Under the cover of night, South Los grew quiet yet remained bustling.
To secure food for the next day, the poor of the Clear District, Old District, Dort District, and Harbor District went to bed early.
But the banquets and salons of the wealthy in the Shire District blazed with light. Melodious instruments and pleasing songs mingled with the aroma of food, drifting on the night breeze.
Joseph pulled his coat tighter and led Johnny past the patrol officers on West Merck Avenue with ease, turning onto Kirk Street.
Soon, they found their target's address: 2 Kirk Street.
After all, as a police officer in the Shire District, Joseph knew everything here all too well.
Not only did he routinely patrol the area, but he had also been preparing since that afternoon.
Lark, the Shire District's police chief, was dead.
His immediate superior had died here.
How could he possibly be indifferent?
Not that he and Lark had been particularly close.
Normally, their relationship amounted to regular tribute payments and routine dealings between superior and subordinate. But now, he had to step forward and kill the man who had murdered Chief Lark-both to uphold the dignity of the police chief's office and to clear himself of wrongdoing.
He swore he had only slipped inside because he had accidentally fallen.
It absolutely hadn't been intentional!
Afterward, his gun had also discharged by accident, killing that lady.
It absolutely hadn't been intentional!
More than ten witnesses could attest to that.
Unfortunately, his superior needed stronger proof.
For example: killing Arthur.
His colleagues had done this sort of thing more than once, but it was Joseph's first time.
So, to be safe, he had brought along Johnny, one of the Golden Fingers working the streets.
He needed to kill the target as quietly as possible.
Ideally, without anyone knowing.
Joseph waved at Johnny.
Johnny immediately took his tools out of his pocket and began picking the lock.
"Hurry up!"
Calculating when the next patrol would pass, Joseph urged him on in a low voice.
Although Joseph was certain tonight's patrol officers were on his side, he didn't want them seeing him looking useless.
After all, proving himself meant more than proving his innocence. He also had to prove he could handle a higher position.
Joseph was no fool. He knew exactly why his superior was doing this.
It was all for the police chief's position!
If his superior became chief of the Shire District, then Joseph would naturally move up a rank as long as he proved himself.
He might not quite qualify as a Second-Rank Police Officer, but becoming a Third-Rank Police Officer would certainly be no problem.
By then, he would at least be able to command a small squad.
Of course, he would also have to offer the lady's family his "sincere apologies," just as he had accidentally slipped inside and accidentally pulled the trigger.
"All right, almost done!"
Johnny had quite a reputation among the Golden Fingers around West Merck Avenue, Kirk Street, and Dale Lane, and his skills certainly lived up to it.
In less than twenty seconds, the front door of 2 Kirk Street was open.
"You see, it's actually not difficult. For me, of course. If it were someone else... huh?!"
Smiling, Johnny showed off his handiwork to Joseph beside him.
But before he could finish, a flintlock was pressed against his forehead.
Beside him, Joseph threw both hands high into the air, blurting out repeatedly.
"Wait, this is a misunder-"
Bang! Bang!
Without wasting a word, Arthur pulled the triggers.
The bullets blasted a large hole in each uninvited guest's head.
Blood sprayed, and the two bodies crumpled to the ground.
Arthur calmly took paper-wrapped gunpowder and bullets from his apron pocket and began reloading-he knew this "minor trouble" wasn't over.
When he had killed Chief Lark, Arthur had known he would face this sort of "minor trouble," even with that lady's promise.
He had seen her hand gesture perfectly clearly.
The world had never lacked people willing to take desperate risks, nor had it ever lacked cannon fodder.
How could those vying for the position of Shire District police chief make a more convincing case for themselves?
Naturally, by killing him, the "murderer"!
By killing him in the crudest, most direct way possible!
But out of respect for that lady, they wouldn't act personally. Their subordinates making their own decisions, however, was another matter entirely.
Arthur had anticipated this, and he didn't dislike it.
Because not only could he handle it, he could also use it to gain more XP.
Still, cautious by habit, Arthur had made the appropriate arrangements.
For example: his agreement with that young reporter.
They were probably threatened or bribed into coming by their superior!
Arthur looked at the two bodies on the ground as he loaded his weapons.
Of course, one of them might also have been a fool blinded by the prospect of becoming police chief.
If that were the case, he would be quite pleased.
After all, who wouldn't like a stupid opponent?
Besides, if he really killed a contender for the Shire District police chief's position, he would definitely gain more XP than he had expected.
Anyone qualified to compete for the position of a district police chief in South Los was bound to have considerable standing.
Even setting aside the traditional nobility, they would at least be pioneers or come from wealthy families.
As for the poor?
What a joke.
The poor weren't even eligible.
Much less for the position of police chief in the Shire District, the wealthiest of South Los's five districts!
Even ordinary wealthy people didn't qualify.
With these thoughts running through his mind, Arthur held his reloaded flintlocks upright and left the room, stepping into the courtyard.
He didn't want blood spilled inside 2 Kirk Street.
Because that would make cleaning up far too troublesome.
As for hiring someone else?
There were too many things at 2 Kirk Street that couldn't see the light of day. That meant he had to do it himself.
With the [Shadow Concealment] effect granted by his [Remnant Dark Serpent] talent, Arthur seemed to merge into the night.
Standing in the shadows, he narrowed his eyes at two patrol officers who had arrived far faster than any normal police response would allow.
"It's that fellow Joseph!"
"Hmph, useless!"
The light spilling through the still-open door let the two patrol officers see the bodies on the ground at a glance. Upon hearing their words, Arthur aimed his guns straight at them and pulled the triggers.
Bang! Bang!
Both men dropped where they stood.
After returning the flintlocks to the room, Arthur took out the explosives hidden in a secret compartment.
He didn't light them immediately. First, he moved the bodies, making sure the blast wouldn't affect 2 Kirk Street. Only then did he light the bundle of six sticks of dynamite and toss it onto the bodies.
Arthur went back into the room and closed the door.
The entire process was swift and discreet.
Although Arthur trusted his neighbors to keep their curiosity from getting them killed even if they heard gunshots, he was still careful enough.
Outside the door-
Boom!
Amid the enormous explosion, the bodies were blown apart and hurled high into the air, while every remaining trace was utterly destroyed.
"What happened?"
"Why were there gunshots and an explosion?"
The expected commotion rose all around. The earlier gunshots had already drawn the attention of the people on Kirk Street, but uncertainty had kept them from stepping outside.
The explosion, however, had been far too loud.
Several minutes passed before someone finally couldn't bear it any longer. Gathering their courage, they cautiously opened their door with a flintlock in hand.
Once someone took the lead, more people opened their doors.
Through the peephole, Arthur saw the surrounding neighbors gather first.
But Arthur didn't open his door right away. Instead, he searched for the person he had made an agreement with.
The moment he spotted that familiar figure, Arthur opened the door.
In the next instant, the young reporter Scott rushed up to him with pen and paper in hand, shouting-
"Mr. Credos, was this retaliation for your exposure of Chief Lark's crimes as the 'Axe Murderer'?"
At once, the milling crowd fell silent.
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