Kingdom's Bloodline Chapter 748

“Hey, hey, little brat, did you have your brain damaged by Jacques?”

In the dungeon, the person who said this to Thales was not Lausanne II who was laughing sarcastically, but Miss Hilley who was standing aside with her hands on her hips and frowning.

 She raised her hands in disbelief:

 “That's all for being pedantic, what else do you want to do now? Reformulate murderers?”

Thales pursed his lips politely and exhaled amidst Lausanne II's almost dying laughter.

“Of course not,” he looked thoughtfully at the vampire killer whose laughter faded, “No one in this world can be influenced, only you can awaken.”

 “Tsk, tsk,” Heeley responded with a disdainful snort, “It would be a pity if you don't go to church and become a preacher.”

Thales did not answer. He just turned his head and smiled at Hilley.

 “Who do you think you are, little brat?”

 The voice of the prisoner sounded at the right time:

 “Mohasa, the prophet who saves people in distress?”

Lausanne II, who had had enough laughter, tried his best to raise his head with a ruthless look on his face:

“I am hopeless, can I be influenced, can I wake up, what the **** are you doing?”

The chained vampire killer seemed to have received the greatest insult in his life, and he made a rare rude statement:

“Or do you think that as a prince, not to mention rescuing people in need, but even drinking from the chamber pot every night, someone should be rushing to drink from it, and you should be grateful to everyone for your kindness?”

After the words fell, Miss Kevin Deere on the other side raised her eyebrows with an expression of disgust, and deliberately reached out and slapped her nose.

Tales frowned.

Hmm, it's not a good start.

Tales sighed and brushed his hair.

Ignoring Hilley's disdainful expression and Lausanne II's cold gaze, he sat on the ground without feeling dirty and stared at the killer thoughtfully.

“You broke into the house of the late Grand Inquisitor Brennan, the judge of the old Duke's assassination, on the day he died.”

 Lausanne II snorted coldly.

Tales has complicated eyes:

“But you didn't hurt anyone else that night—the gardener, the cook, the housekeeper, the servants, not even the neighbor's dog.”

“Because they are smart enough to know not to block my way,” the killer said coldly, “What do you think happened to their employer?”

Hilai chuckled, made a face in an invisible direction, and shook her head repeatedly.

 But Thales was still serious, he just stared at Lausanne II extremely seriously:

“Grand Inquisitor Brennan took poison and died.”

 Lausanne II smiled maliciously.

"That bad old man wanted to buy me a drink with poisoned wine to outwit the suspect," the killer said with a ferocious expression, "but he didn't expect that I would drink a full glass of wine and nothing would happen. But it was his turn to drink, you say , does he drink or not?"

Tales looked at each other with no expression on his face.

 Lausanne II restrained his smile and his eyes were cold:

 “Fortunately, he is smart enough: if his life falls into my hands, I will torture him until his life is worse than death.”

Hilai raised his eyebrows and rubbed his gloves intentionally or unintentionally.

 Thales did not speak, he just sighed:

“Based on tips from the public, we discovered the hiding place where you and Federico have been hiding on Tomb Street these days.”

Lausanne II remained calm:

 “Why, do you still want me to praise you?”

"It was a building materials warehouse, with many chains in the isolated secret room." Thales ignored his sarcasm. "It is said that when you are thirsty for blood and lose your mind, you will lock yourself there to avoid Harm other people.”

Hilai frowned slightly and looked at the inhuman captive in front of her.

 The dungeon was quiet for a moment.

"To avoid harm? Ha," Lausanne II said disdainfully, "During that time, in order to kill people, I drank a lot of blood."

 Dan Thales shook his head:

“Both Federico and the Corleone family offered to supply human blood so that you could act, but you rejected both.”

“Why, are vampires who don't drink blood weird? I've even seen Northlanders who don't drink!”

"Even if you have to go out to grab blood food," Thales continued, "you will only pick out the lone scum of the Blood Bottle Gang and the Brotherhood, especially the extremely vicious and carefree ones..."

 The lone scum…

Hearing this phrase, Lausanne II was in a trance.

“It's not necessarily free of worries,” he said suddenly, “even the scum in the gutter will still have relatives and friends.”

 There will be people who are willing to avenge them and look forward to death.

No matter how funny or silly the scene looks.

Hilai's expression changed slightly, and he began to look at the prisoner in front of him with a different look.

Thales narrowed his eyes:

“During that time, the two gangsters were so anxious and nervous that they would rather make less money and finish work early every day, which actually made the security officers feel a lot more relaxed.”

 The killer came back to his senses and sneered:

“Then why didn't I see you award me the Honorary Citizen Award?”

Hilai, who had been staring at Lausanne II for observation, turned his head at this moment, shrugged and shook his head.

 But Thales refused to give up:

“And every time you hunt, you deliberately avoid places where women, children, and poor people gather.”

Hilai's eyes moved.

 Lausanne II's expression paused.

Thales tentatively said:

 “I guess—chivalry?”

The next second, the killer suddenly changed his color and let out an angry voice:

 “Shit spirit!”

