NOVEL WEB Chapter 20: 20
Chapter 96: Dockside Gangs (First Update)Title of the Book: Mystery: Fire and the Fool's Path Author's name: December's Stranding Chapter word count: 3226 words Update time: 2025-06-02 13:03:30
Caroline was not at all surprised when her name was suddenly called out. In fact, when she realized that someone was following her from the Dragon Bar, she had already roughly anticipated this possibility.
But she didn't expect that there were actually two groups of people following her, and one of them just wanted to talk about business.
"Looking for me? It's so late, it's not appropriate to look for me."
Caroline said loudly, pretending to know nothing first.
"Ha! You've come to the docks at this hour, and you still think it's late?"
Miles at the corner of the alley laughed strangely, and his companions around him also laughed strangely.
Looking at this group of completely unreliable people, Caroline leaned slightly towards Io and asked in a low voice:
"Do you know these people? What do they do?"
Io answered with gritted teeth:
"They are a well-known gang of thugs in the dock area. They rely on their status as subordinates of the Iron Thorn Gang to collect protection fees everywhere. People who know them basically avoid them."
"Ironthorn Gang? What is that?"
"They are one of the largest gangs in the dock area. It is said that their leader has some connections with the chief of police station here, so even if ordinary patrol officers see them committing crimes, they will not intervene. Even if they are arrested by the Tingen Police Headquarters for some reasons, they will be quickly released within a day and continue to bully the dock area."
Caroline said "Oh", nodded, looked at the people at the alley entrance, and muttered in a low voice:
"I thought Tingen's police system was quite upright, but it seems that only a few people can uphold justice."
"Miss, you are a little too naive. There are no such good policemen in this world..."
"It's hard to say."
Caroline smiled meaningfully, and then continued:
"Then according to your experience, do you think these gentlemen are planning to rob people of their money or their women?"
Io turned his head and looked at Caroline in surprise, as if wondering how she could ask such a question so calmly.
"I think... they might be planning to do both."
"That's really a lot of bad things."
Caroline said, taking a step forward, ready to draw her gun, and said to Miles, the leader on the opposite side:
"My friend, I don't think we need to use violence to solve the problem. Do you have any difficulties? Maybe I can help you."
Miles shrugged his shoulders and shook his head, looking like a classic gangster. He put his hands in his pockets, whistled inexplicably, and then said:
"Hey, are you really willing to help us?"
Caroline smiled and replied:
"Of course, I've always been a helpful person."
Miles' aggressive gaze quickly swept over Caroline's body. He tilted his head to glance at his accomplice beside him, and then they laughed together again, making people wonder if they had taken some prohibited substances.
"That's great. We are really short of money. Please hand over all the money you have. Ha, that pile of money you took out when you paid at the bar."
So it was because of this... As expected, the words of our ancestors are full of life truths. You must never show off your wealth in a place like a bar...
After listening to Miles' words, Caroline immediately analyzed the cause of the incident. But before she could say anything, Miles, who was blocking the alley, took a few steps forward, then gestured to Caroline, and said in a twisted and sarcastic tone:
"Also, we've been working so hard that we're really depressed. We really need a pretty girl like you to help us out."
Caroline's expression darkened. Seeing the situation getting more tense, Io stepped forward and slightly blocked Caroline behind him. At the same time, he negotiated with Miles:
"Myers, I advise you to calm down. You know, this lady is related to Old Neil. And this is the territory of the Dragon Bar. Do you, the Iron Thorn Gang, intend to break the rules here?"
"Old Neil? What's there to be afraid of an old man who's half in a grave? He's just relying on his connections with the cops. Do you think I'm afraid of the cops?"
Miles raised the corners of his mouth and licked his yellowed teeth with his tongue.
"Besides, as long as no one reports it, who would know that someone disappeared after leaving the bar tonight?"
Hearing this, Caroline nodded and reminded Io:
"It seems they are planning to kill people after robbing them."
"I can hear that..."
Io's expression seemed very nervous. In fact, it was partly due to him that they were blocked in this alley by Miles and others.
"Can you handle this?"
Caroline turned her head curiously to look at Io's face, but when she saw the other's stiff facial muscles, she already got the answer.
"I...can't guarantee that I can do it."
"Then let me do it."
Io frowned and looked at Caroline, who still showed no signs of nervousness, and said as if to confirm the current situation with her again and again:
"There are six of them, and we only have two. This group of people is notorious for fighting in the dock area. Even if you are a bounty hunter, how many people can you fight with your bare hands without any weapons?"
"No need for weapons, I will convince them with the truth."
Caroline answered, then walked around Io and came to the front, blocking him behind her.
"Gentlemen, I think you may be a little depressed. Look at you, you all start talking nonsense."
"If you feel depressed, go home and sleep. If you really can't handle it, find a way to solve it yourself. What's the point of hanging around outside? It's a waste of time and your youth."
Seeing Caroline showing no fear at all, Miles's suppressed heart was aroused with more impulses.
He walked towards Caroline and said:
"Then please help us solve the problem..."
"Don't move."
Caroline lowered her center of gravity slightly and stretched out her left hand to block and warn Miles.
The latter glanced at her right hand hidden behind her back and laughed with disdain.
"Hahaha, do you think we are that idiot Oz? Will we be scared by your little tricks?"
"Girl, stop playing with those air guns. Come, we have better guns here."
Caroline shook her head and whispered with some emotion:
"I'm beginning to miss Sichuan..."
Then she quickly pulled out the Truth from her waist and pulled the trigger towards the sky.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
The deafening sound of gunfire immediately pierced the tranquility of the night. Io, who was still thinking about how to break the deadlock, subconsciously lowered his head and covered his ears. The thugs blocking the alley also instantly panicked.
Miles, who was still approaching, suddenly turned pale and almost fell to the ground. He ran outside in a hurry, and his accomplices became a mess, pushing and shoving each other, shouting and cursing.
"Shit!"
"She really has a gun!!"
"Miles you're an idiot! Didn't you promise she didn't have a weapon?"
"Run quickly! Otherwise you'll be shot!"
The gang of thugs, who had seemed somewhat oppressive, immediately scattered and quickly fled the alley. The kerosene lights from the street shone into the alley again.
Seeing the trouble gone, Caroline was relieved. She was not going to really shoot anyone. Although after becoming a Beyonder, she had expected that one day in the future, she might take someone's life with her own hands, but she didn't want that day to come so soon.
Putting down the hand that was holding the gun high, Caroline turned around and looked at Io, who was still squatting on the ground, holding his head with both hands, with a look of shock on his face. She smiled at him and said:
"See, I told you the truth is still very useful, right?"
