Half-step Purgatory

Durin stroked the black cat on the armrest of his chair, sitting on the black leather sofa. Through the glasses perched on his nose, his gaze passed over the long table in front of him and settled on the man kneeling on the carpet:
"I understand, you've made money in Naples, your business has been very successful, and you've led a happy life. You've had those secret police, friends in both the law and the underground, and even the Royal Family speaking on your behalf."
"You don't need a friend like me, I know that. You're afraid of owing me a favor, and you don't want to get involved in troubles."
"But now you come to me and say, 'I beg you, Mr. Durin of the Corleon family, please help me seek justice, so that my life and my family will not suffer and sink into despair.'
Yet, in your eyes, I was nothing more than a second-rate artist involved in movies and music. Even at the brink of death, you still show me such disrespect, not even willing to call me by my title... Keeper of Secrets."

Durin's Diary

The carriage had not yet come to a complete stop when Durin jumped down, signaling for it to keep moving and circle back to the Embassy empty.


The front door wasn't locked, so Durin reached into his coat with his right hand to grip his gun, while with his left hand he pushed open the door and dodged the dagger thrust at him, seizing the throat of the dwarf in front of him with his right hand as he drew his gun, ready to use the dwarf as a shield against the incoming flying axe.


Durin felt that the dwarf in his hand would probably not escape death, but Mage Hand intervened to catch the axe for Durin.


"Stop flailing, it's my brother," said Pool, his older brother, as he gestured for Durin to come inside.


"Did you send someone to kill Big Toe?" Durin didn't beat around the bush and asked as soon as he entered the hall.


Chapter 176: The Unexpected Person