*Did you even listen to what you're saying?*
Upon hearing Leon's response, the expression on the policewoman's face was beyond complex.
A person who counted as a radical among the rebels had just interrogated a high-ranking rebel, asking such deadly questions that it forced the person to commit suicide by headbutting the wall.
And after finishing his interrogation of the rebels, he advised her to be cautious of the Ryan Family's desperate moves, while calmly informing her he was going to the Ryans for a family reunion...
*What side are you really on?*
Completely bewildered by Leon's reply, the policewoman had a thousand questions she wanted to ask, but seeing his exhausted expression, she refrained from disturbing him further and instead sat on the other side with the unconscious female prisoner.
Since the entire carriage had been 'wrapped up,' there was no need to frequently slow down and stop for passengers. Additionally, the steam carriage was moving at its maximum speed to quickly rid itself of these exceptionally troublesome passengers.
With all these factors in play, the carriage arrived at Redwood Avenue, where the Ryan Family resided, in less than half the usual time. It hastily asked the several 'plague gods' to disembark.
Having caught a brief nap on the carriage, Leon felt his strength slightly restored; he looked much better, and once he stepped into the cold wind, the signs of fatigue were almost unnoticeable.
Ignoring the policewoman's hesitant gaze, Leon grabbed the ram's head and broom, identified the surroundings of Redwood Avenue, and walked toward the end of the road, where two towering trees, nearly a hundred meters tall, stood.
Indeed, Redwood Avenue lived up to its name, with two incredibly massive redwoods planted there.
This type of tree, with a reddish-brown bark, could grow over a hundred meters tall and had an average diameter of eight meters, which generally wouldn't be found in an industrial city like the Capital City—let alone on Redwood Avenue, where land was so precious.
Yet for certain groups, these factors were not an issue; in fact, the more challenging and unreasonable something was, the more it displayed their loftiness and distinctiveness.
These two redwoods at the end of Redwood Avenue were forcibly transplanted from hundreds of miles away by the royal family and gifted to the two most noble families in the Kingdom, planted at the entrances of their private estates.
The royal family's intention at the time was to use these trees, capable of living for a thousand years, to symbolize their hope that the two most loyal supporters would endure and inherit the Kingdom alongside them.
Unfortunately, the royal family's effort to gift these massive trees was somewhat self-indulgent.
The Bauhinia Family, having received their tree, didn't last many years before launching a violent coup to overthrow the royal family, resulting in the betrayal and execution of their entire clan—the execution platform was set under the tree gifted to them.
Though the other family didn't instigate a coup, they transformed from the once ambitious, expansionist Lionheart Family into the Ryan Family, now infamous as one of the Kingdom's three great malignancies—a massive abscess growing at the Kingdom's core...
*Honestly, with such ill fate surrounding these two trees, there could be some reasoning behind it.*
Using credentials from the Purification Bureau, Leon successfully accessed this private road not open to the public, deliberately ignoring the villas and gardens lining the way, and briskly heading straight for his goal.
"Hey, you're going the wrong way!"
Seeing Leon veer right rather than toward the Ryan Manor at the end of Redwood Avenue, the policewoman, carrying the female prisoner in her arms, quickly called out:
"It's not that way! That's the Bauhinia Family's estate! The Ryan Family is at the other end!"
Continuing to walk right down the road, although thoroughly abandoned, amidst the weeds and crumbling walls lay remnants of the stately entrance to Treasure Flower Manor.
Leon first inspected the area once designated as an execution platform, almost soaked in blood, then cautiously approached the slightly withered giant tree, touching the cracked, dark brown bark.
It seemed that this tree, which witnessed the Bauhinia Family's downfall and contributed considerable wood for their execution platform, hadn't turned into something abnormal and remained just an ordinary redwood.
Retrieving his hand with mixed feelings of regret and relief, Leon confirmed this tree wasn't abnormal, then returned to the path leading to the Ryan Manor.
*You really... Do you always have to explore both options whenever faced with two contradictory ones?*
Exhausted from chasing after Leon while carrying a woman heavier than herself and just catching her breath, the policewoman, tired out, sneaked a glance at Leon with suspicion, wondering if this guy had a few screws loose, just as he once suspected her.
This suspicion hit its peak when Leon brought her to the Ryan manor's entrance and, after stating his purpose to the butler, responsible for greeting guests...
*Wait... you really came to recognize relatives?!*
Having calmed down along the carriage ride, the policewoman thought Leon was merely too tired to bother responding, offering a perfunctory excuse to dismiss her.
But after being brought into Ryan Manor and led by two attendants to a three-story building housing the Ryan family records, she saw Leon truly browsing through the allowed sections of the genealogy. The policewoman, filled with questions, couldn't help but quietly sidle over and whisper:
"Leon, I read your file. Your parents are regular folks from Laine County, unrelated to the Ryan Family!"
Without lifting his head, Leon, staring at the array of books filling two large cabinets, felt a headache coming on and decisively enlisted this unpaid labor.
"Put the person down and help me go through the Ryan family's genealogy."
"Huh, what? Did you forget you've already been conscripted by me?"
Remembering her current 'status' and needing his assistance, the policewoman had no choice but to cooperate obediently.
Refusing help from two willing attendants and, finding their gazes peculiar, securely tying up the female prisoner, the policewoman suddenly thought of something. Quickly, she hurried back to Leon's side, whispering excitedly:
"I got it! Are you planning to first delve into the Ryan family's genealogy, specifically pinpointing those whose life paths seem abnormal or who suddenly rose suspiciously to uncover their crimes?"
*You know, that's actually the idea...*
However, what I'm looking for isn't crimes, but traces of those suspected of profiting from anomalous objects. Those with questionable "success stories" are naturally more likely to have had interactions with Yang Xin.
Surprised, Leon gave the policewoman a look, nodded silently, and half-truthfully said:
"That's about right."
Elated to have her suspicion confirmed, the policewoman clenched her fist with excitement, then, acting guilty as a thief, glanced at the distant attendants. She then inquired softly:
"How can I assist you?"
"For you... try this one!"
After pondering for a moment, Leon rummaged through the shelves, pulling out a moderately thick register to hand over.
"You're a police officer, after all; you should have some expertise in this."