Chapter 771
Middle-aged Inspector Promoted Three Ranks
Leipzig, the City of Knowledge, Star Antimony Kingdom.
In the early morning, people discovered sausages conspicuously hanging in the municipal square. They were all wearing the most solemn uniforms from their lives. Their skin, shriveled and hardened from being drained of blood, revealed a lifeless blue-black hue.
They weren’t tied and hung on utility poles or streetlights in the municipal square… but with their necks stretched, they were suspended from a recently constructed and still rather fresh gallows, just like a batch of criminals who had just been hanged. Their hands were nailed to a wooden board in front of them, with the words “Thief,” “Liar,” and “Deceiver” written in dried blood.
Many of them were not familiar to the residents of Leipzig. Some wore morning dress, some evening dress, and some wore ancient aristocratic attire from the Imperial era… In conclusion, they seemed to be important figures, but people were not particularly familiar with them.
— Yet, there was one person whom all the people of Leipzig recognized.
That was Inspector Frank Schumacher, the chief of the Leipzig Municipal Police Department. He was also hanged in the municipal square, wearing his First Class Inspector uniform, complete with epaulets and several medals for honor on his chest. The wooden board nailed to his hand read “Traitor.”
Someone reported it to the police immediately.
However, by noon, police cars from the Municipal Police Department had not yet arrived at the scene to remove these bodies. Some people went directly to the Municipal Police Department to report the incident. But from a distance, they could see the large and solemn “Cordon” set up and conspicuously parked at the entrance—while a large number of municipal police officers, all in black uniforms, surrounded the entire Municipal Police Department.
At first, some people anxiously and urgently tried to explain what had happened. However, the municipal police officers maintaining the cordon outside had no desire to listen to them. No matter what people said, they only emphasized that they were on important duty, could not leave, and would not allow them to enter the police station.
Gradually… people began to realize something, albeit belatedly.
Although it was not yet clear what had happened, the premonition that something major was occurring grew stronger. Just as a homeroom teacher monitors a rowdy classroom from the back door, and at a certain point the classroom becomes inexplicably silent—the bustling crowd on the street also, at a certain moment, suddenly became sparse.
Some chose to flee to their homes and hide, while others attempted to leave Leipzig with their families. But no matter what choice they made, one thing was certain… the Municipal Police Department was no longer safe. The entire street fell silent in an instant, with only those who received the news more slowly appearing hesitant, arriving and departing sporadically.
At this moment, a red sports car with a streamlined body hummed and sped from afar. The municipal police officers who had been rigidly guarding the entrance, almost like dolls, and responding with little to no reaction to any questions, suddenly jolted and immediately reacted. Before the car even arrived, a small commotion erupted, and some people subconsciously raised their guns. But then the clamor was silenced, and silence fell again.
“—What?”
The passenger window of the car rolled down, and Prince Xiardo’s indifferent voice sounded from inside, “What are you trying to do? Aim a gun at me?”
The Prince’s words immediately stirred up chaos. The shouting and noise abruptly grew louder, and after a full ten seconds, a middle-aged man in an inspector’s uniform, with a large belly and a stiff smile, ran over wiping sweat from his forehead, “Your Highness… We harbor no ill intentions. It’s just that we have a slight matter today, and the brothers are a bit too vigilant…
“Oh?”
Xiardo, sitting in the passenger seat, raised an eyebrow and stated matter-of-factly, “I understand. You’re being vigilant towards me.”
“How could that be, Your Highness? Someone sent us… sent us a threatening letter! There might be explosives in the Inspection Bureau—” The middle-aged man was initially trying to come up with a reason, but suddenly a good excuse came to mind. Immediately, his speech became fluent, “Someone said they sent us some things that could blow up the police station! There are Alchemists from the Royal Alchemical Association inside disarming them, and the brothers, not wanting to cause trouble, have temporarily evacuated…”
“That’s so dangerous.” Xiardo glanced at him and said indifferently, “Then I shall take my leave.”
