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“So this is the Eight Prince Restaurant?”

Standing in front of the Eighth Prince Restaurant, the leader of the Law Enforcement Team could not help but be shocked by its opulence. Not only was the signboard made of pure gold, it was also adorned with precious magical stones that created a mesmerizing glow around the name of the restaurant. Even from two blocks away, the signboard caught the attention of everyone passing by, overshadowing the neighboring stores.

“How arrogant!” the leader of the Law Enforcement Team muttered to himself as the flames of anger burned in his chest. He was practically grinding his teeth, unable to believe that this restaurant would dare to keep its doors open in such a grand manner despite causing a major incident. It was as if it held no regard for the Law Enforcement Team of Jeorgetown City!

“Search it thoroughly!” the leader of the Law Enforcement Team commanded with a wave of his hand. In a well-trained fashion, dozens of law enforcers broke through the door and swiftly controlled every exit.

“Everyone, hands on your head and crouch down!”

Unaware of the incident that had occurred in the Reception Building, the restaurant was still filled with people.

A hot-tempered martial warrior, angered by the disturbance, smacked the table in protest and rose from his seat. However, as soon as he noticed the silver uniforms of the law enforcers, he quickly sat down again.

“I’ll say it one more time. Hands on your head and crouch down!”

The leader of the Law Enforcement Team held the search warrant high as he scanned the bewildered crowd.

“The Law Enforcement Team is currently investigating a mass poisoning case, and this restaurant is the prime suspect. We would like to request for your cooperation while we gather evidence. Any abnormal behavior during the investigation will be viewed as a challenge to the laws of the Holy Dragon Empire, and we have the authority to take necessary action!”

The diners cautiously crouched down, placing their hands on their heads, while exchanging puzzled looks with one another.

A mass poisoning case?
And this restaurant is the prime suspect?
We ate quite a lot here!

Some people started to disregard the authority of the Law Enforcement Team and began inducing vomiting with their fingers. It all started with one person, and soon others followed suit, showing a complete disregard for their image. This triggered a chain reaction of vomiting.

Soon, the entire restaurant was filled with a nauseating stench.

The leader of the Law Enforcement Team helplessly covered his nose as he began to regret ignoring the messages from the captain of the Oddities Response Team. He had insisted on personally overseeing the search, believing it to be his duty. However, it seemed that he had made a poor choice.

“Huh? What are you all doing? What’s this about?” An old man wearing a mage’s robe came out from a small private room. His rosy complexion instantly turned pale upon witnessing the tragic scene in the hall.

“Oh no, do you guys know how expensive these tables and chairs are? And the floor tiles! They are of the same luxurious quality as those used in the palace! How could you soil them with your vomit? There are restrooms in the restaurant, you could have asked the waiters to take you there if you had indulged a bit too much! There’s no need to squat by the wall and start vomiting.”

“Are you the owner of this restaurant?”

The leader of the Law Enforcement Team narrowed his eyes and scrutinized the old man in front of him. The old man looked rather familiar, yet he could not recall where he had seen him before. Besides, he was wearing a mage’s robe. How did a mage become the owner of a restaurant?

Could the current state of the economy be so dire that it compelled a magician to venture into entrepreneurship?

“Yes, I am. Is there something wrong?” Gurr, the old man, squinted at the Law Enforcement Team. Although he recognized them as the street patrol officers, he put on an extremely arrogant demeanor.

“Who are you guys? How dare you cause trouble here in broad daylight! Do you know who is backing this place? The Eighth Prince! The most favored son of the reigning Emperor! Have you considered the potential repercussions that you may have to face?”

The leader of the Law Enforcement Team scoffed inwardly. Everyone knew that the Emperor favored his daughters over his sons. He treasured his daughters and ignored his sons.

Both Kabul and this old man were full of nonsense. Not a word they said could be believed.

“The Eighth Prince Restaurant is suspected of poisoning. Please cooperate with us in our investigation, or else I can forcefully detain you on the charge of disrupting official business.”

“Bah! You’re talking nonsense! Our restaurant has the strictest ingredient selection process, and we refuse to even accept overnight meat. How can our food be poisonous? I feel like you’re intentionally trying to cause trouble. You think I’m an easy target just because I’m a commoner with no power or influence! I want to see the Eighth Prince! Let me see the Eighth Prince! I’ve dedicated my sweat and blood to serve the Eighth Prince and the imperial family. You can’t treat me like this!”

“Hmph! You better save that for the tens of thousands of victims.”

The leader of the Law Enforcement Team’s mouth curled up slightly. At this point, if he were to let these guys succeed in getting off the hook, he might as well resign from his position as the leader of the Law Enforcement Team!

“Search the restaurant thoroughly! Don’t let even a cockroach escape!”
“Understood!”

A dozen law enforcers immediately rushed into the kitchen like a pack of starving wolves and tigers.

An hour later…

The leader of the Law Enforcement Team looked at his subordinates, who hung their heads and avoided his gaze. Anger filled his face, his voice trembled as he asked, “What did you say…? What do you mean by ‘everything is normal’?”

“We’ve searched the restaurant from top to bottom, but… we found no traces of laxatives.”

The leader of the Law Enforcement Team could not believe his ears. He trembled as he pointed to the leftovers on the table and asked, “What about the half-eaten dishes? Have they been checked?”

“Y-Yes, and everything is normal.”
“So… you’re saying that this restaurant is not responsible for the tens of thousands of people who have diarrhea?”
“…The only possible reason this restaurant might cause diarrhea is likely because the food is too greasy for people with weak stomachs.”

The vision of the Law Enforcement Team’s leader turned black, and he felt like the world was spinning.

Even if he had only a single working brain cell, he knew that tens of thousands of people could not possibly have weak stomachs at the same time. Not to mention that the Oddities Response Team had already confirmed that the incident was caused by a potent laxative.

Is the Eighth Prince Restaurant really innocent?

Gurr playfully glanced at the leader of the Law Enforcement Team and taunted, “If you still have doubts about our humble restaurant, why not dine here three times a day from now on? You’ll be able to monitor our activities here at any given time. While the meals are only complimentary for the participants, I believe the Eighth Prince is generous enough that he wouldn’t mind feeding one more mouth.”

The leader of the Law Enforcement Team silently endured Gurr’s mockery, finding himself… unable to find the words to refute the old man. It was impossible for such a large-scale poisoning to occur without leaving behind any traces. Despite thoroughly searching the entire restaurant, not a single clue had been found. Apart from the restaurant being innocent, there was no other explanation.

The flame burning in him… was going out.

The leader of the Law Enforcement Team did not even realize that he had walked out of the restaurant. The sun outside was blinding. As he passed by the fruit stand next to the restaurant, he tripped over a box of fruit.

As the leader of the Law Enforcement Team, the embodiment of strict law enforcement in Jeorgetown City, this was too humiliating.

The leader of the Law Enforcement Team pounded the ground weakly, overwhelmed with a surge of frustration in his heart.

Fortunately, the owner of the fruit stand happened to be a kind, young girl who looked as adorable as a red apple. She was not upset that a box of her fruits had been knocked over. Instead, she graciously helped him up and offered him a piece of fruit with a smile on her face.

“Everyone faces setbacks at times. There’s no need to be discouraged. Here, have some fruits and indulge in its sweetness. Everything will be fine soon.”

The leader of the Law Enforcement Team absentmindedly accepted the fruit. He took a bite, then burst into tears.