This Is War

Lambert immediately led Luke and Shelley into the castle.

The first-floor hall.

Jumu's body had already been taken away, but the rubble and broken bed that had fallen onto the floor were still piled there. The gaping hole above them was a chilling sight.

Shelley couldn't help taking another look. She knew Jumu's room was right above it.

Once they entered a quiet meeting room, she couldn't help asking Lambert, "What happened last night? How did Jumu die?"

Lambert asked Luke to take the seat of honor, then sat down with the Mad Axe Gang's key members.

He sighed and said, "Last night, a female Elf calling herself Clear Sky broke in here. She jumped down from the eastern tower and entered the castle through a window on the third floor.

"Then...

"It was a massacre.

"She killed so quickly that we couldn't react at all. From the third floor to the second, more than a hundred of our people died. The entire third-floor corridor and the second-floor hall were covered in blood and body parts. Chad, Bernie, Jabur, and Brenda all died at her hands.

"Finally, the Elf broke into the boss's bedroom, killed him, and took his head."

"She took his head?" Shelley furrowed her brow, then said to Luke, "Detective Chief, the Elf probably took Jumu's head to complete a commission. There's an Assassin Tavern in Cape District. We might be able to find some clues there."

Just then, a maid poured Luke a cup of tea.

"Thank you..." Luke politely thanked the maid, then said to Shelley, "We're not here to investigate the case, unless you're capable of defeating her."

Shelley replied with self-awareness, "No, I'm no match for her. I doubt you could find more than a few people in all of Raging Wave City who could take on this Elf.

"The fact that she killed Jumu here proves how strong she is!"

"Then let's not talk about the Elf." Luke turned to Lambert. "I hope you understand... We've already gotten ourselves into enough trouble by coming here. We won't investigate this break-in for you."

Lambert said earnestly, "We'll investigate the break-in ourselves. We only hope Detective Chief can deal with the people outside, especially the Security Bureau... We need time for our people out there to regroup.

"Once our reinforcements arrive, we'll be able to reclaim all the territory we lost and continue paying dividends to the Secret Intelligence Bureau."

Luke sipped his tea and said casually, "Your reinforcements? Are they Pirates?"

The atmosphere in the room instantly froze.

The Empire had always made Pirates a top target, and as a coastal port city, Raging Wave City had zero tolerance for Pirates who disrupted legitimate maritime trade.

Whenever Pirates were caught, they were immediately hanged in public.

The Mad Axe Gang's ties to the Pirates were no secret in Cape District, but everyone had tacitly kept them under wraps.

Now, the new Detective Chief of the Secret Intelligence Bureau had suddenly announced in front of everyone that the Mad Axe Gang was in league with Pirates. The gang leaders couldn't figure out what their new chief was thinking.

After a moment's thought, Lambert answered cautiously, "Detective Chief, the people coming to help are our friends from the outer seas. They have no direct connection to the Pirates."

Luke smiled. "Even if they do, it doesn't matter. Let me know when your friends are coming to Cape District. I'll make the arrangements. We can all meet over tea and discuss how to make money together."

Lambert was even more confused about what the Detective Chief was up to.

Was this really something you could say in a setting like this?

Were you the Empire's chief secret agent or a gang boss?

"Detective Chief, that wouldn't be appropriate, would it?"

"Why not? If I say it's appropriate, then it is. I've long heard of Madam Tasia of Fishbone Island. If she comes, I'll be sure to meet with her in person."

Lambert hadn't expected the new Detective Chief to name Madam Tasia of Fishbone Island as soon as he arrived in Cape District, or to know that the Mad Axe Gang had deep ties with Fishbone Island.

It seemed as if the gang had no secrets from him.

What else did he know?

Lambert thought of the theft the Mad Axe Gang had recently arranged: stealing the Heart of Red Dragon Nilcolon from the Raging Wave City Alchemy Association for Madam Tasia.

If that came to light, even the Secret Intelligence Bureau wouldn't be able to protect the Mad Axe Gang.

How should he answer?

"Detective Chief, if I meet Madam Tasia, I'll be sure to pass on your goodwill and invitation.

"But we don't have that close a relationship with Fishbone Island, so Madam Tasia will have to decide whether to meet you for tea."

Lambert's answer left no room for criticism. He neither admitted to the Mad Axe Gang's ties with the Pirates nor refused to act as an intermediary.

Luke wanted to meet Madam Tasia because he was hoping to secure himself a way out.

A cunning hare had three burrows.

If he couldn't stay in Cape District, the quickest way to escape danger would be to take a sea route to another country.

Madam Tasia of Fishbone Island belonged to the law-abiding faction among the Pirates. They followed the ancient "Pirate Code": "Take the money, not the lives."

Making friends with Pirates like that meant having another path to rely on.

"I'll leave arranging my meeting with Madam Tasia to you. Of course, that's assuming you survive until your reinforcements arrive. There are plenty of wolves outside waiting to tear into you.

"Today is my first day taking up my post at the Cape District Secret Intelligence Bureau. I don't have the authority to make them back down. During the day, with us guarding the outside, they won't dare go too far.

"But once night falls, I'm afraid I won't even be able to keep my people safe.

"Do you have a way to protect yourselves tonight?"

Luke's question left the room silent for a long time.

During the day, the Security Bureau and the Secret Intelligence Bureau could still keep things under control in Cape District. But at night... especially tonight, once word got around that the Mad Axe Gang was weak, even the Secret Intelligence Bureau might not be able to hold back the "wolves" circling outside.

The Cape District Secret Intelligence Bureau wasn't nearly as powerful as the bureaus in other districts.

After a while, Lambert said, "Detective Chief, if they attack us tonight, we'll have no choice but to defend ourselves inside this castle.

"But without reinforcements, I'm afraid we won't be able to hold it."

Shelley turned to Luke. "People from the Security Bureau control sixty percent of the docks at Cape Port. Our side controls the rest, and the Mad Axe Gang manages half of that.

"The Security Bureau definitely won't let this chance to wipe out the Mad Axe Gang slip by. Without the gang, the entire Cape Port dock will fall under their control.

"Our people will probably all switch sides and join the Security Bureau."

Luke said, "It looks like we'll have to treat this as a war, doesn't it?"

Lambert immediately replied, "That's exactly what it is, Detective Chief. We hope you'll help us organize a group of mercenaries.

"The Mad Axe Gang is willing to pay all the costs."