Ham? That officer who had such a talent for detection, but died investigating the dried corpse case? Carl slowly nodded.
"Respected Baron Karl," Eugene bowed and said, "Amy, the daughter from a nearby family, has gone missing. Someone saw her coming here before she disappeared."
"I’m truly sorry for disturbing you!"
"Missing?" Carl turned his head.
In the crowd, a middle-aged couple were holding their heads and weeping, intermittently calling out Amy’s name.
They were neighbors, after all. Even though Carl rarely went out, he knew people by sight, and he remembered Amy. She was about fourteen or fifteen years old, malnourished and thin, but a very sensible girl.
He then spoke to comfort them, "Maybe she just went somewhere to play. There’s no need to worry too much."
"No, that’s impossible." The middle-aged man shook his head, tears in his eyes. "Amy wouldn’t wander off. Other than going to Lapu Textile Factory, she always stayed at home. She’s very sensible!"
Lapu Textile Factory, located in the north of the city, was also one of the recent sources of environmental degradation in Sigerno City. The factory recruited a large number of female workers. As long as they were over ten years old and had dexterous hands, they could be employed. The wages weren’t high. But for ordinary families, having a daughter with a formal job was not only not a burden but also helped support the family. They were quite content with it. Thus, many girls worked there. Amy was one of them.
"Respected Baron Karl," Eugene looked troubled, "may we... take a look inside?"
"Of course!" Carl replied.
Eugene quickly added, "If you are unwilling, we will leave immediately!"
Without permission from the Noble Council, officers had no right to search a noble’s home, even that of a fallen noble.
"There are no outsiders in my yard." Carl shook his head. Seeing the many skeptical looks from the crowd, he sighed and stepped aside. "Just don’t damage anything."
"Yes!" Eugene promptly agreed and then praised him, saying, "Your honesty and open-mindedness are admirable. May the great Master of Dawn bless you, Baron."
"Hurry up," Carl said indifferently, his expression unchanged by the flattery. "I still have to attend a banquet."
"Yes, yes." Eugene nodded repeatedly and waved his hand, signaling the officers present to enter. "Be careful!"
They searched quickly, taking only a cursory look around. After confirming no one was there, Eugene was about to signal them to leave.
"Chief," a police officer with a full beard spoke in a muffled voice, "there’s a basement here. The door is locked."
At these words, murmurs of surprise rippled through the onlookers, and they all turned to look in the officer’s direction.
"There’s no one in the basement," Carl’s voice deepened. "It’s just some of my research materials."
"Yes, yes." Eugene nodded repeatedly. "I certainly trust the Baron’s assurance. Nielsen, come over here quickly. We have other places to visit."
"But..." Nielsen, the bearded officer, hesitated. "I find this place very suspicious. It’s rare for someone to use a cellar , but there are many footprints here. It’s obviously accessed frequently."
A cellar is usually cold, damp, and unpleasant. One might not visit it for weeks. Who would frequent it?
For a moment, various thoughts flashed through everyone’s minds: confined children, perverted criminals, kidnapping and abuse... Their gazes, as they looked at Carl, became even more menacing.
"What nonsense are you spouting?" Eugene’s expression changed drastically. "The Baron is not that kind of person!"
"Heh..." Carl scoffed lightly, looking at the bearded officer. "Nielsen, is it? Interesting. Well then, open it and have a look. Just try not to be frightened by what’s inside."
With that, he threw the key.
"Baron..." Eugene began.
"Open it!" Carl commanded.
"Yes." Eugene’s expression turned serious. He hurried over to open the cellar door and called a few officers to go down and search.
A moment later, several of them came out of the cellar, pale-faced.
"Baron Karl," Eugene spoke in a low voice, "there’s no problem. It’s just that the things inside..."
"I’m very interested in medicine and am studying anatomy," Carl took the key and said slowly. "Some animal carcasses are quite normal, right?"
"Normal, normal!" Eugene nodded repeatedly, nearly retching at the memory of those frogs, rabbit carcasses, and birds soaking in some unidentifiable liquid. "However, Baron, some items resembled human organs. If I weren’t somewhat knowledgeable in this area, I would have been genuinely startled."
"My apologies." Eugene stepped back. "Sorry for the disturbance. May God bless you!"
"Such nonsense." The coachman flicked the reins and grumbled, "Your status is so distinguished, Baron. How could you possibly be involved with the case of a missing little girl? I think they’re just being unreasonably difficult."
The coachman, having served Carl for a long time and believing he understood his employer’s character, felt indignant on his behalf. "If you ask me, they should be checking on those vagrants outside the city!"
"Missing cases?" Carl, noticing the pause in the coachman’s voice, stopped flipping through the newspaper and looked up to ask, "Are there other disappearances?"
"Of course!" The coachman said, his expression making it clear it was obvious. "Sigerno City is so large, people disappear every day. Female workers from the textile factory disappear the most. I’ve heard they get sold to brothels to serve men. Some naive little girls are tricked by their colleagues. Even if they’re found, it’s difficult for them to marry afterwards."
"People disappear every day?" Carl shook his head. "That’s an exaggeration."
"Baron, I’m not exaggerating. If anything, that’s an understatement," the coachman insisted. "Just from what I know, at least a dozen female workers disappeared last month, not to mention other missing person cases."