What witch? The Deadly Pharmacist!

However, this also means that they have not found even a single piece of corroborating evidence and have not obtained approval to torture her, so they can only resort to this non-violent method.

After being taken to the interrogation room, several hours had passed before someone finally came in to ask questions.

Aaron and Bishop Beckett entered the room and looked at Rena, who was handcuffed to a chair, from a distance.

Lena looked up, but couldn't see the other person's face clearly because of the glare from the mirror.

Aaron casually adjusted the angle of the mirror so that the light no longer shone directly on the other person's face. If the other person's expression could not be seen, it would be detrimental to the interrogation.

“Suspect Rena Lothark, are you still not going to confess your crimes?” Bishop Beckett said sternly.

"What crime? I don't know what you're talking about..." Lena said, her voice trembling with tears. "I was just gathering herbs in the mountains, why are you arresting me..."

The crying tone wasn't an act; she was genuinely terrified.

But she still remembered the technique Leon taught her: it doesn't matter what your emotions are like, but never admit anything.

“You didn’t even have a basket when you were caught. What herbs did you gather? And you came down the mountain in the opposite direction from your village,” Bishop Beckett questioned.

“I accidentally fell down the hillside, and I lost my basket at that moment. I couldn’t climb back up, so I could only go down the hillside…”

Lena uttered the words she had rehearsed in her mind many times before.

"Then why won't you even give your name or where you live? This doesn't seem like the reaction of an innocent person," Bishop Beckett said.

“I’m just… too scared…” Lena whispered in response.

“We are the Church; only heretics fear us. So you admit you are a witch?” Bishop Beckett said.

“I told you I’m not a witch! I’ve heard that the Inquisition can find someone’s address, stuff evidence into that person’s house, and then arrest them and torture them into confessing… Are you planning to do that to me right now?” Lena asked in a trembling voice.

“No one would do such a thing, Miss Lotharck. I swear on my honor that the Church guarantees your legal rights, provided you are truly innocent and willing to cooperate with us,” Aaron said.

“We’ve now found your name, your address, and all the places connected to you. You’d better think back to what you did in your cellar, or we’ll have no choice but to torture you,” Bishop Beckett sneered.

At that moment, Lena's heart leaped into her throat; her altar was hidden in the cellar.

But she immediately remembered what Leon had taught her: the stronger the pressure the Inquisitors exerted during the interrogation, the more it meant they didn't have conclusive physical evidence and needed to get her confession.

She could only believe that Leon had already solved the problem of physical evidence before them.

"I don't know what you're talking about... Even if you planted something in my house to frame me, I won't admit it!" She mustered her courage and glared at the two of them.

Aaron and Bishop Beckett exchanged a quick glance, both vaguely realizing that the trial might not make any easy progress.

……

After a while, when they came out of the interrogation room, Bishop Beckett, who had maintained a stern face the whole time, sighed wearily.

They spent the entire day running around, raiding Potter's manor, finding the farm in the maze, and capturing a key suspect, but they ran into a wall when it came to gathering evidence.

The search failed to uncover any crucial physical evidence, and the suspect, Lena Lotharck, showed no signs of backing down.

“Personally, I still think there’s something wrong with her,” Bishop Beckett said.

“Her answer was flawless,” Aaron said.

"The suspect seems to have a strong sense of counter-investigation, as if she has experience being interrogated, but she is not registered in the church's case files."

"We can't completely rule out the possibility that she's not the person we're looking for," Aaron pondered. "Let's send her back to the detention room and leave her in Caroline's care for now."

“Your Highness, there are enough suspicious points about her,” said Bishop Beckett.

“But none of that will work in court. We can’t torture her; she’s just a suspect. We have to protect her rights,” Aaron said seriously.

“Your Highness, there is a time limit to her detention. Once that time is up, we must release her. It is unacceptable for us to close the case without finding the witch!” Bishop Beckett emphasized.

If their final report only proves the crimes of the deceased Potter and finds out that the magic essence was produced locally, but fails to catch the witch who produced it, they might not even be able to prove the suspect's crimes, and the real killer of Caron Esso will remain unidentified...

Such a way of closing the case cannot be considered a merit; on the contrary, it may cast doubt on the prince's abilities.

“But we cannot break the rules. We are the upholders of the law, and we must not do anything that tramples on it,” Aaron said, staring at Bishop Beckett. “I will not allow you to extract a confession on your own!”

