Ke-style law enforcement officers

Chapter 99 The Strange Outsider

The western part of the town.

After sunset, the miners, returning to their quarters, gathered together for a meal.

They had learned from their injured coworker, who had a broken leg, that a new law enforcement officer had arrived in the town.

Iqum is a godforsaken place where outsiders rarely visit. Not to mention law enforcement officers, even homeless people don't go here.

Therefore, the appearance of strangers always attracts the attention of miners.

Especially when this stranger is a law enforcement officer, a special profession.

……

"Is it true? Law enforcement officers have come to town?"

“It’s absolutely true. I just saw that stranger in the black trench coat in the alley ahead.”

"What exactly do the law enforcement officers want from us?"

"I don't know, but I think that stranger was strange. When I passed by just now, I saw him talking to the wall all by himself, and there was no one else around. I even shouted at him, but he seemed not to hear me at all..."

"Talking to a wall? Are you drunk and seeing things?"

“It’s absolutely true, he really was standing alone in the dark talking to himself, I’m not mistaken!”

……

...

In the small building opposite the law enforcement office.

Milo was helping Walker repair the shattered door panel.

His kick not only broke the door panel but also cracked the wooden door frame. It probably wouldn't be able to be fully repaired in a short time, so they could only find a suitably sized plank to cover the doorway, just to keep out the cold night wind. Fortunately, there were abandoned houses everywhere in the town of Ikham, so it was easy to take a door panel from another old house.

"That's fine, anyway there's nothing valuable at home, so we're not worried about being robbed."

Looking at the new door panel covered in mold that was placed in the doorway, Walker smiled wryly and patted the dust off his hands.

“You’re a law enforcement officer, are you worried about thieves breaking into your house?” Milo tugged at Walker’s black trench coat.

In Nanwei City, this outfit would be an absolute symbol of military power. Wearing it, even nobles would have to think twice before making a move against you. However, on Walker, it had absolutely no intimidating effect. This was mainly because Walker had too much of a scholarly air about him. But you can't blame him; he was just a logistics and administrative staff member.

"This is the first time I've ever seen a law enforcement officer who isn't armed."

Rebecca sat in a chair in the living room, looking at Walker, who wasn't carrying any weapons.

“We definitely have weapons.” Walker rummaged through drawers and pulled out an old flintlock musket and a rusty dagger.

Milo took the flintlock musket and sniffed it:
"Your old gun is practically moldy; the flint inside probably won't even spark."

"It's alright, it's alright." Walker smiled as he took the musket back and hung it on his waist. "This thing is just for show to me, it has no other use."

As he spoke, he drew the dagger from its leather sheath and examined it: "But this definitely needs some time to be sharpened."

“This is a dagger, not a pencil.” Milo shook his head as he looked at Walker’s awkward grip on the knife.

“I think you are all very professional.” Walker chuckled awkwardly. He didn’t take Milo’s teasing to heart and said sincerely, “Really, I really think so. You are more professional than all the law enforcement officers in Galid City. This is not a compliment. When I applied to become a law enforcement officer, I dreamed of becoming someone like you one day.”

"People like us who can kick someone's door down with one kick, right?" Now it was Rebecca's turn to make a sarcastic remark about Milo.

Milo selectively ignored Rebecca's words.

Walker nodded blankly and said, "Well, to be honest, I just can't kick this door open."

"Okay, okay, I'll come over tomorrow and put the door back in for you."

Milo paced around the living room twice, then quickly changed the subject, turning to Rebecca and asking:
"So what's next?"

"..."

This question stumped Rebecca.

Before entering Galid, she had very limited useful information. Now, only one day later, she and Milo had learned a lot of clues about Icam, but almost none of these clues could be connected, nor could they be directly linked to Karl's death.

Moggot's ravings, the strange illness of the dead child in the house—all this information was fragmented.

Rebecca was unsure how to proceed with the investigation.

She remained seated, her head resting on her hands, and after a moment's thought, asked Walker, "Did you hear the name Karl while you were on duty in Icam... wait, no."

But Rebecca quickly realized she had asked a stupid question.

Carl died before Walker joined the law enforcement agency, meaning Walker hadn't even arrived in Ickham yet, so how could he have heard of Carl?

Milo, standing to the side, rubbed his forehead helplessly.

This kind of brain-teasing stuff is definitely not Rebecca's forte.

