A brave man may not live, but he cannot die

Chapter 18 The Brave Suspects (Part )

The week passed quickly.

In the early morning of March 3, Ankuya knocked on the door of the apartment on time.

"Hello."

After entering the door, he greeted Quinn in his not-so-fluent Chinese.

Ankuya did not wear the ostentatious outfit of the academy commissioner today. Instead, he changed into a light blue shirt of high-quality texture, and suddenly turned from an abstinent civil servant into a dissolute young man.

In comparison, Quinn, who hadn't shaved in ten days, looked like a coachman pulling a carriage for a young man.

"Oh, hello~" Quinn blinked, "Actually, in my world, 'nihao' doesn't mean hello."

"Then how should I greet you?"

Ankuya seems to have a strong desire to learn the language of the other world.

"It's very simple. It just requires some movements to match the tone. Specifically—" Quinn made a "V" sign with one hand and enthusiastically shouted: "Ciallo! (∠ω<)⌒☆"

Ankuya: “.”

He suddenly didn't want to study anymore.

"How are those books?"

The two walked into the house.

"According to the character setting, you need to play a person from the Western Continent with Eastern ancestry, but whose parents are both orphaned. After adulthood, you came to the South and have lived there ever since, and have been working in the Roen Kingdom. Is that difficult?"

"There's no need to act this out. My parents died when I was very young." Quinn smiled proudly, "No one understands being an orphan better than me."

Ankuya laughed out of anger, not knowing whether to praise or scold.

"Why do we have to act out the experience of working in Ron's Kingdom?" Quinn asked puzzledly.

"You must get used to the Roan way of life. This will affect your next actions. Can you show me an example?"

Ankuya prepared three books about Ron for him, and Quinn had already learned them thoroughly.

For him, he sat up straight and crossed his legs at an elegant 45-degree angle.

"I'm telling you, don't be unconvinced. Our Ron's grandfather is the grandfather! Every day, he eats steak and drinks black tea. That's all. If he doesn't go to work, what else does he do? He works his ass off! When he earns money, he buys a hundred sets of the same black suits—"

".There's no need to imitate to this extent."

Ankuya placed the folder tucked under his shoulder on the table.

"Your Majesty should have summarized the characteristics of a hero, so I won't repeat them. These are the five suspects I've identified as most likely to be the hero. Whether based on divination or behavioral characteristics, each of them has a high probability of being a hero—by the way, why don't you turn on the light?"

Quinn complained with a gloomy face, "This damn gas lamp hasn't been working since you left. I've never used it before, so I don't know how to fix it. Every night I have to read in the dark. My eyes didn't get this sore even after the college entrance exam."

".I forgot to tell you this."

Ankua pulled out his wand—Quinn couldn't quite see where he pulled it out from, as if he'd just flipped his wrist and grasped it. "Lumos!" He quickly muttered a spell, and several balls of moderately bright fluorescent light rose from the tip of the wand, floating in the air and illuminating the entire room.

"Fuck, coach, I want to learn arcane!" Quinn was as greedy as a primitive man who had never seen the world.

"You'll have a chance to learn soon."

Ankua spread the paper in front of Quinn.

The information is very detailed, listing everything from name to age, height, place of origin, occupation, address, and even living area and interpersonal relationships.

"First up is number one, Ike Capone."

The photo shows a black young man who looks very stylish.

"26 years old, the most powerful gang leader in Eswell. Born in the Western Continent, rumored to be a refugee. In just two years, he rose to prominence in the densely populated West City District, becoming so powerful that he could rival two established gangs. His main business is the arms trade, the smuggling of arcane artifacts, and the production and maintenance of these artifacts."

"Almost all gangs are secretly smuggling arcane artifacts, but he's the only one capable of producing and repairing them. I don't know where he learned his arcane knowledge, but I'm afraid there's support from the arcane community." Ankua sighed regretfully. "His rise to prominence was too rapid, and my background information is incomplete. I can only confirm that the arcane community supporting him has nothing to do with Greenwood Academy."

"Ike Capone possesses a high emotional intelligence. Besides his arcane knowledge, his most suspicious aspect is his overly sophisticated social skills. A refugee from the Western Continent, he thrives in Eswell's upper class. He has close relationships with countless high-ranking law enforcement officials, and his gang thrives under his guidance. Furthermore, he is a Transcendent, with an unknown sequence."

Quinn frowned and said nothing.

Arcane-related systems?

Looks like it, very similar
Which gangster boss from Hong Kong Island has traveled through time and space?

"Then there's the second one. You met this guy a week ago—Elon Branson." Looking at the familiar handsome face in the photo, Quinn exclaimed, "Is this guy Xia Dai'er's brother? The acting senator?!"