...
A few minutes later, inside the "Dragon Bar".
There were no other customers in the bar, but the bartender still stood behind the bar, wiping the glasses in silence.
At a table in the corner, Io Bronson, who had recovered from his shock, sat opposite Caroline, with two glasses of freshly poured ginger beer on the table.
"Ahahaha, it seems my ability to judge people was a little wrong this time..."
Io smiled exaggeratedly, trying his best to hide his inner unrest.
Caroline looked at Io, whose gaze was a little evasive, chuckled, and pushed the ginger beer in front of him.
Io quickly took the wine glass and forced himself to keep a polite smile, but that smile looked uncomfortable no matter how he looked at it.
His eyes blinked rapidly and he was a little at a loss, with his hands on his legs for a while and then on the table, as if there was some balance problem with the chair under him, causing him to be restless.
Pretending to be calm, Io drank a sip of ginger beer and said hesitantly:
"Well, uh, I didn't expect you actually had a weapon..."
Caroline tilted her head, raised her eyebrows and asked:
"You think I'm a bounty hunter, don't you? How can a bounty hunter not carry a weapon?"
"Well, I thought you were the kind of bounty hunter who relied on his skills... you know, the kind that doesn't rely on violence."
"This is not violence."
Caroline took a sip of her ginger beer.
"This is the truth."
"Ahahaha... yes, it's the truth, it's the truth..."
Io nodded repeatedly. Caroline's friendly attitude calmed his frightened heart a little.
He took a few sips of ginger beer, exhaled, and let his mind completely calm down. Then he looked at Caroline again and said with admiration:
"Miss, you are truly a bounty hunter with an excellent disguise."
"Camouflage"... As a hunter, it is very important to maintain your own camouflage during the hunting process.
You must not let the prey discover you, and similarly, you must not let the prey be aware of your movements, your actions, or your plans.
Caroline held the wine glass in her hand and quickly summarized her hunter's code in her mind.
For some reason, after hearing Io Bronson's heartfelt admiration, she actually felt that the power of the potion in her body had undergone a subtle change.
Is this what is called "digestion"?
Caroline could feel that her potion was still a long way from being completely digested by her, but there was some significant change after all.
The role-playing method really works. It was a good decision to come to the "Dragon Bar" tonight...
Caroline thought as she picked up her glass and took another sip of the wonderful ginger beer.Chapter 97 Iron Fist (Part 2)Title of the Book: Mystery: Fire and the Fool's Path Author's name: December's Stranding Chapter word count: 3205 words Update time: 2025-06-02 18:00:00
After the two of them took some time to calm down, Io Bronson took the opportunity to talk to Caroline about the incident of them being blocked in the alley.
"How did you find out you were being followed?"
"That's how I found it."
Caroline spread her hands, her tone as if it was as simple as one plus one equals two.
"Your footsteps were too loud, and you didn't hide the noise of following someone. Before I walked out of the Dragon Bar, I felt several eyes locked on my back. That's when I guessed someone was following me out of the bar."
"Is it that simple?"
Io cried out in great astonishment:
"I didn't notice anything from Miles and his guys."
"Haha, that's because your attention has been on me, so of course it's hard for you to notice them."
Caroline didn't give any hints about her own extraordinaryness, she spoke as if she really had powerful anti-tracking skills.
As Io herself said, she is a technical bounty hunter.
Looking at Caroline's confident demeanor, Io couldn't help but shake his head and sigh.
He felt like he had met a very extraordinary guy...
"so..."
While Io was distracted, he heard Caroline tapping the table and saying to him:
"What commission do you want from me?"
"Well..."
Io hesitated for a moment, subconsciously clenched his right hand into a fist, put it against his mouth, muffled his voice, and replied slowly:
"I want to go back and discuss this with my accomplices, er, companions."
"I was careless before, but now I think we may not be able to afford a bounty hunter of your caliber."
Caroline waved her hand and said casually:
"My prices are very affordable, and I will adjust the compensation based on the actual needs of the commission. Of course, I will not accept any commissions such as hiring assassins for the time being."
"It's not that serious. It's just some small things we want to entrust."
Io quickly defended himself.
Caroline sized up Io's posture, she had a good impression of this young man with the face of the Southern Continent, especially when they were blocked in the alley just now, he actually tried to cover himself.
Well, although the behavior is not very polite, it is already a breath of fresh air in the mixed dock area.
Thinking about this, Caroline asked again about Io's previous words:
"You said you were going to go back and discuss this with your companions. Why, you have a small social group?"
"Why, of course!"
Io perked up at this, and Caroline could clearly see the passion flaring in his eyes.
"Don't be fooled by the arrogant look of Miles and his gang just now. They are just relying on the fact that I came to the Dragon Bar alone today. If my brothers came with me, they would never dare to follow me!"
"Oh? You have little brothers? You don't have a small gang of your own, do you?"
Io gave Caroline a thumbs up and said proudly:
"Yes, we are one of the famous new gangs in the dock area. You can go to the warehouse area and ask the boss of the Agnar Gang, 'Witty Io'!"
"Agnar Gang?"
"Agnar is the language of my hometown, which means fire. Well, it symbolizes the everlasting power and hope for the future."
"Great, great."
Caroline clapped symbolically. She did not reject these so-called small gangs. She also understood that if one wanted to gain a foothold in such a place, unless one had enough power, it would inevitably involve some small group problems.
As long as Io's so-called "Agna Gang" does not involve any excessive evil influences, she doesn't mind establishing a connection with him.
Caroline took out her pocket watch and checked the time. She immediately snapped it shut and said to Io:
"Then please go back and discuss it with your friends. See you next time?"
"Please wait a moment."
Io reached out and stopped Caroline who was about to get up and leave.
"I don't know your name yet. If we meet again next time, I can't call you Miss Bounty Hunter anymore, right?"
Yes, if you want to operate as a bounty hunter for a long time, you should have a suitable name that can disguise your true identity.
Well, it would be best to use a name combination that is unlikely to exist in this world.
Caroline thought quickly, caught the fleeting inspiration in her mind, then looked up at Io and said:
"Cirilla Crawford, a hunter."
...
"Damn it, it's all your fault, Miles. If you hadn't yelled that the chick was rich and tricked us into going to block her together, we wouldn't have gone with you!"
"That's right! It's all your fault. We almost got shot today!"
After escaping from the alley, Miles and his group tried to blame each other, but they were quite united and unanimously put all the blame on Miles, the leader.
Miles was so angry that he was shaking all over. He pointed his finger at these good friends who could only share the good times but not the bad times, and cursed mercilessly:
"Blame me? Who couldn't control himself the moment he saw that woman's face? Who couldn't wait to catch up with her the moment he saw the money on her?"
