vncnus Chapter 129: Killing Three Birds with One Stone
Chapter 129: Killing Three Birds with One Stone
Chapter 129 Killing Three Birds with One Stone
When Anne heard the doorman tell her that a little girl wanted to see her, she was so excited that she instantly stood up from her seat in the library. She knew that Lola had come to see her!
It hadn't even been ten days since he last parted ways with Lola.
Could it be because Anne said last time that she hoped Laurent would come to see her?
If that's the case, then Lola is truly an obedient and good younger sister.
But thinking back carefully, hasn't Lola always been very obedient?
As she approached the gate, she spotted Lola in the crowd and quickened her pace without realizing it.
Anne began to think about where she and Lola would go later.
We can't go to that bakery again; it's too extravagant for Annie, who's just started working with a mentor as an apprentice herald.
So, I guess I'll just have to wander around the streets.
But whatever happens afterward, right now Annie is in front of Lola, and all she wants to do is give her sister a big hug.
"Lola!"
Anne called out to Lola and hugged her tightly.
However, Lola's response was a painful scream:
"Ah~!"
Upon hearing that sound, Annie immediately realized something was wrong.
The cry seemed to come out instinctively. Could it be that Lola was feeling unwell?
Anne quickly let go of Lola's hand, took a step back, and frowned as she looked at Lola's face:
"What's wrong?"
Lola shook her head: "It's nothing."
Even though Lola was wearing glasses, Anne could tell that it was an expression of forced restraint.
She immediately noticed that Lola's left side was very stiff. Annie asked anxiously, "Are you injured?"
Lola gently shook her head.
Seeing this, Anne's tone became stern:
"Lola, don't lie to me!"
After she finished speaking, Lola froze on the spot, and after a moment she nodded blankly:
"Um."
Upon learning the answer, Annie's initial joy vanished, replaced by anxiety and worry.
She immediately took Lola to the pile of strange rocks.
After they were both seated, Annie asked eagerly:
"Lola, where are you hurt? Let me see!"
"It's nothing, just a minor injury," Lola said, shaking her head.
"I want to see, Laura."
Upon hearing this, Lola still seemed reluctant, but in the end she bowed her head, then unbuttoned her clothes, revealing her left shoulder.
After just one glance, Annie was completely stunned.
Lola's left shoulder was truly shocking.
The skin that should have been smooth now had a large gash, and all the flesh and blood had disappeared.
The wound was deep and unusually smooth, as if it had been made by a sharp blade.
However, the corner was too sharp, and it would be difficult to create such a wound with ordinary weapons and techniques.
The wound was currently wrapped in a thick bandage, which was completely soaked with blood, making it even redder than Annie's eyes.
This level of injury is not just about leaving a scar; it could very well render Laura's left hand unusable for the rest of her life!
Just as Anne was staring at the wound, Lola suddenly reached out her right hand towards Anne's face:
"Annie, why are you crying?"
Crying? Annie wondered, am I crying?
Anne didn't realize she was actually crying until Lola pointed away her tears.
She felt something was strange; why was she crying?
I wasn't particularly sad, much less happy.
Oh! That's right! Annie quickly realized it was heartache.
Annie felt a pang of heartache; the more she looked at the wound, the more her heart ached.
She tried her best to bite her lower lip to keep from making a sound, but her heart was aching terribly.
By the time she realized what was happening, she was already wailing and crying.
Anne knew that Lola must be in a lot of pain. She wanted to hug her sister, but she was afraid of hurting Lola again, just like before.
She felt both guilty and wronged, so she cried even harder.
In the end, Lola came over, bent down slightly, gave Annie a hug, and patted Annie on the back.
It took Anne a very long time to calm down.
She took out a handkerchief and wiped away her tears and snot.
But then they discovered that Lola was also quietly shedding tears.
Anne felt that she was really immature and not like a proper older sister at all.
Even though Lola is the one who's hurt, and even though Lola is so strong, I still brought my bad mood to her, and in the end, I still need Lola to comfort me.
She wanted to apologize and express her gratitude, but the most important thing now was to prevent Lola's wound from remaining exposed to the dusty air.
Anne wiped away Lola's tears and quickly helped her put on her coat, then asked:
"Does it hurt? Tell the truth!"
