Chapter 159

"Loughshinny, shut up."

Eblana suddenly turned around and scolded.

"You?"

Zuo Jian, sitting in the driver's seat, raised a Zuo Jian slightly, seemingly realizing the meaning behind Loughshinny's words.

"Didn't you say that you knocked the man in the Gray Hat unconscious and then threw him to the security guard, Eblana?"

"Yes, it's me. Go ahead and yell at me! I know I've caused you trouble—"

Eblana turned her head away, seemingly not intending to delve too deeply into the topic.

"Actually, I did it too... My sister messed up the first time, but I was the one who knocked that gray guy unconscious afterward."

Loughshinny, standing to the side, raised her hand to answer, as if answering a question from a teacher in class.

"Hey! Loughshinny! Are you just going to blab about something like this?"

Eblana grabbed her younger sister by the collar and shouted.

"But----"

"Pfft..."

The sisters' argument was interrupted by laughter from Zuo Jian.

"... What are you laughing at?"

The latter turned his head away and waved.

"It's nothing, it's just that... it's a bit hard to describe this feeling right now. To be honest, I'm very happy to see that the relationship between you two sisters is better than I imagined."

"But... to be honest, the way you guys are rushing to admit your mistakes makes me feel like I'm some kind of terrifying guy."

Zuo Jian leaned out and patted the Drak sisters in the back seat.

"Don't worry, it's nothing serious."

"Hmm... but... isn't this a very serious matter? We beat up your guest..."

"Well, to be honest, if my adopted daughter beat up one of our guests and then threw him in the police station, I'd probably punish her by making her stay home for a week, right?"

"!!!"

"Then why don't you—"

Eblana was startled, then shrank back in fear.

"But when did I ever say that guy was my guest?"

Zuo Jian suddenly changed the subject and rubbed the Drak sisters' heads again.

"Wait... what do you mean?"

"Just as you thought, I think so too. What normal person would dress all in gray and wander around like a dog?"

"However... next time you encounter this situation, remember to notify me first, in case... you encounter any danger."

Eblana and Loughshinny exchanged a glance, then nodded toward the Zuo Jian.

"But."

Loughshinny asked.

"Why is Zuo Jian waiting here? Is he trying to get him out?"

"I guess so, but it's not as complicated as we think. This guy will come out on his own."

He leaned back in the driver's seat, unusually relaxed, and picked up a piece of draft paper and pen, starting to write and draw on it.

In fact, Zuo Jian could roughly determine the situation of the "Gray Hat" man by smell.

After all, from the moment that person broke into his building alone, all he needed to do to find him was a single thought.

And that's why he's choosing to stay put and wait.

If nothing unexpected happens...

"Knock knock knock."

There was a knock on the passenger door.

Loughshinny and Eblana quickly turned their heads and actually saw the strange guy dressed in gray standing outside the car.

How is that possible?! This guy was nowhere to be seen just now, how could this be...?

Eblana glanced out the car window at the situation outside.

At this moment, there

At the feet of that gray fellow... there was also a pried-open manhole cover?

... manhole cover?

Eblana then immediately understood.

Click.

The car door opened, and the man in the Gray Hat got into the passenger seat.

"How did this 'Mr. Gray' manage to keep his clothes clean after crawling out of the sewer?"

Zuo Jian observed the spotless coat on the Gray Hat, which didn't look like it had crawled out of a sewer, and asked.

"... Practice makes perfect."

The man in the Gray Hat spoke somewhat awkwardly.

"By the way, if I weren't dressed so cleanly, then you...?"

Realizing the atmosphere was a bit strange, the man in the Gray Hat took the initiative to start a casual conversation with Zuo Jian.

I'll kick you off the cliff.

However, no sooner had he finished speaking than the other person turned to the man in the Gray Hat and said something without hesitation.

"... Haha... ha... Mr. Norman Smith... how humorous... how funny!"

