The warden who guards the witches.

re Still Too Young

　　"Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule, Constable Bruce Kane." Sitting in the parlour of the police station, across a coffee table, Aiden exchanged pleasantries towards the young man in front of him, glancing at the badge on his shoulder, "Ah yes, congratulations on your promotion."

　　He went over the other man's information in his head, Bruce Kane, nineteen years old, mounted police constable, transferred six months ago, promoted to first class constable last week, in Veronica's case, he was the one who manned the safe deposit vault on the day of the murder.

　　"Thanks, thanks." The young man named Bruce cautiously placed his crossed fingers on the table and rubbed his thumbs together somewhat uneasily, "You're Mr Aiden of the ...... Heresy Trial Bureau right, I've heard a lot about you."

　　"Ahaha, I no longer work for the Heresy Judgement Bureau, now I work as a warden at the Rosebud Iron Prison." Aiden smiled with a polite face.

　　Compared to his current title of Warden of the Rosebud Iron Prison, the former Aiden's Senior Investigator of the Heresy Trial Bureau obviously had a bit more face on the side of the Mounted Police. The fact that he was able to come to the Cavalry's side so smoothly and meet with Bruce above was also thanks to former Aiden's connections within the agency.

　　The Heresy Judgement Bureau was a law enforcement agency that specialised in dealing with cases and disasters caused by fae creatures, and a large portion of the monsters in the core area of the Rosebud Iron Prison were captured by the Heresy Judgement Bureau. In order to deal with those dangerous magical creatures, the investigators of the Heresy Judgement Bureau were not only allowed to use military equipment, but they could also make an exception to learn the f*******n black magic.

　　Within this world's system, the Heresy Judgement Bureau's investigators were more in line with most people's impression of the elite, and as for the prison guards, it was more like a position only for salty fish who were waiting for death and wanted to retire.

　　However, Aiden didn't have the heart to take a bull by the horns on this issue, counting his previous life's work experience, he had already worked in a prison position for more than ten years, and his mentality had already long since become blasé about how the onlookers viewed his profession.

　　"So, is there something that the warden is specifically looking for me ...... for?" Bruce asked nervously.

　　Aiden took his reaction in his eyes, thinking that the other party had more than likely already sensed the purpose of his trip, after all, the only prison that could hold Veronica was the Rosebud Iron Prison.

　　"It's like this, our prison has recently taken in a death row inmate, Veronica Wolffy, she was originally from your department, you should know her." Aiden opened the conversation as if nothing had happened.

　　"Well, well ......," the lines on Bruce's face visibly tensed at the name.

　　"After she came to our prison, she's been making noise every day about being wrongly accused." Aiden put on a somewhat distressed look and sighed, "It's giving me a bit of a headache."

　　"Well, hasn't she ...... had all her cases adjudicated?" Bruce lifted his face and forced out a smile.

　　"That's right, and I told her not to even think about mentioning any retrial without new evidence or a defence." Aiden rounded back, "But then she said that you must be able to testify that she wasn't the murderer because she personally handed you her sidearm that day. I thought she was being unreasonable, but I couldn't help it, so I had to come over here and check with you to make sure she was dead. This is also work, I really have no choice, just go through a process ah go through a process."

　　"Yeah yeah yeah." Bruce tried to compensate for the smile.

　　Young people, so easy to deal with, Aiden thought to himself.

　　With his authority, he didn't really have the investigative power to be able to approach Bruce for questioning, and there wasn't much he could do if Bruce outright refused to talk to him any further.

　　He was deliberately vague, talking as if the guards had a duty to help confirm the prisoners, and since the other man most likely didn't even understand the terms of reference of the guards anyway, he just lulled Bruce into co-operating with his questioning.

　　"I'll just ask a few simple questions then." Aiden smiled and nodded, "You said at the trial that on the day of the murder, Veronica had hurriedly returned her sidearm at twelve-thirty, and then you didn't check the bullets on the spot, is that true?"

　　Bruce hesitated for a moment and nodded vigorously, "...... Yes, it was raining that day and she, she she said she had to go home to collect her clothes, so I ...... I let her go home first."

　　Aiden sensed his stuttering and smiled kindly, "No need to be so nervous, I'm not here to arrest you."

　　"Yes yes yes." Bruce laughed dryly.

　　"Are you guys close?" Aiden continued to press.

　　"It's ...... okay, I guess, when I was an apprentice, it was Veronica-sama who was responsible for guiding me."

　　"By the way, she still keeps mentioning to me that she once had favoured you, is there such a thing?" Aiden brought up the topic as if it was natural.

　　"Erm, this ......" Bruce was momentarily caught off guard, "Does this have anything to do with the case, at all?"

　　"It's mentioned in the case file, so I'll just ask." Aiden asked back without changing his face, "What's wrong with that?"

　　"Well, there's actually nothing ......" Bruce replied with a feigned ease, but his eyes were unconsciously lowered, "When I used to be an apprentice, I once let go of a prisoner who had already been captured due to negligence, and the The prisoner took a hostage on the street, and in the end it was Miss Veronica who recaptured the prisoner and rescued the hostage, and then ...... helped me plead for mercy in the report."

　　"Oh, so that's what happened. You probably would have lost your job if she hadn't set things right." Aiden smiled meaningfully and continued his question, "And when did the investigation team access her sidearm?"

　　"Seems like, it was almost noon that day I think ......"

　　"That's when she was missing bullets from her g*n right." Aiden confirmed with him.

　　"That's what the investigation team came up with anyway." Bruce replied vaguely.

　　"You were manning the vault during all that time right?"

　　"Yeah."

　　"Nothing unexpected or strange happened while on duty, did it?"

　　"No, as usual."

　　"Well, that's exactly what the case file said." Aiden nodded thoughtfully, "But well ...... killing someone and returning the g*n with the missing bullet to the police force as if nothing happened, what was that woman thinking?"

　　"This ...... who knows?" Bruce said and averted his eyes, raising a hand somewhat uncomfortably to scratch his brow.

　　"Probably just stupid. I see in the case file, it was the testimony and exhibits you provided that sent her to jail, and she actually didn't notice it at all, and actually thought you'd help her overturn the case, which is trying to coerce you on the basis of favours, right?" Aiden sarcastically seemed to smile, and then nodded towards Bruce with an appreciative face, "Not bad, young age, to be so selfless, very impressive."

　　"Thanks ......"

　　Being so shady by Aiden, Bruce could no longer meet the other party's eyes at all, and his forehead was covered in cold sweat.