"To put it simply, it's a chain that can ignore the limitations of space. For example, this ......" Yuki Tatsumi said, picking up a napkin and poking two dots on it.

"If, from point A to point B, how do you move the fastest? Of course it is. As he spoke, he curled up the napkin, and the two dots overlapped.

"But ah, under normal circumstances, this kind of 'shortest route' can't be done." You shrugged his shoulders and looked helpless.

"That's what my chain is. It can be used to move regardless of space, whether it is for support or for assassination, it is very useful - I used this to assassinate those people. A proud smile appeared on Yu's face.

"That is, to drag yourself through with chains ignoring space?" Lloyd dragged his jaw and his eyes misty, as if contemplating the possibility of the chain.

When ordinary people hear this kind of thing, I'm afraid their first reaction is to shoot the case and angrily accuse Yuu Tatsumi of lying, or laugh it off and say nothing. But Lloyd didn't.

Including the legend of the divine wolf in this investigation, he also seriously thought about the possibility of its existence. Common sense is important, but occasionally, things outside of common sense come up. No matter how ridiculous, think seriously about the possibilities. That's Lloyd's mode of thinking.

"No, it's the opposite. I myself have never left Liber. All I need is a chain to shuttle through the space to hook the assassination target's neck, drag him into the spatial crack, and then find a random place to throw the corpse. Humans, but they can't travel through space, they will be torn apart. By the way, I usually just throw them out of my own bed. ”

Hearing You say this, Ellie suddenly asked as if she had realization: "This is how those important government officials were ...... Is there the truth about the brutal killing? ”

No wonder the military has been searching for the victim's enemy, but it has always been unable to find relevant information, so this is not an "end", but a "means...... Ellie unconsciously used the Lloyd-like way of thinking.

"Well, there's no way around it."

Is it possible to ignore the ancient relics of space...... Lloyd's brows tightened, and he subconsciously remembered this keyword.

No, it's useless to know this now. Lloyd told himself calmly. It's time to get as much information as you can. It would be nice to be able to bring the conversation to Liber or Yuki Tatsumi himself.

"Why, then, was that chain taken away?" Lloyd pondered for a moment, and already had a general direction for inquiry—provided that Yu-Tatsumi did not deliberately avoid the topic.

"Oh, it's been recovered by a knight order that specializes in ancient relics. On the eve of Liber's mutation, a mysterious organization known as the Snake of the Devourer has kidnapped my lovely junior, Estelle. Actually, I could have saved her...... However, I had been hiding my strength and hiding this chain at that time, so I ...... I finally watched her be taken captive by the Snake of Body. From that day on, I was no longer hiding my strength. I also made up my mind to solve this mutation in one go, and then left Libel. Then, just after the mutation was resolved, I left Liber for the Republic of Calvard, where I was ambushed by a knight of a certain order. The chains were taken away, and the wounds on my chest were incurable - I had been lying in Calvard for a year before I recovered to where I am now......"

As he spoke, a gloomy expression gradually enveloped his forehead, and it seemed that he recalled the battle situation at that time, and his voice gradually deepened.

Although he didn't say much, Lloyd could still understand from his words what a terrible battle situation it was. After all, Lloyd had also seen Youna's wounds that had not healed yet. The physical fitness of the warrior is much stronger than that of ordinary people, and if you add medicine, the scar should heal in half a year, let alone a non-fatal injury...... With this detail alone, Lloyd could probably guess that the ambush was definitely not as light as Yu Tatsumi said.

Soon, You returned to that sunny and cheerful demeanor and asked, "That's probably it." Anything else you'd like to ask? ”

"One more point...... Can I ask, why subtract 15 points? ”

Lloyd was talking about the rating that Yuki Tatsumi mentioned when he commented on his reasoning. was originally a score of 95 points, but 15 points were inexplicably deducted by You.

What may seem like an unrelated issue is actually a type of negotiation technique.

Although You still had a playful expression, Lloyd could clearly see from the collar of You's clothes that his muscles were in an extremely tight state now, and although he had been laughing, the faint panic in his eyes could not be hidden. Yu-Tatsumi began to get agitated, but he tried his best to make a relaxed appearance in order to paralyze Lloyd and the others. If he blindly pursues and fights hard, he may be forced to keep his mouth shut, and then the gains outweigh the losses.

Therefore, Lloyd chose not to stimulate him, and asked irrelevant things first.

