Mr. Mayo had become a frequent visitor to the police station. Every afternoon, he would sit in the lobby for hours.

  "Officer, is there any news about Miss Beth?"

  Every missing person report from Mayo ended up in Rudolph’s hands, giving him a constant headache. Beth had left of her own accord—who could he blame for that?

  After a few more days, however, Mayo suddenly stopped coming. Without his daily reports, Rudolph found himself feeling strangely at a loss. While on patrol one night, he decided to check in on Mayo to see what had happened.

  But just as he approached Mayo’s house, he saw the man once again stumbling out, disheveled and frantic. Mayo froze in his tracks when he spotted Rudolph, looking just as surprised to see him. Then, all of a sudden, he burst into wailing sobs.

  "Officer! My Beth is gone again! Was she kidnapped? Such a beautiful woman, disappearing in the middle of the night—what kind of danger might she be in?"

  Mayo cried as he clutched Rudolph’s shoulders and shook him violently. Fortunately, Rudolph had signed a physical endurance-sharing pact with a Rank 2 werewolf—otherwise, he’d be covered in Mayo’s snot by now.

  "Calm down, Mr. Mayo! Calm down!" Rudolph grabbed Mayo’s arms, stopping his frantic movements. "How long has Miss Beth been gone?"

  "I don’t know! I woke up, and she was just gone!"

  "When did she arrive?"

  "She came in the afternoon… and then left again while I was asleep. Just earlier today, we were—"

  "Alright, alright, I get it..."

  Rudolph silently cursed in his mind. He wasn’t sure how well his own stamina fared in this world, but given his endurance pact, he shouldn’t be worse off than this Mayo guy… right?

  Once again, Mayo dragged Rudolph through the town like a headless chicken, searching aimlessly for Beth. Rudolph kept scanning the surroundings through his pocket watch’s surveillance, but no matter how hard he looked, he couldn’t find the so-called stunning beauty Mayo described.

  To make matters worse, Mayo showed up at the police station again the next day to file another missing person report. Once again, the case landed on Rudolph’s desk—another unsolved case that would bring down his performance stats. There went his bonus for the month.

  By the time April’s full moon arrived, Beth was still nowhere to be found.

  That night, during the Full Moon Festival, Rudolph was assigned to maintain order around the event. At the same time, he brooded over his dismal case resolution rate—his paycheck was already modest, and now, with deductions, he’d be even worse off. He’d even been cutting back on visits to the bathhouse.

  As usual, the festival’s offering was a werewolf. The ongoing werewolf riots had at least one upside—there were plenty of them to go around, ensuring a steady supply for the sacrifices. Sheriff Claude no longer had to worry about securing offerings.

  The only issue was that the Red Priest had been dropping hints lately—he wanted a Rank 2 werewolf as a sacrifice. But how could anyone possibly meet such a request? If Rudolph were strong enough to take down a Rank 2 werewolf… well, he’d be keeping it as a tribute, not handing it over.

  By now, the sight of rabid dogs devouring a werewolf had become almost monotonous. Bored, Rudolph tilted his head up and waited for the Full Moon Whispers to appear.

  Soon, the whispers echoed in his mind:

  "Filthy mutt!"

  "Fireworks!"

  "Man… a handsome man…"

  …

  Rudolph frowned. There were more whispers than usual this time, which meant that more Apostles had entered the town. He counted them—just from what the whispers revealed, there were at least seven.

  He focused on the ones that concerned him the most. One whisper, in particular, stood out—someone was looking for a man.

  Who was searching for a man?

  He glanced down at his pocket watch and suddenly noticed some activity in one of his key surveillance locations. Turning his gaze toward Mayo, he saw that the man was distractedly watching the sacrifice. But before the ritual had even ended, Mayo turned and left for home.

  Rudolph signaled to the rookie patrolman, Sam.

  "Sam, take care of the two dogs used for the ritual."

  "Got it! I won’t let you down!"

