Chương 402: Passing By

The mandarin-bearded Reiner didn't need the guards to remind him.

Roland's sudden change of image certainly raises suspicions of deliberate concealment.

But Roland's demeanor was so harmonious that it didn't seem fake at all.

Since it doesn't seem fake, the probability of it being related to a wanted criminal from the fox clan drops sharply, and he doesn't need to risk arresting him.

After all, Roland is backed by the Grey Gold family.

Although the Grey Gold family has declined, even a starved camel is bigger than a horse.

It's completely unnecessary for me to offend the Gray Gold family for such a small possibility.

It would be better to summarize all this intelligence and dump it all on the higher-ups, leaving those above them to worry about it.

Hey~ Troublesome matters should be pushed upwards layer by layer, with each level passing the buck – that's the proper way to run the bureaucracy of Black Iron City.

Reiner quickly made up his mind. He twitched his mustache, first scolding Guard Number Twenty-Five, then giving Roland a fake aristocratic smile.

"Boss lady, as you can see, this guard has reported that you resemble a wanted criminal from Black Iron City. What do you think?"

With that, Reiner placed the new wanted poster on the bar counter and spun it around to face Roland.

Roland covered her mouth and laughed out loud.

"Sir, this is clearly a fox spirit. The fur on those big ears is so glossy and smooth. How did the guard mistake me for her?"

"Yes, I find it strange too."

With a sharp mustache, Reiner decisively sold out Guard Number Twenty-Five, spreading his hands and saying with an innocent look on his face.

"However, since the guard has made such a strong accusation, according to the public order regulations, as an investigator in the Upper District, I am forced to go through the investigation process. Boss lady, you won't mind, will you?"

As he spoke, Leiner, seemingly worried that Roland might be unhappy, or perhaps wanting to further absolve himself of responsibility, reached out and patted the guard's shoulder heavily.

"If it is indeed a false alarm, the guard will naturally be severely punished, so the proprietress need not worry."

"Lord Reiner!"

The guard's voice was filled with terror; not only was his face pale, but his lips were also covered with a layer of frost.

He's doomed!

He couldn't help but recall Captain David's words of advice, wishing he could turn back time to that day.

If time could turn back, he would definitely listen to the captain and stay far away from the messy affairs of the big shots in the upper district, not even glancing at them!

Regardless of how much the guard regretted it, Reiner said coldly without any pity.

"Rest assured, sir. Because of your strong report, I will do my best to investigate in accordance with the Black Iron City security regulations."

With that, he waved his hand.

The attendants behind him stepped forward and led the guards to other seats, leaving only Reiner and Roland at the bar.

Roland watched the guards being led away indifferently, then looked at Leiner with a smile.

"My lord, how would you like to conduct the investigation? Shall we take a two-headed demon dog on patrol?"

"Heh, we high-level superhumans don't need those inefficient inspection methods... We have this."

Reiner took out a palm-sized compass from his waist.

The compass was made entirely of silver and gold, with magic circles dancing around it, making it look like some kind of tracking tool.

At the center of the compass is a solid piece of fused glass, sealing a piece of soft, white fabric.

Roland craned her neck to look, and her pupils suddenly contracted.

Why do these fabric scraps look so familiar?

The texture, the pattern, the stitching technique...

What the hell!

This is the fabric of the nightgown I was wearing when I was teleported down from the previous phase!

Damn it, after that nightgown turned into a succubus, it was sold to a succubus merchant outside the city.

How did we end up back in Black Iron City, and in the hands of the Demon Lord of the Upper City?!

Roland's breathing paused for a moment, then she quickly regained her composure and resumed her normal breathing rhythm.

This little trick didn't escape Reiner's notice.

A faint hint of doubt flashed in Reiner's eyes.

"Boss lady, you seem to recognize this?"

"Of course." Roland casually extended her folding fan and tapped it on the table in front of the compass.

"If I'm not mistaken, this should be aura tracking magic. It's incredible that it can be miniaturized into a magical artifact."

