A brave man may not live, but he cannot die

Chapter 31 A big problem
The wind is particularly strong tonight.

When Elon got off the carriage, law enforcement officers had already set up a cordon in front of the jewelry store.

The place was crowded with people, and thick smoke was billowing at the busiest intersection of Cloud Avenue. There were cries, curses, discussions, and the sound of reporters' shutters. Elon climbed over the cordon and what came into his sight was a jewelry store destroyed by the explosion.

"Senator Elon, why are you here?"

A captain of the law enforcement team quickly came over.

"Where's my sister?"

"Miss Xia Dai'er is fine. She is taking notes."

Elon visibly breathed a sigh of relief.

"But her bodyguard was seriously injured and has been sent to the nearest White Church church." The law enforcement officer continued.

".I see. What are the casualties?"

A trace of pity flashed across the law enforcement officer's face. "--It was tragic. Preliminary estimates show that at least 30 people were killed. The criminals were so ruthless that they left no one alive. Aside from a jewelry appraiser hiding on the third floor, Miss Xia Dai'er and her bodyguard, no one survived."

Elon frowned.

"And most of the deceased were powerful figures, including the heir to Grande Pharmaceuticals, a shareholder in Reed Shipping, and the wife of the owner of Kane Steel. Their families rushed over, agitated and clamoring to see the commander. We couldn't stop them."

"Heh, are there any customers of this jewelry store with simple family backgrounds? Now there's going to be some trouble."

The law enforcement officer didn't dare to talk to him, as Elon didn't seem to care about the life or death of the rich man.

He walked to the blown-up arcane matrix and looked at the looted counter with a grim look: "Where are the robbers? Have they been caught?"

"Instructor Drummond has taken over the investigation," the marshal said cautiously. "He says this involves mysterious circumstances and is beyond our jurisdiction."

Elon snorted coldly and immediately walked up the charred stairs.

But after reaching the second floor, he stopped again and remained silent for a long time.

Charred corpses, broken limbs, blood, and heads. On their bodies were still some silver coins that the criminals had not had time to take away.

It's hell on earth.

Elon pinched his brows in annoyance. He could almost foresee how lively the city council would be in the next month.

"Oh, Mr. Congressman, long time no see."

Elon turned his head and saw a gentlemanly-dressed man squatting in the corner of the stairs, fiddling with a headless female corpse.

The man had gray hair and green eyes, and was wearing a kind of windbreaker that was shorter than a robe but longer than a suit. He stacked a few tarot cards on the ground and sprinkled a circle of spiritual sand around them. It looked like he was performing some kind of ritual.

"How is your father? Is he doing well recently?" he asked with a smile.

"My father is fine, don't worry."

Elon walked up to the headless female corpse with a cold face and looked down at him: "But you, Mr. Drummond, why don't you let the law enforcement officers participate in the investigation?"

"I believe this is a mysterious matter and not suitable for investigation by law enforcement officers."

The man named Drummond is the "drill officer" of the Ashville Police Department.

There are more than a dozen instructors like this, all from neighboring countries around Ashwell.

Some came from Ron, some from Ximai, but more came from Britain, such as Drummond.

Their official identities are instructors, responsible for the training of law enforcement officers, combat training, and law enforcement training. But in fact, this group of people are extraordinary people from various countries stationed in Eswell.

That is the so-called mysterious police affiliated with official forces.

"Oh, that's not suitable for a law enforcement officer to investigate. Then, may I ask, what have you found out?"

Drummond stood up, dusted off his clothes and said:

"There were five robbers in total. Two escaped, and the rest were killed by your extraordinary person. I wanted to look for clues from the bodies, but unfortunately, I was too late. The robbers' bodies had already been taken away by the people from the academy."

"—Are you late?"

Elon questioned loudly, "If something like this happened in Britain, would you also be 'late'? If my sister had gone out without a transcendent, would she be lying here now?!"

"Don't get excited, Congressman, I will investigate." Drummond still had that smiling face, completely ignoring Elon's anger.

"Investigation? This is the second arcanist crime this month! Exactly the same modus operandi! Exactly the same brutality! What are the results of your investigation into the airship case on March 4th?"

He rarely showed such a sharp side, and even remained gentle and humble when facing unruly priests. However, it was obvious that a series of recent events had angered him, and the young representative planned to do something.