Realizing the atmosphere was becoming even more awkward, the Gray Hat quickly forced a dry laugh.

"Speaking of which, those must be your adopted daughters in the back seat. Well, it makes sense; after all, it wouldn't be appropriate for two elegant ladies to be looking so dirty..."

As he spoke, he turned the conversation back to the two girls in the back seat.

His attention had been almost entirely focused on Zuo Jian, which meant that he only had a chance to properly observe what the daughters left behind by Earl Warwick looked like when he turned his head.

So, the moment he turned around, his eyes, which had already calmed down, began to ache again...

"What? You can't speak properly now that you see a lady?"

Eblana grinned, a mocking smile.

"N-nothing... it's nothing..."

Damn it.

"Ahem... Um, by the way, Mr. Smith, could you do me a small favor? I was in such a rush when I escaped that I forgot to take my keys."

The man in the Gray Hat raised his hands, a gesture that also drew the attention of Zuo Jian.

"This is troublesome..."

His hands slowly rose from under his coat, the first impression being a somewhat dazzling silver-white reflection...

A pair of gleaming handcuffs were fastened between the hands of the man in the Gray Hat, binding both of his hands...

"This guy... his hands were handcuffed the whole time?"

Eblana raised her eyebrows unconsciously upon seeing this.

In other words, this man managed to evade Victoria Police guards while his hands were handcuffed, and then slip into the sewer system to escape?

Even... he still maintained this air of complete ease?

"Superb escape skills... but a bit weak physical constitution."

Eblana whispered her comments.

"... It's really pathetic that he couldn't even withstand a single punch from Loughshinny..."

If I were to choose my subordinates... I definitely would have to pick those whose combat abilities surpassed this guy's!

"Maybe he's just not good at direct confrontation... Sister, your expectations are too high..."

Listening to her sister's nagging, Loughshinny lowered her voice slightly in response.

Of course, in such a confined space, facing someone like the guy in the Gray Hat who had received professional training, their "whispers" were practically tantamount to directly mocking him...

But...

"Ahem... Your two adopted daughters... are truly in high spirits..."

Are these two really Vouivre? He's had dealings with Vouivre soldiers before, and he's seen Vouivre girls their age...

Their explosiveness is on a completely different level.

And that terrifying reaction speed...

The moment his opponent threw a punch at him, he couldn't even move his body.

Everything happened in the blink of an eye.

Clatter

The man in the Gray Hat was taken aback, then suddenly realized that the restraints on his wrists had disappeared.

He looked down at the smooth surface of the handcuffs.

Wait, what just happened?!

"You're welcome."

Zuo Jian remained relaxed, but the other person clearly noticed his right hand; the fingernails at the tips were slowly regressing from sharp claws to normal human fingers.

"?!?"

Just now?

In that instant? He sliced through the standard-issue alloy handcuffs of the Victoria Police with his bare hands?

It's faster and has more explosive power; you can't even react in time, let alone observe it.

Cold sweat began to seep from the back of the Gray Hat.

If the other person had been aiming for my neck... my cervical vertebrae would probably have been sliced as smoothly as tofu...

... Hold.

This trip was originally intended to be a business trip paid for by the company.

The only person he had researched was Norman Smith, who was standing right in front of him.

Ordinary Feline, aside from being a bit ruthless, isn't anything special and poses almost no threat to me—what a load of rubbish!

That's fucking damn good.

If there is a chance

He would absolutely shove the heads of those incompetent idiots in the intelligence department down the toilet!

Is this what they call "go for it"?

"What, lead the way? Didn't His Excellency the Duke want to see us?"

Zuo Jian tilted his Zuo Jian and smiled maliciously.

"... Yes... yes."

The Gray Hat sat upright in his seat, looking just like an obedient schoolboy.

Damn it, is he going to bring all these monsters in the carriage to the Duke?

Is he insane, or is the Duke insane?

Chapter 118, Let's learn how to become a duke starting today!