Returning to the afternoon.
Piltover Police Station, Interrogation Room.
As a rookie who had just entered the force with a heart full of ideals, Caitlyn currently held a stubborn, or perhaps naive, insistence on legal procedures.
After bringing Levi and the young Enforcer who was ordered to kill him back to the station, she actually followed the rules by the book, interrogating them, taking notes, and recording their statements just like a normal case investigation.
Seeing her stubborn attitude, Levi had no choice but to cooperate.
Finally, the interrogation ended.
"Thank you, Mr. Levi."
Holding the statement signed and thumbprinted by Levi, Caitlyn let out a long sigh of relief.
"With this, it's enough to apply to the Piltover Council for an investigation warrant against Sheriff Marcus and the Iron Fist Gang."
"Uh," Levi twitched the corner of his mouth, "Miss Caitlyn, do you still want to continue following legal procedures and wait until you get the investigation warrant to investigate them openly?"
"Yes," Caitlyn replied with a resolute attitude.
"Do you think that will work?"
"Whether it works or not, I must persevere. Because I am not a vigilante, but an Enforcer."
"But the rules you're guarding have already been broken." Levi felt a bit helpless. "Look around. Besides you, does anyone else dare to come near this interrogation room?"
According to the rules of the Piltover Police Station, an official interrogation of a suspect should have at least two Enforcers present.
But earlier, when Caitlyn tried to invite her colleagues to participate in the interrogation, not a single Enforcer in the station was willing to get involved.
Everyone avoided her like the plague.
Even though her last name was Kiramman.
"Sheriff Marcus is, after all, the head of Piltover's law enforcement and the direct superior of the Enforcers. Until the situation becomes clear, they probably won't easily take sides between you and Sheriff Marcus."
"So I'm afraid you'll have to fight this battle alone."
Although he didn't know much about the internal situation of the Piltover Police Station, Levi could figure these things out just by thinking about it.
Could Caitlyn really not see it?
Of course she could.
But she still stubbornly clutched the transcript, straightening her back as she slowly stood up from the interrogation seat. "No, I am not alone."
"Behind me stand the law and justice of Piltover."
As soon as her voice fell...
Behind Caitlyn, the tightly closed door of the interrogation room was pushed open from the outside.
A middle-aged man with a crisp buzz cut and a short beard, dressed in a senior Enforcer uniform, slowly walked in.
His leather shoes were polished to a shine, his trouser creases were perfectly straight, his belt was perfectly centered, and his buttons, cuffs, and collar were all meticulously arranged.
This image of a perfect Enforcer with flawless discipline naturally gave off an impression of uprightness and awe-inspiring righteousness.
However, this man was exactly:
"Sheriff Marcus."
A layer of frost formed on Caitlyn's face as she stared at him coldly.
"You're just in time."
"I have already obtained the statements from the victim and the suspect, and I was just about to ask you to explain this matter."
"Caitlyn," Marcus said, closing the door without a change in expression. "Stop this nonsense."
"At this point, are you still going to play the elder in front of me?" Caitlyn frowned deeply, showing no sign of weakness. "Colluding with gangs, abusing your authority, ordering a murder..."
"Officer Marcus, do you have nothing to explain?"
Marcus fell silent for a moment.
He gave Caitlyn a helpless look, then slowly pulled a thin document from his pocket.
"What is this?" Caitlyn asked, confused.
"This is a certificate issued by the station's psychologist," Marcus said, his tone terrifyingly calm. "It proves that the Enforcer who fired at Mr. Levi has been in poor psychological health for a long time, with an abnormal mental state, and is suspected of having tendencies toward mental illnesses such as depression and delusions."
"Therefore, the officer's actions and testimony cannot be judged logically, nor can they be accepted as evidence."
Levi: "..."
Good lord, they even set him up with a mentally ill shooter.
His status had suddenly been elevated from an ordinary Zaunite to several levels higher.
"I apologize, Mr. Levi."
"This was entirely a terrible misunderstanding caused by our inadequate attention to the psychological well-being of our officers."
"A misunderstanding?" Levi chuckled disdainfully. "I think your only misunderstanding..."
"...was mistaking me for a Zaunite you could easily crush, not expecting me to be a formidable Transcendent, right?"
Marcus was neither angry nor did he refute it.
As if tacitly agreeing, he continued speaking on his own:
"Regardless of the reason, the mistake is ours."
"The Piltover Police Station is willing to take responsibility and offer you reasonable compensation. As for your previous conflict with the Iron Fist Gang, we will also step in to mediate—"
"As long as you agree to a settlement, all your previous crimes can be wiped clean."
"And I believe the Iron Fist Gang would be more than willing to apologize for their offense against you."
