Separate Questioning

Inelania District.

212 Green Peacock Street, Public Security Branch.

Three in the morning.

The carbon lamp's light was as pale as ever. The small room, the hard cot, the gray walls, the mahogany table—all of it was illuminated brightly and coldly.

The two police officers opposite him wore black uniforms, khaki epaulets and sleeve insignia, and wide-brimmed red-and-white checkered hats.

"Hello, Officer Ellens, and this police officer as well."

Fan Ning picked up the vertically striped glass from the table and took a large gulp of water.

How the hell was this any different from when I'd just transmigrated here...

They hadn't even changed the style of the glass...

"Mr. Caloin Van Ning, I didn't expect us to meet again so soon."

"No one wanted something like this to happen." Fan Ning's expression was helpless.

"Let me confirm something. You were the one who reported the incident from the school guard booth. There were two of you in the house, and you shot dead the person who broke in. Is that correct?" Officer Ellens held a steel pen, his expression unreadable.

"Yes." Fan Ning nodded.

"First, give me a brief account of what happened."

"We slept in separate rooms at first. After I sensed something strange and searched without finding anything, I stayed in Hiran's room as a precaution. Then this man broke in and attacked us in a lethal manner. We dodged and fought back. In the chaos, we took his revolver from him, and I then shot him dead."

Fan Ning's account was extremely brief, and its literal meaning did not violate the facts in the slightest.

"Where do you usually live?" Officer Ellens stared at Fan Ning.

"An apartment at 115 Lunwan Avenue, East Mechelen District," Fan Ning answered.

"Then why did you choose to stay at Hiran's home tonight? What is your relationship?"

"Of course, because of the earlier incidents... You should know the circumstances. Just as I told you when we first met, as my teacher's closest student, I often stayed overnight at his home. I was also fairly familiar with Hiran in daily life. Tonight was her first night returning home after keeping vigil for him. I stayed to protect her. After all, I'm an adult man in my twenties, so I have at least some ability to resist if something unexpected happens."

"You said you noticed something unusual at first. How did you notice it?"

"I can't really explain it, but when someone sneaks into your home, you have a certain instinct. Though I did wonder whether I was just being overly nervous."

"How did he enter the room?"

"I can't explain that either."

"How can you not explain it? The door? The window? Was he lying in wait beforehand? It had to be one of those."

"After searching the place, we returned to the room and went back to sleep. While we were half-asleep, we were suddenly attacked. I truly can't say how he got in."

The two officers exchanged a glance.

"How did he attack you?"

"At first with a knife. After I narrowly dodged it, he used a gun."

"Did he fire at you?"

"He did."

"How many shots?"

"Five."

"Why do you remember so clearly?" Officer Ellens pressed.

"Because I seized the revolver after he reloaded for a second round," Fan Ning said. "He emptied the cylinder. Aside from the empty chamber he left to prevent accidental discharge, there should have been five rounds."

"And afterward, how many times did you fire at him?"

"Once."

"Do you know how to use a gun? Did either of you possess firearms?"

"I'm very unfamiliar with them. We don't own any guns. My father had one a few years ago, and I handled it a few times."

"He fired five times and neither of you was hit. You fired once and blew his head apart?"

"I don't know what happened to him exactly, but after taking the gun, I was aiming from very close range when I pulled the trigger. There was also a bit of luck involved."

"What did Hiran do during that time?"

"I don't remember very clearly. It was too chaotic.

"At first, she was probably frightened, but when we were feeling around the floor for the knife or gun, she should have taken part. Though she was young, she understood that if we didn't get the weapons into our own hands, our lives would be in danger."

Another interview room, not far from Fan Ning.

Hiran wore a women's brown trench coat she had hastily changed into. Her shoulder-length hair was slightly disheveled, and her face was terribly pale.

Her fingers were interlocked over her lower abdomen, her thumbs continuously pressing against each other.

Two police officers sat across from her as well.

Calm down, I need to calm down...

According to what Caloen said, I was entirely the victim. I didn't do anything remotely questionable.

Fan Ning's final words kept repeating in her mind:

"The police may question you about many details, but the key issue isn't whether my shooting was illegal! The gray-clothed man broke into our home. That was unquestionably an intrusion! Their purpose is to see whether supernatural factors were involved!"

