Targeted

Huu~~

So full~~~

After leaving the restaurant, Shane rubbed his bulging belly while walking toward the City Hall in the center of the city.

Honestly, with the culinary masterpieces of barbecue, beer, and crayfish from his past life as a benchmark, even the most skilled chefs in this otherworld could barely sit at the same table as "West Lake Vinegar Fish."

But if you had spent three days in a monastery in some forest gnawing on black bread and washing it down with plain water, you would certainly find satisfying salvation in sizzling, oily pork ribs and steaming cream of mushroom soup.

Of course, Frieren found even more salvation.

Shane glanced at his side, watching the elven girl gently patting her stomach, eyes squinted, basking in the spring sunshine with a look of pure satisfaction, as if she were about to melt from happiness.

He silently sighed to himself:

As expected, little girls who love sweets are just so cute.

The City Hall was located in the heart of Gostan City, serving as the heart that managed the city's various affairs and kept it running in an orderly fashion.

As they entered through the door, Shane felt a momentary, slight discomfort, as if static electricity had washed over his body.

The sensation lasted only for an instant.

He looked at Frieren, puzzled.

Frieren explained to him:

"This is the Magic of Identifying Demon-kin. Because there are demons who look remarkably like humans, they could easily blend into a crowd if they used clothing or magic to hide the horns on their heads. That is why large cities or fortresses set up such magic at important locations."

I see.

Recalling the double-layered security they had encountered last night, Shane immediately formed a favorable impression of the city's authorities.

A cautious leader can always minimize unnecessary casualties to the greatest extent.

"Greetings, you two. Is there anything I can help you with?"

A beautiful receptionist in a black fitted uniform approached them. She wore a gentle smile, and her every gesture was graceful and attentive. Even the tone and pitch of her voice felt like a refreshing breeze.

Shane couldn't help but admire: High-end talent, indeed.

"Hello, my name is Shane. I am here to deliver a manuscript on behalf of the monk Beryl."

As he spoke, Shane took out the wooden box and handed it over.

After receiving the box, the woman glanced at the emblem on it, then opened the lid to scan the thick stack of manuscripts inside. She nodded with satisfaction and said:

"Thank you both for your hard work. This is indeed Beryl's manuscript."

"With this final analytical manuscript, the new magic he deciphered from the Holy Scripture can officially begin testing and magi-technical cataloging. I must say, Beryl is truly an incredible monk; his research will surely influence future generations."

Shane felt relieved; the old man's life work had not been in vain after all.

"To thank you for your help, the City Hall has prepared a small token of appreciation. Please wait a moment."

There's an extra reward?

Shane was pleasantly surprised.

The beautiful receptionist left with the manuscript, and in the blink of an eye, she returned to her post, the wooden box in her hand now replaced by a small envelope.

The speed of this teleportation was so fast that Shane's eyes couldn't even track it, leaving him deeply impressed.

However, before the receptionist could hand the envelope to Shane, a highly flippant voice echoed from the main entrance of the City Hall.

"Who is it that wants to seal off the Inverted Land dungeon? Hurry up and unlock it for this young master."

Shane recognized the owner of the voice immediately.

It was none other than the blonde young master who had caused the commotion in the restaurant earlier.

He was still followed by the same old butler and two maids.

The man walked into the City Hall with a swagger, one hand tucked into his pocket, and even made a point to stand right in the center of the hall when he stopped. He lifted his chin with an air of feigned coolness and continued:

"This young master intends to clear the dungeon. Whoever set up the barrier, remove it at once."

Hearing the blonde youth's arrogant and rude demand, the beautiful receptionist's expression remained unchanged, her smile as pleasant as ever.

"I apologize, sir, but the city is currently under martial law. To ensure the safety of adventurers and guard against potential unidentified attacks, we have suspended all dungeon-clearing activities."

"Then grant me a special permit."

"I apologize, sir, but there is no such thing as a special permit in the City Hall. Please wait patiently for the ban to be lifted."

"Then call over the person in charge of your City Hall. This young master wishes to have a word with them."

"I apologize, sir, but both Ross and General Glucks are currently attending a city defense meeting and cannot receive you. If you need a meeting, I can help you schedule one. The earliest available time is... the afternoon four days from now."

Watching the two trade blows, Shane was left stunned.

Incredible, she really is high-end talent.

Facing the blonde youth's rudeness, the receptionist was composed and completely in control. Every word she spoke was impeccable, whereas the blonde youth was already starting to bristle after just two sentences.

"What 'ban' this and 'can't' that? I see you're just targeting this young master! Do you have any idea what I'm going to do now..."

BANG!

A thunderous crash echoed through the hall.

Before the ruffled-haired young master could finish his harsh words, something suddenly appeared inside City Hall.

Three two-meter-tall golem puppets leaped down from the tops of the stone pillars, surrounding the blond young master in a pincer formation.

Shane was somewhat startled; he looked up at the stone pillars in the hall, noticing four "miniature" golems crouching atop each one.

There were four pillars in the hall, which meant there were a total of...

As expected of City Hall, its defensive measures were beyond reproach.

The beautiful receptionist maintained her smile, her demeanor remaining gentle, yet the three golems before her radiated a bone-chilling killing intent.

The blond young master was stunned by this sudden turn of events, the words he intended to speak stuck firmly in his throat.

Fortunately, the old butler behind him knew when to yield; he immediately stepped forward, shielding the blond youth while offering a slight bow of apology to the receptionist:

"Please forgive my young master's unintentional offense; we shall take our leave at once."

Hearing the old butler's words, the beautiful receptionist smiled magnanimously and said nothing more.

She returned to Shane, handed him the envelope with both hands, and bowed in thanks, "This is a small token of gratitude from City Hall. Please, do accept it. Thank you once again for your assistance."

In an instant, Shane felt as though his back were being scorched by a gaze filled with resentment.

He didn't need to guess who that gaze belonged to.

Shane sighed silently.

Whether in his past life or this one, he despised such troublesome people; he decisively took the envelope and led Frieren away.

However.

The more one tries to avoid trouble, the more trouble seeks one out.

They had barely stepped out of City Hall and walked a few paces when an annoying voice called out from behind.

"Wait!"

The blond young master used a teleportation skill to appear in front of them, directly blocking their path.

He bypassed Shane, looked at Frieren with an excited expression, and scanned her up and down in a very rude manner, "Are you Frieren, the mage from the Hero's party?"

"I am Brugge, a very powerful mage. Let's team up and conquer the dungeon together!"