Arknightcraft Modpack
Chapter 510: Why Wouldn't They?
No one present could have imagined that someone would dare to orchestrate an explosion right at the gates of the Lungmen Guard Department.
This was no mere act of violence.
It was a blatant provocation—against the Guard Department, and against Lungmen itself.
Even Wei Yenwu, who had already left halfway and was on his way back to his office, noticed the plume of smoke from inside his car. His sharp gaze shifted toward the source of the blast, and his brows slowly drew together.
If it had only been the skirmishes outside Lungmen's city limits, that could still be explained away—internal gang disputes, corporate infighting, the usual shadow games played in the outskirts.
But this?
This was different.
After a faint cough, Wei Yenwu spoke in a low voice toward the shadows beyond the car window, as though addressing no one in particular.
"Investigate the source of that explosion. And find out who arranged for those people to be deployed outside the city earlier."
The shadows outside the car rippled, like the surface of water disturbed by a falling stone.
Only then did his expression ease—just slightly.
Yet, as if that arrangement alone wasn't enough, Wei Yenwu pulled out an oddly shaped communicator from his coat and dialed a number.
"The old penguin is dead again," he said bluntly. "Blown up at the entrance of the Guard Department."
"..."
The other end fell silent.
Wei Yenwu didn't press further. He simply waited.
"I'll give you the answer you want tonight."
An aged voice finally responded before disconnecting without another word.
Despite receiving what could only be described as a perfunctory reply, Wei Yenwu's expression lightened, as though a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders.
But only for a moment.
Soon, his brows furrowed again.
A bad premonition lingered in his chest.
. . .
At this very moment, Steven found himself in an extremely awkward situation.
No matter how much he explained that the explosion had absolutely nothing to do with him, convincing the senior officers standing before him was, frankly, an uphill battle.
After all, the earlier blast might have lacked concrete evidence tying him to it, but this one?
To deny involvement again now would make it seem as though he was treating them like fools.
"Regardless of the circumstances, even if you were the ones being targeted, it would be best if you came back to the Guard Department with us," Hoshiguma said, recovering first from the shock.
She stepped forward, lifting her uniquely shaped triangular shield and instinctively placing herself in front of Steven and the others as a barrier.
"It's the only way we can guarantee your safety."
Beside her, Ch'en finally snapped out of her daze. She immediately began issuing crisp orders, directing the Guard Department officers to cordon off the scene.
There was little hope of saving the victims of the explosion at this point.
But at the very least, they could preserve evidence.
As for Steven and his group, even if they weren't the masterminds behind the bombing, there was no way they were unrelated to it.
"But are you sure that's a good idea?" Steven asked, giving Hoshiguma and Ch'en a skeptical look. "Wouldn't that just drag innocent Guard Department personnel into this?"
He gestured toward the still-rising smoke.
"This clearly looks like it's aimed at us. Can the Lungmen Guard Department really withstand something like this?"
It wasn't that he didn't trust the two officers.
But if someone dared to stage an explosion right outside the Guard Department's front gate, then even going inside wouldn't necessarily guarantee safety.
And besides, he came to Lungmen as a tourist, not to get thrown into protective custody like some kind of criminal.
"...Your line of suspicion is a little off," Ch'en said, shooting Steven an exasperated glare. "Leaving aside whether the Guard Department has the strength or not, if the attackers are targeting you, that's exactly why we can't let you walk away."
Her tone sharpened.
"At least inside the Guard Department, there are no civilians. If something happens, we can contain it. But if you wander into a residential district and drag innocent people into this, things will become far more troublesome."
This was the first time Ch'en had ever heard someone question whether the Guard Department was "safe enough." Just that alone was enough to make her temper twitch.
Steven rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"Hm. When you put it that way, involving innocent civilians would indeed be a problem."
He paused, eyes narrowing slightly.
"In that case, I've got a pretty solid solution."
Ch'en suddenly had a bad feeling about this.
"Since it's likely those guys are after her, and I personally have zero interest in long-term detention at the Guard Department... how about we just freeze our relationship here and now? Clean break. Total strangers from today onward."