"Who knew that the woman really had a gun? Who knew that she had clearly shown last time that she had no gun, but suddenly she had a gun this time?"
"And that guy Io Bronson, if he hadn't been there to bother us, what would it matter if that woman had a gun? We could have just kidnapped her from behind!"
Miles muttered with gritted teeth as a group of people walked on the dark path like a wriggling dark cloud. The smacking sound of their shoes as they stepped through the puddles seemed so chaotic.
The few accomplices surrounding Miles had not yet recovered from the shock they had just experienced. They wanted to continue complaining, but were interrupted by Miles' sharp shout before any human voices could be heard.
"Okay, stop complaining. That woman was lucky this time!"
Miles kicked the garbage piled on the roadside hard, not caring at all that the dirty and smelly stuff would get on his shoes.
"That woman will appear near the Dragon Bar sooner or later. Tomorrow we will bring a few more people and apply to the boss. We will say that Io Bronson is planning to compete with us for territory. This way we can also bring guns."
"I just don't believe that woman can run away again."
The scene planned by Miles made several people start to imagine the scene a few days later. They imagined that they were also carrying guns and blocking Caroline in the alley again.
"What a great idea!"
"It's Miles again. He always has endless bad ideas and tricks!"
The complaints and dissatisfaction just now disappeared in an instant, as if they had never blamed Miles.
Listening to the words of praise surrounding his ears, Miles's narrow vanity immediately rose.
But he didn't enjoy this happiness for long, as they were stopped on a path between several houses.
"Stand there."
Miles narrowed his eyes, feeling elated. From afar, he saw several tall figures hidden in the night blocking their way.
Although his face couldn't be seen clearly, his body, which was much stronger than the tallest person here, could not be concealed.
Miles hurriedly stopped and hid a little among his companions, and said with fear in his heart:
"Who are you?"
The answer Miles got was a whistling sound of wind, an extremely terrifying sound coming from behind them.
Everyone subconsciously looked back, and what greeted them were several solid iron rods swinging down at them.
None of the people on the trail escaped the attack. The intense pain made them dizzy, but then they felt a heavy blow to their legs.
The pain, as if a broken bone, made them fall to the ground immediately. However, before the pain of falling could fade away, the whistling iron rods hit them like a violent storm.
The arms, shoulders, back, legs, chest and abdomen, and the most terrifying part, did not escape the mysterious people's crazy attacks.
"Ah! Ah!! Wait a minute! Who are you guys?!"
Miles, who was feeling pain all over his body, hurriedly spoke out to figure out the current situation. He tried to beg for mercy, but before he could say a word, an iron rod hit him directly on the mouth.
The pain of teeth falling out and jaw breaking came together, and Miles' throat was blocked by the broken teeth he accidentally swallowed.
He began to cough violently, and the noise caused displeasure to the mysterious people.
A mysterious man raised the iron rod in his hand high and hit Miles hard on the lower body.
"Aaaaaaah——!"
...
"The police officers at Tingen Police Station will be very shocked. The gangsters from the dock area that they have been worried about will appear before them in this way."
"They had seen threatening letters delivered to the police station at night before, but this was the first time they saw someone throwing a half-dead thug in front of the police station."
"Pinster Miles, this gangster who has been doing evil for many years by relying on the gang power in the dock area has always been a thorn in the eyes of the Tingen police. However, due to some unspeakable reasons, they have never been able to really put him on trial, allowing him to roam freely in the dock area for many years."
"But now, with multiple fractures and broken bones, heavy bleeding under the skin, and already in a deep coma, Mr. Miles will probably no longer be able to get away with it."
"The Ironthorns in the docks might be angry, and they might think this is a provocation from a rival gang. The Tingen police might feel relieved that someone finally did what they had been wanting to do. The people in the docks might be happy because they will finally not see this bastard again."
"They don't know that Miles's misfortune stems from a pursuit threat he shouldn't have made, and the persecution plan that continued after that."
"Not shooting Miles and the others on the spot was the greatest mercy that Albert Hanover's secret agents showed to these social scums."
——"The iron fist from above is smashing down."
The next morning, Caroline was brushing her teeth in the bathroom. She had nothing to do so she opened the "Void Cube" to read yesterday's "report" and looked at the article with shock on her face.Chapter 98 Library (Part 3)Title of the Book: Mystery: Fire and the Fool's Path Author's name: December's Stranding Chapter word count: 3054 words Update time: 2025-06-02 20:00:00
Miles, the gang leader who cornered me in the alley last night?
He and his accomplices were severely injured by Albert's secret sentry and are now unconscious?
Because they tried to attack me yesterday and were seen by Albert's men?
Looking at the lines of text on the fluorescent "report", Caroline's hand holding the toothbrush dropped involuntarily, and the foam in her mouth almost dripped from her surprised and open mouth.
She quickly closed her mouth, ended the development of the "Void Cube", returned to the bathroom, picked up the cup of water, poured sips of water into her mouth, gurgled a few times, and spit all the foam in her mouth into the sink.
Yesterday she deliberately fired into the air to scare away Miles and his gang in order to prevent the matter from getting out of hand. After all, she had no roots in Tingen and was at most just a newly arrived bounty hunter. If she got into trouble with the local evil forces and had to spend time and energy to deal with them, it would not be in line with her way of being a "hunter".
But unexpectedly, she did not take action against those hooligans, but someone else helped her do it.
As expected, her cheap uncle Albert's spy followed her to Tingen. She didn't know whether he really cared about her safety or was just overwhelmed by his desire for control.
However, these sentinels were really quick. As soon as she drove the man away, they beat him severely.
Judging from the description in the "report", it seems that Miles and his group have not given up the idea of attacking her, and the secret sentry who followed them happened to hear it, so it caused the disaster...
Tsk tsk tsk, the man was not killed, which means the secret sentries still held back. It might be an order from Albert, telling them not to be too ostentatious.
Caroline shook her head, put the toothbrush and cup together, and started washing them under the faucet.
It seems that none of his actions in Tingen escaped Albert's eyes, but he took a completely laissez-faire attitude towards it. What does this mean?
Did Albert know that she was a bounty hunter and was monitoring Lanevus? Would he send someone to investigate Lanevus? Would this alert him?
No, Albert is an experienced major general after all. He should know how to dispatch his secret guards.
Caroline's dear uncle's attitude is becoming more and more unpredictable...
Caroline gathered some water in her palms and lowered her head to wash her face with clean water.
