I was an apprentice in Ferren

Chapter 93 Persuasion
Deva stared silently at the police badge on Richard's body, which gleamed in the setting sun.

"His face was bruised and swollen, with dense pinpoint hemorrhages under the conjunctiva of his eyes. There was a typical strangulation mark on his neck, with a gap at the back of his neck. There were no other injuries on his body. He did commit suicide." Ham pointed to the body. "Even without a coroner, I can confirm that his time of death was probably last night. He probably regretted what he did last night and chose the exact same way to die."

"Why would he do this?" Deva looked at the scene. Compared to the flawed suicide in the detention center, this did indeed fit the knowledge she had learned more, but she couldn't understand the reason: "He dared to kill someone but was afraid of being caught? His crime didn't even warrant the death penalty, could it be..."

"Captain, don't look at me." Ham waved his hand: "First of all, not everyone is emotionally stable. Many murderers are impulsive killers who regret it after calming down. Richard probably thought that way. He chose to act out of spite and made one mistake after another. In the end, he probably felt ashamed and committed suicide."

"Could such a ruthless person commit suicide out of shame?" Deva was somewhat skeptical. "I remember there were a few people on horseback at the beginning of the case, and his suicide note said he wouldn't involve his family. Could he have been trying to settle everything with his death?"

Ham was speechless. This guy was driven to suicide and still didn't think it was enough: "Even if we find those people, at most they'll be fined for disturbing the peace by riding fast horses. It's not worth it for him to commit suicide to settle things. Of course, he might want to do it in a more respectable way. After all, if the case comes to light and he's arrested, he might have to share a cell with the prisoners he arrested, which is absolutely intolerable to him. He'd rather die as a guard."

"Then what's the deal with this suitcase on the ground?"

"Perhaps he wants to prove that he has been relatively honest and incorruptible all these years and has no extra assets?"

Although she had some doubts about this statement, the person was dead and things were no longer the same. But looking at the suicide note and the scene, Deva decided to put the matter aside.

The guards might have similar insects, but both her mentor and mother told her that things needed to be done slowly, so she would change things little by little.

However, the thought that only her mother would know about her achievements dampened Deva's spirits.

If DuPont could see how powerful she is right now.

It was already Sunday. If the contract went smoothly, he would probably have already returned to the academy, and I would probably have to wait until next week to see him.

After much thought, Deva returned to her lodgings and wrote a letter, putting down what had happened to her.

She dared not go to the mage academy after such a huge embarrassment last time, so she decided to send the message by messenger instead.

7 hours ago.

"What, I'm late? You have no idea how busy I've been these past two days." DuPont changed into his monk's robes and couldn't help but yawn. "I went to Beer Town yesterday, took on a contract to help Barley Village deal with the goblin scourge, and even gave advice to a newly appointed sheriff. I've been doing so many things at once, and I didn't sleep well last night."

"Why do we have to go to Beer Town to pick up the deed for Barley Village?" Dorothy helped DuPont put on his black, fitted robe. She was in such a hurry that she didn't even have time to grope him. But then her eyes lit up: "I heard you found a paladin girlfriend. Is she in Beer Town?"

"First of all, the rumor that she's not my girlfriend is just that, but she is indeed here, and I was just giving her advice." DuPont shrugged. "I think that paladin isn't much older than me, and he's already graduated and serving as a guard captain, but he's still a bit lacking in experience and knowledge. If I don't help him, I'm afraid I'll get messed with."

"You talk like you're so important." Dorothy snorted. "Alright, go on. Remember to be polite. There's a sinner who specifically asked you to be their guide today. Be careful not to get a complaint if you don't perform well."

"You specifically wanted to see me??" DuPont was puzzled by this. He had only worked here once, so why was he being specifically asked to see me? Could it be the half-elf doctor he saw last time?
But that shouldn't be the case. They could have easily chatted in the infirmary. There aren't many people in the college today since it's a holiday, so why would they specifically come here?

Somewhat puzzled, DuPont still said goodbye to the female pastor and couldn't help but think of the scene from last night on the way.

In the darkness, Richard's heart sank when he saw the candlelight in the house, wondering if his lover had returned or if he had been robbed.

However, when he saw the empty suitcase, he couldn't help but fly into a rage. But when he saw the person sitting in the corner, he could no longer suppress his anger and reached for his waist: "It's you!"

DuPont nodded and smiled slightly: "We met at noon. He's a kind-hearted police chief who recently helped a citizen solve their retirement problem."

Richard narrowed his eyes and quietly took a step forward: "Since you knew everything and were able to get here before me, it seems you are quite skilled. I didn't expect the paladin to have a master thief friend."

“Wrong, I’m a mage, not a thief.” DuPont said, summoning a mage’s hand. The pale blue shadow made Richard’s muscles tense instantly.

Damn it, it really is a mage.
However, this distance
"Looking at your fierce face, it's absurd that you can be a guard. Even serial killers probably don't have your murderous aura." DuPont shook his head, looking nonchalant. "Are you calculating that if you take one more step forward, you'll pounce on me? You, a country guard, are really audacious, actually trying to attack a mage to cover up your crime. You should know that this crime is enough to kill your whole family."

"Oh, I forgot, we in Harua don't have such harsh laws. You should only have to let your wife work in a brothel until she's old and faded, your son's testicles will be cut off so he can become a castrato singer who sings about goddesses all day long, and your parents will get a free burial plot in the quarry. You won't have to work hard to raise them anymore. It's a win-win situation."

DuPont's words made Richard stop in his tracks, sweat dripping from his face. But DuPont wasn't finished: "Oh, by the way, all your property will be confiscated, and your illegitimate daughter won't escape the detection of magic either. I have to say, in a way, you're a strange person, abandoning your wife, who was just a free citizen, to get the position of sheriff and marrying the daughter of the previous sheriff."

He willingly left with nothing, giving all his cash to his ex-wife. She's doing quite well at her bakery in White Rock; I even bought one. But the bread gets as hard as a baton after just two hours. Do you think she used cheap ingredients?

Looking at the familiar bread, Richard felt a wave of dizziness and his hands trembled uncontrollably. His knees buckled and he knelt on the ground: "My assets are more than 2000 gold coins, and with gems, they are nearly 3000. This is almost all the savings I have accumulated in my ten years as a sheriff. I hope you can see this and let me off the hook."

"Your money? The stolen money in that suitcase? It's already in my bag, what does it have to do with you?" DuPont said with an evil smile, "To be honest, I admire you. A ruthless guy like you would be a great dog to take in, but the problem is you've offended the wrong person. The power behind Deva is far beyond your imagination."

As he spoke, he opened a drawer: "This bundle of rope is probably your worst-case scenario plan, right? You'll just throw it down the drain at night, and nobody will care whether a woman lives or dies in the dark, don't you think?"

Richard raised his hand, as if he wanted to say something, but DuPont shook his head: "Deva is too naive. There are some things I have to fix. I hope you can figure out what to do after I leave. If you insist on making a undignified and desperate struggle, then I'm afraid your superiors and subordinates will take the initiative to make things dignified for you, without my intervention."

DuPont finished speaking and left. The two passed each other, and Richard remained motionless as if he had lost his soul, staring blankly at the rope on the ground.

DuPont didn't go far. He observed the actions inside from outside. When he saw the light inside flicker, he nodded. This guy finally figured it out and didn't cause trouble for himself.

However, this guy was wrong about one thing: his savings were even more than he imagined, totaling 3600 gold coins including the gems.

(End of this chapter)