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"So this fabric was bought in Ashrin?" Irene asked Hira who nodded confirming her suspicion. Furthermore, they added that a colour fabric of this type is really expensive and only comes around for about once a month only.
"So the person we are looking for came from Ashrin." Irene commented. Though this comment was quickly struck down by the man seated beside her.
"There's a possibility that anyone from any state could've gone to Ashrin to buy the fabric. We can't rule out that possibility." Irene agreed to his deduction.
"If my lady wants, I would be able to ask for the buyer's catalogue from the supply chain in Ashrin in regards to this fabric. It would arrive tomorrow but it would narrow down quickly who you are looking for."
"Yes, please! Thank you Hira." They smile in response. Kazuto also gave a thank you smile before they both were led outside of the waiting room.
The moment they went out of the store, one of the observers from the Xue soldiers came rushing to them. He is panting from the panic. Irene calmed him down and asked what was the matter.
He speaks with a ratched breath. Cutting in and out of sentences. "The soldiers… They- They had taken all of the workers to Xue's villa dungeon!"
"THEY WHAT?!" Irene exclaimed. Even Kazuto's face becomes furious.
"Inform Yanyi. Let's go." The Young Marquess before them is silent with emotion. There's hardly any anger inside his eyes. But that's the most dangerous part.
When a person has nothing inside, they are not afraid of committing a crime.
And the soldiers have crossed the line.
They quickly get inside of the vehicle before Kazuto, the driver drove so fast it could kill pedestrians towards the Xue's holiday villa. Although he never really went there, he knew by heart where each important villa was located.
The trip that is supposed to be about 30 minutes was cut short to be just over 5 minutes. He slammed shut the door and approached the nervous old butler. "Where are they?" He asked.
"They are down there, Young Marquess. Please, save those innocent people." The old butler pleaded. Apparently he had also tried to push the soldiers away from entering the dungeon but they swat him and his family away and push themselves inside.
Underneath in the dungeon, many construction workers from the orphanage were hanged by their wrist. Their feet had already lost all strength the moment they were taken straight here.
Surrounding them are a dozen or so Xue soldiers. Standing in their place with a smirk across their entire face. None of them showed remorse.
Some even comfortably sat on a chair in the room.
They had no torture method available. Thus, they resorted to crushing their feet and beating the living shit out of the workers. Why?
Yanyi did say that they are allowed to use methods at their disposal to solve the case. In the Xue's soldiers, in order to get information from enemies, they would resort to a harsh method. Although this method has one crucial rule that will always be followed by the higher ups.
This is their last resort if nothing and I mean NOTHING works.
"Come on. Surely it's one of you. All the evidence is pointing towards you bitches! So fest up quickly!" A cocky soldier that sat on one of the chairs yelled and ordered the workers. The thing is they don't even know what is going on.
The moment they got in for work they were confronted and taken away by force. "We…We don't know what you want! We just clock in!" A worker said, eyes already bruised from getting punched.
"Seriously? The shed, the bathroom, the missing drill? All of it pointed to one of you! So better spill everything out now!!" Yet another punch straight to the gut. It didn't quite get there though.
Pew!
"ARGHH!!!!" The lovely scream came from the one who held out the fist.
A bullet pierce the grounds just underneath the chair where some of them are seated. All eyes are now directed to where the bullet had come from. It was coming from the entrance stairway to the dungeon.
"Lay your hand off of the people underneath Ryuichi's order!" Kazuto said with clarity. He is beyond saving for any sort of talking.
He will kill if he has too.
"Young Marquess Ryuichi. Quite a surprise to see the incompetent leader in this place. An enemy of ours." A soldier, presumably the head of them, commented.
Kazuto — "You are on the land where Ryuichi's order is of utmost importance! You have no authority to act as you wish here!"
"Oh but this specific land is bought out by the Xue aren't they? By order of the Imperial law, this specific land is under Xue's order. So 'you' have no authority here."
Kazuto — "By order of Imperial law stated that each land shall be subjected to a lawful use under the head house of the state. Under the law in Kinsel, no land aside from those authorised by the Ryuichi personally to be used as a torture chamber. Precisely what you are doing."
"W-Well, we are delivering justice. Just like what the Imperial family had entrusted the Xue's to do. We are acting on the order of the Imperial family implicitly."
Kazuto — "Delivering justice by torturing innocent people. Have you not heard of the widely known concept of innocence until proven guilty?"
"Such manners are not used in the pillars of justice in Xue. We have the right of judgement to suspect."
"No you don't!!!" A voice but in. The girl that they had not been paying close attention to this whole time is butting in their arguments.
"Under Xue's military law, unlawful acts of extortion through violence are not permitted! Not unless it is done by professional personnel under the high command of the general of Xue themselves!"
Irene had her fair share of understanding of the Xue's law and rules thanks to her involvement with Yanyi. She understood most of these laws even when she had no use of them. She is not about to let arrogance win over true justice.
Her response was then received by a bountiful laughter of mocking from the soldiers surrounding the area. They are laughing with tears forming in their eyes. Even the one who is torturing the workers stops and laughs alongside the others.
