Ke-style law enforcement officers

Chapter 93 Super Dad?

"What's wrong? Are you scared?"

Milo revealed a meaningful smile.

"Bullshit," Rebecca scoffed.

Milo could see the pressure Rebecca was under, but he had to admit that the young female law enforcement officer in front of him was indeed the bravest person he had ever seen. Although it was not quite appropriate to describe a woman as brave, just recalling the scene of her fighting the undead monster in the abandoned containment facility made the word seem more fitting.

"Don't worry, I'm definitely the coward. You've brought so many random weapons, I believe you can protect me. Besides, according to Nero, this is just a preliminary investigation. If things stay calm for the next few days, that would be even better, wouldn't it?" Milo shrugged.

“But I want to find out the cause of Karl’s death even more than Nero did,” Rebecca said suddenly, her expression serious.

Milo stared at the other person's determined gaze for three or four seconds, then dropped his previously relaxed tone and nodded, saying:
I know you are very good friends.

“Nero said that if Karl hadn’t died, he would be in my position as chief enforcer now,” Rebecca said.

This was the first time Milo had seen a subtle hint of sorrow on Rebecca's face.

Even for just a moment, Milo understood why, despite both knowing about Karl's death, he and Nero only felt aversion to eating mushrooms, while Rebecca experienced such a severe vomiting reaction.

It's not just disgusting.

Imagine seeing someone you know very well leave this world in that way...

……

Just when Milo thought Rebecca would linger in this sad mood for a little while longer, Rebecca suddenly changed the subject:

“I think Walker is a bit strange.”

Milo hadn't even come to his senses yet, because in that instant, many images of Carl and Rebecca training together with the law enforcement team flashed through his mind.

“Oh? Yes, he’s so strange.” Milo nodded repeatedly.

“He was clearly a clerical staff member, yet he was assigned to be in charge of security in a special area like Icom,” Rebecca said.

“And the locals are clearly hostile towards us, but he isn’t,” Milo added.

“Also, you should remember what someone said to us at the law enforcement office, right? He said Walker was a pervert,” Rebecca continued.

Milo added:

"Also, his lunchbox was really too big."

“That doesn’t count.” Rebecca glared at Milo.

"Alright, let's leave this one for now." Milo nodded, leaving everything to the leader's judgment.

He moved his butt off the windowsill, brushed off the dried paint chips from his trench coat, and asked Rebecca, "So, what do we say? Let's go to the law enforcement office and see."

"Walk."

……

The two dropped their luggage, locked the door, and went downstairs to head towards the town center.

Walker drove the carriage away, but the town of Icam is not big. In terms of land area, it is only about the size of five parishes of Nanwei City. As long as you know the general direction, you can just walk.

As Walker said, the law enforcement office is located on one side of the main road in the town of Ickham.

This is an old building, just like the other houses in the town.

The building itself has weathered many years, with only the three steps in front of the door clearly being a later addition, which seems somewhat out of place compared to the mold-covered walls of the building itself.

Inside the office was a service hall similar to that of a law enforcement office, but it was more than ten times smaller, and the floor did not have the judgment sickle totem pieced together with tiles like those in law enforcement offices.

This tiny, dilapidated shack, only a few dozen square meters in size, is actually being used as a law enforcement office. Heaven knows how Walker managed to keep up his duties in such a place.

The carriage was parked outside the office, indicating that Walker was present.

But Milo searched the area, including the guard room at the back, but didn't see Walker anywhere.

When he walked out of the office with a puzzled look on his face, he found Walker standing in front of a two-story building across the main road, waving at him.

Several small heads peeked out from the doorway behind Walker, looking at Milo and Rebecca with obvious wariness of strangers.

Those look like a few children?

……

Rebecca turned around and looked at Milo with a puzzled expression.

The unspoken message between the two was—what's going on now?
……

...

Ten minutes later.

Milo and Rebecca sat in the living room of that small, dilapidated building.

There were four unruly children in front of them, three boys and one girl.

The boys were all around ten years old, while the only girl was a little older, probably around thirteen or fourteen.

The children were all very thin. Their faces lacked the chubby roundness that children their age should have, and they even looked like miniature versions of Milo. In short, they were very haggard, clearly showing signs of malnutrition.