He could be seen gnashing his teeth, twisting his neck as hard as he could under the weight of the shackles, and yelling ferociously:

“Women and children...Didn't Little Knife tell you? Women's menstrual blood is smelly and dirty. It's so unlucky that even the blood slaves can't swallow it!”

Hirai frowned.

 Lausanne II was still excited, and the chains on his body could not help but make noise:

“As for the poor old haters...Why, haven't you, the noble prince of gold, had enough of the putrid stench, urine smell, mud and excrement smell in the ditch under the Beimen Bridge?”

 Thales waited quietly for him to finish venting his inexplicable anger.

“But a long time ago, you were one of the poor old haters here.”

 The prince's words were calm, but the killer trembled all over.

“It is said that at that time, the Emerald City was still developing, and there were still large areas of barren fields outside the North Gate Bridge, with countless tents and wooden houses, covered with ravines and pits. When it rained, it was muddy and dirty.”

Hilai noticed something, and her look at Lausanne II became complicated.

Lausanne II was breathing in a daze, but he reacted in just a few seconds and pulled the chain with a clanging sound:

“So I've had enough! I want to get ahead and live well, is that enough?”

Thales observed him silently, smiled slightly, and continued to change the subject without arguing.

"When you were hunting for blood, you raided the kennel of Sangarei of the Blood Bottle Gang in the suburbs and slaughtered all his men." The young man added, "His people who used to specialize in human trafficking have now turned into cat and dog traffickers. subordinates."

 Lausanne II's breathing calmed down.

“More than that,” Lausanne II's expression was cheerful and cruel for the first time, revealing some of his true qualities as a killer. “I also hung them upside down and drained their blood—all of them listened to their wailing until dawn.”

Thales frowned slightly and nodded:

“However, his dogs, the cats and dogs in Sangare that were locked in cages and left to be traded and slaughtered, wild game cubs, and even vicious guard dogs...”

Thales' eyes moved:

“But they all had their cages opened, their ropes cut off, and they were released.”

The prince said in a deep voice:

"Why?"

 The killer prisoner was silent for a while.

“A dog's nose is very good and he might be able to smell me,” he turned around and snorted coldly, “Besides, dog blood is not as delicious as human blood.”

Tales frowned.

"Look, Lausanne II, I'm trying my best to understand you," the young man looked at the captives in front of him with a headache, wondering if he should just let Morgan and the others in to be "civilized and courteous", "but you seem to be quite resistant to kindness from others. "

 Lausanne II sneered.

"Good intentions are poison," he said unappreciatively, "and are false excuses for people to fall into the abyss."

Hilai sighed helplessly as he looked at the prisoner's helpless appearance.

 “Told you.”

  She made a "did you see it?" expression to Thales:

 “Absolutely despairing.”

"yes."

Thales crossed his arms and nodded seriously:

 “It is precisely because he is desperate that he deliberately angers me.”

 Just want a quick death.

 Lausanne II said nothing.

 “Please.”

Hilai rolled his eyes:

 “I'm not talking about him.”

Tales' expression froze, but he quickly coughed to wipe away the embarrassment.

“Well, since you refuse to accept kindness and help, that's okay,” Thales pulled out a crumpled roll of documents from his bulging pocket, “but do you mind giving some away?”

Hilai said doubtfully:

"What?"

Thales opened the crumpled documents, pulled out a few of them, and showed them one by one in front of the killer:

It was a set of sketches, which seemed to be the interior of a mansion. The stamp of the police hall was faintly visible under the document.

 Lausanne II kept frowning until he saw the last one:

"What's this?"

“This is the scene of the murder of the wool merchant Diop and his mistress.”

Thales retracted the sketch of two corpses tied to a bed:

“In fact, this was a private residence that he rented to his mistress for their trysts.”

 Lausanne II understood and couldn't help but sneer.

"Like the wine merchant Moss, the defense attorney Slimani, and many others on your list who were also killed: Diop once lived in poverty, but after the assassination of the old Duke, he became rich and became the leader of Kongming Palace. Black account butler."

Thales folded up the documents and changed his voice:

“However, from then on, he indulged in debauchery, such as keeping a stage actress as his mistress.”

  Lausanne II remained unmoved.

"Diop's married wife knew this very well. But just like the wives of many successful people, for the sake of their children and dignity, Mrs. Diop had to pretend not to know, endure it when her wealthy businessman husband was on a business trip, and even Support the hostess's dignity in front of others, smile and pretend to be happy.”

Thales lamented:

“She has been suffering and tortured, but after Diop's accident, she felt a lot more relaxed.”

Hilai raised his eyebrows.

"One of my subordinates noticed this keenly during the investigation. Through patient conversation and enlightenment, he successfully made Mrs. Diop let down her guard, tell the truth, and gave the address of her mistress's residence—yes, she I always knew where my husband was going on a 'business trip'."

Thales sighed:

“But after being 'educated' by the latter with a stick, she never questioned him again, let alone came to catch him.”

 Lausanne II remained silent.

“It was in that mansion that two of my subordinates found Mr. Diop and his mistress who were tied to the bed and had long since died.”

 Thales put on a straight face and got to the point:

 “I also met you for the first time.”

Hearing this, the killer finally sneered:

“I was responsible for the case, do you have any objections?”

