No body can answer the question.

Claudio asks: "Why the monster robbed the tax?"

Grant ponders momentarily and says: "Monsters do not need reason for this, they just do whatever they want. It just a pure waste of time to make it clear."

The girl has a different opinion: "Don’t you think human flesh is probably more delicious for monster than silver coin ... Ummm, wait a sec, let me ... finish the raisin."

She takes all rest raisins with one single gorge, and fills in a mouthful of milk. Then continues the topic regarding human flesh with swelling cheeks:

"Monsters won’t think about things as we do. Denarii may not be more attractive than people alive in their perspective. Even if they wanna denarii, stealing or robbery from anywhere else is way much safer and easier than tax plunder."

Obviously, it is too dicey to loot the tax under the gate of Rome City.

Grant nods: "Makes sense, could be commanded by someone else."

Claudio squints a little: "Then who would instruct the monsters to rob the tax? What's the reason? Why it has to be the batch of 18 million denarii?"

"Let's think about it this way. The underlying mastermind needs a huge amount of money, but he can't attract too much attention ... Precisely speaking, he is unable to collect money fair and square." Grant gets agitated in his mind.

"So he puts his eyes on upcoming tax?" The yellow dressed girl purses her brightly gorgeous lips.

"The tax escort routine is randomly arranged by Marcus a couple of minutes before they start setting forth, but the monsters still ambushed in the moat ahead ... There is probably an undercover in the escort team." Claudio says and glances at Grant:

"Go to Mage Academy and ask a sorcerer to read their mind?"

The girl stares at him uncomfortably: "Don’t you believe my ability? Is R.S.T lower than Mage Academy in your mind? Look, as I said, all escorters on the scene are uninformed of the fact at all."

The analysis gets stuck again, and the trio are silent in the dead end.

The atmosphere suddenly becomes quiet.

Claudio reviews the dossier, and Grant keeps sighing.

Only The girl is playing the compass around her waist, thinking what she is going to order in the dinner with oldest princess after leaving here before sunset.

The food cooked by the palace chef is incredibly tasty!

Compared with Grant and Claudio, Jessica, the girl with yellow stolla, is more like an unofficial aid to assist the case.

She has no official title or position. So she does not need to take too much accountability although she is one of heads in charge of the case.

Grant spins eyeballs slightly, and he says tentatively, "Not decisive progress on the case so far, and time is not enough yet. It's quite urgent. How about we go ask Dr. V, Vigile Marius?"

Claudio squints at him and snorts: "You bureaucrat has performance appraisal, so do we Roman Vigile. Frankly, this is Dr. V’s examination to me."

Grant smiles bitterly: "I'm afraid I would be kicked out of the office if the case could not be solved. Princeps and senate are watching us."

The two look at each other in silence with a burdened atmosphere.

......

"If it's a monster, then nothing I can do now!" Frank's face turns pale, tasting the deep malice of God.

There are monsters in the world, which have existed everywhere since ancient ages, their main habitat used to be on the northern border of Rome Empire today, the evil territory was called Mod.

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

These nefarious creatures incessantly competing with human and rapaciously fed by human and all other live creatures are eventually decimated by human Legions allied with angels.

According to stories from elders, several hundred years ago, all human clans allied under the leadership of Angels, and then declared war to Mod. The brutal warfare last 100 years and most monsters end up wiping out during the war.

The epic war was named "Centenary Justice" in unofficial tales.

Since then, monsters have almost been extincted and faded in history, and faith to God of angels, Jehovah, has prospered in human’s world.

Meaning to say, in perspective of modern people like Frank, human being has committed victorious in competition of food chain top.

If the tax money is looted by a monster, then he can only save himself and other family members by regaining the tax.

Now it is autumn with a cold and wet weather, Frank is sweating cold, he feels that he could not survive this time.

He is scared.

According to the memory of the current identity owner, he knows that he could not escape from the jail at all, plus there is no human rights but emperor rules in the age.

Living or death are all up to the ruler.

A tough smack on his face and all fantastic imagination regarding the graceful and peaceful lifestyle in the ancient.

Life is never easy for social livestock even in ancient, or I should say, especially in ancient.

"Wait, just a guess. It's just the speculation from the cop. I can't be influenced by their thoughts. I'll do it myself, analyze it on my own ... not done yet, I still can save it..."

The strong desire to survive calms him down quickly, and the logic in his brain becomes rigorous and clear again.

"Why do monsters rob tax, human flesh seems more likely to be their target ... Even if they need deranii, no need to focus on tax deranii at all ... I saw on fictions that there are some female attractive monsters, like Vampire, or Dhampir?, whatever, they are incredibly flirty and seductive, with god damn sexy bodies ... am I able to see wolf girl? or cat woman, I mean, literal cat woman ..."

"Damn!" Frank slaps himself, "Re-reasoning!"

The most important thing in reasoning is subtraction, list all clues one by one for comb.

Otherwise, it is just a chaotic wool ball without any way to observe details.

The two most obvious clues in the case:

First: weird gust.

