1-5

Panthonia sat in the reception room. He had been waiting for two hours. Every time he came to this mansion, he expected a similar waiting time. As soon as he sat down, a servant came to serve him tea; no one else entered the room during the following time. For most visitors, the rules were the same; they knew they had to wait and couldn't make other demands.

Before coming here, he had brought food for Hilsbeth. She still didn't say anything, still in shock and fear; this was a good sign, as the more fragile her mind, the more completely she would yield. He fed her porridge with a spoon. She carefully held the spoon, pressed her upper lip down, used the airflow on her tongue to suck the porridge in, then slightly tilted her head back to chew. Panthonia would occasionally reach out to wipe the residue off her lips, and she would shake her head. Such unnecessary care would confuse and eventually soften one's stance, he was clear about that. Since he couldn't kill this woman, these troubles were inevitable. For now, he could afford to spend this time.

Above the wall he faced, there was a violin placed. It was just a decoration, as no one could reach it by hand. ——"She's the most elegant instrument. No, not just that. She's the most beautiful thing created by human hands." For some reason, he always remembered the description from that music teacher; and such memories would soon be replaced by another scene: a broken bridge. Flying splinters. A bow in the fireplace. Blood in his hand.

A priest entered the room. "Mr. Panthonia," he said, "Duke Koen is waiting for you in the private garden. Please allow me to lead the way."

Panthonia stood up. The man in front of him was named Herlan, responsible for all kinds of religious ceremonies and religious education in this mansion. For a young clergyman, this was a proud job, evident from Herlan's firm and steady steps.

"You're lucky," Herlan said as he led the way, "the Duke's schedule isn't busy today."

Panthonia didn't respond.

It took five minutes to walk from this reception room to the gate of the private garden behind the mansion. Along the way, they bypassed a small square for gatherings, a pond, and in the distance, a hunting ground connected to the mountain range. Panthonia had seen a similar layout on his father's desk. "This is the future size of the Shawl family," his father said. "Except for war, no one can take such a future away from us. No, not even war..."

"Please come in," Herlan stopped in front of the garden gate. "I'll stop here. Oh, by the way, your..."

Panthonia took out a dagger and handed it to him.

"Well then, I hope you have a pleasant conversation with the Duke."

Herlan turned and left. Panthonia stepped onto the path and walked in. After turning a corner, he saw Duke Koen leaning over, trimming the bushes.

"Duke."

"Ah, you're here." Koen turned around. "Welcome. But unfortunately, I can't shake your hand."

He waved his right hand holding the pruning shears. The handle was set with gold and gems. As the most influential member of the kingdom's parliament, he had the right to use this tool and own this land. And Panthonia had to come to him because he was also the de facto leader of the Security Bureau, even though it wasn't reflected in his official position. Since his student days, the current director had always received Koen's protection and promotion. Now, although the director occasionally felt frustrated that he couldn't fully pursue his ambitions, he understood that this frustration couldn't be shown in front of anyone.

"If you have something to say," Koen continued to face the bushes and manipulate the shears, "I'm listening. I must finish this side this afternoon."

"In the past month, the overall crime rate in the entire Queen's District has dropped by fourteen percent, and murder cases have dropped by twenty percent. The criminal activities of the Salvaney family have slowed down. There is clear evidence that his organization is splitting..."

"Wait, wait. I don't need any data. I can easily get these things. I want to hear your opinion, a sincere opinion, Panthonia."

With that said, Koen walked forward to find the next bush to tend to. Panthonia followed, maintaining his original distance. This process was repeated several times in the ensuing conversation.

"The complete collapse of Salvaney is only a matter of time. I can assure you, within three months."

Koen remained silent, simply manipulating the shears.

"Duke, regarding the suggestion you made to me..."

"Panthonia."

"Duke?"

"How old are you this year?"

"Thirty-two."

"You've been in Stormwind for how long now? Eight years?"

"Ten years, Duke."

