Leon skillfully steered the conversation away from the topic of his wife--no, wait--his boss,and pulled a crumpled ball of paper from his pocket.

"Rebecca, do you happen to know anything about this?" he asked, unfolding the paper to reveal a red-level wanted notice.

Rebecca glanced at it nonchalantly. "Yes, I do. I was meant to tell you earlier. Tiger—not-so-dear old man—was declared wanted by the Empire about a year ago."

Leon’s eyes flickered with thought. "A year ago..."

Rebecca nodded. "Back then, it caused quite a stir in the newspapers. They were calling Tiger a homicidal madman, a crazed lunatic."

"What did my master...kill them for?"

"Hang on, let me fetch the newspapers."

Rebecca got up, rummaged through drawers and cabinets until she unearthed a few newspapers. Then she sat back down on the sofa.

"Red Mill innkeeper, casino owner, and the apothecary." Rebecca spread out the papers and introduced them one by one.

"Red Mill—a playground for societal elites, teeming with beauties of all kinds. The services here vary in price--you get what you pay for, so to speak. However, Most girls were trafficked—some sold to the rich, others worked to death in two years, only to have their organs harvested afterward.

"The casino, officially the largest in the Empire, is nothing but a haven for money laundering, black market deals, and usurious loans behind the scenes, leaving trails of blood with every transaction.

"As for the apothecary, they sell herbs, sure, but in reality, it's a den of drugs that have destroyed countless families."

Scratching his head, Leon succinctly summed up his master's actions, "He cleaned up all the worst crimes—He wiped out the ‘Three Evils’—prostitution, gambling, and drugs—all in one go!"

Rebecca nodded. "Additionally, these three shared one commonality: their connections to the Empire's royal family."

Leon noted, "Indeed, only those with strong backing would dare operate in such murky waters."

Rebecca hesitated briefly, as if recalling something. "Oh, there's more. A year ago, Tiger killed two royal guards and hung their corpses on the palace walls."

Leon furrowed his brow. "Sounds unlike him..."

"I feel the same way," Rebecca agreed.

Leon began to ponder deeply.

His master was declared wanted a year ago—right after meeting Roswitha. That couldn’t be a coincidence.

So, after the year-long pact with Roswitha, his master truly returned to the Empire.

And his return was likely driven by a mission to clear Leon's name of betrayal and restore his honor.

But did the Empire refuse?

Is that why Tiger opted for this "acting as Heaven’s vengeance," [Chinese idiom for vigilante justice], putting pressure on the Empire?

This theory seemed plausible, but it still needed confirmation when he confronted his master.

Now the issue arose: where could Leon find that old man?

Should he stake out the farm?

That would be a waste of time and could invite trouble.

Lost in thought, Leon had no clear answers.

Rebecca, spotting her captain’s quandary, blinked her large, pretty eyes and offered, "Old Tiger might act again soon."

Leon perked up. "What makes you say that?"

"The casino owner was killed two months ago. A week before his death, he publicly provoked Old Tiger in the newspapers, calling him a mad and bumbling fugitive. But if he surrendered, he might at least shed the 'bumbling' label."

Rebecca continued, "And then... Old Tiger killed him. At the time, the security team blanketed the area around the owner's house, ready to trap Old Tiger, but they underestimated him. Not only did Old Tiger claim the casino owner’s life, but he also escaped their clutches."

Leon caught onto Rebecca's implication. "You're saying someone has provoked my master again?"

"Exactly. A church priest this time."

Rebecca explained, "This priest declared that Tiger Lawrence is a puppet of Satan, an irredeemable demon who, upon death, won’t even reach hell but will forever wander as a lonely ghost."

Leon wasn’t interested in the priest's pre-fight trash talk; he was more concerned about something else. "So, which vice—vice, gambling, or drugs—is this priest involved in?"

"Well... that's hard to pin down. But I can subtly hint at it, Captain."

"Eh?"

"What’s the craft similar to ‘metallurgy’ [Note: Chinese wordplay implying child abuse]*called?"

Leon froze for a moment before understanding dawned.

No wonder Rebecca had trouble saying it outright—the priest was indeed twisted.

Disgusting.

"But this provocation is far more blatant than the casino owner's. It reeks of a trap, one likely fortified to the teeth, lying in wait for Old Tiger to walk into." Rebecca said, "So I'm not sure if he'll take the bait this time."

"He will," Leon asserted confidently.

"What makes you so sure?"

"My master once told me: an obvious trap isn’t a trap—it’s a ‘contest.’ Knowing his temperament, he’d do anything to pressure the Empire."

Leon recalled the many twisted sayings his master used to boast about when he was younger, dismissing them as exaggerations.

But realizing his master’s hidden prowess, those absurd boasts had morphed into life philosophies.

Standing up, Leon said, "Thanks, Rebecca, for sharing all this and for believing in me. Protect yourself while I handle this. I'll find you afterward."

Having gathered enough intel from Rebecca, Leon prepared to execute his next plan.

He grabbed his sunglasses from his pocket, thanked her, and headed for the door.