Reiner raised an eyebrow slightly.

"So, the proprietress was interested in this compass."

"As you thought, this compass can trace and identify the scent of wanted criminals. Let's first check if you have any connection with the fox clan's wanted criminals."

A barely perceptible bead of sweat appeared on Roland's forehead. With a flick of her wrist, she opened the folding fan, concealing half of her face.

"My lord, my tavern employs quite a few beautiful fox-clan waitresses, and some minor squabbles are inevitable. Will this tracking compass wrongly accuse innocent people?"

"Of course not."

Reiner looked very confident.

Although the fabric fragments in the compass had passed through several hands of merchants, Young Master Baal had used magic to remove the impurities from them, leaving only the sleazy scent of a wanted fox.

As long as one gets close to the white-tailed, golden-haired fox-like beastman, the compass can lock onto it firmly, leaving it nowhere to escape.

Reiner trembled, and magic surged into the compass, instantly causing intense magical fluctuations to rise around him.

The golden pointer swung rapidly, trembling as it spun around once, before slowly coming to a stop in front of Roland.

Roland's face turned green.

Just as he was about to explain, he saw Leiner start turning the compass, and the pointer followed suit, showing no intention of pointing at Roland.

I go!

Turns out it was just a calibration check; I thought they'd discovered me!

Roland felt a great weight lifted from her heart. She snapped her folding fan shut with a "snap," a subtle smile curving her lips and her eyebrows arching.

"My lord, are you satisfied now?"

"Although I don't know why we're catching foxes and succubi, I'm happy to cooperate with your investigation. I'm willing to take you for a walk around the Golden Sparrow to prevent the wanted criminal from hiding in the tavern without my knowledge."

At this point, Reiner was already cursing Guard Number Twenty-Five in his mind.

But since the magic power had already been used up and the compass had been activated, Roland simply led the way, and they walked around the tavern holding the compass.

"Sir, is the compass making any noise?"

"No, it seems that Guard Number Twenty-Five gave a false report."

Reiner hung the compass back on his waist, and the magical fluctuations on it gradually subsided. He glanced at the despairing guards and snorted.

"Boss lady, I won't disturb your business today. I have some things to take care of."

"Oh, you're too kind, sir. Your meal at the tavern cost quite a bit; I should thank you for your generosity."

……

Leyner and his entourage walked out onto the main road leading away from the commercial plaza.

The attendant directed his colleagues to escort Guard Number Twenty-Five into the carriage, and then moved closer to Rainer.

"Sir, how should we report what happened today? The eldest daughter of the Gray Gold family is quite petty; she might secretly cause us trouble in the future."

"What's there to be afraid of? Just throw all the blame on that number twenty-five. If the young master holds me accountable, I'll just be following the rules."

Reiner waved his hand dismissively, and just as his entourage was about to leave, Reiner called them back.

"Don't leave yet. Record the information and reactions of that proprietress, Laura, and give it to the young master's intelligence department. I have a feeling that the succubus's identity is not simple. Ordinary people don't have that kind of speech and temperament."

"Yes, Lord Reiner."

Watching his entourage board the carriage, Reiner turned around and casually picked a restaurant that looked rather upscale.

A discreet magic carriage was heading towards the commercial plaza, just passing by the departing Leiner.

The tracking compass that Reiner wore at his waist still retained a little magic, barely enough to provide a tracking effect. The central pointer moved slightly, deflecting a few degrees toward the direction of the carriage.

……

Inside the unassuming carriage, two groups of people sat facing each other.

On the sofa to the left are the gray-gold heiress, Durra, and her secretary, Cecilia.

Before Dura stood three succubi disguised as foxes, led by a green-haired, wavy-haired older woman surrounded by a powerful aura.

Du La was secretly alarmed. She reached out and pinched the gold coins hanging from her waist, trying to appear calm.

"I never expected that I would run into such a famous person during my rare trip to the lower city."

"I have long admired your name, Lady Kalil."