Kraus looked toward Hoguer.
“Start with von Linde.”
Hoguer flipped open a file and tapped his finger on the name at the top.
“Baron von Linde.”
“An old-money noble from the East District of the inner city. His family has been established for three generations, primarily dealing in mineral transport and storage. On the surface, he stays close to City Hall and has business dealings with the Polymath Tower.”
Hoguer’s tone was flat.
“However, he has a set of off-the-books properties in the outer city. The locations of three of those warehouses match the routes the Grey Covenant members used to infiltrate the pipe network with high precision.”
Bo Er took over the explanation.
“We found residues of Glazed Water in the basement of one of those warehouses. The composition matches what we found in the previous Grey Covenant strongholds.”
“Besides von Linde, there are two merchant members...” Hoguer turned a page. “One is a grain merchant from the South District of the outer city, and the other is the owner of a cloth shop in the inner city. Both have long-term accounting records with von Linde, and there was a significant flow of unidentified funds during the ghoul incident.”
He closed the file.
“They aren't major players. But leaving them be is a risk.”
After listening, Kraus tapped his fingers twice on the table.
“The disposal plan?”
“The same as last time,” Hoguer said calmly.
Last time.
Baron von Klein.
Everyone remembered the process from that time: a newspaper report, four bodies, a “tragic accident.”
Clean, efficient, and leaving no loose ends.
Kraus nodded.
“Then we act tonight.”
His tone suddenly shifted from “discussion” to “command.”
“Three targets, three locations, simultaneous action. We won't give them time to tip each other off.”
He looked at Hoguer.
“You take your people to von Linde’s. Franz and Conrad will go with you. He has private guards at his mansion—not many, but they are armed. Seal the perimeter first, then move in to take them.”
Hoguer nodded. “No problem.”
Franz’s expression didn't change, but he sat up slightly straighter.
Beside him, Conrad nodded, the tension on his face fading slightly, replaced by a look of readiness.
Kraus then looked at Raymond.
“The grain merchant is in the South District of the outer city; you take that one. The terrain there is complex with many alleys, so be careful not to let anyone escape.”
Raymond gave an affirmative grunt.
Kraus’s gaze finally landed on Lu Yuan.
“You take the cloth shop.”
Lu Yuan looked at him.
“Bo Er will go with you,” Kraus added. “The owner himself isn't a transcendent, but he has connections in the inner city, and his hands aren't clean. Finish it quickly; do not linger.”
Bo Er lightly patted his knee, accepting the assignment.
Kraus scanned the room.
“Glock will stay at the branch to coordinate the three-way communications. Lake will come with me, ready to provide support at any time.”
He stood up.
“I’ve already reviewed the obituary templates for the Bronze Newspaper. Once the job is done, the papers will be printed immediately. By tomorrow morning, the whole city will only know that these few gentlemen have ‘unfortunately met with disaster.’”
The sound of chairs scraping back filled the room.
Lu Yuan also stood up.
“Lu Yuan.”
Kraus’s voice wasn't loud, but as the other sounds in the meeting room dissipated, his voice became clearer.
Lu Yuan stopped in his tracks.
Several people walked past him.
Bo Er glanced at him with a normal expression and didn't stop.
Raymond walked ahead with his notebook, already flipping to the next page.
Franz and Conrad rose in near-perfect synchronization and walked silently toward the door.
Hoguer looked back as he reached the door, his gaze sweeping between Lu Yuan and Kraus. He said nothing and stepped out.
Lake was the last to leave.
As he passed Lu Yuan by the window, his footsteps were light, almost soundless.
The door closed.
The meeting room fell silent.
Only two people remained.
Kraus didn't sit.
He leaned against the edge of the table, his fingers slowly tapping twice on the surface.
“Tonight at von Linde’s, you will go with Hoguer.”
Lu Yuan paused slightly.
During the deployment just now, he had been assigned to the cloth shop line.
“Bo Er can handle the cloth shop himself,” Kraus said with no rise in his tone. “I only arranged it that way just now to test something, and besides, you are needed at von Linde’s.”
He raised a hand, signaling Lu Yuan not to ask yet.
“It's not for you to take action; Hoguer has enough manpower.”
“Von Linde is the one among the three targets who had the deepest contact with the Grey Covenant. When the Grey Covenant retreated, they took two Seeds with them. We still haven't figured out which channel they used to leave the city or whose hands they passed through.”
He looked at Lu Yuan.
“If his place still has traces of the Grey Covenant’s aura, or anything else that shouldn't be there, your pathway will be able to see it.”
“It would be best if you find something, but if not, don't force it.”
Lu Yuan nodded.
“Understood.”
This was indeed something only he could do.
Kraus didn't immediately speak the next sentence.
His gaze rested on Lu Yuan, lingering a bit longer than usual.
Suddenly, he asked.
“Did you break through?”
Lu Yuan’s breath hitched slightly.
“I'm still rank 2,” Lu Yuan said after a moment of thought. “There's still a long way to go before rank 3.”
This wasn't a lie.
His Forbidden Lore experience wasn't even halfway there, and the threshold for a Polymath was still very far off.
But Kraus clearly didn't fully accept this answer.
