Everything was in chaos...

  Sir Jacques, the mayor, the Red Priest, Sheriff Claude, the judge, and all the prominent figures of the town had gathered at the police station, arguing heatedly.

  Rudolf had brought back news of the attack on the Elk Tribe, along with evidence of three trade caravans and a traveling circus being ravaged by werewolves along the way. Werewolves had appeared on all sides of Laimont Town, blocking trade routes and leaving farmers in fear. The remaining Druid tribes were continuously requesting aid.

  After reporting the situation, Rudolf left the noisy office. He needed to find the veteran officer, Baby, to replenish his ammunition.

  Six alchemical shotgun shells, twelve alchemical bullets, and a few ordinary rounds.

  "Rudolf the Lucky! You made it back alive again!"

  Old Baby was more excited than Rudolf himself. If all patrol officers were as capable as Rudolf, the station wouldn’t need to keep hiring rookies.

  As Rudolf loaded his bullets, he quipped, "The goddess of luck almost suffocated me with her kisses. Good thing I ran fast enough."

  Rudolf envied Old Baby—his job was to manage the police station's stockpile of alchemical bullets. Once the sheriff approved a requisition, Baby would fetch them from the storeroom. Moreover, as a Level 1 alchemist, he could even craft alchemical shotgun shells himself. The work was easy and completely risk-free.

  Returning to his quarters, Rudolf opened a hidden package from his wardrobe. Inside was a revolver—one he'd taken from the farm at Ivona’s house.

  Tonight, he had plans. He couldn’t use his standard-issue police firearm; its design was too recognizable. This farm revolver, however, was much more ordinary. The barrel was short, and the wooden grip was dull and worn.

  When night fell, Rudolf sat up from bed once more. Everyone at the police station knew that Patrolman Rudolf liked to soak in the bathhouse, often returning quite late.

  Since he was supposedly out enjoying himself, he didn’t wear his uniform. Instead, he put on a plain suit and stepped out.

  Glancing at his pocket watch, Rudolf checked the time.

  7 PM. He had three hours.

  At 10 PM, Rudolf finally left the bathhouse.

  He walked along the streets at an irregular pace, sometimes speeding up, sometimes slowing down, his path seemingly random. The wide brim of his hat cast a shadow over his expression. As he passed through a dimly lit alley, he slipped on a mask—a mask painted with a purple scorpion.

  Before long, he arrived at Casino Street.

  As the name suggested, the street was home to three gambling houses. For travelers stopping in Laimont on their way to Fabro City, the casinos were a great place to pass the time.

  Rudolf entered the largest one, deftly weaving through the crowd of gamblers—some wildly gesturing in excitement, others hanging their heads in despair. Only a few took notice of the strange masked man.

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  He didn’t go upstairs. Instead, he made his way to the basement.

  A dimly lit corridor stretched ahead, flickering lamps casting long shadows. The constant sound of gun hammers being cocked filled the air—dozens of firearms were now pointed at him.

  Rudolf remained unfazed and kept walking toward the end of the hallway.

  That was quite a number... Ten or so guns—an impressive force in Laimont Town.

  Stopping before a door, he acted as if he knew the place well.

  And in truth, he did.

  Many criminals had passed through the underground cells of the police station. Some of them had dealings with Cassino, the man behind this establishment. Rudolf had learned of Cassino from a now-dead prisoner.

  The police station knew far more about Laimont Town than the criminals thought.

  "Open the door."

  The guards hesitated, unsure of who this masked figure was.

  But before they could react, the door opened from the inside.

  Rudolf stepped into the room.

  A single lamp hung from the ceiling, illuminating only a chair in the center. Rudolf walked over, seemingly unguarded, and sat down in the chair with an air of ease.

  Once his eyes adjusted to the dim light, he took in the full scene.

  Four guards stood in the corners of the room. Against the far wall sat a desk, behind which lounged a bearded, overweight man.

  Casino owner Cassino.

  He was the first to speak.

  "Tell me—what do you want?"

  Many people came to seek the generosity of Cassino.

  He was always willing to lend them plenty of money, letting them indulge at the gambling tables to their heart’s content.

  But the next moment, Cassino’s pupils shrank sharply.

  He had just heard four words.

  "He is still alive."

  Cassino's brows furrowed. He knew exactly who "he" referred to.

  And Rudolf knew that Cassino knew.

  The original Rudolf had died because he had rushed in too fast.

  An insignificant patrol trainee—just a nobody—had been the first to charge into the hideout of the Level 3 sorcerer, Bloody Sellen, during a witch hunt.

  Before he died, Rudolf had seen the people inside that hideout.

  A great battle had erupted between the sorcerers and the witch hunters, but before the fighting truly broke out, a few individuals had already escaped.

  One of them was the man sitting before him—Cassino.

  Cassino had fled in such a hurry that he hadn’t noticed the dying Rudolf.

  But Rudolf had memorized his face.

  "He is still alive..."

  Cassino's thoughts immediately turned to the Level 3 sorcerer who had been burned at the stake—Bloody Sellen.

  In the underworld of Laimont Town, Sellen was a name that inspired true terror.

  "How do you prove it?" Cassino asked cautiously.

  Rudolf didn’t answer. He simply stood up, as if thoroughly disappointed by Cassino’s stupidity, and turned to leave.

  "Wait!"

  Cassino was on edge, though he struggled to keep his composure.

  "I mean... I would very much like to personally express my respect to Master Sellen!"

  The idea of Rudolf walking out unsettled him.

  It would mean that Sellen had lost all patience with him.

  And a Level 3 sorcerer was not something to be taken lightly in Laimont Town.

  To Cassino’s relief, the masked man halted.

  Rudolf turned around, resting his hands on the back of the chair, his fingers running along the wooden frame.

  "Master Sellen is being more cautious now. He will not meet with anyone. He needs time to recover his strength."

  Cassino knew Sellen had been captured by the Inquisition and burned at the stake.

  But he also knew that Sellen was not so easy to kill.

  "From now on, I will be the one communicating with you on behalf of Master Sellen. When he reaches Level 4, he will come to see you himself."

  Hearing the word "Master," Cassino realized that this masked man might be Sellen’s apprentice.

  Rudolf continued, "Prepare three Starstones. Master Sellen needs them."

  The choice was now Cassino’s.

  He could refuse to believe it and turn this masked man into a bullet-riddled corpse right here and now.

  But Cassino knew more than most.

  He had some understanding of Sellen’s arcane artifacts.

  And he knew...

  That sorcerer was not so easily killed.

  "I have one Starstone here—you can take it now. The other two... I will acquire from the black market."

  Rudolf took the Starstone, pleased, and left Cassino’s casino.