"Yes." Ankuya nodded.

"Elon, the heir to the Branson family, has demonstrated talent far beyond his peers since childhood. At the age of 17, he graduated from Salem High School, a royal institution in Bavaria known as the cradle of the southern continent's elite. He received perfect scores in etiquette, history, economics, literature, political science, ancient elven language, advanced mathematics, astronomy, music, and art, becoming only the third gifted student in Salem's history to graduate with perfect scores in all subjects."

Quinn took a breath and said, "I'm a test-taker in a first-tier city."

"Coincidentally, the first person in Salem to graduate with perfect scores in all subjects was the Third Brave Man 1200 years ago."

Ankuya pulled out a Bavarian newspaper from years ago. The front page featured a photo of Elon, looking high-spirited upon graduation, with a large headline beside it: [The genius heir to the city of Ashwell declared: I will do better than the third hero.]

"This is more of a deliberate act than a coincidence. After returning to Ashville, he entered politics as his father's assistant while also studying at Ashville University of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Two years ago, when Congressman Branson Sr. became seriously ill, he began acting as the councilman."

"Not long ago, he officially announced his candidacy for the parliamentary election at the end of this year. His slogans are very radical, involving a wide range of political and business reforms. He is also promoting the 'Free Elshwell City Movement', aiming to eliminate the influence of surrounding kingdoms on the city-state and establish an independent military."

"Also, he's very likely a Transcendent. The Branson family's trade gives them easy access to a large amount of Transcendent materials, and there are Transcendents within the family. Given Elon's life experience, it's impossible for him not to try to become a Transcendent."

".I can't tell." Quinn exclaimed.

"When I took you away that day, besides the fact that Elon and the Branson family were extremely dangerous, I was also testing him. But he is very well-mannered. I can't sense any fluctuations of supernatural power at all." Ankuya sighed, looked up and asked, "What do you think?"

Quinn held his chin, stood up and paced back and forth.

He recalled the few contacts he had with Elon and kept thinking.

Finally, he said hesitantly:

"The possibility that Elon is a time traveler is unlikely."

"What's the reason?"

"The way he and his sister get along is very similar to a friend of mine." Quinn paused, his expression slightly melancholic. "My friend also has a sister, and I understand how siblings get along. Only siblings who grew up together have that tacit understanding of looking out for each other, just like Elon and Xia Dai'er."

Ankuya laughed dumbly, "No, I didn't even notice. So you were peeking at the Branson girl that day?"

Quinn said calmly, "No need to peek. It's just that I can recall what happened a week ago and what most people did, including the law enforcement officer watching from the back."

Ankuya looked up in surprise and looked at him deeply.

".Excellent memory."

"If Elon were a time traveler, with an adult soul entering a child's body, it would be impossible for him to interact with his sister with a childlike innocence. They would miss out on the shared childhood. This is the difference between a 'brother you grew up with' and a 'big brother who cares for you like a father.' Do you understand what I mean?"

"You mean: if Elon was a hero, Xia Dai'er would be more reserved towards her brother?" Ankuya suddenly realized.

"Yes, just like treating an elder." Quinn paused. "Of course, there are exceptions. Maybe Elon wasn't very old before he traveled through time. Maybe Elon is better at getting along with children. Maybe Elon is a sister complex or a lolita complex. Anyway, let's investigate further. Go on."

"Okay, I'll take note of your opinion."

Ankuya flipped over a piece of paper. The profile photo showed a maid girl wiping a table. Her long hair covered most of her face, and she looked very ordinary.

"This one is the one I think is most likely a hero."

"Woman?" Quinn was a little surprised after seeing the photo.

"Celia, 17 years old, from Ashwell. Currently working as a handyman in a pub in Eastwell."

"Handyman?"

Quinn was even more confused. Didn't they say that a brave man must stand out?
"Do you remember how the British royal family was described in 'The Chronicles of the Kings of the Southern Continent'?" Ankua asked an irrelevant question.

"The author of that book seems to have a strong prejudice against the current British monarch."

Quinn replied, "The author satirizes the British monarch's illegitimate rise to power, claiming the throne was usurped. The previous British king died in a mysterious fire, along with his entire family, so the throne fell to his younger brother. The book implies that the fire was no accident, and the criticism is directed at the current monarch."

"What the book says is wrong."

"Was the fire really an accident?"

"No, the fire was probably set by the king," Ankua said calmly, "but the fire did not kill all the former royal family members of Britain. The former king's only child escaped."

Quinn's eyes suddenly widened.

Ankua pointed to the photo of the girl on the table.

"She was only two years old that year."

(End of this chapter)