Bruce had gathered some documents on the Swordsmanship Hall and the Parker Family behind it, along with news reports on the Rune Kingdom's census and studies of crime in society.
Naturally, Bruce had collected the social news because of his earlier idea about starting a security business.
These materials were easy to obtain. He could simply clip them from the social survey sections of newspapers, where sociologists often published their views, or look them up directly at the archives.
Social surveys from recent years showed that although the nations had stopped fighting wars, the Rune Kingdom was far from peaceful. Nor was it alone; every country was the same.
The Rune Kingdom, the Rediven Kingdom, and the Trast Kingdom, the three great powers dominating the Southern Continent, had chosen to coexist peacefully, develop economic trade, and improve their domestic infrastructure.
But this also gave their capitalists opportunities to expand abroad and rake in wealth.
The chaotic Western Continent, the underdeveloped Northern Continent, and the various small island nations were all ideal targets for capitalists seeking to amass capital through overseas plunder.
Taking the Rune Kingdom as an example, these activities had led to rapid industrial development, an influx of outsiders, explosive population growth, and a substantial increase in social wealth. At the same time, however, crimes such as robbery and theft were growing increasingly serious.
Current survey statistics showed that the Rune Kingdom's police force was already severely understaffed and could not meet the growing demand for security from every sector of society.
The news kept reporting plans to expand enrollment at the Police Academy and establish new police academies, but those plans never seemed to go beyond the planning stage.
Police officers in the Rune Kingdom only took up their posts after an extremely rigorous selection process, and all of them were graduates of the Rune Kingdom's Police Academy. Under its policy of quality over quantity, few graduates actually became police officers each year. And as everyone knew, officers could encounter violent criminals while maintaining public order.
The Church of the God of Machinery had also developed firearms, and their sale was permitted, greatly increasing the instability of public security.
Sometimes, police officers would also inevitably come into contact with mysterious incidents and meet unfortunate ends.
Police work had always been dangerous, and the kingdom's police force had always been short on manpower.
Under these circumstances, private detectives had emerged to fill the need, and private armed forces had begun to appear as well.
"Although there are private detectives now, and the wealthy have their own armed guards, they're all rather disorganized. There still isn't a systematic, comprehensive Security Company. Should I give it a try? Staffing shouldn't be a problem."
Bruce rubbed his chin. The plan seemed feasible. Laura's older brother was a constable and should know some retired law enforcement officers. Laura herself had studied swordsmanship and should know a few people too.
Starting a Security Company was sure to make money. The only question was how the Rune Kingdom would view a business of that kind.
It seemed that, aside from the unpleasant incident on the day Andre left, no one had harassed the swordsmanship club afterward, nor had anyone secretly watched it.
Had the Swordsmanship Hall realized he was not someone to mess with and backed off, or was it preparing something bigger?
Bruce thought the latter was more likely.
So Bruce called Lilith and Laura into the swordsmanship club's office.
"The Swordsmanship Hall hasn't made a move these past two days, but they definitely won't leave the club alone. While Andre is away, they have the perfect opportunity to act."
"To deal with that, I've drawn up a plan."
Bruce explained his idea to Lilith and Laura. He intended to put up the money to expand the Wind-Cutting Swordsmanship Club and build its reputation, then settle matters with the Swordsmanship Hall through a contest of strength.
By that, he did not mean violence. The Swordsmanship Hall had once sent people to the club to cause trouble, so he would give them a taste of their own medicine.
Bruce also wanted to challenge the Swordsmanship Hall on its own turf and knock it down a peg. Andre had not dared do that because, however skilled he was, he feared truly angering the wealthy patrons behind the Swordsmanship Hall. He could not afford to provoke them. Bruce was different. He was a wealthy landowner and had nothing to fear.