"If you can't produce any results, then I'm afraid I'll have to question the role of you British deacons. Since nothing can be found out, there's no need to station so many 'instructors' in the city of Eswell." Elon said coldly.

"Wow, you really are." Drummond's eyes narrowed. "As you can see, I just finished the divination."

"and then?"

"These robbers have a master behind them, helping them conceal their mystical traces. I'm just a small secret agent. The scene has been destroyed so badly, so naturally I can't get any useful information. But if you are willing to persuade the academy to release high-sequence transcendents into the city to investigate, then I will ensure that the case is solved and all these robbers are handed over to the Council for trial."

Elon glanced at him with a sneer and said, "Investigate? Are you investigating a case or something else? Do you really think I don't know?"

Drummond smiled and said, "Please consider this. This is a great opportunity. I can make a promise on behalf of my monarch. If you are willing to allow High-Sequencers to enter Ashwell, Britain will give the Branson family—or rather, give Senator Elon your full support—in future parliaments."

Elon put his hands behind his back and replied indifferently:

"I understand. If the academy can't handle this matter, then I will consider it."

Drummond smiled and nodded.

"It's up to you whether to let the marshals investigate, but the scene is so damaged that there are no more clues. My suggestion is to focus the investigation on the body taken by the academy. I need to get back to writing my report, so I won't bother you anymore. Please give my regards to Mr. Branson."

He opened his mouth slightly and uttered a series of difficult and obscure syllables that were definitely not human language, and then his figure disappeared into the air.

Elon stood on the empty second floor, looking at the fluorescent pyroxene that still had a faint glow, his eyes calm and deep.

"I can't find out anything, it's just that you are incompetent." He said with a sigh.

The explosion destroyed the arcane matrix, which not only eliminated the protection of the jewelry counter, but also disabled the alarm system connecting the jewelry store to the police station. This shows that the robbers were by no means self-taught arcane mages. They were proficient in the operation of arcane products and even knew this jewelry store very well.

Elon strolled on the second floor, among the corpses and ruins, his brows sometimes tightened and sometimes relaxed.

Roasting, slaughtering, beheading, and beheading
There were two, maybe three, robbers who just stood there and watched their victim die.
Some properties were destroyed, which shows that they care more about killing than robbing. Are they bloodthirsty? No, this is a punishment, a revenge.

The robbers harbored a deep hatred for their customers, perhaps due to a hatred of the rich or a history of oppression. Only the lower classes of the Sewell district met this requirement. But how did they learn the arcane arts?
Elon came back and squatted in front of the naked female corpse.

This was the only body on the second floor that was not burned.

He looked at the bruises on the female corpse's chest. Had the deceased been defiled during her lifetime?

Bite marks suggestive of hatred? Why would someone do such a thing during a time-sensitive robbery? It seems the robber harbored an unusual hatred for her, likely someone they knew. He was quickly apprehended by his companions, as the woman's lower body lacked any significant marks.
Wait, her belly—

Elon found a disgusting pool of thick yellow phlegm on his naked belly.

So he lay down, neither feeling disgusted nor resistant, and pressed against the belly of the corpse. His nose twitched slightly at the spit, sniffing the scent like a hound.

This strange scene lasted for nearly half a minute.

Elon even sniffed the corpse's lower body and the saliva-stained bite marks. A dark, lively glint flashed in his eyes, and he whispered, "Hakimi, do you remember his smell?"

There was no one around, but Elon smiled with satisfaction as if he had received some kind of answer.

"Very good, good dog. Now, the identity of the female corpse."

Elon easily found the head that still had a miserable look on its face.

"Is this Kane Jones's wife, Kane Steel? They have so many files on labor lawsuits that I can't even begin to read them all."

Elon took off his coat and gently covered the naked body with it, then reached out to close her eyes. After doing all this, Kane went straight to the third floor.

He had been to this jewelry store more than once, so he naturally knew what the third floor should look like.

But at this time, only half of the corridor on the third floor was still intact, and the rest was almost in ruins.

He walked slowly, extremely slowly, along the corridor, his eyes always fixed on the ground, as if he was imitating someone's pace.

Finally, he stopped halfway in the corridor, looked at the broken door on the right, picked up a piece of the threshold residue, touched it, and then nodded slightly.

"Graham and Xia Dai'er hid in this room. The robbers came and searched, and then Graham met one of them and knocked him down."