Marcus's naturally toned persuasion made Caitlyn's eyes widen in disbelief.
She seemingly hadn't expected that the superior she once respected could be so hypocritical, even shameless.
"Sheriff Marcus!"
"What exactly are you doing! Are you openly fabricating evidence and bribing witnesses right in front of me, attempting to make the victim change his story to help you cover up your filthy, despicable crimes?"
Caitlyn's anger was almost uncontrollable.
But Marcus acted as if he hadn't heard her words at all.
Caitlyn considered herself a warrior fighting against Marcus and evil.
But Marcus was like an old man facing a willful child, completely ignoring her tantrum.
He merely looked at Levi with calm eyes and asked, "Mr. Levi, I hope you can forgive our mistake and put an end to this grudge."
"Otherwise, if this matter drags on... you must know that the Iron Fist Gang's accusations against you for assault causing severe injury and possession of contraband are also facts."
"Although we in Piltover advocate peace and are not adept at violence, it doesn't mean just any mage can come over, disregard the law, and do whatever they please."
Levi could also understand the underlying message:
It was asking whether he wanted to settle this privately or publicly.
Settling privately meant the matter would end here. Not only would he avoid jail time, but he would also receive financial compensation. That little Iron Fist Gang would also be guaranteed never to dare provoke him again.
And settling publicly? That meant making an enemy of Piltover's current order, inevitably resulting in spending a few days in prison.
"Actually, I don't want to cause trouble either."
"However," Levi glanced at Caitlyn beside him, whose gaze had already turned ice-cold, "I have already promised Miss Kiramman here that I will cooperate with her investigation."
"When this matter ends is up to her."
"I understand... Then we will continue to proceed according to procedure. I'll have to trouble Mr. Levi to stay in Stillwater Hold for a few days."
Marcus didn't drag things out at all. Without even glancing at Caitlyn, he prepared to get up and leave after speaking.
"Halt!" After a long silence, Caitlyn erupted. "Sheriff Marcus, when I joined the force, you were the one who personally put the police cap on me and led me in swearing an oath to the badge."
"But look at you—with your shameless appearance now, can you even still be considered an Enforcer?"
Marcus stopped in his tracks.
He finally responded to Caitlyn:
"An Enforcer's duty is to maintain the order of Piltover, not destroy it."
"Caitlyn, you are not suited to be an Enforcer."
"You?!" Caitlyn clenched her fists tightly, even her blue ponytail trembling with anger.
"Marcus—" She didn't even call him Sheriff anymore. "Just you wait! I will definitely find the evidence of your financial dealings with the Iron Fist Gang, and then I will personally send you to prison!"
"Sigh." Marcus turned to leave once again.
Before pushing the door open to leave, he only left behind one sentence:
"I am the Sheriff of Piltover."
Piltover had no army; the Enforcers were their armed forces.
Although Piltover's truly powerful military force actually consisted of the private soldiers of the great houses, even so, as the Sheriff of Piltover commanding all the Enforcers, Sheriff Marcus was an extremely high-ranking and powerful existence.
"Caitlyn, do you really think—"
"—that petty thugs like the Iron Fist Gang are qualified to have ties with me?"
With that, Marcus closed the door and left.
Caitlyn stood frozen in place, muttering to herself, "What... what does he mean by that?"
"Well," Levi tried to translate Marcus's words, "he probably means:"
"Those who know, know. Don't bother asking him what's going on. The interests involved are too massive, and telling you won't do you any good. Just pretend you don't know. As for the rest, let's just say the water here is very deep and involves a lot of big shots..."
Caitlyn: "..."
She didn't care if there were any big shots involved.
The deeper the water, the bigger the fish. She was all the more determined to fiercely stir up this pool of stagnant water, turning it completely upside down until the muddy depths ran clear!
"I'm going to apply to the Piltover Council for an investigation warrant right now!"
Biting her lip tightly, Caitlyn grabbed the testimonies she had collected and was about to rush out the door.
"Wait." Levi, however, reminded her with some concern, "You told me before..."
"Marcus is the Sheriff. To investigate an official of his level, you must have an investigation warrant personally signed by a Councilor, right?"
"Right!" Caitlyn was still furious and didn't think much of it.
"Then do you still think you can get a Councilor's signature now?"
Why couldn't she?
Her mother was a Councilor.
She just needed to go home, get her mother to sign it, and she could come back and arrest him. The procedure was simpler than the school handing out report cards.
'Wait...' A sudden chill washed over her.
Her mother was a Councilor. She knew that, and Levi knew that.
Marcus, of course, knew it too.
Caitlyn's heart full of burning passion suddenly ran cold.
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