  Sam was still a newcomer, brimming with enthusiasm for his job. Meanwhile, Rudolph beckoned to Yvonne, and the two of them quietly slipped away from the plaza.

  They arrived at Mayo’s home and took cover outside.

  "Captain, is Miss Beth here?" Yvonne whispered.

  "Yes."

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  She knew that Rudolph’s Spirit Pet Crystal allowed him to monitor the entire town, so she trusted that he wouldn’t be here without reason.

  After a moment, she asked again, "Should we go up and take a look?"

  Rudolph smirked. "Didn’t expect you to be into this kind of thing."

  "Huh?" Yvonne was confused. "Did Mr. Mayo and Miss Beth have a fight?"

  "Ahem… No need to go up. Let’s step back a bit—we don’t need to be this close."

  The two of them retreated to a nearby alley and continued their watch.

  As the festival ended, the streets grew lively with people discussing the worsening werewolf riots, wondering when it would all end.

  "Yvonne, we’ll head to the outskirts later tonight. How’s your energy level?"

  "I’m fine for now. Captain, someone’s coming out!"

  "I see them too."

  From Mayo’s house emerged a woman.

  According to Mayo, Beth was supposed to be a tall, radiant beauty—so stunning she was nearly divine. But the woman now stepping out onto the street was… well, broad-shouldered, wide-hipped, and undeniably middle-aged.

  Blending into the crowd, she walked purposefully in a certain direction.

  "Let’s split up," Rudolph said.

  Though both he and Yvonne exchanged incredulous glances, they quickly followed after her.

  The supposed Beth kept walking, farther and farther, until the streets grew quiet. She eventually arrived at a warehouse. As she unlocked the door, a small rat scurried in behind her.

  Through its eyes, Rudolph saw four or five middle-aged women gathered inside. They were seated in a circle around an elegant-looking lady.

  When Rudolph saw the woman’s face, he snapped his pocket watch shut.

  "Alright, Yvonne, that’s enough for tonight. We’ll investigate this warehouse another day—let’s go take care of our real business first."

  It was getting late, and Rudolph had other priorities.

  As expected, this so-called Beth was deeply entangled with the Apostles.

  A week later, Rudolf once again waited for the gathering inside the warehouse.

  The rat that had slipped into the warehouse seemed perplexed. It raised its front paws and absentmindedly scratched its face. Before it, a group of middle-aged women sat together, their postures mimicking those of youthful maidens—legs pressed tightly together and tilted to one side. It wasn’t that they couldn’t sit like this, but given their age and physique, the pose seemed unnecessarily awkward and out of place.

  At the center of this gathering was a lady draped in a white veil. Rudolf pressed himself against the outer wall of the warehouse, eavesdropping on their conversation. He noticed that the veiled woman had an exceptionally pleasant voice.

  “Sisters of the Love Pursuit Society, I am delighted that you have once again found your way to love. In our youth, we missed our most beautiful years and our finest figures due to all sorts of misfortunes. As we aged, those golden moments became nothing more than memories. However, we are fortunate. As long as we have Venus Perfume, we can relive those splendid days!

  Remember, ladies—once the clock strikes midnight, Venus Perfume loses its effect. You must leave your partners before then.”

  Afterward, the women chattered enthusiastically, sharing their experiences. The veiled woman listened in silence, occasionally offering a few words of guidance.

  Among the middle-aged women, Rudolf spotted the one resembling Miss Bess—her cheeks flushed with excitement, her spirits high.

  The gathering ended before long. The veiled woman handed each participant a fresh bottle of Venus Perfume. The women accepted them gleefully, though, of course, a small payment was required. The rat observed as each woman handed the veiled lady a five-silver-shield banknote.

  That’s expensive. Rudolf, as the town’s police captain, only earned three silver shields per month. These women were certainly willing to splurge.

  Miss Bess left the warehouse, oblivious to the fact that she was being followed. Yvonne, trailing behind, found the task more challenging without Rudolf’s crystal pet to aid surveillance.