But at least their clothes were clean and their people were very lively.

The four of them were now sitting around a small round table, each holding a metal fork, wolfing down the food from the "huge" lunchbox Walker had brought back from the law enforcement station. ...

Milo and Rebecca were completely unprepared for this scene.

Milo scrutinized Walker's face repeatedly, trying to find any resemblance between him and any of the four children.

Walker, noticing Milo's confusion, awkwardly explained:

"What are you thinking? I'm only a few years old, how could I possibly have children... They are all orphans left behind in Icam."

Milo suddenly realized:

"So this is a super dad."

But then he frowned: "That's not right. Didn't they say that all the original inhabitants of Iqum moved away nearly ten years ago? How come there are still children left in the town? Didn't their families take them with them...?"

Before Milo could finish speaking, Rebecca suddenly stood up and walked out of the house, casually tossing out a remark:
"Go out and talk."

Only then did Milo notice that the children who had been eating heartily around the table had stopped what they were doing, staring wide-eyed at him, waiting for something.

"Let's talk outside then." Milo shrank back, got up, and followed him out.

Only Walker casually smiled and said:

"It's alright, it's alright, they all know."

However, seeing that Rebecca showed no sign of stopping, he had no choice but to get up and follow her out.

Halfway there, she didn't forget to turn back and call out to the children: "Eat your food properly now."

……

Outside, Milo and Rebecca stood on either side of Walker, waiting for him to continue.

Walker gave a troubled smile, took off his glasses, rubbed the bridge of his nose, and said helplessly:

"Where should I begin...? Well, you must have heard some of the strange legends about this town since ancient times, right?"

“We’ve heard a little about it, but what we know more about are the actual disappearances.” Rebecca crossed her arms and leaned against the stone pillar.

Milo, standing next to him, rattled off a string of stories: "The cursed town, well, there have been rumors about it since the last century. Some say there are ghosts deep in the mountains, others say the town's natives are descendants of demons. Oh, and there's that legend of Russell the noble hunter, right?"

"You know quite a lot," Walker said with a smile.

“It’s in that ghost story book,” Milo shrugged.

Walker slowly explained, “I’ve read that book too. Actually, most of the content in ghost stories is fictional, but in Galid City, the strangeness of Icam in the eyes of the locals is real. I was born in Galid, and I grew up listening to ghost stories about the town of Icam. When I was a child, the adults even forbade me from coming to Icam to play. I came to this town for the first time as an adult. It must sound incredible, right? It’s a region that belongs to the same city.”

"So, even the locals in Galid City have a prejudice against this place?" Rebecca asked.

“Prejudice? Well, to be precise, discrimination, but it’s not unfounded. As you said, those disappearances are real, right?” Walker put his glasses back on and glanced back at the children in the room.

"For various reasons, the last group of indigenous people who left the town of Iqm did not take their newborns with them. In fact, I did not understand before how they could so heartlessly abandon their own flesh and blood. Was it just because of the prejudice and discrimination against Iqm by the outside world? I do not think so. This reason is not sufficient."

"Before?"

Milo astutely noticed the use of a particular word in Walker's statement.

Didn't understand before?
Does that mean you understand now?

He squinted slightly as he looked at Walker.

Walker glanced down at his watch, just in time to avoid meeting Milo's gaze.

He did not answer Milo's question, but continued:

"After being abandoned by their biological parents, orphanages and shelters in Galid refused to accept them. This is what I've never been able to understand. It's ridiculous."

Walker stared at the floor and said this very seriously:

"This city is sick."

...

……

The three remained silent for a long time.

The conversation took on a very strange atmosphere.

After Walker said those words, he seemed to have vented something, and the heavy expression on his face eased considerably.

It seems that it took a lot of courage for him to say those words.

……

Finally, Rebecca broke the silence:

"Is this why you insist on staying in the town of Ikham to perform your duties?"

"It's part of it."

Walker nodded:
“However, I have been seeking assistance from various organizations and institutions, including other cities. I have also sent letters to them. I believe there are still kind-hearted people who would like to take a look at this dilapidated town, just like you, right?”

(End of this chapter)