Inside the carriage on the dim street, Dorothy sat and analyzed the intelligence obtained from the distant hotel.
'Based on the intelligence, it can be analyzed that these guys are not local Extraordinary from Igwinte, but came from outside. Their purpose is to follow the command of someone named 'Deer Skull' to come to this city to find his great enemy. The characteristic of this great enemy is that he is a master of'Stone' and practices the path of'Spirit Sculpting'.
'They collected intelligence in this city and learned that Anna suddenly woke up from the influence of 'Cup''s Spirit Sight. Therefore, they believed that Anna might be connected to the'Stone' Extraordinary, which is why they came to find her, and thus ran into me, leading to the battle just now.
'Although they hit a wall with Anna, they made a breakthrough on another investigation route. Starting with the stone material supply, they locked the target's location at Saint Amanda School. Needless to say, that target, that great enemy named Deer Skull, must be Aldrich.
'Heh... I didn't expect that guy who claimed to be absolutely neutral would actually have enemies...'
Dorothy thought this. As for these uninvited guests who suddenly arrived in Igwinte, their purpose, motivation, and why they coincidentally targeted Anna, Dorothy had more or less figured it out. The next step was how to deal with them.
'Report to the An Yin Bureau again? No, that won't work. The guy who fought with me before was a Black Rank, and his status when talking to the other guy inside was almost equal, so the other guy is likely also a Black Rank.
'If I hadn't intervened secretly, this one Black Rank almost wiped out Grego's team. What about two combined! Now Grego's team is severely damaged and their combat strength has decreased. Even if all the forces of the Iggwente Secret Agency were gathered to face these two people, it might be difficult. Although they could win, they couldn't guarantee a kill, and they themselves might suffer significant losses.'
Dorothy thought this. She wouldn't just call the police whenever something happened. This time, the power possessed by these two people was something the Iggwente Secret Agency was finding a bit difficult to handle. Even if they could win, it would be hard to capture and kill them.
'So, it seems I can only go find Mr. Principal now.'
Dorothy thought this. The fact that they could use two Black Rank as scouts to find someone proved that the organization hostile to Aldrich possessed power far beyond what the Red Communion Society could compare to. Being targeted by such an organization also proved Aldrich's own extraordinary nature.
Having made up her mind, Dorothy prepared to go find Aldrich. However, she didn't do so immediately, because she still had other things to attend to.
"But, before going to him, I can still make some extra money now to replenish my armaments."
Muttering, Dorothy looked towards the east.
...
At night, in the eastern part of Igwinte, at the Sunken Wharf.
In this makeshift smuggling wharf, the evening wind blew, and the dense bullet holes on the unfinished buildings in the warehouse district were still clearly visible, recording the battles that had taken place here.
By a dilapidated wooden wharf, a rusty ferry was moored, bobbing up and down in the water. By the side of the wharf, under the dim Light, a dozen figures were standing, one of whom was Harold.
Wearing a suit and a top hat, Harold was surrounded by his subordinates, smoking a cigarette, waiting with slight anxiety for the black gang thugs he had hired to complete their mission and return.
"What time is it now? Those guys still haven't arrived. Does it take this long for so many people to deal with a kid?"
Standing under the yellow halo of the Light, Harold, standing between two bodyguards, said impatiently. He already had an opinion about the black gang he had hired.
'Hmph... Drag it out... Just keep dragging it out... The longer you drag it, the longer you live. Once you're all on the boat, none of you will be able to escape...' While thinking this inwardly, Harold looked at the ferry floating in the water nearby. Inside, he had already pre-loaded explosives, waiting to blow the entire boat and everyone on it into the sky later.
In order to eliminate Anna, Harold collaborated with other contenders for Viscount Field's inheritance to hire assassins, planning to hire local Igwinte gang thugs to kill Anna.
Harold promised these thugs that after the deed was done, they would only need to come to this Sunken Wharf to receive the first payment. Then, to evade police pursuit, Harold also provided them with a ferry, using the Iron Mud River to help them escape Igwinte overnight. At the destination, Harold would pay them the second payment.
In fact, Harold wouldn't let these people live to become future liabilities. He had already placed explosives on the boat and set up a simple mechanical timed ignition device. Once that group of people got on the boat, he would activate the timer. When the boat reached the middle of the river, the explosives would detonate. This way, Harold would not only have no future trouble but also wouldn't have to pay the next payment.
Harold lived in Kuayan Town in Igwin County, where mining was the main industry. Harold operated two mines there. Because of the need for mining, he often dealt with explosives. The explosives now in the boat were something he had managed to obtain in Igwinte through his connections, enough to blow them all, boat and people included, into the sky.
Now, all Harold had to do was wait, waiting for that group of people with blood on their hands to come to him as agreed, and then for the black to eat the black, devouring them.
"Mr. Harold! They're here, but strangely, there's only one?"
At this moment, the subordinate who was on lookout in the distance ran over and said to Harold. Hearing his subordinate's words, Harold was slightly stunned, then said.
"Only one person came? What's going on?"
"I don't know, he said their operation seemed to have failed. The target's bodyguard was very strong, and only he escaped!"
"Unexpected enemy... What kind of person could protect a kid who hasn't even inherited the inheritance yet?! So many people actually failed? Quickly call him over!"
Hearing his subordinate's words, Harold said angrily. Then his subordinate went back to the distance and brought a figure over.
It was a small, thin man with short stature, lean limbs, and dark skin. Harold recognized him; he was one of the gang thugs he had hired, said to be a famous pickpocket in the lower city.
"What happened! Why is it only you! Where are the others? Is that kid dead or alive now!"
Looking at the pickpocket who came before him, Harold said, spitting. And that pickpocket also replied, trembling.
"I'm very sorry, sir, we encountered a very powerful group of people, we were no match at all, they all had guns! Real guns! Guns better than the cops! Oh... Saint Child, I have never seen so many guns in my life, all of us..."
In front of Harold, the pickpocket was vividly describing the situation at the time, and Harold was listening intently. Suddenly, the pickpocket's expression froze, he pulled out a small knife from his waist, and stabbed forward with lightning speed, inserting it into Harold's throat. Harold's eyes widened, he clutched his neck, and fell down, making strange sounds.
"What are you doing!"
Seeing this scene, the two bodyguards beside Harold were stunned. One of them drew a saber from his waist, preparing to slash at the pickpocket.
"Bang!"
Just then, a gun fired in the space. The head of the bodyguard who drew his saber was pierced by a bullet. In the last moment before he fell, he looked in the direction of the gunshot and saw that it was Harold, who should have fallen, standing upright, looking indifferent, pointing the pistol he had carried at his waist at himself, with light smoke rising from the black muzzle.
Seeing his companion killed by his boss, the other bodyguard opened his mouth in astonishment.
"Lord Harold, how could you... Wah!"
That bodyguard looking at Harold hadn't finished speaking when he felt a chill in his chest. He looked down and saw a sharp blade inserted into his chest. The owner of that sharp blade was none other than his companion, who had just been shot dead, and was originally also a bodyguard.
And he himself, in the process of falling, also gripped his body and stood firm under the control of some power, drew his weapon, and together with his companions who were also puppets, killed Harold's other subordinates, his other companions.
Harold's entire team was like a chain of dominoes, rapidly and completely toppled by this series of reactions where companions killed each other.
And Dorothy, who pushed down these dominoes, was sitting silently in the carriage in the distance, watching the bloody scene through the vision of the Corpse Puppet.