Deity Investigation Report

Chapter 273 The City's Highest Authority

"The patrol knights will surely arrive at Gianthorn City within four hours!"

"Neither Skinning Manor nor Giant Horn City will be able to withstand the consequences of this matter. I don't need to say more, do I?"

Outside Giant Horn City, the once fiercely fighting Giant Horn City independent investigator, Mr. Via, and Count Alvarez sat in a carriage. Faced with Mr. Via's suppressed yet angry voice, the old count had lost his previous righteous indignation.
"I understand this principle, which is why I asked you to think of a solution..."

"Now is not the time to argue about right and wrong. Since neither side can bear the consequences, solving the problem is the most important thing, right?"

"..."

'Are these nobles really that shameless?'

Investigator Via was so angry at the old count's attitude that she couldn't vent her anger. She said coldly, "Before discussing these issues, you should have had that old vampire withdrawn first."

"Even now, she's still pushing our defenses!"

"..."

"It's not that I don't want to..."

When this issue was brought up, Count Albares seemed a little embarrassed: "My great-great-grandmother was not allowed to stay in the Holy City of Cross because she couldn't solve the problem of her bloodline aging. She had to be exiled here with me."

"Actually, part of my research was to see if I could help her regain her senses..."

"Given her status and position, once she regains her senses, she will become a strong contender for the marquisate. This is why the family is determined not to let her be destroyed or fall into eternal slumber..."

"..."

"What's the point of telling me all this?"

Mr. Via's expression was almost out of control: "On one hand, you say you want to join forces with Giant Horn City to solve the problem, but on the other hand, you refuse to solve the problem?"

"I told you, this isn't a matter of whether we want to solve it or not..."

The old count explained with difficulty, "I also have feelings for her..."

“When I was little, she wasn’t this confused yet; she used to hold me…”

"If you truly had feelings for her, would you treat her like this?"

Mr. Via dismissed the comment with utter disdain: "Do you think I can't see it? You're treating her like a strategic weapon and a hunting dog, where's the respect you show to your elders?"

"You have no idea how difficult it is to take care of the elderly..."

Count Albares was a little exasperated: "Do you know how much fresh blood she needs every day? Do you know I've invested in more than a dozen hospitals to take care of her? Even so, we still can't keep up with her daily blood demand..."

Mr. Via scoffed: "How much blood does it take to care of a vampire?"

"She's a picky eater..."

The old count slapped his thigh in frustration: "When she wasn't senile, it was fine, but after she became senile, she only accepted Kidd blood type men, and they had to be good-looking men. If we couldn't supply them for a day, she would throw a tantrum. Otherwise, why would I lock her in a coffin?"

The anger in his voice seemed genuine, leaving Mr. Via somewhat at a loss for words.

"I have a way, Uncle..."

At this moment, the young vampire driving the car suddenly interjected, saying, "Once Miss Ariane has determined the location of her prey, she will fight to the death, but she is not actually greedy."

"Once the target is killed, they will return to a familiar place."

"Therefore, it would be better to ask Giant Horn City to open its physical defenses and let Miss Ariane in. She will take care of that black goat. Even if it causes some damage to Giant Horn City along the way, it is still much better than attracting the questioning of the Traveling Knights!"

"..."

Count Albares clapped his hands loudly: "A very good suggestion!"

"What a bastard!"

Mr. Via's forehead veins bulged as he growled, "Do you think Giant Horn City is full of fools?"

Is it possible for her to get close to that little monster now?

"The black goat cub has already summoned the Abundant Forest, how could it be foolish enough to be captured again? If it is let in, what will be the consequences of a thousand-year-old vampire, capable of confronting the defenses of reality, colliding with the power of the Abundant Forest?"

"..."

Upon hearing this, the uncle and nephew fell silent. The old count stammered, "Look at you, so impatient..."

"If you don't agree with our plan, at least give us some ideas!"

The investigator from Via was exhausted and remained silent.

"There's a chance..."

Upon seeing this, Count Albares felt a stirring in his heart and a glimmer of hope arose within him.

I knew these investigators were different from the secret schools and the ancient nobles; investigators were born to solve problems.

The secret schools sought answers, as for the nobility…

...We were born for ourselves.

He sat up slightly, his expression grave, and said, "Via, I know what you want."

"Now that both I and Giant Horn City are in big trouble, there's no need to hide it. If you have a good way to help us avoid the questioning by the Traveling Knights, in return I will give you a letter of recommendation, giving you the opportunity to intern with the Traveling Knights!"

"...Of course, you'll need three letters of recommendation."

