Chapter 141 Chapter 141 The truth. (90,000 nutrient solution plus more)...
Su Cheng: “?”
This name and surname were actually very common. She had encountered more than one of them in Cross Star Academy. However, thinking about the current era, she couldn't help but think of that set of books.
The "Secret and Dangerous Spell" series I bought at the Imperial Capital Bookstore did not have the author's name signed, leaving only Hammerfield's last name.
And she seemed to know another person named Ailin.
"……Your Mightiness?"
The two magicians looked at her strangely.
Su Cheng knew he had been in a daze for a bit too long. "Sorry, I know several people with this surname—"
"Everyone is like that," a magician shook his head, "and they're even more common in this city."
"What's this person's strength?" Su Cheng asked. "Normally, shouldn't a wanted poster list their rank to prevent those with less strength from being harmed by the criminal?"
"Indeed," another person sighed, "but no one knows his rank. In fact, he took his rank test here many years ago when he was only seven years old and was certified as an apprentice. But more than ten years have passed... and he hasn't come back for the test. So our records still show him as Rank One. A wanted poster can't possibly say he's Rank One, right? That's too absurd."
"I understand," Su Cheng's mouth twitched. "Even though I'm not from here, I know there are a lot of magicians here. What level of skill does a seven-year-old first-level mage hold here? I can only say that it's quite rare in my hometown. So, is this person not taken seriously?"
The two looked at each other and said, "It's not bad here."
Judging from their tone, this so-called good is probably above average, and must not be particularly rare.
"...There are many colleges in Zhuguang City, each with a long history and a fairly complete system."
Another wizard came over, and judging from his accent, he sounded like a local.
There was a magician's emblem on her robe, and she spoke slowly, but held her head high and chest out, looking quite proud.
"Our earliest enrollment age is five years old, and many children can successfully pass the first-level assessment after one to two years of basic education."
"I see," Su Cheng nodded slowly. "So the murderer only took introductory courses here for a year or two before dropping out? Otherwise, you should have relevant records, right?"
The magician shook his head. "I'm a teacher at the academy, not a member of the Magic Guild. But according to the survey results from various schools, Hammerfield has no enrollment record in any public or private magic academy, and has never completed any magic-related courses in any school—"
"Even the kind of basic education for little kids?"
"Yes."
"So," Su Cheng concluded, "Normally, if a seven-year-old child passed the apprenticeship test at the Magic Guild, you would take it seriously, investigate his family situation, and invite him to study at the affiliated academy. But you have so many schools here, and so many children who have achieved ranks early on, that the guild staff have gotten used to it. After granting him a rank, they assumed he belonged to a certain school and stopped paying attention to him."
The wizard frowned and agreed, "...I guess what you said is true. Although there is no way to confirm it. After all, the person who tested him died several years ago while researching forbidden spells."
"If there's no study record, then there's at least some other information, right? Is he a local? If so, where does he live? What does his family do? Even if he didn't take the test at the Magic Guild, since his magic level is very high, perhaps the neighbors all know about it."
As soon as Su Cheng finished asking, he noticed that the magician's face changed slightly, as if he remembered something bad.
"...We can't find his neighbors, at least those who live nearby."
The four of them stood here talking, attracting a lot of attention. At this time, another magician came over.
He also looked like a local, with a fifth-level water element emblem on his robe, and was a high-level magician.
"Those people, including Hammerfield's parents, are gone." His eyes were a little subtle. "They died in an accident."
"Ah?" Su Cheng couldn't help but ask, "What kind of accident?"
"You're also a magician," the man glanced at her, "don't you know how many accidents can happen to a magician at any time?"
Su Cheng crossed his arms. "...An accident that could happen at any time seems like it would just blow down a neighbor's fence, not kill a bunch of people. In most cities, that might only happen once every few decades. I don't think it falls into the category of 'could happen at any time,' right? Also, since you're saying that, this accident was caused by a magician? Who was it?"
The wizard next to him looked at him suddenly.
The senior magician's expression became increasingly ugly, as if he realized that he had said something wrong.
"No one," he said stiffly, "it's the dead themselves who are the problem—"
"Okay," Su Cheng turned around, "Then I'll go check out the scene myself. Where is that place? Forget it, you probably don't want to tell me, so I'll go find out myself."