Lola pouted, looking somewhat aggrieved.
"pain."
Upon hearing this, Anne's nose tingled, and she felt like crying again, but she ultimately forced herself to hold it back.
Have you seen a doctor?
"I've seen it," Laura nodded. "The doctor said the wound is very clean, and I'm young, so it should heal completely, but there's no guarantee it won't have any future effects."
"Who hurt you like this?" Annie then asked.
"Myself."
"The power within that book?"
Laura nodded.
Anne couldn't help but complain, "Honestly, why did Aaron make you learn such dangerous things!"
"But Aaron also often reminded me that I must be careful when using my abilities," Laura said, lowering her head. "It was my own fault for not using them properly. The situation was urgent, and in my haste, I made a mistake."
"How long has it been?"
"It was that night when we parted ways last time," Lola said. "I wanted to see you again the next day, but I was too exhausted from blood loss, so I stayed at the clinic until yesterday. I only started to feel a little better, and then I came to find you right away."
Upon hearing that the incident occurred on the day they separated, Annie keenly realized that things might not be as simple as she thought.
So he frowned and asked, "Lola, what happened?"
Afterwards, Lola told Anne everything that had happened that night.
After hearing this, Annie felt incredibly guilty; she felt like an idiot.
What have I done? Anne is filled with self-reproach. Did I let Lola get close to the murder case? Did I put my sister in danger?
Anne bowed her head deeply and apologized to Lola:
"Lola, I'm sorry, it's all my fault. Forget what I told you, what use is all this talk about punishing evil and upholding justice, about being a 'knight-errant'? I was so immature, misleading you onto a dangerous path because of my unrealistic fantasies. I'm sorry, Lola, I'm a terrible older sister."
However, Lola knelt down in front of Anne.
She took off her glasses, revealing her green eyes, and looked up at Anne:
"Lola, it's not your fault. I got hurt because I wasn't skilled enough, or because of that axe-wielding warrior."
"But if it weren't for me that day, you wouldn't have gone to those places at all."
"But your analysis that day was definitely from my perspective. Although it wasn't thorough enough in terms of the results, it was still much better than mine."
Lola's eyes were full of sincerity. Anne understood that Lola had deliberately taken off her glasses to show her that look.
"Moreover, even if you didn't say anything that day, I would still go to the scene to see it after I learned about similar cases."
Anne, you know I've always done what I felt like, rather than being a rational girl.
"I'm not a good older sister," Anne thought, "but Lola is a good younger sister."
Lola is usually a quiet person, but today she talked so much.
"Thank you, Lola," Anne said. "You're the one who's hurt, yet I need you to worry about me."
"I would be so happy if you could rely on me a little more, Annie!"
Anne nodded slightly, then immediately took the book and said:
"But Lola, no matter what, you must never go near Nail Harbor again. It's too dangerous there, and don't get involved in any copycat cases."
However, this time Lola shook her head:
"Annie, I will choose to return to Nailport, not just because of what you said. Rather, it's because you knew I was going there, and out of concern for me, you analyzed the situation and gave me advice."
"But, Lola, it's too dangerous there. Someone wants to kill you, and it's a very powerful person—"
Lola is not Anne's biological sister; they have known each other for less than five years.
However, Anne felt that her bond with Lola was stronger than that of many of her own sisters:
"...Lola, I don't want to lose you!"
"I don't want to be separated from you either."
"So—"
"...But I want to go there."
Lola interrupted Anne, her tone unusually firm.
"Annie, can you see my eyes?"
Anne nodded, wondering why Lola suddenly asked this question.
"These are green eyes, Annie."
Anne understood what Lola meant: "But my eyes are red too, and everyone's eyes have a color."
But what we see is the same world.
"Having you as my older sister is truly my good fortune."
Lola, who rarely smiled, suddenly smiled. "But, sister, not everyone with green eyes is as lucky as me. The anger and hatred that were born in my chest when I was ten years old have not disappeared; they have always been hidden in my heart."
"I know that if I get lost in venting and revenge, I will turn into a monster, but at least let me help my fellow countrymen."
"Before, I was too busy to help myself and could only stand by and watch. Now, although I'm not that powerful, I've at least mastered some skills, and I really don't want to turn a blind eye anymore."