"Want to know?" You shrugged and explained nonchalantly:

"It's okay, I'll explain it to you. First of all, you shouldn't come to my room. Here minus 5 points. On the premise of knowing that the other party is the perpetrator, you still dare to go to the other party's stronghold, I admit your courage, but you are too unscrupulous, especially when your combat effectiveness is far inferior to mine. And, even if you're more powerful than me, what if I put poison gas, hypnotic smoke screens, or even bombs in my room? ”

You analyzed it seriously, as if this criminal had nothing to do with him.

"Secondly, you shouldn't come alone. If you're the only one, then you can't resist whether I'm going to run away or kill someone. Here's another 5 points. ”

"So, what about the five points left?" Speaking of which, Theo also began to be curious.

"Well, in the end, Lloyd, you shouldn't have a showdown with me. If I don't notice, take me down or kill me immediately, and the worst option is to confront me head-on. ”

You said solemnly, even if he suggested that Lloyd eliminate himself, his face did not waver. Lloyd's face was heavy, but he had no other expression. Both of them knew that what Yuki Tatsumi said was the right thing to do. Lloyd's approach is still ill-conceived.

"Poof...... What are you doing by saying this? Randy scolded, trying to soften the silence. In fact, it is not unreasonable: how can a criminal explain to the police how to arrest him?

"However, if you can get 80 points, you should be qualified as a search officer. Originally, I was going to knock you a little bit, and I will leave after returning the favor of Section Chief Sergei. While You was talking, Rui suddenly put her hands around his neck, her eyes were closed, and clear tears kept running across her face. You also probably understood her thoughts, patted the back of her hand gently, and comforted her in a low voice.

"So, why go?"

After pondering for a long time, Lloyd asked lightly.

"Huh? Lloyd, you don't think you have the strength to keep me, do you? ”

Yu's tone was tinged with sarcasm and a hint of anger.

If Lloyd dared to answer in the affirmative, he would not hesitate to kill him. Ideals are the necessary pillars to support a person's life, but overly idealistic guys will only annoy people.

That's it now, in this case, if Lloyd still naively thinks that they can arrest Yuki Tatsumi, then Yuki will definitely teach him a lesson that he will never forget. It's true that Randy can cause a lot of trouble for You, but if You wants to leave, then none of these five people can stop him.

"How could it be. I'm just asking you, why go? ”

There is no affirmative or negative meaning in Lloyd's words, just simple inquiry.

"Are you an idiot? I'm a killer, you're a policeman, if I stay here, let's not talk about my safety, if I let the empire or the republic know, they will first ask the Crossbell government to hand me over, and then they will pressure the government to dismiss the police on the grounds that there are killers in the police, and then the empire or republic will establish a new violent organ here! Although I don't know much about politics, I still have this basic common sense! ”

The more Yu Tatsumi talked, the more excited he became, if it wasn't for Rui hugging him tightly, he really wanted to grab the hem of Lloyd's clothes.

He didn't expect this always shrewd teenager to be so politically dull.

I really want to punch him in the face, and I hope Ellie can beat him well in the future.

You didn't even notice it, and he was still worried about the support department in the end.

"That's our problem. I'm asking 'you', why are you leaving? Lloyd shook his head and said calmly. The originally gentle baby face has now become oppressive, as if he is not a rookie policeman, but a seasoned first-class investigator.

You was silent, he didn't expect Lloyd to react like this. Moreover, he couldn't think of how to respond to Lloyd's reaction for a moment.

Seeing that You was a little calmer, Lloyd said in a tone of no hurry: "Leave Liber and the Guerrilla Association, also use this reason, right?" Because the identity of the killer will bring them disaster, so stay away from them. Fearing that the empire would put pressure on the Liber Kingdom, and that various countries and peoples would resist the guerrilla association, they chose to self-exile...... No, it should be said, I chose to escape. It's so gentle. ”

After listening to him, You sneered, and retorted lightly: "It's just the best choice." It's not gentle. ”

"Shouldn't the best option be to eliminate the informant and move on with a comfortable life?" Lloyd's voice suddenly became cold. You was speechless in his heart.

"I've been wondering since just now, Tatsumi, you, you're always planning for other people." Lloyd lowered his head, as if recalling the details, and the shadow cast by the broken hair just reflected the serious look in his eyes, full of courage.

