Levin bound Vladimir tightly to a tree and leisurely waited for him to wake.
When Vladimir finally regained consciousness, his body instinctively struggled upon seeing Levin, but he quickly realized he was securely fastened, unable to move.
"You're a Mage Warrior? Mid-tier?" Vladimir was the first to speak, noticing Levin standing with arms crossed, watching him struggle.
"Oh? What makes you say that?" Levin's mind sharpened, puzzled. Ellie's transformations never left her with memory—so what's going on with this werewolf?
"Do you take me for a fool? You clearly used Mirror Image after my transformation, and you did it without incantations. Which magical family do you belong to? Here to gild your reputation in the Guard?" Vladimir sneered, as if concluding that Levin must be some privileged warrior trained by an influential family.
How did it end up like he's the one interrogating me...?
Levin rubbed his temples. Fortunately, he'd decided to conduct this private interrogation first. If he had brought Vladimir straight to the camp or reported him to headquarters, his Intriguing Diversion ability would have been exposed. Then how would he even begin to explain it to Ellie? He might be able to brush it off at headquarters as the effect of a scroll...
But before all that, there were still a few questions Levin needed answers to.
"Vladimir Novikov, you've been in Weimar City for several years now, haven't you? During the Full Moon operation, how did you manage to slip through the net?"
This was what intrigued Levin most. After the Full Moon operation, there shouldn't have been any werewolves left in Weimar, and yet here was a living, breathing one—a mid-tier, no less—who had somehow evaded exposure.
"Why should I tell you?" Vladimir snorted, utterly uncooperative.
"Do you know? Sirius isn't dead." Levin ignored Vladimir's attitude, dropping an unrelated bombshell instead.
Vladimir fell silent.
Neither spoke for a moment, and a heavy silence settled between them.
In the end, it was Vladimir who broke the quiet.
"Are you saying that if I cooperate, I'll get to live like Sirius?"
"Exactly. Otherwise..." Levin smiled faintly, making no effort to deny it. "You see, our conflict isn't irreconcilable. Look, I didn't take you to the station for formal questioning; I'm dealing with this here, in private."
"If I kill you now, you're just another fugitive werewolf. But if I let you go, it's simply a case of me not catching you. Understand? We're not in Weimar City—no one here cares about the law."
Vladimir sneered, "You're not exactly a by-the-book Guardsman, are you?"
Levin neither confirmed nor denied it. "Let's make a deal. I have a few questions, and in exchange, I'll give you some information you might find interesting."
Vladimir was genuinely taken aback this time. "You're bargaining with a criminal? I doubt your superiors would approve, 'Swift Shield.'"
"Don't call me that." Levin rubbed his forehead again, irritated by the nickname. "As long as my superiors don't know, everything will be fine. And it's not like I'm asking for any state secrets. If you think a question's too sensitive, just don't answer."
Vladimir nodded silently.
"So, you agree to the deal? Great. First question: How did you evade the Full Moon operation?" Levin probed, seeing a glimmer of cooperation.
"Every full moon, I leave the city. Officially, it's to replenish stock. My business partner handles the shop," Vladimir answered.
"Then why was Sirius captured that night?" Levin pressed.
"He had an additional mission. My task was to remain undercover," Vladimir replied. "Now it's my turn to ask."
"Go ahead," Levin shrugged.
"Which magical family backs you?" Vladimir asked bluntly.
"The Morella family. Ever heard of them?" Levin casually threw out Kristia's surname, intending to brush it off.
"Oh? The Morellas... no wonder their daughter's in your squad. So they've assigned you to look after the young lady, have they?" Vladimir seemed convinced, everything falling into place for him.
Levin didn't care whether Vladimir believed him or not. It mattered little. He swiftly moved to his next question: "Second question. Can you retain your consciousness during transformation?"
Vladimir let out a mocking laugh. "Look at that—our Mage Warrior's turning into a scientist now. Of course I can. How else would I savor the thrill of tearing my enemies' throats with my claws?"
"Can all werewolves do that?" Levin asked.
"Hey, 'Swift Shield,' I've been meaning to say—this counts as two questions. You're pushing it." Vladimir sounded indignant.
"Who the hell came up with that nickname?" Levin muttered.
"That makes three," Vladimir retorted.
"..."
In the end, Levin gave up on arguing over such trivialities. "Fine, let's take it one at a time. Your turn."