"Just truthfully answer what you remember, and truthfully say you don't remember what you can't. You only need to leave out those few factors... Don't burden yourself by thinking you're concealing anything! You were scared half to death. It's already good enough that you can speak to them!"

"I'll come out later than you. After you come out, just do as I told you. Then rest in the reception room in the lobby and wait for me. Don't leave the Public Security Branch... Oh, right, we should first go downstairs, pick up that knife, and put it back at the scene."

Beneath the table, the girl's smooth bare legs were pressed tightly together beneath her trench coat, while the toes of her wine-red leather boots tapped the floor again and again.

She kept taking deep breaths, and her heartbeat gradually slowed.

"Hilan Konar, correct?" the officer across from her asked. "What is your relationship with Caloin Van Ning?"

"He is my father's student."

"Why did you have him stay with you today of all days?"

"My father's funeral had just ended. I was scared to be alone at home."

"Why was Caloen able to sense something unusual and come into your room?"

"I don't know."

"How did that person enter the room?"

"I don't know. I was asleep."

"How did the two men fight?"

"I don't know the specifics. That person fired at me, then Caloen threw himself over me, and after that, they began grappling."

"What were you doing afterward?"

"Later, Caloen and I tried to seize the weapons amid the chaos, because I knew we would die if we didn't get them."

"When Caloen finally shot that person dead, what state was that person in?"

"I don't know. It was too chaotic. I only heard the gunshot, and then it was over."

Amid Hiran's endless "I don't knows," the steel pen in the officer's hand flew across the paper.

The conversation here ended very quickly. The police also understood that she was merely a soft and frail, pitiful young girl.

At the end, the police told Hiran that the investigation into Fan Ning would take more time—perhaps until dawn at the shortest, perhaps several days at the longest—and that they could send her home first.

Hiran said she was too afraid to return home, had nowhere else to go, and wanted to stay here and wait.

She was then settled onto a soft sofa in the duty room that she could lie on, and the police thoughtfully provided a thin blanket.

On Fan Ning's side, after the initial conversation ended, Officer Ellens gave him a short time to rest on the hard cot.

As the police made progress with examining the scene, processing it, investigating, and questioning people, someone came to further verify details with Fan Ning from time to time, interrupting his sleep several times.

Overall, their efficiency had already far surpassed the average level of public security forces in this era.

After all, someone had died in that house only three days ago, and several more lives were connected to it.

At around seven thirty in the morning, they provided Fan Ning with tea and bread.

After getting some rest, Fan Ning's inspiration, which had been drained after using his bestowed ability several times in succession, recovered considerably.

Hiran also went out once under the pretext of eating nearby—she was actually free to leave. She merely mentioned it casually, and the duty officer casually replied with an "Oh."

She was extremely familiar with the area. In five minutes, she walked to a newsstand with a public telephone, called the number at 43 Katzton Street in East Mechelen District according to Fan Ning's instructions, then returned to the Public Security Branch to continue waiting.

More than seven hours had passed since the report by the time it reached ten in the morning.

When Fan Ning's door was pushed open again, he saw two unfamiliar faces, as well as a cluster of police officers waiting in the corridor through the brief opening and closing of the door.

One of them also wore a police uniform. Though Fan Ning did not understand the rank insignia on his epaulets, they were clearly far more elaborate, indicating a higher rank. Fan Ning even guessed that he ranked above the director of this district's Public Security Branch.

Yet this officer merely took the secondary seat.

The man seated directly opposite Fan Ning looked much younger than the officer beside him, who wore a bitter, world-weary expression and looked every inch the leader.

"Benjamin Myers." The man's voice was heavily nasal as he directly stated his name.

Fan Ning looked Benjamin over: a gray trench coat, white gloves, a silver-gray felt hat, a broad forehead, cold eyes, and a dark red pipe in his hand.

They were here. I'd finally met someone from the Special Inspection Office.

He had expected this long ago.

"Mr. Fan Ning, three questions. Once we're done, you may leave," Benjamin said curtly.

"Please go ahead, Mr. Benjamin." Fan Ning met his gaze.

"First, are you a Knower?"

Damn... Was he really being this direct?

Should I answer yes, or no? Or should I say, 'I don't understand what you mean'?

Should my expression be troubled, blank, or composed?

At that moment, Fan Ning had clearly been caught completely off guard.