Leveling Up by Executing Monsters

"If you’re going... be extremely careful..."

Weiya gently caressed the back of Lloyd’s hand, then tilted her head in thought and added:

"How about... I try to get one of those ’Golden Invitation Letters’ you mentioned? Then I could go with you. I’m sure I could be of some help, right?"

A warmth spread through Lloyd’s heart, and he couldn’t help but smile. He rubbed the back of Weiya’s hand in return and said:

"You’re so sweet, Weiya... But there’s no rush this time. I’m just going to gather some intelligence. I’ll be fine on my own..."

"That place is worth a visit, though. As for the invitation, leave it to me. We can go together next time."

’He’d always thought the Dream Theater was a great way to acquire resources. Since Weiya was interested, she could go check it out, too.’

’As long as she avoids the life-threatening events, there shouldn’t be any danger. Even a clumsy guy like Elolo made it out safely.’

"Okay. Then I’ll listen to you."

Weiya nodded, appearing exceptionally understanding.

Then, she leaned against the edge of Lloyd’s desk, still holding his hand as if it were a precious treasure she couldn’t bear to let go of.

But Lloyd was still sitting, and from his angle, Weiya’s thigh was right in front of him, clad in black stockings. It was as if she were showing off for him. He could see the smooth, silky texture of the fabric up close, and its sweet, chocolate-like color.

Lloyd’s heart hammered. An impulse stirred within him, and he instinctively reached out, wanting to pull Weiya into an embrace on his lap.

But just then, footsteps echoed from outside. The office door was then shoved open without so much as a knock.

"Are you Executioner Lloyd? You’re coming with us. We need your assistance with a major case."

Two Saint’s Hunters in cartoon masks barged in, their tone brusque.

They even had swords and flintlock guns at their waists.

’For a split second, Lloyd genuinely felt the urge to kill...’

But Weiya, surprisingly, seemed even more impulsive. She snatched the short sword from the side of the desk, bared the blade, and pointed it at them without a shred of courtesy. In a freezing tone, she said:

"Get out!"

But her opponents seemed unfazed by the threat. One of them retorted:

"Hmm? You’re Judge Weiya, the one in charge here? What’s the meaning of this? Are you obstructing an official investigation by the Saint’s Grace Court?"

The other chimed in,

"I’d advise you to recognize the situation for what it is. Your subordinate is implicated in an extremely serious case. No one is allowed to play favorites or shelter him!"

Though his tone sounded polite enough, he had used words like "play favorites" and "shelter."

The implication was that they were treating Lloyd as a suspect.

Weiya, however, just answered calmly:

"Get out!"

Seeing this, the two Hunters remained entirely unfazed. They each reached for their waists, their hands coming to rest on their flintlock guns.

It looked like a conflict was about to erupt...

They seemed completely unconcerned that this was Holy Judgment Court territory. It was as if they wanted to start a fight.

Perhaps this was the main reason they had suddenly barged in.

Lloyd remained silent, still seated. He quietly opened his desk drawer, took out a box of matches, and deliberately slid it open to pull one out.

’It looked as if he had no intention of getting involved.’

But then, he held the matchstick between his fingers and flicked it.

WHOOSH.

With the muffled sound of something sharp slicing through the air, one of the Hunters suddenly felt a cold sensation on his head.

He reached up and felt his head, only to discover his tricorn hat had been split clean in two. The cut was perfectly smooth...

"You... you attacked us? Fine! Just fine! Let’s go, quick!"

The Hunter froze for a second, then snatched up the two pieces of his hat, stuffed them inside his coat, and turned to flee with his partner. They vanished in the blink of an eye, leaving Lloyd and Weiya to exchange a look of bewilderment.

A moment later, several Executor trainees armed with mops, brooms, and the like ran to the office door, clamoring.

"Where are those bastards? Were they trying to take Senior Lloyd away again?"

"Looks like they got away?"

"Damn it! If we don’t teach them a lesson, they’ll think the Eighteenth District is a public toilet they can just waltz in and out of!"

Seeing the indignant crowd, Weiya had no choice but to step in, restore order, and dismiss them. Only then did she return to Lloyd’s side and say with a helpless sigh:

"You should let me handle things like this in the future. You’re still new to the Sect, and you don’t have deep roots yet. I don’t want you getting dragged into these affairs."

Lloyd, however, just smiled nonchalantly and replied:

"It’s fine. They can’t do anything to me."

Clearly, the two who’d burst in and spoiled the mood had an ulterior motive. They were here to cause trouble.

They never had any intention of actually taking someone. They just wanted to manufacture a conflict.

Lloyd immediately recalled the urgency of those two ’allies’ from before, and he suddenly understood what they were in such a rush about.

’In a sect as massive as the Radiant Sect, some things were simply unavoidable.’

’Especially in a department like the Saint’s Grace Court, responsible for internal and personnel affairs. You had dedicated members like Captain Fox, and then you had ’dedicated’ members like the two who just left.’

’Especially during a time of reform and reshuffling like the Great Expansion...’

"With the Chief Judge away, the Chief of Staff alone isn’t enough to stop some petty troublemakers from getting restless,"

Weiya said in a low voice.

"It’s fine. As long as we can get that shipment back, everything will be okay."

As Lloyd spoke, he felt a renewed determination regarding the case.

His right hand unconsciously clenched into a fist.

’I’m still not strong enough. Not good enough. Not able to just crush all this disgusting business.’

......

Thanks to that unpleasant little interruption, Lloyd’s plan for his first after-work date with Weiya was ruined...

Weiya had to go discuss the aftermath of this incident with the Chief of Staff.

Lloyd wanted to wait for her, but Weiya convinced him to go home. She told him not to come to the Eighteenth District tomorrow, but to focus on the stolen goods case instead. She and the Chief of Staff would handle matters on this end.

To put Lloyd’s mind at ease, she even said something particularly moving:

"You protect humanity, and I’ll protect you."

Lloyd was moved beyond words and gave Weiya a tight hug.

He then decided to start his investigation at once, rather than wait until tomorrow.

With that, he took the subway and headed for the antique shop.