Chapter Sixty-Two: Insect (5) — A Simple Investigation

After Zhao Tianhe was attacked, Jeros brought him directly to the headquarters of the Security Patrol. The place was in chaos—people darted back and forth, investigating the last known whereabouts and site of the previous victim.

“What?! An attack on a hero?!” Old Captain Jeff’s eyes widened as he slammed his palm on the desk and sprang to his feet, startling the already fuming Jeros.

“A hero is the cornerstone of world peace, a noble being who sacrifices for the world!” Jeff, once a hero himself, barked sternly. “This violates Article Ten of the Supreme Code of the Council—it’s a capital offense! An absolute capital crime! Even if the culprit were the President of the Holy Council, if caught, they could be executed on the spot!”

“So…” Jeros tried to speak, but Jeff had already thrown open the office door and strode out.

“Everyone, listen up! The perpetrator is a vicious, heinous criminal, and their methods are unspeakably cruel! They’ve even targeted Hero Zhao Tianhe—this villain must be brought to justice at once!” Jeff’s booming voice carried through the office, easily heard even behind closed doors.

“Manipulating and creating monsters is also forbidden sorcery! Multiple crimes—once discovered and confirmed, the criminal may be executed on the spot!” Jeff shouted. “Also—lock down the city! Air routes are forbidden! All personnel, mobilize! Activate all the old ‘Seekers’—those metal spheres—from the warehouses; not a single clue is to be missed! Everyone’s working overtime tonight!”

Jeros sat in the office, a bit embarrassed. He had come to pressure them to intensify the investigation, but hadn’t expected that merely mentioning Zhao Tianhe’s attack would provoke a reaction from the old captain even more fervent than his own.

“I, too, once fought on the front lines. I know the hardships of heroes, and I know how precious talents like Mr. Zhao Tianhe are,” Jeff said gravely as he returned to the office. “Rest assured, Mr. Jeros—not a day shall pass without finding that fiend, not a day will St. Roseport lift its lockdown!”

Jeros almost protested that this might be excessive, but then recalled the danger posed by those magic insects and conceded the lockdown seemed necessary.

“There’s no need to lock down the city,” Zhao Tianhe said calmly. “If that person targeted me, it suggests the attack on Mark and Braniel at the press conference wasn’t a coincidence. Clearly, you’ve found some clues—I’d like to hear them.”

While passing through the open office area, Zhao Tianhe had subconsciously listened to the staff’s discussions and had a general sense of the investigation’s progress, but he still needed the specifics.

“Oh?” Jeff’s eyes lit up. He sat back at his desk, picked up a stack of documents, and handed them to the others as he explained.

The victim was named Ludus Marfien, a material designer skilled in weaving and transforming various fabrics with magic. He worked in Braniel’s studio and disappeared two days ago.

However, since he lived alone after a divorce and had just finished a round of designs before taking a long vacation, no one noticed his absence right away.

“According to witnesses and surveillance footage from some public locations, he likely disappeared about a day ago, probably in the northern part of the city. The precise crime scene is still being investigated,” Jeff said, pointing to a red-marked area on a map.

Zhao Tianhe studied the map, frowning in thought. “Have all the staff at Braniel’s studio been checked?” he asked.

“Of course,” Jeff nodded.

“What about those who resigned?” Zhao Tianhe pressed.

“Well…” Jeff frowned. “Based on witness statements, we’ve checked everyone related to the victim, including several former employees.”

“But not all who’ve ever resigned?” Zhao Tianhe asked. “If someone attacked Braniel at the press conference deliberately, they must bear a grudge against her.”

“That’s a good point,” Jeff admitted, scratching his head. They’d become too reliant on magical devices. Even without Zhao Tianhe’s reminder, they would have gotten to it eventually—but with a minor case, the patrol would’ve likely dropped it by now, leaving it unsolved. Not even a magical society is immune to human nature and self-interest.

“Let Jeros and me join the investigation,” Zhao Tianhe suggested. “Those magic insects are extremely stealthy. Detection magic can help, but if the culprit has enough parasite insects, there could be more casualties.”

“Agreed.” Jeff nodded, conjuring a warhammer and shield into his hands. “I’ll come too. I may be an old man stuck at C-rank for decades, but while my combat power may be limited, I have plenty of experience.”

Jeff’s words were pure modesty. Though heroes of limited potential like him couldn’t advance to B-rank and were instead stationed at C-rank, decades of accumulation meant he had ample professional levels and skills. In a real fight, even Zhao Tianhe and Jeros would struggle to get the better of him.

A fit of violent coughing echoed in a dark cellar.

“Hmph, in the end, am I nothing but a failure?”

A chilling, relentless rustling filled the air.

“Never acknowledged, never able to open the final door, and now—unable even to complete my revenge… Damn it… That inexplicable hero, and that old fool…”

A strange, piercing screech echoed.

“Someone’s coming? Damn it…” Footsteps receded downward in the dim cellar. “Stop them! Don’t let them through! Curse it all! No one acknowledges me! I am—I am the descendant of a ‘hero’! Why? Why?!”

“What an unpleasant noise,” Zhao Tianhe muttered outside a private villa on the northern outskirts, grimacing as he dug at his ear. “This is the place—the disgusting sound of insects is everywhere. Prepare your magical defenses before going in—don’t let yourselves get parasitized.”

The villa’s windows shattered as over a dozen insectoid monsters and hundreds of parasite insects of varying sizes, along with a crawling swarm of armored beetles, surged toward Zhao Tianhe and the others.

“The culprit isn’t in the house, right?” Jeros asked, eyeing the seething tide of insects.

“No, there’s a basement—I can faintly hear someone down there,” Zhao Tianhe replied.

“Good.” Jeros closed his eyes in concentration and began to float upward.

Several patrol officers, led by Jeff, started forward, but Jeff held up a hand to stop them.

“The culprit can’t just be allowed to die so easily…” Jeff opened his eyes, intense heat gathering overhead. Otherwise, who would I vent my anger on?

Fifth-level magic—Inferno Barrier!