Anne wanted to tell Lola that she didn't care about the lives of Lola's compatriots, but this statement was undoubtedly very willful.
She knew that in Nailport, Lola had the opportunity to help her compatriots, so Lola would definitely go back.
He also knew that if he formally asked Lola not to go there anymore, Lola would probably agree, even if she was unwilling.
Anne asked seriously, "Lola, is this what you want to do?"
Laura considered for a moment, then nodded firmly:
"Um!"
Anne smiled wryly. Since it was Lola's decision, Anne had no choice but to comply. However:
"Lola, let me help you."
"what?"
"I don't have any special powers, Lola, but I'm currently an apprentice herald. Let me be your personal herald officer. I'll analyze situations for you and offer advice, and I promise that my suggestions from now on will never be as naive as before!"
Lola smiled again, nodded vigorously, and said:
"Thank you, sister!"
Anne helped Lola put her glasses back on, and after Lola sat down, Anne asked Lola to tell the story of that day from the beginning.
After listening to Lola's account, Anne carefully organized the information from the incident and immediately drew her conclusion:
"This is a setup!"
"Bureau?"
"Yes," Annie nodded, "You just entered the scene and someone attacked you, which means he was lying in wait there beforehand. But who was he waiting for? Who would return to the crime scene to investigate?"
"The real killer? That's certainly possible. But from the killer's perspective, they certainly wouldn't choose a suspicious time to come to the scene. Even if they wanted to come back and take a look, they would definitely blend into the crowd."
"But if it's not to stake out the murderer, then for whom? I can only think of one possibility: it's for the perpetrator in the previous case."
"This proves that the person staking out the case knew that the perpetrator in this case was not the same one as in the previous cases. But he still chose to stay and lie in wait, which shows that his purpose was too strong. Therefore, I suspect that this was a setup specifically for you."
"You mean, the murder was staged?"
"That's what I think," Anne nodded.
Lola nodded, then asked:
"But who was the person who suddenly came to my aid?"
Anne quickly replied, "Since you were drawn to the case, the man was probably the same way."
Upon hearing this, Lola seemed to suddenly understand and said:
"The murder case in Zhigen Town!"
“That’s right,” Annie nodded. “And this person is quite powerful and helped you. Based on my previous analysis with you, this person should be your admirer, so he imitated you and committed a murder in Finger Root Town.”
"But if that's the case, how will he know who was responsible for the first case—me or the person who used the axe?"
Anne paused for a moment before answering the question:
"I think this man examined the scene before you and determined that the case was fake. He probably assumed you would also go to check it out, so he stayed nearby to keep watch."
"The fact that the man helped you at the crucial moment proves that he had been watching from the sidelines the whole time, doesn't it?"
After listening to Anne's analysis, Lola remained silent for a while, then asked:
"What should I do now?"
"How did the incident end?" Anne asked rhetorically.
"We fought until dawn, but neither side could gain the upper hand. However, both the man and I were undoubtedly being suppressed by that warrior. But then the man suddenly said that continuing the fight would only result in mutual destruction, and proposed a truce."
"Did that soldier agree?"
"Yes," Lola nodded, "but he took the man's horse."
Anne remembered Lorrat mentioning that the soldiers had chased after a boy who was thirteen or fourteen years old.
Could it be that he was anxiously chasing after the boy who had run away?
It's quite possible that since the soldier was asking for a horse, it meant that his own horse was missing.
Therefore, it can be inferred that the boy rode away on the warrior's horse!
But the soldier's reasons weren't important, Anne asked again:
"So, did you and that man exchange anything in the end?"
"The man seemed to be in a great hurry to leave, and only told me that I could find him in Jingtu City."
After hearing all this, Annie recounted the entire incident from beginning to end and finally concluded:
"Why would the warrior lure you over? He had the chance to kill you directly, but he chose to threaten you instead, which means killing you wasn't his goal. And later, his attacks became deadly, as if he didn't care whether you lived or died. It's really strange."
"I don't think an ordinary investigator could have that kind of ability, so I think this person's identity is also unusual. He has already seen what you look like, and he doesn't seem like your friend, yet he claims to be your mortal enemy, and his attitude is clearly unreasonable."
"Who is he, and what is his purpose? He is currently your biggest threat, so you need to figure these two questions out as soon as possible, otherwise going to Nail Harbor will be like venturing into the tiger's den."
