In the study, when Buck and Clifford entered, Brandon stood up and greeted them. However, upon seeing their slightly disheveled appearance, his expression turned a bit puzzled.
“Mr. Buck, how are things at the docks? Did those lapdogs get a taste of our strength?”
Buck frowned slightly at Brandon’s words before responding in a steady tone.
“This morning, did the Hunter Squad only move out after receiving the flowers we sent? They didn’t have any prior lengthy discussions or meetings?” Buck didn’t directly answer Brandon’s question, instead asking this with a serious expression. Brandon was momentarily taken aback before replying.
“Yes, Mrs. Ada at the front desk sent out the Hunter Squad as soon as they received the flowers. It was as per our plan—everything happened suddenly. Many people had just arrived for work and had no time to prepare. Hmm... is there a problem with that, Mr. Buck?”
Brandon asked with confusion. Buck pondered for a while, but he couldn’t immediately figure it out. Initially, he suspected Brandon of betrayal, leading to their ambush. However, if Brandon had indeed defected, another Hunter Squad would’ve been waiting for him here, instead of just the butler and servants. Buck had been cautious when returning, ensuring that the base was still manned by his own people before entering.
Buck wanted to figure out how their intelligence had been leaked to the Serenity Bureau but decided to set the question aside for now. Instead, he addressed Brandon.
“There’s been an unexpected situation at the docks. Things are urgent, and now isn’t the time for explanations. Let’s retrieve everything from the secret chamber and withdraw from Igwynt immediately. Oh, and you’ve retrieved the Bureau’s items, haven’t you?”
Brandon nodded immediately, patting the briefcase he was holding.
“Yes, they’re all here. But I’m sorry, Mr. Buck. On my way out, there was... a little accident. I lost a bit of it.”As he spoke, Brandon’s tone grew weaker, and his gaze wavered. Seeing this, Clifford, standing nearby, grew anxious and spoke up urgently.
“You lost some? How much? No—how much is left? You didn’t just bring back a small portion, did you?” Clifford’s tone was sharp and filled with urgency. At the Flooded Dockyard, they had suffered heavy losses, with only the two of them making it out alive. The only solace was the items Brandon had stolen from the Serenity Bureau. Hearing that some of those items were lost only heightened their anxiety.
Hearing Clifford’s stern words, Brandon appeared troubled. He placed the briefcase on a nearby table and said hesitantly.
“Well, it’s hard for me to say. It’s better if you both take a look yourselves…”
Brandon turned the open side of the briefcase toward Buck and Clifford and prepared to open it. Their attention immediately focused on the case.
As they watched, Brandon opened the briefcase.
Snap!
The moment the case opened, a crisp sound rang out, followed by a spray of white powder bursting forth. It spewed directly toward Buck and Clifford, covering their faces and blinding them.
The briefcase wasn’t filled with items from the Bureau. Instead, it was something Dorothy had prepared in advance—a small spring-loaded mechanism packed with lime powder. When opened, the spring mechanism ejected the powder, causing temporary blindness.
Anticipating the possibility of someone inspecting the stolen items, Dorothy had specially crafted this contraption. Though simple and more akin to a prank, in the right circumstances, it could be highly effective.
“My eyes!”
“You… you little…”
Clifford and Buck were caught completely off guard by the lime. Clifford, being closer, took a direct hit to his eyes, while Buck, further away, managed to shield his face with his arm, though his vision was still obstructed.
Taking advantage of the chaos, Brandon pulled a handgun from the case and aimed it at Clifford, intending to shoot him in the head. However, the powder not only obscured Clifford and Buck’s vision but also interfered with Dorothy, who was remotely observing through Brandon’s eyes. As a result, Brandon could only fire in the general direction.
Bang!
The bullet roared from the barrel, cutting through the powdery haze. Despite the imprecise aim, the shot struck Clifford in the chest. Having already shed his heavy armor during their escape, the bullet penetrated unimpeded. Although it missed his heart, it was enough to make the heavily injured Clifford collapse to the ground.
“AARRGGHHHH… it hurts!”
Just as Brandon prepared to fire a second shot, a sharp blade suddenly pierced through the haze, heading straight for him. The sword was so fast that Brandon couldn’t dodge. Holding the gun, he was skewered through the forehead by the blade, his eyes widening in shock as he fell heavily to the ground.
Emerging from the dust cloud, Buck, holding his sword-cane, looked down at Brandon’s lifeless body with a grave expression.
“So, you were the Bureau’s mole… no, wait. If you were their mole, it wouldn’t have come to this. Could it be…”
Looking at Brandon’s corpse, countless thoughts swirled in Buck’s mind.
…
Downstairs, the sound of gunfire upstairs startled the three servants packing up supplies. They stopped what they were doing and looked toward the upper floor in astonishment.
“The lord is in danger upstairs! Grab your weapons and go protect Mr. Buck!” the butler ordered sharply.
“Yes, sir!”
At the butler’s command, and spurred by the gunfire, the servants quickly drew pistols from among the packed items and rushed upstairs, with the butler following close behind. They hurried down the hallway toward the study’s closed door.
However, as they ran, a dark glint appeared in the butler’s eyes. He raised his pistol and fired repeatedly at the backs of the unsuspecting servants.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Emptying his clip, the butler gunned down the three servants at close range. The servants collapsed in shock, riddled with bullets.
At that moment, inside a carriage outside the mansion, Dorothy’s expression hardened. She expended two points of Revelation to increase the control limit of her corpse marionettes to four.
The recently fallen servants suddenly rose to their feet, their expressions now eerily blank, just like the butler’s. They picked up their guns in unison and turned to fire relentlessly at the study’s wooden door, filling the mansion with the thunderous echo of gunfire.