"What I can promise is not only this letter of recommendation from me, but also my friendship with another nobleman to persuade him to give you a letter of recommendation as well."

"That way, you only need one letter of recommendation to enter the Traveling Knights!"

"..."

Upon hearing this, even the young vampire who was driving was stunned. Wasn't this exactly what he had been dreaming of?
They actually let it go like that?
The investigator from Via remained silent for a moment, not saying a word.

Through their conversations along the way, he also became certain of the old count's fear and helplessness regarding the matter; the time was ripe.

After a long while, he slowly raised his head and said in a low voice, "I don't have the ability to make such a boast."

"If we want to truly solve the problem, Peeling Mountain Villa will have to pay a price."

Count Alvarez almost jumped: "At all costs, the entire Skinning Manor can be temporarily handed over to you."

Mr. Via's lips curled up slightly, before he slowly began to speak: "On another note..."

"Although the situation is now out of control and the roving knights have probably already detected it, it's not impossible to resolve the issue before they arrive. Simply put, we can tolerate the roving knights' suspicions, but we can't let them obtain irrefutable evidence."

"..."

The old count's eyes gleamed, and he nodded repeatedly: "Go on."

Investigator Via's eyes turned slightly cold as he said in a low voice, "That black goat now is essentially someone who stole our Giant Horn City's secret prison."

"No one knows that place better than me. All secret prisons have a mechanism that, when things get out of control, can push the whole thing into the abyss and end it all."

"However, this time, because she suddenly launched an attack and summoned the power of the Abundant Forest to take over the entire secret prison, we are now unable to activate this most crucial mechanism."

"So, solving the problem is actually quite simple."

"..."

The old count was already somewhat excited. He turned around and stared intently at the investigator, Via.

After a slight pause, the investigator from Via's voice became somewhat somber: "I will indeed take your advice, open the defenses of reality, let that old vampire into the city, and give it the opportunity to storm the secret prison."

"Borrowing her spiritual power of over a thousand years, we forcibly broke through the secret prison from the outside, allowing the power of the Abundant Forest to permeate into reality."

"After that, I will even empower her with the power of the Reality Bed, giving her the opportunity to fight against that black goat in the Abundant Forest. While she and the black goat weaken each other, I will activate the defense mechanism and push her, along with the secret prison, into the abyss..."

"..."

At this point, both the young vampire and Count Albares widened their eyes slightly.

Mr. Via waited a moment, and when he did not hear any objections from the two of them, he continued, "In this way, when the patrolling knights arrive, they will only find a collapsed secret prison."

"But the loss of control of secret prisons happens from time to time and is not considered a major crime."

"Of course, the aura of the Abundant Forest cannot be completely eliminated, but Giant Horn City has been semi-openly researching the container issue. Those above are aware of this, and they will punish Giant Horn City, but this punishment will not exceed their tolerance limit."

"Of course, this plan is based on the premise that you are willing to sacrifice that old vampire's life, otherwise..."

"..."

"Now is not the time to discuss this issue. I believe that everything has its own destiny."

Count Alvarez immediately changed the subject, whispering, "But if you do this, and it infiltrates the power of the real Abundant Forest, how will you deal with that?"

"This is the key to my persuasion of the Council of Giant Horn City."

Mr. Via said calmly, "The power of the Abundant Forest that has seeped into reality can only be resolved by the third line of defense of reality."

"I estimate that this will cause Giant Horn City to lose at least one million or more people, and it may even double that. The losses will be astronomical."

"Although I will try my best to minimize casualties in the actual operation, the key to persuading the council is how to make up for this loss."

"..."

I'll make it up to you!

Count Alvarez suddenly gritted his teeth and said in a low voice, "I will merge Skinning Manor into Giant Horn City. Anyway, the project has failed, and my research can no longer continue. There is no point in staying here any longer."

"Now all I want is to resolve this trouble and return safely to my family."

"..."

Faced with this question, even the young vampire hesitated to speak, feeling a bit cheated.

After all, it sounded like what they were saying was originally their own plan...

"In that case, there's nothing to worry about."

Hearing the old count's final assurance, Mr. Via seemed to finally relax, picked up the walkie-talkie, and said, "The deal with Skinner Manor has been reached. We can now ask the council for their opinion."

A voice quickly came through the walkie-talkie: "Five minutes ago, the council voted to approve Mr. Via's proposal. Now, they are waiting for Mr. Via to provide a more specific plan."

