Talent

Flames engulfed the three-story building and spread in every direction until the entire block was boiling with heat.

The fire raged fiercely.

By the time it was completely extinguished, it was already the early hours of the morning.

Patrol Hall.

A man pushed open the door, sat down across from Karl, and handed him a steaming cup of milk coffee.

"This matter has had a major impact. Even the City Lord was alarmed, so naturally, I have to ask you about it several times."

The newcomer's voice was gentle:

"You don't need to worry either. The circumstances have already been investigated clearly, and you have nothing to do with it. You should be able to leave soon."

"Ugh!" Karl sighed:

"Who could have expected that place to be a Fire Thief's hideout?"

Ever since returning to the Patrol Hall, he had already been questioned several times in private, so he was not surprised by this round.

"Indeed!"

The newcomer leaned back, his entire body half-hidden in darkness. His face appeared and disappeared under the lamplight as he asked:

"When Miles died, only you and Dina were there. Did you find anything on him?"

"Or rather, did you find anything? After all, you regained consciousness before Dina did."

Hm?

Karl frowned and looked up at the man.

Under the dim light, the other man's features seemed to be covered by a layer of mist. No matter how hard he tried, Karl could not make them out clearly.

After pondering briefly, Karl said:

"I fainted after activating my Wrist Dart. By the time I woke up, a raging fire had already broken out nearby. I was too busy escaping for my life to search for anything."

"Is that so?"

The man propped his chin on one hand and said:

"You said Miles had strange methods, yet he was killed when your Wrist Dart pierced his throat. That doesn't seem logical."

"Heh..." Karl gave a soft laugh:

"I don't think so."

Compared to being killed by a Wrist Dart, the methods Miles had used were the truly incomprehensible part.

"All right!"

The man sighed, straightened his upper body, and took out a book, placing it on the table before gesturing toward Karl:

"Take a look at this book. If you find nothing wrong with it, you can leave."

"A book?"

Karl looked surprised, then carefully examined the book.

It was a leather-bound volume two fingers thick, with a yellowish-brown cover tied shut by two dark-red threads.

There was a picture on the front cover, though the image was somewhat blurry.

Looking closely, it seemed to depict a woman holding a wooden staff. Wrapped in a faint mist, her features were indistinct.

Karl did not open the book. Instead, he stared at the woman in the picture, sinking into thought as his brows unconsciously furrowed.

"Whoosh..."

A breeze blew through the sealed room from somewhere unknown.

The lamplight swayed gently, and the woman on the book's cover twisted along with it, as if she had come alive.

"Come..."

"Come here..."

A murmuring voice sounded beside his ear.

Karl's face was blank. In his vision, the woman on the cover began to walk, slowly emerging from the mist.

As she drew closer, her features became clearer and clearer. Even the tiny pores on her cheeks could be seen distinctly.

Yet strangely enough, her exact appearance and overall features remained impossible to discern. All he could see was a pair of eyes drawing nearer and nearer.

"Rustle, rustle..."

The breeze swept through the mountain forest, stirring fallen leaves. Strange sounds reached his ears, while the fresh scent of the wilderness filled his nose.

The wilderness?

Wasn't he in a room in the Patrol Hall?

"Ah!"

Karl's body jerked, and his eyes cleared. At some point, a layer of cold sweat had appeared on his back.

"Crash..."

He shoved over the wooden table in front of him and frantically backed away.

"Get away!"

"Get away!"

"What is this thing?"

Karl breathed rapidly, his heart pounding wildly. Instinctively, he looked for a weapon he could use.

"Clap!"

"Clap, clap!"

The figure across from him stood and lightly applauded:

"To be able to break free from the mental influence of the Book of Witches, it seems you have talent. No wonder you were resistant to Banshee's Howl."

He then said:

"Come with me!"

"Go?" Karl had not yet recovered:

"Where?"

"To the place you should go." The other man put away the book and stepped out of the darkness, revealing the appearance of a middle-aged man:

"I forgot to introduce myself. Tim Morton. You can call me Tim. I'm an Intermediate Wizard Apprentice."

*

*

*

In the spacious hall, dozens of candelabras were arranged in orderly rows, their flames illuminating the entire place as brightly as daylight.

This was the Jaeger Family estate.

Dina stood gloomily in the middle of the hall. She no longer remembered how long she had been standing there; she only knew that her legs had already gone numb.

"Crash..."

The sound of porcelain shattering came from the inner hall.

"She should never have been allowed to become a Patrol Chief in the first place. After putting in so much effort, just look at the mess she's caused."

"What use is there in saying that now?"

"How is it useless? If you had listened to me back then, we wouldn't be dealing with all these troubles now."

"All right, all right."

"..."

"What rotten luck!"

The shrill female voice was full of resentment:

"She wasted the family's resources, couldn't accomplish anything, and would be better off marrying a man instead of getting in everyone's way."

"That's enough." The man's voice deepened:

"She is my daughter, after all."

"Hmph!"

"Crash, bang, clatter..."

After the chaos ended, a weary-looking man slowly walked out.

"Father!"

"Ah!"

Viscount Sassoon Jaeger waved his hand:

"Don't stand there. Sit down and talk."

"Father." Dina's cheeks tightened:

"I tracked the Mummy Case there. If we hadn't wiped out those Fire Thieves, they might have caused an even greater disaster."

"You have a point." Viscount Sassoon did not deny it, then continued:

"But three Patrol officers died in this operation, along with seven civilians, and more than a dozen houses were affected."

"All of that is your responsibility."

Dina lowered her head, unable to refute him.

"The civilians don't matter. They're dead, so be it. At worst, we can pay some compensation." Viscount Sassoon sighed:

"But each of those three Patrol officers had influential backgrounds. Their elders have already made a scene at the City Lord's Mansion, and there isn't much I can say."

"You will inevitably be punished."

"Father!" Dina's voice rose.

"You're my daughter, so of course I'll help you." Viscount Sassoon raised a hand and cut her off:

"But precisely because you're my daughter, I don't want you taking risks. If something happened to you, how would I explain it to your deceased mother?"

Dina's eyes reddened.

"Remember this."

Viscount Sassoon cautioned her:

"Don't be so reckless in the future, and especially don't make your family worry about you."

"Yes."

Dina slowly lowered her head.

"I know you're desperate to earn merit so that you can obtain a Life Potion and advance to a knight." Viscount Sassoon continued:

"But you were far too impulsive this time."

This operation would not only fail to earn her superiors' praise; she would most likely be punished as well. It had undoubtedly been a complete failure.

Dina was young, yet she had become the South City Patrol Chief. Her own strength was not the only reason; her family background had played a major part.

If she handled matters poorly, the family would also be implicated.

"And then there's that Karl." Viscount Sassoon said:

"Although he isn't very capable, he is still a noble. He accused you of framing a noble for the sake of merit. Find a way to soothe his anger."

?

Dina opened and closed her mouth, wanting to speak but stopping herself. She knew she was in the wrong.

"In a few days, your cousin Will will come to Signo City for a visit. Take a few days off and accompany him."

Seeing the displeasure on his daughter's face, Viscount Sassoon's voice hardened:

"This is an order!"

"You must go!"

"Yes." Dina nodded helplessly.

The End