The man subconsciously tried to stop her, "I don't think this has anything to do with you. Since you are a great magician, we are willing to discuss the situation with you. This does not mean that—"
"I want to do my part to catch the criminals," Su Cheng interrupted him. "So isn't it normal for me to ask more questions? Is there anything that's not fair to say? Aren't there many magicians in your area who cause accidents and kill residents from time to time?"
"What nonsense are you talking about? Of course not!"
"Oh," Su Cheng said immediately, "Since there aren't many people like this, if someone did something similar, it would spread throughout the city and they would be punished, right? Judging from the consequences, the death penalty is very likely."
"you--"
"alright."
The magician came over to smooth things over, with a bit of impatience in his expression, and a kind of arrogance as if he was looking at a country bumpkin.
She looked at Su Cheng, "Sir, I completely understand what you mean. It is indeed important to sort out this information, but the rules in Zhuguang City are a little different..."
"Really?" Su Cheng chuckled. "Excuse me, is your place independent of the imperial legal system?"
The wizard was choked by her and was speechless. "...Forget it. To tell you the truth, there is no point in asking these questions. If you want to know, the culprit is indeed dead."
"Um?"
The magician closed his eyes. "There were two young men, both former heads of the guild's affiliated academy and the most outstanding elemental mages of their class. They were a couple, and they had an argument near Oak Street. They started fighting, burning down most of the street and tragically killing all the residents."
"Yes," another local magician also curled his lips, "They are both dead. Are you satisfied? On the day Hammerfeld went crazy, they were both in the Magic Guild, and he killed them all! Those two children were less than sixteen years old -"
"How long did it take from the time they burned down most of the street to the time Hammerfield destroyed the Magic Guild," Su Cheng interrupted him again. "Were these two tried for manslaughter, intentional damage to property, disturbing public order, etc.? What was the outcome of the trial?"
The two local magicians' faces turned pale and they couldn't help but look at the investigators who came from the imperial capital. They also frowned and looked back.
"They didn't mean it," the wizard said in a deep voice, "They are all students of my school. I know they are not bad-"
"Oh, this crime not only includes direct intent, but also indirect intent," Su Cheng said immediately. "Sixteen years old, not six. They are well aware of the consequences of releasing magic in a street crowded with people and property. They are old enough to foresee the harm their actions would cause, but they still did it, taking a laissez-faire attitude towards the possible consequences. This meets the characteristics of indirect intent."
The two men were speechless because of her blockage.
"Besides, they either chose a highly destructive spell or deliberately infused it with a lot of magic power. The construction here is of very good quality. A normal fireball spell probably wouldn't even break the wall, and it would probably just burn the straw."
Su Cheng couldn't help but turn to the two investigators. "I think you should investigate what happened to these two people and why they haven't been tried. According to Imperial law, they are old enough to be sentenced to death. Moreover, the Magic Guild is clearly shielding them. So, were their previous actions directed by someone? It's hard to say."
"You! Stop spitting bloody words here!" The low-ranking elemental mage was almost mad. "What good is there in ordering them to kill civilians? Are you in cahoots with Hammerfeld? We really should arrest you—"
Su Cheng sneered, with dark scales appearing on his face. "If we were in the same group, this half of the tower wouldn't be left."
As she spoke, she raised one hand, and eerie, trembling black flames leaped out from her fingertips.
The magicians' expressions all changed, and they instinctively took several steps back, looking at her with fear in their eyes.
"I'm sorry, Your Excellency..."
The wizard's cheeks were pale as he forced a flattering smile. "How fortunate we are to have welcomed an ancient..."
"I'm just passing by," Su Cheng looked at the two investigators, "but I'm sincere. I imagine you have concerns that prevent you from pursuing the investigation. The powerful and influential among humans are always close to each other. Your superiors probably know the truth, but for the sake of the Magic Guild's reputation, they still want to label Hammerfeld a wanted criminal of pure evil, without saying a word about why he did it."
They all smiled bitterly.
"...Sir," the wizard sighed and lowered his head, "You are indeed very perceptive, but he did destroy the guild building and kill many people."
"Indeed, but I'm curious what would happen if you tried those two murderers, not to mention the death penalty, but just to try them? Would Hammerfeld have done something like this? Did you try them?"
