The Shadow of Great Britain

27: 24 The Value of Life 27: 24 The Value of Life The straight, towering dark blue high-collared tailcoat, the radiant Bath three-star epaulettes like stars, the spotless white gloves, the slim and flawless trousers, the shiny silver buckles, along with a handy police officer’s sword hanging at his waist.

Arthur dipped his hand in water and meticulously brushed his hair back.

Not until ensuring everything was flawless did he finally don the top hat bearing the emblem of the Greater London Police Department, symbolizing a Scotland Yard police officer.

He looked at his reflection in the mirror, he had transformed back into a familiar form.

Merely three days had passed, yet it felt like a lifetime.

He stared at the familiar yet strange person in the mirror and slowly raised his hand to salute.

Agares’s voice emerged softly, “Police Superintendent of the East London Area of the London Metropolitan Police, Greenwich Police District, Arthur Hastings, tsk tsk tsk…”

Arthur straightened his collar, “Agares, why do your words sound so sour?

I’m just a minor Superintendent, managing only four police substations.

How can I compare to you, a Duke of Hell commanding thirty-one Demon Legions?”

“Oh…” Agares covered his mouth, “That’s all in the past now.

Currently under my command, not even a single minor demon remains.

So, in Hell, my words carry no weight, while you, as a Superintendent, at least have the power of life and death within four districts.”

Arthur glanced at him, he always felt this guy spoke in a peculiar tone lately.

Leaning against the wall and examining Arthur’s new style, Agares said, “Arthur, although I despise you donning this skin, but you must admit, look at yourself now, you really do seem more and more like a good person.”

Arthur responded, “Agares, if I remember correctly, in the devil’s lexicon, the word ‘good person’ isn’t exactly a compliment, is it?”

Agares grinned widely and chuckled, “Although ‘good person’ isn’t exactly a beautiful adjective, I truly am complimenting you!

Arthur, haven’t you heard the saying?

The highest form of hunter often appears in the form of their prey.

You looking like a good person is nothing but perfect for my grand plan of soul harvesting.”

Arthur relaxed his shoulders, strained from being tense for a long time, and spoke, “Is that so?

Why do I remember it differently?

I’ve only heard that the highest-end ingredients often need the simplest cooking methods.”

“Arthur, what are you babbling about?

I don’t understand a word.

We are in this together, can’t you be more honest with me?”

Arthur gently shook his head, “If we only have one pair of pants, I would rather let one of us wear them while the other goes bare-bottomed.”

“Why?”

Arthur calmly replied, “Because if two people wear the same pair of pants, the things each of us wants to hide will end up being exposed.”

Upon hearing this, Agares initially looked down at his own, then glanced up at Arthur’s, before elongating his tone and complementing, “Brilliant!

But Arthur, if there really was just one pair of pants, let’s put them on you first.

Because isn’t there something you’re about to expose?”

At this, Arthur suddenly paused.

He smacked his forehead and muttered under his breath, “Damn!

I almost forgot about Wilcox.”

He turned and strode toward the door.

Agares asked, “Where are you going?”

“Ridiculous question, of course I’m running away.

This trip to Scotland Yard wasn’t a loss, at least I earned a new set of clothes.

Agares, see you in America.”

Arthur gripped the doorknob, but before he could open the door, Agares’s roar resounded in his ear.

“Arthur!!!”

Arthur frowned and rubbed his ears.

“What are you playing at?

You nearly deafened me!”

“Can you not always be so full of initiative?

Saying run and then running?

You are a Superintendent!

What are you afraid of?

Whoever wants to mess with you, just kill them!”

“So what if I’m a Superintendent?

Agares, this isn’t Hell, at least not the one you’re used to.

Here, killing is a capital crime, even stealing five shillings could land you on the gallows.

And you still think killing is trivial?

You, a foreigner, should respect the opinions of us locals in these matters.”

Agares, fuming, spat out, “Hey!

Arthur, you damn…!

Are you still acting with me?

I think you’d better quit being a policeman and become a theater actor, you’d have a much brighter future there!”