After raising her head, she looked at the face reflected in the mirror in front of her. Looking at the pretty face that did not belong to her, which was now covered with water droplets, the memories from her original body before death began to emerge in her mind again, disturbing her spirit and causing her to start to lose focus unconsciously.
Caroline quickly used meditation techniques, closed her eyes, concentrated her attention, gathered her thoughts, and tried hard to outline the appearance of the Gate of the End in her mind, using her imagination to replace the memories that kept arising.
After a while, she suppressed those memories again. When she opened her eyes again, Caroline saw that her eyes in the mirror revealed a tiredness that was difficult to conceal.
"Is this the obsession of the original body that remains in this body..."
Caroline murmured softly, taking a towel and wiping all the water off her face.
It seems that she has not been able to completely forget the bizarre experience before her original body's death, including the mystery of her original body's death and the truth about the murder of the Williams couple. These are all problems that she must solve in the future.
After many days, this question was once again put before Caroline.
Since Albert's secret sentry had been monitoring her actions and could quickly come out to help her solve problems when she got into trouble, then why was her original body killed in that alley that night, while Albert's secret sentry had not taken any action, and even Albert himself had no idea about it.
Is there something wrong with Albert's secret sentry?
Caroline tightly grasped the towel in her hand. She felt that the truth of the matter would not be so easily revealed to her.
Once her mission in Tingen is complete and she has made a little progress on her extraordinary path, she will go back to Backlund and investigate the matter thoroughly.
...
After getting up, washing up, and changing her clothes, Caroline left the hotel and went to the rooftop observation point where she monitored the Lanevus Steel Company.
Just like yesterday, Lanevus was still in the company today, and nothing unusual happened.
After a morning of observation, Caroline confirmed Lanevus's condition and did not stare at him all day like she did yesterday.
When it was noon, Caroline left the surveillance point, found a restaurant for lunch, and then took a bus to the Jin Wutong District.
Her destination was the largest library in Tingen, the Deville Library.
She went to find books to learn about the occult.
Although monitoring Lanevus was important, it was equally important for her to learn more about mysticism and better understand and integrate into the extraordinary world.
As a large library in a city, even though it was donated and built by the local wealthy man Sir Deville, it also has a considerable collection of books.
Of course, the number of books here could not be compared with the library of Caroline's alma mater, Backlund University, but it was enough to meet her needs.
To borrow books from the Deville Library, one needs to apply for a library card. This is the case for most private libraries in Loen, and one often needs a letter of introduction to process the application.
Caroline didn't have a letter of introduction, but she brought along proof that she was a student at Backlund University before she left. With the help of some well-known financial tricks, she didn't spend too much time receiving her own library card amid the bright smile of the library staff.
With her ID, Caroline took a few books related to mysticism, found a relatively quiet corner in the library, and began to read quietly.
Unlike boring studies, perhaps because this knowledge is very novel to her, or perhaps because reading books on the occult is similar to reading setting collections of Western fantasy novels, Caroline does not feel bored. Instead, she absorbs the knowledge of this world with great interest.
Time slipped away quietly like the sunlight pouring in from the window as Caroline turned the pages of the book. When she closed the book "Wonderful Mysticism" and looked at the clock on the wall, she found that it was already three o'clock in the afternoon.
"I had the impression that so-called mysticism was the result of research by some folk groups. I didn't expect that in this world it is actually a systematic and popular research project..."
"The mystical knowledge in this world is somewhat similar to some of the Cthulhu mythology stories I've read before. Could this be one of the reasons why I traveled through time?"
"All kinds of secret organizations, cults, and spiritualities hidden in life..."
"There are also those mysteries hidden deep in history, the conflicted Fourth Age and the mysterious Third Age, as well as the even more distant and bizarre First and Second Ages. Mysticism seems to be inextricably linked to history..."
Caroline sighed silently, this knowledge was not something she could learn in a few days, but it was a good start to get off to a good start.
She focused on the knowledge about gods, and there was a passage that left a deep impression on her.
"...When you call upon the honorific name of God, even if it is inadvertent, you will establish a connection with God. Any description composed of extraordinary language that may have a referential meaning has the opportunity to point to a certain existence..."
Calling the name of the god... like "Fusheng Xuanhuang Tianzun", "The omniscient and omnipotent god, the king of the endless void, the one to whom all things return to one"...
There is also the "fools who do not belong to this era"... ?
Caroline has called out many descriptive names of beings, but so far only The Fool has responded.
But the problem is that whether it was the "Fusheng Xuanhuang Tianzun" in the fortune-changing ceremony or the Yug Bubble Honored Name when unfolding the "Void Cube", she recited them in Chinese.
The only time she received a definite response was when she recited the name of "The Fool" in the Hermetic language.
If you must say, she had also attracted The Fool's attention when she chanted "福生玄黄天尊" in Chinese before.
So can "Fushengxuanhuang Tianzun" and "the fool who does not belong to this era" both refer to "the fool"?
Who would the honorific name of Yog-Sothoth refer to here? But she had called out so many times and received no specific response. Does this mean that in this world, the honorific name of Yog should not refer to anyone?
Or was it because she used the wrong language?
How about trying Hermetic?
Thinking of this, Caroline couldn't help but recall the ritual magic of praying to the "Fool".
That ritual magic was obviously used to pray to God, and the effect was definitely better than just staying in the church and reciting prayers.
Before, she chanted the name of "The Fool". If she changed the spell to Yog-Sothoth...
"No, no, this is too dangerous!"
Caroline immediately vetoed this desperate attempt.
"Let's not talk about whether those honorific names will point to Yug Bubble. What if it points to some other place in this world? Then won't I be put on the table of another god?"
As a member of the Fool Tarot Club, if she were to establish contact with other gods, would that be considered a betrayal of Mr. Fool?
If The Fool knew about this, he might just kill her...
"Let's put these thoughts aside. Right now, the honorific name of Yog Bubble can be used to summon the 'Void Cube', which is already its greatest use..."
Caroline pinched her forehead and sighed.
Seeing that half of the afternoon had passed, Caroline sorted out the books, noted the ones she had not finished reading, and returned them to the bookshelf one by one.
Afterwards, she left the Deville Library, found a carriage on the roadside, and rushed to the dock area again without stopping.Chapter 99: EncounterTitle of the Book: Mystery: Fire and the Fool's Path Author's name: December's Stranding Chapter word count: 3568 words Update time: 2025-06-03 13:18:50
When Caroline arrived at the "Dragon Bar" this time, Rune Bar was at its busiest time.
At around four o'clock in the afternoon, more people were leaving work, either to relax before dinner or to seek a night of fun. In short, on the street where the "Dragon Bar" is located, this time of afternoon close to dusk is when the crowds are the largest and the street scene is the most lively.
