Investigation and Evidence Gathering

From the standpoint of reason and logic, Esper Baragash knew that he should not have felt anger right now. He should have felt fortunate. But he could not control himself.

At this moment, he was like Evifitz Kran, the "Dead Man" who had served as Chapter Master three and a half centuries ago when facing Departmento Munitorum officials from Terra. Despite making every effort and attempt, he still could not calm down.

Back then, the Dead Man had told them, "By the almighty God-Emperor, I truly want to kill every last one of you."

And now, Esper Baragash told his apprentices, "Find me an executioner's sword so I can slit my own throat."

No one answered him. There was only the ceaseless sound of three Librarius apprentices' footsteps as they carried stack after stack of freshly produced investigation reports into the room from outside.

Over the past four hours, the War Hounds had moved like madmen, searching everywhere throughout Nuceria's largest city for evidence.

These white sheets printed with black words were their investigation reports. They contained nothing but black and white, yet they were horrifying to read, for every line seemed to seep with blood.

In summary, they had essentially proven only one thing.

"He wasn't wrong?" Esper muttered. "How could he not have been wrong? There were so many people. Not even a single wrongful killing?"

But that was the truth. Ninety-five percent of the names on the compiled list of the dead had already been investigated by the War Hounds through various means.

Names, identities, professions, social connections, financial records—every single one of these things had been utterly ordinary, without the slightest detail worth noting.

The children of wealthy families had simply been children of wealthy families, fond of pleasure but never doing anything excessive. Artists had