Sheriff Marcus, the highest-ranking commander of the Piltover Enforcers, and Caitlyn's highly respected direct superior.
"Wh-what did you say? Sheriff Marcus?" she asked in disbelief.
A young Enforcer going astray was one thing, but the Sheriff of Piltover being involved in organized crime and violence was an entirely different matter.
The inexperienced Caitlyn was mentally prepared for the former, but she absolutely could not accept the latter.
Not just her. Even the Zaunite students, who never hesitated to assume the absolute worst about Piltover Enforcers, dropped their jaws in disbelief. Their eyes went wide, truly having their horizons broadened.
"It-it's true!" Staring at the terrifying, oppressive air currents bearing down on him, the young Enforcer threw caution to the wind. Clenching his teeth, he confessed, "Sheriff Marcus ordered me to do it."
"Did he say why?" Levi asked.
"No."
"Do you know me?"
"No..."
"You don't know why I deserve to die, and you have no personal grudge against me. Yet, just because of a single order from the Sheriff, you can kill me without the slightest psychological burden."
"Tell me," Levi said as the air currents quietly accelerated, turning as cold as a biting autumn wind. "This isn't your first time, is it?"
"Wh-what?" The young Enforcer broke out in a cold sweat.
"Why are you so experienced at this?"
"Just how many people have you killed for the Sheriff to be able to do it like you did today—without your heart rate speeding up, without your breathing even growing heavy?"
"How many times have things like today happened before? How many more Enforcers are there like you? Over the years, just how many innocents have died under your guns?"
Levi's rapid-fire questioning planted a terrifying thought in everyone's minds:
He was right. According to the "Cockroach Theory," when you spot one cockroach in your house, there is undoubtedly more than just one nest already hiding in the walls.
This Enforcer was merely a rookie who hadn't been on the force for long, yet he could execute the Sheriff's extrajudicial killing orders with such practiced ease.
What about the other Enforcers? They all stood there looking so high and mighty, keeping their hands seemingly clean. Were they really that innocent?
The expressions on the faces of the Enforcers present were quite a sight. Some looked shocked, some looked guilty, and others remained expressionless.
The fierce determination that had been burning in Caitlyn's eyes unknowingly dissipated.
Even though Levi had opportunely loosened his restraints on her, she remained blankly pinned to the floor, lost in thought.
"Miss Caitlyn." Levi waved his hand, dispelling the howling air currents. "Do you still believe that Piltover's laws can bring me justice?"
Caitlyn was speechless.
"Think about it carefully. All of you, think about it." Letting out a deep sigh directed at Caitlyn and the students, Levi prepared to leave once more.
But just as he stepped out the door, Caitlyn staggered up from the ground. "Wait."
"Is there something else?"
Taking a deep breath, Caitlyn said earnestly, "Mr. Levi, please stay."
"I believe that Piltover's laws are not wrong, and the fairness and justice I pursue are not wrong. The only ones at fault are the parasites who have betrayed the very word 'justice'! So, please stay and cooperate with my investigation. No matter who is hiding behind this, I will absolutely bring them to justice!"
"Even if you have to face your own colleagues?" Levi asked.
"Yes!" She nodded firmly.
"Including Sheriff Marcus?"
"Yes!" Her gaze grew even more resolute.
With that, Caitlyn actually pulled a pair of handcuffs from her waist and, with a sharp clack, cuffed the young Enforcer's hands.
"You're under arrest," she told her colleague mercilessly. "And the person behind you won't get away either."
"Miss Caitlyn!" The veteran officer leading the squad looked at her with exasperation. "I'm begging you, please stop this nonsense! That's Sheriff Marcus! If this guy wants to leave, just let him go. Doing this will only turn all of Piltover upside down and cause trouble for everyone!"
Faced with her superior's earnest pleading, Caitlyn remained completely unmoved.
She simply looked at Levi with absolute sincerity. "Mr. Levi, can you trust me one more time? Can you trust in Piltover's laws and justice one more time?"
If it had been earlier, hearing such a naive question would have only made Levi laugh in exasperation.
But the same words carried an entirely different weight depending on who spoke them.
"Miss Caitlyn," Levi didn't answer directly, but instead asked a question of his own. "Are you speaking to me right now as Enforcer Caitlyn—"
"—or are you making me a promise as the heir to House Kiramman, Caitlyn Kiramman?"
"Huh? How did you know I was..."
"That's not important. I just want to confirm what capacity you're speaking in. If it's the former, then we have nothing left to talk about."
"..." Caitlyn's face flushed red.
Her biggest pet peeve was people labeling her as a Councilor's daughter while ignoring her own pursuits and hard work. She only wanted to be an ordinary Enforcer who didn't rely on her family's power.
But Levi told her bluntly, "Let's be frank, Miss Kiramman."
"If you didn't have a good mother and a powerful background, the words you just spoke would have been enough to get you killed right here alongside me."
"Enjoying the privileges brought by your family background while simultaneously trying your hardest to reject its existence... don't you think you're just deceiving yourself?"
Caitlyn's face burned as if she had a fever.
Before this, no one had ever dared to speak to her like this. Even though everyone else was probably thinking the exact same thing.
"I... I understand." Biting her lip tightly, she made a reluctant but firm promise. "I swear on the honor of House Kiramman that I will guarantee your safety, Mr. Levi, and uncover the entire truth behind this matter!"
"No matter who is committing crimes and breaking the law, I will not let them escape punishment!"
"Miss Caitlyn!" the veteran officer continued to plead in a low voice. "Please, just calm down a bit... Sigh!"
Even Levi asked her in an amused tone, "'The entire truth,' 'no matter who'... Miss Kiramman, are you sure you want to do this?"
"I'm sure!" Caitlyn emphasized. "Even if the criminal is Sheriff Marcus, I will not back down!"
"And what if it's more than just Sheriff Marcus? What if it involves even more important figures?"
"What do you mean by that?"
"Nothing, just asking casually." Levi was indeed just asking casually.
He didn't actually know the details of the conflicting interests between Marcus and the Iron Fist Gang.
But based on the history he had studied—whether it was the history of Earth or the history of Runeterra...
In an ancient dynasty like Piltover, which had remained unchanged for three hundred years, once you started investigating certain things, what you uncovered was rarely just a single person, but an entire web.
People connected to people, webs connected to webs, with factions deeply intertwined and tentacles spreading in all directions.
They weren't just some rotting dead flesh.
They were very likely the blood vessels and meridians of this ancient city, thriving and full of boundless vitality.
Uncovering the entire truth was easy to say, but incredibly difficult to do.
A hotheaded rookie like Caitlyn was worthy of admiration, but...
"I'm afraid you won't be able to change anything," Levi murmured with a sigh.
"What did you say?" Caitlyn hadn't heard him clearly.
"Nothing." People who had the ability to do good and the willingness to do so were always a good thing.
Killing one cockroach meant one less cockroach; cutting out a piece of rotting flesh meant one less piece of rotting flesh. There was definitely a positive impact to it. It was always better than doing nothing at all.
He didn't need to put on the decadent facade of someone who had seen through the fickleness of the world and make cynical remarks to a passionate youth like Caitlyn.
And aside from cynical remarks, Levi actually had some profound principles he could share.
But given Caitlyn's class background... he really didn't dare to rashly preach these principles to her and let her know what he was actually trying to do.
Besides, some principles were useless if only spoken aloud.
She had to experience them for herself.
"Very well, Miss Caitlyn." Levi firmly grasped the hand Caitlyn proactively offered. "Since you want to clean up this city, I'll accompany you to see—"
"—exactly where the filth of this city comes from!"
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