In Mad Hatter Town, death was a common occurrence, happening almost every day.
But Raglan's death was anything but normal.
The reason was that, at the time of the incident, no one within a hundred meters heard a clear gunshot.
What was even more chilling than the gunshot was the fact that the lead bullet had penetrated a wooden wall before striking Raglan.
Regardless of the bullet's power, this meant that the shooter didn't seem to be targeting Raglan directly. It was more like someone had fired a random shot.
And then, Raglan became the unluckiest person in the room.
At that moment, the other pirates around Raglan, after figuring out the "facts," were drenched in cold sweat.
Trembling with fear, they cursed a few times, and within minutes, they went back to drinking and chatting as if nothing had happened.
A night passed.
In the alleyway bar, Wolf Rat, having learned of the incident, sat at the bar with a look of utter despair.
He looked at the dull-faced bartender in front of him and sighed, "Tatamu, I'm done for. Before I die, I want you to inherit my wealth so that the money I worked so hard to earn doesn't go to waste."
Tatamu, who was as burly as a bear, mechanically wiped a glass. Hearing this, he paused for a moment, then continued wiping the glass as if nothing had happened.
Seeing Tatamu's lack of reaction, Wolf Rat's eyes darkened. "I'm not joking. That damn Raglan wanted to die and dragged me down with him!"
Tatamu remained silent, still wiping the glass, but his gaze was now fixed on Wolf Rat.
He realized Wolf Rat wasn't joking.
"Not an accident?"
Tatamu spoke, but his voice was like the chirping of a nightingale—clearly a girl's voice, completely mismatched with his bear-like physique.
He was asking about the shot that killed Raglan.
"No."
Wolf Rat was already used to Tatamu's incongruous voice.
He stared down at the liquor, his tone filled with palpable dread.
"I'm certain that bullet was meant for Raglan."
"..."
A flash of horror immediately appeared in Tatamu's eyes.
Wolf Rat sighed. "There's a bullet out there that can zero in on your head at any moment, ready to take your life. Can you imagine being in that situation? Maybe the moment I step out that door, I'll be shot in the head."
"My condolences."
Tatamu's response was brief and to the point.
"Ah."
Wolf Rat grew more and more despondent.
"Right now, the only thing I can't let go of is the money I haven't had the chance to spend yet. After deducting the storage fees, what's left should be enough to buy a few bottles of good liquor. After thinking it over, I'll leave it to you, Tatamu."
"Pass. Too little."
Tatamu set down the glass, poured himself half a glass of wine, and then raised it in a toast to Wolf Rat.
"Farewell."
With those words, Tatamu downed the glass in one go.
Wolf Rat nodded silently and finished his own glass.
"The way to conquer fear is to face it. Goodbye, Tatamu!"
Putting down the glass, Wolf Rat stood up abruptly, his face filled with tragic determination as he headed for the bar's door.
He pushed the door open and walked out.
A few seconds later.
Bang—
A gunshot suddenly rang out from the direction of the street.
"Damn it!"
Wolf Rat's voice, filled with shock and horror, clearly echoed into the bar.
Tatamu's eyes narrowed as he glanced at the now-empty doorway. He bowed his head slightly, silently mourning Wolf Rat.
A moment later.
Wolf Rat's slightly crazed laughter echoed through the alley.
"Haha, haha... I'm not dead, I'm not dead! Haha...!"
Inside the bar.
Listening to Wolf Rat's laughter, which sounded like that of someone who had narrowly escaped death, Tatamu's eye twitched.
He glanced down at the glass of wine, then at the treasured liquor beside him.
"Such a waste."
Two days passed, and Raglan's death caused no ripples. Everything remained calm.
Alex thought he had hidden his actions well, unaware that Mad Hatter Town had information brokers like Wolf Rat, who operated without regard for reason.
He also didn't know that after accepting him as a disciple, Thor had quietly resolved one of the threats against him.
Otherwise, with Raglan's cautious and tenacious nature, he might have dealt Alex a devastating blow from the shadows.
What Alex didn't know was that Wolf Rat, who had taken money to do the job, had been living in fear for two whole days, his paranoia nearly driving him to the brink of madness.
Unaware of all this, Alex, feeling more at ease, began a new round of hunting.
Late at night, Alex prepared to set out.
Before leaving, he checked his equipment—two flintlock pistols and a high-quality dagger.
These were items he had obtained from Thor.
Before establishing a relationship with Thor, getting weapons from him had seemed like an insurmountable challenge.
But after establishing that relationship, the problem was easily solved, becoming the simplest of matters.
After checking his weapons, Alex slipped out of the weapons shop under the cover of darkness. Like a monkey, he nimbly climbed onto the rooftop and crouched down, heading toward the building where his target was located.
With his enhanced physique, leaping and climbing were no longer difficult tasks.
This time, feeling more confident, Alex planned to use his dagger to assassinate his target.
This method would reduce the risk of exposure, and the two flintlock pistols he carried would increase his margin for error.
After some effort, Alex, taking advantage of the night, successfully infiltrated the building where his target was located.
Creeping up to the door, he could hear the sound of snoring coming from inside the room.
After a brief pause, Alex gently pushed the door open.
Using the faint light, he looked at the bed inside the room.
Not far from the window, on a bed barely visible in the dim light,
"Two again..."
Alex was somewhat surprised as he quietly approached the edge of the bed.
A foul smell, a mix of sweat and alcohol, assaulted his nostrils.
Alex frowned slightly, his eyes fully adjusted to the darkness.
"..."
Looking at the scene before him, Alex silently drew his dagger. His gaze shifted from Gaden, and suddenly, an idea occurred to him.
"Can't let this go to waste."
Alex thought to himself.
Immediately, he stabbed Gaden twice in the back, near the heart. Then, with a quick twist of his wrist, he reversed his grip on the dagger and slashed it vertically across Gaden's throat.
These three strikes were swift and vicious, a far cry from the time he had stabbed Watt with a knife.
Gaden, having been struck three times, suddenly opened his eyes, let out a few gasping sounds, and then fell silent.
After killing Gaden, Alex reached out with his left hand to grab the neck of another muscular man. At the same time, he used his right hand to stab the man's abdomen three times in quick succession.
After this series of actions, the muscular man abruptly woke up, struggling violently.
However, Alex was no longer the same as before. Using the advantage created by the sneak attack and his own considerable strength, he pinned the muscular man down firmly.
Having gained the upper hand, Alex turned the muscular man's head to face the lifeless, wide-eyed Gaden.
"How about a chat?"
A cold voice, like a winter breeze, brushed past the muscular man's ear.
A few minutes later.
Alex left the building.
On the black cover of the Hunter's Notebook, two more star points appeared.