A brave man may not live, but he cannot die

Chapter 14 A new life

The corridor was completely silent, everyone was waiting for Father Maud's reaction, and the atmosphere dropped to freezing point.

He just glanced at the young commissioner and said without any annoyance:
"Three days ago, the unusual rainstorm was witnessed by all. After an urgent investigation, we discovered traces of a sacrificial ritual. Based on the clues, we infer that the suspects involved in the ritual have fled to the city of Eswell."

"The Savior's Covenant stipulates that all humans have the obligation to cooperate with the Church in its fight against the demons. Therefore, we requested assistance from the City of Eswell, and the City Council responded."

"I entered the city with a special pass issued by the City Council. I will only be operating within the city limits of Xiweier and cooperating with the governors to block the city gates and inspect the citizens entering the city. Is there any problem?"

The priest tilted his head slightly, his questioning eyes looking past the commissioner at the man and woman behind him.

"Ms. Xia Dai'er was also a suspect. I swear in the name of the sun that I treated your sister with courtesy and respect during the investigation and did not offend her in any way."

"Furthermore, the Vatican did not mention certain details involving the Branson family during its negotiations with Parliament. I believe this goodwill is enough to demonstrate our stance. Why did you, Councillor Elon, resort to this? "

The man named Elon stood with Xia Dai'er.

The two siblings look about the same, except that Elon is much taller, with short pink hair combed back. He is dressed in a suit and tie, and his handsome face is decorated with a respectable and gentle smile:
"Father Maud, you misunderstood. First, I am not a member of parliament; I am merely exercising my father's duties as a member. Second, I have received a report from the law enforcement officers stating that you used interrogation methods that exceeded parliamentary regulations."

"This man is the one we're looking for." Father Maud tilted his head slightly, gesturing to Quinn standing behind him. "He's connected to the sacrifice ceremony three days ago, so I had to resort to some unconventional measures."

"Of course, of course I believe you must have your reasons for doing this—" Elon's words were flawless. "I also take the appearance of a suspect in the demonic tribe in the city of Eswell very seriously, so I synchronized this information with the school's office."

Elon spread his hands and shook the question off lightly.

"I have no right to interfere with the actions of the school administration. As you know, the college is above the parliament. I just came here to take a look and, by the way, protect some of the legal rights that everyone deserves."

Quinn, who was watching the development of the situation, got what he wanted.

Is this person here to protect me?
really.

When Quinn looked up, he saw Xia Dai'er hiding behind her brother, winking at him quietly.

"Oh? So this is what the school office means?" Father Maude straightened his head and his eyes met the young commissioner's again. The air was full of gunpowder.

The priest stood in the sunlight, fearless. "The Holy See is acting in accordance with the Redemptorist Pact. Could it be that the Academy's official documents take precedence over the Redemptorist Pact?"

"Wow, Mr. Priest, you Vatican's ability to throw mud is still so adept."

The young commissioner's tone was extremely sarcastic.

He was barely 1.80 meters tall, but he looked down at the priest who was much taller than him. His sharp pupils were black, just like Quinn's, but much deeper, as black as indissoluble ink.

He has a rare head of white hair, combed into a side part that covers one eye. The half of his face that is exposed reveals a sense of nonchalant indifference and laziness. He is a handsome guy that makes people unable to take their eyes off him.

The world-weary face, cold white skin, and cool and handsome looks reminded Quinn of Keanu Reeves during the filming of "Hellblazer". The two were exactly alike in that arrogant aura.

They faced each other, the priest standing in the dim light outside, while the commissioner was shrouded in the shadow of the building. Although they were so close, there was a striking line of light and shadow separating the two, as if they were in a world of separation.

The sunlight that should have been pouring into the room through the balcony door seemed to have hit a wall after the commissioner arrived. The magnificent sunlight was isolated outside with a clear boundary, leaving only some dim slanting sunlight, which added a background color to the darkness.

