Chapter 44: 44 | Investigation
The investigator’s eyes narrowed.
"How many?"
"Four that I saw," Dexter said. "There might have been more."
"What happened after that?"
Dexter frowned as though recalling the terrifying scene. His brow furrowed. His hands clenched slightly.
"Before they could reach us... someone arrived."
"Someone?"
"A hero."
The officers immediately leaned closer. The word "hero" carried specific weight in their world. Heroes were licensed combatants registered with the Hero Association.
But unlicensed heroes existed too. Powerful awakeners who operated outside the system. Some were vigilantes. Some were simply private citizens who intervened when danger arose.
"Did you recognize the hero?"
Dexter slowly shook his head.
"No."
"He wore a black mask and a long coat. I couldn’t see his face."
"He moved too fast."
"I only remember seeing flashes of fire and sword light."
"The battle lasted less than a minute."
"By the time it was over... the assassins were already dead."
The investigator studied Dexter’s face carefully. His eyes searched for signs of deception.
Dexter met his gaze without flinching.
He had practiced controlling his expressions during his time with the Ashford family. Years of hiding his true feelings behind a neutral mask had given him near-perfect control over his facial muscles.
The investigator asked one final question.
"Did the hero tell you his name?"
Dexter shook his head again.
"No."
"He only told us to stay inside the barrier."
"Then he left."
"Immediately."
"I wanted to thank him, but he disappeared before anyone could react."
The investigator held his gaze for a moment longer before sighing. He stopped the recording. The red light vanished.
"We’ll investigate further."
"If we identify the hero, the Hero Association will certainly reward him."
Dexter merely nodded.
"I hope so."
He kept his expression neutral. Inside, he felt a spark of satisfaction.
His story was airtight. The battlefield supported his account. The level of destruction was far beyond what an Awakening Realm cultivator should be capable of.
Neither pointed toward a recently awakened young man.
Both pointed toward a powerful, unidentified hero.
The police would search for this phantom hero. They would waste time and resources chasing a ghost.
Meanwhile, Dexter would remain hidden in plain sight.
The investigator glanced toward the armored police vehicle where the three girls were resting.
"We’ll also need statements from your wives."
"They were present during the attack."
Dexter’s expression softened.
"I understand, Inspector... but I’d rather you leave them alone."
"They’ve already suffered enough."
"They’re all disabled."
"One is blind."
"One is deaf and mute."
"And one is completely paralyzed."
"They’ve only just begun recovering from the trauma of the previous attack."
"If they’re questioned right now..."
"They’ll only relive today’s incident all over again."
"I can answer anything you need."
The investigator looked toward the medical vehicle where his wives are being examined.
He saw Mira sitting silently in her wheelchair.
Selene’s face was pale and blind
Lyra sat beside them with her head lowered, clutching her phone tightly.
The three girls genuinely looked traumatized.
After a long moment, the investigator sighed.
"...Very well."
"We won’t question them today."
"But if this investigation requires it later, we’ll have to ask for their cooperation."
Dexter inclined his head.
"Thank you."
Inside, he breathed a sigh of relief.
---
As the investigation continued, several officers began questioning nearby witnesses. Their statements were recorded and cross-referenced. Each witness told a slightly different version of the same event, which was normal. Human memory was unreliable, especially under stress.
One of the younger policemen suddenly looked toward Dexter. His eyes widened. His mouth opened slightly. He took a step forward.
"Wait..."
"You’re that guy, aren’t you?"
Dexter turned toward him with a politely confused expression.
"The one from the news."
The officer snapped his fingers as he tried to recall the details.
"The bastard son of the Ashford Family..."
"...who married three disabled girls."
Several officers immediately recognized him as well. Murmurs spread through the group like wildfire.
"I remember him."
"The Hero Association publicly compensated him after his house was attacked."
"That’s right. The monster attack. It was all over the news."
"Poor guy."
"Now assassins are after him too?"
"What did he do to piss someone off this badly?"
Whispers spread among the gathered crowd. Not just among the officers. The civilians who had gathered nearby also began to recognize him. Phones were raised. Cameras clicked.
Some looked at Dexter sympathetically. Their eyes carried genuine pity. They saw a young man who had been dealt a terrible hand in life. Born into a wealthy family that rejected him. Married to three women who couldn’t care for themselves. Attacked by monsters. And now targeted by assassins.
Others simply shook their heads.
"What terrible luck..."
"The poor man just can’t catch a break."
"First monsters. Now assassins. What’s next?"
"Someone up there really doesn’t like him."
Dexter smiled awkwardly but didn’t respond. He rubbed the back of his neck. He looked down at his feet. He played the part of the embarrassed, unfortunate victim perfectly.
The less attention on his true strength, the better.
Fortunately, no one had managed to record the battle clearly.
The violent shockwaves from the clashes had shattered the phones of everyone standing nearby.
Those farther away had only captured blurry flashes of lightning and fire from hundreds of meters away.
The videos circulating online were nothing more than indistinct streaks of light.
No one could identify the mysterious swordsman.
---
After nearly an hour, the police finished collecting evidence.
The four assassin corpses were loaded into specialized containment vehicles.
The damaged vehicle was towed away.
Fragments of the shattered weapons were carefully sealed as evidence. The broken pieces of the first assassin’s twin lightning blades were collected in a special mana-dampening container. The melted remnants of the second assassin’s flaming sword were scraped off the asphalt and stored separately.
Senior Inspector Harris walked over once more. His trench coat fluttered slightly in the morning breeze. His expression was grave.
"Mr. Dexter."
"We’ll arrange transportation."
"Given today’s incident, it isn’t safe for you to travel alone."
Dexter nodded.
"Thank you."
A heavily armored police vehicle escorted them all the way home. The vehicle was reinforced with mana-infused plating and equipped with multiple defensive systems. It could withstand attacks from Superhuman-level threats.
Two patrol cars led the convoy while another followed behind. Their sirens blared continuously, clearing traffic from their path. Drivers pulled aside as the procession passed, their faces pressed against their windows in curiosity.
The entire journey passed without incident.
Inside the vehicle, silence filled the compartment.
The girls remained unusually quiet.
Several minutes later, Mira finally broke the silence.
"...Are you hurt?"
Her voice was softer than usual.
Dexter looked toward her and smiled.
"I’m fine."
"You saw me, It was only a few scratches."
Mira frowned but didn’t reply.
She didn’t believe him. Selene lowered her head.
Although she couldn’t see him earlier, she had heard the sounds of battle.
Every explosion...
Every collision...
Every scream...
She knew how dangerous that fight had been.
Lyra quickly typed on her phone.
The AI voice spoke.
"Are you really okay?"
Dexter looked at the three worried faces before chuckling.
"I told you, I am tougher than I look."
Only then did the tense atmosphere inside the vehicle ease slightly.
Even so...
The three girls secretly resolved to become stronger.
If they had been stronger today...
Dexter wouldn’t have had to risk his life protecting them again.
But Dexter’s mind was elsewhere.
[Ding! 10,000 Times Investment System]
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