Mystery: Mr. Witch and Ms. Hunter

Chapter 69 East District
"So, these are the possible locations of the craftsman you investigated?"

Vinata looked at the map and praised it.

"To be honest, being a private investigator is more suitable for you than being a bodyguard."

"If someone else said this to me, I would think he was praising my strong logical reasoning ability; but when this came out of your mouth, I would just think you were mocking me for being a disqualified bodyguard."

Altaïr complained half-heartedly.

"If you think it is, then it is."

Venata rolled her eyes at him. "By the way, the letter said that the reporter who will be taking me is Mike Joseph, who is responsible for news in the East District. Have you, a native of Loen, heard of him?"

"I've heard of him. He seemed to have been in the spotlight for a while in the industry because of his coverage of the Backlund serial murders and the subsequent treatment of Backlund workers."

Altaïr thought about it briefly. "That guy used to be a pretty good reporter."

"Oh, it sounds like he's a decent guy..." Venata was about to say something, but suddenly noticed that Altaïr used the past tense. "Wait, what do you mean by 'before'?"

"Literally." Altaïr slumped back in his high-backed cloth chair. "He used to be an excellent journalist, but not anymore... However, since he started from a higher level, his professional ability and work ethic are still higher than his colleagues."

"How is this going?"

Vinata was a little confused.

"What else could it be?" Altaïr laughed sarcastically. "Those reports brought him fame and fortune, and he became a celebrity in the Herald. Some people who still yearn for a better life also regard him as a spiritual leader. So why would he take such a huge risk to touch the cake of those rich people?"

"He originally had a regular partner, Sherlock Moriarty, the legendary detective from Backlund who solved serial murders. But that gentleman also disappeared, which seemed to make this guy further realize the nature of society."

"It seems this guy has approached me for cooperation several times before, but his cooperation with Sherlock seems to have allowed him to get to know the East District better...what's that word in sociology, 'human environment'?" Artair took a sip from the cup in his hand and continued.

"He asked me to take him to relatively orderly places in the East District. People living there are so miserable that they have trouble breathing because of this damn world. What threat do they pose to this guy?"

"Perhaps there will be a couple of pickpockets, or a pregnant woman robbing someone, who will give the good gentleman some material to report, and make a big comment in the Herald, so that those middle-class so-called righteous people will come forward to arrange some innocuous laws that will not be enforced in the East End at all - well, they will not even pass the House of Commons."

"What's worse than having a child pickpocket and a pregnant woman robbing people?"

Vinata couldn't help asking. She was forcibly conscripted into the army shortly after graduation because of her status as a Beyonder, so she didn't know much about these things. On the other hand, similar incidents in Feysac were more brutal and direct, without so many twists and turns.

Altaïr put down his teacup and sighed.

"Children act as pickpockets and pregnant women are used to rob people on the road." (Please distinguish the descriptions of the two sentences carefully)
"???"

"That's exactly what it means." Altaïr's expression was uncertain in the shadow of the gas lamp. "Organize women into prostitution, then let them commit crimes during pregnancy, and get away with it through the sympathy of the masters. The boys born will be trained to be pickpockets, and the girls will inherit their mother's profession."

"Most of the time when Mike encounters this kind of thing, he will just call the kids to the cafe and give them a lecture, buy them a meal, and then ask them a few names of people he dare not control or even publish in the newspaper, and finally let them go. But if those kids get used to this kind of treatment, I dare say their bodies will be floating in the Tussock River the next day. There are still more violent guys in the East District."

"But what can I do? Should I bring that kid over and beat him up? Not only will I not get the bonus, but the most important thing is that if I beat up one kid, there are hundreds of kids like him in the East District."

Altaïr let out a breath.

"This is a perfect class closure... The current situation in the kingdom cannot be solved by the emergence of a hero from a certain class. After all, no matter how great a spiritual leader is, he cannot withstand a high-pressure steam rifle."

Vinata was stunned for a moment, and after a while she slowly uttered a few words.

"A citizen who obeys one law may not break another, but a criminal who has committed one crime, if left alone, will most likely commit a new crime."

"That's right... This shouldn't be what Emperor Roselle said, right?"

"Well, that's what Lurmi said."

……

There was a brief silence in the room. After a while, Vinata said softly:
"Why are you telling me this?"

Altaïr glanced at him, and as if to lighten the mood, he said half-jokingly:
"It seems you asked it yourself."

"Okay, okay." Seeing Vinata's serious expression, he began to organize his words.

"After all, you have been through a lot in Feysac and have gained some experience... Nevertheless, similar problems in Loen are actually more serious than in any other country. Since you insist on being a journalist, I suggest you just say some irrelevant nonsense."

Altaïr said, "If you cannot make dreams come true, then either do not let them wake, or do not let them dream. Either way."

"Human beings are very resilient. If you don't show them the light, they can endure any darkness, and even find joy in suffering."

Altaïr did not say what would happen if he gave people hope, and Venata did not ask.

"Can't I just tell the truth?"

Vinata was silent for a long time and said this.

"Okay, but when you are targeted by MI9, remember to move out of my house and finish little Sophie's course, and I will support you in committing suicide."

Altaïr ignored Venata's anger and said sarcastically:
"Do you think those gentlemen who can change all this don't know about this? Or do they do nothing because they don't know? Forget it, if you change a pig to step on the bill, there won't be so many bills that will not improve the situation at all."

“Sometimes, people who do nothing are the ones who know best what to do and what not to do.”

"So I advise you to be careful."

When Altaïr said this, he hesitated. After a while, he said incoherently:

"After all, if you were secretly executed for something like this, little Sophie would probably be very sad."

(End of this chapter)