Seeing the fury in the prison warden’s approach,
Ronald’s pupils contracted, and his eyebrows couldn’t help but furrow.
At this moment, Bach Krichens slightly tucked in his chin, his gaze aggressively fixated on the investigators at the front desk. His demeanor, cultivated from a long tenure in high-ranking office, exuded authority even in the absence of anger.
Even just standing at the entrance to the lobby upon entering, he brought immense pressure to the investigators around him.
with the opening of the investigation bureau’s door, Ronald also took notice of the scene following the prison warden.
The warden did not come alone.
Several men, clearly his subordinates, were with him.
And the bodies of the two cult magicians that Nicole had killed in the dungeon were being carried by these people at this very moment.
It was now obvious what the warden intended to do.
Decisive in judgment and swift in action, this guy was indeed no pushover.
While managing to keep a controlled expression on the surface, Ronald couldn’t suppress a sigh in his heart.
Was this fortunate, or unfortunate?
Nicole’s earlier worry had actually come true.
Having discovered an intrusion in his dungeon, the prison warden directly made his way to the investigation bureau.
Bringing the bodies of the cult magicians with him now, this guy probably planned to completely dissociate himself from the two and, relying on his social status, still remain unscathed.
As for the dungeon and the two priests...
Since the warden had rushed over here in such a fury,
he must have already dealt with the problem in his home’s basement, and the two priests were likely taken care of as well.
Could it be that today’s efforts...
were going to fall through after all?
While Ronald was pondering this, there came a series of hurried footsteps from the direction of the stairs inside the investigation bureau.
In the blink of an eye, several hasty figures descended from the second floor.
— It was the investigators.
Led by Ms. Mapple, with Nicole and Swift also coming down, and by their side was Kate, an investigator with whom Ronald had previously worked.
within this relatively spacious lobby,
the hurried footsteps of the three investigators and the imposing presence of the warden and his party acknowledged each other simultaneously.
the air in the hall became tense, as if the temperature dropped several degrees again.
Neither party expected,
to encounter each other in such a place at this moment.
After the initial silence, the warden by the door was the first to walk towards the investigators:
"Ms. Mapple, I have something to tell you."
Seeing the warden approaching her, Ms. Mapple immediately warned loudly,
"Mr. Bach, could you please stay where you are!"
"Given the current situation, I do not wish for you to come any closer..."
However, the warden had no intention of fully heeding the investigator’s warning.
While stopping in his tracks as commanded, he quickly raised his voice, loudly enough for everyone present to hear:
"Today, in the dungeon under my charge!"
"Some malevolent individuals, with ulterior motives, have committed a vile act to slander my upstanding character!"
"Someone brought two cult magicians into my residence in secret, then after killing them, dumped their bodies there!"
"This is the most poisonous frame-up!"
Having explained this at a rapid pace, the warden then moved forward two more steps, his gaze locked tightly onto Ms. Mapple in front of him:
"As one of the heads of the Bureau of Investigation in Berlingwich, I hope you will investigate this matter, while carefully considering your next steps!"
Reprimanded in such a manner by the warden.
As expected, Madam Mapple couldn’t respond immediately.
Although her gaze towards the other party was still filled with skepticism, she could no longer question the warden as directly and harshly as when she had just walked down the stairs.
After all, she was an important head of the Bureau of Investigation in Berlingwich.
She had to consider her own words and actions, as well as how various choices would affect the entire incident, as this was also a crucial factor affecting the Bureau’s public image.
Although Nicole was a trustworthy colleague, one must not jump to conclusions based solely on initial information, especially when dealing with someone like the warden.
However, Mapple also knew she couldn’t let the warden completely take away her right to speak.
After a moment’s thought, the female investigator immediately said:
"Mr. Bach, our Bureau of Investigation is an organization that bases itself on factual information; we will not wrong an innocent person, nor will we let a guilty one go."
"So the exact details of what happened must be thoroughly investigated before conclusions can be drawn; this isn’t something that one or a few people can decide just by talking."
To Mapple’s response, the warden chuckled noncommittally.
Then, with a wave of his hand, he pointed towards the dead body of the cult magician that his subordinates had brought in:
"What does this mean?"
"Are you saying that by bringing the body of a heretical cultist to report the incident, I would be incriminating myself?"
"If that’s really the case!"
"Then in the future, which of the good citizens of Berlingwich would actively report these vile and filthy cases; I am quite dissatisfied with your current attitude!"
His tone was just as aggressive.
But when the warden ceased his berating, Mapple remained completely unmoved.
With a calm gaze, she spoke seriously and evenly:
"Mr. Bach, since you have found the body of a cult magician in the dungeon of your home, our Bureau will immediately dispatch a specialist to conduct a thorough investigation there."
"I assume you would fully support this, wouldn’t you?"
The warden frowned, but nodded in response:
"Of course, you can certainly do that."
"Even considering the follow-up investigations, I have preserved the integrity of the scene from the beginning so that your work can proceed smoothly."
"However, there is something else I must remind you of."
Madam Mapple answered:
The warden continued:
"The criminal who took action seems to want to conceal their information, so there is considerable destructive evidence in the dungeon; I have to warn you about this in advance."
Madam Mapple did not immediately respond to the warden’s statement.
She simply turned to look at the investigator Kate behind her.
"Kate, go call Mr. Willard from Old Burton’s and have him come directly to Warden’s house on Forest Road."
After stating her command, Mapple added:
"Remind him that this might involve an urgent self-cleansing event."
"Unless he’s completely unable to leave, he should set off at once!"
Investigator Kate nodded in response:
As her voice fell, the investigator made her way through the crowd in the hall, heading straight out of the Bureau building.
Her instructions from Mapple at this moment clearly conveyed the urgency of the situation.
Hence, she did not wish to delay a moment.