Knock, knock!
"Chief, I got the report."
Joseph tore himself away from the paperwork and saw a golden-haired young man standing at the door.
"Come in, Claude." Saying this, Joseph put aside his pen, took off his glasses and rubbed his nose. "Did something happen with the magic egg mirror incident? Those hunters..."
The old man stood up, looking at the stack of files on his desk. He took a deep breath and roared: "...they're just parasites of Norzin!"
The seated Joseph looked like a refined elderly gentleman. But when he stood up, the bulging muscles of his huge body seemed about to burst out of his clothes. The unwavering determination on his face and his gray hair gave him an intimidating aura.
Claude waved to the people outside before carefully closing the door and entering. "Sorry, Master, this is a new development."
"A new development? What development could even be more important than a bunch of retarded idiots who only know how to bark and cause trouble ?! "
In a fit of anger, Joseph lightly tapped on the table, and a crackling sound of metal erupted from his mechanical hand.
With a loud rumble, a crack appeared on the shaking table. "Bullshit of a blue mare! I'd be retired by now if it weren't for this bunch of homeless bastards! Goddamn it, one of these days I'm gonna piss on their mother's graves!"
Claude's lips twitched, and he couldn't help but speak. "Master, don't forget your image..."
Joseph snorted: "What's there to be afraid of?" He cast a glance at Claude. "Haven't you closed the door yet?"
Claude: "..." What kind of reasoning is that after spewing all that nonsense?
"Alright," Claude scratched helplessly at the back of his head and placed the folder on the table. "An informant tracking the hunter situation reported that Wilde was running around on 23rd Avenue..."
"WHAT?" Joseph's eyes glowed laser-like and his expression turned serious.
Frank Wilde, "The Faceless Man with the Black Scale." The Truth Union considers a black mage of devastating rank. Missing two years ago after the Battle of the White Hills. There is currently a bounty set for him, and that bounty is increasing every year, and it's causing great resistance in the Tower of Secret Rites."
Claude had already expected such a reaction from his teacher and issued his report accurately.
Joseph grinned: "Finally, he has reappeared again. I thought that foul thing would stay in the sewers, shivering."
Claude muttered: "But you were the one who insisted he was alive, and kept increasing the reward because you firmly believed he would reappear ..."
"Of course! No one knows him better than I do." Joseph looked at his metal arm, provided entirely by the Truth Union. There was a sharp metallic squeal as his fingers clenched into a fist.
Two years ago, he had lost his right hand in battle. But at the same time, he had destroyed at least half of Wilde's body. Many people thought Wilde was already dead, but Joseph had a premonition that this guy would definitely come back!
"I never expected him to be in Norzin. The most dangerous place is the safest place, eh? He seems to have made progress. I hope there's more than just water in his walnut-sized brain now."
"What's he doing on 23rd Avenue?" - Joseph asked, bracing his hands on the table.
Claude answered at once. "According to the report, he entered an ordinary bookstore and remained there for over an hour, as if he were buying or borrowing some books."
"A black magician who gains power by buying books with his tongue? Ridiculous! There must be something wrong with this bookstore. Have you investigated it? "
"I have already done so. This bookstore is listed on the Chamber of Commerce and has been in business for three years. Despite having few customers and few clients, the store has a good reputation, and the only anomaly is the visiting owner. We originally suspected it might be a hideout for black mages, but we're not too sure now."
"What are you not too sure about?"
With slight difficulty, Claude replied, "The Chamber of Commerce of Ashes is owned by druids... supporters of nature and forests. It is unlikely that they would consort with black mages. The druids can file a report with the Secret Rite Tower if we act recklessly and damage the reputation of the Ashes Chamber of Commerce.''
Joseph slammed his palm on the table. "This bunch of soooo...vegetable-eating troublemakers!"
"Uh, druids aren't vegetarians..."
"Whatever! Damn it! Anyone can be an accomplice of darkness, and the knights' mission is to destroy the darkness! Do you think Wilde spent an hour in a bookstore chatting, reading, and sipping tea? Joseph unleashed a furious tirade. "My favorite student Claude, do you really think that a diabolical black magician, full of schemes and actively planning revenge, could sit in an ordinary bookstore and read!"
"I'm really going to put on those pointy-toe boots and viciously kick your ass if that's what you really think!"
Claude was subjected to a flood of insults and didn't dare to object. All he could do was mockingly say, "But Master, the Chamber of Commerce provides our intelligence with 40% of its expenses."
"..."
Joseph's face froze, and he took two deep breaths. Then he walked out from behind the desk, put on his tie and coat. His huge figure combined with those clothes could be accurately described as a "western-style gangster".
"Anyway, I'm going down to 23rd Avenue to see for myself what a shitty place this is!" growled Joseph.
"Yes, Master," Claude lowered his head and opened the door.
Joseph walked out the door and headed for the elevator. People walking through the inner passageways in the Tower of Secret Rites greeted Joseph when they saw him.
"Good afternoon, leader of the knights."
"Shining Knight, sir."
"Head of the department."
"How are you?"
Abraham Joseph.
One of the ten Shining Knights of the Tower of Secret Law. A former one to be exact.
The battle in the White Hills had severely injured Wilde, who was forced into hiding. Joseph had also suffered serious damage to his body and spirit, he had fallen into semi-retirement and switched to intelligence work.
"Haaaa..."
Joseph pressed the button in the central elevator, starting to slowly descend.
The Secret Rite Tower was a tower over three hundred meters high. The office areas and walkways formed a huge and cramped structure.
Intelligence office, training office, combat office, logistics office.
Since ancient times, knights with elemental powers had sought to purify the world of evil.
The forty-nine large elevators in the center kept going up and down, carrying the weight of thousands of workers every day.
"Let me figure out what kind of holy being you are... Lin Jie." - Joseph muttered, stuffing the report into his pocket as the elevator doors slowly opened.
Suddenly, he closed his eyes. "Damn it, the hallucinations are back..."