"Since you're talking to me about laws and regulations, fine."

The commissioner's Mandarin was full of the charm of a southern aristocrat and his accent was full of charm:

"Our academy respects the Savior's Covenant—" he changed the subject, "but the Vatican simply ordered Eswell to seal the city gates with just a few photos of goblin corpses and a confusing investigative report. Is this necessary?"

"Even so, the parliament still gave you three full days to act—three days, is that enough time for cooperation? During these three days, countless citizens were stuck outside the city, the flow of supplies was blocked, prices fluctuated, trade stagnated, and the newspapers were full of complaints, but we didn't call a halt, right?"

"Eswell was under martial law for three days, from 6:00 PM on March 12th until 6:00 PM today on the 15th. The city gates were only opened half an hour ago."

Quinn was shocked when he heard this.

Did the Holy See of Light start the search three days ago?
It was noon three days ago when the three of them left the Goblin Cave.

In other words, almost at the same time, the Holy See of Light found the cave and slaughtered all the goblins.
He couldn't help but feel scared.

If he had not rescued Xia Daier and Catherine, thus affecting the subsequent action plan, he might still be staying in the cave at that time.

The people from the Church of Light rushed in and saw a human being treated as a guest of honor by the goblins.
You seem a little too un-urbanized.

Or if you leave on your own and head to Ashwell by yourself, you'll also run into the vigilantes and priests waiting for you.
By then, I'm afraid no one will come to save him like they do now.

That future tip is really correct.

The goblins posed no threat to him, so the system extended the "escape from the predicament" in his question to this moment.

The problem that the system solves is not how to escape from the Goblin Cave, but the Holy See of Light that will inevitably be encountered in the future!

Quinn called it awesome.

Brother System, I admit I cursed a little too loudly earlier. There were too many people outside. Now I kneel down to you.
From this perspective, it seems that using a "name" to avoid being arrested by the Church is quite a good deal.
The confrontation continues.

"The special pass granted to you by the Council has expired, Father Maud." The Commissioner's hot breath blew on the priest's face. "I have already asked your colleagues to leave. How long do you want to stay in the city?"

Father Maud pondered this.

He knew that there was a conflict between the Holy See of Light and Grindelwald's Arcane Academy. There were reasons for this, and the top leaders were not on good terms with each other.

But why is this young man so malicious towards the Vatican?
The teachings of the Holy See of Light are righteous and peaceful, and they promote universal values. They usually organize charities and mediate wars. Even most people who do not believe in the sun have a good impression of the Holy See. Could this person be the child of a senior member of the academy?
Father Maud took a step back.

The two of them no longer faced each other in a tense confrontation. He closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, the light was gone.

".Thank you for the Council's help. Don't worry, I'll leave immediately." His tone softened, "But please let me take him."

Quinn called it bad luck, you charlatan, are you greedy for my dick?
Upon hearing this, Xia Daier suddenly became anxious and secretly pinched her brother's waist.

Elon had no choice but to glare at his sister, then took a step forward and continued, "Father Maud, I want to ask you something. You said he..."

"His name is Quinn." Xia Daier whispered behind him.

"You said Mr. Quinn was involved in the sacrificial ritual. What's your basis?"

Father Maud was speechless for a moment.

What Quinn witnessed during the ceremony must never be revealed to ordinary people, especially politicians like him.

But I can't just say I have no comment, after all, this is someone else's territory.

He could only reply, "After questioning, there are many things in Quinn's answers and background that raise doubts for me."

"Doubt?" Elon raised an eyebrow. "You mean he's lying?"

Elon was willing to offend the Vatican for his sister's savior.

But don't forget, the robbery that the caravan encountered was so strange that even Xia Dai'er almost got into trouble.

The loss of the cargo was one thing, but even more agonizing was the death of all the accompanying personnel in the Goblin Cave, sacrificed, their cause of death impossible to determine. They were all loyal to their family, otherwise they wouldn't have been allowed to smuggle arcane artifacts. Losing them was undoubtedly more heartbreaking than losing money.