“Ah—” The middle-aged man jolted and his voice suddenly grew louder, “Your Highness! I mean… Your Highness, why don’t you go inside and take a look? Leipzig has never experienced a disaster of this scale. If you could go inside for a walk, at His Majesty’s side… it would also earn you some good reputation! I mean, His Majesty would reward you…”
He became somewhat incoherent, repeatedly taking out a handkerchief from his jacket pocket to wipe his sweat, clearly under immense psychological pressure—he knew Xiardo’s identity and what he was doing. This made his fingers tremble.
Xiardo then countered, “Where is Inspector Vena?”
“He’s inside disarming the explosives!”
“Can you call him out?”
“Uh… but the brothers don’t really want to go in…”
“You expect me to enter a place you dare not go?” Xiardo suddenly chuckled, his eyes filled with complex disappointment. The middle-aged man did not understand why he was laughing, and could only stand by the car window, wiping his sweat and offering a sycophantic smile.
“You want me to go in that badly?” Xiardo said leisurely, as if his tone had softened slightly. The middle-aged man dared not admit it, and could only reply awkwardly, “I just thought His Majesty might be pleased… Of course, your understanding of His Majesty is certainly deeper than mine! If you feel otherwise, then just consider it my idle talk…”
“—In other words, you are in charge here now?” An elegant and ethereal female voice suddenly came from the back seat, startling the middle-aged man. As the car window slowly rolled down, he tensed his face and cautiously looked at the back seat, his left hand involuntarily reaching for the pistol at his waist.
Before he could clearly see the person’s face, a fragrant breeze wafted out. It smelled like freshly peeled lychee and warm rose wine, mixed with a faint scent of rosin. Immediately, the middle-aged man, whose nerves had been taut, saw a beauty that was almost enchanting—and a pair of dark red pupils that still shone brightly in the dim back seat of the car.
She appeared to be in her early twenties, and the low-cut dress of black and dark red seemed as if she were attending a banquet. In an instant, he relaxed. That sweet aroma permeated his brain, causing his intelligence to rapidly decline. At this moment, his eyes were solely focused on this beautiful young woman, and he would spare no effort to please her.
“So you’ve succeeded!” He praised the female Child of the Moon as much as possible, even exposing the secret he had intended to hide, “You must have captivated Prince Xiardo with your charm!”
“Where is Count Leipzig?” The other party asked.
That voice was deeply imprinted on the middle-aged inspector’s mind like a brand. His brain involuntarily began to search for information for her, and his body moved before his reason could catch up—At this moment, his pupils emitted a dark red glow, a trace resonating with the Path of Love. And within that glow, like red wine, a pink radiance slithered and coiled like a snake. Finally, two pink rings formed a closed loop at the very center of his pupils, appearing like the reflection of a camera flash in his eyes.
The middle-aged inspector immediately and subserviently said, “Count Leipzig should currently be at the Count’s Mansion, but he will be heading to the police station shortly!”
“—Ask him what benefits he received,” Prince Xiardo turned his head and said in a low voice. That voice, which had previously inspired immense awe in the middle-aged inspector, making his teeth ache and his fingertips tremble at the mere thought of deceiving him. But now, hearing the Prince whispering to this lady, he felt a sudden, inexplicable killing intent and irritation—as if he wanted to kill the Prince right here!
“Still not giving up? Very well.” The lady chuckled lightly, turned to look at the middle-aged inspector, and said casually, “What benefits have you received?”
“Count Leipzig promised me that I would be promoted three ranks, to Second Class Superintendent!” the middle-aged inspector said with immense pride. “I will also own my own property in the heart of Leipzig!”
“You sound very strong?”
“I am a Fourth Tier Blood Lord, fully prepared to transform into a Child of the Moon!” the middle-aged inspector immediately stated. Blood Lord—that was one of the advancement paths for the Blood Mage profession, and could also be considered a “half-Child of the Moon.” This was one of the rare Extraordinary Professions that could be fully inherited and retained after transforming into a Child of the Moon; Hong Xiang herself was of this profession.
“Is that all?” The lady asked with great interest, “No Gold Coins, titles, or such?”
The middle-aged inspector scoffed, “Such things are meaningless—If Count Leipzig wanted Gold Coins, he could have as many as he wished. Titles are also meaningless… In the future, the entire Star Antimony will be reshaped into something completely different from what it is now!”
(End of Chapter)