Vile action.
"Lady Irene. How can you say you knew more about the teaching of Xue's when you don't even have any experience with it!"
"Then I have no credibility as well?" A voice that silenced every laughter that had once reverb across the walls. A voice that none of them, Xue soldiers can defy or go against. One of the six existing ones.
Irene turned her head and came down Yanyi from the stairs. She had been listening to everything that had been playing inside. Her silver eyes were empty with any sort of empathy.
She has no mercy left.
"M-My lady…" You can hear the fear from the presumed leader among these wannabe gangsters.
Yanyi — "By your rule, I, who have no direct experience in Xue's practice would not have known the true teaching of justice? Are you implying that I am more incompetent in my OWN family's teaching than you?"
"Tha-That's not what I-!"
Yanyi — "Oh but it is. It is exactly what you said about her. Someone who had stood by my side for 15 years. Learning every path and route to Xue's teaching her entire life."
Silence.
Yanyi — "You lots… The most you have is 3 years of experience. Compared to Lady Irene Miller, you have no knowledge about the true pillar of justice in Volenix."
Eyes are casted downwards.
Yanyi — "Xue's are the pillar of justice and you are downplaying our teaching. Are you questioning the Imperial family's integrity then?"
No voice response to her enquiry. Her silver eyes looked towards each and every single one of them. Not one of them even dared to lift their head let alone face her eyes.
"ANSWER ME!!!"
"NO, SIRE!!!"
Hearing the immediate response, Yanyi states with a voice of full commandment. "Release these workers and kneel before them! Apologize for your insolent behaviour!" They did as she said.
Taking off the ropes.
Kneel down on the stone floor.
Apologize in unison.
Loud and clear.
Yanyi then tells the observer to lead the workers outside and bring them back to the police station. They will be given first aid immediately and receive a formal written apology from the Xue. Also known as her.
After they were led out, the soldiers who were silent throughout the entire ordeal finally spoke up. "How are we supposed to work for this case, sire. All of the clues that we have gathered all lead to a general dead end."
"And?"
"We resorted to the final… solution." he mumbles the last words.
Unfortunately much to her displeasure, she understood where they stood. Irene and Kazuto have a bigger advantage to them. By having everything practically supplied to them by the authority in Kinsel.
The soldiers have nothing.
But she can't be too sympathetic with them. She had, after all, been in their place for so many times before. Studying cases after cases when all the puzzle pieces are scattered. And yet she manages to finish everything easily.
Yanyi looks over to Irene and Kazuto. She mouthed the word "Sorry." before she received a nod from both of them. They knew at one point the paying field needs to be of equal value. Unfortunately it is today.
"From now on, any evidence collected by either group shall be presented and stored in with the evidence department. Each group are given equal access to these evidence. It is no longer the race for the fastest. But a race for accuracy."
"Whoever manages to get the quickest and most accurate result to the police station, they will be rewarded as the winner." Her silver eyes place where Irene is. She is wholeheartedly putting her freedom on the line.
Irene nodded in confidence. They are now on the right track and will not disappoint Yanyi.
With that out of the way the situation in the dungeon finally comes to a close. Though this certainly comes to a point where they all would be fired from their position after the surveying field.
'I have a lot to talk to Uncle Cinth.' Yanyi thought to herself.
"Yanyi." The voice behind her caught her off guard. Irene and Kazuto had yet to depart to where they needed to go. Instead here they are having a chat with her.
"I'm sorry. I wanted you guys to win so much but if I don't be fair then more people will come to harm. Sorry Kazuto for what happened." The boy waved it off. It wasn't her fault. She had no control of the soldiers.
It is their fault for not upholding the book of conduct. "I presume that you will take further action in regards to their action?" She nodded and will act upon immediate termination once this is all over.
Yanyi — "Why'd you stop me?"
Irene — "I was hoping that you could help me with something."
Yanyi — "With what?"
Irene — "The log to the history of those soldiers perhaps."
The silver eyes blinked in confusion. Even the blue one blinks in confusion as well. "Why their records?" She is quite confused as to why Irene would want their data in the first place.
"I have my theory. Though we would need to thoroughly survey the entire catalogue of Ryuichi's workers and your family's soldiers. I'll explain it in the results tomorrow, okay!"
"Okay?..." She wasn't quite convinced but wasn't suspicious either. Irene has been by her side for 15 years of her life. If she were to jump into the sea the brunet would no doubt follow her.
They trust each other.
"I'll have the data sent later. Where do you want it?"
"The archive!"
"The archive?!" The two Young Marquess yelled in bewilderment. That's quite the fast move. Her brain moves really fast I've got to say.
"Yup! We're going to the archive to store the timeline. We have everything we can and all we need is just to create the timeline." She smiles in confidence. No wonder she gave Yanyi that reassuring smile from the dungeon. She had everything in the palm of her hand.
Young Marquess Xue laughed gently before nodding her head. She will have the data sen to the archive as immediate as lunch hour. They all took their respective leave.
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"Just a few more slips and they will be revealed."
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