They all fell silent.
Su Cheng turned his head to look at the ruins not far away.
The guild tower was embedded with various self-repair and purification arrays. Theoretically, even if it was severely damaged, it could recover in a short period of time, but it would consume crystal cores for energy.
But the building remains in its current state, apparently because those magic circles have been suppressed—
Those winding black traces wrapped around the tower like vines, emitting a certain aura of decay and corrosion, causing all the magic arrays to stop functioning properly.
Over time, it will probably erode and damage the magic arrays, causing the building to be completely destroyed.
Su Cheng could even feel that various chaotic energies were colliding inside and outside the tower, devouring, fusing and covering each other, and finally maintaining the current pus-like state.
This once glorious, majestic and authoritative building is now exposed to everyone's eyes in the most humiliating, dilapidated and ugly state.
"...So how was it handled?" Su Cheng turned around and looked at the magicians, "Did the families of the deceased receive compensation?"
The investigators couldn't help but look at the other two.
The wizard pursed his lips and said, "No. Because giving compensation means admitting responsibility, and the Magic Guild doesn't want geniuses like them to have such a stain—"
"?"
"So this incident was externally classified as the explosion of prohibited magical items hidden in Hammerfeld's home."
The wizard sighed and said, "Even if I didn't know you were a dragon, I could sense that you were very strong. If I had told you that from the beginning, you would have known it was a lie if you had just gone there and seen it."
Su Cheng: "...I can think of many ways to fake the scene. After so many days, didn't the people from the Magic Guild do anything?"
"Even if it could be done, it would still be time-consuming and laborious," the wizard shook his head. "Anyone who comes here and is strong enough to notice anything unusual won't seriously investigate, except you. Of course, you're not human, and in your eyes, all humans are probably the same. But here, in our eyes—"
"The reputation of two talented magicians is more important than the lives of a group of civilians."
They were silent again.
Su Cheng suddenly felt a little nauseous.
The other party's attitude was too matter-of-fact, and his face was full of "You don't understand because you are a dragon", as if this is how humans should be.
"Thank goodness everyone involved is dead, otherwise I don't know what I'd do. Besides, if anyone else knew there was a dragon in this city," she said angrily, "I'd come back and kill you all."
The four men were silent.
Su Cheng turned and left.
The commercial district of Zhuguang City is still very prosperous. You can feel the vitality just a little away from the square, and the vendors are still busy making money.
She felt inexplicably confused.
There was a stand selling iced drinks on the corner up ahead, with brightly colored jars of syrup and boxes of fresh-cut fruit on the table.
The stall owner was operating a hand-cranked smoothie machine, spreading the fine smoothie on the coconut shell, pouring the lush blue-green fruit pulp on it, and then began to stack various fruits.
Pile up a layer and pour syrup over it until a small hill is formed, then garnish it with two mint leaves.
The stall owner held the coconut shell base and handed the fruit ice drink to the customer.
Su Cheng: "...Hello, I want one too, like the one just now."
The stall owner looked at her awkwardly, "Sorry, there's not enough left to make a large portion. How about you see——"
"I'll give you mine," the guest suddenly said. "Consider it my treat."
Su Cheng turned around and looked into a pair of dark, clear eyes that were filled with a certain melancholy and sorrow.
Those eyes were like stars hanging high in the night sky, gazing at the earth lonely and mourning for the joys and sorrows of the world.
"...Suppose I have the honor to invite an ancient dragon."
The guest, who originally had an ordinary appearance, seemed to have visible ripples on his face, transforming it into a handsome and thin face.
He casually tied his hair into a high ponytail, with his jet-black curly hair falling to his waist. He was tall and thin, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist, which was a perfect proportion.
The man was wearing a simple robe that was a bit too loose, and his collarbone exposed at the collar was as sharp as a knife.
"Oh," the black-haired, black-eyed young man said calmly, "Now that other people know who you are, are you going to go back and kill those four?"
Su Cheng: “…”
Ever since she traveled to this place, she could no longer feel the power of the God of Contract.
So she could have gone back on her word.
Su Cheng: "I always knew you were listening. But why did you invite me?"
The black-haired young man lowered his eyes slightly, "I like what you said."
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