"Yes, you did it," Thales nodded slowly. "My subordinates, including the police department investigating the case, also think so - a ruthless killer who leaves no survivors or witnesses."

 Lausanne II snorted disdainfully.

Thales observed his expression, paused briefly, and spoke softly:

“Until Judge Brennan refused to sign when reviewing the case, he ordered it dismissed.”

 Lausanne II was slightly startled.

 “Brennan?”

“Yes, that's the old judge who bought you a drink.”

Tiles sighed and pulled out another page, on which Brennan's signature was clearly visible:

“In fact, this was the last case he handled during his lifetime—Emerald City Law stipulates that all cases of unnatural death within the jurisdiction must be subject to final review by the trial hall before the case can be closed and the remains can be buried.”

Hilai, who was listening in the audience, had a premonition of something and his eyes moved.

“It was the meticulous Grand Inquisitor Brennan who noticed during the review that the closing report on Diop's death was too simple, hasty and incomplete.”

 The killer froze.

 Thales sighed softly and pulled out another report from the file:

“Until this morning, Brennan's student and successor, Acting Inquisitor Ibonin, finally got the latest and most complete autopsy report in a hurry.”

 I saw Thales clearing his throat:

“According to the oral accounts and recollections of the coroner and police officer at the scene, and repeated cross-checking by three coroners, the police department confirmed that there were two deceased persons, a man and a woman, and their times of death were not consistent.”

What?

Hilai was slightly surprised when he heard this, and turned to look at Lausanne II.

 But the latter did not move at all, just staring at the darkness above his head.

Tiles continued:

“Females are earlier and men are later, with a rough estimate of up to twelve hours. Even the cause of death is different: the male deceased's wrist artery was accurately and neatly cut, and he eventually bled to death.”

“But the other female deceased suffered multiple blunt blows to the head and died.” Thales read the report with a slightly gloomy tone. “The rope marks on her hands show that she had a fierce struggle before her death.”

At that moment, the killer's eyes were extremely complicated.

"Even the two deceased persons were tied to the bed, and the knots tied on their hands and feet were made in completely different ways. The knots used to tie the male deceased were simple and tight, which clearly indicated that the person who tied them was stable and experienced; the knots used to tie the female deceased were very different. It's messy and complicated, and there are many dead knots that are ineffective and repeated, which may mean that the binder is panicked and nervous.”

Tales put down the report and sighed softly.

“My two subordinates, firstly, the incident happened suddenly and there was not enough time; secondly, they were neither professional nor had relevant experience; thirdly, they only focused on the target person and did not observe the other deceased at the scene carefully enough…”

Thinking of Glover and D.D., Thales spoke with a heavy tone and mixed emotions:

“As for the police department that later took over the scene...the big shots in Kongming Palace made a statement: Reduce the impact, close the case as soon as possible, and not hesitate to identify the 'murderer' if necessary.

“Secondly, the police officers assigned to this case are all talented people, especially since this case has many connections. As you can imagine, no one wants to cause trouble. They just want to wrap up the case quickly and end it as soon as possible. One more thing is worse than one less thing.”

 In other words, everyone is more concerned about the power struggle behind it, but no one pays attention to the details of the case itself.

Only then will the complete autopsy report be suppressed.

 For the stability of the overall situation, and for the benefit of many parties.

 Thereby ignoring living human life.

The voice in his heart was calm and cold:

 This is a conspiracy from top to bottom, consciously or unconsciously.

The reasons are sufficient and the motivation is reasonable.

 The price is the disappearance of the truth.

Until the aging Judge Brennan used his last breath of persistence to pierce the shroud covering everything.

 Lausanne II was still looking at the dark ceiling in a daze.

Hilai understood something. She looked at the killer in front of her in disbelief:

 “So, you, you didn't…”

Tiles' cold and serious voice sounded at the right time:

“Losanne II, you killed Diop and drained his blood, there is no doubt about it.”

However, he paused and changed the subject:

“But his mistress is not, at least she was not killed by you—a professional killer who even avoids women and children when hunting.”

 Lausanne II came back to his senses and sighed fiercely:

 “Bah.”

Hilai frowned fiercely, but Thales didn't care at all. He spoke slowly and asked seriously:

 “Tell me, killer, what happened?”

 “I'm tired of killing people, so I occasionally change my approach.” This time, Lausanne II was straightforward, but he was still full of hostility and sarcasm. “What's wrong? I'm surprised?”

Tales shook his head.

“Previously, you killed people cleanly and without leaving any traces. Only at Diop's mistress' house, you lingered there and seemed to be rummaging for something, so that you bumped into one of my men. Why?”

 Lausanne II turned his head to the other side and sneered disdainfully.

“Killers all have their own quirks,” he said coldly. “When you kill two people, you have to leave some souvenirs.”

Tales frowned slightly.

 “He's helping you, asshole!”

Hilai was irritated by the other party's attitude. She finally couldn't hold it back anymore and pointed at Thales, who was solemnly crossing her arms, angrily:

“Don't you see that this stupid, hopelessly pedantic little brat is your only hope now?”

　　After hearing these words that were either supportive or derogatory, Thales had a strange expression.