  As the warehouse emptied, only the veiled woman remained. Just as she was about to leave, she noticed the back door swinging open.

  Dressed in his patrol uniform, Rudolf stepped inside.

  The veiled woman halted, momentarily stunned by his unexpected arrival.

  “Madam Jessica?”

  Hearing Rudolf address her by name, the woman realized she could no longer conceal her identity. She removed her veil—it was indeed Madam Jessica.

  “Officer Rudolf,” she murmured. “No wonder Claude calls you his most capable subordinate. I didn't expect you to find me in less than a month.”

  “Thanks for the compliment. The police chief speaks the truth, doesn’t he?”

  Madam Jessica’s gaze sharpened. “So, what do you want, officer?”

  Rudolf hastily waved his hands. “Madam Jessica, you misunderstand. I have no other intentions. Among those women just now was a Miss Bess. I only ask that you refuse her as a client.”

  “Why?”

  “Miss Bess’s lover, Mr. Mayo, is on the verge of madness because of her… or rather, because of Venus Perfume. He’s been filing reports at the station, and I have to handle the matter.”

  “I see,” Madam Jessica mused. “So Officer Rudolf is actually a man of integrity—quite unlike Chief Claude.”

  “Flatter me in any other way, and I’ll accept it. But praising my morals only makes me feel guilty. I’m merely ringing the bell while wearing the robe.”

  Madam Jessica sauntered forward, her movements carrying an alluring sway. Her sheer dress left little to the imagination. With a teasing glance, she leaned in, her bare shoulder brushing against Rudolf’s. “And what if I refuse?”

  Rudolf quickly took a half-step back, avoiding her touch. “Madam, Chief Claude is my superior. I respect you—just as I respect all his other lovers.”

  A fragrant breeze followed her approach. Rudolf pinched his nose and revealed his stuffy nose. “See? I’ve blocked my nostrils. Aren’t I clever?”

  Madam Jessica chuckled, her laughter sultry and inviting. Her red lips seemed to hold a peculiar charm. “Quite the resourceful young man…”

  Without another word, Rudolf pulled out a pair of dark glasses and put them on. The seductive scene before him instantly became a pitch-black void.

  He had learned something important—Silver Serpents didn’t just use scent; visual illusions were part of their arsenal too.

  Rudolf understood that Madam Jessica didn’t genuinely desire him. She simply wanted to manipulate him.

  “Of course, Madam Jessica,” he continued, “I’m not here to ruin your business. Since I’ve caused you a small loss, I’ll offer you a piece of business advice in return.”

  “Oh? Let’s hear it.” She ceased her approach, intrigued by his proposition.

  “From what I observed just now, most of your clientele consists of middle-aged women who do hard labor. They can’t have much money. Why not target the wealthy ladies of this town instead?”

  Madam Jessica smirked. “Hard laboring middle-aged women… You see, people hold deep-seated prejudice against women like them, as if they aren’t worthy of love.”

  Rudolf fell silent, unable to refute her words.

  She continued, “I’ve considered what you’re suggesting. But I’m new to Leman Town—I don’t know the best candidates to be my clients.”

  “I do!” Rudolf volunteered eagerly. “I’ll get you a list tomorrow. You can work your magic.”

  Madam Jessica suddenly narrowed her eyes. “Why do you object to those earlier women, but approve of wealthy ladies as clients instead, Officer Justice?”

  “Uh…” Rudolf hesitated, struggling for an answer. “From their calloused hands, their dry necks, and the crumpled silver shields they gave you, I can tell they’ve had a hard life.”

  “So doesn’t that mean they deserve to experience love even more?”

  Rudolf shook his head. “They do deserve love, I agree. And I admit my choice of words was wrong. But deception is still deception—it can never provide lasting fulfillment.”

  “Such a self-righteous knight…” Madam Jessica sighed.

  That was her final verdict on him.