019: Old Shock Visits, Even Apologizes to Li Cha (Please Keep Reading!)
Old Shock, Hutton, and the landlady Mary...
Li Cha immediately recalled that he had a colleague on a business trip.
“Oh, it’s Officer Shock! Please, come inside!”
Li Cha sensed no malice from the short man opposite him, whose hair and beard were sprinkled with gray.
Of course, his judgment was mainly based on Mary, Harden, and Falken. Old Shock, working in Military Intelligence Section Six, must rank at least level 15, and levels 20 or 25 were not impossible.
If Old Shock intended to kill him, whether he closed the door and fled or welcomed him inside made little difference.
Shock’s height was about 1.3 meters.
Among dwarves, such stature was exceptionally rare, but compared to Li Cha, he looked like a giant doll.
The sun was just right today, and the bright sunlight streamed into Charlie’s clinic, warm and clear.
Li Cha invited Old Shock to sit and brewed two cups of calming herbal tea.
“Officer, I heard you’ve been on business trips recently.”
Old Shock sipped the tea, praised it, then said, “Thanks to you, actually.”
“Me?”
“Yes. That Hutton fellow turned traitor, and he’s my own brother. Freya sent me away partly to avoid suspicion and partly to let me lay low.”
Old Shock sighed. “Section Six isn’t exactly a harmonious place, especially with Sections One, Two... all the way to Nine.
Thank you for clearing my name.”
Li Cha understood.
He modestly replied, “I was just following orders to complete the mission. I only learned later that Mr. Hutton was your brother.”
Old Shock waved his hand. “I have no other intentions today, Li Cha. Don’t worry.
Besides... both Hutton and Sir Miracle are tainted. Death might be a merciful end for them.”
Tainted...
Death...
The dwarf who betrayed Freya, and Sir Miracle of Saint Anjou, whom Li Cha had interrogated, were both dead?
And taint—after the Flame Knight, Li Cha had just heard a new term.
Seeing his reaction, Old Shock recalled, “Ah, you just joined Section Six. Don’t worry; you’ll learn about these things sooner or later.”
All this vague talk—playing the riddler, huh?
Li Cha felt a crow fly over his head.
Still, Old Shock’s words explained why the Hutton case was closed.
“My condolences,”
was probably the most sincere consolation Li Cha could offer.
Old Shock waved his hand again. “The moment he betrayed us, he ceased to be my brother.
Actually, I owe you an apology on Mary’s behalf.”
---
Wang Defa?
This morning, Li Cha had almost donned the villain’s coat, and now Old Shock was apologizing to him? What kind of thought process was this?
The dwarf Shock said, “Actually, Mary reported you to Section Six partly to help me with my troubles.
It turns out you’re quite skilled at interrogation.
But the Military Intelligence Section... its reputation in the Empire has never been good.”
The Military Intelligence Section belonged to the Tribunal, which answered to the Archbishop.
In today’s Redwood Empire, the Goddess Church faced unprecedented suppression under imperial absolutism.
Under the Emperor of Redwood, on one side stood the Empire’s Marshal, on the other, the Archbishop.
The two were diametrically opposed—fire and water.
The Empire’s army protected the homeland, so the Tribunal, standing against it, naturally had a poor reputation.
Thus, Military Intelligence, which gathered intelligence and carried out secret executions for the Tribunal, was firmly seen as the Tribunal’s lackey.
“Marshal... Archbishop...”
Li Cha said, “Sorry, Officer Hutton, I’m an outsider and didn’t really know the structure of the Redwood Empire.”
Old Shock stood, patted his shoulder: “Mary has a temper, but she’s definitely a trustworthy ally.
Time reveals true hearts. Now, I can only welcome you to Section Six.”
Li Cha nodded: “Thank you.”
“We’re brothers; no need to be so formal.
When you get back, I’ll help promote your clinic at the tavern.”
After a brief chat,
Old Shock left.
Li Cha wondered whether he had come straight here after returning from the trip or stopped by the tavern first.
If the latter, no problem.
If the former, the dwarf might be planning a surprise attack.
Old Shock’s apology on Mary’s behalf showed their good relationship.
“Well, I don’t plan to visit the tavern much lately. I have new recruit training. After lunch, I’ll head to the inner city.”
Dr. Li Cha drank tea and read the newspaper in his clinic.
Time quickly reached noon.
As a newly opened psychological clinic, it was normal to have no clients.
Seeing no business, Li Cha simply hung the closed sign, locked the door, changed into a neat formal suit and hat, grabbed a cane, and went to the Maple Leaf Detective Agency for a meal.
Honestly,
he didn’t much like the whole gentleman and cane thing.
But in this other world, such customs were the norm.
---
In the outer city, it was fine—just common folk.
But entering the inner city, if one didn’t maintain appearances, one was sure to be looked down upon.
Given the environment, Li Cha couldn’t change the big picture, so he changed himself.
Anyway, this suit came with the clinic, so he hadn’t paid for it.
Li Cha’s application report was well written; Section Six supported it—one outfit was nothing.
...
“Ding-ling-ling”~
Knocking on the Maple Leaf Agency’s door, Li Cha said formally, “Hello, I’m Li Cha from Charlie Clinic, a friend of Miss Freya. I have an appointment to meet her.”
The door was opened by a plump middle-aged woman who sized him up and said, “Dr. Li Cha, Miss Freya told me you could go straight upstairs.”
This was not Li Cha’s first visit here.
But it was his first visit as a doctor.
He nodded at the detectives and clerks working inside, then turned and ascended the stairs straight to the top floor.
The boss’s office.
Freya was not there.
Li Cha thought he had arrived too early.
But soon he noticed a note on the expensive-looking redwood desk.
A single sentence: [Enter through the door in front of you.]
Door?
Li Cha didn’t remember another door in the office.
Looking up, there it was.
Less than two meters from the desk, a white wall had somehow gained a door.
“This world has magic, so nothing’s really surprising.”
Li Cha stepped forward, twisted the door handle, and before he could fully push open the wooden door, a suction force pulled him inside.
The world spun,
day and night reversed.
Li Cha’s vision steadied, and the surroundings had transformed from a solemn office to a training room hundreds of square meters in size.
Four solid walls and sturdy flooring.
An equipment rack displayed cloth, leather, light, and heavy armor; daggers, short swords, longswords, and great axes—a complete arsenal.
Opposite him stood Freya, back in military uniform, holding a wooden sword, quietly waiting.
Freya said, “Recruit Li Cha, choose your weapon.
From today, I will be your instructor for recruit training. I wish you an early graduation.”