On Thursday morning, due to Detective Zreal's prior investigation at the ball being fully taken over by the Mandated Punishers, Ebner's work was considered 'complete'. However, the subsequent investigation fees could not be obtained.
Because of this, Detective Zreal had even personally come to the door last night to explain the situation. Unfortunately, Ebner and Xio had been reading in the East Borough house at the time and hadn't seen each other. In the end, the teacher had attended to them on their behalf.
Ebner also put aside the investigation of Walter commissioned by the unknown Mr. Massey. He only sent over the selection of information that Prince Totalim handed to him every Sunday to stall for time.
Thus, Ebner, who had nothing else to do, had a rare moment of leisure. He sat in his office drinking coffee and reading the newspaper.
As for meeting with "Witch" Lena? That was a deal with the Forsaken Land, and it didn't have much to do with him. He just needed to know the result.
"Crimson Ghost Tannick, a bandit with a bounty of 3,000 pounds, has been captured. His true identity is actually an Intis spy? Intis ambassador, Mr. Bakerland, denied this matter."
Ebner looked at the headlines of Backlund Morning Class and couldn't help but sink into thought. "I remember that Red Ghost Tanick was sent by the Church of the Eternal Blazing Sun to Loen. His identity is about the same as Teacher's… The Church of the Lord of Storms couldn't find the mastermind, so they first investigated the most suspicious members of the enemy church?"
Just as he thought of this, he saw Detective Isengard walk in. He couldn't help but jump in fright as he hurriedly asked, "Teacher, why are you back so early today?"
Detective Isengard had been leaving early and returning late recently. It was very tiring. At first glance, Ebner thought that he had also been discovered by the Church of Storms, so he had come back to pack his things and prepare to escape.
Detective Isengard noticed the odd expression on his student's face. With just a cursory glance at the newspaper on the table, he could roughly guess what Ebner was thinking. He couldn't help but laugh and scold him. "Your teacher isn't a fool like Tannick who only knows how to praise the Sun… Besides, I have deep connections in Backlund. Even if the Mandated Punishers discover me, the Church of Steam and the Church of Evernight will step forward to protect me."
"Teacher, I didn't mean that…" Ebner smiled awkwardly and tried to change the topic. "Why are you back so soon today?"
Detective Isengard's smile disappeared when he heard that. He sighed and said, "When I was helping Sivellaus Yard investigate the case, I heard Inspector Wayne's obituary from the West District Police Department… Today is his farewell ceremony. I came back to change my clothes before rushing to Green Cemetery for the funeral…"
"Inspector Wayne? I remember that he was invited to the public dance hall more than ten days ago… How could it be so sudden?" Ebner recalled for a moment and remembered the amiable old man he had met at the ball.
"I heard it's an old asthma relapse… He stayed in the hospital for a week without getting better… Sigh, Old Wayne is a pretty good person. He's kind and likes to help juniors… What a pity." Detective Isengard shook his head and sighed.
"After all, I've met this inspector before. Anyway, I don't have anything else to do today, so I'll bid farewell to him with you," Ebner said after thinking for a while. Although they didn't have much of a relationship, he couldn't let his teacher go alone on such an occasion.
"That's good too. Help me get a black tie," Detective Isengard instructed.
…
In a corner of Grimm Cemetery, many policemen in black suits and black ties gathered in front of a new tombstone. On it was a black-and-white photo of a benevolent old man.
Standing at the front of the grave was a lady in her thirties. Her eyes were unfocused, and she seemed to have no strength to lean on a gentleman beside her. They were Inspector Wayne's daughter and son-in-law.
Wayne's youngest son, Bruce, and the other subordinates of the police department carried the coffin over and placed it in the grave.
After the priest's eulogy and prayers, the soil began to be buried, and the black coffin was slowly covered.
Ebner and Detective Isengard stood at the back of the crowd, watching the scene with solemn expressions as they silently read the epitaph on the tombstone. But at that moment, a young man suddenly ran over from afar. He opened his mouth as if he was about to say something loudly.
However, he did not complete his actions. A few police officers who seemed to have been prepared in advance stood in front of the young man and pressed him to the ground.
Seeing this scene, Ebner frowned, but he did not interfere.
After the grave was filled up and the slate was covered, and the people attending the funeral gradually left, Ebner was about to go out and call for a rental carriage when the young man who had been pressed down finally broke free. He stumbled to the front and began to quarrel loudly with the priest and Wayne's family.