The horse-drawn carriage slowly stopped across the street from the Dragon Bar. The coachman apologized to Caroline very apologetically, probably meaning that in order not to scare the horses, he couldn't get any closer to the bar.
Caroline had no objection to this. She readily expressed her understanding, got off the bus after paying the fare, and walked the last distance to the Dragon Bar on foot.
When they arrived at the door of the bar, perhaps because there were too many customers, there was an extra guard at the door of the bar today in addition to the burly man that Caroline often saw.
That man obviously didn't know Caroline. When he saw Caroline approaching, whose clothes and posture were out of place with the people around her, he subconsciously looked at Caroline with a scrutinizing look.
But the old acquaintance next to him knew Caroline, but this time Caroline came in ordinary clothes, so he didn't recognize her at first.
When he recognized Caroline, he made way for her a little and nodded respectfully.
"Um?"
Caroline looked at him strangely, and then recalled that Miles and others were beaten into the hospital last night.
This news must have spread throughout the entire dock area. Other people may not know what happened before and after, but the people in the Dragon Bar definitely know.
They wouldn't think that I was the one who ordered them to attack that gang of thugs...
Caroline couldn't help feeling ashamed. Although she had an alibi after that, she suddenly thought about how she could reason with the gangsters.
If that group of people wanted to cause trouble, they could easily find countless reasons.
"It seems I have to be more careful recently..."
Caroline thought about it, then pushed open the door and walked into the noisy bar.
Caroline was immersed in the malt fever and the smell of sweat. Before her eyes was a passionate crowd, and all kinds of noise and cheers were exploding in her ears.
She casually glanced at the place where the crowd gathered, and saw that on the empty rings at night, there were real boxers fighting each other. She then looked at the small rings next to them, where there were also many people fighting dogs.
Wine splashed, coins fell, fists were shaken and feet were stamped, there were howlings and screams, Caroline really didn't like this kind of disorderly madness.
Caroline pushed through the crowd and headed straight for the bar.
Fortunately, the bartender working behind the bar was still the one she had met a few times.
"Business is really good."
Caroline squeezed in front of the bartender and raised her hand to knock on the bar table a few times.
The bartender who was mixing drinks looked up, his bored eyes suddenly fixed. Although his facial expression did not change much, Caroline could still sense his unexpected surprise.
But he was a professional bartender after all. After controlling his emotions, he swung the shaker in his hand and said to Caroline:
"Bronson left a message for you."
"That boy from Agnar's gang?"
Caroline also specifically pointed out the name of the gang that Io had established.
The bartender nodded and said:
"He asked me to tell you that he has made a decision and is ready to talk to you in detail."
They discussed it quite quickly. I thought he would take his little brothers to wait and see for a while.
Caroline knocked on the bar and replied:
"Then please tell him that if he wants to talk in detail, he can come to see me at the Old Weir Restaurant in the West District at noon tomorrow. I will wait for him in the restaurant's private room for about half an hour."
"Okay, but I can't guarantee that he'll come tonight."
"It's okay, I'll be there in the next few days."
Caroline said, looking towards the corridor inside the bar.
"So am I here early enough today?"
She turned her gaze back to the bartender and gave him a smile.
The bartender swung the shaker in his hand, tossed the metal cup up and caught it, then glanced at Caroline and glanced to the side.
"Billiard Room No. 3."
He said it casually, as if he was quoting the price of today's beer.
"Thank you so much."
Caroline thanked him, then left the bar and headed towards the inner corridor.
After walking around the bar, she quickly found billiard room number 3. After knocking on the door, Caroline pushed it open and saw two people standing in the billiard room, holding cues, talking and laughing, but not playing.
When they saw Caroline come in, the two people who were chatting and laughing immediately stopped talking and laughing, and looked at her quickly.
Caroline stood there calmly, pointed behind her, closed the door and said:
"The bartender showed me the way."
The two of them immediately nodded in understanding and quietly made way. One of them reached out to open the secret door on the other side of the door for Caroline, while the other one held the golf club and said to Caroline nonchalantly:
"Keep going inside."
Caroline nodded slightly to the two of them and walked into the secret door.
After walking through a few rooms, Caroline's vision became much brighter, and she soon saw a place that was slightly smaller than the underground trading market in the East District of Backlund.
Due to limited space, the stalls here have become more crowded, but at least there is room for people to walk. And because of the crowding, it seems even more lively, just like a vegetable market that can be found everywhere.
Of course, the premise is to ignore the bottles and cans and various wonderful little items displayed on the stalls.
Caroline perked herself up and was about to go see what new stuff this underground trading market had, when her keen senses immediately noticed a figure suddenly falling in front of her.
She quickly stopped herself from taking a step forward and looked down, only to see a young man in tattered clothes crawling in front of her, muttering something.
What's going on?
Caroline leaned over and gently patted the young man's shoulder, wanting to ask about the situation.
Then, she heard someone shouting at her:
"Don't pay attention to him, he's just going crazy!"
Caroline turned around and saw a burly man walking towards her impatiently and kicking the young man mercilessly.
"Hurry up, Ademisol, you are disturbing others! If you want to go crazy, just roll quietly to the corner and don't disturb passers-by here!"
Is this young man so unpopular?
Caroline thought to herself, and then she saw the young man named Admisor tremblingly getting up from the ground.
She noticed the other person's pale face, unfocused eyes, and cracked and trembling lips that kept saying something.
Ademisol's eyes glanced around blankly, then fell on Caroline who was standing in front of him.
Caroline saw his blurry eyes slowly come into focus, but the focus didn't seem to be on her.
Then, she saw Admisol's mouth corners slowly rise, but his eyebrows kept showing fear, his eyes widened, his pupils shrank, and he shouted as if he had seen something terrible:
"Fire… on fire… on fire!!"
He hugged his head and ran away screaming, but the people around him didn't pay much attention to him, as if this was just his lonely performance stage.
Caroline, who was yelled at for no reason, didn't care about the offense. Instead, she was a little concerned about Admisol's performance.
Is he born with a mental illness? Or does he see things that others can't?
Fire...Based on the words used in several "reports" and the subsequent clues mentioned by the "Hanged Man", fire should be able to refer to the "Hunter" path.
Did he see through my Beyonder identity? But he shouldn't be so panicked, right?
Holding her chin and thinking for a while, Caroline looked at Admisol, who had crawled into a corner, with his back to everyone, squatting there trembling, as if avoiding something. She shook her head and no longer paid attention to this little episode.
