Charlotte held the anti-space sniper rifle and stood in the night, pondering for a long time. Imitating Lord Leo, he concealed the extraordinary anti-space sniper rifle in his collar, returned to his room to retrieve all his magic-breaking shells, and then, instead of using the front door, he used the Cat Transformation technique. He transformed into a young, agile feline and headed straight for Alcatraz District, Dragon Castle Street No. 5: Chelsea Detective Agency.
He wasn't entirely sure what was waiting for him there, but he knew he had to go.
After all, there's no logic in constantly being assassinated without fighting back.
The Alcatraz District, a middle-class residential area, wasn't far from the Picardy District. Many of the Alcatraz middle-class residents liked to shop in the Picardy District, with several roads connecting the two areas.
As a young, agile feline, Charlotte leaped across rooftops, moving like a flash of lightning.
Once he used the Cat Transformation technique, he retained only Insight and Agility, his spirituality remained intact, but Blood Glory was sealed in his feline form.
In other words, after using Cat Transformation, he had no combat power apart from speed.
Charlotte didn't mind, though. After all, a cat running freely on rooftops in the dark was far less noticeable than a human doing the same.
After several minutes, Charlotte glanced at a street sign—he had reached Dragon Castle Street. Following the street, he quickly spotted the sign for Chelsea Detective Agency.
In Strasbourg, all detective agencies had signs to help those seeking assistance find the right agency.
It was already late at night, and most of the windows in Chelsea Detective Agency were dark. But the detective agency, which should have been completely silent, had light shining from a window on the second floor.
Taking advantage of his feline form, Charlotte, light on his feet, leaped onto the roof of the Chelsea Detective Agency and found a chimney to slip through.
The Chelsea Detective Agency's office was a three-story building, but there weren't many rooms—only three rooms per floor. Charlotte scouted the third floor but found nothing of interest and no one around, so he descended to the second floor via the stairs.
He reached the door of the lit room and quietly lay down, listening to the conversation inside.
"Friedrika, be gentle!"
"I'm already being gentle. How did you end up in such a mess? Did you get hit by a near-death counterattack?"
"No!"
"No? Then how did you get so injured? The opponent must be a skilled swordsman—the way they struck was vicious and sharp, reminiscent of those vampires' swordsmanship."
"Yes, there was no near-death counterattack. The opponent wasn't hurt; only I was."
"Algernon! What are you saying? You got injured and didn't kill the target?"
The brown-haired, gray-eyed Algernon spread his hands, the fine fur on his ears drooping as he replied, "I didn't expect the target to be so difficult. I've tried to assassinate him twice—once I got stabbed by a sword and had to retreat, and this time I got hit on the head with an axe." He showed the young woman in the room the large, blood-filled bump on the back of his head, swollen and round.
The young woman exclaimed in surprise, "Were you sent to assassinate a high-tier extraordinary? This intelligence group is becoming more and more unreliable—they can't even get the basic information right."
Algernon sighed and said, "It shouldn't be a high-tier, nor even a mid-tier. The file said he was a fourth-tier, and while it's not entirely accurate, he's likely no more than a fifth-tier! But he's trained in Blood Glory…"
The young woman, identified as Friedrika, was a typical cat-eared girl with a pretty face, a slender figure, and large, round ears. Her green eyes were full of passion and energy, and her healthy, tan skin had faint dark spots. However, she wasn't just a cat girl—she was a full-fledged leopard girl!
Friedrika couldn't help but say, "Blood Glory? That useless extraordinary technique? No one in the Old Continent trains in that anymore, right? After all, no major empire allows random killings, and without being able to kill, training in Blood Glory is as slow as a turtle."
"The only place that doesn't care about killing ordinary people is Bayron, but the vampires there despise Blood Glory. If they find anyone practicing it, they execute them without mercy."
Algernon said softly, "His Blood Glory isn't very advanced, but he's mastered Bloodflame and the Angel's Sting!"
"This guy's swordsmanship is superb, and his combat power is terrifying. He has an uncanny intuition that lets him see through all my knife techniques and counter with the most effective moves."
"Plus, he's extremely cunning. The second time I tried to assassinate him, he set a trap on purpose, waiting for me to strike—and nearly blew my head off with one hit!"
Algernon was too embarrassed to mention the details, after all, being tricked by such a simple ruse wasn't exactly a point of pride.
Charlotte stretched lazily, thinking, "So this guy's name is Algernon!"
"It's time to take him out!"
"And while I'm at it, I might as well kill that beastman girl too!"
"Even though she's innocent, I'm pretty innocent too. Hopefully, killing these two will temporarily sever the Beastman Assassin Guild's connection in Strasbourg, delaying their next wave of assassins."
"Or maybe I'll just start a fire!"
"Burn their contract records and such…"
Charlotte weighed his options for how to take out the two of them.
The brown-haired, gray-eyed assassin Algernon was still stronger than him, and the young woman Friedrika's strength was unknown. If he failed and they retaliated together, he certainly wouldn't be able to withstand it.
"I'll kill Friedrika first!"
Charlotte made up his mind, gathering strength in all four paws. The entire cat leaped into the air, transforming back into a handsome young man mid-air. As he flipped, he drew the extraordinary sniper rifle from his collar, and before he even landed, he had assumed a shooting stance. In the instant he touched the ground, he decisively pulled the trigger.
The magic-breaking shell tore through the room's door, blowing a huge hole in it.
Charlotte fired and immediately felt something was off. Through the gaping hole in the door, he couldn't see the young woman.
"I missed!"
Without hesitation, Charlotte stowed the anti-space sniper rifle back into his collar and instantly sprang up towards the third floor.
Just as he leaped, a long, slender leg kicked down hard at the ground.
Had Charlotte reacted even a moment later, this kick would have shattered all his ribs.
The leopard girl Friedrika twisted her waist and sprang up, shouting, "Prepare to die!"
She was met with a bloodsucking hatchet flying straight at her!
Friedrika, mid-air, seemed to defy gravity as she nimbly dodged the incoming hatchet. Reaching out, she tried to grab the handle, but the hatchet, as if alive, suddenly changed direction and slashed at her wrist.
With a swift twist of her wrist, Friedrika deftly deflected the curving hatchet.
The bloodsucking hatchet spun in the air, whistled, and shot up to the third floor.