Chapter 35: The Fierce Horse Detective Agency

The young man with the cross-shaped scar on his face revealed a bright smile and said, “We’ve had our eyes on you for quite some time. However, I thought it would be more considerate to let you withdraw your savings first before we apprehend you. After all, it’s your final wish before you die.”

“Addison agreed to my request, even though he thought it would be troublesome to withdraw the money without knowing the Savings Union’s account password, even with the deposit slip.”

Charlot Mecklenburg hadn’t expected to be targeted so early. With no plans to use his newly customized alchemical staff—since he was practically a novice in close combat—he unhesitatingly pulled out his Magnum Mauler and emptied the cylinder at the young man who had spoken.

The young man with the cross-shaped scar remained composed in the face of the gunfire. Drawing a magical rapier, he moved with a nimbleness that defied belief, slashing out over ten times in an instant. Metallic clinks echoed on the ground as over a dozen bullets, neatly sliced in half, fell at his feet. His swordsmanship was nothing short of miraculous.

The human body has its limits—such speed and precision were impossible for an ordinary person to achieve.

Charlot inhaled sharply and asked, “Transcendent?”

From the other end of the street, a cold voice answered, “Wells is a Diviner. His specialty is foreseeing the trajectory of bullets, as you just witnessed—remarkably effective.”

Charlot tightened his grip on the vampiric axe hidden in his sleeve and asked, “A Diviner? Did you find me solely by relying on spiritual intuition?”

The young man with the cross-shaped scar replied, “That’s right. So don’t think about escaping. No matter how far you run—even to the ends of the earth—you can’t evade my divinations.”

Charlot discarded his now-empty Magnum Mauler and asked, “Who are you people? Why are you targeting me?”

Wells pointed his rapier forward and responded, “We are detectives of the Fierce Horse Detective Agency. Our client comes from Kilmainham Prison, and we’re assisting in an official investigation.”

“The directive from Kilmainham is simple: dead or alive, but preferably dead.”

Charlot had always believed the Fars Empire’s law enforcement teams to be inefficient. However, he hadn’t anticipated the existence of extraordinary detectives in a world brimming with Transcendents.

The Fierce Horse Detective Agency, led by its chief Aubrey Tildon Atwood, was one of the Empire’s Seven Great Detective Agencies. Its reputation surpassed even that of the Cat Detective Agency, while its size was more than ten times larger, employing over a hundred detectives. Among its ranks were over ten Transcendents, supported by two to three hundred detective assistants, apprentices, and clerks. The agency’s operations spanned a wide range of domains.

Facing pursuers capable of divination, Charlot felt deeply troubled. He dismissed the thought of bribery since the detectives had already expressed their intent to seize his cash. Attempting such a tactic would only appear childish.

Within moments, Charlot steadied his mind and decisively activated the Eye of Insight. A holographic perspective enveloped the entire street as his vampiric axe shot through the air, aiming at the other detective.

The vampiric axe struck its target with a dull thud, only for flames to erupt around Addison’s body. A swirling vortex of fire surrounded him, preventing the axe from breaking through and harming him.

With a cruel smile, Addison said, “I am the Flame Dragon Knight of the Fierce Horse Detective Agency. Your petty tricks are useless against my abilities.” Without any visible effort, he commanded a stream of fire to sweep the vampiric axe aside.

The axe clattered to the ground but, with its momentum undiminished, ricocheted toward Wells, flying dozens of steps before losing speed and landing near the street’s edge.

Charlot’s heart calmed slightly, though he deliberately feigned panic and shouted, “Third-rank Transcendent!”

Addison’s use of battle energy was a hallmark of knights.

On the Old Continent, it was often said that knights walked the broadest path among Transcendents and were the easiest class to achieve. The threshold was so low that even commoners had the opportunity to learn secret methods for cultivating battle energy.

In the Fars Empire, the national institutes provided a complete knightly training system. Anyone admitted to the institutes could study Knightly Breathing Techniques. The most outstanding students would form a power seed, awaken their inner vitality, and emerge transformed, earning the title of knight.

Even those who failed to enter the national institutes could find various breathing methods taught by private organizations. For instance, the Fierce Horse Detective Agency popularized the Flame Dragon’s Breath technique, which allowed practitioners to awaken battle energy and claim the title of Flame Dragon Knight.

Charlot, having failed to awaken battle energy during his time at the national institutes, had abandoned such pursuits in favor of academics. However, his foundational knowledge remained solid.

Judging from Addison’s display, Charlot estimated that his opponent’s battle energy was at the third rank—solidly within the domain of Transcendents.

Holding his rapier, Wells advanced boldly and laughed, “You’d better pick me as your opponent. After all, I’m merely a Diviner and not adept at combat. My strength is only at the second rank.”

From their intelligence, Charlot appeared to be nothing more than a civil servant with no combat experience. At most, he was a first-rank Transcendent, specializing in Blood Glory, which was widely regarded as a weaker version of battle energy. These facts were well-known.

The two detectives approached Charlot with a casual, almost playful attitude, treating the encounter more like a game. They underestimated him, behaving like cats toying with a mouse, their demeanor tinged with laziness.

Charlot silently calculated as Wells stepped into a specific range. In a voice only he could hear, he muttered, “No matter East or West, immortal legends or mythologies, there has never been a form of divination that comes without cost or grants omniscience.”

The vampiric axe, lying on the ground, suddenly rose like a nimble bird. It arced through the air at an uncanny angle and struck Wells’s neck.

Empowered by Bloodflame Aura, the vampiric weapon devoured the detective’s essence and life force. Wells tried repeatedly to pull the axe from his neck, but his hands faltered halfway each time, dropping lifelessly.

Within mere breaths, the vibrant vitality of his body was drained entirely. In an instant, his youthful and athletic frame withered like a leaf in autumn, leaving him decrepit and frail, akin to a dying elder.

Addison’s face turned pale with horror at the sudden turn of events. Rather than rushing forward to save his comrade, he hesitated, missing the fleeting opportunity to act.

What he did next shocked even Charlot—Addison engulfed himself in flames and unleashed his battle energy, fleeing at top speed.

Charlot, a university student who had undergone comprehensive training in Transcendent studies at Sheffield University, had keenly observed the detectives’ moves and identified their weaknesses. He devised a strategy tailored to their vulnerabilities.

Both detectives, unable to enter the national institutes, had learned Knightly Breathing Techniques through the detective agency. Though formidable in strength and seasoned in combat, their academic knowledge was lacking. This ignorance made it impossible for them to see through Charlot’s ruse.

Addison knew of Blood Glory, but he was unfamiliar with the Thirteen Miraculous Techniques, particularly Telekinetic Control, which allowed for remote manipulation of weapons. In his framework of understanding, such abilities were exclusive to high-rank Transcendents.

Charlot’s decisive opening move—killing Wells in one strike—gave the impression of a “villainous overlord” wielding overwhelming power. This led Addison to overestimate his enemy’s strength and choose the “smart” option: escape.

As a formal detective, Addison’s weekly salary was only two New Flors and forty centimes—barely higher than that of a first-class civil servant. Risking his life for such meager pay seemed foolish.

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