 Actually... the word "little brat" is already too much.

 “I don't need help.”

 Lausanne II's face was cold and his eyes were dead.

 There is no need for hope.

That thing disappeared many years ago.

Hilai laughed angrily.

Her eyebrows were raised, she rolled up her sleeves and was about to pull off her gloves:

 “Yes, then you must need another kind of help. I promise you won't regret it...”

 Lausanne II's eyes turned cold.

Thales sighed, stood up to comfort the eldest lady, and spoke softly:

 “That's not poison.”

Hilai was so angry that he blurted out without even thinking:

"What?"

Thales signaled her to calm down, and turned to Lausanne II:

“Judge Brennan, the night you went to kill him according to the list, he took out the expensive old wine that he had treasured for many years and invited you to drink it together.”

 Lausanne II's expression did not change.

 “But what he put in the bottle was not poison.”

Tales' tone was calm, but the other two were stunned.

"It's a powerful analgesic that his wife used before she died - Brennan didn't intend to kill you, nor did he intend to poison you, he just wanted to numb you."

Thales looked at Lausanne II and sighed:

“Obviously, he didn't know your details and misjudged the efficacy of the medicine.”

 At that moment, Lausanne II was stunned.

 Not...poison?

 “But, but Brennan himself...” Hilley understood, still confused.

“Brennan's real cause of death was heart abnormality and organ failure caused by an overdose of analgesics.”

 Thales turned out another page and spoke in a heavy tone:

“Or, if that comforts you, he is old and dying.”

　　　【I am leaving here, no matter what the circumstances are...there is no need to pursue any further pursuit, let alone seek revenge, but destiny has arrived and destiny must return. 】

Tiles couldn't help but look sad when he thought of the words in Brennan's suicide note.

 Lausanne II understood something.

 You are so comforting.

 He stared blankly at the boundless darkness above his head.

fart.

 “Then why…” Heeley frowned.

Thales knew what she was wondering about and handed her the drug identification report that was later added:

“Under the pressure of raging public opinion and eager to solve the case, the Police Department intentionally or unintentionally mistook analgesics for poison—after all, the principle of many fatal poisons is to induce nerve paralysis, leading to cardiopulmonary failure.”

Of course, you have to say, as an old judge who is aloof and stubborn, and often questions or even rejects the closing report without giving face, does Brennan's long-standing bad relationship with the Police Department and other major government agencies play a role in this? , that's hard to say.

and…

Thales sighed in his heart:

At the time of Brennan's death, the nominal head of the Kongming Palace had been replaced by the Duke of Star Lake from the royal capital, from Jann Kelvindir.

The chains on Lausanne II's body rang slightly, attracting the attention of the two people.

 “I, I don't understand.”

 The killer finally spoke.

 He gritted his teeth, breathed quickly, and his eyes were frozen.

Why…

 Why does that old man want to be so...

Tales knew what he didn't understand.

 “I still have an old document here.”

The prince was silent for a while, turned over the crumpled papers in his hand, and took out a few old yellowed papers.

“What is recorded above is the Emerald Celebration a long time ago: the late King Eddie led his family and his chariot to the Emerald City in person, to appease his allies and enjoy himself with the people.”

  Thales paid attention to the other party's expression:

 “Until the royal entourage bullied the people in the market and beat up the vendors.”

Sure enough, the killer's expression changed slightly.

"After the incident, the public was dissatisfied and public opinions surged. Fortunately, the Bright Star royal family acted impartially and never protected themselves. They took the initiative to hand over the culprit to the Emerald City authorities: a young servant who came from the South Coast Territory, was poor and had no background, and was not gregarious. Just temporarily joining the ranks of the royal family."

At that moment, Lausanne II's eyes trembled.

Hilai's eyes flickered back and forth between Thales and the captive, with complex and subtle implications.

"Originally, it was an ordinary privileged case. The principal culprit confessed his crime publicly and was punished. The people were angry and applauded. The Emerald City handled matters efficiently and timely. The kingdom's politics were clear, equal and just. The royal family's reputation for impartiality was intact or even better. Floor, the guards cleared their grievances and proved that 'the team is generally very decent', everyone is satisfied with this matter, everyone is happy, and it is over..."

From an angle that no one could see, Lausanne II gritted his teeth.

"Yet Assistant Inquisitor Brennan - who was not yet Grand Inquisitor at the time - refused to accept this outcome or to punish the poor little squire in a daze."

Thales sighed and put away the fiercely worded and uncompromising letter written by young Brennan to the Duke of Leinster:

“He ignored the advice of the Duke of Leinster, risked offending the royal family, and withstood pressure from many parties and obstructions...

“Unable to find the criminal involved, he insisted that King Eddy II attend the trial in person. As the first person responsible, he took responsibility for the misdeeds of his subordinates who bullied the people, and sentenced him to apologize in person.

“Finally, Brennan counted seven crimes based on the city's laws and fined my grandfather a full 3,728 gold coins in front of the entire Emerald City before closing the case.”

Hile frowned upon hearing this, while Lausanne II remained motionless.

 “Does it sound familiar?”

Thales looked at the prisoner with sharp eyes:

 “Especially the little attendant, the small role, the temporary worker who was pushed out to take charge?”