"This……"

The old count turned his head slightly to look at the independent investigator from Gianthorn City. He then realized that just before he boarded the vehicle, he had already instructed his men to make the same suggestion to the Gianthorn City Council and received permission.

From the very beginning, he was certain that he would do everything in his power to support him in solving this problem.

"The Abundant Forest has been visible for forty-three minutes. There are only about three hours left before the arrival of the patrol knights. Therefore, I don't have time to give them a more specific plan to review."

Mr. Via, while raising his hand to direct the vehicle toward a road that would make it easier to enter Giant Horn City, said into the walkie-talkie, "All I need now is the council's signature."

“I need them to give me the ultimate command of the Abnormal Disaster Assessment Administration, as well as the underlying codes of the Reality Bedchamber.”

"Furthermore, I require the council to add a clause to the draft contract for the takeover of Skinning Manor and all its properties, stipulating that 10% of all assets incorporated into Gianthorn City will be given to me as a reward after this matter is resolved..."

"Of course, they also need to ensure that the Council of Gianthorn City will recommend me for the Touring Knights!"

"..."

“But, Mr. Via…”

The person on the other end of the walkie-talkie was one of Mr. Via's own people, but even he hesitated slightly after hearing this series of requests.

"Please pass this message on to the council."

Mr. Via did not let him continue, saying, "What is most worrying now is that the longer the Abundant Forest exists in Giant Horn City, the more likely it is to affect the people on that altar."

"After all, the Abundant Forest now has a legitimate heir, who is currently on the Abundant Altar. It is difficult to ensure that the two will not become entangled in the realm of mysterious powers."

"The investigation by the Traveling Knights is certainly worrying, but if our mistakes in Giant Horn City trigger a resonance between the Black Goat and the heir on the Altar of Abundance, thus affecting the Divine Descent Plan, that would be the most unforgivable crime!"

"..."

He finished speaking easily, then put down the walkie-talkie, leaned back in his chair, and closed his eyes to rest.

Beside him, the old count's pupils constricted slightly. After a long while, he whispered, "No wonder everyone feels that you independent investigators have too much power. You don't usually show it, and you're subject to the council's constraints, but once something happens..."

“You have far too much leverage to negotiate with the city.”

"..."

Meanwhile, the young vampire next to him was so frustrated that he was practically sucking blood from his gums.

“Mr. Via…”

Not much time was wasted; as the vehicle approached the overpass in front of Giant Horn City, the voice on the walkie-talkie crackled to life:
"The council has agreed to all your requests."

Via, the independent investigator from Giant Horn City, suddenly opened his eyes: "Now, it's time to get started."

At this moment, a group of armed men and people carrying boxes had gathered in front of the overpass. Mr. Via, who got out of the car, was immediately surrounded by a large crowd.

Some people took the signed documents, while others were eager to ask about the handling of various issues: "Mr. Via, if we activate the power of the Reality Bed within Giant Horn City, the entire city may experience a three-second daze."

"Within the territory of Giant Horn City, all mysterious forces will be prohibited, and as usual, any abnormal events that are being observed and dealt with will also be suspended."

"The Disaster Management Bureau urgently reported eleven ongoing tasks."

"Among them, there are six B-level missions and three C-level missions, which have already been screened and confirmed by others."

"There are two matters that require your signature, both classified as Level A anomalies: the ghost plane incident requiring further observation and characterization, and the overlapping door phenomenon that appeared at the South City Wine Cellar, etc..."

"..."

Mr. Via paused slightly and asked, "What is the ghost plane incident?"

The staff member immediately replied, "It's an unregistered civilian aircraft that was spotted four hours ago. It's circling aimlessly over a hundred kilometers from Giant Horn City. We can't make contact with it, we can't determine its purpose, and we haven't detected any mysterious characteristics."

"Just now, the city defense department was preparing to send out aircraft to investigate, but if we were to use the power of the Reality Bed, we would have to suspend the plan."

"..."

"pause!"

Mr. Via made a decision immediately, then raised another thick document in his hand: "What's this?"

"These mercenaries were hired in your name, originally intended to..."

He glanced at the old count and the men from Skinning Manor following behind Investigator Via, then lowered his voice slightly and said, "The troops prepared for war with Skinning Manor have already arrived in part, while the rest are still on their way..."

"Send them all back."

"The mission is cancelled," Via investigator said. "We'll settle the deposit with them and order them to leave Gianthorn City immediately."

"Now is a critical moment. We cannot allow these outsiders to have the opportunity to get close to Giant Horn City."

"Yes!"