Walking into the aisle between the stalls, Caroline looked around casually and found that most of the materials here were ordinary items, which should be auxiliary materials. There were even some that she had seen in the spice shop before.
So Caroline gave up the search for materials and turned her attention to those amulets that looked interesting.
Just like when she was on Earth, she never concealed her love for these small objects. But when she thought that these objects might really play some mystical role, she couldn't help but suppress her love and face every object she saw with a more cautious attitude.
With this mentality, Caroline walked around but still didn't choose any item.
So she had to focus on the things she could use now.
"Excuse me, how much is this rope?"
Caroline squatted in front of a stall and pointed at a slightly golden rope on the ground.
The stall owner, who was wearing a black robe that had a mystical aura, came over to take a look, then cast a gloomy gaze at Caroline and corrected her:
"It is the string of a talisman, woven from the roots of sunflowers."
With the stall owner's reminder, Caroline noticed that the rope she wanted was tied to a amulet.
"Well, that's the rope I'm asking about."
The stall owner was stunned for a moment, then laughed strangely and said:
"Miss, your preferences are really strange."
"However, the rope is not sold separately unless you buy the amulet as well."
"Then forget it."
Caroline spread her hands regretfully. She had only been attracted by the nice-looking rope and wanted to buy it to use as the tether for the "Silver Key".
But if she still wanted to buy a talisman whose use she didn't know and whether it would attract some unknown situations, then she could just go to the outside trading market and buy an ordinary straw rope.
Although she thought so, Caroline looked elsewhere to see if there were any individual ropes available for purchase.
"Excuse me, how much are those shadow lizard scales?"
At this moment, Caroline heard a voice behind her.
She turned her head and looked up, and saw a kind gentleman with a round face asking the stall owner.
Caroline looked where he pointed and found the bottle with some black scales on the stall.
The bottle was some distance away from the stall owner's hand, and the gentleman behind him couldn't reach it, but Caroline was in a position just right to touch it.
The stall owner lowered his head and sorted out his things, and replied casually:
"Seventy pounds in all."
My goodness, what is so expensive?
Caroline was very surprised, but the gentleman behind her didn't seem to care about the price. He took out the money readily and put his hand in front of the stall owner.
Seeing that the money had been paid, Caroline simply helped to take the bottle of scales, held it up and handed it to the round-faced gentleman.
"Thanks!"
The gentleman thanked Caroline cheerfully.
The stall owner, who had just sorted out his things, saw the money in front of him. He seemed curious about the customer who was so frank, so he raised his head and looked at the other person carefully.
It didn't matter that he took a look, the stall owner's memory quickly overlapped with the face in front of him.
"Who are you--!"
Caroline turned her head and saw the stall owner's horrified expression and heard his shouting with a hint of panic.
"That Tris on the wanted poster!"Chapter 100 ChaosTitle of the Book: Mystery: Fire and the Fool's Path Author's name: December's Stranding Chapter word count: 3040 words Update time: 2025-06-03 17:28:52
The stall owner's shout instantly attracted the attention of everyone in the underground trading market, and all eyes were focused on the stall almost at the same time.
Tris shuddered all over, he didn't know that he was on the wanted list of Tingen's local official Extraordinary Team, nor did he know that the stall owner in front of him was an informant of the "Manufactured Punisher".
Without thinking too much, he quickly snatched the bottle of scales from Caroline's hand and turned around to escape.
Caroline realized that something had happened and felt her hands empty. She turned around and saw Tris about to leave.
She didn't know the cause and effect, nor did she know what was going on, but she could hear that clear word... Wanted!
She immediately stood up, using a bit of her "Hunter" speed and strength to quickly grab the corner of Tris's clothes, preparing to hold him back.
Tris paused in his escape. He looked back and found that Caroline had grasped the corner of his clothes tightly in her hand, and she was trying to control her arms through his clothes.
Caroline had watched tutorials on close combat on the Internet before. Although she had never tried it in actual combat due to the stability of society and the disapproval of fighting, her physical fitness improved by the potion was enough to help her make up for these shortcomings.
However, who would have known that the arm that she should have grabbed and then pulled back would now slip as easily as a loach.
She couldn't hold Tris' body at all. After a few pulls, Tris broke free from her hands.
This escape technique... He is not an ordinary person, is he a Beyonder? !
Caroline looked at Tris in surprise as he ran out so fast that his speed was even faster than a racehorse starting off.
The several sturdy guards attracted by the stall owner's shouting couldn't stop him at all. Tris, with his extremely flexible and light body, jumped back and forth in the crowd, shaking off the encirclement of several people and even causing them to bump into each other, creating a brief gap for himself.
Taking advantage of this time, Tris quickly escaped from the entrance of the underground trading market.
...
Dozens of minutes later, Caroline, who walked from the underground trading market to the bar outside, saw several guys in special clothes rushing in from outside, carrying automatic rifles, rushing into the bar and starting to search.
The entire underground trading market was now in chaos. Those guys, whether they were the people behind the bar or official personnel, were investigating the situation inside. Even the bar outside began to become a commotion, and even the two boxers on the central boxing ring walked down in disappointment.
Watching groups of people enter the bar, the drinkers all stepped aside and talked about the current situation.
Caroline, who was standing next to the bar, looked at the still calm bartender calmly and asked in a low voice:
"What happened to that guy just now?"
The bartender glanced at the professionals who were investigating the situation, shook the glass in his hand and said:
"It is said that he is wanted by the authorities and is related to the Clover tragedy a few days ago."
"The Clover Massacre?"
Caroline knew about this. While she was brushing her teeth and reading the "report" this morning, she noticed the report on this incident.
The "report" said that this was a terrible mass murder incident that occurred at sea. After a ship named Alfalfa was looted by pirates, the people on the ship seemed to have burst into conflict and madness due to high pressure and mental stress. Passengers and crew members began to kill each other, resulting in the deaths of a large number of people.
Finally, the situation on the ship stabilized, but only about one-third of the people returned safely to Enmat Harbor.
The "report" said that there was actually another mastermind behind this tragedy, but it did not explain the whole story, only leaving a puzzling comment - "It was just the beginning of a bad guy."
Now that she had heard the bartender's narration, Caroline connected what had just happened with the "report" she had read.
"So that guy was the one who caused the Clover tragedy?"
Caroline thought about it and looked at the professionals who were gradually withdrawing from the underground trading market.
These guys should be official people. The guy named Tris is obviously not an ordinary person, so these people should be related to the official Beyonders...
As the mastermind, he caused people on a ship to fight each other. Either this was Tris's unique perverted hobby, or he was just acting!
What kind of extraordinary path requires such a perverted way of acting...
