Westminster Bank

Chapter 217: Chapter 143: Furious Stab

Dead silence. A silence as still as stagnant water.

It was as if no one present had yet processed what had happened. They stood rooted to the spot like weathered old stones, their shocked expressions like fissures carved by the wind.

A moment later, terrified gasps erupted from the crowd.

"He killed Miss Triss!!!"

"He really killed someone! That Demon Hunter actually murdered someone in broad daylight!"

"Isn’t the law supposed to be impartial? Can a Law Enforcer just murder someone in the street, and no one is going to do anything about it?"

"L, you’re insane!" Andre roared. "Look at what you’ve done!"

’Drawing his gun in public was bad enough, but to kill someone in front of every social class in Fude City... Does L have a death wish?’

’Especially with the Deputy Chief of the Guard Post on one side, the leader of the Barbarian Bear Knight Order on another, and half of Fude City’s high society on the third... If he’d only provoked one of them, Yalilan might have been able to protect him. But he’s angered them all. Not even the City Lord of Fude City, Lewis, could save him now!’

Yalilan waved a hand, and the Demon Hunters moved to shield L.

The priority was to keep L from being captured.

It might have seemed unreasonable, but Yalilan believed that if a man from Feinan did something, he had a good reason for it.

The Deputy Chief of the Guard Post finally snapped out of it. He glanced at the Demon Hunters shielding Baron, then at the leader of the Barbarian Bear Knight Order, who was still rubbing his arm from his earlier clash with Yalilan. His gaze then fell upon Miss Triss, who was now surrounded by members of high society. His face twitched for a moment, and he said:

"L! You committed murder in public, showing a flagrant disregard for the law..."

He drew the sword at his waist, his eyes sweeping over the crowd that had gathered at the commotion. Raising his blade to the sky, he declared, "The laws of the Guard Post are absolute! If we don’t strike you down here and now, it will be impossible to uphold the strict laws of Fude City! We would be abandoning the safety of the people of Fude City!"

"Seize him!"

The guards raised their pikes and blades, pressing forward menacingly.

Seeing this, the dignitaries surrounding Miss Triss’s body also began to shout, shaking their fists:

"The Deputy Chief is impartial and incorruptible, ridding the people of a menace!"

"Avenge the Chief and his daughter!"

"Forget L! In my opinion, the entire Rose Hunting Group are his accomplices!"

"The Deputy Chief is a paragon of justice! At the next council election, he has my vote!"

...

"Damn it all. I finally get why this bird-brained Deputy Chief was blocking us. Turns out he’s gunning for the Chief’s position."

Maguire watched the guards closing in, cursing under his breath.

He overheard the whispers from the crowd:

"L? You mean the champion of the Hunting Competition? The one who was exiled from Feinan by King Feinan?"

"No wonder King Feinan exiled him. He must be a criminal. To murder someone in public... and such a beautiful girl, too."

"I heard about the riot at the south gate this morning. They say L ignored warnings from the army and the city guard, forced his way through the gate, and even killed a guard captain and an army officer right there in the street!"

"Depraved. Absolutely depraved!"

"Tsk, it’s all King Feinan’s fault! If he committed a crime in Feinan, they should have just executed him. Why bother with exile...? It’s all on King Feinan!"

The Deputy Chief shouted, "L, step forward and admit your guilt!"

Yalilan said to Baron, who had been silent ever since firing the shot:

"L, escape through the back. Take my token and go to a small town called Balan, northwest of Fude City. There are Rose Commerce Association mercenaries there. Go with them and escape to Haiwede..."

She didn’t ask Baron why he’d done it. That question could wait until after he was safe.

But Baron refused Yalilan’s kind offer. He pushed past Maguire and Zod to face the Guard Post’s men.

"We can discuss guilt or innocence later. Right now, I only want to confirm one thing. Once I have, I’ll go with you willingly."

The Deputy Chief’s eyes narrowed. "And what is it you want to confirm?"

"To confirm whether Miss Triss is actually dead!"

Baron strode past the guards’ gleaming blades, his gaze fixed on Miss Triss, whose form was obscured by the crowd of guards and dignitaries surrounding her.

The Deputy Chief’s face fell. "How dare you!"

"L, what are you talking about!?"

Maguire, the other Demon Hunters, and even Yalilan—who had remained calm even when Baron publicly shot Miss Triss—were all stunned. They thought L was still dazed from his earlier fight with Ferdinand.

One of the Demon Hunters immediately grabbed Baron’s sleeve, but Baron shook him off. With a calm and steady voice, he repeated, word for word:

"Let me confirm whether Miss Triss is truly dead! If she is, then kill me or cut me to pieces—I’ll leave my fate in your hands!"

At the end, he added another sentence: "I swear this on the name of L, before the Black Moon Goddess."

The onlookers drew a collective sharp breath. To swear an oath to a God in his own name, in a city with a Black Moon Church, showed just how determined this man, L, was.

"L..."

Maguire started to say something else, but Zod held him back.

"He must have his reasons for doing this."

As he spoke, Zod jutted his chin toward Carmen, who stood beside Baron, her features concealed by a cloak.

Maguire clapped his hands. "You mean Baron has a kid? Is he asking us to look after his orphan?" fгeewebnovёl.com

Zod: "..."

’He was suddenly filled with regret for his choice of teammates.’

Baron had no idea what ridiculous thing the blockhead Maguire had just said behind him. He simply stared at the mounted Deputy Chief, awaiting his response.

But to everyone’s surprise, the Deputy Chief’s expression flickered for a moment. Then, he snorted coldly and said:

"Why should we listen to a criminal? All units, on my command!"

He waved his hand. "Seize him!"