novelraw Chapter 121 : Provocation
Chapter 121 : Provocation
Chapter 121: Provocation
After leaving the Governor’s Office, Levi first made a trip to the post office, then placed a call to MI7 to get in touch.
It could also be considered reporting that he was safe.
Of course, most people didn’t have such a thought, because———overseas calls were expensive.
But Levi didn’t care. He had money, could spend as he pleased, and more importantly, it was reimbursable.
After learning everything Levi had experienced, the Old Butler was quite surprised.
“I’ve already read about Miss Porto’s case in the newspapers, but the Sea Monster……… how is that Sea Monster being handled now?”
“Miss Branson plans to turn it into a specimen and bring it back to Shuo Academy.”
“Please make sure to bring it back.”
The Old Butler’s tone was extremely serious.
“Her Majesty the Queen has already learned of this matter, and she also hopes to see what the legendary Sea Monster actually looks like.”
“If she really sees it, she might just be disappointed. It’s not as exaggerated as in the legends, but it should still attract viewers if placed in a museum.”
Levi brushed past the topic casually. After all, there wasn’t much to say about the Sea Monster.
“What about the previous mail? What did your side find?”
“No results.”
The Old Butler sighed.
“We sent people to investigate according to the mail order you provided, but found that the address was fake, and no such person exists locally. We are now investigating through the post office, to see if we can find any traces of the sender.”
“Give it a try, though I don’t think there’s much hope.”
Levi wasn’t surprised. This kind of matter was troublesome to begin with. Since the other party had done this, it meant they were well prepared.
The two chatted briefly about the Arctic Star, and soon the topic shifted to the Melisia Region.
“I looked through the local newspapers. The Phantom Killer occupied a large portion of the headlines recently. It can be said that most newspapers are cheering for the Phantom Killer, claiming it to be the spokesperson of freedom, specifically targeting those lackeys who serve the Empire.”
“The situation is complicated?”
“It’s rather tricky.”
The situation of the Phantom Killer reminded Levi of the Courtesan Killer back in the Mist City. However, back then, the media coverage had been more neutral, and people felt more fear toward the Courtesan Killer. The Phantom Killer, on the other hand, was treated like a celebrity, receiving enthusiastic admiration here.
From this point alone, eliminating the Phantom Killer would likely be far more troublesome than eliminating the Courtesan Killer.
But Levi wasn’t without methods———when it came to verbal battles, those modern online “magic wars” were far more advanced than the naive methods of this era.
After exchanging intelligence with the Old Butler, Levi left the post office and returned to the hotel. However, just as he stepped through the entrance, he saw a group of people surrounding him.
“Hello, Mr. Levi.”
The man at the front stared at Levi and respectfully introduced himself.
“I’m a reporter from the New Continent Post. May I conduct an interview with you?”
“What do you want to interview?”
Levi raised an eyebrow at the reporter.
“I’d like to ask, Mr. Levi, as a famous detective, have you come to the Melisia Region for travel? Or to solve a case?”
“To solve a case, I suppose.”
Hearing the topic, Levi smiled slightly.
“To be honest, I’m here to investigate the Phantom Killer case.”
“——————————”
The moment Levi finished speaking, the previously bustling crowd fell silent. Everyone stared at him in astonishment. Even the reporter who had spoken earlier didn’t know what to say for a moment.
“The Phantom Killer? But……… ”
“I know what you want to say, but I’ve encountered similar cases in the Mist City before.”
Levi interrupted him.
“No matter how much it’s mythologized, in the end it’s nothing more than artistic embellishment. Those murderers are simply using such legends to disguise themselves. At its core, this is just a crime committed by humans—and since it’s human, it will inevitably be caught.”
“I think you may not understand the situation of the Phantom Killer, Mr. Levi.”
The reporter shook his head.
“We’ve investigated and reported on several Phantom Killer cases. It can be confirmed that these cases are absolutely impossible for humans to accomplish. Some victims were even killed inside sealed rooms, with no traces of anyone else at the scene. From this, it’s clear the Phantom Killer is indeed an extremely ghost-like existence……… ”
“But it is still human.”
Levi’s reply was decisive, without the slightest hesitation. This instead provoked the reporter’s anger.
“May I ask, what evidence do you have, Detective? You haven’t even been to the crime scenes, have you?”
“I don’t need to go to know.”
Levi chuckled.
“You’re all reporters, so let me ask—when did the Phantom Killer first start committing crimes?”
“March 25, one year ago.”
A reporter who had investigated the case quickly answered.