Second: explosion after all denarii falling into the moat.

Except Pankration warrior, all other major combat occupations in this age could have the ability or spell to blow wind. Therefore, the first clue could not provide too much specific target but only indicates that there is adept participated in if it is not monster.

Then the suspicion on Uncle has been alleviated since he is just a combat warrior if there is no conspiracy.

The second clue is an irrational doubt. It is normal for high-level adepts to cause explosion during their combat. However, there is no fight or even brawl in the case, so the explosion is unreasonable.

"Unless there has to be an explosion ..." Frank murmurs.

"Which occupation needs explosion to achieve their goals in all major combat occupations?"

Frank ponders for a while, but couldn't get an answer, all of sudden, he realizes that he makes the same mistake with the summary maker on the case.

They got the wrong way at very beginning. According to the most obvious clue, the unusual powerful wind, in the case, it is concluded that the perpetrator is the monster, and then everyone moves forward rapidly on the way and never return.

Technically, the reasoning is not wrong, but just too sloppy.

Although Frank integrates the memory of the current identity owner, a patrol man in Rome Empire, he still thinks everything as a modern individual, which would review all tiny details in the dossier and analyze through experience in modern life before concluding.

"if the current thought has been stuck, let me switch another one to see if there is any break point, first, monsters excluded, I assume it is planned by human being."

"Then, he would leave the clue in the crime for sure."

"Locard's exchange principle tells us that there must be direct or indirect traces left in the crime as long as the crime has been perpetrated . . . .

Variety of traces could be roughly divided into two categories, um do not remember quite clearly, should be hand or foot prints, fingerprints, traces of vehicles, tools or instruments, etc. "

"The key point is not in the two most remarkable clues, but in the various traces..."

According to the description of the dossier, Frank starts to review the entire process of his uncle escorting the tax in his mind.

Adrenaline is secreted frantically, and his brain operates in a highly active pace - just like the pond with tons of piranhas madly gnawing the bleeding prey.

Review again and again, scrutinize over and over.

All kinds of information and clues on the dossier are gathered into a high-speed CPU.

As various pieces are made up together, everything becomes clearer.

Unconsciously, Frank’s mind enters into a particular status, his soul flies lightly out of his physical body, rises over the prison, and comes toward the sky above Rome City.

Time seems to go backward, the east sky is painted reddish by sunrise. Marcus leads a group of equestrians with heavy armor and spear to escort the tax to Treasury.

At the point, it is 6:00 am... marching to South gate and waiting for the drawbridge, suddenly the gust raids, and horses are astonished and run into the river.

Boom!

The moat surface detonates blasting monstrous waves.

This explosion seems to blast in Frank’s mind as well, rendering he kicks on the ground subconsciously to stand up.

Though fatigue shows in his eyes, it could not cover an ecstatic face.

"I got it! I knew it! Ha ha ha, it’s solved!"

Frank hits the fence hard with exultant laugh: "Hello! Someone there? Hello!"

The guard in charge is alerted and comes angrily with a torch held in left hand: "What the fuk is wrong with you, dog?" then he hits the iron fence with torch forcefully to scare Frank.

Frank steps back and removes hands holding the fence: "I wanna see the commissioner."

"What? See commissioner?" The guard could not stop laughing, and pierce the torch through the fence to stab Frank.

Frank moves back again.

"Avoid?" The guard attempts to pick the key on his waist and smirks, "I an going to rip your leg off, little dog."

"I have important clues about the tax robbery case. I wanna see commissioner. Wanna hold the accountability for case delay? " Frank stares at him.

The guard stops shocked.

......

In the office, Jessica keeps nibbling the sugar cane, and takes out a few dates from the deerskin pouch occasionally to eat.

She does not care the case, but the other two can’t.

"Princeps commanded us to solve the case within five days. Cause the longer it goes by, the more impossible to get the tax back." Grant steps back and forth in the room, he is too anxious to sit there any more:

"But we do not have time now, we can't solve anything within several days." It needs more time to solve the case.

Eventually he punches his own palm and says formally, "Let me ask Dr.V for help."

Claudio hesitates a sec and says: "I'll go with you."

Jessica glances at him and says sweetly, "sound not bad, if Mr. Vigile Chief takes over the case, you are not gonna be held accountable by Princeps for the case."

"However, to leave an impression of incompetence in Dr.V's mind may be way much worse than to be held accountable by Princeps." She laughs with two small bright canine teeth.

Claudio's face shows dismay.

An officer walks in quickly, and says respectfully: "commissioner, the jailer reports that Frank Sun, the nephew of Marcus Sun, just claims that he has important clues about the tax case, and he wants to meet you."

The trio’s eyes focus on the officer simultaneously.

Frank Sun .... If I remember correctly, just a marginal irrelevant with the case. He has been identified as impertinent individual after the interrogation and investigation.

Grant muses momentarily and then says, "Bring him here now."

Soon Frank is brought by jailers, with bloody streaks on topless body, shuffling with handcuffs and shackles rattled.