"Back then, there was a soldier in my unit who looked just like you. He really did. His military achievents were outstanding, and he was quickly promoted to deputy commander.
I still have a keepsake of his that I found. I thought it might co in handy later. I figured it might be sothing valuable, so I’ve kept it on ever since.
He could be your long-lost brother or father... You should take a look."
As he spoke, he pulled a small glass vial from his breast pocket. It contained a light-brown liquid.
Baron recognized it as blood.
Moreover, a strange tremor emanated from deep within him, and he knew it was not just blood. It was the legendary...
"Werewolf Blood," Zod said, his voice low and trembling slightly. "This is Werewolf blood."
"A Werewolf?" Maguire overheard, surprised. "Aren’t those the Demon Hunters of the Wolf Sect? I thought that branch of the Beast Faction vanished long ago."
Zod’s expression turned grim. "Decades ago, the Gillian First Hunter Association fought a small-scale war against the Sisterhood of the Blood of the Lamb from Haiwede."
"The Lamb Nuns intended to resurrect the Bloody Empress of the Golden Blood Race by slaughtering all the virgins in a city."
"To prevent the Bloody Empress’s resurrection, the First Hunter Association dispatched its most elite Beast Hunters. The majority of them were from the Wolf Sect."
"In the end, the Demon Hunters succeeded in stopping her; the Bloody Empress was not resurrected.
However, of all the Demon Hunters who took part in the operation, only one survived: a Wolf Sect Demon Hunter known as D.
Then, during the Second War of Faith, that sa Wolf Sect Demon Hunter, D, sacrificed himself in Haiwede to seal the Bloodline Count Moriarty, dying in the process."
"Because the twin moons happened to be overlapping when the hunting bell tolled, that campaign to hunt the Nuns is known in the Hunter Association archives as the [Battle of the Twin Moons]."
Zod said, "Judging by the tiline, the Werewolf Blood in that vial probably belongs to that legendary Wolf Sect Demon Hunter, D."
’The Wolf Sect Demon Hunter, D...’ Maguire was taken aback. "Zod, you really know your history."
Zod took a slow sip of his wine. "Live and learn, kid."
’Werewolf Blood...’ Baron suppressed the excitent welling inside him and took the glass vial.
He studied it for a mont before silently putting it away, stowing it safely before the urge to drink blood could surface.
"I’ll take this back and study it."
Then he asked casually, "Did he ever tell you where he was from, or his na?"
’A na...’ Allen’s father reflected for a mont. "He did say it, yes."
"A very strange na..."
"I think it was..."
"Constantine."
Baron froze. "What Constantine?"
"Constantine," Allen’s Mother chid in. "Baron Constantin."
"’Constantine? It sounds like one of the ancient Old Blood Clans, though it could be an alias," City Lord Lewis comnted. "L, what are your thoughts?"
Baron rely nodded. He didn’t speak or even move.
The mont he heard the na, his thoughts and muscles had seized up, hardening like cooling wax.
Allen’s Mother continued, "He said he was from a small town in Feinan and that he joined the Second War of Faith to save soone."
"Who?" Baron asked.
"No idea." Allen’s Father spoke up this ti. "I never saw him again after that. The war broke out suddenly, and that’s when I found this thing he’d left behind."
’Rather than ’found’... it was more likely left behind on purpose.’
A Law Enforcer’s senses were far beyond ordinary; Baron didn’t believe for a second this was a coincidence.
Yalilan noticed Baron’s odd expression. "L, do you know him?" she asked, her curiosity piqued.
’Know him? He *is* . Or rather, my original self.’
Baron snapped out of it. "Ah, possibly. I suppose he must be an acquaintance, but I have no idea where he is now."
"Are you related by blood?" Victor asked.
Baron nodded, his tone complicated. "Going by the surna, he might be the closest relative I have in this world."
At his words, understanding dawned on the faces of the others.
It seed Allen’s father was right. L might actually be the son—or perhaps brother—of that old acquaintance he ntioned.
But only Baron knew the truth: he wasn’t the son or brother of so old acquaintance.
’Could there be a native of this world who just happened to be nad Baron Constantin, and who also just happened to leave behind the exact Werewolf Blood needed to advance to the Bronze Blood Faction? I can’t rule out the possibility.’
Baron had a gut feeling, a deep intuition, that the man was him—or rather, his body’s original owner.
But he had read everything—from the Outer Side and the Inner Side to the diary in the Secret Notes—and none of it ever ntioned his predecessor having the ans to get to Prole, nor any record of him doing so.
Besides, the tiline shouldn’t even match up...
’A diary?’
