[Adeptus Arbites Arbiter…?] Horatio peered out slightly, his gun raised.
That stern man seemed to possess a spider-sense; his sharp gaze, piercing through black lenses, cut through countless people and instantly fixated on Horatio, who had only poked his head out from behind the shuttle.
Horatio felt an unprecedented sense of oppression from that arrow-to-the-heart gaze.
It was a righteous disgust that made his hair stand on end from the bottom of his heart.
Although his eyes were full of hostility, Horatio remained neither servile nor overbearing, maintaining vigilance as he met his gaze.
Anyway, he hadn't broken the law; the people the original owner killed were all those who tried to attack but were counter-killed. As an Ancient Terra law enforcer, his conscience was clear, so what was there to fear?
"Hmm, you've arrived just in time, Arbitrator Inspector."
Security Inspector George still looked arrogant, his hands clasped behind his back, as he spoke indifferently.
"Arbitrator Inspector Shawi reports to you." The man gave the Security Inspector a perfectly standard aquila salute.
Horatio was bewildered by the situation and whispered to Farida:
"Hey, isn't that guy your mentor? But he's acting so deferential, just like that fellow's subordinate. Is that really okay?"
Farida was focused on observing the movements of the external sniper fire team. Facing Horatio's concern, she said calmly:
"Imperial official ranks are divided into two categories: officials and non-officials. A Security Inspector is a 19th-level official.
An Arbitrator Inspector is the highest-ranking non-official. Although an Arbitrator Inspector has better treatment than a Security Inspector, in terms of rank, a Security Inspector is one level higher.
Even so, Arbiters and Security Inspectors are still two separate systems, relatively independent."
Horatio, who had been in the military and police system in his previous life, quickly understood Farida's complex explanation.
This was equivalent to the difference between a sergeant and an officer, or a Voidsmen-at-Arms Officer and a military officer.
"Sir, since there's a hostage situation, why weren't Arbiters called?"
Shawei Arbitrator retracted his gaze from Horatio, then glanced at Farida, who had leaned out halfway to greet him, before his eyes returned to the Security Inspector.
"I initially thought Miss Hood was being held hostage by a death row inmate, but we just realized that Miss Hood was providing sanctuary to the death row inmate. We are currently negotiating to demand she hand over the death row inmate to me. I don't think such a small matter needs to trouble the Arbiters, after all…"
George's voice slowly deepened: "Making too much of a fuss about this kind of thing would be detrimental to Miss Hood's reputation."
"And now?" Shayev asked.
"Now?"
George sneered: "I don't know what trick that death row inmate used on the esteemed Miss Hood, but she's actually refusing to hand over that brat, even openly defying the law!"
"Sir, there must be a misunderstanding here. Miss Hood comes from the most respected noble family in Abyss Port. How could she, for no reason, gamble her family's reputation for an ordinary death row inmate?"
Shayev was unmoved; he clearly didn't believe Security Inspector George's one-sided story.
"Did she tell you something on the way here, Arbitrator Inspector?"
"Miss Hood was attacked by Evil Cultists disguised as Hive City Law Enforcement during a transport mission and barely escaped from the den of evil. And this mission, was it not assigned to Miss Hood by you?"
"Mr. Arbitrator Inspector, watch your words!"
George's eyes were cold: "Are you implying that I put Miss Hood in danger?!
Everything requires evidence. If you can't produce evidence, I will strip you of your police uniform right now for slandering an Imperial commissioned official!"
"…"
Shayev fell silent. He trusted his student, but at the moment, he indeed had no evidence to prove that the Security Inspector in front of him was problematic.
On the surface, Farida was indeed on the wrong side, but since she insisted on waiting this long for the second batch of Adeptus Arbites personnel to arrive, she must have her reasons.
Shayev turned to look at the shuttle and the two people hiding behind it.
"Inspector, our communications are experiencing unknown interference, and the enforcement recorders cannot transmit normally to the Adeptus Arbites network."
An Arbiter saluted Shayev and reported. Two Arbiters were crouching beside the armored vehicle, repairing the relay signal base on the vehicle.
"Continue checking." Shayev took a communicator from the vehicle and shouted to Farida:
"Miss Hood, can you now hand over the death row inmate Horatio Cochrane to me? I will escort him to the detention area of the Adeptus Arbites fortress."
"As long as his safety can be guaranteed, that's not a problem, Shawei Arbitrator."
"Shayev…?" Horatio's expression was strange as he asked Farida: "Your mentor wouldn't happen to particularly dislike Lower Hive people, would he?"
"How did you know?"
"…"
[Damn it, do you know how many times I've read the literary holy relic "Les Misérables"?!]
"Ever since my mentor was led into an ambush by a subverted Lower Hive guide and lost his master and all his comrades, he has had no trust in Lower Hive people. Once they are involved in a case, he will mercilessly deal with them on the spot."
Well, the Adeptus Arbites Arbiter mentioned in that Diviner's story wouldn't happen to be this guy, would he?
Horatio's scalp tingled. Who would have thought he would become the focal point of a vortex in a story he used to not care about, and that all those people who should have had no connection to him were now appearing around him?
And wasn't this Arbiter investigating clues about the attack back then?
He must know something, which is why the Evil Cultists ambushed the entire Adeptus Arbites squad. Normally, no force would dare to provoke the Adeptus Arbites unless they were tired of living.
Thinking about it carefully, that Diviner's metaphors were truly spot on…
If he could survive this, he would definitely go find that guy again next time and ask; he could surely dig up some useful information.
"The evidence! Is that evidence still there?" Farida looked at Horatio in a panic and asked.
Horatio gave a thumbs-up and pulled out the secret letter, which the Female Hunter-Duke had carelessly discarded, from his embrace. It was now neatly folded by him.
"Arbitrator Inspector!"
Horatio shouted from behind the shuttle:
"We found a secret letter in the Evil Cultists' lair. The information on it could clearly only be known by internal personnel who arranged the mission. I think as long as the source of the information can be traced, we can definitely identify who the mole hidden within the Adeptus Arbites is."
Horatio moved to the Female Hunter-Duke's side and handed her the secret letter.
"Mentor, what he said is absolutely true. That secret letter is in my hand right now."
Shayev looked at Farida's long hand extended from behind the shuttle, a stack of brownish parchment folder in her slender fingers. He immediately had an Arbiter step forward and take the secret letter.
At this moment, the Security Inspector, who had originally been arrogant, suddenly shouted in dismay:
"That's a trick! Miss Hood has been brainwashed by the Evil Cultists and is very dangerous now. We must take action immediately!"
"I object to your statement! Security Inspector, Miss Hood has no hostile movements. Can you bear the responsibility for initiating force?!"
Shayev glared at him with icy eyes, directly silencing his superior.
The Arbiter sent by Shayev got closer and closer to Farida, until he took the parchment from her hand and began to walk back.
The Security Inspector's expression became increasingly agitated. He pursed his dry lips tightly, his eyes nervously darting up and down, as if the content of that note could shatter his lifeline with a single blow.