Detective Isengard frowned in displeasure and asked a familiar police officer, "Darcy, what happened? Do you need our help?"
When the police officer named Darcy saw that it was Detective Isengard who was asking, he hurriedly stopped in his tracks. After taking a few heavy breaths, he replied, "Detective Stanton, Detective Bryan, hello… There's no need for your help. That kid is from the West District Police Department. He previously claimed that Inspector Wayne's asthma was artificially caused, and he even advocated investigating the women of a royal family… But clearly, his words aren't as convincing as the doctor's."
"Do you have any evidence… of what he said?" As a detective, Isengard pursued the matter. From what he knew, if he hadn't determined his thoughts, the young police officer wouldn't have come to Old Wayne's funeral to cause a scene.
"If there's really evidence, would the sheriff and the others not investigate it? You have to know that most of the people in the police station have received Wayne's advice and help." Darcy looked around before whispering,
"Shoko clung to his ridiculous conclusion because he believed that after the accident on Duke Negan Avenue last week, a lady in a royal carriage passed by him and Wayne, and after that, both of them had different degrees of physical discomfort. The difference was that he soon got through, and Inspector Wayne went into the hospital.
"He suspected that the lady was spreading an unknown poison."
Last week… Duke Negan Avenue… Car accident… Isn't this what happened that day when I went to Doctor Leonardo's house to investigate? I remember that if I hadn't used Solomon Gold Coin to increase my luck and coincidentally boarded a rental carriage that had just passed by the scene of the accident, I'm afraid I would have been stuck in a traffic jam on Duke Negan Avenue… Then, would I have also suffered from a disease and knocked over that bottle of perfume?
At the thought of this, the image of an entire street's worth of people praising the Primordial Moon appeared in Ebner's mind. He couldn't help but shiver in the hot weather.
After Officer Darcy left, Detective Isengard pondered for a moment before asking his student, "Demoness of Afflictions?"
Although he was busy with work and didn't know what Ebner was busy with recently, he could guess that he was investigating the Demoness.
"Very likely… According to what I know, there was indeed a Demoness of Afflictions who successfully advanced around last Tuesday. If she hadn't been able to control the power of the potion back then, it would be perfectly normal for the Beyonder powers that overflowed to affect ordinary people," Ebner replied after some thought.
"I'll get the director of the West Borough Police Department to get the style of the royal badge that the young man named Shoko mentioned. I'll give it to you later." Detective Isengard drew a match, lit his pipe, and took a deep breath before saying.
"Thank you, Teacher." Ebner's eyes lit up when he heard this. This way, he would at least know which military person was working with Ray.
"I just don't want Old Wayne to die without knowing why…" Detective Isengard sighed and said solemnly, "I'll leave this matter to you."
"I'll do my best."
…
Shoko was only released after being escorted out of the cemetery by the police officers.
One of his colleagues, who was usually on better terms with him, hesitated for a moment before persuading him, "Shoko, I know that Inspector Wayne takes very good care of you. You can't accept his death… But after so many doctors' consultations, Wayne really died from a relapse of his old ailment, not those ridiculous reasons you made up."
"I'm not making anything up, that's the truth!" Shoko's eyes were red as he yelled.
The rest of the police officers sneered and said to their colleague, "Why are you telling him this? I think he's gone mad. He might not have recovered from the car accident and only became mentally ill."
Shoko glared at the officers and turned to leave. He was completely disappointed in the police station. He had to find out the truth himself.
However, after he calmed down, he realized that he had no idea where to start. He had no idea how to take the first step…
Shoko sat alone on a bench in the park by the side of the street, clutching his hair in distress. He was frustrated by his lack of learning and incompetence in the past, and he regretted his incompetence… Unknowingly, he, who was extremely exhausted, just sat there and slept. Then, he had a strange dream.
In his dream, there seemed to be an ordinary-looking old man who handed him something and repeated a few words…
A gentle breeze blew past, and Shoko jolted awake. He mumbled words over again.
Dakota Street. Number 14. Lena…
Shoko shook his neck and gave a self-deprecating smile. He wondered why he was still talking in his sleep after waking up. Could it be that his colleague was telling the truth?
However, just as he was about to stand up, he suddenly froze because there was something in his hand that did not belong to him.