“And the victim?”
“Governor’s advisor Philiston. His throat was slit in his own bathroom.”
“And after that, the victims all seemed to be people who supported the Parliament and the Empire?”
“That proves the Empire’s tyranny and dictatorship!”
At this point, the reporters grew excited again.
“And the Phantom Killer specifically kills those who are unjust and unrighteous! It is the embodiment of justice! The deaths of those imperial lackeys prove this!”
“Enough, gentlemen.”
Levi raised his hand and gestured downward, signaling them to be quiet.
“I’m a detective, not a politician, nor the Governor. I don’t care about your conflicts with the Empire. But if you claim that the Phantom Killer is some kind of supernatural existence because of this, I don’t believe it.”
“Why!?”
“It’s simple. You said it yourselves.”
Levi looked at them as if they were fools.
“The Phantom Killer started committing crimes about a year and a half ago. And you claim it kills only the unjust. Whether the Empire is just or not, I won’t discuss. But tell me—was the Melisia Region a paradise of equality and fairness before that? Let’s not go far—everyone knows about the Claiborne case from a few years ago, right? In my view, that was far from just. So why didn’t the Phantom Killer appear back then?”
“……”
The reporters fell silent.
As previously mentioned, the Melisia Region was originally used to exile criminals, later becoming a haven for fugitives and political offenders. Some may have been wrongly accused, but certainly less than one percent. The rest were criminals. Expecting them to become good people just by changing environment—was that possible?
Of course not.
The history of the Melisia Region was one of bloodshed—criminals formed gangs, fought each other, and killings were commonplace.
The Claiborne case Levi mentioned was a famous one. A wealthy local tycoon, Claiborne, had been exposed for running human trafficking operations. His gang lured targets from imperial territory to the Melisia Region under the pretense of striking gold.
Once they arrived, their property was stolen, and they were enslaved. Women were abused by Claiborne and buried once dead.
When the scandal broke, hundreds of bodies were dug up behind Claiborne’s estate. The Empire was outraged and demanded his execution. But the Melisia Region stalled, and in the end, Claiborne paid bail, and the matter was dropped.
He was now still a member of the Continental Parliament.
This case further deepened the hatred between imperial citizens and the people of the Melisia Region. To Melisia locals, those imperial victims deserved their fate for being foolish enough to come. To the Empire, it confirmed that the Melisia Region was nothing but a den of criminals.
As reporters, they all knew this case—and knew the punishment was indeed unjust.
“If the Phantom Killer is truly a messenger of justice as you claim, then why didn’t it kill Claiborne? I didn’t know ghosts had political stances. Or does this Phantom Killer also hold a seat in the Continental Parliament?”
Levi mocked them mercilessly.
The reporters were left speechless.
This was Levi’s strategy.
He had realized that the Melisia Region was shaping the Phantom Killer into a symbol of justice to justify their opposition to the Empire.
That made things easier.
If the Empire was unjust, did that mean the Melisia Region was just?
Impossible.
So Levi targeted this point directly.
If you claim to be justice, then eliminate all evil equally.
Why only target the Empire? Isn’t that discrimination?
For those who had suffered injustice within the Melisia Region, this would naturally spark resentment.
If you are justice, why don’t you help us?
Why only help the Parliament against the Empire?
What kind of justice is that?
Most people weren’t directly affected by the conflict between the Empire and the Melisia Region—but the injustices around them were real.
Levi’s approach left the reporters at a loss.
They had expected Levi to condemn the Phantom Killer like the Governor—but instead, he flipped the narrative completely.
In modern terms, Levi simply slammed the accelerator.
If you want to eliminate evil, then kill all evil.
Why only kill imperial citizens?
You claim to represent justice—but in my view, you’re not just enough.
Absolute justice, or no justice at all.
And Levi didn’t just talk—he pointed directly at a target: Claiborne.
A current member of the Continental Parliament.
The implication was clear.
If you represent justice, why not kill him?
If you don’t—then you’re nothing but a dog of the Parliament.
No matter what the Phantom Killer did, Levi had already secured victory.
If it killed Claiborne, the Parliament’s legitimacy would collapse.
If it didn’t, its image as justice would crumble.
QED—proof complete.
After that, the reporters realized Levi was not someone to provoke and quickly dispersed. Watching them leave, Levi let out a cold laugh.
He had been looking for a way to lure out the Phantom Killer.
Now, this was effectively a declaration of challenge.
Whether the Phantom Killer would dare to accept—it remained to be seen.