One by one, people approached, and one by one they received orders to leave. Mr. Via had arranged everything in the shortest amount of time, and finally arrived at an observation post closest to the edge of Giant Horn City.

He went into the command room, while the old count and the others remained outside.

Looking at the strange, metallic-looking installations before him, investigator Via felt a stirring of challenge within him.

Even as an independent investigator, he rarely had the opportunity to directly access the most fundamental and powerful machinery in each city—time was of the essence, so he didn't dawdle, but slowly reached out and pressed his hand against the complex and bizarre machine.

He spoke in a low voice: "Prepare the entire city of Giant Horn to be on high alert!"

"..."

As his voice carried out, the red and green lights at intersections throughout Giant Horn City began to flash in an eerie rhythm, and armed personnel, people carrying boxes, and even some forces from the Hidden School gradually withdrew their sharpness.

Some experienced people even cut off the power to the house and shut down all power-enabled devices.

……

……

"Oops, it's starting..."

Inside the hotel, Han Su had finished explaining the four directions he had summarized. Meeting the gazes of the others in the room, he nodded slightly and went to the window to look down. He sensed that the city was becoming unusually quiet.

All sounds disappeared, the streets became clean, and the traffic lights seemed to be playing out in a strange frequency.

This gave him a sense of familiarity, yet it was different from anything he had seen before.

"It's the power of the breeding ground of reality..."

Wei Lan said in a low voice, "Or rather, it's the third line of defense in reality!"

"It seems that in order to quell the riot in that secret prison, Giant Horn City has mobilized the most fundamental forces of the city—the countless people living in this city."

"Their beliefs and understanding have formed this powerful spiritual ocean. Using this power, they can suppress all mysterious forces and anomalies within the city, achieve a complete lockdown of the city, and even directly rewrite the city's real-world laws!"

"The cost of this kind of force is great; the entire city will be in a state of confusion and loss of consciousness for a period of time."

"But it's also very scary."

"During this period, anyone who is not permitted to use mystical powers will be immediately identified and punished."

"It seems that Giant Horn City is serious. My suggestion is that we should continue drinking and holding meetings until this lockdown is over."

"..."

Is it indeed similar to the power that Song Chu used in Qinggang before?
Han Su nodded slightly. Back in Qinggang, Song Chu had also used this power to deal with Ms. Shen, but he failed.

Of course, during the Song-Chu period, it was a personal theft, not an act of authority granted by Qinggang, and the scale of the operation was limited.

Realizing what Giant Horn City was doing, he looked into the city and saw the slowly fading projection of the Abundant Forest. He knew that it was Little Sheep Girl leading all the children, trying to shrink her spiritual tentacles.

She summoned the forest only to hide everyone, and had no intention of challenging the Great Horn City.

Unfortunately, she didn't understand that in the adult world, there are some things that she can't avoid on her own.

"Our goal this time is to hunt down that nobleman from Skinning Manor."

Han Su sensed the strange changes outside the window and slowly said, "But if we still have some spare capacity, we can try to help the people in that forest. There are children there, just like we were before."

"So, is there a way?"

"..."

Upon hearing this, Wei Lan merely raised an eyebrow slightly but did not reply.

Rong Qiyue, a little tipsy, rubbed his forehead and said, "That was kind of embarrassing..."

"I was so excited during the meeting, but now that we need to take action, I can't even leave the house..."

"..."

"Didn't I just say, boss, if you need anything, just let me know..."

Just then, a cheerful voice rang out, and everyone's attention immediately turned to Lu Neng. Seeing his calm expression, they were all somewhat shocked: "You have a way?"

To stand against existing defenses on one's own—what level of capability does that require?
"Isn't it easy?"

Lu Neng laughed and said, "If the power of the mystical side is suppressed, then the methods of the non-mystical side can be used freely, right?"

"Anyway, judging by the time, that plane in the air is almost out of fuel..."

"..."

"you……"

Before anyone could say anything, Rong Qiyue reacted first, taking a step back and looking at Lu Neng as if he were a monster: "Did you really steal that plane that was stolen in Qinggang before?"

"I wouldn't steal something that has no artistic value!"

Lu Neng said, "I just borrowed it and haven't returned it yet."

As he spoke, he looked up at the dark night sky, gently raised his hand, and snapped his fingers.

With his other hand hidden in his pocket, he gently swiped through the apps on his phone.

"Snapped!"

With his snap of his fingers, some kind of hidden device was activated. On the mystical side, there was no flow of spiritual power, nor was any mystical power activated. But in the night sky, an empty plane turned around and swooped down towards Giant Horn City.

(End of this chapter)