The caravan's robbers were no ordinary bandits; they likely knew the Branson family intimately. Quinn, their mysterious "savior," was likely connected to the bandits, with ulterior motives in approaching the women.

After listening to Catherine's report, Elon immediately decided to keep this guy to facilitate the investigation.

This is his main purpose.

"Just now, I sensed the fluctuations of divine power when I entered the police station building," the commissioner suddenly interrupted. "Father, your god is still hanging above your head. I believe you have verified the authenticity of Quinn's answer, right?"

"So, is he telling the truth or a lie?"

The Commissioner's dark eyes were full of amusement.

Quinn breathed a sigh of relief.

OK, OK! If you can ask, then ask more questions!
Father Maud's hand was pressed against the Gospel of Creation, and his veins were bulging.

The sun is about to pass over the top of the mountain. In the sunlight, will he choose to be true to his intuition or to be true to his piety?

"Quinn is telling the truth." The priest said with some difficulty.

"Is the origin true too?" Elon asked.

"Yes," the priest continued, "but just because he's telling the truth doesn't mean he has nothing to do with the sacrificial ceremony."

"I need to take him away and ensure that no risks occur. This also concerns the safety of the city of Eswell."

Elon and Xia Daier looked at each other, frightened by these words.

History shows that the Holy See of Light never jokes about matters concerning the demons.

The commissioner burst out laughing. "You lackeys of the Vatican really love to take off your pants and fart. Do you think others don't know your nature? If there really was evidence to prove that he was involved in the ritual, the Inquisition would have come here already, instead of waiting for you to take him away--"

"You're being secretive. What are you trying to hide?"

The commissioner pressed on, stepping out into the sunlight and questioning, "Could it be that the rainstorm three days ago had nothing to do with the demons at all, and was just a trick used by the Vatican to interfere in the city of Eswell?"

Elon's face instantly darkened.

"I remember the Pope promised not to interfere with the reforms in Elshwell. Father Maud, I need a reasonable explanation."

Father Maud stared into the commissioner's dark eyes and became angry.

He lowered his voice and spoke quickly:

"Young man, you should know that some things are not suitable for public disclosure. This applies to both your research and our work. For the sake of Taimulan's future, how about we both take a step back?"

"Everyone take a step back?"

"You let me take him away. If he really has clues related to the demons, the Church will share the information with the academy. How about that?"

"Heh." The commissioner laughed. "Then if we investigate it ourselves, can we keep the intelligence to ourselves?"

Father Maud's face was as black as the bottom of a pot.

".I hope this city won't have to pay the price for your malicious intent."

Dusk gradually faded and night fell.

The sun had sunk further into the sky, leaving only a thin layer of afterglow hanging on the foothills. The stars lit up, outlining a night sky completely different from Earth's. Father Maud put away his scriptures and left without a word. He walked straight through the crowd, not even wanting to acknowledge Elon's farewell.

".call."

Elon let out a long sigh, then complained with a wry smile, "The people from the Vatican are just as difficult as ever."

He walked up to Quinn and extended his hand: "Mr. Quinn, thank you for saving my stupid sister and Katrin. Elon Branson will always remember this kindness."

The surrounding law enforcement officers cast envious glances at Quinn.

"You're welcome."

Quinn accepted it calmly and shook her hand. "I've enjoyed these three days traveling with your sister."

Xia Dai'er wanted to say something, but when she heard this, she immediately shrank back behind her brother.

The corridor was a little dim, and no one could see the girl's expression. She just secretly poked Elon's back and made a crazy hint.

Elon turned around and gave his sister a meaningful look, as if to say 'then you owe me one'.

"Oh, Mr. Quinn, it's getting late. Come to my house for dinner. Please don't refuse. My mother must be very eager to thank you in person."

Quinn hesitated for a moment, then smiled warmly: "Then I'd rather obey than be disrespectful."

