The detective is dead, I did it.

Chapter 80 The President Cannot Leave His Position

reality.

The courtroom was under complete martial law at that time, and a large number of police officers surrounded it.

It was past midnight in London, but the city was still awake.

The martial law order was issued two hours after the trial began.

No one was informed in advance; the citizens only knew that the detective association's armed carriages had begun to appear frequently, and that large numbers of armed detectives and police officers had expressionlessly blocked off every entrance and exit of the streets.

Passing carriages were stopped, and pedestrians' documents were checked more than three times. Anyone who tried to break through the checkpoint was pinned to the ground and handcuffed on the spot.

As night falls, the once bustling city of London becomes like a ghost town, with not a single pedestrian in sight on the streets.

Nobody knows what happened.

Some say cultists have stormed London, others say the detectives have fallen out, and still others say the gates of hell have been opened again.

But none of the claims could be verified, because all those who could verify them were gathered in a gray granite building, sitting around a dark long table.

Association headquarters, top-floor conference room.

The room was so big that it took several seconds for footsteps to travel from the doorway to the window.

The walls are light gray and are adorned with works by various renowned artists, each a priceless piece. Yet here, they serve only a decorative purpose, and very few people even bother to look at them.

At the far end of the room is a huge one-way glass curtain wall that extends from the floor to the ceiling.

Through this glass, you can see the entire night view of London, from the streets shrouded in darkness by martial law to the few windows still lit up.

On the side of the room were several huge floor flags embroidered with the Detective Association's emblem, and in the very center was a long table with a gleaming surface that reflected the blurry shadows of the people sitting around it.

President Eileen Adler sat at the head of the long table.

She was wearing a dark gray long dress with a cardigan of the same color over it, making her look like a scholar who had just come out of a study, completely unlike the person sitting in the highest position of the Detective Association.

But the other three people around the long table did not dare to underestimate her in the slightest.

She is the twelfth president of the Detective Association. A mystery detective, her rank is not publicly disclosed. She is also the only person in the association's history to have attained this position without any special abilities.

Three vice presidents were sitting to her right.

Lina Asland, the one Leon had met before.

Her expression was more serious than usual, and her fingers tapped lightly on the table at a fast pace, which reflected the unease in her heart.

Sitting opposite Lina was Vice President Viola Ashworth, Sequence 3, Armed Detective, responsible for the daily affairs of the Association's detectives.

The person sitting on the far right is Amelia Black.

She was the youngest vice president, looking no more than thirty years old, with long, deep red hair curled into big waves that fell to her shoulders.

Her features were striking, with an unrestrained arrogance in her eyes and brows, but at this moment her expression was as somber as everyone else's, and you could even see a faint bloodstain on her face, as if she had just fought with someone else.

"The entire city of London is under lockdown." Lina's voice echoed in the empty conference room, her words rapid. "All entrances and exits are closed, including the docks and train stations; no one is allowed to enter or leave. Headquarters is short-staffed, so I've transferred dozens of armed detectives from nearby cities to assist with the checkpoints."

"And what about the public's reaction?" Chairman Adler asked.

"There are some concerns, but it's under control for now," Amelia continued. "We've deployed personnel to maintain order in every block. Most citizens are willing to cooperate; after all, nobody wants to go out and die at this critical juncture."

"Most of them?" Adler repeated the word, his eyebrows twitching slightly.

"Several troublemaking nobles have been arrested," Viola said. "They are currently being held in the Ministry of Public Security's detention center. They will be dealt with after this matter is resolved."

"Give each person forty lashes and then put them back, as a warning to those nobles. Remember to use thorn whips," Adler calmly gave the order.

"One of the nobles has some connection with His Majesty the Duke..." Lina hesitated before continuing.

If it were a minor nobleman, he might just smoke it without anyone caring, just like that Viscount Cavendish.

He was clearly a nobleman, but he was killed by a witch, and she wasn't even sentenced to death. Although the witch's whereabouts are currently unknown, at least initially, the association didn't really have any intention of hanging her.

