It was a stack of photos that included five victims. Some of the bodies were still intact, while some had already rotted. Buck explained to Heidi, "Three days ago, because the magic circles in Claire's alchemical workshop were damaged, part of the alchemical workers on the night shift left in advance. When they were returning to Sardny through the Egret district, they heard the screams of the victims in the first photo. So, led by a supervisor who was as good as a magic apprentice, they approached the place."
"Perhaps the murderer discovered them in advance. There was only one body at the scene, and the footprints were also erased by the cruel and calm murderer. Later, we found four more bodies that were well hidden in the remote areas and sewers nearby. All the internal organs were gone, and no clues were left."
Heidi nodded. "Judging from the degree of decomposition, the serial murders may have started earlier than we thought, and the number of deaths must be higher than we thought. But why did the murderer just bury the bodies instead of destroying them?"
"It's very troublesome to destroy the bodies completely and inconspicuously. There are no piranhas in the rivers near Renstadt, unless the bodies are moved to the Black Forest." Buck concluded that the murderer was not a strong Knight based on the murderer's magic or the fact that the murderer was not strong. It was a reasonable inference. If the murderer was really strong, he must've been in a position that matched his strength. Why did he have to make life difficult for the poor people?
Heidi looked at the few photos over and over again and asked casually, "Is there any missing persons investigation in the past few months?"
Buck said bitterly, "The Egret district is a slum area. It's full of people who come to Renstadt from all over the kingdom to look for opportunities. The frequency of population movement is very high. Even the gang leaders in the slum can't tell who's missing and who's leaving …"
Heidi put down the photos. "Take me to the bodies and the crime scene. It's hard to tell anything from the black-and-white photos."
She had an inexplicable sense of importance towards this kind of murder where all the internal organs were removed. She felt that it was exceptionally strange.
Buck was thinking about how to suggest that Heidi go to the morgue and the crime scene in the slum. Naturally, he was relieved after hearing her request. He hurried to stand up and said, "My lady, this way please."
As he spoke, he quickly walked to his police car and opened the door. After Heidi got in, he walked around and got into the driver's seat. He turned the key, and the steel monster made a low rumbling sound.
"The size of the car has finally shrunk …" Heidi sighed as she looked at the comfortable environment inside.
Barker chuckled. "If it was as big as before, it wouldn't have been able to travel on the streets. It's all thanks to the mages who simplified the alchemy array and lowered the material requirements. They also found a new energy source to replace the magic steam engine …"
Most of the streets in Renstadt could only be driven by one alchemy car. Other than that, even horse-drawn carriages couldn't pass through. After the improvements, most of the streets could be driven by two carriages side by side without occupying the sidewalk. Of course, this alchemy car was also very expensive. Only the great nobles and some of the kingdom's departments were equipped with it. Barker, a powerful figure in the police department, wouldn't be qualified to drive this car if it weren't for the fact that he was receiving Heidi today.
Heidi touched the metal door and felt the cold texture. "If it weren't for the contributions of Layria and Katrina, the requirements of the alchemy array wouldn't have been lowered so easily …"
She knew very well how difficult it was to simplify those things. Thankfully, thanks to the guidance of the new alchemy, the field of elements and alchemy had been greatly developed. Breakthroughs in material synthesis and refinement had also been made.
It was not just the contributions of Layria, Katrina, Lazar, Rock and the arcanists of the Atom Institution, but also the efforts of thousands of sorcerers such as Larry, Ulysses, Timothy, K and so on.
The field of materials was perhaps the field that required the accumulation of countless experiments the most. There was no luck except for the many wrong paths that could be ruled out with prophecy!
The design ideas of the steam civilization brought by the dwarves also inspired the sorcerers to simplify the alchemy car and purify and produce the high-energy coal combustion element. In the meantime, they also began to look for new energy sources, such as the solar energy that was stored in the energy pool in advance like the magic towers, or other combustible materials that contained more energy.
In this respect, thanks to the help of the sorcerers' extensive knowledge and the elves, who had been their ally for tens of thousands of years, the sorcerers soon made progress.
Thinking of the great changes in the Congress of Magic and the four countries on the strait, Heidi couldn't help but feel a bit excited that she was living in such an era.
"Maybe I'm not as talented as Annick and Sprint in the microscopic field, and I'm not as sensitive and patient as Katrina and Layria in the field of materials, but I believe that I can definitely make a breakthrough in the field of artificial intelligence and win the Holm Crown prize …"
Heidi clenched her fists and encouraged herself. When she thought that an alchemy item without soul could still solve most problems, and even surpass most of the arcanists in some aspects, and what kind of amazing changes would happen when soul pieces were fused into such an alchemy item in the future, she couldn't help but feel excited. Among the six students of her teacher, only she and Chelly had not won the highest honor in a certain field!