"Let's go. The carriage is parked downstairs at the police station."

"Walk?"

The young specialist, who had been silent the entire time, suddenly asked, "Where are you going?"

He took out a holly wand that was as long as his forearm, waved it in the air, and silently chanted the spell:

"Ferula!"

A translucent rope appeared out of nowhere and instantly tied Quinn up like a dumpling!

The end of the rope was connected to the tip of the wand. The commissioner pulled it gently, and Quinn was led to him like a dog being walked.

"As you've all heard, he's connected to the demonic sacrificial rituals, so the academy needs to do some research."

The commissioner ignored Elon's glance and said to himself, "Don't worry, our investigation is much more reliable than the Vatican's. From truth serum to soul dissection, small tricks can fool gods, but they can't fool the arcane."

Quinn's eyes widened in horror. What the hell???
You just got tortured by theology, and now you want to do some science, right?

His mouth was also tightly blocked, making it impossible for him to speak.

Brother Elon, I was just talking about how I saved your life, can you please say something?
Seeing that the commissioner ignored him, Elon had no choice but to hold his sister down and tell her not to meddle.

In Ashwell, the college's supremacy over parliament is not just empty talk.

There is no special reason why this city was able to remain independent and not be annexed by surrounding kingdoms.

Simply because, here stands a school that can compete with the Holy See.

"By the way, regarding the Council's arbitrary release of the Vatican's dogs without informing the academy, I will report it."

After saying this, the Commissioner led Quinn downstairs by the hand of his wand.

"Brother, what should we do?!" Xia Dai'er stomped her feet in anger. She was just thinking about what to wear for dinner!

"What should I do?"

Elon said angrily, "If he really has a problem, then handing him over to the academy is the best option. We can't bring him into such a big trouble as the demons. If there is no problem, the academy will release him in a few days. Our family still has some face."

Xia Dai'er scratched her head in distress.

She didn't think there would be any problem with Quinn, and she was the one who trusted Quinn the most.

But, will there be a chance for the two of them to meet again?
Elon glanced at the law enforcement officer beside him, who was one of the two law enforcement officers who had led the priest to find Quinn.

He walked to the balcony, and the other party followed him consciously.

"Did he record his conversation with Father Maud?" Elon asked in a deep voice.

The law enforcement officer nodded servilely and took out the things hidden in the room -

It was a small conch shell, with an arcane stone emitting blue light embedded in the shell.

"Your Excellency, it was all recorded. No one discovered it."

"very good."

Elon took the conch and nodded slightly.

At the bottom of the police station building, Quinn was led to the door amidst the suppressed laughter of a group of law enforcement officers.

Like a dog, extremely funny.

The badge on the commissioner's windbreaker is enough to allow him to move freely in the city.

After leaving the building, he took Quinn by the hand and turned into the alley until there were no more pedestrians around.

"They don't let you go with them because the Branson family has some extraordinary people. After the caravan was robbed, they were like frightened birds and would test you no matter what. You have no experience dealing with extraordinary people, so you will be easily exposed if you are not careful."

The Commissioner said as he put away his wand.

The translucent rope also disappeared, and Quinn was free again.

He had just been immersed in the horrifying fantasy of being dissected by the evil arcanist, but when he heard these words, he raised his head in some surprise and doubt.

Looking at the handsome guy in front of me, I was at a loss.

"What do you mean?"

"Welcome to Ashwell, Mr. Quinn. Let us—"

In the year 1454 of the Divine Calendar, the evening breeze from another world blew up the corners of Quinn's clothes. Behind him was a brightly lit mountain city. The sun was moving towards the distance, and the stars were twinkling in the night sky. The vastness of the sky made it impossible to see his hometown.

Two young men, still unknown at this moment, stood in the darkness. No one knew what the future would hold. This was their first meeting. He leaned close to Quinn's ear, smiled, and said those four words—

"Praise the Demon King."

(End of this chapter)