The chains on Lausanne II shook.

　　【Then come and have a drink with me, kid. 】

His eyes flashed back to that night not long ago, when he approached the old inquisitor with only one sword, the relief and understanding on his face, and even...sympathy.

　　　Let me tell you everything and you will understand. 】

 At this point, Lausanne II finally understood something.

 But he remained silent and his expression was as frozen as a stone statue.

 Thales was a little discouraged. He waved the document on his hand:

"Please, say something, even for Brennan's sake..."

"not only that."

 Lausanne II spoke out.

 “They are not just bullying the people.”

His tone was hollow, almost acquiescing, which surprised Thales.

I saw the killer staring blankly above his head, looking at the deep darkness with no end in sight, no matter then or now, in dreams or reality.

Back then, what kind of royal guards would be stupid, or in other words, cheap enough to oppress the people at the bottom? Or the local people of Emerald City?

 Just when the king's chariot was out patrolling the south bank?

"They just want to frame that innocent attendant." Lausanne II said blankly.

 Not because of the commoner himself.

Rather, it was because the knight teacher behind the little squire was a swordsman with many talents and a high reputation. He was also a former squire who had only a brief acquaintance with the late king.

However, he insisted on being neutral and impartial, and refused to hold important positions. Therefore, he was valued by the king, and his every word was very important, and could even influence the royal family to appoint a heir apparent.

The man who gave his attendants the opportunity to change their destiny, gave them skills, and showed deep kindness to them...

It also gave them political shackles that bound them for life, causing them endless suffering and causing them to kill each other...

 The Great Knight of Joaquín.

 Lausanne II had empty eyes and was in a trance.

 Thales and Hilley looked at each other.

 Maybe more than that.

Perhaps the case of bullying the people was related to the political game between the royal center and the South Coast Territory when the king was on tour - whether it was reputation or actual profit.

Tales thought silently.

A knight squire from the south coast, in the royal team, oppressed the people in the Emerald City, aroused the resentment of the locals, damaged the king's reputation, caused headaches to all parties, and was in a dilemma...

From the perspective of identity, to the impact of events, every link is full of complicated calculations and tug-of-war.

Thales thought silently:

 Just like what I am experiencing now as a royal envoy in the Emerald City.

"As for that stupid attendant, he was passing by, or in other words, he was tricked into passing by, and he took action to stop him," Lausanne II said blankly, "otherwise, they would beat the hawker to death."

Of course, back then, the rewards he received for fighting injustice...

　　It was the oppressed hawker who was horrified and cowering in the courtroom. In front of everyone, he identified the perpetrators in unison:

That little attendant was the one who bullied him.

Hilai turned his head and sighed.

 Talk about the past, the prisoner in front of him finally spoke, but for some reason, Thales did not feel the slightest sense of victory.

 On the contrary, an inexplicable sadness welled up in my heart.

　　【Every time I put down the gavel and take off my official robe, I still can't help but think about it again and again:

 Each time I review a case, do I thoroughly study the facts of the case and make no omissions?    In every trial, am I detached, neutral and impartial?

 Every time I speak, do I think clearly and explain appropriately?

 Every time the hammer falls, am I worthy of my oath and original intention, not only protecting the interests of the weak, but also restraining the arrogance of the strong, upholding fairness, and not violating the law?

 Have I ever misjudged a case over the years? Have you ever wronged a good person? Contributed to oppression and exploitation?

Have I ever let friendship and loyalty, hatred and anger, interests and gains and losses cloud my judgment without me knowing it, or pretending not to? 】

Taylors couldn't help but think of the self-doubt in Brennan's suicide note, and he felt even deeper now.

“So, Brennan was right to persist.”

Thales exhaled, braced himself, and said to the dazed prisoner:

“No matter what the reason is—justice, truth, duty, or conscience, he finally recognized his old friend..."

 Still apologizing for the assassination of the Duke that year.

“No matter in the past or now, when the entire Emerald City wants your life...”

 The young man closed his eyes and couldn't suppress the sadness in his heart:

 “He's the one who really wants to help,”

Jingle Bell…

At that moment, the chains on the prisoners began to squeak.

  【I understand, child, I have seen people like you...】

The words of the old judge before he died rang in his ears, gentle and melancholy.

 Lausanne II suddenly opened his mouth!

He breathed heavily, as if he would drown in the air if he took one less breath.

The wounds on his body erupted in severe pain, but it could not affect him in the slightest, and the bloodthirsty monster in his body was nowhere to be seen.

　　【What do you want to let go of, but the pain is unbearable? What do you want to hold on to, but you feel empty and empty...】

 Lausanne II suddenly found that he had been shaking.

 But he knew that this tremor was completely different from the tremor he felt when facing fire and sunlight.

Those are instinctive tremors, animalistic fears.

 And now…

 The fear now is…

　　【You understand too little, and you don't understand too much... You don't know what to be loyal to, so you can only grit your teeth and lower your head, numb your eyes, and alleviate the pain and depression a little...】

 Lausanne II bit his lower lip so hard that it drew blood.

That stupid old man.

 He clenched his fists and forced himself to repeat this.

