Charlot held the Anti-Space Long-Range Rifle in his hands, contemplating under the darkened sky for a long while. Mimicking Lord Leo’s habit, he hid the extraordinary rifle inside his collar. After retrieving all his anti-magic armor-piercing rounds from his room, he avoided the main entrance, cast Cat Spirit Magic, and transformed into a young, nimble cat before heading straight toward No. 5 Dragon Fort Street, Chelsea Detective Agency in the Alcatras District.
He wasn’t entirely sure what he would find there, but he knew he had to go.
How could there be such a thing as being constantly assassinated without retaliating?
The Alcatras District, home to the middle class, wasn’t far from the Picardy District. Many middle-class residents of Alcatras preferred shopping in Picardy, with several connecting roads linking the two districts.
Transformed into a nimble young cat, Charlot leaped across rooftops like a streak of lightning.
Once he cast Cat Spirit Magic, he retained his Eye of Insight and Swiftstep Technique, with his spirituality remaining intact. However, Blood Glory was sealed by the cat’s form, preventing its use.
In other words, after using Cat Spirit Magic, he had speed—but very little combat ability.
Charlot wasn’t particularly concerned, though. After all, a cat running freely across rooftops in the dead of night drew far less attention than a person.
After dozens of minutes, Charlot glanced at a street sign—he had reached Dragon Fort Street. Following it, he quickly spotted the sign for Chelsea Detective Agency.
In Strasbourg, all detective agencies displayed signs to help those seeking aid find the appropriate agency.
It was already late at night. Most of Chelsea Detective Agency’s windows were dark, yet the second floor glowed faintly with light where silence should have reigned.
Relying on his cat-like agility, Charlot leapt onto the rooftop of the detective agency and found a chimney to slip through.
The Chelsea Detective Agency was housed in a small three-story building with only three rooms per floor. Charlot prowled through the third floor, finding nothing out of place nor anyone present, so he silently descended to the second floor.
There, outside the lit room, he quietly crouched down and listened to the voices within.
“Frederica, be gentler!”
“I am gentle! How did you end up in such a mess? Did you encounter a near-fatal counterattack?”
“No!”
“No? Then how are you this injured? The opponent must be a master swordsman. This strike was both venomous and ruthless, reminiscent of those vampires’ sword techniques.”
“Yes, but no near-fatal counterattack. I’m the only one who got hurt—the target was unharmed.”
“Algernon! What are you saying? You got hurt, yet you didn’t kill the target?”
The brown-haired, gray-eyed Algernon spread his hands, his thinly furred ears drooping as he said, “I didn’t expect this target to be so troublesome. I’ve attempted to assassinate him twice. The first time, I got stabbed with a sword and had to retreat. This time, I got hit on the head with an axe.” He turned to show the girl the large, round, blood-tinged bump on the back of his head—a mark left by a Vampiric Axe.
The girl gasped in shock. “Were you sent to assassinate a high-ranking Transcendent? This intelligence group is becoming more ridiculous by the day—they can’t even do basic reconnaissance properly!”
Algernon sighed. “He shouldn’t be high-rank, or even mid-rank. The report labeled him as a Fourth Rank. It’s not very accurate, but he can’t be above Fifth Rank at most! It’s just that he cultivates Blood Glory…”
The girl, named Frederica, had the typical features of a feline beastkin. She possessed a beautiful face, a slender figure, and two large, round ears. Her emerald-green eyes shone with energy and fervor, while faint dark spots marked her healthy bronze skin. However, she wasn’t a mere cat girl—she was a genuine leopard girl.
Frederica muttered, “Blood Glory? That trashy extraordinary technique? Nobody cultivates that in the Old Continent anymore. After all, the great empires don’t permit senseless killings. Without killing, cultivating Blood Glory is as slow as a tortoise.”
“The only nation unconcerned with killing civilians is Byron, but the vampires there despise Blood Glory. If they catch someone cultivating it, they’ll execute them without mercy.”
Algernon said quietly, “His cultivation in Blood Glory is indeed low, but he’s mastered Bloodfire Aura and Angel’s Thorn!”
“That man’s swordsmanship is exceptional, and his combat strength is terrifying. He has an uncanny intuition that allows him to see through my blade variations and respond with perfectly countering moves.
“Moreover, he’s extremely cunning. My second assassination attempt failed because he set a trap for me. The moment I attacked, he nearly blew my head off with a single strike!”
Algernon didn’t dare to elaborate on the details. After all, being fooled by such a simple trick was nothing to be proud of.
Charlot stretched lazily and thought to himself, “So this guy’s name is Algernon!”
“It’s time to kill him.”
“Might as well kill that beastkin girl too!”
“Although she’s innocent, so am I. Taking them both out should temporarily sever the Orc Assassin Alliance’s influence in Strasbourg and delay their sending of a third wave of assassins.”
“Or I could start a fire…”
“Burn their transaction ledgers or something…”
Charlot began calculating the best way to strike.
Algernon, with his brown hair and gray eyes, was clearly stronger than Charlot. Meanwhile, Frederica’s strength was unknown. If he failed and the two teamed up against him, he wouldn’t stand a chance.
“I’ll kill Frederica first!”
Having made up his mind, Charlot tensed his four paws, then launched himself into the air. While still mid-jump, the cat transformed into a handsome young man. Reaching for his collar, he drew out the Anti-Space Long-Range Rifle. Before even landing, he had already taken aim.
The moment his feet touched the ground, he decisively pulled the trigger.
An anti-magic armor-piercing round blasted through the room’s door, leaving a massive, gaping hole.
Charlot fired, but something felt off—through the hole, he couldn’t see the girl.
“I missed!”
Without hesitation, Charlot returned the rifle to his collar, sprang up instantly, and bolted toward the third floor.
Just as he leaped, a long, slender leg smashed into the ground where he’d been.
Had Charlot been even a moment slower, that strike would have shattered all his ribs.
The leopard girl, Frederica, twisted her waist gracefully, leaping after him. She shouted sharply, “Die!”
Her attack was answered by a Vampiric Axe flying toward her!
While still mid-air, Frederica moved as though she could fly. Twisting her body, she barely dodged the axe and reached to snatch its handle. Yet, as if alive, the axe suddenly shifted direction and swung toward her wrist.
Frederica’s wrist twisted nimbly, knocking the axe aside.
The Vampiric Axe spun in the air, let out a shriek, and flew up to the third floor.