Chapter 150

Just like Shirou's shop, Old Chen often investigates cases that the Knights of the Round Table can't handle in his private time.

Even though no one asked them to, or there was no need for them to go to that extent, the two of them still resolutely did it.

Thinking about it that way, they really do seem quite similar, don't they?

Hoshiguma fell into thought.

"Ahem... Hoshiguma, please stop teasing yourself. I do know a little about the Oni. There are no rumors about the Oni here eating people. Most of them are just rumors spread by people who don't know much about them."

Upon hearing Hoshiguma's words, Shirou certainly couldn't laugh, so he could only explain that he knew the rumors about the Oni.

The Oni in Lungmen is quite rare, but he knows two of them.

A-Xing and Hoshiguma.

Compared to A-Xing, Hoshiguma felt more like Oni Shirou, while A-Xing was more like a fun-loving person wearing a demon mask than Oni.

The kind of person who takes pleasure in snatching food from children.

When Shirou first met Hoshiguma, he clearly felt an inexplicable pressure.

However, it's also possible that he was just a little nervous because it was his first time meeting the Oni.

After all, he grew up listening to related stories.

It was only after that, through collecting some information and A-Xing's explanation, that Shirou gained a certain understanding of the Oni.

However, this is only to a certain extent, since the physical constitutions of each Oni are quite different.

A-Xing didn't explain this in detail; he just asked Shirou to remember it.

"Oh? You know quite a lot! You even did some special investigation?"

Seeing Shirou's serious expression, Hoshiguma stopped teasing him.

Everything takes time; once you get to know each other better, you can start talking about more topics.

During a break from organizing the documents, Hoshiguma chatted with Shirou for a long time.

It had nothing to do with the Knights of the Round Table, Penguin Logistics, or the Slums; it was just casual conversation.

Once the conversation started, even mundane tasks like document processing became interesting.

The two chatted like this, and by the time they finished processing the documents, they had almost finished.

However, before the two could finish, Hoshiguma's communicator on her waist rang.

Hoshiguma stopped what she was doing and answered the call.

A few seconds later, Hoshiguma stood up and said, "Shirou, let's stop for a moment, something's happened."

"Um."

Without hesitation, Shirou put down the documents in his hand.

He had already reviewed the procedures for field operations last night, and he needed to put on his communicator, headset, and tactical suit.

As for weapons, Shirou took a standard-issue sword from the Knights of the Round Table and slung it over his waist. Although he didn't need it, he couldn't ignore the Knights of the Round Table's regulations.

Tactical suit... that is, protective gear. Shirou chose leg armor, but he didn't plan to use any upper body armor.

The main problem is that they're quite in the way; wearing them actually makes you more vulnerable to attack.

Besides, that little bit of defense is even worse than the magic's effectiveness, so it's better not to wear it at all.

Of course, this was confirmed with Hoshiguma and she gave him permission.

"You'll stay with me. Old Chen will lead another team."

After checking Shirou's equipment and confirming that there were no problems, Hoshiguma gestured for Shirou to follow her.

Although I don't know how strong Shirou is, I'm sure I'll be fine following her as a guard.

After all, the other party only took a sword when they left; they couldn't possibly be a sniper or a mage, could they?

Furthermore, if Hoshiguma remembers correctly, Shirou's Originium Arts are also related to swords, and he doesn't even need to carry a standard-issue sword.

Just in case, Hoshiguma still had Shirou carry the sword with him.

Although everything can be Originium Arts, there are times when it doesn't work. That's when having a sword on you is very convenient.

"Learn."

Once in mission mode, Shirou put aside all other thoughts and focused his attention on listening to Hoshiguma's words and the content in his earpiece.

As he rode in the Knights of the Round Table's car with Hoshiguma, Shirou felt a little nervous.

The first time I rode in Knights of the Round Table vehicle was when Swire brought me back as a suspect, but this time it's to... fight crime.

Helping the weak and punishing the strong—isn't that a good thing? It's like being Hero of Justice.

Thinking about it this way, Shirou felt less nervous.

Hoshiguma, sitting in the front seat, noticed through the rearview mirror that Shirou had adjusted his mindset well, and then turned her attention to the communication channel.

On the Knights of the Round Table's communications channel, Swire could be heard directing her squad to surround the building where the suspect was located.

All they can do is surround it; to break through, they'll have to wait for Inspector Chen and her team.

The suspects were confirmed to be operating in a group, and some of them were skilled in Originium Arts, making them highly likely to be infected.

There are approximately seven people in total, and two of them are confirmed to have long-range attack capabilities; both are mages.

Through the fragmented clues, even though he wasn't at the scene, Hoshiguma was able to piece together the information from the scene.

This will help her to clarify the situation more quickly once she arrives at the scene.

"Shirou, please respond."

Chen's voice suddenly rang out over the communication channel.

"This is Shirou."

Upon suddenly hearing his own name through the earpiece, Shirou was taken aback for a moment before quickly responding.

