Chapter 163 Please Do Not Make It Public

Just as everyone was standing helplessly by the three severely injured hunting hounds, a few dragoon soldiers rushed in cheerfully.

"Officer, we've made a discovery. The fence between the backyard and the botanical garden has been forced open. That's where those thieves broke in!"

People inside the building immediately began running toward the backyard, and even Elham's group, who had looked like walking corpses until a moment ago, rallied their spirits and broke into a trot toward the rear. Perhaps some clues could be found there? Just a tiny clue, give them even the slightest clue.

The backyard of Number 1 Saint Glorious Avenue was vast, and even at a jog, it took everyone a full quarter of an hour to reach the breached fence. Several detectives wearing small grey caps had already gathered with serious expressions at the fractured sections of the fence, examining the damage with some strange instruments.

No one spoke. Over a hundred people at the scene held their breath, watching these professional operatives from the Public Security Bureau.

After a long while, one of the detectives straightened up and furrowed his brow. "This is a very tricky case, honorable Lord Titian. Perhaps this matter is beyond what our Public Security Bureau can handle. It would be best to hand this case over to the Imperial Bodyguards, who answer directly to His Majesty."

Spreading his hands in a gesture of helplessness, the lead detective pointed at the fence and rattled off a lengthy explanation.

The former Minister of Internal Affairs of the Gallic Empire had spared no expense. Every single bar of this eight-meter-tall fence was as thick as an arm. Ordinary steel bars would have been one thing, but this fence was forged from the extremely precious 'thousand-fold water-ripple tungsten steel'. Tungsten steel was an exceptionally rare special alloy on the Western Continent, possessing extreme hardness and tremendous toughness, typically used for manufacturing heavy siege machinery.

As for thousand-fold water-ripple tungsten steel, it required handing tungsten steel ingots over to grandmaster-level blacksmiths, who would soften them in a magical furnace and subject them to thousands of cycles of forging and pressing. Only when the originally pitch-black steel ingot developed dense, silver-white patterns resembling rippling water could a block of thousand-fold water-ripple tungsten steel be considered successfully forged. The hardness of tungsten steel forged through such magical processes saw a significant boost, while its toughness multiplied several times over.

"Only powerful Heaven-Tier Knights wielding magical weapons could cut through these fences without making a single sound."

The detective in the small grey cap spread his hands helplessly. "Even if our Public Security Bureau manages to find these thieves, we don't have the strength to subdue them. Honorable Lord Titian, as you know, our Public Security Bureau only deals with petty thieves; there are barely any Earth-Tier Knights among our officers. How could we possibly capture such vicious and heinous criminals?"

Titian's head spun with dizziness. He blankly spread his hands and asked Lin Qi and Yulian, "Gods above, Heaven-Tier Knights turning to thievery? Heavens, don't they know? As long as they pledge allegiance to the Empire, they can receive the title of count! Why on earth would they become thieves?"

Lin Qi viciously muttered in his heart—'Because being a thief makes money faster than being a count!'

Yet on the surface, Lin Qi appeared just as bewildered, just as shocked, and just as incredulous. He stared at the detective with wide-eyed astonishment, shaking his head repeatedly and crying out 'inconceivable'. The ones who came to ransack this place last night included three Heaven-Tier Knights and dozens of Earth-Tier Knights. Lin Qi joyfully mused that this force was almost enough to go conquer some small duchies on the continent, yet using such formidable power to loot Number 1 Saint Glorious Avenue meant Elham and his companions ought to feel quite honored.

Titian began to shout and roar, ordering his guards to immediately report what had happened here. Heaven-Tier Knights acting as thieves? Good god, this news was as unbelievable as pious clergymen seeing the deity they worshipped fondling the backside of some forty-year-old matron in a low-end tavern.

In the hearts of the continent's commoners, Heaven-Tier Knights were lofty and noble existences, the pillars of the nation. They were heroes protecting the people of the continent. Shouldn't Heaven-Tier Knights be stationed at the very front lines in a standoff against the northern demi-humans?

Yet now, Heaven-Tier Knights were actually turning to thievery! Not only were the onlookers who had gathered to gather intelligence dumbfounded, but even Titian found it impossible to digest such news for a long time. A dignified Heaven-Tier Knight only needed to swear allegiance to a certain country to be granted the title of count, to receive vast tracts of fiefdoms, with fame, fortune, and glory within arm's reach.

Why on earth would they choose to be thieves?

After his initial shock, Titian aggressively stepped two steps closer to the detective, gritting his teeth as he rebuked, "Did you make a mistake? Is this fence really made of thousand-fold water-ripple tungsten steel? Is it really true that only Heaven-Tier Knights wielding magical weapons could hack through them?"

The detective took a step back, puffed out his chest, and said proudly, "My lord, I have been in this trade for forty years and have seen all sorts of bizarre things. Although this is the first time I've ever seen Heaven-Tier Knights turn to thievery, I certainly wouldn't confuse ordinary tungsten steel with thousand-fold water-ripple tungsten steel!"

Titian was stunned. He turned his head to look at Elham.

Lin Qi chimed in from the side with a deep voice to prompt Titian, "Could it be... something done by Lord Elham's enemies? But in the imperial capital, who possesses such strength?"

Titian's gaze flickered as he narrowed his eyes to scrutinize Elham.

Elham was also stunned. His gaze flickered as he vaguely felt that something was amiss. He looked at Lin Qi, but possessing his family's secret, exquisite disguise technique, he never connected Lin Qi with that black-haired, black-eyed detestable brat. Elham's train of thought was derailed by Lin Qi's remark. In the imperial capital of the Gallic Empire, Elham believed he had no enemies of this scale; so who on earth possessed the strength to deal him such a vicious blow?

Since the perpetrators possessed forces as formidable as Heaven-Tier Knights, why didn't they simply strike down Elham and his group directly?

Why did they merely empty out every single valuable item inside Number 1 Saint Glorious Avenue?

Wasn't this deliberately framing Elham and the others by pinning a heinous crime on them?

The circle of suspects capable of such an act suddenly narrowed significantly. Elham clenched his fists tightly, anger flashing in his eyes as a chilling, eerie gleam flickered momentarily out of sight.

"Lord Titian, I must entrust this case to you." Elham bowed respectfully and slightly to Titian, then straightened his back and said coldly, "This matter concerns the honor of my family, so I beg you not to publicize it. Can this case be investigated in secret?"

Investigate the case in secret and keep it from being publicized? Titian looked at Elham thoughtfully and nodded slowly, "Very well, I shall try my best. It's crowded and gossip spreads easily here, so I can only do my utmost to keep this matter within a very small circle."

Pausing slightly, Titian smiled. "Tomorrow night, a secret gathering will be held at my club, and I suppose..."

Elham smiled faintly, nodding in agreement. "I shall attend along with my sister."

Titian smiled, and Lin Qi smiled as well.