"Captain, where are you going?" Rebecca got up and trailed behind.

"To the church, to meet my master."

"The Empire will dispatch heavy forces this time, and it'll be dangerous, Captain. Even if you find Tiger, it'll be hard for the two of you to break free."

Something felt off in her wording...

When Leon turned around, Rebecca was already strapping two massive heavy-duty rifles to her back.

Holy shit, they’re not even hiding it!

Do all gunslingers carry pocket dimensions or something?

Just whip out guns like they were candy.

"You... really want to come with me?" His former teammate had left the Dragon Slayer Army, living a stable life now, and Leon hesitated to drag her back into danger.

"Of course."

After loading her ammo pouches, a resolute smile spread across her youthful face.

"Three years ago, I abandoned you and fled shamefully back to the Empire. But now, three years later, I won’t leave you behind, Captain."

...

Late at night on a rooftop across from the church, Leon and Rebecca observed the scene below.

The area around the church was crawling with security officers and patrol squads, forming an airtight blockade. Not even a mosquito would be able to drain the twisted priest’s blood.

"Wow, they’re not even hiding it, are they?" Rebecca exclaimed.

"I told you, this isn’t a trap—it’s a contest. These folks clearly understand my master’s temperament, or they wouldn’t risk this setup."

Leon added, "Still, this lineup shouldn’t be enough to contain him, though."

"You have that much faith in Tiger? By the way, I always thought Tiger Lawrence was just your ordinary old man, but this past year has completely shattered my view of him," Rebecca said.

Truthfully, Leon wasn’t entirely sure of his master’s capabilities either.

But his master had earned exceptionally high praise from Roswitha, the stubborn dragon queen herself. There was no way he was weak.

"So let’s wait and see," Leon said.

"They’ve been guarding this heavily for about a week. Let’s see if tonight finally brings Tiger out."

Both continued their vigil.

By midnight, Rebecca was dozing off, cradling her weapon.

Suddenly, a thunderous crash jolted her awake in terror.

"Ah, a bomb! It’s a bomb!"

Leon quickly pressed her head down. "Shhh~ It’s happening!"

Rebecca crouched low, following Leon’s gaze to the church.

The top of the church, adorned with a giant cross, had been obliterated by a flash of lightning, kicking up heavy clouds of dust.

From within the smoke emerged a figure shrouded in arcs of electricity, speeding forth with incredible agility.

In his right hand, he held a long slender katana, its edge glinting with a chilling light and streaked with fresh blood.

"N-no good! The priest is dead! Get him—now!"

Panicking officers and patrollers hurried to encircle the figure.

"Tiger Lawrence! You damn fugitive! Murderer! Surrender now!" One security officer shouted.

Tiger gripped his katana, icy eyes sweeping the officer as he said calmly, "There are six children locked in the priest’s basement."

"W-what?"

Tiger let out a cold snort. "Utter incompetence."

With that, he said no more, raising his katana horizontally as he surveyed the encirclement before decisively charging toward one side, forcing his way out.

Security officers familiar with Tiger’s skills knew better than to engage him head-on. "Quick…release the beasts!"

At the command, several gargantuan cages were pushed out from a nearby alley.

Inside were ferocious-looking Dangerous Beasts.

But these monsters weren’t ordinary—they bore specially-designed collars around their necks.

"Domesticated Dangerous Beasts… Empire truly has learned how to tame such creatures."

Rebecca was astonished. "Things don’t look good for Old Tiger. Captain—should we move in now—Captain? Wait, why are you already heading down?!"

Outside the church, four A-class Dangerous Beasts surrounded Tiger.

Snarling and growling, their crimson eyes burned with primal bloodlust.

Tiger gripped his katana with both hands, staring down the monstrous quartet.

One of the beasts lunged forth.

Tiger seized the moment, kicking off the ground and propelling himself like a missile.

As they passed one another, the katana’s edge cleaved deep into the beast’s flesh, eliciting a wretched cry of agony.

However, before Tiger could withdraw his move, the other three Dangerous Beasts lunged at him simultaneously.

This time, Tiger didn’t engage them head-on but chose to evade instead.

Even for him, it was impossible to face the attacks of three Dangerous Beasts at the same time.

After creating some distance, Tiger's heart sank as he glanced back. Behind him, a dense crowd of patrolmen and constables had filled the street. Armed with muskets, they were inching closer to him.

“Heh, Tiger Lawrence, no matter how skilled you are, tonight will be your downfall!”

“Roar!!”

Monsters ahead, blockade behind-no escape above, no shelter below.

No escape upward, no refuge below.

Tiger gripped the hilt of his blade tightly. “This is trouble…”

But just at this critical moment, a sudden burst of blue light flared up at the other end of the street. Arcs of electricity surged forth like a roaring flood, scattering the crowd and forcibly clearing a path.

Tiger stared at the dazzling lightning, startled at first, but soon rested his longsword on his shoulder, a relieved smile spreading across his face as he murmured softly,

“Kid, it’s been a while, hasn’t it?”