A similar incident had occurred before, orchestrated by the Sisterhood of the Blood of the Lamb, a group within the Blue Blood Sect. They used a ritual and certain Taboo Items to disguise themselves as Blood Nuns and infiltrate a city’s Blood Church.

Inside the church, they collaborated with devout believers and other members of the Blue Blood Faction to perform "Bloodline Purification," "collect virgin blood," and "refine High-Level Blood Demons"...

In the end, their plot was exposed only because they mistakenly captured a Mad Blood Cultist from the Mad Blood Faction and brought him to the ritual site.

One rotten apple spoils the barrel.

By the time the local authorities arrived at the church, everyone was dead, with the sole exception of the captured Mad Blood Cultist. They had all been infected with the Mad Blood but had died, unable to adapt to the Madness.

The secretary said, "I remember Viscount Yarilan had a subordinate who was brilliant at solving cases. Rumor has it he was the one who proposed the concept of ’Phosphorus Fire,’ which intrigued many Alchemists."

"In Mundra, he used this knowledge to stop the locals from carrying out a sacrificial ritual. And rumor has it he also solved the case involving the Blood Demon and Baron Camberra..."

"What’s his name?"

"I think it was..." The secretary thought for a moment. "L?"

The Guard Commander froze, immediately recalling the young man he’d seen leaving the City Government with Viscount Yarilan the night before.

’So he’s the "L" that all the Alchemists in Fude City are in awe of?’

He immediately ordered, "Go and get him! Tell him the Guard Commander needs his help."

...

「Inside the Alchemy Workshop.」

Michael looked at the two gleaming bars of Snow Pattern Steel, then at the composed Demon Hunter, subconsciously ignoring the two men who looked like bodyguards standing behind him—one with a scar on his face and the other with a buzz cut.

Though shocked at how the man had acquired such a large quantity of Snow Pattern Steel, he couldn’t help but wonder, ’He didn’t steal it from the Iron Thorn Gang, did he?’

But his professional ethics as an Alchemist still compelled him to hold up five fingers.

"Fifty Silver Coins? That’s robbery, man!" Maguire shouted. "You can’t think we don’t know the market price is usually a dozen or so Silver Coins."

Baron nodded. This was exactly why he’d brought Maguire along.

’It takes a simpleton to handle a swindler.’

Michael calmly wiped the spittle Maguire had sprayed on his face and said flatly, "Not fifty. Five hundred."

"Five hundred Silver Coins? That’s robbery!" This time, it was Baron who objected.

Michael said calmly, "I’m Fude City’s foremost firearms Alchemist, and I’m ranked among the best in all of Gillian. Considering the engraving of the Alchemy Array Patterns and the City Lord’s recommendation, I’m already giving you a friends-and-family discount."

As everyone knows, a "friends-and-family discount" is specifically for ripping off your friends.

But Baron did, in fact, need to get his two revolvers repaired. The recent Hunting Competition had been a stark reminder for him.

’Guns are just more reliable.’

After pushing his Burning Blood to the limit, if Baron hadn’t been on the platform pretending to bask in the cheers while actually in a daze, he probably would have had to follow Gawain’s example and collapse to one knee right then and there.

He nodded. "Five hundred it is. But the quality better be guaranteed."

"I guarantee you’ll be satisfied." Michael was extremely confident in his crafting skills.

"L..." Maguire still thought it was too expensive.

But Baron simply said, "It’s fine."

’If I’m not satisfied, I’ll get a full refund.’

"Hold on."

Just as Baron put down the two revolvers and was about to leave, Michael suddenly stopped them.

The Black man sized up Baron. "You’re called L?"

Baron nodded. According to the City Government’s official endorsement, his full name was now "L. Allen."

"The L who deduced the origin of the ’Divine Punishment Fire’?"

"And the grand champion of the two-day Hunting Competition!"

Maguire chimed in from the side, dutifully playing his part as the haggler. "So if you’re smart, boss, you’ll lower the price a bit."

Michael ignored him, however, and suddenly gripped Baron’s hand, his eyes filled with a fervent glow. "Mr. L, please tell me, what in the world is ’Phosphine’?"

Baron raised an eyebrow.

’I never thought there’d come a day I’d be getting a freebie from a Black man.’