"Ten years... indeed, not short. I can imagine why you're so desperate." He assessed his work for a moment, then continued. "At thirty-five, I already owned this land. Of course, I didn't start from scratch, but I did go through similar stages as you. That kind of longing... the drive that can't be stopped no matter what to achieve something. You're a lot like me."

"Regarding the establishment of a specialized intelligence agency, I hope you can give me a clearer answer, Duke."

Panthonia wasn't sure if it was a good time to interrupt the Duke, but he had already spoken. Koen had promised to govern the Queen's District years ago, but it had always been a slogan no one dared to mention until he reappointed Panthonia.

"I did say that once you can stop Salvaney from harming the people, I will propose this motion in parliament. I haven't changed my mind. But I have a question, Panthonia. Are you suggesting that once this agency is established, I must recommend you as its leader?"

"I haven't said that, Duke. But in fact, I believe I am the most suitable candidate."

"You haven't fully convinced me."

"When you originally entrusted me with the task of eliminating Salvaney, you already knew my way of doing things. You know the traditional methods of the Security Bureau don't work, so other forces must be used. Excuse my frankness, but the bureau's practice of completely isolating itself from the criminal population, fighting without fully understanding the enemy, and being inflexible..."

"Evil is evil. Justice is justice. Don't you think these two things should be strictly separated?"

"...I have no objection to that. I just think that any means should be used as long as the goal is to completely suppress evil with justice. Moreover, a separate intelligence agency also benefits the preservation of the bureau's traditions. Such an agency must be managed with my methods—so far the only effective ones."

"I've considered all these things carefully. But after thinking about it, I always have a more direct answer in my head, Panthonia. Perhaps you can achieve success in the Queen's District just because you and its residents are of the same kind."

"If you think so, then you can try replacing a descendant of Lordaeron to do my job, and see if they can do as well."

"No... that's too much trouble." Koen flicked a broken branch that was caught in the shears to the ground. "You know, honesty, integrity, and compassion are the proud traditional virtues of the people of Stormwind. It is because of these qualities that our people have opened their hearts and accepted suffering like yours. But what have you brought? Selfishness, deception, and moral decay. Look at the Queen's District now. Of course, I don't find it surprising. After all, your prince is the embodiment of deceit and immorality, and your king... I don't pity him. I just think he's foolish. If a monarch is like this, then what kind of character do his people have? One would think that after experiencing such disasters, people would reflect, but you haven't shown any remorse, but instead continue to further corrupt the people of Stormwind. That's why when you tell me about the decrease in crime rate in the Queen's District, I don't feel uplifted at all, only sadness in my heart."

Panthonia remained silent.

"Your methods, like bribing criminals and chaotic punishments, are also part of immorality in my opinion. Yes, they are effective now, but what if these things penetrate beyond the Queen's District? Can I just stand by and watch as these things further pollute my people?"

"Everything I do is aimed at criminals."

"Panthonia, since you're here, you should forget the past, shake off the unbecoming burden of being a Lordaeron refugee, and truly become a part of this great kingdom."

"I will, Duke."

"I still have some concerns about your attitude towards leading such an intelligence agency. Can you guarantee that this is entirely for the well-being of the people of Stormwind, and not for your personal desires?"

"I can guarantee, but I also understand that verbal assurances have little value—my suggestion is for you to supervise me with practical means. Initially, it can be a small, subsidiary agency. I have never asked for much power."

"You're quite eager. Not many people throw out suggestions left and right when talking to me."

"I hope I haven't come across as too offensive..."

At this point, he heard the sound of the shears falling to the ground.

"Ah, please help me pick it up," Koen said. "My back has been acting up lately."

The shears fell in front of Koen's toe. Panthonia took a few steps forward, looked down at the ground, and knelt on one knee. Koen's white robe, embroidered with gold threads, hung in front of his eyes like a shroud.

He picked up the shears with his right hand, and as he was about to stand up, Koen's voice came from directly above.

"Clean the dust off the top."

He had no handkerchief, so he wiped the blade back and forth on his own sleeve.