The young reporter Scott made no effort to lower his voice as he asked his question, immediately drawing the attention of everyone nearby.
Unlike the mostly illiterate common folk, the residents of Kirk Street were largely middle-class. Not only could they read, they also liked using newspapers to display their status.
As a result, they all knew what had happened that day.
They had learned that one of their neighbors, Arthur Credos, was a "Medium."
They knew that the malicious reporter Dokule had been cursed by this "Medium."
And they also knew the true identity of the "Axe Murderer" who had terrified them for days.
That last revelation in particular had dominated these middle-class residents' conversations over dinner just moments earlier. Every one of them had been shocked and incredulous.
Precisely because of this, when they heard Scott's loud question, one answer immediately sprang to mind: revenge!
And once many of them got a clear look at those blue uniforms, they became even more convinced.
Arthur's gaze swept over his neighbors' excited faces and expectant eyes.
Of course he knew what these neighbors wanted to hear.
Unfortunately, it would do him no good.
With that lady smoothing things over at the top and him having intimidated those below, the current affair could be put to rest for now.
What came next?
He needed more time to obtain...
XP!
So Arthur shook his head and said-
"It was Lark!"
"After his death, he became an evil spirit and controlled his former colleagues, sending them to take revenge on me. Then they ran into the barrier I'd set up."
Though news of hired men taking revenge was always popular, it could hardly beat "an evil spirit's revenge."
In some respects, the latter drew far more attention.
Of course, more importantly, the time wasn't right yet!
"An evil spirit's revenge?!"
Scott cried out in alarm.
"One who harbored evil thoughts, who slaughtered the innocent, returned to the mortal world through the medium of blood..."
Arthur lowered his voice and spoke in a chanting cadence.
Scott, who knew nothing of the truth and had merely been invited over, went pale.
A deathly pallor spread across the young reporter's face.
The living "Axe Murderer" had been frightening enough.
Let alone an "Axe Murderer" who had become an evil spirit after death.
That went beyond fear.
It was,
Despair!
"Don't worry. He's dead-
I killed him while he was alive!
And after he died, I dealt with him again!"
Arthur smiled as he reassured the young reporter, then gave the surrounding neighbors a slight, apologetic bow. They immediately bowed back in response.
More police officers arrived.
After a brief conversation with Arthur, they began clearing up the scene.
There were no further outrageous remarks, much less any corresponding misconduct.
The people around them were not powerless commoners.
They might not have taken one or two middle-class residents seriously, but with an entire group watching, they did not dare go too far.
Who knew whether any of these residents had connections to someone important?
Until they were sure, they had better not act recklessly.
Every police officer knew that saying, and most followed it.
As for those who acted recklessly?
The officer in charge glanced at Joseph's body, lying in several pieces on the ground, and his lips twitched.
His superior had already warned him before he set out to handle this carefully and avoid unnecessary trouble. Naturally, he knew what to do.
Besides, even without that warning, Maltz's years as a police officer would have told him what to do after examining the scene.
Just look at the remaining traces of the explosion.
Though the fresh marks had obscured the original ones, Maltz knew very well how decisive and efficient the person responsible had been, and...
Utterly ruthless!
He was about to retire and had no desire to invite trouble.
Still less did he want to get caught up in the struggle over the position of Shire District police chief.
So the soon-to-retire Third-Rank Police Officer approached Arthur, took off his police cap, and only then spoke in a gentle tone:
"Sorry for the disturbance, Mr. Credos."
"I hope this hasn't caused you any further losses."
"I'll make a note of this."
Maltz gestured toward the courtyard damaged by the explosion.
"I'd be very grateful."
Arthur glanced over the man's graying hair and the deep crow's-feet at the corners of his eyes. His smile warmed a little. He knew the officer before him would not become an enemy.
As though sensing Arthur's goodwill, Maltz spoke gently again. "I'll get the compensation process started as soon as possible. Have a good night."
"Good night."
Arthur returned the farewell.
He watched the man hurry away with his subordinates without stopping him.
A senior police officer content to coast along offered him nothing but advantages.
He did not need the man to show him any particular favor.
He only needed him to keep coasting along.
To Arthur, that was the greatest fairness he could ask for.
As the officers departed, the crowd returned to their homes. Judging by the way they kept talking with their spouses and parents, they were certainly in for a sleepless night. The children of their households, however, were not included in these conversations.
As soon as they returned home, the younger children were ordered not to discuss any of it and to go straight to bed. This was not out of fear of causing trouble, but simply because the children still had classes the next day.
As for the older children?
Their fathers' belts would always make the right choice clear to them.
"We have to put out a special edition about tonight's incident, along with your interview!"
After leaving Arthur with those words, Scott declined his invitation to a late-night meal and went straight back to the newspaper office to work through the night.
Arthur, meanwhile, enjoyed the pan-fried chicken cutlet and deep-fried meatballs that should have been his dinner alone.
Before reheating the chicken cutlet, Arthur put Sichuan peppercorns and salt into a pan and dry-fried them.
In less than two minutes, the distinctive aroma of peppercorns and salt wafted out.
Smelling that distinctive pepper-salt fragrance, Arthur smiled. Without even waiting for it to cool, he crushed the mixture bit by bit with the outer rim of a small bowl.
He then sprinkled his homemade pepper salt over the reheated chicken cutlet and freshly fried meatballs.
They tasted quite good.
I'm missing sesame seeds, peanuts, and cumin. I wonder if the grocery store carries those seasonings.
Arthur thought.
Grocery stores in South Los did not just stock everyday necessities such as candles and soap. They also sold dry goods such as tea, coffee, sugar, oats, biscuits, and raisins, with spices making up a substantial share.
In short, if something could not be found in other specialty shops, checking a grocery store was always a sound choice.
After eating, washing the dishes, and putting everything away, Arthur inspected 2 Kirk Street once more. Once he was sure nothing was wrong, he placed the Medium's Case under his bed, where he could reach it simply by rolling over.
Then he placed two flintlocks beneath his pillow before climbing under the covers in his pajamas.
The hardness beneath his pillow did not make Arthur uncomfortable.
On the contrary, it gave him an immense sense of security.
Tomorrow's plan: find a suitable swordsmanship club and acquire a swordsmanship skill beyond [Basic Swordsmanship]. Also, buy sesame seeds, peanuts, and cumin at the grocery store...
Arthur was still thinking about this before he fell asleep.
After a busy day and one battle after another, even Arthur was struggling to keep going.
Soon, he drifted into dreams.
But just a few minutes after he fell asleep, a soft voice called beside his ear-
"Arthur, Arthur!"
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