 It's all meaningless things…

 Help?

madness.

madness…

How stupid!

　　【It's okay, kid, I've had it too, it's okay, you will understand in the end, it will pass, it will pass...】

The old man finished speaking and slowly fell down, clutching his heart.

 But he still smiled at him.

 “Ahhhhhh!!”

 The next moment, Lausanne II, who could no longer bear it, screamed at the darkness.

 Hoarse and desperate.

"I don't need it," the killer said emotionally, "I don't need his help at all! That bad old man!"

No! need! want!

Why?

Why!

madness!

madness! !

Tiles and Hilley were startled by the killer's sudden move at first, but after coming back to their senses, the prince understood something.

"You do not need?"

 I saw Thales snorting coldly.

 “Who do you think you are, a killer? The suffering prophet Jurlands?”

 Lausanne II's roar weakened.

“Do you think your misfortunes and past setbacks are really that important, so critical, so unique, so incomparable?”

 Thales' eyes were cold and his voice was stern, which surprised Hilley next to him.

"Does it mean that everyone in the world, no matter tall, short, fat, thin, rich or poor, must be deeply moved and can't wait to sympathize with you, pity you, and save you? So that you can still pretend to be noble and self-righteous and picky." , I need this help, I don't need that help'?”

I don't know whether he didn't understand or was really touched. The killer turned his head blankly and stared at Thales blankly.

"And why do you think that, as the chief inquisitor of the entire Emerald City, you are the only one Brennan can, wants to, want to, and must help?"

Tales took a deep breath and quickly flipped through the documents in his hand.

“Especially, those who don't have your skill and strength, are stubborn and stubborn, but also want to get fairness and truth in this world...”

Thales threw the documents on the Diop case in front of Lausanne II:

 “Ordinary people.”

 Lausanne II turned his eyes:

The paper just stopped on the autopsy report of Diop's mistress, and the words "multiple bludgeonings" were particularly bold.

 The killer's breath was stagnant.

 Just listen to the prince's cold voice:

“For example: In the Emerald City back then, the young attendant was innocently framed and pushed out to take responsibility.”

 The killer shuddered slightly.

 Lausanne II's breathing quickened, his expression became fierce, he turned his head and gritted his teeth:

 “You know what the heck!”

Thales showed no sign of weakness and snorted coldly.

 “Yeah, I know shit, but you?”

Thales looked at a piece of letter paper in the document in his hand, recalling the solemnity and majesty in the court, the late Grand Inquisitor who reflected repeatedly on himself in the letter, missed his late wife, and devoted himself to his work, and then looked at the motionless and unmoving in front of him. , a vampire killer who claims to be cold-blooded and self-righteous, can't help but feel angry and unworthy of the former.

 “Even if you know it, it's just bullshit.”

The next second, Thales slapped the document in his hand on the ground in front of Lausanne II:

 “You may not care, Lausanne II, but the fact is...”

He was still upset and gave the prisoner a middle finger:

“Even when you are cowardly and incompetent and have given up, surrendered to reality, closed yourself off and destroyed your conscience, boasted that you have seen through the world and know the truth, and your meager life will only be filled with pretense and empty sarcasm...”

Thales gritted his teeth and said:

"In this world, there are still people, countless people, sparing no effort in the darkness at every moment, striving to move forward."

Just for the end of darkness, that light that may never come.

As soon as the words fell, the dungeon fell silent.

 Lausanne II stared blankly at the paper in front of him, still silent.

Tales clenched his fists and his chest heaved, trying his best to adjust his emotions.

On the other side, Hille Kelvindir, who witnessed the entire process, let out a long sigh.

 She walked forward slowly and bent down to pick up the papers scattered on the floor.

 “Okay, it's okay, calm down.”

The eldest lady's voice was surprisingly gentle, as if she was comforting a child.

But it seemed to be surprisingly useful. Thales took a deep breath to calm down.

 She organized the documents, raised her head and asked:

"what's next?"

Thales closed his eyes, opened them again, gritted his teeth and said:

 “No more. We can go.”

Hile was startled, looked at the document in his hand, and then looked at Lausanne II who seemed to have lost his soul and remained motionless.

 “What? That's it?”

Thales turned his head away from the prisoner and nodded with all his strength:

"that's all."

Hilai frowned. She glanced at her gloves and then at Thales. She wanted to say something, but finally sighed:

 “Okay, let me hear you out.”

 She stood up and walked towards the small door of the dungeon first.

 The chains rang.

 “She is dead.”

A hoarse voice sounded, and the breath was like a gossamer.

 The two men's footsteps stopped in unison.

Hilai turned around and said doubtfully:

"What?"

I saw Lausanne II still staring at the darkness above his head, and said dullly:

 “When I arrived, the wool merchant's mistress was already dead.”

 Thales and Hilley looked at each other, then turned around again.

 “How did you die?”

Tales asked.

Lausanne II slowly turned his head, and his eyes that focused away from the darkness were calm:

“I, I tied the wool merchant next to her body and interrogated him—even using supernatural powers.”

According to Federico's plan, he should have just killed someone, but...

