The news about Qilangos was brief, simply stating the time, place, people, and outcome; as the saying goes, the shorter the content, the bigger the story.
The events that occurred in the capital, Backlund, around 8 or 9 PM last night were already reported in the Tingen City newspapers this morning. The speed of information exchange in this world isn't too slow, is it? This is all thanks to Emperor Roselle's remarkable contributions... Hmm, it must have been the nobles and councilors attending the ball who leaked the news to some well-connected journalists, and some of those journalists then used telegrams to send this sensational news back to their respective newspaper headquarters in other counties and cities...
Morning newspapers are usually typeset at night, printed in the middle of the night, and distributed in the morning, which allows for quick adjustments and timely publication...
Based on this news alone, today's Tingen Morning Post will sell at least a thousand more copies, and that's only considering the city proper...
Klein's thoughts wandered, but a sense of peace settled in his heart:
"Since ' Admiral Hurricane ' Qilangos is dead, it means that even if Mr. Azik was injured, it wouldn't be too serious..."
"If the situation were more serious, he would certainly be apprehended by the Mandated Punishers or Duke Negan's Beyonder bodyguards. In such an emergency, Miss ' Justice ' and Mr. ' The Hanged Man ' would undoubtedly seize every opportunity to report to me. The fact that the latter hasn't happened is enough to prove that the situation is under control..."
"Well, if Mr. Azik hasn't replied to me by midnight tonight, or if Miss ' Justice ' and Mr. ' The Hanged Man ' haven't pleaded with me, I'll blow the whistle again to summon the messenger and send a letter to inquire..."
Relaxing, Klein shifted his attention from the newspaper and glanced around the carriage.
Most people who can afford this mode of transport know the words. Influenced by the "extra edition," many bought the * Tingen Morning Post *. A few I know are currently discussing it in hushed tones:
"Long, long ago, pirate kings and generals were already jeopardizing sea routes, only backing down when faced with fleets from various nations, and completely disregarding armed merchant ships... Although Qilangos was listed as one of the seven pirate generals less than ten years ago, he was the first major pirate to be killed by the government..."
"Frankly, I'm very curious, what was he doing in Backlund? When pirates leave the seas, death is a foreseeable thing."
Hopefully, more detailed reports will follow.
" Storm above! I want to know which of Duke Negan's bodyguards killed Qilangos; his bounty is a whopping £10,000!"
"10,000 pounds... If I had 10,000 pounds, I would immediately resign, buy two or three small to medium-sized plantations, invest in some colonial companies and railway companies, and enjoy a fixed annual return..."
"This is just the kingdom's bounty. Intis, Feysac, Feynapotter, and several business organizations have all placed bounties on ' Admiral Hurricane ' Qilangos. I desperately want a newspaper that lists all these bounty amounts."
£10,000? Klein was momentarily stunned.
Even with his already substantial salary, he would have to save for nearly twenty years without eating or drinking to accumulate that much money...
If only I had known... Never mind, there's nothing I can do, nothing I can do about it, I can't possibly claim the bounty... He folded the newspaper with a hint of disappointment and looked out the carriage window.
By this time, he had finally confirmed that the matter of " Admiral Hurricane " Qilangos was over, and only some finishing touches remained, such as the payment of the Roselle's Diary by " The Hanged Man ".
Backlund, Cherwood Borough.
Wearing gauze Fors Wall and Xio Derecha walked along the street toward the nearest Bavant Bank branch.
"Money always seems to disappear without you even realizing it," Fors sighed.
Xiu nodded in deep agreement:
"Yes."
"Fortunately, ' Stormwind Villa ' is quite popular, and royalties are still flowing into my account. Otherwise, I would have had to find a clinic or hospital and become Doctor again." Fors sighed with a mixture of satisfaction and worry.
After a few seconds of silence, Xiu cautiously asked:
"Will this investigation into Qilangos affect your authorship? After all, we might be targeted by the Mandated Punishers and the Nighthawks Watchers..."
"No, the only one being targeted is you," Fors chuckled. "You're the one who sent the report to the police, you're the one who mailed the letter, you're the one with a bit of a reputation in the gangster circles and certain streets of the East Borough, while I, Fors Wall, am still the currently popular bestselling author."
"..." Hugh paused for a moment and said, "So, you've been spending this time with me?"
Fors tossed her hair and chuckled softly:
"Don't you think this is a very interesting experience? Hmm... This experience has given me a lot of creative Spirit Intuition. My next book will be about a sudden murder case and the various stories that follow."
Hugh was at a loss for words and could only keep walking forward, forgetting to turn before Fors pulled him back.