Vladimir nodded. "Alright. My second question: Why go through all this trouble? What's your real purpose in using extrajudicial methods on me?"
Levin gave a cryptic smile. "Because I want to harness the power of the werewolves."
"So, you're an ambitious man after all... Your turn." Vladimir assumed Levin was after influence within the Valkyris Church, and he couldn't help but feel a chill, sensing Levin's hidden depth.
This man hiding his strength within the Guard is no ordinary figure.
"My question remains the same: Can all werewolves retain consciousness during transformation?" Levin asked again.
"No. Only those who've undergone special mental conditioning and participated in our Church's rituals can retain consciousness while transformed," Vladimir answered honestly. This was common knowledge within the Church, something harmless even if shared.
"Your turn." Levin nodded for Vladimir to proceed with his next question.
"Is this all your own doing, or are you acting on orders from the Morella family?" Vladimir asked carefully, determined to uncover whether Levin was following family directives or pursuing his own agenda.
"The Morella family? They hold no sway over me now." Levin's response was a cold laugh, followed by words as sharp as thunder splitting the sky.
The Morella family holds no sway over me...
This 'Swift Shield' is likely far more formidable than I had initially thought. It doesn't make sense for someone of mid-tier strength to be serving as a mere acting deputy in the Guard. Clearly, there's more to him than meets the eye.
In Vladimir's imagination, Levin had already transformed into a cunning, seasoned mid-tier extraordinary being, plotting his schemes in Weimar City.
"Fourth question: Who gave me the nickname 'Swift Shield'?" The wily, experienced mid-tier extraordinary had now posed his fourth query.
"It was bestowed upon you in a wanted order issued by the Cardinal Tribunal for troublesome figures in Weimar City. Besides you, there's also your superior, 'The Dual-Wielding Gunblade' Ellie Grey, and 'Swordmaster' Arios Blazer, among others." Vladimir, after some thought, decided it was unnecessary to lie about such a trivial matter, so he answered truthfully, adding a couple of examples for good measure.
"Then my fourth question is: What exactly do you intend to achieve by using the werewolves?"
Levin pondered for a moment, what is my ultimate goal?
Perhaps, in the end, it's simply to return home...
Although he found some joy in this world and had met companions like Ellie, Vera, and others, he still felt out of place in many ways. Weimar City resembled his former homeland in many aspects, yet it was not the same.
"Transcendence—transcendence beyond this world," Levin finally answered.
Vladimir regarded him with newfound respect. "I hadn't realized... You're a man aiming for legendary status. With your age, if you break through to high-tier before thirty, you might indeed reach the realm of legends."
"Now, my fifth question—how does one lift the werewolf blood curse?"
Vladimir fell silent once more.
"That... that's blasphemy..." Vladimir lifted his gaze, his eyes filled with both anger and a trace of fear.
"Answer my question if you want to live long enough to relay your information back," Levin said, pressing his blade against Vladimir's throat and motioning towards the carriage with his sword.
"By doing... that, it can be undone," Vladimir nodded.
"Oh? And how is that done?" Levin's eyes gleamed with curiosity as he pressed further.
"Deicide—if you slay my Lord, all werewolf blood curses will be undone," Vladimir said, his voice trembling as he uttered the words.
Deicide...
Slay a god?
If Vakirith isn't killed, the werewolf blood curse cannot be lifted?
If Ellie knew this... wouldn't all her hopes be utterly shattered?
"Your turn. This is the penultimate question. Our deal is nearing its end."
"I want to ask you—would you be interested in joining our Vakirith Church? I believe you have great potential."
Levin couldn't help but laugh out loud. "You think you can recruit me here and now? I'm a proud Guardsman under the Council of Sages, and you expect me to abandon that for the life of a sewer rat in your Vakirith Church?"
"Our Church can help you achieve your goal—become a legend, transcend beyond this world. All you need to do is follow my Lord's teachings. The werewolves will be your sharpest blade!" Vladimir seemed genuinely eager to recruit Levin, tempting him with an enticing offer.
"Weimar City may seem far stronger than our Church, but the Council of Sages in Weimar has not a single legend among them. Their nation was founded on the Starfall Formation, created by seven grand magi. But our Vakirith Church has produced legends. In that regard, we are far more capable of aiding your cause!"
"What you say does sound quite reasonable..." Levin stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Alright! I've made my decision!"