“After I killed the wine merchant, the wool merchant began to worry. He was worried that someone would reopen the Duke's assassination case, and he was even more worried that someone—no matter who it was—was going to kill him or get him to testify, so he planned to flee the city to avoid trouble.”

Lausanne II said slowly:

“But he didn't have enough cash on hand, and he didn't dare to go home to get the money. Then he suddenly remembered that he had spent a lot on his mistress, and he wanted to get some back for travel expenses..."

Tales' eyelids twitched.

Hilai frowned and asked:

“So, Diop killed his mistress because she didn't want to pay her?”

 Lausanne II shook his head with dull eyes, causing the chain to rustle.

“On the contrary, she was happy to do it, and it was just a little more – all her savings from her days as an actress.”

At this point, Lausanne II snorted and said sarcastically:

 “For this man, this 'true love' that she found after all the hard work.”

Hilai couldn't help but wonder:

 “What? Then why is Diop still…”

"Because she has no cash in hand, only bank checks, and she needs to go out and sign to withdraw the money," Lausanne II said coldly. "Obviously, Diop does not believe her words and thinks this is an excuse for her to get rid of herself."

Love.

“He is still suspicious, thinking that since he is involved in such a big case, she might betray him later..."

Love.

"I even felt that if he left like this, sooner or later someone would ask her about his whereabouts..."

Love.

“He also questioned, given the other person's qualifications and appearance, how could she have fallen in love with him who is old and ugly unless he was rich? Now that he is no longer beautiful, she will definitely abandon him..."

Love.

 Lausanne II's sarcastic expression became more and more obvious:

“The more he thought about it, the more he became afraid, and the more he hated it, so he yelled and cursed, saying that she used to be an actress on the stage, and she was a prostitute, and she was used to playing tricks on the spot, and she must have a lot of cash hidden behind her back..."

Love.

 Listening to Lausanne II's reconstruction of the scene at that time, Thales became increasingly depressed and frowned.

“She felt wronged, angry, retorted, and emotional, so the wool merchant took action, tied her up, tortured her, threatened her, and forced her to question..."

Hilai poohed hard:

 “Coward.”

 Lausanne II snorted coldly and continued:

“It was then that the woman seemed to wake up and finally saw through 'true love', so she became unexpectedly tough..."

 At least tougher than her lover.

“He also said something about the health of his bed, which made the wool merchant unhappy, so he picked up the sculpture beside the bed..."

Thales couldn't bear to hear any more and concluded his speech:

 “And she died.”

 Lausanne II sneered.

"Or in the words of the guy when he begged for mercy," the killer's eyes showed disdain and hatred, "'I just wanted to teach her a lesson and scare her, but I didn't expect that she would die.'"

 “Coward.” Healey repeated again, his tone cold.

 After the words fell, the dungeon returned to silence.

 Only the atmosphere is depressing.

　After a long time, Thales finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"So, now," he looked at the report in Hilley's hand sadly, "this case is complete."

 At least, for the actress who quit the stage for true love.

Also to the conscientious Judge Brennan.

May they rest in peace.

"Although it's strange to say this," Thales reorganized his thoughts and tried to return to the topic, "but whether it is the Diop case or... you seem to be a principled killer."

 Lausanne II opened his eyes suddenly!

 “Principles are bullshit.”

 He seemed to have turned back into the cold-blooded killer:

"I hate cowards. I want to torture one to death when I see one, that's all."

Besides, many innocent people have died at his hands over the years.

 He has long...

 Abandon the principle.

But Thales just looked at him calmly.

 “Teresa.”

 “Huh?” Heeley turned his head.

 “The woman, Diop's mistress, her name is Teresa.”

　　Tales Youyou:

"After the Year of Blood, she was abducted by human traffickers to Harvest Town. She gave birth to two children before she was fourteen years old. After several years, she finally found a chance to escape and was taken in by a troupe in Emerald City. It starts with doing chores backstage until you get on stage.”

 Lausanne II took a breath.

"Unfortunately…"

 Lausanne II closed his eyes.

"if…"

Teresus paused for a moment, but in the end he couldn't continue. He just sighed:

 “She deserves a better life.”

 Whether as a human being.

 Still a woman.

 “I could have saved her.” Lausanne II croaked.

Tales raised his head in confusion:

"What?"

I saw the vampire killer looking at the darkness in front of him, as if looking at the past, and said quietly:

"She was seriously injured and on the verge of death, but I, I was still able to save her."

Tales and Hilley exchanged glances.

 Lausanne II looked in a trance:

 “But she said...”

In the evil murmuring dream, the woman, the dying Teresa, said to him in despair...

 “Her life is too miserable.”

 Lausanne II was dumbfounded.

 Whether being ignored, trafficked, enslaved, fostered, betrayed, or killed...

Whether in my hometown, in the human trafficking market in Sangare, in Harvest Town, or in the Emerald City...

Whether you grit your teeth and endure hardship, or force a smile, whether you cry every night, or lean against the door and smile...

　　It's all too bitter, too bitter.

 Whether it is love or family affection, there is still hope for the future...

 There is no single antidote.

 But she was stuck in too deep and struggled to get out. She tried to commit suicide several times, but she lacked the final courage.

 So now, she finally...

fed up.