It's easy to imagine how little prestige a minor noble holds in the eyes of the association.

However, they still needed to consider the opinions of Britain's leading nobles, especially Her Majesty the Queen and the dukes.

"It's alright. Continue with the mission." Adler continued, showing no intention of letting him off the hook just because the other party was related to the Duke.

Lina nodded and didn't ask any further questions.

"What about the courtroom?" Adler asked Viola.

"We're currently in a state of chaos. Communication is completely cut off, and personnel can't get in. Neither ability-based nor physical communication can penetrate that barrier. That barrier is like a wall, completely isolating the courtroom from the outside world," the latter said, shaking his head.

Where are the people inside?

"I don't know. Their fate is unknown." Viola picked up the black tea in front of her and drank it all in one gulp, as if trying to suppress the restlessness in her heart.

"The only thing we can be sure of is that as long as the barrier hasn't completely disappeared, it means there are still people alive inside."

"Witch's Judgment..." Amelia murmured the name.

As high-ranking members of the Detective Association, they had naturally heard of this ability.

As Rosalind's signature ability as the president of the Witch Guild, it is a very troublesome ability, whether used to purge internal traitors or to deal with others.

It is said that the survival rate of those who are imprisoned is less than 10%. Now that so many detectives have been imprisoned, they dare not even think about the consequences.

The room fell silent for a moment before Viola broke the silence with her words.

"How did that witch's guild member sneak in? The security in the courtroom is top-level, especially since Eloi is in charge of the trial today. She couldn't have gotten in with a fake identity."

"She didn't use a fake identity," Lina continued, pulling a report from her pocket, placing it on the table, and pushing it in front of everyone.

"She became one of the detectives on the list, and from the outside, she was no different from the original owner, so she passed through security smoothly."

Security checks in the courtroom are usually divided into two steps: one to verify identity and the other to verify documents. After all, no one in this world has the ability to become someone else, nor can there be two people who are completely unrelated but look exactly alike.

These two procedures are sufficient.

However, it is clear that everyone underestimated the Witches' Guild's methods, or rather, the Witches' Guild's ability to change forms has undergone a new stage of evolution.

Adler picked up the document and slowly began to read it.

"That's really interesting. Three years ago, their research couldn't even do this, but now they can already transform into other people's appearances?" She shook her head, her expression quite helpless.

"Pass down the notice: all security checks in all departments of the association will be changed. In addition to verifying identity and documents, detectives will be assigned to identify the true identities of the individuals."

"Wouldn't this be a bit too much trouble?" Lina hesitated before speaking.

Detectives with the ability to detect lies or identify individuals are extremely rare. Nowadays, asking someone to work part-time as a security guard would likely be something they wouldn't be happy to do.

"This is the initial arrangement; I'll think of other solutions later."

"Who did she become?" Amelia suddenly asked.

Lina looked at the president. The latter took a photo out of the folder and placed it on the table.

"That witch transformed into her and infiltrated the courtroom. When we found the original owner, she was bound hand and foot and stuffed into a closet, her mouth gagged with a rag. She had no external injuries, but had been hypnotized by someone's powers. And she remembered nothing," Lina explained to the other two.

The chairman's gaze lingered on the photo for a few seconds before shifting away. "So, the imposter who infiltrated is still in the courtroom?"

"Yes." Lina put the photos back into the folder and closed it. "After the lockdown, we didn't observe any trace of her coming out. And it's impossible for her to come out; she's trapped inside, just like everyone else in the courtroom."

"That's good." The president leaned back in his chair, his eyes lowered, lost in thought.

"What's so good about it?" Viola's voice carried a hint of barely suppressed anger. "There are two of us, Sequence 5 judges, and a quasi-Special Class Investigator in the courtroom, along with a large number of branch manager reserves. If they all die in there, the Association will be paralyzed."

