Chapter 439 (1/2)

Chapter 439: The Crime Scene

Translator: TransN Editor: TransN

“Brother Vader, is… this really Okay?” Firehead said while fiddling with her own clothing. “Chief Knight said that our uniforms are the symbol of our status, and thus we must wear it neatly when we’re on duty.”

“What’s more, there’s a punishment for dirtying the uniform, let alone for not wearing it.” Whistle kept looking left and right as if he was afraid of being spotted by a colleague.

“Stop nagging. It’s symbolic enough to wear it. Standing in the midwinter snow in the black uniform will alert everyone in the vicinity that policemen are around. How are we supposed to catch any criminal?” Vader spat on the ground and then continued, “You’re both from Border Town, right?”

The two policewomen became more spirited the moment Vader mentioned this. “Yes, I am. My father was a hunter who used to live on Old Street, and his skill was remarkable. He was able to strike the neck of a fox scampering about in the woods with only one arrow.”

“Me too. But my father often told me that hunting was an unstable career, and he preferred I became a miner. He’d even prepared a hoe for me. Had His Highness Roland not become the new Lord, I would have spent my days in the mines.”

“I can tell.” Vader shrugged his shoulders. “Only the children of hunters would have such uncommon nicknames,” he silently thought. “Since you’re both locals, surely you’re more concerned about the public order in the town than I am, right? If even I’m not afraid of being punished, why are you afraid? Is wearing the uniform more important than enforcing the rules and laws laid down by His Highness?”

“Hmm…” The duo hesitated briefly, before they replied with conviction, “You’re right.”

“But, Brother Vader, you’re not an outsider. Haven’t you already received your identity card? His Highness once said that anyone who possess the identity card are considered to be his subjects,” Whistle muttered.

Vader laughed and did not say a word. Instead, he fixed his gaze on a row of cave dwellings on the eastern side of the temporary housing area.

After serving as a policeman for nearly three months, he had grown fully accustomed to life in the Western Region. Before he became a policeman, he thought that a “patrol team” would have nothing to do apart from extorting and cheating the people. Little did he know that there would be more work than could possibly be completed every day.

The police were required to accept refugees and handle disputes among the citizenry. It was also the police’s duty to catch criminals and spies. Whereas, apart from fighting against the demonic beasts, the First Army did not help or intervene in the internal peacekeeping of Border Town.

This was completely different from what he had initially expected.

In Valencia, the patrol team was more like the city guards’ backup. They handled menial tasks and were not of much use. This was the reason why many patrollers would seek money from illicit sources. However, in Border Town, the police and the First Army belonged to different systems. The former handled internal affairs while the latter handled external ones.

What surprised Vader more was that the majority of the patrol team’s targets came from public reports instead of direct orders from their superiors. Indeed, the citizens of Border Town had changed his perception of commoners. This bunch of lazy and stupid people would actively watch out for suspicious characters and report them to the City Hall. Whenever a foreign merchant ship arrived in the town, the Ministry of Justice would receive a handful of such reports.

Vader soon realized the tremendous power that lied within the town—no foreign spy could shut himself off from the public or integrate into society quickly unless he grew up here. With everyone serving as a vigilant watchdog, what enemy could hide among the populace?

But of course, not every arrest operation would be successful. For example, the sneaky characters whom they arrested during the previous operation turned out to be a noble from the Kingdom of Dawn. Vader was prepared to be punished, but his superiors showed no reaction and seemed unperturbed that he had beaten up a noble. This served to consolidate his current mentality towards his job.

“Gold’s here!” Firehead exclaimed softly.