The next day, Mr. Mayo arrived at the police station with Ms. Bella on his arm.

  "Officer! Thank you so much! I've found my dear Ms. Bella!"

  Perhaps this was true love. Mr. Mayo's shoulders were only slightly broader than Ms. Bella's, and in front of her, he appeared quite small.

  Rudolph handed Mayo a total of seven police reports, all requiring his signature. After signing, Mayo said, "Officer, I made this wallet for you. It's crafted from the finest, uncastrated bull's top-grain leather. I hope you like it."

  Rudolph coughed, glanced around to make sure no one else was watching, and then accepted the leather wallet.

  "Technically, I shouldn't be accepting gifts from you, but fortunately, I'm a man without principles."

  With that, both parties happily parted ways—Rudolph had cleared seven police reports and gained a new wallet in the process.

  After seeing Mayo off, Rudolph headed to the chief's office.

  "Rudolph, you're here."

  "What’s up, Chief?"

  "There’s a report here. I need you to take a trip to Fabbro City and deliver it to the city police department."

  Chief Claude handed Rudolph a thick document.

  Rudolph glanced through it briefly—it was about a werewolf uprising. He accepted the task without hesitation, thinking it would be a good opportunity to visit another place, especially with travel expenses covered by public funds.

  "Alright, I'll pack up and head out tomorrow."

  That night, Rudolph left the police station once again wearing the purple scorpion mask.

  When he entered the casino through the back door, the owner, Casino, was startled.

  "An emissary of Sorcerer Sellen! It’s been a long time since I last heard from you."

  "My teacher has been busy lately, so I’ve been preoccupied as well."

  Casino bowed slightly and hesitantly said, "Um… I have something I’d like to ask you about."

  "Speak."

  "I’ve heard that there's an unusually active undead roaming the wilderness, gathering what can only be described as a massive army. Tell me, is that undead army under Sorcerer Sellen's control?"

  "You're asking too many questions."

  Hearing this firm response, Casino grew even more nervous. His suspicions were confirmed—Bloody Sellen was indeed gathering power in the wild, and his most obedient subordinates were none other than undead servants under his control.

  "Emissary of Sorcerer Sellen, is there anything I can do for you this time?"

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  "I need access to Fabbro City's black market. My teacher said I should ask you about it." Rudolph’s voice was calm and steady. "Oh, and by the way, my teacher still remembers you quite well after his resurrection."

  Cold sweat broke out across Casino’s forehead. He had been the first to flee when Sellen was captured. Now, knowing that Sellen still remembered him, he felt even more uneasy.

  "I understand! I understand! Emissary of Sorcerer Sellen, please wait a moment."

  A short while later, Casino returned with a small object. He placed a chess piece on the armrest of Rudolph's chair—a black pawn from a chess set, with the letter "N" engraved at the bottom.

  "I’ll give you an address. When you get there, hold this chess piece in your hand. Someone will guide you to the black market."

  Rudolph nodded, accepted the chess piece, and left.

  As Casino straightened his back, he sighed in relief—he had managed to get through another encounter.

  Hurry up, Sorcerer Sellen—recover your strength soon. If he could endure just a little longer, the Inquisition would come hunting witches again.

  That night, in Ivonna’s room, Rudolph carefully packed vials of wolfbane potion into his suitcase.

  Over time, he had successfully refined wolf saliva into wolfbane potion. Selling raw materials was hardly profitable—selling the finished product was where the real money was.

  "Keep ten vials for ourselves. The remaining twenty will be sold for cash."

  Ivonna asked, "Can I go to Fabbro City with you?"

  "You can't. Lemang Town is small and relatively safe, but Fabbro City is different—it's too dangerous for you."

  A werewolf wandering around Fabbro City? That would be utterly ridiculous—almost as absurd as a werewolf becoming a patrol officer.

  Ivonna knew Rudolph was right, so she could only stay behind in town.

  The next day, Rudolph set off for Fabbro City, carrying the report and his suitcase.

  The journey from Lemang Town to Fabbro City took at least half a day on horseback. By the time Rudolph reached the city outskirts, it was already late afternoon, nearing dusk.

  Standing on a hill overlooking Fabbro City, Rudolph marveled at its organized layout. The city was neatly divided into square sections by roads, each containing four- to six-story buildings. The architecture was beautiful—white stone walls, orange-red sloped roofs, and rows of dormer windows lining the rooftops.

  Rudolph suddenly regretted not bringing Ivonna along. That wild girl, who had spent her life in the countryside, had probably never seen such a well-structured city before.

  Within the city limits, horseback riding was prohibited to keep the stone-paved roads clean. Rudolph had to leave his horse at a stable on the outskirts before heading in on foot.

  After inquiring about the location of the city police station, he found lodging nearby.

  Late at night, the bell above the hotel entrance chimed as Rudolph stepped out, wearing a hat and carrying his suitcase.

  His leather shoes clicked crisply against the stone pavement. Hearing a ringing sound, he stopped to let a tram pass.

  Watching the last tram of the night disappear down the street, Rudolph sighed.

  Alchemists were truly more capable than he had imagined—even trams had been invented.

  He had used flashlights and lanterns before, so perhaps a tram wasn’t such a stretch. It was just a little slow.

  Unfortunately, he had no time to experience riding one. He would have liked to try.

  The chess piece Casino had given him was quite special. By placing it in his palm and channeling star energy into it, the piece would jump slightly in a particular direction—that was the direction of the black market.

  After a long walk, he arrived at an unremarkable street. There were no pedestrians, only two children selling newspapers and an elderly woman walking with a slight limp.

  Rudolph held the chess piece between his fingers, strolling slowly along the street, waiting for someone to approach him.

  He occasionally glanced at the two newspaper boys, wondering when they would come over.

  But even as he neared the end of the street, no one had approached him.

  Strange...

  "You young people these days! Can’t you slow down a little? I’ve been trying to catch up with you for an entire block!"

  Rudolph turned around to see the elderly woman carrying a basket, panting as she spoke.

  Her basket swayed from side to side as she gasped, "Do young people have no sense of observation anymore?"

  "Apologies," Rudolph replied, feeling slightly amused. "I considered many possibilities, but I certainly didn’t expect it to be you."

  He had to admit—the old lady had successfully thrown him off guard.