As soon as the city guard moved away, Charlotte stepped out of the alley. The fortune-teller and her machine had already disappeared.

"I should have taught her a lesson!" Charlotte pouted and said angrily.

Caroline suppressed the urge to pinch her face and tried to calm her down: "Miss, with the count's reputation, it's no surprise that there are people using his name to deceive others."

"She tarnished my father's honor! She..." Charlotte continued to complain incessantly. That old witch was really irritating. If it weren't for her good upbringing, she would have already acted against her.

To distract Charlotte, Caroline suggested: "Miss, isn't this the same alley where that person disappeared yesterday? Should we investigate?"

Charlotte immediately agreed, although her expression still showed irritation.

The alley lacked proper lighting. The oil lamps hanging on the walls were dim, barely illuminating the area. Nevertheless, Charlotte managed to spot some rodents running across the path.

They went deeper into the alley, moving farther away from the main street, and the atmosphere grew quieter. Caroline, who had been half a step behind Charlotte, suddenly grabbed her hand and wrote with her fingers on Charlotte's palm: We are being followed.

Still upset about the fortune-teller, Charlotte tensed upon hearing this. She focused and heard footsteps behind them.

Keep walking, don’t let them notice you've realized.

Caroline wrote again. She then released Charlotte's hand and started to fall behind, increasing the distance between herself and Charlotte while getting closer to the pursuers.

Clang!

Caroline turned suddenly. Behind her were four men holding copper pipes. The closest one seemed shocked as he stared at the bent copper pipe in his hands. He looked at Caroline with terror in his eyes.

"My God..." the man muttered. "Friend, that's not something you do."

Before he could say more, Caroline punched him in the stomach. The man felt as though he was being split in half from the unbearable pain and collapsed to the ground.

The other three, seeing this, turned and ran. Fight? Ridiculous, who would want to fight a woman like that?

Like a shadow, Caroline caught up with them, easily knocking down two of them. She grabbed the last one by the neck, lifting him like a child and pressing him against the wall.

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The noise caught Charlotte's attention, and she approached, holding an oil lamp from the wall. She examined the captured man carefully.

The man had a rough face, covered in stubble, and his clothes indicated a hard life. He was futilely trying to pry Caroline’s fingers off his neck.

"Who are you?" Charlotte asked, excited. She remembered the kidnapping cases related to cultists. Judging by the looks of these men, it seemed they intended to knock them unconscious and take them away, rather than kill them on the spot. They were lucky to have found suspects so easily.

"Urgh... urgh..." the man tried to speak, but his words were indistinct.

Caroline, not as patient as Charlotte, lifted her knee and struck the man’s stomach with force. "Speak!"

The man's face turned pale. He opened his mouth but couldn't make a sound. When he saw Caroline preparing to strike again, he desperately pointed to his neck, signaling that he couldn’t speak that way.

Caroline released him, and he collapsed to the ground, coughing and struggling to breathe. After a while, he croaked, "I... won’t talk."

Charlotte was puzzled.

"If you’re not going to talk, why did you ask to be released? Are you asking for a beating?" she thought.

"You can kill me, but I won’t say anything!" he insisted.

"Miss, may I handle the interrogation?" Caroline asked seriously.

Charlotte nodded. When it came to dealing with people, Caroline was clearly more skilled.

With Charlotte's approval, Caroline dragged the man over to the other three. One was still unconscious, while the other two were moaning in pain.

"Silence," Caroline ordered, holding the man by the neck. "Are you two not going to talk either?"

The two ignored her and continued moaning.

Caroline tightened her grip on the man’s neck. His face turned red, and he began babbling incoherent words, scratching her fingers until his nails ripped through her glove, revealing the metal joints of her artificial hand.

The man’s strength waned, and an unpleasant smell spread. When Caroline squeezed harder, his neck exploded, and his head rolled to hit one of the others.

Startled, the man jumped up and screamed. Caroline kicked the decapitated body aside and declared, "Only one of you will leave here alive."

"My name is Hunter! I work at the docks loading cargo. I live in Rat Street, No. 7, second floor, left, first room on the upper bunk. I’m 37 years old, with an 80-year-old sick mother and a 3-month-old baby. This was my first time kidnapping! I was forced by them! Don’t kill me, kill the others!"

Before Caroline could speak, the man confessed everything in desperation.

"Why do their mothers always have to be 80 years old?" Charlotte muttered.

"You betrayed all of us, Hunter!" the other man yelled, outraged by Hunter’s betrayal. He then turned to Caroline: "Miss, my name is Phil Preston. You two seem to be investigating the kidnappings. I'm a cultist by profession and have been doing this for two years. I know everything! Ask me!"

Charlotte rolled her eyes. "Since when do cultists call themselves cultists?"

"It’s called speaking the language of the people!" Phil replied.

"Silence," Caroline commanded.

"Hey, alright... oh!" Phil curled up on the ground, his face showing pain. The effect of Caroline’s blow was still lingering.

"I..."

"Shut up." Hunter wanted to say something else, but was interrupted by Caroline. She didn’t have time to listen to nonsense.

"Who ordered you to kidnap?"

"He!" Hunter pointed at Phil.

Phil opened his mouth to curse, but when he saw Caroline's piercing gaze, he said, "Yes... it’s Bishop Upton!"

"Is that his real name or a codename?" Charlotte asked, but quickly changed the subject: "Is there anyone among you with a thick beard?"

Phil hesitated, panic evident on his face. He tried to shrink back, but Charlotte moved forward.

"He... he is... it’s this!" Phil cried, jumping up and revealing something hidden beneath his coat.