’No, what kind of normal person writes that many diaries? It’s almost as if they were deliberately left behind so he would learn about certain events, and only those events.’
’Did he know in advance that I would transmigrate into his body? Is that even possible?’
Baron didn’t want to dwell on it, but given the series of impressions his predecessor had left him with, he couldn’t help but overthink it.
Allen’s father looked at Baron with pleading eyes:
"So, Mr. L, may I now lift the straw mat and see my son’s face one last ti?"
Baron nodded. Allen’s father lifted the straw mat on the cart, then froze.
Underneath the mat... was a straw-stuffed dummy!
Facing the baffled stares of the Allen Family and the surrounding crowd, Baron said softly,
"I am a good man. And a good man doesn’t needlessly harm the innocent, even if they are already dead."
Allen’s father fell to his knees with a THUD, sobbing uncontrollably.
Afterward, the family was led away by Miss Triss’s guards. City Lord Lewis then ordered the remaining guards to search the periter for the mysterious female reporter who had vanished.
He also charged her with the cri of "malicious framing."
Later, in private, Lewis apologized to Baron. He offered a personal sponsorship of five hundred Silver Coins to help Baron complete the Bronze Tier Magic Potion Trial. In return, he hoped Baron would register Fude City as his place of origin.
He also wanted Baron to tactfully express Fude City’s support when the Gillian Weekly ran their story, and to throw in a few words of praise for the inventions of the chanical School.
And if he joined the First Hunter Association and t Chairman Liuxia, he was to put in a few good words for the chanical School...
The ever-righteous Baron, of course, refused Lewis’s proposal... and through a series of negotiations, raised the price to one thousand.
The gist of it was Baron saying things like, "City Lord Lewis, it’s not that I’m unwilling. It’s just, you see... after that whole affair, I’m rather shaken up. I’m afraid I’ll be too flustered to say the right things."
Lewis understood the subtext: Baron was pointing out that he, a City Lord, could have easily had Allen’s parents thrown out of the arena with a single command.
Instead, he had dragged things out repeatedly, all for the sake of generating buzz.
Lewis said, "Ah, Mr. L, you’ve truly misunderstood . That was Miss Triss, wasn’t it? She’s good friends with my daughter, Redios, and her father is the Guard Commander..."
Baron laughed. "So you’re saying those reporters mixed in the crowd, the ones with City Governnt dals on their shirts, aren’t your people, Lord City Master?"
Lewis sighed. "Wasn’t it all for the people of Fude City?"
Baron said, "Fifteen hundred, and I’ll give you my full cooperation."
Lewis said, "Eight hundred, tops. My hands are tied because of the Hunting Competition."
Baron: "The prize for the Hunting Competition was supposed to be 1,000 Silver Coins, tax-free. But it was short more than twenty coins, which, conservatively, is two to three thousand Copper Coins.
If I were to report that, and it went through an [Honesty Verification] by the Faith Knights... that would pose quite a challenge to the Fude City Governnt’s credibility, wouldn’t it?"
Lewis: "One thousand."
The deal was struck. Host and guest were both perfectly delighted.
As for what either man was truly thinking, who could say?
Lewis smiled. "I’m off to the Alchemy Workshop to invite Master Michael to this evening’s banquet, so I won’t keep you company any longer."
No sooner had Baron bid farewell to Lewis than Stephen and Yalilan approached him.
After a brief discussion, Stephen extended an invitation for Baron, the "Bounty Hunter," to register as an "Association Hunter." Baron played his part, feigning hesitation and casting a glance toward Yalilan as he did.
Stephen nodded. "Please give it so serious thought. I hope we’ll et again in Steel City."
And with that, he was gone.
Once Stephen had left, Yalilan’s icy expression thawed, like a flower blooming on a glacier. "Regardless of the outco," she said softly, "the Rose Comrce Association and I will rember this favor."
Without waiting for Baron to reply, she turned and walked away, her red hair cascading down her back.
Baron watched her go, looking from side to side. Her silhouette looked nothing like Carn’s. He had no idea how he could have possibly mistaken the two.
"BOOM..."
A church bell tolled in the distance. Baron realized it was getting late. Perhaps he could head to the Alchemy Workshop to check on Master Michael’s progress.
Just as he was about to leave, Victor stopped him. "Gawain..." he began.
Baron said, "Imagine the people on the Iron Dragon tracks are replaced. On one track is one good person, and on the other are five bad people. What would you do?"
Victor’s mouth opened and closed. He stroked his chin, lost in thought.
Seeing this, Baron shook his head. ’This Knight is far too earnest,’ he sighed to himself. He turned left out the door and boarded the steam train heading for the Alchemy Workshop.
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