Talent

Chapter 17: Talent

Flames engulfed the three-story building and spread outwards, until the entire block was ablaze.

The fire spread rapidly.

It wasn't until the early morning hours that it was completely extinguished.

Patrol Hall.

A person pushed open the door and sat down opposite Karl, handing him a steaming mug of milk coffee.

"This incident had a huge impact; even the City Lord was alerted, so I'll have to ask a few more questions."

The visitor's voice was gentle.

"You don't need to worry. The circumstances of the event have been investigated and have nothing to do with you. You should be able to leave soon."

"Sigh!" Karl sighed.

"Who would have thought that place was a Fire Thief's hideout."

Ever since he returned to the Patrol Hall, he had been interrogated alone several times, so he wasn't surprised this time either.

"Indeed!"

The visitor leaned back, half-hidden in the darkness. His face flickered in and out of view under the kerosene lamp as he spoke.

"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."

Hmm?

Karl frowned and looked up at the visitor.

Under the dim light, the visitor's features were hazy, as if shrouded in mist, and he couldn't make them out no matter how hard he tried.

After a moment's thought, Karl spoke.

"I passed out after activating my Wrist Dart. When I woke up, a large fire had already broken out nearby. I was too busy trying to escape to search for anything."

"Is that so?"

The visitor rested his chin on his hand.

"You said Miles had strange methods, yet he died from an arrow from your Wrist Dart piercing his throat. That doesn't seem logical."

"Heh..." Karl chuckled softly.

"I don't think so."

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

"Alright!"

The visitor sighed, straightened up, and placed a book on the table, gesturing towards Karl.

"Take a look at this book and see if there's anything wrong with it. If there isn't, you can leave."

"A book?"

Karl looked surprised, then carefully examined the book.

It was a leather-bound booklet about two fingers thick, with a brownish-yellow cover tied with two dark red silk threads.

The front cover had a painting, somewhat blurry.

Upon closer inspection, the painting appeared to be of a woman holding a wooden staff. The faint mist surrounding her made her features indistinct.

Karl didn't open the booklet. Instead, he stared at the woman in the painting, lost in thought, his brow furrowed unconsciously.

"Whoosh..."

A breeze, from where, he didn't know, swept through the enclosed room.

The kerosene lamp flickered, and the woman on the book cover seemed to twist her body, as if coming to life.

"Come!"

"Come here!"

A murmuring voice echoed in his ear.

Karl looked bewildered as the woman on the cover took a step, slowly emerging from the mist.

As she drew closer, her features became clearer and clearer, even the subtle pores on her cheeks were distinct.

But strangely.

Her specific appearance, her overall features, remained unclear. All he saw were a pair of eyes drawing nearer and nearer.

"Rustle..."

A breeze blew through the mountains and forests, leaves rustled, and the scent of the wild filled his nostrils.

The wild?

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

"Mmm!"

Karl's body trembled, his eyes regaining clarity. A cold sweat had inexplicably broken out on his back.

"Clang..."

He shoved the wooden table in front of him aside and scrambled backward frantically.

"Get away!"

"Get away!"

"What is this thing?"

Karl's breathing grew ragged, his heart pounding wildly. He instinctively reached for a weapon he could wield.

"Snap!"

"Snap, snap!"

The figure opposite him stood up and lightly clapped his hands:

"To be able to break free from the mental influence of the Book of Witches, you must be a talented person. No wonder you have resistance to Banshee's Howl."

He then said:

"Come with me!"

"Go?" Karl hadn't fully recovered:

"Go where?"

"To where you should be." The other party put away the book and stepped out of the darkness, revealing himself as a middle-aged man:

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

*

*

*

A spacious hall, with dozens of candelabras arranged in order. The candlelight illuminated the entire hall as if it were daytime.

This was the Jaeger Family's manor.

Dina stood in the center of the hall with a grim expression. She couldn't remember how long she had been standing there, only that her legs had lost all feeling.

"Crash..."

The sound of shattering porcelain came from the inner hall.

"We shouldn't have let her become a patrol captain in the first place. After all the effort we put in, look at the huge mess she's caused."

"What's the point of saying that now?"

"Why is it useless? If you had listened to me back then, you wouldn't be in this trouble now."

"Alright, alright."

"..."

"Bad luck!"

A sharp female voice was filled with resentment:

"Wasting the family's resources, can't accomplish anything. It would be better to just find a man to marry and get out of my sight."

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

"She is my daughter, after all."

"Hmph!"

"Crackle..."

When the commotion ended, a man with a tired expression walked out slowly.

"Father!"

"Ah!"

Viscount Sassoon Jaeger waved his hand:

"Don't just stand there, sit down and let's talk."

"Father." Dina's cheeks tensed:

"I was investigating the mummy case and tracked it there. If we hadn't eliminated that group of Fire Thieves, they might have caused even bigger trouble."

"What you say has some merit." Viscount Sassoon did not deny it, but continued:

"However, three patrol officers and seven civilians died in this operation, and it also affected over a dozen houses."

"All of this is your responsibility."

Dina lowered her head, unable to refute.

"Commoners are irrelevant; if they die, they die. At worst, I'll compensate with some money," Viscount Sassoon sighed.

"But those three Inspectors each have connections. Their elders have already caused a scene at the City Lord's mansion, so there's not much I can say."

"Your punishment is unavoidable."

"Father!" Dina's voice rose.

"You are my daughter, and I will definitely help you." Viscount Sassoon raised his hand, interrupting her.

"Precisely because you are my daughter, I don't want you to take risks. If something happens to you, how will I explain it to your deceased mother?"

Dina's eyes reddened.

"Remember this."

Viscount Sassoon admonished, "Don't be so reckless in the future, and certainly don't make your loved ones worry."

"Yes."

Dina slowly lowered her head.

"I know you're eager to earn merit to obtain a Life Potion and be promoted to Knight," Viscount Sassoon continued.

"But you were too impulsive this time."

This operation would not only fail to earn praise from superiors but would also inevitably result in punishment; it was undoubtedly a complete failure.

Dina, at such a young age, could become the South City Patrol Chief not solely through her own strength, but also thanks to her family background.

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

"And that fellow named Karl," Viscount Sassoon said. "Although he doesn't have much ability, he is still a Noble. If he accuses you of framing a Noble for merit, you need to find a way to appease his emotions."

?

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

"In a few days, your cousin Will will be visiting Signo City. Take a few days off to accompany him."

Seeing his daughter's displeasure, Viscount Sassoon's voice deepened.

"This is an order!"

"You must go!"

"Yes." Dina nodded helplessly.