“No, Your Highness, I mean we just need to follow the proper procedures. By assessing the magical power levels of those monsters, we can basically conclude that the petrified remains are Esso’s body, which is barely enough to qualify as a major case.” Bishop Bet took a deep breath, as if he had made up his mind. “In your name, and given your relationship with Count Frey, perhaps we can contact Cardinal Stuart of the Prophet Church.”

“You mean…” Aaron frowned slightly.

“We can apply for a supreme investigation order from the Church of the Prophet…” Bishop Beckett said earnestly, “The Church’s only means of completely identifying witches!”

Chapter 67 Visiting the Sick

"Brother Leon? Brother Leon!"

Leon was jolted awake by Melissa's gentle nudges and calls, his face covered in cold sweat.

For a fleeting moment after opening his eyes, he couldn't recall what time it was or where he was.

"Brother Leon?" Melissa stood by the bed and called out again with concern.

Leon turned his head and saw Melissa, then remembered that he was sleeping in his own room, and memories of yesterday slowly surfaced.

Yesterday, he changed his clothes, left the inquisition, went to the post station, rented a carriage, and headed straight for Hekou Village.

Fortunately, when he found Lena's place, the church members had not arrived.

He used the key Lena had given him to open the cellar door and ransacked everything that could be evidence, including the altar, experimental tools, and the remaining potion used to treat the saltification disease.

When he struggled to lift the heavy altar onto the carriage, the wound on his arm even reopened. Fearing that the church people might arrive at any moment, he quickly wrapped it up and drove off. As he passed through the village, he saw apprentice knights searching around asking people for information.

He covered his face with a dust-proof veil, drove his carriage past these people, and fortunately, their attention was focused on asking about Lena and they didn't notice him.

After returning to the city, he secretly hid the crucial evidence in a secluded place. It was already late at night, and he was exhausted to the point of collapse.

Although he was still worried about Lena's condition, he ultimately had no legitimate reason to return to the courthouse at that time, and the strain of his injuries and the high-pressure situation had completely exhausted his strength.

His remaining memories were somewhat hazy. He seemed to have returned home, tended to his bleeding wounds once more, and then collapsed into a deep sleep.

Although he was extremely exhausted, he slept very restlessly.

The bizarre and fantastical dream kept tormenting his consciousness, but when he woke up, he couldn't remember any of the details, only that his clothes were soaked with cold sweat.

“Melissa?” Leon snapped out of his daze, realizing that it was unusual for Melissa to be standing in the room.

This means that when he returned to his room yesterday in a daze, he didn't lock the door at all... no, he probably didn't even close it properly. Melissa might have heard something when she went downstairs and came to check.

“Brother Leon, you were breathing heavily and your face was covered in sweat while you were sleeping, so I came in to wake you…” Melissa said worriedly, her gaze then shifting to Leon’s bandaged arm. “Are you injured again?”

"I was stabbed while on a mission, but it's nothing serious," Leon replied casually, glancing at the morning light streaming in through the window. "What time is it now?"

“The clock just struck eight, and Mom is still lying in bed. I’m about to make breakfast. Brother Leon, what would you like to eat?” Melissa asked.

"I don't have much of an appetite right now," Leon said softly, getting up to change his clothes. "I have to go to work."

Recalling Lena's capture yesterday, that nauseating pressure returned to Leon once again.

Having finally regained some strength, he now only wanted to get to the Inquisition as soon as possible to check on the situation.

"You're injured, why are you going to work? You should rest! Eat something, you need to recover!" Melissa urged.

“I’m fine, Melissa…” Leon forced a smile at Melissa.

Just then, there was a sudden knock on the door.

Leon and Melissa were both taken aback for a moment, then Melissa reacted and walked towards the door: "Coming!"

She was somewhat confused. After her mother fell ill and the family incurred debts, few people came to visit, except for debt collectors. But when debt collectors knocked on the door, they were often not so gentle; instead, they were more aggressive.

She opened the door, and there stood a well-dressed, handsome young man with a polite smile on his face, holding a gift box in his hands.

"Hello, little sister, is this the home of Judge Leon Set?"

Standing outside the door, Aaron asked Melissa in a warm tone.

“Yes, yes. Brother Leon!” Melissa answered somewhat awkwardly. She was about to turn around and call Leon when she found that Leon was already behind her.

"Director, what brings you here?" Leon seemed surprised, and also a little nervous.