He looked back, finding a corner with noticeably less dust. "The first gangster flew out. Hmm, he probably won't survive. That leaves two."

"These robbers have little combat experience and no coordination."

He muttered to himself, stroking the marks on the ground.

It was burnt blood scabs and skin tissue stuck to the ground.

"Another one died. If Graham had ambushed in advance, he could have dealt with ordinary Sequence Seven or even Sequence Six. The battle ended quickly. The last guy finally released arcane magic at this time, um... flame." Elon suddenly paused.

When the caravan was robbed half a month ago, Catherine's hand was burned by flames.

But she was certain that it was a transcendental being, because the other party did not chant and no one used a staff.

"Using flames to condense into weapons. Graham dodged the exact same technique, but the robber's arcane magic continued. He was very scared, so it can be inferred that he hadn't done this many times and was not a soldier. Well, he was caught here, broke through the wall, bang, a beautiful punch, worthy of being a fighter—"

Elon stopped at the place where Bates was knocked out, looking at the collapsed wall on the right, and there was finally a hint of doubt in his eyes.

"The battle is over here. Then why is Graham seriously injured? Is there a fourth person? No, four more people would be useless, unless... unless Xia Dai'er was kidnapped."

Elon suddenly raised his left hand, imitating the angle at which Graham had once swung his fist, and suddenly, a brilliant golden light burst out!

boom--

The entire wall collapsed completely, and dust flew in the air. Elon retracted his fist steadily. "..You're going to die." He muttered.

Then Elon stepped into the messy room and saw a collapsed chair and a bloodstain extending to the next door.

His eyes narrowed.

"How is it possible? He was so badly injured that he could still burn through a wall. Did the arcane get out of control? No, that guy who should have died must have done something. A potion? A supernatural item? Or did he pay some price to prolong his life?"

"—He succeeded, but he just wanted to escape. He unexpectedly ran into Xia Dai'er, who was hiding next door. Graham was interrogating another robber. He thought the guy was dead, so he let his guard down. So that's how it is."

It's not just one robber, but all robbers have some means of staying alive, and Graham obviously didn't notice this and was tricked by the guy lying in the corner.

Fighting is not the arcanist's strong point. No matter how powerful his mental strength and magic are, the arcanist is still constrained by his weak body and is extremely afraid of being approached by extraordinary people.

Especially in such narrow terrain, unprepared arcanists are often at a disadvantage, as powerful arcane spells require a longer time to chant, and if an enemy gets close to them while they are chanting, they are at the mercy of the enemy.

To severely injure Graham would require at least a third-order arcane spell, but it was impossible for him not to hear the spell being chanted, unless
The robber can cast arcane spells without casting a single cast.

The two completely unrelated things seemed to match up in all the details like a closed loop - no chanting of fire arcane, which was exactly the same as the characteristics of the robbers who robbed the caravan that day.

Elon's mouth curled up, murderous intent in his eyes: "Finally found you."

The only remaining question is how Xia Daier escaped.

If these robbers were in the same group as the ones who robbed the merchant caravan, then their goal should be to kidnap Xia Daier.

Logically speaking, Graham fell, the two robbers still had strength left, and their companions in good condition were guarding downstairs. Xia Dai'er, a weak girl, had no chance of escape.

But she escaped.

Elon went back and forth in the corridor again and again, and this time, he searched for an especially long time.

Finally, he squatted down somewhere and tapped the ground lightly with his fingers.

This is a crater.

The angle was very strange, shooting from top to bottom, like an execution, which meant that the robber lying here had been shot before. It could be inferred that the robber in the corner was also shot to death with a pistol.

But who fired the shot? The surviving jewelry store appraiser? No, if that were the case, he would have come to claim the credit long ago.

Xia Dai'er. It's even more impossible. This girl is so weak that she can't even pull out the cork of red wine. How could she have the ability to fire three shots in a row?

Now Elon really couldn't understand it.

He searched the entire floor but couldn't find any bullets, which could only mean that the scene had been deliberately cleaned up.

As if trying to cover up the gunman's traces.

According to Drummond, it was Grindelwald Academy that took away the robber's body.

Elon frowned. It was normal for the academy to take the body, after all, this was a supernatural incident involving an arcanist. But why would they help the gunman clean up the traces? Could the gunman be from the academy?
"——Brother?"