When Buck was driving the alchemy car, he looked at the road attentively and said very carefully, "My lady, let's go to the morgue of the Violet Hospital first."
"Okay." Heidi had no objection. She also wanted to visit the hospital system jointly established by the kingdom and the Congress of Magic, which would let the ordinary believers know that not only the Saint Truth could cure diseases, but also the Congress of Magic!
Buck did not dare to neglect his guest, so he kept trying to find a topic to talk about, "The alchemy car's speed is still not fast enough. In the future, we should focus on improving the magic circles and energy instead of reducing the size of the car. I read from the Herald of Arcana and Magic that the Lord of Storm, the Atom Controller, and the Lord of Elements have completed the preliminary theory of elemental decay. Does it mean that we can drive the alchemy car with elemental decay energy in the future?"
"Nuclear power …" Heidi was always lively, and she couldn't help but laugh. Buck was the typical kind of person who only knew a few words after reading the newspaper.
The research on nuclear power was the main research project of the Atom Institution. Under the leadership of Fernando, Jerome, Lazar, Mr. Rock, and Heidi took turns to cooperate with him. Even most of the senior-rank sorcerers would not be able to use such a terrifying energy, let alone making alchemy cars.
After laughing a few times, she deliberately teased, "When our research institute completes the miniaturization and civilian use of the magnetic confinement controllable nuclear fusion alchemy device, we should be able to make the alchemy cars very fast …" So fast that they could fly.
The magnetic confinement controllable nuclear fusion was the final goal of Fernando's research project, which was to provide the ultimate energy for Allyn, the City in the Sky. There was still a long way to go before they could see the dawn. After all, even the nuclear decay energy was still looking for a stable way to make use of it.
"Magnetic-confinement controllable nuclear fusion alchemical device …" Barker chewed on the tedious yet mysterious phrase. He would be able to shock his colleagues and relatives again when he went back. This was the real frontier of arcana, not the outdated stuff mentioned in the news. It was said by Ms. Heidi of the Atom Institution in person!
At this time, a beautiful white building appeared in front of them. Buck stepped on the pedal and parked the alchemy car in front of the Violet Hospital. Then he hurried to get off the car and walked to the other side, opening the door in a standard gentlemanly manner. "Madam, we're here."
Heidi observed the hospital after getting off the car and nodded slightly. It was cleaner than she thought, and she felt that it was somewhat sacred. Did those guys in the school of necromancy have such a side?
Pushing open the glass gate, Buck led Heidi to the morgue. Along the way, they met doctors and nurses in white coats. They were the apprentices and middle-rank sorcerers of the school of necromancy who were more inclined to medical treatment. This hospital was not only a place for them to treat the patients, but also a place for experiments to test their ideas and magic. Therefore, the selection was not forced. Instead, many sorcerers had signed up.
Of course, the experiments without permission would be severely punished by the Punishment Department of the Congress of Magic.
So far, the Violet Hospital had been running for a year. Because the magic potions and alchemy devices were all made by themselves and provided by the Congress of Magic, the price was relatively low and the reputation of the hospital was naturally very good. The doctors and nurses were also given a nondescript nickname of "Magic Angels" by the people of Renstadt.
As they walked, they heard some noises in front of them. Many nurses and doctors were asking a tall and thin man in black about something. They were very excited.
Seeing the sickly man, Heidi clicked her tongue and said, "Mr. Felipe is very popular among the necromancers who are inclined to medical treatment."
"Mr. Felipe is here to explain human anatomy and cell memory to the doctors and nurses of the Violet Hospital." Buck explained to Heidi. He looked at Felipe in awe. It was said that Felipe could make a lump of flesh grow back into a human being.
Heidi did not pay any more attention to the doctor and walked to the morgue with Buck. Behind them, there came some voices.
"Mr. Felipe, I have a question about anatomy …"
"Professor Felipe, in the field of cell memory …"
Suddenly, Felipe said gloomily, "Don't call me professor."
"Ah …" The little nurse who spoke was stunned. Why? According to the standard of the Holt Magic College, professor was an honorific.
Heidi, who had her back to them, burst into laughter, causing Barker to look over in confusion.
"Nothing." Heidi waved her hands.
Turning the corner, the morgue appeared before them. Buck opened the gate and walked into the gloomy and cold place.
Heidi placed the five bodies side by side and studied them carefully. At this moment, she was no longer a lady, but an arcanist.
After a long time, Heidi slightly frowned and said, "Judging from the knife marks and the way of taking out the internal organs, it was four murderers who killed the five people, and they did not care about the internal organs."
"A gang?" Buck asked solemnly.
Heidi did not answer. Instead, she took out five lumps of flesh from the five bodies and said, "Take me to the scene."
She vaguely had an idea.
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