"Whether you leave Liber or quit your job as a guerrilla, you choose to leave because you will cause trouble for others. And he is true to his word, and attaches importance to commitment and human feelings. Now you are also worried about our situation, worried about the situation of Crossbell, you chose to leave - to be honest, I didn't quite understand why a criminal would be recognized by the Guerrilla Association, and even someone would want you to go back? Now I understand...... Because you're a good person. ”

After Lloyd finished speaking, he raised his chin suddenly, and his tone also turned half a notch, and he met the gradually indifferent gaze of the upper reaches of the for tat. Lloyd's voice grew higher, and he asked categorically: "Can you say it in a straight way, you want to leave Liber, you want to leave the Guerrilla Association, and now you want to leave our Special Missions Support Section?" ”

Yu was silent. In the past, he used to refute others skillfully, but now that his identity and position are reversed, You rarely understands the mood of someone who is forced to ask by himself. The feeling that I was seen through by others.

Seeing that he was silent, Lloyd continued in one go: "Maybe you haven't noticed that when you lie in your heart, although your mentality and pupils have not changed, you will change your words a lot, and you like to bluff, and belittle yourself while inducing the other party with words. What are you saying for the sake of Crossbell, for us, in fact, it's just that you don't know how to continue to get along with us after your identity is exposed - in fact, you are just running away from your own identity! ”

"Say no more!"

The soft female voice is sharpened with anger and excitement. Rui's desperate shout instantly attracted everyone's attention. Under the black hair was a miserable white face, and bean-sized tears couldn't stop flowing.

"Spare ...... Host bar...... He—He doesn't want to......"

Rui cried, her weak body slid down You's back, You couldn't catch it because of the position, Ellie hurried over two steps and supported her shoulders.

"Master, I was sad to leave Libel! He doesn't want to be separated from you! Wouldn't it be nice if you didn't want to track down this identity! ”

Screaming hoarsely, Rui was held tightly in Ellie's arms like a wounded kitten. The extremely hostile look in his eyes made Lloyd's heart unbearable for a while.

However, if he were given another chance, he would still choose it. After all, he is a searcher, a person who pursues the truth, and no matter what the truth is or what kind of disaster it will bring, he must find out the truth.

"It's not Lloyd's problem." You smiled and comforted her, although the corners of his mouth were raised, his brows were tightly furrowed.

In fact, if it is investigated, it is Yu's own choice - whether it is to become a killer, or to give Lloyd clues intentionally or unintentionally and let him investigate himself from the side.

"And, Lloyd." Yu・Tatsumi Masasemi. "Even if I'm running away, the essence of things hasn't changed......

“…… I have no reason to leave, and at the same time, I have no reason to stay. ”

Yuki Tatsumi and Lloyd said exactly the same thing at about the same time.

You was stunned for a moment, but he didn't expect Lloyd to guess his next words. Randy, Ellie, Theo, and Hoo also looked at Lloyd in surprise, especially Hoo, who didn't know much about Royd and Yu-Tatsumi, and when she saw that Lloyd could guess his words, she thought he could read minds or something.

"I'll give you a reason to stay." Lloyd said, clenched his right hand into a fist, slammed it on his police [Harmony] Inspector [Harmony] Emblem [Harmony] Chapter, and said seriously: "You once said that you are 'taking people's money and money, and eliminating [Harmony] disasters for [Harmony] people, right?" ”

"That's right. But don't try to convince me with childish remarks like 'It's not your fault because you're hired.' You made a humorous joke. Randy smiled, he had guessed what Lloyd was going to say. Ellie guessed too, but she was more worried.

"It's not a good fit for me as a policeman, but how about I hire you?"

……………………

Silent.

"Well, I don't seem to hear clearly......" With You's expression of disbelief, Lloyd stood up, walked up to him, and repeated word by word, "I'll hire you." ”

"Are you serious? The police hire killers, and once they are discovered, you can't get away with it. And, that's not what an honest investigator should do, is it? You Tatsumi was shocked, if this kind of thing is known to a third person, this is an excellent political material to attack the autonomous prefecture government!

"No, I have my own considerations." Lloyd smiled slightly, and there was a sly glint in his eyes.

You couldn't help but be dumbfounded, after seeing that cunning look, he knew that the young man in front of him probably had already guessed what he wanted to say, and prepared conditions that he would never be able to refuse.

Looks like I'm going to have to stay...... Rui, it looks like your fears aren't going to come true.

Yu Tatsumi smiled slightly, both bitter and happy.