Church, who was scanning her workspace with keen interest. “Let’s be clear this case falls under the jurisdiction of the City Guard, so you are to act only on my instructions. Understood?”
“Isn’t our relationship more of a partnership than a hierarchy?” Ge Wei removed the cross from her back; when it hit the wooden floor, it made a groaning sound, clearly indicating its considerable weight. “If you’re worried about me stealing credit from the City Guard, don’t be. My sole purpose is to eliminate the heretics.”
“Discipline and organization are essential to any operation; they ensure that we can maximize our collective strength!”
Pfft. Unable to suppress a laugh, Ge Wei chuckled.
“What’s so funny?” Shandela asked coldly.
“Nothing… I just wanted to ask, Your Excellency, have you ever directly confronted heretics before?”
“I graduated from the capital’s military academy and I have also seen fought alongside the arm…”
“In other words, you’ve never really faced heretics head on,” Ge Wei interrupted bluntly. “Apologies, but regardless of your outstanding achievements or commendable leadership skills, let me be frank: against true heretics, these hold little significance. When confronted with unimaginable terror, one’s mind break down much sooner than anticipated. Your so-called discipline and organization are about as srong as toilet paper.”
Shandela’s gaze turned icy, but Ge Wei remained unfazed, her face still bearing a faint smile as if completely oblivious to the insult she was heaping upon the entire City Guard.
Had it not been for the Count’s introduction, Shandela would have thrown her out of the office without hesitation.
“…Since you speak with such certainty, Priestess, I assume you must have considerable experience in dealing with heretics? Could you please enlighten me—what does it take to fight them?“
“Madness.”
“What?” Shandela doubted whether she had heard correctly.
The woman giggled. “Yes, madness! Only by being more unhinged than they are can you resist fear and hold on to that shred of willpower! Of course, if one really go mad, well, there’s not much we can do about it… ha ha ha ha…”
By the end, her laughter had escalated into an unrestrained cackle.
Can someone like that really be a priestess?
Shandela stared at Ge Wei is disbelief wondering if something had gone awry within the Divine Machine Church.
“My lady, these are…” Wudi entered the office carrying a pile of files and was momentarily taken aback when he saw Ge Wei.
“A priestess from the Divine Machine Church, here to help us with the investigation.” Shandela cleared her throat. “All right, your insights into dealing with heretics are appreciated. You may now stand by downstairs now. If you wish to know more about the details of the case, I can have my subordinates provide you with the relevant documents…”
“No need for that. Just identify or locate the heretics and inform me as soon as you have the information.” Ge Wei repositioned her cross over her shoulder and briskly walked out of the room.
“She’s a church priestess?” Wudi looked astonished.
“The Count introduced her himself—could there be any doubt?” Shandela, somewhat annoyed, returned to her desk and sat down. “Now, let’s hear the results of your investigation.”
“Yes, My Lady. I’ve checked all the people illegally detained at Wangshui Manor; most of them are slave laborers.” Wudi quickly spread the files out on the table. “Their backgrounds are quite simple. Chief Kui Qi… uh, the murderer Kui Qi probably chose them because they were easy to capture.”
Nepheids and slave laborers… both groups were indeed on the lowest rung of society in the Glorious Fortress. Even if they met an untimely death in the gutters, few would care.
It wasn’t that the Glorious Fortress openly endorsed slavery, but its restrictions weren’t as stringent as those on the old continent. The frontier required vast amounts of manual labor, yet not everyone was willing to venture into such dangerous and desolate areas. Consequently, authorities turned a blind eye towards the company’s practices.
After all, there were wealthy Nepheids residing within Glorious Fortress as well.
However, Shandela knew these practices couldn’t be openly discussed. She hadn’t anticipated that the head of the Northern City Police Department would go to such deranged lengths, directly engaging in brutal games right within the city.
“These slave laborers… aside from their status, do they share any other common traits?”
Wudi seemed puzzled. “Since they’re already slave laborers, why would additional commonalities matter?”
Sighing, Shandela acknowledged her discomfort with Divine Machine Church priests, yet she could sense an overwhelming assertiveness from them—a confidence forged through countless trials and tribulations. This assuredness stemmed from their innate ability to take initiative, a trait rarely observed in her own subordinates.
While her team was undoubtedly loyal, they often fell short in capability.
“Take a closer look; these individuals aren’t just the frail or infirm. They range in age from 15 to 30, with no physical disabilities—representing the prime workforce sought after by factories. If Kui Qi’s sole aim had been to satisfy his criminal desires, he wouldn’t have bothered imprisoning this specific group.”
Wudi suddenly understood, “You make a valid point…”
“We both know that heretics don’t appear without reason; they’re more like flies, only attracted to eggs with cracks.” Shandela gathered the Nepheids’ files together. “We cannot yet rule out the possibility that these slave laborers might have drawn the heretics here. Are they all currently at the medical camp?”
“Yes, I’ve arranged for strict supervision over them.”
“Hm, later, question them individually and separately,” she paused before adding, “Don’t use interrogation tactics. Remember, they are the victims of this case.”
After Wudi acknowledge her instructions, Shandela shifted her gaze to the remaining files. There were fewer individuals here, mostly mercenaries, detectives, and journalists, and beneath each person’s name was marked a vivid red stamp: “Deceased.”
“Their information was retrieved from Kui Qi’s bedroom during the search, but there might be omissions,” Wudi explained proactively. “We compared it with previous serial murder cases, and we can now largely confirm that they were among those targeted for execution. However, due to the theater fire, many bodies were severely charred beyond recognition, making it impossible to determine which batch of victims they belonged to. Additionally…”
Wudi hesitated briefly.
“Go ahead, speak your mind.”
“The families of the Northern City Police officers have been causing quite a stir lately. They refuse to believe their loved ones could commit such heinous acts and demand someone be held accountable for their deaths,” Wudi lowered his voice, “If we insist on labeling these officers as Kui Qi’s accomplices, we might face significant public backlash.”
This pressure would undoubtedly hinder the City Guard’s efforts to assume control over police functions.
After a moment of silence, Shandela responded, “I understand. When drafting the case closure report, I’ll consider our wording carefully.”
Wudi visibly sighed with relief.
For some reason, she felt an heavier weight on her heart.
Amidst this somber atmosphere, Shandela suddenly noticed a partially hidden name amidst the stacks of papers: Kurt Dunn.
She seemed to recall hearing that name before…
Shandela extracted his file, pondered for a moment, and quickly recalled where she had encountered it.
Yes… three weeks ago, someone had approached her on the street, desperately pleading for help. At the time, she dismissed it as a misguided cry for assistance and paid no heed.
The name she had been shouting was indeed Kurt Dunn.
