After the hooded man directed Levin and Ellie to sit by a small tea table, he spoke first, "Ellie, who is this? Your boyfriend?"
"Oh, please! I wouldn't dare!" Levin thought of denying, but before he could speak, Ellie had already stood up and delivered a swift sidekick, sending the hooded man and his chair sprawling to the floor.
"Clang!"
"Ouch!"
"Come on, it was just a joke…" The hooded man sheepishly scrambled to his feet, dusted himself off, and reseated himself.
Ellie sniffed disdainfully and said, "This is my deputy, Levin. Levin, this is my informant, Laut."
Laut extended his hand, "Hello, Deputy Levin. I'm Laut, a purveyor of small-scale businesses."
Levin shook his hand, "Hello, Mr. Laut. And these small-scale businesses… are they legal?"
Laut glanced subtly at Ellie before replying, "Of course they're legal. Didn't Ellie mention? I sell products that enhance marital harmony, help men regain youth, and assist women in finding joy."
"Are you and Ellie in need of any?"
"Smack!" Ellie's swift kick lashed out, landing a solid blow on Laut.
…
When Laut resumed his seat, his clothing bore the marks of Ellie's earlier intervention, and he looked quite disheveled.
Levin was taken aback to find Ellie's informant involved in such activities. Was it possible that Ellie had an interest in this line of work?
Ellie seemed to read Levin's thoughts and explained, "Some of Laut's products have raised suspicions of illegality, and we've conducted thorough investigations and searches. The memory of that encounter wasn't exactly pleasant…"
Laut interjected, "Yes, a bunch of City Guards stormed in like a pack of wolves, threw me to the ground, and Ellie rummaged through my precious stock, sternly asking, 'What's this?' and 'What's this for?' I had no choice but to explain everything…"
"You needn't elaborate further." Ellie's gaze was icily menacing.
Laut quickly changed the subject, "Since you're not here to patronize my business…"
"Certainly not!" Ellie shot him a fierce glare.
"Alright then… What brings you here? I'll do my best to assist you," Laut, clearly nervous, replied.
Seeing they were finally getting to the matter at hand, Ellie became serious, asking, "Laut, have you heard of a drug called Kiss of Bliss recently?"
"Kiss of Bliss? What's it for? I have 'Enchantment's Kiss' here. Regardless of how effective that drug is, mine is certainly not inferior…"
"Oh, that's not entirely unhelpful. Levin, let's gather everyone and return. Laut's selling illegal hallucinogens that are no less potent than Kiss of Bliss." Ellie signaled Levin and moved to restrain Laut.
"Wait, wait, wait! I don't sell illegal hallucinogens! What I offer is just for recreational use! If I had known it was about illegal hallucinogens, I would have realized you had specific needs…" Laut hastily denied.
Such dedication to customer service—does he really love his job that much? Levin thought to himself, silently mocking.
…
After the commotion settled, Laut tidied his disarrayed hooded cloak and its contents and said, "I haven't heard much about Kiss of Bliss recently, but I do have a lead on illegal hallucinogens…"
"About two weeks ago, a masked man approached me, asking if I was interested in selling a new drug. He seemed rather mysterious, so I suspected it might be illegal and turned him down without asking further."
Ellie rolled her eyes, "So this lead is not very useful. All it tells us is that they started setting up operations at least two weeks ago."
Laut awkwardly chuckled, "Let me think… Oh yes, last week, an old customer inquired about new drugs. I told him I didn't have any, and he seemed quite disappointed."
Ellie furrowed her brows, deep in thought. "What do you think, Levin?"
Levin replied seriously, "Chief, there's definitely something suspicious here. Generally, customers come to Laut for specific needs, and the fact that this customer asked about new drugs is inherently suspicious. Moreover, his disappointment suggests he expected to find the 'new drug' here!"
Ellie's eyes lit up, "Exactly. If he was disappointed, it indicates he had certain expectations. Do you know this customer's name or address?"
Laut hesitated, shrugging, "Ellie, you know the rules in our line of work. We keep customer identities confidential…"
Ellie said nothing, instead standing on tiptoe and drawing a circle on the floor with her toe before stamping down hard.
With a crack, a small dent appeared in the floor.
"Deputy Levin, does your City Guard condone the use of coercive interrogation on law-abiding citizens?" Laut looked at Levin for help.
"Ah, if you were clever enough to drop the 'deputy' part, I might have been able to assist. As it stands… good luck to you."
The two left Laut's shop and, with Ellie's "courteous" farewell, headed toward the address Laut had provided.