A crisp cry interrupted his thoughts.

"I'm here."

Xia Dai'er peeked out from under the stairs, her neck wrapped in a bandage. When she saw Elon, she immediately walked towards him with a guilty look on her face.

"Brother, you, why are you here?"

Seeing her brother's charcoal-like face, Xia Dai'er quickly touched her neck and said, "I'm fine! The priest used magic on me and said that I will be fine after a good sleep and there will be no scars."

"Where's Graham?" Elon asked helplessly.

Seeing how pitiful she looked, it was hard to blame her.

"I'm staying in the church. The priest said it would take him a week to get out of bed. Graham saved me! If it weren't for him, I would have been finished. I would have been raped, killed, raped, and killed again by those robbers. Remember to give him a promotion and a raise!"

Elon held his forehead. "Do you need to tell me? Our family never underestimates loyalty and sacrifice. Also, don't you have anything to tell me?"

"Hand over, what do you want to tell me?" Xia Dai'er stared at him with her big, bright eyes. Her tone was very natural, even ninety percent natural: "Graham is a super fighter! Those bad guys are no match for him——"

"And then, after Graham fell, who saved you when you were kidnapped by the bad guys?"

"Huh?! What hijacking? Who will save me?"

Xia Dai'er played with her hair and answered absentmindedly.

Elon sighed slightly. This is how this girl behaves when she lies since she was a child. She pretends to be innocent.

"If you don't tell me, I'll go ask Graham. He should wake up in two days anyway."

Xia Dai'er was anxious.

"No, no! It's really Graham! The two robbers were seriously injured by him. Although Graham was also attacked, the robbers all died after a while, just like in the novel, they suffocated to death, and 'Uh-huh'--" Xia Dai'er stuck out her tongue cutely, imitating the sound of a person burping when dying.

"I took the opportunity to escape out the back door, taking Graham with me."

"You? Dragging Graham alone?" Elon laughed angrily.

He is full of muscle and weighs nearly 200 pounds. Even if he is cut in half, he is still heavier than you.

"I just happened to find a trailer, the kind used to haul goods." Xia Dai'er's hair movements became bored, and it was obvious that she couldn't continue the story, so she started to act like a spoiled child: "Hey, brother, why do you keep asking questions and don't you care about me?"

"Okay, okay, let's just leave it at that."

Elon looked at his sister helplessly. She looked so energetic, so nothing must have happened to her.

He finally felt relieved.

"You're lucky, thanks to the goddess' blessing. When I'm done with my work, I'll pick a time to take you out to buy a bracelet. I'll ask Archbishop Yasmin to consecrate and bless it personally."

"I've picked out the bracelet."

Xia Dai'er raised her hand in an inexplicably excited mood, and a heart-shaped diamond bracelet was on her slender white wrist.

"I quite like it. I think it works. No, not really! It just feels like it can bring good luck. Although I haven't paid for it yet, I want this one!"

Elon's throat moved as he looked at the girl's earlobes which were gradually turning red. It was the first time he saw his sister have such a cute reaction.

what's going on?
Suddenly, an incredible but unexpectedly reasonable guess emerged in my mind.

Academy, bullets, and an inexplicable savior.
Elon suddenly said, "I listened to the tape given by the marshal. That guy named Quinn said that he saved you because he fell in love with you at first sight."

"Wha, what!!!"

Xia Dai'er was stunned for a moment.

She was immediately overwhelmed and didn't know what to do. She was stunned for a long time and subconsciously said: "But he clearly said that he didn't want to have anything to do with me."

Immediately, realizing her slip of the tongue, Xia Daier quickly covered her mouth with both hands and looked at her brother nervously.

The brief silence seemed as long as a lifetime.

She couldn't help but ask:

"seriously"

There was a hint of confusion and shyness in the soft voice.

Elon didn't answer.

Why are the Arcane Heist, Quinn, and the Academy all connected?
There is also a younger sister with a girlish heart.

He just felt a headache coming on.

　I would like to thank Killer Fury, Lao Xun, Full Carbon Ribose Nucleobase and other book friends for their monthly votes, and thank you all for your recommendation votes. During the new book period, I write 5000 words a day. Sometimes, for the sake of reading experience, I don’t divide it into two chapters. In fact, I update an average of more than words a day, so book friends who follow me can rest assured. There is no less than words for you.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)