"Wait here, follow the Sniper Team to observe the internal situation of the building and report back constantly. Remember to change the communication channel."

Chen didn't say much, and directly included Shirou in the Sniper Team.

During the mission, Chen Ke didn't care about anything else; he made full use of all available manpower support.

My identity has been exposed? That doesn't matter anymore. I've only concealed my identity to avoid being too affected during the investigation. It's not a big deal if Shirou finds out.

She genuinely didn't care, unlike Shirou who was still concerned about his Lungmen identity, which had long been stamped with a green seal by Wei Yanwu.

"Clear."

Shirou did not question Chen's command.

After all, it's something he can do.

Hoshiguma, who was standing to the side, did not question Chen's intentions. She trusted Chen's command and knew that Chen must have her reasons for ordering Shirou to join the Sniper Team.

"Old Chen's Sniper Team should be nearby. Once you get to the scene, just report to Old Chen."

Hoshiguma specifically reminded him that Shirou might not know the Sniper Team.

She didn't mention that she could take him there later, since the situation on site could change frequently, and she might have to step in later.

It's best to explain things clearly first.

"OK."

Shirou nodded, and at the same time, he began to mobilize his magical energy.

Chen asked him to observe the movements inside the building, which definitely meant he needed to improve his eyesight.

Through repeated use and enhancements, Shirou has become increasingly adept at controlling this aspect.

Upon arriving at their destination, Hoshiguma immediately took Shirou to report to Chen, then escorted Shirou to the Sniper Team before leaving.

This is the front line, she's not a babysitter. Since Old Chen has already given the order, it means that Shirou can keep up with the others.

Then she wouldn't need to worry so much.

"Shirou, you can see what's going on inside?"

"We're some distance from the building," Chen asked from the side.

Since the suspect was hiding inside the building, Chen chose another building not far away to observe the situation inside.

She should have been on the first floor, ready to command the assault, but Swire was already there, so she came over first to check the situation inside.

"This..."

After Chan asked this question, the people around him all felt that Chen was making things difficult for the newcomer.

But then I thought about it again, and Chen isn't that kind of person, so it must be that the other party's Originium Arts are incredibly effective.

Because they were some distance from the building, and due to other external factors, their observation of the building's interior using binoculars wasn't very clear.

They need to rely on drones to search, but the enemy sorcerers won't obediently let drones observe their area.

This is very troublesome, and for the time being, they have no way to deal with each other.

They will not act rashly before they have a grasp of the internal situation.

"Sure, but there's nothing I can do if you hide."

Shirou did not immediately and confidently agree, but instead glanced at the target building first.

It's a very ordinary fifteen-story building with many floor-to-ceiling windows, but one floor looks a bit gray.

Although it slightly obstructs the view, Shirou can still see what's inside if he looks closely.

There were many figures, but only a few were standing.

"I estimate there are about ten people. One of them is looking at the surrounding area with binoculars, probably to confirm the location of the drone. Another one is looking down at the location of Sir Swire."

Looking at the building, Shirou converted what he saw into text, allowing Chen to understand the situation inside.

"About ten people...?"

Chen was not angry at this ambiguous statement; on the contrary, he was quite satisfied.

They had been unable to obtain inside information for some time.

Because of the influence of the other party's Originium Arts, we should have waited for more professional equipment to arrive, but now that we have Shirou, that's enough.

After all, Chen had worked with Shirou for many nights, so he knew that if the other party didn't have enough confidence in this area, he wouldn't agree to the matter.

If you can't see it, you can't see it. If you can see it, you'll tell you.

"Keep the call going, I'll go down now."

After confirming that there were at least three hostages inside, Chen did not linger. She left with Shirou to continue observing while she led some others away.

She also switched Shirou's communication channel to connect directly to her.

As he was about to leave, Chen stopped and hesitated for a moment before saying, "... If necessary, I will let you launch an attack. Remember to be ready at any time."

150 The promising intern favored by Officer Chen

After saying that, Chen left with a group of people.

The others nearby didn't know why Chen had brought this up in particular, but they still prepared crossbows.

After all, judging from the looks of it, the person only had a standard-issue sword, and it was even the most basic model. Did they expect the person to just throw the sword at them?

Well, maybe they really can, but it's good to have a crossbow on hand just in case. Even if Shirou doesn't need it, it can serve as a backup for them.

The building they were in was diagonally opposite the suspect's building, and some distance away, although their building was slightly shorter.

Adding in the weather factors, frankly speaking, it would be very difficult for them to attack the people inside.

At most, it will only attack and disrupt the opponent.

This position is mainly useful for observing the interior of the other side; there's no other choice, since other places are lower.

Boom!

The drone that had just taken off outside the building was immediately shot down.

"Besides the two people on guard, there is also a sorcerer sabotaging the drone."

Although it was only for a moment, Shirou still managed to catch a glimpse of the fleeting light.