After all, he had just transferred a batch of crucial evidence, and being approached by his superior at this time could easily lead him to believe that things might be exposed.

“It is only proper etiquette for a superior to visit a sick and injured subordinate, not to mention that you were injured in my place. It is only right and proper for me to come and see you,” Aaron said.

Leon breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this and returned a polite smile: "I am truly flattered by your kindness. Please come in."

Melissa quickly stepped aside to let Aaron into the house. Aaron looked at Melissa and asked Leon, "Is this your sister?"

“This is my landlord’s daughter, Melissa,” Leon introduced, then said to Melissa, “Melissa, this is Director Diaz of the Inquisition, my superior.”

"Ah, hello!" Upon learning the other person's identity, Melissa became even more nervous and subconsciously lowered her head.

“Hello, Melissa,” Aaron replied with a smile.

"I...I'll go get some water!" Melissa realized and ran to the kitchen.

"I apologize for my abrupt visit. I looked up your address at the office and came straight here. This is holy water for healing. I hope you recover soon," Aaron said to Leon, picking up the gift box.

"You're too kind... Please come in and sit for a while," Leon replied politely.

"Won't this bother your landlord?" Aaron asked.

"It's alright, come inside." Leon led Aaron to the dining table.

Seeing that the house had no living room and could only accommodate guests at the dining table, Aaron blinked, but in the end, he sat down without making a sound.

"Please use the water." Melissa brought the water to the two of them.

Seeing that what was served was not tea but boiled water, Aaron still smiled and nodded: "Thank you, Melissa."

He keenly noticed the calluses on Melissa's hands; he had never seen a child of that age with such hands.

The old and worn-out furniture and utensils that the family couldn't bear to replace, along with Melissa's clothes, all made him clearly aware of the family's financial difficulties.

"Melissa, go upstairs and take care of your mother. I'll take care of the guesthouse," Leon said, winking at Melissa.

"Ah! Okay..." Melissa suddenly realized.

After her mother contracted salinity disease, her condition improved thanks to the holy water that Bishop Leona had provided privately. It was not convenient for the church to know about this, so just in case, she should go upstairs and remind her mother.

After Melissa went upstairs, Aaron looked at Leon and asked, "Is the landlady sick?"

“It’s halogenation,” Leon replied after a moment of silence.

Aaron paused for a moment, then immediately understood why the family was struggling financially.

"That child must have had a tough time," Aaron thought of the calluses on Melissa's hands.

"Yes, their family has some debts..."

Leon briefly explained Melissa's family situation, which made Aaron frown.

There are many impoverished families like this in the country, but given his status, he rarely has the opportunity to come into contact with them.

He now needs to conceal his identity and has no way to directly provide the family with help that can change their situation. At most, he can only send someone anonymously to deliver some things to help them after he leaves Hamel Town.

Moreover, salinization disease is incurable, which means that even with his resources, he is powerless to help.

“Melissa seems to get along well with you. You often help them out, don’t you?” Aaron said.

"I can only do what I can," Leon replied softly.

Aaron's gaze toward Leon grew increasingly appreciative. After a moment, he asked in a formal tone, "Judge Seth, I've been considering this since yesterday. I'm planning to promote you to captain of the third team. Would you be willing to accept?"

"This..." Leon was greatly surprised, "Am I qualified?"

“The captaincy of the third team is still vacant. Your performance yesterday was better than any of the other captains. I think you are fully capable and qualified to take on the role,” Aaron said earnestly. “After we get back, I will write up the letter of appointment. Once you have recovered from your injury and return, you will be the captain.”

"Thank you, sir..." Leon forced a smile.

Honestly, even if he got promoted at a time like this, he wouldn't be happy at all.

Lena is still in custody.

"By the way, sir, how did yesterday's case go? I heard when I left that the witch had been caught?" Leon brought up the topic.

"Well, we've run into a little problem..." Aaron sighed softly.

He briefly explained the situation of yesterday's investigation to Leon. As the inquisitor involved in the case, Leon was qualified to know the details of the case.

“Without evidence, if the suspect doesn’t confess, then in thirty days we’ll just have to…” Leon tentatively confirmed.

"That's how it works according to procedure," Aaron nodded.

After hearing this, Leon breathed a sigh of relief and lowered his eyes, saying, "I see..."

Aaron appears to be a law-abiding boss who values ​​reputation more than profit, completely unlike Caron. It seems unlikely that he would violate regulations and torture Lena without authorization.