abnormal mutation

Chapter 42 No crime committed, no punishment shall be imposed!

The setting sun casts its golden rays upon the shattered ice spheres of the Frosty River, refracting them into a dazzling display of colors.

The Silent Coffin was placed in the center of a magic circle, which was engraved on the ice. Golden-red liquid flowed through the star-like patterns. Dozens of various talismans were pasted on the surface of the coffin, and inscriptions were faintly visible as they flickered.

On the other side of the ice, a dozen or so people were gathered, most of them dressed in law enforcement uniforms, including Chief Mark and Julia.

Lying on the ice in the crowd was a person, or rather, a moving corpse, dressed in a priest's robe, with an old face and a thin body. He was wrapped in golden and red silk threads, which tightened deeper the more he struggled. Accompanied by the hissing sound of burning, a strange smell wafted into the air and was then blown away by the cold wind.

"At the end of last month, hundreds of children's corpses were unearthed beneath the Church of the God of Hunting in Los City, causing a sensation throughout the Empire. Now, Colin, a priest of the Lord of Order and a devout follower of the Goddess of the Moon, intends to use a forbidden ritual to regenerate and murder the descendants of the Thorn Medal. Is he also trying to take this opportunity to infiltrate the Enforcers?"

A middle-aged law enforcement officer with two swords and two silver shields on his shoulder insignia became more and more agitated as he spoke, his hands and feet trembling, whether from the cold, excessive excitement, or feigned excitement, it was hard to tell.

The clergy members nearby hung their heads in silence. The old priest looked embarrassed, wanting to retort but unsure how to begin. The dead cannot defend themselves, and others speaking would only create conflict.

"I'm taking both the [Silent Coffin] and the corpse puppet back with me. I need to report this to my superiors; these are physical evidence." The middle-aged law enforcement officer looked at Chief Mark, but glanced at the old priest out of the corner of his eye.

“I disagree. According to the Imperial Church Arbitration Act, church personnel who violate the law should be dealt with by the church arbitration institute and religious court. Law enforcement officers have no right to interfere,” Priest Pedro argued.

“That was before. I suggest that Priest Pedro take a good look at the latest judicial interpretations. As long as a case involves citizens of the Empire, we have the right to take full control, especially such serious cases.” The middle-aged law enforcement officer stared intently at the priest.

“Roland is Colin’s godson, this is an internal church matter…” a young priest next to Pedro said urgently.

"no……"

Before he could finish speaking, the mayor, Director Mark, and Julia interrupted him almost simultaneously.

The men exchanged glances. Chief Mark pulled a file from his briefcase and handed it to the middle-aged law enforcement officer: "Sir, this is all of Roland's information. He came from an imperial orphanage..."

The middle-aged law enforcement officer read quickly, flipping through more than ten pages of documents in less than ten seconds. A smile returned to his lips: "Teaching a son is just Colin's wishful thinking. He was already eyeing Roland back then. He's really shrewd."

Why did this priest lie? Did you know beforehand?

Lying by clergy is no small matter; it involves the struggle between the church and the monarchy. Law enforcement officers can easily accuse them of perjury or covering up the truth.

“Uh… I’ve heard people mention the matter of raising children, but I don’t know the truth,” the young priest explained.

Priest Pedro sighed helplessly. He hadn't known the seriousness of the matter beforehand, and his report to the higher-ups had been worded mildly, so much so that the higher-ups hadn't even arrived yet, and the law enforcement officers had gotten there first.

"The [Silent Coffin] has been missing for nearly two years and should have been in Ice River Town the whole time. I've heard that this sealed item can slow down the passage of life, so even if you're seriously injured or old, you won't die immediately. Colin has been using it for so long, there must have been something unusual about it. Is the Church really completely unaware?" the middle-aged law enforcement officer pressed aggressively.

“I really didn’t know. Father Colin is old and only does a small amount of teaching work. He’s free to come and go,” Pedro explained.

The young priest, however, remained unconvinced. He spoke again: "Priest Colin is a very good person, he's definitely not that kind of person. Someone must be lying. How could an ordinary person kill a Sequence 8 Beyonder? I propose that Roland's memories be retrieved..."

"Shut up!" Pedro snapped.

But it was too late. The scene fell silent instantly, most faces revealing undisguised anger. Memory reversal is a powerful soul spell, usually used only when interrogating death row inmates, because it has extremely serious side effects. Even with the utmost care, it can damage the soul and brain, making it not uncommon for someone to become an idiot.

Of course, besides memory reversion, there are other extraordinary abilities with mild side effects. However, it would be inappropriate to use them on an innocent descendant of a meritorious official. The ironclad rule of law enforcement officers is: no crime without a fact, no punishment!

“Priest Pedro, listen to this! It’s unbelievable that these words came from the mouth of a clergyman of the Lord of Order.” The middle-aged law enforcement officer laughed in exasperation.

"The Hohenzollern clan will never allow such a thing to happen." Mayor Org said coldly, looking quite imposing.

Yulia, standing to the side, merely sneered, her eyes filled with coldness.

The others also looked grim, and the clergy couldn't help but feel a surge of anger. They all knew Roland; he was the undisputed "philanthropist" of Ice River Town. If he were treated like this, the Church's image in Ice River Town would be completely ruined.

Everyone felt that the Church of the Lord of Order had indeed declined, with its clergy being of questionable quality and making a series of blunders.

“I apologize.” Priest Pedro bowed deeply. “He is an ordinary person who has heard about memory reversal somewhere and is unaware of its consequences. It was purely unintentional. I will send him back to the monastery…”

After saying that, he grabbed the young priest by the collar and dragged him away. The other clergy exchanged glances and then left as well.

"The church really needs to be reformed," the middle-aged law enforcement officer said with disdain.

“Indeed,” Director Mark agreed. “It’s getting late, why don’t we go eat first? I’ve prepared some local specialties from Glacier Town at the hot spring resort…”

“The longer we stay here, the more things might go wrong. Let’s head back to Grantham tonight,” the middle-aged law enforcement officer interrupted him, while simultaneously directing his men to get to work.

Commissioner Mark hesitated several times before speaking, but the middle-aged law enforcement officer pretended not to see him and continued with his own work.

The Silent Coffin and the Corpse Puppet were placed in two wooden crates, nailed shut, and then placed on a giant skateboard, which was then hung on the back of a steam snowmobile for easy transport.

After finishing, the middle-aged law enforcement officer quietly pulled Chief Mark aside and said meaningfully, "Your awareness is lacking."

Director Mark's mind went blank for a moment, and he blurted out, "Glacier Town is barren, and the hospitality has been inadequate, I..."

The middle-aged law enforcement officer slapped him on the shoulder and shook his head slightly: "What I'm saying is that you haven't grasped the spirit of your superiors. Tell me, what is the core of revitalizing the judicial system?"

"Excluding the influence of the church?" Director Mark pondered.

“The major churches are deeply entrenched. You think you can just exclude them like that?” The middle-aged law enforcement officer looked at him as if he were an idiot. “Our goal is to restore the glory of the law enforcement realm. Establishing prestige and winning the hearts of the people are the core objectives.”

“Yes, yes, yes…” Director Mark nodded repeatedly, belatedly realizing what was happening.

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(End of this chapter)