Arthur slightly raised an eyebrow, “Is that your way of offering help?”

Agares grunted, “Of course.

But…”

Red Devil leaned on the tabletop, his hands crossed under his chin, revealing a predatory smile, “We need to discuss the price.”

Arthur pondered for a moment and struggled to raise five fingers towards him.

Agares exclaimed, “Five souls?!”

“No, five pounds,” Arthur said sheepishly.

“I need to keep another five pounds in case your plan fails, and I have to catch a boat.”

“Arthur!

Can you fucking forget about the boat!

Don’t you trust me to handle things?!”

The Red Devil was hysterical: “I’ve never seen anyone bargain with a devil like you do!

To save your poor friends, you dare do anything.

Why is it so difficult when it’s my turn to ask for something?

Damn it, I think they should take Jesus down from the cross and nail you up instead!”

Arthur, helpless at the Red Devil’s anger, said, “Agares, five pounds is really not a small amount, five pounds is a hundred shillings, twelve hundred pennies.

If the ‘Bloody Act’ isn’t amended, this money could be enough to execute twenty people.”

“Then go buy those twenty people’s lives, I don’t have the habit of shopping for myself!

Do you have slaves here?

Go buy a couple for me then!”

“Agares, you’ve really slept too long, slept till you’re getting confused.

Britain has banned the slave trade as early as 1807, if caught trafficking a slave, it’s a fine of a hundred pounds per slave!”

“What if I just want slaves?”

Arthur shrugged, “Then you’d still need to leave five British pounds for my boat trip, there are plenty of slaves in the North American colonies.”

“Can’t you stop fussing over that damn boat!

Damn it, you’re only clever like a fox when you’re dealing with me.

You know what?

You’ve been used by that Robert Peel.

He’s using your exploits to divert public attention from the Catholic Emancipation Act.

And incidentally, he’s pushing forward his long-held campaign to abolish the ‘Bloody Code’.”

Arthur, with a helpless sigh, said, “Agares, you’re a devil, you can afford to ignore reality.

But I can’t, I have to consider these things.

Moreover, as you said, I’ve now become a superintendent at Scotland Yard, I have more say than you in London.

The Bloody Code is being amended, the Catholic Emancipation Act has passed, I can’t think of a better outcome than this.

As for Sir Peel…

These days, it’s already difficult to see good outcomes in how things unfold, I really can’t blame the implementers for any misconduct during the process.

Being used is just being used, at least our goals are the same.”

Agares gave him an annoyed look: “Superintendent?

Weren’t you planning to run away by boat?”

Seeing Agares quite upset this time, Arthur tried to soothe him with kind words: “Living is what matters, positions are always something you can return to.”

“You’re really planning to run?”

“What else?”

Agares took a deep breath, his nostrils flaring with sparks.

Since signing the contract with Arthur, he felt his temper had been improving.

Agares glared fiercely at him: “You little bastard, hold back your thoughts of boarding that boat.

You’re not going to be harmed.”

Arthur was puzzled, “Why?”

“Because someone wants Wilcox dead more than you do.

Arthur, being a superintendent is nothing great, just like a commissioner

To some people, if you stand in their way, they will always find a way to kill you.

In London, are there few street wanderers and beggars who die?

On the Thames, haven’t you seen corpses floating?”

Arthur’s expression changed as he looked at Agares: “You seem to know a lot.”

“Of course, don’t forget what feeds me, I can solve every mystery in the world.”

Agares said meaningfully: “Arthur, you cherish life.

But as you’ve seen, for those who once drafted the ‘Bloody Code,’ a life is only worth five shillings…”

…

Directly above the changing room where Arthur and Agares were, in a lavishly decorated office,

a middle-aged man in the same police uniform as Arthur was working at a desk.

Knock, knock, knock!

There was a knock on the door.

“Come in.”

A proficient-looking police officer approached the middle-aged man and saluted, then leaned down to whisper in his ear.

“Superintendent, Wilcox’s body has been found.”