Ignoring the questioning gazes from his subordinates, Swart once again stepped out of the interrogation room and returned to the previous room.
"My lord, do you have any instructions?"
Swart asked with utmost respect.
"Ask about the 'ritual'.
The man holding the pocket watch ordered.
"Understood, my lord."
Swart nodded and turned back toward the interrogation room.
This time, his gaze toward Goethe softened, and his tone was so gentle that it seemed as if he was afraid of startling him.
"Goethe, you just mentioned a 'ritual'?"
"Yes."
Goethe, already anticipating this development, nodded without hesitation.
"What kind of ritual?"
Remembering the orders from the person next door, Swart pressed for details.
"I don't remember too clearly. I just recall that the markings on the ground were red and emitted a glow. Then, some disgusting maggots appeared… Also, they must have a vast network. Aside from 'Ander' and this 'Soko,' there are definitely more of them."
Goethe recounted truthfully.
The ritual had been far too complex to remember in detail.
All of this was meant for the person next door to hear, including his speculations.
"Ander?"
Swart picked up on the name.
"Ander was the lead I found!"
"After my family suffered misfortune one after another, after I was suddenly saddled with massive debts, after everyone avoided me like the plague, a friend I knew from the 'Garden Club' approached me, claiming to have a way to help. That's when I started paying close attention."
The moment Goethe mentioned the 'Garden Club,' both Swart and the middle-aged officer revealed an expression of understanding.
Meanwhile, the two younger officers looked on with envy and longing.
The 'Garden Club' on Durian Street was a well-known establishment in Lustre, a place with quite the reputation. After all, what man wouldn't enjoy a place filled with young, beautiful women especially when those women, upon seeing the gleam of coins in your pocket, would become as passionate as fire, even donning bunny ears, cat ears, tails, and stockings in black, white, or sheer.
"Then why did you kill him?"
"He was the lead you worked so hard to find, wasn't he?"
Swart coughed lightly, quickly suppressing any stray thoughts, and continued his questioning based on Goethe's account.
He wasn't sure exactly how much the big shot next door wanted to know, so he could only probe as thoroughly as possible.
"Yes."
"But he tried to kill me first, so I had no choice but to fight back."
"Besides, isn't there a new lead now?"
Goethe countered.
Swart froze for a moment before recalling the anonymous letter he had just received.
Immediately, his gaze toward Goethe turned to one of irritation.
"You're trying to use us to deal with the people hunting you down?"
He accused angrily.
That's right, those after Goethe's life.
Swart never even considered that he needed to do anything about them.
His salary wasn't nearly high enough to risk his life over this.
Goethe shook his head.
"No!"
"It's not using you."
"It's cooperation!"
Of course, in reality, it was exactly that, using them. But Goethe would never admit it.
He only acknowledged 'cooperation.'
After a brief pause, Goethe looked at the furious Swart and said with complete seriousness,
"Look, they haven't figured out the full situation yet. That's why they're using these petty tricks to probe what's going on here. If we respond in time, we can catch them off guard just like the ambush they've likely set up on Guta Street!"
Guta Street, where Goethe's home was located.
Upon hearing Goethe's words, Swart immediately refused without even thinking.
"I'm not going to—"
Thud!
Before he could finish his sentence, a knocking sound echoed from the wall again.
Ignoring Goethe, Swart turned and stormed out of the room, hurrying next door.
As soon as he entered, the man inside spoke without looking up.
"Agree to his request."
After delivering the command, he lowered his head again, continuing to stare at his pocket watch.
"Yes, sir."
Even though he was utterly unwilling, Swart had no choice but to obey.
However, he didn't leave right away.
Instead, he stood at the doorway, staring at the man, hoping he would change his mind.
Because Swart knew all too well if this man got involved, things would become dangerous.
That was...
Deadly!
Unfortunately, the man had no intention of changing his mind.
"I'll provide support."
The man said calmly.
Hearing this promise, the sheriff did not feel relieved. He wanted to say more, but when he noticed the impatience on the man's face, he wisely turned around and left, returning to the interrogation room.
He didn't want to offend this man.
More importantly, he couldn't afford to.
Compared to the mortal danger ahead, offending this man would be a fate worse than death!
Fuming with frustration, Swart stormed back into the interrogation room. Ignoring the questioning gazes of his subordinates, he glared at Goethe with an expression of pure resentment.
Swart was no fool, he knew that the young man before him had played him from the start.
Goethe had always intended to go to Guta Street.
But what could he do about it?
He had no choice.
"Fine. I accept your cooperation."
"But everything will be under my command."
Though he had agreed, the sheriff still wanted to maintain as much control as possible.
"Alright."
Goethe, having achieved his goal, had no objections.
Twenty minutes later, Doerr, a part-time doctor and occasional forensic examiner, rushed back to the police station.
"I'm a part-time doctor, not a personal physician!"
"If someone's injured, they should go to a hospital!"
"And how did Soko get careless enough to be injured by a detained criminal?"
"Did he not have the slightest sense of caution?"
Hode started complaining as soon as he reached the police station entrance.
Everyone knew that while this forensic examiner was a decent man, he had a rather loud mouth.
"It was an accident."
"No one expected that guy to suddenly fight back."
A patrol officer, who was waiting at the entrance and unaware of the full story, shrugged helplessly.
Getting injured was nothing unusual for patrol officers, but being attacked by a detained criminal inside the station? That was extremely rare.
Doerr and the patrol officer walked into the station.
Meanwhile, in the alley across from the police station, a hidden observer had been watching and listening to everything.
Without hesitation, they turned and quickly disappeared into the night.
Ten minutes later, a carriage pulled away from the station.
The middle-aged patrol officer was driving, while inside the carriage sat Sheriff Swart, Goethe, and the two patrol officers from earlier.
Just like when Goethe was first brought in, he sat between the two patrol officers, shackled in handcuffs. Swart sat across from him, this was the standard protocol in Lustre for transporting high-profile detainees.
But this time, there was a difference.
Goethe had a key to his handcuffs in his jacket pocket.
To be cautious, they had not yet returned his wallet or dagger.
"You'd better pray that nothing goes wrong," Swart grumbled, still seething. "Otherwise..."
His words carried an unmistakable threat.
Goethe merely smiled in response.
Though his gaze rested on Swart, his focus was already elsewhere—on their destination.
Guta Street.
His "home."
What would be waiting for him there?
Lustre at night was even quieter than expected.
Once they left the main streets, the middle-aged patrol officer lit a lantern.
By the glow of the lantern, the carriage sped along toward Guta Street, where the Wayne family resided.
The journey was smooth until they reached the entrance of Guta Street.
There, a thin fog suddenly began to rise.