In other words, this era's approach to solving crimes was crude, g any sembnce of professionalism.

  It was said that the case-solving rate of the city patrol guards was less than three pert. Theft cases relied heavily on private detectives, while robberies, kidnappings, and murders were almost entirely hahrough private bounties.

  While it was better than having no w at all, it was only marginally sh and unpleasant legal system.

  The city patrol guards quickly left the apartment and invited Charlot Meburg into a carriage, speeding toward their headquarters.

  Sitting in the carriage, Charlot pondered silently: "I’ve lost a few expensive ors worth one or two écus, but the likelihood of the murderer taking them is retively low. It’s more likely that someoook advantage of the chaos to steal them."

  "As for the murder itself, under no circumstances Miss Menielman learn about it."

  Charlot rubbed his temples, deeply troubled.

  A man and a womaered his home, resulting in a scuffle and even a murder. Even without being a logical aiculous private detective, anyone could easily deduce that the case most likely involved romantitas.

  And Charlot—himself!He was likely an unfttering partit in a love triangle.

  Miss Menielman had once been eo Zimourman Axel Robin, and she undoubtedly loathed pyboy types. She would olerate having someone like her former fiancé’s kind of sdrel under her and. If this sdal became public, even if Charlot could clear his name, he would likely lose his job.

  This was h. Gover employees of the Ingrima Empire were not the untouchable civil servants of ter geions.

  Miss Menielman only o say a single word to strip Charlot of his lucrative position and potentially ban him from ever w within the tral Gover Office again.

  "This i serves as a warning. I o sell off that magnum mauler as soon as possible, then purchase a residence elsewhere, cut ties with the Alexander District, aach from my old social work."

  Charlot rubbed his temples agaially s through "his" social es.

  Charlot Meburg's friendships were superficial at best; he had no true friends to speak of and maintained only polite retionships with everyone.

  His parents were merts, quite affluent, and had supported Charlot financially throughout his time at Sheffield Uy.

  Nowadays, however, Charlot’s father, due to deterioratih, had gradually handed over the family busio Charlot’s elder brother.

  This elder brother was highly wary of him, repeatedly advising their father, "Give Charlot a sum of money and have him relinquish his iance rights."

  If Charlot could endure for a few more years until his parents passed away, he could legitimately sever ties with his brother’s family and live his own life.

  The only familial bond Charlot still cared about was with his elder sister. The siblings shared a close retionship, but she was married and living far away, so they rarely had opportuo meet.

  Aside from this one brother and sister, Charlot had no other close retives—except for a fiahe wedding date was even approag, which made matters rather troublesome.

  "I’ve heard my fiancée is quite dissatisfied with this e and has repeatedly caused a fuss to have it annulled. Perhaps I help hings along."

  The carriage soon arrived at the city patrol guards’ headquarters. The building was a standaloructure fag the street, three stories high, and full of Sherlock dynasty style. It was an old edifice from the previous era, bearing the marks of history.

  The routine questioning cluded quickly.

  Charlot was able to firm the identities of the man and woman who had barged into his apartment.

  They were a married couple with the surname Yanmills. While Charlot did not know the husband, he shared a rather unspeakable retionship with Mrs. Yanmills.

  As for how Mr. Yanmills discovered his wife’s affair with Charlot, tracked her down, and ended up killing her during their argument and scuffle, that was a grim tale in its ht.

  It was fortuhat Charlot had been lingering in the ons market at the time, or the situation would have been much harder to handle.

  The city patrol guards recorded Charlot’s at as supplementary dotation, filed it in their archives, and issued a wanted notir. Yanmills. And with that, the matter was sidered resolved.

  The city patrol guards’ wanted notices typically did not include rewards, nor did civided individuals often assist in apprehending fugitives.

  Whether in the Fars Empire, the Ingrima Empire, or the monarchies of the past, there had been numerous stories of wanted criminals evading capture for decades, only to be discovered living openly in their own homes, w and carrying on with life as usual.

  Such was the absurd nature of this era's legal system.

  Leaving the city patrol guards’ headquarters, Charlot felt utterly draihough he was not a suspe the case, he was in low spirits. He had not expected his new life to take such turbulent turns—promotion and a raise one moment, embroiled in a murder case the .

  Upourning to the Savings Union apartments, he tipped the maid Mary two times for taking care of his home during his absence. For this era, such a tip was sidered remarkably generous.

  With the help of the building manager, Charlot hastily moved his belongings to a suite on the fourth floor.

  Once he settled into the neartment and y down on the sofa, he heaved a sigh of relief, only to realize he was hungry.

  Looking at the time, Charlot cluded that there were no open shops at this hour. He had no choice but to prepare some leftovers from a ferior.

  The taste was, as always, less than ideal.

  After eating, Charlot y on the bed, instinctively reag for a diary, only to put it aside again. While he khe inal owner’s diary would help him better uand his new identity, its e to the Code of the Gods made him avoid it like the pgue, leaving him deeply flicted.

  Charlot began to think seriously about how to properly pn this life.

  "Tomorrow, I must ask Miss Menielman for one more day off."

  "First, sell off the magnum mauler, then find a new pce to live, and purchase some clothes."

  Charlot had discarded all blood-stained clothing, whether his own or the women’s garments, leaving everything with Mary during the move. As a result, he now cked both everyday clothing and the formal attire essential for men.

  Thinking about the move, Charlot couldn’t help but search his memories regarding the Seven Districts.

  The housing prices in Val-de-Vas were exorbitant, and tinuing to live in the Alexander District was no longer an option. These two districts would have to be abandoned first.

  The other three districts were out of the questioo their retive remoteness, making uting to Kilmainham Prison too inve.

  After a simple evaluation, Charlot was left with two options: the Arcatraz Distrid the Picardie District, both situated between Val-de-Vas and Marne District.

  Weighing the pros and s, Charlot decisively ruled out the former. The Arcatraz District, being close to Val-de-Vas, had high property prices and was farther from his workp Kilmainham Prison Road. The Picardie District, however, had cheaper housing and was slightly closer to work.

  Charlot decided that after selling the magnum mauler, he would head to the Picardie District property bureau to see if there were any suitable houses for sale.