About ten minutes later, the Dragon Bar gradually calmed down from the farce.
The table that Tris had knocked over when he escaped was picked up, the wine and food that were spilled on the ground were cleaned up, and the crowd watching the excitement gradually forgot about the inexplicable conflict that had just happened.
The boxing match resumed, and under the influence of alcohol and the lively atmosphere, the drinkers simply put aside their previous unhappiness and continued to cheer and cheer.
Caroline, sitting at the bar and drinking a glass of ginger beer, recalled the details she had just observed, especially Tris's face, which she saw directly.
It was a very kind face, and the round face even had a feminine gentleness, which was completely different from the momentum and swiftness with which he escaped.
"Possessing extremely flexible body movements, like a loach, with an extraordinary speed, some strength but not as strong as a hunter, and seems to be able to provoke conflicts between people..."
Caroline analyzed Tris's extraordinary qualities, thinking that if she got any clues in the future, or encountered a similar extraordinary person, she could make a quick judgment based on this information.
Caroline threw a copper penny to pay the bartender and got up and walked out of the Dragon Bar.
After all this trouble, it was already evening.
The setting sun cast long, slanted black shadows on the ground with its dim light. Caroline walked out of the bar and looked west along the street, and could see the rather large orange halo.
"Um?"
Caroline's gaze shifted slightly, and she noticed a figure carrying a gray-white mechanical box hiding in a hidden place on the roof of the warehouse opposite the bar.
Connected to the huge box is a long and complex gun. Just by taking a quick look, one can feel an extremely extraordinary sense of oppression from it.
Is this true or not, a high-pressure steam rifle!?
Caroline's pupils shrank and she quickly looked away, fearing that her gaze would be noticed by the burly guy holding a heavy weapon.
That's a very new thing, a steampunk technology unique to this world. I heard that its power is comparable to that of the sniper rifles on Earth. It's a genuine black-tech weapon.
To capture a wanted Beyonder, he obtained such a weapon. How dangerous is Mr. Triss...
Well, it is dangerous enough to cause a whole ship of people to kill each other...
Caroline lamented in her heart the impermanence of life, turned and walked towards another street, preparing to take the public carriage back this time.
As she walked around the corner, a public carriage drove over from the other end of the street and stopped across the street from the Dragon Bar.
Old Neil, wearing a black robe and a round-brimmed felt hat, slowly stepped down from the carriage. Behind him, Klein, wearing a cheap formal suit, followed closely.
As soon as he arrived at the scene, Klein quickly discovered something was wrong with the environment.
"What's going on here?"
He whispered a reminder to Old Neil.
Old Neil, whose attention was drawn to him by Klein, also sensed something was wrong from the anomalies around him.
He walked a few steps quickly to the door of the bar and asked the familiar guard:
"What happened just now?"
The guard nodded, and said with a wry smile:
"It wasn't just an accident, the bar was almost demolished."
The guard told Old Neil the whole story, but since he had been outside and didn't know the specific situation in the underground trading market, he spoke in general terms.
However, he revealed the most crucial point, which was the name of the wanted person.
The "instigator" Tris appears?
Klein was startled and glanced at the people who were looking for something on the street.
At this time, the guard who had told the whole story looked towards the corner of the street, turned back and said to Old Neil:
"The girl you met earlier was also in the bar and just left. If you had come earlier, you could have asked her."
Klein, who was thinking about the situation of the "instigator" Tris, heard the guard's words. He subconsciously turned around and looked at Old Neil, asking curiously:
"girl?"
Old Neil turned his head with a frown on his face, and just happened to meet Klein's gaze. Facing that questioning gaze, he helplessly explained himself:
"Remember how I found the clue to the notes last time?"
Klein nodded suddenly. He remembered what Old Neil said at that time...
"Is he someone related to the death of the vendor, Walkerman?"
At the same time, he is also what Old Neil calls "half hunter".
Old Neil nodded and admitted:
"That's her. But she told me that she was going to leave Tingen last Friday. I didn't expect that she is still here now."
Then, before Klein could continue speaking, Old Neil immediately avoided his sight and asked the guard again:
"So what's the situation now, has the market recovered?"
"It's all been dealt with, and the market has just recovered."
"That's good."
Old Neil's expression was very relaxed and casual, but Klein could tell that he obviously didn't intend to say too much on this topic.
Why didn't he want to talk too much? Was it about that girl?
Is it because Old Neil knows that she is special, so he plans to develop her into an informant for the Nighthawks?
No, if that was the case, there was no need for him to deliberately avoid the topic.
Klein was puzzled and thought, then followed Old Neil into the Dragon Bar.Chapter 101 Agna GangTitle of the Book: Mystery: Fire and the Fool's Path Author's name: December's Stranding Chapter word count: 3073 words Update time: 2025-06-04 13:00:00
Thursday, July 12, 12:10 p.m., Old Weir Restaurant, West End, Tingen.
After completing the surveillance of Lanevus in the morning, Caroline returned to the hotel and changed into more decent clothes. Then she went downstairs and walked to the restaurant which was not far from her hotel.
After a brief discussion with the restaurant waiter, Caroline chose a private room and left the name of Io Bronson who might arrive next, then sat in the box and waited quietly.
The private room she chose was located on the inner side of the Old Ville restaurant. Perhaps to protect the privacy of the patrons, the only window was located at the top of the wall and was not very big, just enough for light and ventilation.
At this moment, the sunlight, which had become increasingly strong at noon, was leaking in from there.
Since Tingen entered July, the temperature of the entire city has begun to rise slowly. Although it is not as hot as the extreme temperatures Caroline has seen on Earth before, you have to know that on Earth, you can choose short sleeves, while in this world, she must maintain the most basic outfit.
And it was precisely because of the rise in temperature that Caroline, who had already gotten used to this "corset, jacket and petticoat" outfit, began to worry again.
Caroline pulled at her tight collar and turned to look at the bucket of ice that the restaurant waiter had placed in the corner.
This rather simple and natural way of cooling off seemed to be the best enjoyment she could get without resorting to any extraordinary means.
"It's surprising that the emperor didn't invent electric fans or air conditioners..."
"Is it because he was unable to develop the electrical industry, or because he later found a substitute in the extraordinary world?"
Caroline was thinking aimlessly, and time passed by minute by minute.
Then, at some point, Caroline heard a lot of chaotic footsteps outside the box, walking towards her along the corridor from far away.
Judging from the sound of the footsteps, the owners of these footsteps seemed to be still hesitant, as if they had not made up their minds yet.
Why do young people still procrastinate when doing things?
