15: Chapter 0015 Dirty Police

"This is Officer Wilson's residence."

Li Size abruptly stopped, his clenched fists turning white. His expression instantly darkened, and he leaned close to Felina's ear to whisper the information he had just recalled.

According to Captain Sven's sorcery intelligence from the police station's Internal Affairs Department, Rice had only entered illegally for a little over a month.

He actually managed to develop two subordinates with special identities in the remote Gray Mist Mountain Town—Felina and Wilson.

The people he chose had all undergone background checks; their abilities were indeed extraordinary.

Felina and Wilson shared one thing in common:

They both had extremely urgent yet difficult-to-achieve needs—Felina wanted to quickly obtain a massive amount of gold coins to save her sister, and Wilson wanted to become Deputy Director but was displaced by an air-dropped Wizard Apprentice. Both were easily tempted by profit.

Rice had only been in Gele City for a month. Where did this precise information come from?

There must be a huge intelligence network operating behind him, relaying messages via sorcery flying message. The thought alone made his scalp tingle.

His intelligence System behind him was vast and unknown. Messages were transmitted encrypted with sorcery runes, making the source impossible to trace. Thinking deeply about it was truly terrifying.

As for Wilson, this corrupt officer...

In the Crimson Soul Duchy, those in the police force who were criminal or treasonous were called 'corrupt officers'; they were no longer referred to as police officers to avoid defiling the sacred profession, which required protection by a sorcery oath.

Since Rice was an intelligence agent for the Feiting Federation, the fact that he could arrange a meeting with Felina at Wilson's residence indicated that Wilson had already committed treason.

This was actually not hard to understand:

Wilson's lifelong ambition had been shattered, and his heart had long been filled with resentment.

Speaking of Wilson, anyone who had lived in Gray Mist Mountain Town for over two years knew him. He also had a history with Deputy Director Gelia.

Two and a half years ago, Commissioner Boris retired, and Deputy Director Rama was promoted, leaving a vacant position that everyone thought Wilson would fill.

However, it didn't happen. Wilson only possessed the strength of a Veteran Knight, whereas Gelia was an Intermediate Wizard Apprentice who could use sorcery to strengthen her body. His defeat was inevitable.

It was rumored that he was quite unconvinced at the time, as it was his greatest ambition in life.

He sought out a sorcery notary to file a complaint, and many incidents occurred during Gelia's initial tenure.

Li Size had also heard some police scandals back then, but how could a Mortal contend against a Wizard Apprentice?

Just look at how compliant Captains like Perisman were toward Gelia now; it showed how vast the difference was.

His betrayal was understandable, but this situation was rather unfavorable for Li Size and Felina.

After all, they had just been detained at the station. Who knew if Wilson had recorded their details?

Li Size and Felina had clearly realized this. Felina clutched the sorcery crystal in her hand, and Li Size also touched the potion vial at his waist, a trace of worry appearing on both their faces.

If Wilson already knew about them, weren't they walking right into a trap to die?

While Li Size and Felina hesitated, a cold, clear voice drifted out from inside the house, carrying a faint magical fluctuation—as if a wizard was speaking via mind transmission.

A gaze also fell from the runic window of the second-floor attic:

"Come in."

Li Size immediately lowered his head, bowed, and stood behind Felina, clasping his hands before his abdomen like a true servant, and asked in a low voice:

"Master?"

Felina took a deep breath and pressed the sorcery badge on her chest to calm herself.

Sven and Gelia wouldn't be able to surround this place with a sorcery barrier until at least eight o'clock. To be safe, she needed to stall until eight oh-five. She nodded and commanded:

"Open the door."

Li Size stepped forward and pushed open the heavy wooden door, which was inscribed with runes that sounded an alarm upon intrusion. He reached out to guide Felina forward, his movements showing no trace of abnormality...

Rice was dressed in a light gray suit, looking about thirty years old. He held a rune-engraved pipe in his mouth and leaned on a civilized cane studded with a Demonic Energy gem, displaying the demeanor of a successful person.

He smiled as he watched Felina nod. The light inside the room was somewhat dim, illuminated by a sorcery incense burner emitting faint mist, making the atmosphere somewhat mysterious and obscuring his features.

"Ah, beautiful Sorceress Felina, we meet again."

His voice was slightly cold and deep, carrying a raspiness unique to sorcery.

"Sorcerer Rice, all is well! Did you bring the 20 gold coins this time?"

Felina replied flatly, her hand unconsciously reaching for the purification water in her pocket, intending to take the initiative.

In the shadow behind Rice was a burly man, huddled inside a black coat lined with sorcery warming runes. This must be the corrupt officer Wilson.

Hearing '20' gold coins, his eyes lit up, and the clenched fists relaxed. He felt that his choice this time might have been correct.