Just then, they heard the newsboy's shouts:
"Breaking News! Breaking News! ' Admiral Hurricane ' Qilangos has been killed in Backlund!"
Huh? What? Hugh and Fors looked at each other blankly.
It wasn't until the newsboy approached and repeated the message several times that they suddenly realized what had happened.
"What? Qilangos is dead?" Fors could hardly believe his ears.
"He's dead! How could he suddenly die!" Hugh was both shocked and bewildered as he dodged the possible reverse pursuit from the ruthless pirate.
This... shouldn't it have been a normal process? First, find clues, determine Qilangos's purpose, then gather strong men to ambush him, and finally the pirates should be killed... In the end, before even the first step was completed, Qilangos died... died so simply... Fors and Hugh looked at each other, like two marble statues.
A few dozen seconds later, Hugh rushed to the newsboy and bought a copy of this morning's Tussock Times.
This is one of the three newspapers with the largest circulation in the Kingdom of Loen.
"Hmm... Qilangos is indeed dead, shot dead by Duke Negan's bodyguards... Goddess, Duke Negan's bodyguards are..." Hugh automatically muted himself, not uttering the "powerful Beyonder " part.
Fors looked at his friend with pity:
"You actually completely believe what's described in the newspapers..."
"Well, maybe someone else discovered Qilangos's purpose beforehand. The Mandated Punishers, the Nighthawks, the Machinery Hivemind, and the high-ranking officers of the military's special departments jointly carried out a successful ambush..." Hugh suddenly paused, then exhaled and said, "We don't need to worry about anything anymore. We can return to normal life, but we should try to avoid the area around that police station."
She glanced at Fors, and asked with some trepidation and worry:
"How much do you think Miss Audrey will pay us in this situation? I know a few hundred pounds isn't much for her, but we haven't really completed the commission..."
"No, at least we got Qilangos to show up on his own initiative. His eagerness to act and falling into the ambush must have been partly due to our efforts," Fors reassured her. "Given Miss Audrey's generosity, even if she doesn't pay the full reward, she'll at least give us half."
"I hope so..." Hugh took a deep breath and whispered wistfully, "I wonder who will claim that 10,000-pound bounty..."
"It's truly Envy! If I had that kind of money, I would have reached Sequence 7 or even Sequence 6 by now. I've missed opportunities time and time again!" Fors sighed, then added, "Hugh, we shouldn't go looking for Miss Audrey anytime soon. Let her contact us first. There are too many details about Qilangos's death that we don't know. Rushing to contact Miss Audrey could put us in danger."
Hugh nodded first, then said in astonishment:
How did you know I wanted to go to Queens Borough right now?
"Guess," Fors replied, amused.
After a busy morning, Klein returned to Blackthorn Security Company and reported to Dunn Smith:
"Captain, the people I investigated related to Lanarvus are all innocent; they are simply victims and have no involvement in any supernatural events."
Dunn rested both elbows on his desk and said:
"Then you should stop for now. Wait until the others finish their parts, then focus on investigating the suspects. We can't devote all our manpower to this; we must guard against other unforeseen events."
"Okay." Klein was about to stand up and enjoy his lunch when he suddenly heard a knock on the door.
"Please come in," Dunn said in a deep, resonant voice.
Turning the handle, the door opened, and Rozanne peeked in, asking:
"Captain, someone has come to request a mission."
"A commissioned mission... This term applies to Blackthorn Security Company, not the Nighthawks Squad... So, who else has stumbled upon us by chance?" Klein muttered to himself, a sudden realization dawning on him.
Dunn thought for a moment and said:
"You can go listen to it, but if it's too much trouble, just decline."
He straightened his shirt, vest, and watch chain, walked out of his office, and moved through the partition to the sofa area in the reception hall, with Klein and Rozanne following curiously behind.
Two women were sitting on the sofa, both wearing black soft hats and long black dresses, with no other colors on their clothes.
One of them was plump with fair skin, and her face was partially obscured by a thin black veil hanging from her hat, making her features indistinct.
Upon seeing her, Klein suddenly felt a sense of familiarity, as if he had seen her somewhere before.
As he was reflecting, he heard another, rather thin, woman say:
"Our task is to track and monitor Madam Shermane and find evidence of her crimes."
Madam Shermane... Klein suddenly realized where the feeling of familiarity he had just felt came from.
The woman who didn't speak was the wife of Congressman Maynard and the daughter of New Party bigwig.
Unable to accept her husband's death and unwilling to acknowledge the police's conclusion, she privately hired a security company to reinvestigate.
Hey, they actually found us directly... Klein shook his head and chuckled to himself.