The detective girls who participated in the trial were all top students in the academy, not to mention young Sequence 6 armed detectives like Sherry and Alice, who were basically confirmed as the next branch members.

Originally, the plan was simply to have them participate in the witch trial to gain experience and broaden their horizons.

Unexpectedly, he got himself involved, and ended up judging himself instead of the witch.

"Of course I know. But I trust Charlotte and her assistant."

"You mean that guy?" Viola immediately realized who the president was referring to. "While I have no problem with Holmes's investigative abilities, her assistant only recently awakened, right? What can a Sequence 9 newbie do?"

Adler did not answer, but instead looked at Amelia and asked another question.

"How did your fight with Rosalind go?"

The first to arrive at the scene were Lina and Amelia. The latter fought with Rosalind, while Lina tried to interrupt the witch's trial, but she was unsuccessful and could only temporarily suppress the area to prevent it from expanding further.

Amelia took a handkerchief out of her pocket, slowly unfolded it, and found something wrapped in the center.

It was a hand.

Bai Zhe was slender with long, delicate fingers. The cut was made at the wrist, leaving a smooth, clean surface without any bloodstains, only a thin, waxy sheen.

"I couldn't catch her," Viola said regretfully. "She was too fast. I chased her for three blocks, and she kept using her abilities to disrupt my attacks. The last time, I anticipated her prediction, but I only managed to dislocate that arm, and she escaped."

"Are you hurt?" Viola asked, looking at her.

Amelia pointed to the bloodstain on her forehead. "She fought back once, and I didn't completely dodge it." Her tone was nonchalant. "It's okay, it's mostly healed now."

As one of the most powerful armed detectives in the association, even if someone cuts off her head, she can pick it up and put it back on.

During her fight with Rosalind, she chopped off her opponent's left hand with a single strike, while her opponent suddenly delivered a vicious blow to her forehead.

Amelia's head was pierced through, which greatly frightened the detectives who arrived later.

But she calmly pulled the weapon out of her head, then quickly bandaged it and rushed to the association. By the time the meeting officially started, the wound on her head had already healed, leaving only a bloodstain.

The powerful regenerative ability of the Sequence 3 Armed Detective is self-evident.

Viola picked up the hand, turned it over to examine the cut surface, and then put it down.

"It's useless. For someone of Rosalind Castlere's caliber, a mere hand can grow back in no time."

"Can't we track her down?" Lina asked. "Using a part of her body, we can use the abilities of a deductive detective to trace her location backwards. There have been cases like this before."

Viola glanced at the president, who nodded slightly.

"We can give it a try." She quickly stood up. "The association also has several detectives who specialize in tracking and deduction. I'll arrange it right away."

"Wait a minute." The president suddenly spoke up, and everyone looked at her.

She rested her hands on the armrests of the chair, leaning slightly forward as if she were about to stand up.

But Lina was faster. She placed her hand on the president's shoulder, with a firm but not too light touch.

"No! President, you can't leave this position!"

The president paused for a moment, but did not sit back down.

"The situation isn't serious enough for you, Master. It's just a little witch causing trouble. Please trust us. We can handle it."

As one of only three people in the entire association who knew the president's true abilities, Viola knew exactly what the president was suppressing.

If the other person leaves their seat, all of London will be plunged into disaster.

Therefore, the president must never leave her seat. This was a consensus among the three of them.

"Yes, President. We can handle it right away." Lina chimed in, "So, President, please have a seat!"

The president's eyelashes trembled slightly as he looked at Viola's hand on his shoulder before slowly leaning back in his chair.

"You're right. I really can't leave this position."

Seeing that the president seemed to have given up on the idea of ​​taking action herself, Viola withdrew her gaze, turned and walked towards the door, speaking as she went.

"Then I'll go find a detective to track it down. You guys stay here and wait for my news."

"I'll go with you," Amelia said, standing up from her chair. "Two people are always faster than one."

Viola glanced at her, nodded, and the two left the conference room together, leaving only the president and Lina in the room.