The Devil’s Cage

Hook was dead!

Kieran was not surprised by the news. Based on his speculations, there was a high probability that Hook might have been killed to bury the truth.

Unlike the three thugs, who knew nothing, Hook must have known some secrets that had led to his demise.

As for who had killed him…

Kieran stared coldly at Calkin, who was sweating like a pig.

”It wasn’t me! When I went over to his place, he was already dead! If it was me, I would’ve run away!” Calkin explained.

Kieran didn’t trust him.

Although he had appeared before him once more, it could just be an act in order not to raise suspicions with his actions.

He might also be telling the truth though. There could be other parties involved in Hook’s murder.

It was not hard to prove what Calkin had said.

”Hold on!”

Kieran went over to Herbert. Just as Calkin had arrived in his wagon, Herbert had finished taking notes.

When Kieran walked over to him, Herbert already knew what his intentions were.

”You want to investigate the crime scene? Go ahead then. With Harold and two of his wagoners here, I’ll be quite safe! The culprit just killed a witness after all. They wouldn’t want to draw any extra attention to themselves!” Herbert said with a smile.

”Be careful at all times!” Kieran gave Herbert a final warning before he turned to Harold and Joanna.

”I need to go away for a while. You can ask your servants to take out their weapons.”

When Kieran had seen Harold and Joanna for the first time, he had noticed the unusuality of their wagoners. They were stronger than common wagoners, and the calluses on their hands were not from their daily whipping duties.

Obviously, they also served as bodyguards for Harold and Joanna.

It made sense, as both of them were from upper class families. Considering their age, if there were no bodyguards around, the adults would not have agreed to let them roam outside freely.

”No problem! Leave it to me!”

Harold looked at Kieran with a shocked expression. He had no idea when Kieran had discovered the bodyguards. He thought they had been concealed quite well. That did not stop Harold and Joanna from ordering their wagoners to take out their weapons though.

The wagoners went over to their wagons and pulled out swords and flintlock pistols. After seeing the wagoners’ skilled technique in handling the weapons, Kieran nodded in agreement.

He told Herbert goodbye again and left with Calkin’s wagon.

The whip lashed against the horse, and the wagon dashed away.

Kieran was sitting opposite Calkin, leaning on the soft, comfortable seat and inspecting the inner carriage.

It was mostly red and decorated with golden ornaments that made it look unusually luxurious. The ornaments were made of real gold, and the carpet beneath Kieran’s feet was velvet. Even the inconspicuous curtain beside him had been weaved with high quality silk.

Kieran reevaluated Calkin’s wealth.

It was not possible for him to own such a horse wagon with his salary as a police officer. He would have to save up for 20 years and live without food or other expenses.

Only an idiot would believe that that wagon had been issued by the station.

”If you like it, I could find you another one! It would be the same from top to bottom, even the horse would share the same bloodline!” Calkin said suddenly.

He had noticed Kieran inspecting the carriage.

”How generous of you!” Kieran laughed.

”If you just let me go… I could give you all my wealth! Everything I have!” Calkin begged in a sincere tone.

He looked pitiful with his pale, dispirited face, but Kieran wasn’t moved by the offer. Even if Calkin meant what he said, Kieran was not after the dungeon’s ordinary wealth.

After all, the Sub Mission stated that Calkin was not some innocent police officer.

If Kieran gave in to the temptation, he would meet a bad end.

”My goal is not to get wealthy. I am more concerned about how Hook died. Can you elaborate?” Kieran asked.

”I did not kill him!” Calkin stressed out again.

”Yeah, yeah, it wasn’t you. So how did you find Hook’s body?” Kieran rephrased his question.

”After I left Herbert’s place, I went straight to Hook’s old lair. I was planning on teaching him a lesson, because of what I’d been through! He was not there though. I thought he had run away! I knew the methods and routes he used to escape! The man responsible for the escapes was one of my men as well, but other than me and him, no one else knew!”

”I was worried something like this would happen, so I had a backup plan!” Calkin told his side of the story, his delighted face turning slightly scared.

”I am not a good policeman, but I assure you, I’ve seen countless notorious men and I’ve worked on cases like this plenty of times! None of them made me this scared though, not even close! My source and Hook are both dead! Dead inside the source’s room! The way they died…”

After about five seconds, he found the words to describe it.

”It was like a blooming flower!”

Calkin’s face turned even paler as fear flooded his words.

”A blooming flower?” Kieran raised an eyebrow.

He had never heard such an odd description for a dead body. Kieran’s mind was filtering Calkin’s words fast.

If he was bluffing, his words would be the best proof.

After that, there was no further conversation.

The horse wagon with the police emblem entered Herl City without any hindrance. After many turns and shuttling along the streets, they reached a secluded, narrow alleyway.

”Here we are!” the wagoner informed his passengers and opened the door eagerly.

When Calkin saw the wagoner’s face, who was also one of his men, he cried out loudly. Suddenly, he felt weak and collapsed inside the carriage.

The wagoner’s face looked heavily burned, as if he had been splashed with sulphuric acid a few times. The skin on his face was completely burned, bones showing on some parts of it.

His eyeballs were intact though. Without his human skin, his eyes stood out in an eerie way, the contrast of white and black making their motion more prominent.

”The head is here! You and Sir 2567 will be on your way!”

The ghastly wagoner’s vicious, rotten face had an eerie smile that would seep into anyone’s soul.

Translator’s Thoughts

Dess Dess

Zombies!

Happy New Year people