Caroline curled the corners of her mouth, adjusted her sitting posture, and cast her eyes towards the door of the box.
...
"Boss, are you sure this is okay?"
An hour ago, outside the "Dragon Bar" in the dock area, Io Bronson, wearing a linen shirt and gray overalls with a faded cloth tied around his waist, faced his four younger brothers with a very interesting expression.
There are five members in total, and they are the entire manpower of the Agna Gang, which Io calls a famous new gang in the dock area.
They were basically all dressed in worker's clothes, with messy hair and poorly tended clothes. But unlike the more common workers, Io's little brothers were full of energy.
One of the main reasons is that none of them is over 19 years old, and Io, the eldest brother, just celebrated his 18th birthday last month.
At this time, Io looked at the worried eyes of his younger brothers and said with all his strength:
"Of course! Don't you believe in my judgment?"
"But Boss, you've also heard about what happened to Miles and his gang..."
"Wood" Wood, who was standing closest to Io, said worriedly.
"After blocking the man, he was rushed to the hospital that night and has not woken up yet..."
"I heard from people who saw the scene that Miles's thing seemed to have been blown up..."
"That bounty hunter is a tough guy. Can we really handle him?"
Following the narration of "Wood", Io couldn't help but think of the rumors he heard yesterday.
Unfortunately, he did go to the hospital to secretly check on the condition of Miles and others.
When Io thought of Miles, who was now wrapped in bandages and lying on the hospital bed like a disabled person, he couldn't help but feel a chill.
But soon, he shook his head and said with the momentum of a boss:
"That was just bad luck for Miles and his group. Who said it must have been done by Miss Xilia?"
"The Iron Thorn Gang has so many enemies on a daily basis. Maybe Miles and his gang were attacked by someone from a rival gang."
"Don't worry! I had a very pleasant conversation with Miss Xilia. I can see that she is a very easy-going person!"
"Don't say so much. Do you believe in my judgment?"
Io said with his eyes wide open, and the four younger brothers looked at each other, and still gave all their trust to the boss who helped them earn some living in the dock area.
"Boss, we believe you!"
"Okay! Then let's go meet Miss Xilia!"
The five-man Agnar Gang raised their arms and shouted for a while, trying to give themselves courage.
Then, they used the gang's public funds to take a public carriage and traveled to Zouteland Street in the West District.
After asking someone for directions, they finally arrived at Old Weir's Restaurant around noon.
"Mr. Io Bronson?"
The restaurant staff asked for his name and quickly looked at the few people whose attire didn't fit in with the surroundings.
"Yes, it's me."
Io took a step forward and answered his name.
The staff member nodded and stretched out his arm, pointing to the corridor on the right.
"At the end of the east corridor, box 12."
After thanking the staff, Io led his brothers to the box.
"Boss... why do I feel like we are a little bit lacking in confidence..."
"Yes, to be able to book a private room in a restaurant like this, that lady must have quite a bit of savings. Can we really afford to hire her..."
"Boss, look, the floor tiles here are cleaner than the mirrors in my house. I've never been to a place like this in my life..."
Walking in the corridor leading to the box, the younger brothers surrounding Io were talking to each other, which made Io himself feel a little unconfident.
He winked at his brothers and said in a low voice:
"Shh! Be quiet! Just watch how I talk later."
"Got it, boss!"
After boosting the confidence of the Agna Gang again, Io and his brothers walked to the door of the box.
When the door was pushed open, a gust of air with a hint of coolness and a wonderful fragrance blew towards the faces of the people in Agner's gang.
When they looked closely, they saw a young woman with simple and elegant clothes, neat and tidy clothes, and beautiful long light golden hair sitting on the opposite side of the round table, looking at them with a smile.
The members of Agnar's gang were all stunned. They only saw Caroline's heroic and delicate blue eyes quickly scanning them, completely ignoring the feeling of being scrutinized and looked at.
"Coming?"
Caroline rested her chin on one hand and smiled friendly.
"Well..."
Before Io could recover and say anything, he suddenly felt a strong pulling force that pulled him directly from the door to the side.
"?"
Caroline, who was ready to greet them, tilted her head in confusion as she looked at the few people who suddenly ran away from the door.
...
"Boss! Are you sure it's this lady?!"
Io Bronson was pressed against the wall and questioned by several of his younger brothers. The scene gave people a sense of rebellion within the gang.
Looking at the excited eyes and disbelief of his brothers, Io, who had just recovered from his surprise, nodded slightly and said:
"It's her, but when I saw her before, she was wearing hunter clothes... It's really strange, why does she seem to be different after changing clothes..."
"Oh my god, boss, how did you get a conversation with such a beauty? She's much prettier than the chicks I saw outside those dance halls!"
"If you don't know how to use metaphors, then don't use them! Isn't that an insult? They are on a different level!"
The younger brother who had just uttered an exclamation of surprise was immediately ruthlessly pressed down by another person, causing the other two to nod and cheer.
Seeing his younger brothers in a mess, Io coughed twice, established his authority as the boss, and said in a deep voice:
"Ahem, Miss Xilia is very beautiful, there is no doubt about that, but beauty is just an additional advantage. The key lies in her excellent ability as a bounty hunter."
Wood, who was standing next to Io, raised his hand hesitantly and said:
"Boss, why does this feel so unreal to me... This lady doesn't look like someone who makes a living as a bounty hunter. I think... uh, I think she's more like a noble."
Io raised an eyebrow and looked sideways.
"Have you ever seen a noble?"
"Yes, I have. Ten years ago, I was trying to make a living in Backlund with my parents. We returned to Tingen when we had no other options. I happened to see aristocrats traveling at that time."
"Wood" Wood stroked his chin and recalled:
"Although her clothes are not as gorgeous as those of the nobles, I feel that her temperament is very much like that of a noble..."
"What Mu Tou said makes sense, Boss. She really seems to have an aristocratic air. Her temperament is much more noble than those daughters of wealthy masters!"
"Boss, can we really control this..."
Several people lowered their voices and discussed intensely outside the box.
They seemed to think that such sounds would not be heard by Caroline in the box, but they also could not see Caroline's patient listening attitude and the slight smile on her face.
After some discussion, Io, as the boss, finally made the final decision.
"Okay, okay, just listen to me and don't worry about anything else."
"What a mess of nobles! I think Miss Xilia is quite approachable. She doesn't have the problems of those nobles."
"You guys should sit still and don't talk nonsense. She is a young lady after all. Be careful not to offend her!"
Looking at the serious expression of their boss, several people from the Agna Gang nodded repeatedly.
After teaching his younger brothers a lesson, Io pulled himself together, took a deep breath, and then stepped into the box.