Witness Protection Program

“Absolutely not. There is no room for negotiation.”

The stiff Mr. V stared expressionlessly at the man and woman before him—who were, naturally, Lynch and Officer Natalie.

After leaving Maya's cell, Lynch had first headed to the Scarecrow Club.

The chaos in the Cross District had already subsided, and the hillmen were ultimately driven out of the city limits by the Watchers, their whereabouts unknown.

This was the extent of what the Watchers could do. It was only now that Lynch learned from V that the hillmen possessed legal citizenship.

Tens of thousands of hillmen inhabited the Carlos Mountain Range, recognized under a collective designation: ethnic minorities of the Kingdom of Lande.

Therefore, as long as these hillmen didn't cause a massive public sensation, the Hall of Order couldn't easily intervene in whatever they did; otherwise, it would trigger a massive storm of public opinion. This reminded Lynch of the “I can't breathe” stories from his old world, evoking his deep sympathies.

Expelling them this time was only possible because their high-tier powerhouse, Chieftain Nikolai, had entered the city without filing a report. Otherwise, even if they refused to leave, the Hall of Order could only surround them tightly to prevent them from causing trouble.

The sewer ghouls had vanished without a trace as well, though heteromorphs that prowled the city's subterranean sewage networks were always this elusive.

All in all, Rhine City had returned to a surface-level calm. As for the undercurrents swirling beneath, they had little to do with ordinary folk.

“Dispatching reliable Watchers to look after her is not an issue. We can take very good care of that journalist. But having the Watchers provide all her living supplies? Absolutely out of the question. The Watchers’ funding relies on royal appropriations. How am I supposed to explain this expenditure to headquarters? Tell them we’re secretly keeping a ghoul as a pet? And just look at what you wrote on this list! YXL cosmetics? JFX designer fashion? Things even I can't afford to wear, and you expect us to provide them to a reporter for free? Lynch Levive, reimbursements must fall within reason. You can’t throw basic logic out the window just to get compensated.”

Lynch’s gaze drifted up to the gas lamp overhead, finding it peculiarly fascinating for the very first time.

“And you, Natalie Angel. You’ve only known him for a few days, yet you believe whatever he says? You even brought him here to cause trouble for me?”

Officer Natalie, who was busy stuffing snacks from the coffee table into her mouth, looked up in surprise at his words, wearing an expression that said, Scold him if you want, why drag me into this?

Despair flooded Mr. V’s heart. He felt like the cabbage he had raised had brought a pig along to dig up the garden, making his glare at Lynch grow increasingly fierce.

“Uh, there’s actually an explanation for this,” Lynch said with a dry cough, realizing new and old grievances were mingling together. He offered an earnest explanation: “I have a proposal that you can put forward to headquarters. I believe it’s both forward-looking and highly feasible.”

“Does it include YXL cosmetics and JFX fashion?”

“Ahem, that part was probably just a slip of the pen.”

“Hmph. Speak.”

“A witness protection program. Every law enforcement agency should secretly maintain several safe houses to provide concealment and protection for key targets. Compared to government appropriations, a few safe houses won't cost much, but the payoff will be substantial. You're far more professional than I am; you should understand this isn't just an excuse.”

Mr. V rested his chin on his hands, casting his gaze down in silent contemplation. After a moment, he murmured, “Continue.”

“The biggest suspect in the square incident is Grant, and Maya is the key witness identifying Grant’s collusion with the sewer ghouls. I shouldn't need to explain how important she is to the Watchers. There will surely be many similar situations in the future. If we have a witness protection program established as a formalized protocol, it will be of immense help to both the Watchers and the witnesses themselves. More importantly, for the person who proposes this protocol, even if there are no material benefits, at least in terms of reputation...”

“Enough, you don't need to say another word. Expenditures for the witness protection program must be strictly kept within reasonable bounds, and every single specific expense will undergo rigorous review. Under no circumstances will YXL and JFX be permitted.”

Lynch offered a subtle smile, while Officer Natalie successfully devoured another sweet biscuit.

“You’ve succeeded once again. All ‘reasonable’ expenses during the female reporter’s protection period will be covered by the Watchers. Protecting citizens is our duty as guardians of order. However, you’d better give a timeframe. We can’t protect her indefinitely.”

“Maya asked about that too, but it’s really hard to set a timeframe. It depends on the progress of the investigation.”

“You already have a lead?”

“Yeah. Ghouls. The hillmen ghouls and sewer ghouls mobilizing simultaneously to hunt Maya down couldn't possibly be a coincidence. I think they likely know what happened to her.”

“And so?”

“I plan to start with the sewer ghouls—or rather, with Grant. Having just lost Maya's trail, Grant and the sewer ghouls will certainly exchange information as collaborating parties. Approaching the ghouls is dangerous and easily exposed, but Grant is just an ordinary human. Eavesdropping on him shouldn't be an issue. If I can't find satisfactory clues from them, I'll have to try the hillmen. Since they possess legal status, that actually makes things simpler; once we find their settlement, we can pay them an open visit.”

“You know their settlement?”

“I don't, but someone does.”

“Makes sense. It’s worth a shot, but stay safe. At the first sign of danger, notify us immediately. We won't sit idly by and watch an ally walk into peril. Then, during this period, the security of the female reporter’s hiding place and all reasonable expenses will be handled by the Watchers. However, the findings of your investigation...”

“Will naturally be shared in full with the Watchers.”

Having finalized Maya's protection with Mr. V, Lynch resolved his lingering concerns and found himself in high spirits.

After lingering in Officer Natalie's Room 304, drinking two cups of coffee and eating a small cupcake, he had casually picked up a throw pillow to squeeze, which finally earned him an eviction from the bedroom. The lady officer chased him all the way down to the first-floor bar before letting him off.

Lynch could only scratch his head ruefully, lifting his boot toward the bearded Truen, who was doubled over laughing at his misfortune. Seeing Truen’s expression instantly turn awkward, Lynch finally regained his good mood and leisurely took his leave from the Scarecrow Club.

May 19, 1399, 14:00.

Though only a few days had passed, people seemed to have already forgotten the tragedy at the square. Crown Square had once again regained its former prosperity.

The cafes outside the city hall, in particular, were already packed with passing pedestrians. The sun blazed overhead, and patrons sheltered in the cool shade of the cafes, savoring a rare moment of refreshing respite.

Lynch did not conceal his presence. Having changed into a linen shirt and donning a flat cap, he sat at an open-air table outside the cafe, shielding his face behind a newspaper.

He had originally intended to infiltrate the city hall and stake out the area near Grant's office. However, just as he passed this cafe, Lady Luna’s gentle voice resonated in his mind once again:

【Karina's Exquisite Makeup.】

Lynch’s interest was piqued. He calmly took a seat, quietly observing the people around him under the cover of the newspaper.