He frowned slightly, his gaze scanning over Lu Yuan.
It wasn't scrutiny... it was more like looking at something where he couldn't say what had changed, but it had certainly changed.
“You seem different than before.”
Kraus’s voice was very low.
“I can't put my finger on it. But you are definitely different.”
Silence followed for two seconds.
Kraus looked away first. But he didn't stop there.
“Be careful lately.”
His tone suddenly turned cold.
“Someone might already be watching you.”
Lu Yuan’s eyes flickered.
“In the eyes of some people, you are more or less an eyesore.”
Kraus didn't say who.
It could be the Church.
Or perhaps the remnants of the Grey Covenant.
He simply picked up his teacup and took a sip.
“Remember to follow Hoguer’s line tonight. Go find him.”
Lu Yuan nodded and said nothing more.
He turned and left the room.
In the hallway, Hoguer was indeed there.
He was leaning against the wall opposite the door, arms crossed, his expression no different from during the meeting.
Seeing Lu Yuan come out, he pushed himself off the wall.
“Follow me.”
There were no extra words.
The two went down the hallway and to a small meeting room in the side wing of the first floor of the branch.
The door was slightly ajar.
There were already people inside.
Franz was sitting at the table, his posture upright, hands folded over his knees.
There was no expression on his high-cheekboned face.
Conrad stood by the window, leaning against the frame with his hands in his pockets.
Seeing Lu Yuan and Hoguer enter, he straightened up slightly.
Four people.
Hoguer walked to the table, pulled a piece of white paper folded twice from his inner pocket, unfolded it, and slapped it onto the table with a snap.
It was a hand-drawn floor plan, the ink very fresh.
“The Linden Mansion, East District of the inner city, at the end of Crown Cast Lane.”
His finger pointed right at the center.
“A three-story stone main building, Gothic pointed arch windows, ironwork balconies, and an annex building in the back connected to the stables. The courtyard wall is two and a half meters high, topped with cast-iron spikes.”
His finger moved to the edge of the map, pointing to three locations.
“Three entrances: the main gate facing south, the side gate facing east, and the back courtyard stable gate.”
“Guards.” His tone was no different from reading a list. “Eight to ten private soldiers, concentrated on the first floor of the annex at night. They are equipped with short-guns and sabers.”
He paused.
“No transcendents, at least not on the surface.”
He looked around.
“Don't be careless. You can never tell what kind of trump cards these old inner city nobles have hidden away.”
Franz’s gaze landed on the floor plan, but he said nothing.
Conrad walked over from the window, looked down at the marked positions, and didn't make a sound either.
Hoguer continued.
“The Baron himself lives on the second floor of the main building. His habit at night is to stay in the study; the lights stay on until the latter half of the night. There are two butlers—one manages daily affairs, and the other is von Linde’s distant nephew, the accountant. He has had direct contact with the Grey Covenant.”
His eyes grew a degree colder.
“This man, take him alive.”
His finger traced several lines on the floor plan.
“I’ll take two people through the main gate. Under the pretext of a routine Nightwatchers inspection, we’ll knock first. If they open it, fine; if not, we break the door.”
He looked at Franz.
“You block the side gate.”
Franz nodded with a minimal movement.
“The back courtyard stable gate.” He looked at Conrad. “You seal it. If the private soldiers run from the annex, they’ll all go that way. Just keep them under control.”
Conrad gave an affirmative response.
Finally, Hoguer’s gaze landed on Lu Yuan.
“You come with me through the main gate. But you won't participate in the capture.”
He paused.
“Kraus said you can see things others can't.”
His tone was strictly business.
Lu Yuan nodded.
“Once inside, you scan the basement and the study,” Hoguer’s voice dropped half a notch. “Grey Covenant aura, eerie traces—whatever it is, report it.”
“Kraus specifically gave these instructions.”
Lu Yuan had no objections.
“The time.”
“Two hours after dark, Glock will send a unified signal, and all three locations will act simultaneously.” Hoguer folded the floor plan and tucked it back into his inner pocket.
“Move fast. It can't take more than fifteen minutes. All three lines must be finished before dawn.”
He scanned the group.
“Any questions?”
No one spoke.
Hoguer nodded.
“Prepare yourselves before dark. The meeting point is the watchtower at the North Gate of the outer city. Do not enter the inner city ahead of time.”
He walked toward the door, stopped, and turned around.
“If you encounter resistance, do not hesitate—execute them on the spot.”
He pushed the door open and left.
Franz stood up and followed him out.
Conrad also left the window, nodding to Lu Yuan as he passed, but said nothing.
The small meeting room became empty.
Lu Yuan looked out the window. The light was already beginning to slant.
There were still several hours until dark.
He turned and left the room, heading toward his quarters.
To prepare his equipment.
It grew dark.
Glock’s signal was a copper communication pin.
The moment the pin grew slightly warm, the three teams set out simultaneously.
Lu Yuan followed Hoguer’s people through the North Gate of the outer city and into the inner city.
The streets of the inner city were different from the outer city.
The stone roads were wider, the buildings on both sides were taller, frosted glass was set into the windows, and copper lanterns hung from the porches.
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