Rei focused all his attention on flipping through the materials. He raised his eyes inadvertently, only to see that Furina was already fast asleep, lying prone on the desk.
In her sleep, she looked calm and peaceful. Her eyelashes moved a little as she slept.
Seeing this, Rei took out a coat from his storage and gently covered her.
He then returned to his own seat and continued to flip through the investigation materials.
Before long, he had looked through all the materials about Malo, but found nothing at all.
After sitting for a while, Rei stood up and walked to the reception desk, asking a Melusine for the files of all recent cases.
But the results were still disappointing; there was no case information related to Malo or his family.
This made him start to doubt himself.
Could it be that the Cappet family used other methods?
This thought only lingered in his mind for a moment before being ruled out.
The reason was simple: other methods could easily get out of control.
Also, the Marechaussee Phantom had already started a thorough investigation, so the Cappet family would definitely not take risks now.
Rei pondered many possibilities, but ruled them out one by one.
After thinking hard but getting nowhere, he decided to go out for some fresh air and clear his mind.
At this time, it was already past three in the morning.
The entire Palais Mermonia was very quiet, with only the staff on duty still at their posts.
Rei crossed the spacious and empty hall and walked out of the palace gates.
The night was very dark, and the moon and stars shone in the sky.
A cold breeze passed by and helped clear his mind.
Just then, he noticed a tall, thin figure ahead.
The person stood quietly in the night, looking up at the bright moon. He looked very serious and calm.
Rei hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward and called out softly, "Monsieur Neuvillette."
Neuvillette slowly turned around and looked at him with a calm expression. "Vice Captain Rei, do you have business with me?"
Rei asked, "What is your view on Flora's case?"
Hearing this, Neuvillette replied in a flat tone, "As the Iudex, it is inappropriate for me to express any views in private regarding a case that has not yet been tried."
Hearing this answer, Rei immediately realized his abruptness.
As the de facto supreme ruler of Fontaine, Neuvillette had to be extremely cautious with any stance he took; otherwise, it could trigger serious consequences.
"I apologize, Monsieur Neuvillette. It was my lack of consideration; I shouldn't have asked that question." Rei hurriedly apologized with sincerity.
Neuvillette waved his hand gently. "There is no need to be so formal and polite."
He paused for a moment, then raised his eyes to look at Rei. "On the contrary, I have a question I wish to ask you. Why do so many people seek refuge with the nobility?"
Hearing this, Rei fell into silence for a moment.
For Neuvillette to ask this, he had clearly noticed the problems inside Fontaine's government, like nobles forming groups and looking out for each other.
This was precisely the root cause of why the truth behind Flora's case had been so difficult to uncover.
Actually, solving this problem wasn't difficult.
If Neuvillette could stop insisting on perfect justice and gather a team that was fully loyal to him, any problem could be solved easily.
But he hardly ever even protected the Melusines he liked, so how could he do something like that?
After thinking for a long time, Rei answered slowly, "Monsieur Neuvillette, humans are not machines; it is very difficult to completely discard one's own emotions and desires. The reason those people choose to seek refuge with the nobility is that the nobles can give them things that you will not give. For example, better opportunities for promotion, generous retirement benefits, and guarantees for their children's future, among other things."
Neuvillette remained silent for a long time after listening.
Just as Rei thought the exchange was over and intended to turn back to the Marechaussee Phantom, Neuvillette spoke again. "Captain Rei, if one day you ascend to a high position, will you act like those nobles?"
Rei originally wanted to give a high-sounding answer, saying no, that he was a person who pursued justice.
But in the end, he decided to tell the truth. "Yes. If I want people to work for me, I have to give them enough rewards. Not everyone can be as fair as you."
Hearing this, a trace of appreciation quietly flashed deep within Neuvillette's eyes.
He said warmly, "Vice Captain Rei, thank you for your honest answer. By the way, if you cannot find the answer to many questions, you should try looking from the beginning."
After speaking, he turned and floated away.
Rei stood in place, repeatedly mulling over the deep meaning in Neuvillette's words.
In an instant, he thought of the answer. He slapped his thigh. He had actually forgotten his own old job.
Subsequently, Rei walked briskly toward the office building of the Gardes.
The building was not far from the Palais Mermonia; he arrived in just five minutes.
As soon as he stepped into the building, he saw Luke reclining in the reception seat on duty.
At this moment, he was smoking a cigarette while flipping through investigation papers, making the whole reception hall smoky and smelly.
"Old Luke, hurry up and bring me the files for all cases involving disputes and conflicts from the past few days."
Rei waved his hand to push away the thick smoke and spoke grumpily.
Seeing it was Rei, Luke immediately stubbed out the cigarette in his hand and turned to the document shelf to rummage for case records.
Not long after, he hurried over holding stack after stack of documents.
Without another word, Rei quickly started flipping through these papers. He didn't have much time left; he had to hurry.
The Gardes were like the Urban Management and a local police station from his past life, handling all sorts of small cases.
Sometimes it was neighborhood conflicts, sometimes business disputes, and sometimes even looking for lost pet cats and dogs.
Rei flipped page after page, not letting his eyes rest for a moment. Focusing for so long made his eyes red and swollen.
Finally, just as dawn was about to break, he found a theft case among the numerous files.
A young girl named Marina was suspected of stealing a precious ring from her classmate.
Although she strongly insisted she didn't steal it, she couldn't explain why the ring was in her pocket.
Currently, the case was still under investigation.
If that classmate insisted that Marina committed theft, then she would likely face ten years of imprisonment.
And Marina was none other than Malo's younger sister!
----
ANNOUNCEMENT:
50 advanced episodes are on the way.
Starting today: daily uploads.
All uploads will be 18+ (R18) — some spicier than others.
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/Serenabunny