According to Laut, this customer, named Bori, lived at 619 Commercial Street in the Eastern District. He was a forty-year-old, unmarried man who sold hardware and had a penchant for certain recreational activities, occasionally purchasing enhancement drugs.
As for why Laut knew so much about his customers… it dated back to when he became Ellie's informant.
Ellie, offering an informant fee and assurance that the City Guard would not conduct frequent "routine checks," persuaded Laut to "voluntarily" register the details of his customers.
This was a great burden for Laut, as anonymous purchases were vital to his business. Nonetheless, it was preferable to having the City Guard making frequent "routine checks." For a shop like his, if customers knew it was under surveillance, business would be untenable.
Fortunately, Laut, being smooth and personable with a good reputation, maintained trust with his clients and vowed never to leak information to third parties, allowing his business to continue operating.
After a quick return to the base to change into their uniforms, Ellie and Levin arrived at 619 Commercial Street and pushed open the door to the hardware store.
"Welcome to…" A somewhat balding, middle-aged, and lethargic man behind the counter began to welcome them with a tired voice. Upon seeing Ellie and Levin's uniforms, he froze, a sheen of sweat breaking out on his forehead.
There was definitely something amiss.
Ellie and Levin exchanged glances, realizing their visit might not be in vain.
"Mr. Bori, greetings. We are from the Fourth Division of the Weimar City Guard. Here is our badge." Ellie displayed her badge, and Levin followed suit, showing his deputy badge.
"We have received a report alleging your involvement in the illegal sale of hallucinogens. Please come with us and cooperate with our investigation."
At the mention of "illegal hallucinogens," Bori's pupils contracted. Without a word, he bolted through the door behind the counter.
"After him!" Ellie commanded, vaulting over the counter and racing through the back door, with Levin closely trailing, matching her pace without a fraction of delay.
Bori, weakened by indulgence, was no match for Ellie and Levin, both extraordinary beings. Within minutes, he was subdued in the street, drawing a crowd of onlookers.
Seeing the uniforms of Ellie and Levin, the crowd murmured in understanding and speculation.
"Not sure what this guy did, but why is he running? Can he really escape Weimar?"
"Even if he gets out, what difference does it make? Once the Council issues an international arrest warrant, he'll be caught and extradited from any country on the continent."
"Isn't this the owner of Bori's hardware store? I bought a screwdriver from him not long ago…"
Ellie, without breaking a sweat, took out a pair of silver handcuffs from her waist and secured them on Bori, eliciting his furious protests.
"Why are you cuffing me? I haven't committed any crime! I have citizenship rights!" Bori shouted while struggling.
"Stop your whining! If you're innocent, why are you running?" Ellie snapped, dragging him towards the store.
"Move! According to the Weimar City Security Regulations, we need to conduct a search of your residence for illegal hallucinogens. Please cooperate and witness our investigation," Levin stated, reciting the procedure as he escorted Bori through the rooms of his home.
Numerous alchemical tools, similar to those sold by Laut, were discovered in Bori's rooms. Having been briefed by Laut, Ellie efficiently dismissed these distractions.
"Chief!" Levin called out, holding up an empty test tube.
"Oh?" Ellie's interest piqued as she quickly walked over to Levin.
"This was found in Mr. Bori's nightstand. It contains some unknown residual liquid," Levin explained. Ellie turned to Bori, "Mr. Bori, can you explain what was in this test tube?"
"It's… it's 'Enchantment's Kiss'! A recreational drug!" Bori replied, his resolve faltering.
"I fear that's not the case. Levin, hand me the test tube and keep an eye on Mr. Bori." Ellie pushed Bori towards Levin and extended her hand.
"Chief, please be careful," Levin warned, unsure of Ellie's intentions, and handed over the test tube.
Ellie uncorked the tube, held it up to her nose, and took a cautious sniff.
"Indeed, it's confirmed. This is an illegal hallucinogen," Ellie declared decisively.
Wow, the Chief really is like a drug-sniffing dog! Levin thought, but kept his thoughts to himself.
"Just because you say so! Do you have any proof?" Bori, desperate, made a final attempt.
"Under the Weimar City Security Regulations, the Fourth Division of the City Guard summons you, Mr. Bori, for a one-day investigation. Please accompany us," Ellie said, dismissing Bori's protests. Proof would be obtained once they returned to the base and submitted the test tube for analysis.
"Levin! Let's go, assemble the team!" Ellie waved her hand dismissively and briskly headed back to the base.
"Understood, Chief." Levin secured Bori's cuffs and followed Ellie's lead.
Another peaceful day in Weimar City.