 It was then that he suddenly understood...

 “I can't save her.” Lausanne II's eyes were lifeless.

 From the very beginning, it was destined to be impossible to save.

 Neither Thales nor Hilley spoke, and the atmosphere in the dungeon was extremely depressing.

 “But she did hide a sum of money.”

 Lausanne II suddenly spoke, as if waking up from a nightmare, slightly anxious:

"It's in the mezzanine of the guest room next door. Your person came too fast and I didn't have time to find him."

Thales couldn't help but be surprised:

 “Money? Guest room?”

 Lausanne II took a deep breath, gritted his teeth and said:

“After she got rich, she hired mercenaries to go to Harvest Town and snatched her two children away, but she didn't dare to let anyone know about it, so she could only hide in the theater troupe and do odd jobs. She, she…”

 Thales and Hilley looked at each other.

"I see."

 The prince reacted with a heavy tone:

"I will send someone to do it, and her money will be properly distributed to them."

 Lausanne II let out a breath and rested the back of his head on the cold ground again.

"Thanks."

 He was numb and authentic.

 There was another long silence.

 Until Thales sighed.

 “What exactly changed you?”

 He couldn't bear to look at the bruised, disabled and disheartened killer in front of him, and shouted an unfamiliar name:

 “Joe Boyer?”

 Lausanne II trembled slightly.

Hilai looked at Thales with a lot of questions on his face.

"If you don't plan to kill me," Lausanne II still looked at the darkness above his head, swallowing his throat, numb and mechanical, "you can go, Your Highness."

 Thales did not speak, but stared at the cold-blooded killer in front of him with complicated eyes, the former knight's attendant.

 Finally, he closed his eyes:

 “Let's go, Heeley.”

Hilai on the other side sighed and put away the documents in his hand:

 “I told you, it's useless.”

She looked sharply:

 “The only one that works is Jacques.”

　　But Thales shook his head:

 “It's not Jacques that works.”

The prince turned and walked toward the dungeon door, leaving his prisoner behind.

"It's something that Jacques asked him to see," Thales said in a deep voice, "or in other words, something that he didn't want to see."

 “Huh, pretending.”

Hilai curled his lips, glanced at the numb prisoner on the ground, and quickly left side by side with Thales:

“I said, how much more time do you have to waste before you are willing to use my method?”

 Thales' tone was calm, just like his footsteps:

 “Please, Heeley, give me another chance.”

The eldest lady snorted coldly, and was about to refuse and ridicule as she was accustomed to do, but she glanced at Thales' pale side face, and when her words came to her lips, she finally had no choice but to change:

 “Well, okay—for the last time.”

"Thanks."

Tales exhaled a breath and stopped when he held the door handle.

"I'm sorry, Lausanne II, but I'm afraid you won't like what I'm going to do to you next." He lowered his head and said.

From behind came the killer's indifferent sneer:

 “Haven't you done enough?”

Tales was silent for a while:

 “But I do think you still need it.”

Lausanne II sneered again, with irreverent sarcasm:

“What, are you going to take off your pants in front of me next?”

　　The door opened, and Thales and Shilai both disappeared outside the door.

 There was a sound of salutes and greetings coming from outside the door.

 And the noisy footsteps, large and small, coming and going.

 But to Lausanne II, that didn't matter.

The bloodthirsty monster in his body that looked terrifying but was actually cowardly and always escaped at critical moments secretly emerged, thirsting for blood, but he ignored it one by one.

 Lausanne II just stared blankly at the darkness above his head.

when…

 It's not until sunrise yet?

There was a loud noise outside the dungeon door, including scoldings and uproar, as well as the prince's scolding voice that was difficult to ignore, and the eldest lady's unique and annoying sarcastic voice.

 But that has nothing to do with him.

He was just locked in darkness, focused on...

 Waiting for the sunrise.

 Waiting, the one who doesn't know when will no longer shine on him...

Blazing light.

Snapped.

 The wooden door was opened again.

This time, a strange footsteps broke into his eardrums.

The steps are not heavy, but steady and powerful. It is obvious that he has practiced the lower body.

as well as…

 Lausanne II's nose twitched.

　　It has a light perfume smell.

 It's just right, not too rich or too gaudy, and even has an indescribable sense of freshness.

  Relaxing.

who is it?

 New guards?

 The visitor slowly approached, and finally appeared in his field of vision through the dim candlelight.

 It's a woman.

 But the moment he saw the person clearly, the eyes of Lausanne II, who had been numb for a long time, trembled!

 “Hey, even your hands are gone?”

The new woman covered her mouth and nose, turned away, and snorted sarcastically or relievedly:

"I really didn't expect that with your ability, it would be so miserable."

 Lausanne II's breathing stopped.

 The boy was right.

 He won't like this.

 The killer stared blankly at the person in front of him, holding back countless complex and subtle emotions.

 But maybe what the boy didn't know was that, to a certain extent...

He is better than the girl Kevin Dill who has weird magic, can call back the dead and create illusions...

Even more cruel.

Much crueler.

"Hey."

 The next second, Lausanne II spoke with difficulty and called out the name he had not heard for many years:

 "Belicia." (End of chapter)

Chapter end