Laura asked, "So, how do we do it?"
“We’re both just girls under fifteen,” Anne said. “We haven’t seen much of the world, but maybe that man knows something.”
"You want me to go find him?"
"Yes," Anne nodded, "Although it's still dangerous, Lola, unlike last time, this isn't a suggestion I made on a whim."
"I understand, Annie!"
"That man is most likely one of your idols and imitators, and the fact that he proactively told you his whereabouts means he wants to contact you. He's unlikely to harm you, and might even be willing to help you. I have three reasons why I want you to contact him."
Anne continued, holding up three fingers, "Firstly, he might know something, and you can ask him for some information."
"Secondly, this person has some ability, and in an emergency, he might be able to lend you a hand."
"And then there's what I told you last time: tell him to stop committing crimes in your name. You can have him use other characters."
Lola's trust in Anne remained unchanged, and she firmly stated:
"I understand, Lola. I'll try to find him next time I go to Nailport."
"But Lola, you must be careful. Even though I'm thinking about this very seriously, I can still make a mistake. Don't trust anyone easily, and always prioritize your own safety!"
"good.-."
Looking at Lola's small body, Anne was really worried about her.
Lola's identity, experience, and abilities mean that she is unlikely to follow an ordinary path.
Anne felt that although it was Lola who was injured this time, the wake-up call was for Anne herself.
If she doesn't cherish Lola, she might lose her sister one day, and she absolutely doesn't want to face that future.
Anne knew she didn't have much strength in her arms, but even hiding behind Lola, she wanted to protect Lola as much as possible.
Yes, this is a realization that one must have as an older sister!
Anne adjusted her mindset and smiled:
"I hope I've been helpful, Lola. This is probably why you came today, isn't it?"
"?"
Lola suddenly looked puzzled, and Anne couldn't help but ask:
"Do you have something else to say?"
"Yes," Lola nodded.
"What's wrong?"
"letter."
"letter?"
"Anne, I read the letter you wrote to me."
"and then?"
Lola suddenly leaned closer: "Did someone really propose to you?"
Here it comes! Annie was thrilled, eagerly anticipating the topic of romance. But at this moment, she had to show the composure befitting an older sister.
"Ahem," Anne cleared her throat, "Yes, you should have seen it in the letter, it seems to be a knight's apprentice."
"You can't say yes to him, Annie!"
"I didn't agree, but what's your reasoning?"
"Because you've only met him once, you don't know him at all. He might be a conman! Yeah! That's right! He's definitely a conman. Who proposes on the first meeting?"
"That's rare, but it does happen," Annie said, feigning an air of experience. "After all, you've never been proposed to, so it's normal not to know."
"I don't care!"
Hmph! Annie chuckled inwardly, what a stubborn girl!
"Okay, okay," Anne replied casually, "but don't worry, Lola, she didn't agree to him outright."
Lola suddenly stood up: "Annie, if something like this happens again, be sure to tell me. I'll help you!"
"Marriage requires guardianship consent," Anne said. "You're not Aaron, what right do you have to interfere?"
"Aaron can't come to see you anyway," Laura said earnestly. "Just consider me Aaron's representative."
Anne found Lola's serious expression quite amusing.
She wished that these happy moments could last forever.
Anne understood that Lola's request stemmed from concern for her, so she nodded and said:
"I promise you, but you also have to promise me that if you encounter something like this, you'll tell me, and I'll help you protect yourself."
However, Lola suddenly fell silent.
Anne asked, "You don't want to?"
Lola shook her head: "I agree. So, it's a deal?"
"It's a deal!"
The two girls hooked their fingers together.
The two sisters chatted for a long time afterward, until it was almost night before they had to part ways.
After walking a short distance, Anne suddenly stopped and turned to look at Lola.
Only then did they realize that Lola had been standing still and waving her right hand at Anne.
Annie waved back, but she felt uneasy.
Anne's guilt over Lola's injury did not disappear.
But Anne also understands that blaming herself cannot change what has already happened.
She realized that she was still quite naive at times and resolved to become more mature and stronger.
She has agreed to be Lola's personal herald.
Anne kept her word.
To protect his sister, he must quicken his pace and catch up with Lola!