"Here, they are in the box. But what is the situation with this little friend? This is not what we agreed upon, and it makes things difficult for me."

Rice pointed his civilized cane toward the corner of the room on his left, where a small leather suitcase was placed, and swiftly fixed a cold, sharp gaze on Li Size behind Felina.

That gaze carried a faint magical pressure, chilling his heart.

Felina slightly turned sideways to block Rice's view and placed her hand on the sorcery short staff at her waist:

"Our objective is to prevent your information from leaking. Isn't having him become my slave achieving the same effect?"

"Hmm? But keeping him alive is a risk. You know those 'red clothes' still have some means; a slave contract isn't completely secure. This reason is hard to convince me with."

Rice shook his head, his eyes narrowed as if in thought, tapping the runed floor lightly with his civilized cane, pondering something unknown.

Felina sighed, her lowered hand caressing the mentor badge on her chest:

"After all, he is my student."

"Ha! Kind girl, if that is the case, then I find it even more unacceptable. Let me handle it..."

Rice chuckled lightly, slowly raising his right hand, the civilized staff pointing toward Li Size—the Demonic Energy gem on the tip began to glow, clearly preparing to use sorcery.

Li Size tensed up, cold sweat instantly breaking out on his back, his body trembling slightly involuntarily. He cursed inwardly:

This guy is simply a lunatic!

He quietly reached for the defensive potion in his pocket.

"Mr. Rice, wait! That is certainly not the reason, but keeping him alive might be more beneficial to us."

Seemingly sensing Li Size's fear, Felina quickly spoke to stop him, simultaneously stepping forward to stand in front of Li Size, her hand resting on her sorcery short staff, ready to summon Demonic Energy.

"Oh?"

Rice took two steps forward, revealing his half-smiling expression. His figure was slightly taller than Felina's, waiting for Felina's reason as if looking down on her.

A faint light flickered in his eyes; he was clearly assessing her words.

"First, killing a student within the academy would make such a homicide difficult to keep secret from the Sorcery Patrol. The current Deputy Director of the police station, Gelia, is an Intermediate Wizard Apprentice with a very strong sense of justice and exceptional ability.

Her sorcery tracking skills are formidable. I worry we would find it hard not to expose ourselves under her urgent investigation. Handling it this way is clearly more conducive to keeping secrets than outright killing him. Perhaps you can ask Mr. Wilson beside you?"

Felina's brain worked at full speed, but she remained mostly calm. In reality, she had prepared for the current situation before arriving.

Rice turned to look at Wilson in the shadow. Seeing the other nod slightly, he pondered for a moment before turning back to Felina, raising his civilized staff again.

The Demonic Energy gem on the tip shone brighter. He shook his head:

"If that is the case... I apologize, the reason is insufficient. Although we are not the army, necessary obedience is also fundamental."

This person had a firm will and was difficult to persuade. Li Size already felt a sense of despair.

He clenched the potion vial in his pocket and took half a step back, unable to recall why he dared to participate in such an action. He was already preparing to flee at the first opportunity.

Felina nodded:

"Of course, sir! Li Size can refine sorcery potions. He is a true Genius in pharmaceutics; he grasps potion knowledge almost instantly upon learning it, which will certainly be helpful for our next operation."

"Oh? You know my next operation? Tell me about it?"

Rice raised an eyebrow, his fingers caressing the Demonic Energy gem atop the civilized cane. A faint runic light flashed within the gem. He became interested in Felina's thoughts.

If even this girl could guess his sorcery plan, was he in danger?

Felina clutched the rune-embroidered handkerchief in her hand and observed Rice's expression:

His face was expressionless, only the runes in his eyes flickered slightly, neither confirming nor denying anything.

She forced herself to continue:

"Sir's arrival in Gele City to recruit us is clearly for the purpose of establishing a sorcery organization. Any organization, regardless of its nature, certainly requires strong logistics.

And the current inspection of the Crimson Soul Duchy's sorcery barriers is very strict. Relying on supplies transported from Feiting is very difficult; we can only rely on ourselves to find a way."

Rice's Demonic Energy gem glowed faintly, and a thought stirred in his mind—this was indeed the logic. He leaned forward and said:

"Continue."

"His father is the best blacksmith in town. He uses the sorcery furnace to forge equipment and has the capability to forge most equipment and weaponry enhanced with runic blessings.

Moreover, he has signed a long-term supply order for sorcery equipment with the academy and is currently expanding the workshop using sorcery-reinforced Materials, possessing the ability to mass-produce weaponry."

Upon hearing this, Felina, who had been watching Rice intently, saw him finally nod slightly...

The Demonic Energy gem atop the civilized cane in his hand dimmed, and he lowered the cane.

Felina's back relaxed, and she breathed a sigh of relief internally...