Before anyone could react, Steven casually pushed Mostima—who was still lost in thought, trying to figure out who could possibly be behind such an attack—forward a step.
"You take her back and protect her. We go our separate ways. Isn't that a win-win?"
From a practical standpoint, whether the attackers were targeting him or Mostima, leaving her temporarily under Guard Department protection is the safest option.
After all, no matter how bold those people were, they probably didn't have the nerve to storm the Guard Department itself. The explosion being limited to the front entrance was proof enough.
And then there was the other matter—
Traveling with Mostima was inconvenient.
Unlike Centaurea, Steven couldn't fully trust this blue-haired "little angel." Keeping her around would inevitably interfere with his own actions.
As for who the attackers were truly targeting?
That didn't concern him much.
If they were after him, then he had absolute confidence he could eliminate the threat before any innocent Lungmen civilians got caught in the crossfire.
"You're really selling me out just like that?" Mostima finally snapped back to reality, letting out a helpless laugh.
She had been the one who suggested distancing themselves before.
She just hadn't expected Steven to turn that suggestion into immediate reality.
But was this really something he could decide on his own?
Putting aside whether the Guard Department officers would believe such nonsense, did the people orchestrating these attacks look like the type who would accept that explanation?
"Sorry, and you are...?" Steven tilted his head in perfect confusion.
His performance was flawless.
In that instant, he demonstrated what it meant to possess the professional integrity of an actor—once committed to a role, he would see it through to the end.
Even Centaurea couldn't help but glance at Steven with admiration.
"Don't treat the officers of the Guard Department like fools," Ch'en said coldly, her already stern expression turning even more severe as she looked at the trio acting like they were performing on stage.
She had only let Steven and the others off earlier because Wei Yenwu personally intervened.
Now that another explosion had occurred, if Steven thought he could keep laughing things off and shrugging away responsibility, that was where she drew the line.
"Come with us. Cooperate properly. Stop making pointless moves that only add to our workload."
This time, there was no room for jokes in her voice.
Fortunately, luck had been on their side this time—no Lungmen civilians had been caught in the blast.
But if Steven were allowed to leave now?
There was no guarantee that fortune would hold.
"I'm not joking with you," Steven replied earnestly, his expression unexpectedly sincere. "She's the one they're after. My friend and I are just here in Lungmen for tourism. As for bombings and conspiracies? I'd really rather not get dragged into any of that."
"And honestly," he continued with a small shrug, "I'm not exactly brimming with confidence in the Guard Department's capabilities. How should I put it? The whole 'police always arrive after the act' trope is a little too ingrained. It's hard to feel safe relying on that. If someone's pulling the strings behind all this, I'd prefer to investigate personally."
With that, he casually wrapped an arm around Centaurea's slender waist.
As if perfectly aware of what Steven was about to do, Centaurea leaned into him like a docile bird returning to its perch. Resting her head against his shoulder, she even lifted a hand and gave a small farewell wave toward the three officers staring at them in confusion.
Ch'en's brows knit tightly together.
"You think the Guard Department will just let you walk away?" she asked coldly.
Her hand had already settled on the hilt of the uniquely shaped longsword at her waist. She looked like a lion poised to strike at any moment, golden eyes locked onto Steven without blinking.
"Why wouldn't they?" Steven replied lightly.
The next instant, a pitch-black void tore through space itself.
Without warning, the swirling darkness swallowed Steven and Centaurea whole. The rift snapped shut just as quickly, leaving nothing behind but still air and stunned silence.
Only Mostima and the two officers remained, staring at the spot where the pair had vanished.
After a long pause, Mostima sighed.
"Just so we're clear," she said dryly, "I have no idea how he did that. Or where he went."
She glanced at the space that had already returned to normal, then gave Ch'en and Hoshiguma a helpless smile.
"But judging by the current situation… I suppose I'll have to rely on the two of you to protect me for now."
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Note: Character Illustration is in this Google Drive:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1iuyfwNVFHzIi9H4rWNT_lAm7jTSiah_M
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Tn: I updated the story daily, but if you want to see more chapter of this story ahead of time, please go to my Patreon.
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