“Perhaps you could ask Grandma Freya?” Walker suddenly suggested. “She’s lived in Icom for ten years, she must know far more than I do.”

Milo and Rebecca exchanged a glance.

It's not that it's impossible.

As they were talking, Milo remembered the strange old man he had met when he was lost not long ago:

"Oh right, I ran into an old lady on my way back, but she was walking so fast that she disappeared in the blink of an eye. Could that have been Freya?"

"Walking fast? That's definitely not Freya. Her legs haven't been doing so well in recent years; she usually has to rest for five minutes after every minute of walking." Walker shook his head. "You must have seen one of the elderly people from the miners' families." "Is that so..."

Milo felt that something was off, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

He asked Rebecca:
"Why don't we go back to the inn and see if Freya is back yet? I think what she knows is more reliable than what Mogot said; at least she's not crazy."

Rebecca glanced in the direction of the bedroom and asked Walker, "Is everything alright here?"

“I’m fine here,” Walker nodded. “They only have one episode each night, and then they sleep soundly until dawn. Don’t worry.”

"If you need anything, come to the hostel and find us."

Rebecca got up, put on her trench coat, and returned to the hotel with Milo.

……

...

The temperature in Ikham is very low at night.

Milo followed Rebecca back to the inn, his neck hunched.

However, there were no candles in the windows on the first floor of the inn, so it seemed that the innkeeper, Grandma Freya, was already resting.

"Then let's not bother the old man."

Milo tiptoed up the wooden stairs to the second floor.

Rebecca also went upstairs without saying a word.

In the building's hallway, the two each took out their keys and unlocked the door. At that moment, Rebecca called out to Milo:

"Do you think it's possible that those children are the same as the members of the Delaman family from twenty-four years ago?"

“It’s not impossible,” Milo agreed. “But I’m more concerned about the situation at the mining company. Like you said, we’ve been here all day and so far we’re all safe and sound, which is the most unusual thing.”

“I didn’t originally expect to find out the truth by the two of us alone, but now I don’t want to waste a few days here and leave without doing anything,” Rebecca said.

“I understand, I understand, I know what overflowing maternal love is.” Milo waved his hand: “But those children’s symptoms have lasted for ten years, and we can’t change anything in a short time. Rest well and get some rest so you can have the energy to continue the investigation tomorrow.”

“Are you laughing at me?” Rebecca glared at Milo.

Milo shrugged:

"I'm praising you for being a kind person. Go to sleep now, remember to close the doors and windows, the flies in Iqm don't rest at night either, goodnight."

After saying that, he went into the room and closed the door.

……

They lit the only kerosene lamp in the room.

The room wasn't large; the dim lighting covered about 80% of the space, though it was still a bit dark.

Milo took off his trench coat and boots and lay down on the bed. He felt that he could fall asleep immediately if he closed his eyes.

After all, I didn't sleep a wink on the train last night.

He knew how bad the soundproofing was between the hotel rooms, and Milo's top priority tonight was to fall asleep before Rebecca, otherwise he wouldn't get any sleep.

Rebecca said her pet cat, Marshall, had died, but Milo now strongly suspects that Marshall ran away from home.

……

Sleeping in a shirt isn't comfortable, but Milo needed the sense of security that the seven revolving magazines provided, so he lay down fully armed.

The same principle applies: fear stems from insufficient firepower.

Perhaps because she was so exhausted, as soon as Milo closed her eyes, the chaotic thoughts in her mind immediately settled down, and she fell asleep very quickly.

Occasionally, footsteps could still be heard from the next room, and the creaking of the hard soles of the law enforcement officers' boots on the wooden floor was quite jarring. But after the last groan from the bed, all the rooms on the second floor fell silent, and Rebecca went to sleep.

The entire hostel was enveloped in a dull, deathly silence.

...

However, this quiet did not last long.

crunch~~
Milo, who was fast asleep, suddenly opened his eyes.

He quickly got up, put on his boots, gripped his revolver, and strode to the window, pressing his back against the wall.

Milo was pretty sure he heard something strange.

The noise didn't come from Rebecca's room next door.

It originated from a spot on the second-floor roof.

He slowed his breathing, listening quietly, trying to catch a second sound in the surrounding silence.

……

"Shhhh..."

The sound of trampling weeds could be heard coming from the alleyway outside the house.