Besides, Bruce possessed innate abilities: Swordsmanship Mastery and Divine Might. Winning the challenge should not be too difficult. Although Divine Might had some side effects, they did not prevent him from using it. He had tested it again, and as long as he did not unleash its full power, it would not give him a headache. In the end, he had simply pushed too hard.
After winning the challenge, he would have the newspapers give it thorough coverage. That would be enough to drag the Swordsmanship Hall's reputation through the mud, allowing the Wind-Cutting Swordsmanship Club to rise on the momentum and take over the entire swordsmanship business in Rhode Town.
Lilith and Laura exchanged a glance. Lilith was full of anticipation, but Laura still had some concerns. After all, it could have serious repercussions.
The Parker Family was also behind the Swordsmanship Hall.
"Don't worry. I'll take full responsibility for all the consequences. Any retaliation from the Swordsmanship Hall won't affect you." Bruce saw Laura's concerns and explained his reasoning in detail.
If the Swordsmanship Hall wanted revenge, Bruce had ways to deal with it. It was hardly worth mentioning. There was even less need to worry about the Parker Family, which was currently at a very delicate juncture.
Bruce had already investigated every aspect of the Parker Family.
The Swordsmanship Hall was merely one of the Parker Family's businesses, and the family had two sons.
The elder son was Mercedes Parker, and the younger was Oduin Parker.
The brothers did not get along. The Swordsmanship Hall belonged to the younger son, Oduin, while Mercedes would inherit the entire Parker Family estate. Their father was gravely ill, making this a critical time. Mercedes would not let a single Swordsmanship Hall interfere with his inheritance or jeopardize all the Parker Family's businesses.
Thus, the swordsmanship club had only one opponent: the Swordsmanship Hall.
After hearing Bruce's analysis, Laura finally agreed to his plan.
Although that was how he expected things to unfold, something unexpected could still happen, so Bruce needed to prepare thoroughly.
To that end, Bruce had already urged the medicine shops he had previously contacted to gather the ingredients as quickly as possible.
He needed to become a Wizard as soon as possible.
Once he became a Wizard, his chances of winning the challenge would increase dramatically. Whether his opponents were mighty or weak, they would all have to submit. Even if the Parker Family retaliated, he would have a way to handle it.
When Bruce first contacted the medicine shops, they had told him it would take at least two weeks. But he kept feeling that the Swordsmanship Hall was going to cause trouble, so he went back to press them again and paid an additional fee.
Once he paid, the people in charge of the medicine shops immediately beamed with delight. They said they would personally send someone to collect that batch of ingredients separately and guaranteed delivery to him as soon as possible.
Bruce gave them the address where he was currently staying.
Sure enough, the very next day after urging them, Bruce received the remaining ingredients he needed. Money really could work miracles. The medicine shops had become far more efficient.
With all the ingredients collected, Bruce could finally join the ranks of the Extraordinaries. However, the other ingredients in the formula and some of the equipment needed to prepare the Potion were at Wayne Manor, so he had to make a trip back.
That afternoon, after taking Lilith and Laura home, Bruce packed up the ingredients and set off for Lane Village. He told them he was going back to get money and would return the next day to carry out the plan.
They should not encounter any trouble in a single night. Surely the Swordsmanship Hall would not be so brazen as to disregard Rhode Town's constables and police.
Laura was a capable swordswoman, and Lilith was not entirely defenseless either. There were swords in Andre's house. Even if the Swordsmanship Hall sent people to force their way in, Lilith and Laura could hold out for a while.
After all, in Rhode Town, any commotion would alert the nearby residents, and the police and constables would certainly arrive at once.
He had to become a Wizard as soon as possible, or some problems would be truly difficult to resolve. It was not just because of the Swordsmanship Hall, but also Fawcett and Ghost. Bruce climbed into the carriage.
But Bruce failed to notice a figure concealed in the shadows outside Andre's house. Upon seeing him board the carriage, the figure silently slipped beneath it, clinging to its underside like a crawling creature and setting off along with him.