Our Family Has Fallen

"I’m a law enforcer, I can’t do such things."

I’m a cop after all, what if someone sees me?

"Didn’t you see I’ve already taken these things?" Amanda tidied up briefly and lifted the belt full of all sorts of random items, including the Touching Gold Talisman.

"I’ll check the hotel, maybe she’ll leave some clues." Laura directly refused and turned around to leave.

"Why are you all looking at me?" Dismas was speechless, everyone is lazy.

He could only carry Audrey and head to the Lord’s Mansion...

Laura really wasn’t talking nonsense; she truly arrived at the hotel, but didn’t use the front entrance, instead sneaking in from above.

They had long confirmed Audrey’s room, and Laura easily picked the lock at the door, but as she opened the door, her actions suddenly slowed down.

Because she discovered something: a golden hair was caught in the door seam, about to fall, and once someone returned, they would notice their room had been breached.

Unfortunately, it’s useless now.

Laura stepped directly over the hair and entered the room.

The layout was ordinary, the entire room could be scanned in one glance; there was hardly anything besides the hotel’s furnishings.

Snooping through homes wasn’t Laura’s expertise, but a small room is easy enough to thoroughly search.

Other than a few empty wine bottles, there was really nothing there. It seemed she had already prepared to abandon the room decisively.

However, Laura noticed something interesting; that tomb robber seemed to have slept under the bed because traces of dust underneath were visible.

Even as part of the Eagle Flock, she didn’t have such habits; what a cunning fellow.

"Who’s there!"

Suddenly, Laura spun around, her eyes glowing eerily in the dim light as if penetrating the darkness, bow already drawn and ready.

The hawk screamed fiercely, spreading its wings and taking off.

Yet, nothing was seen, but Laura was confident in her sense; that feeling of being watched...

Meanwhile, Amanda and company escorted Audrey to the Lord’s Mansion and met the Lord.

"Tomb robber? Interesting..."

Lance listened to Amanda’s brief introduction, a faint smile appearing on his face.

The table had the Touching Gold Talisman, a candle, poison darts, and an enchanted dagger.

Not just a tomb robber, it’s a profession that desecrates corpses for theft, and she’s a Transcendent who can use shadow powers.

They waited from daylight to nightfall to catch her, and even with three against one she almost escaped; her escape abilities are strong, possibly part of her professional abilities.

"Amanda, you handle it, find out what’s going on with her."

Lance had no interest in interrogating a tomb robber, so he let Amanda take over.

Amanda also bore grudges; she wanted to reclaim the face she lost just now from Audrey.

She immediately took out a potion and pried her mouth open to pour it in, then used a tool to influence Audrey’s thoughts.

This world has countless ways to force confessions without physically torturing, though it does torment the will.

After her mind had already suffered a heavy blow, Amanda invaded it harshly, rendering her dumbfounded, drooling ’blah blah.’"

Lance watched while contemplating, wondering, the waters here run deep, quite abstract.

There are too many detectives who can solve cases with 100% accuracy. Just grab any passerby, perform a major memory recovery spell; not only will they confess, but even if you have them admit they destroyed dinosaurs, it could work.

Those so-called airtight cases could turn into complete jokes once people start to realize.

Lance pursued evidence-based investigations, forbidding torture, but he’s encountered some issues.

The methods for collecting evidence are too scarce; acquiring witnesses and material evidence is tremendously difficult.

Fingerprint, DNA, surveillance—these forensic technologies all lack, and even forensic scientists are just starting their research.

But this world possesses supernatural powers: divination, prophecy, these illusions, brain infiltration...

They could perhaps aid forensic technology development, but Lance worried about fostering reliance that could stifle technical advancement.

This isn’t a joke; world history has remained like this for centuries due to supernatural obstructions, talents drawn to mysticism.

Moreover, the laws of physics warp under those powers, as if locked by particles.

He had lots to consider since his decisions would impact many.

Amanda was professional; Audrey was strong but lacked resilience, her will was quickly broken.

To everyone’s surprise, her motives for theft were not the complex scenarios imagined earlier, but simply the pursuit of thrills.

She had heard about law enforcement activities, the restricted zones for the public, with ruins still not open—bored, she wanted to challenge those areas.

The outcome left everyone present, including Lance, in silence.

How abstract can you be...

"Could she be covering up her true purpose? Surely there’s a hidden secret, I suggest increasing pressure."

William rarely offered opinions, challenging the police? A strong response is necessary!

Lance could only respond with a helpless smile, raising his hand to stop, "Alright, once she reveals the location, everything will be clear."

When pressed, Audrey named a location, surprisingly to the northwest, already on the outskirts of the town, beyond lies undeveloped wilderness.

"If she chose that place, it’s because it had a vulnerability permitting escape in that direction."

Lance pinpointed the reason for Audrey’s choice—not anything else but the area’s weak border, allowing easy escape from Hamlet.

She had planned her retreat, but unfortunately, Hamlet isn’t as simple as it appears.

"Go, investigate the final clue, and bring the items back."

"What about her?" Amanda glanced at the dazed Audrey.

"Leave her here, she can’t escape." Lance hardly paid attention, yet his words carried immense confidence.

The Lord said she couldn’t escape, and escape she won’t.

The others departed, and once Amanda let go, Audrey remained vacant, mumbling some unintelligible phrases while drooling, not even wiping.

But Lance wouldn’t let her go just like that, as only in absence of others could he act with her.

"You’re very tired, very tired; as your eyes close, you feel your whole body relax, all fatigue vanished, you seem to return in your dream to..."

Lance’s voice seemed imbued with miraculous power; Audrey, already under potion influence, was utterly powerless, closing her eyes and collapsing.

Lance paid no mind to her changes, murmuring indistinctly, causing Audrey to start responding...

This matter involves Transcendents, and Lance has always been fascinated by these mystical subjects; he’s eager to learn more.

Lance reservedly viewed invading others’ privacy, for example with those around him, typically leaving the decision to them.

Yet for a tomb robber defying Hamlet’s order, he showed no mercy, determined to strike hard against crime!

Laura hurried over, coinciding with the others emerging.

"Why so slow? Was there any discovery in the hotel?"

Even with the stash location found, William casually inquired.

Laura simply shook her head, saying nothing, her face obscured beneath her hood.

"She was ready to flee all day, so how could she have lingered at a resting point?" Amanda was unsurprised, sharing their interrogation results with Laura, "Come on, we already have the accurate location, although you might not believe it..."

Listening to Amanda’s recount, Laura frowned, for if there was no accomplice, then who had been watching her?