"Seeing that the person behind you is safe and sound only confirms my judgment."
Andrew didn't reply, instead focusing his gaze on the person who had knocked.
The knocker was a wolf—no, that's not right, he was a wolf-like Thiren, not simply a human with ears and a tail, but a wolf-man whose entire face was indistinguishable from a wolf's.
Unlike the ferocious wildness one might associate with a wolf, this Thiren wore a proper butler's uniform and stood respectfully at the door.
His limbs, which visibly pulsed with immense power, were bound in black leather straps, and even his face and tail weren't spared.
His height, nearly the same as Andrew's, projected a powerful presence, yet his elegant, gentlemanly posture completely washed away the wildness of his features.
To be honest, this was the first time Andrew had seen a Thiren with a completely beast-like face. Although he'd heard Belle talk about them, this was his first time seeing one in person.
Wait, if Meowscular were considered Thiren in this world, hadn't he already seen plenty?
Seeing Andrew staring at him without a word, Lycaon glanced down at his own attire in confusion, but finding nothing amiss, he looked up at Andrew and spoke:
"Please, do not be alarmed. I mean you no harm. In fact, I personally hold what you did in high regard."
Lycaon scanned the surroundings. His unique butler uniform had already started drawing occasional glances from passersby.
He lowered his voice and said, neither servile nor overbearing:
"This isn't a suitable place to talk. Would you permit us to move to a more appropriate venue?"
Sensing no hostility from the man, Andrew was willing to hear him out. He gestured for Lycaon to follow and led the way toward the blacksmith shop.
The intel report hadn't mentioned anything about this video store. Lycaon assumed this was Andrew's way of protecting the shop's owners, his friends, the siblings, by keeping them out of it.
'So he's protecting his friends who weren't involved...'
The admiration in his eyes deepened, and a sense of delight made his tail wag gently without him realizing it.
But his thoughts quickly turned to that 'friend' of his, and his expression twisted into one of disgust.
Shaking his head, Lycaon quickly composed himself. He turned back to give a slight bow to Little 18, who was watching him from the cashier's counter, before following Andrew's lead.
Throughout the walk, Lycaon maintained a respectful distance half a step behind Andrew, matching his pace perfectly as they headed for the blacksmith shop.
It was only after Lycaon had set off with Andrew that Anby began to follow, keeping a wary eye on Lycaon from behind.
As the video store's door closed, Little 18 frantically leaped off the cashier's stool and dashed upstairs.
"Mhmm-hmm, mhmm-hmm-hmm! (This is bad! Andrew went off with a strange man!)"
————
Lycaon followed Andrew into the shop, passing through a forge cluttered with various materials and a balcony filled with unique plants, finally arriving in Andrew's bedroom.
The armor and weapons, neatly arranged on their racks, were more or less identical to the replicas created at Public Security based on descriptions. Although there were many differences in the details, it was enough for confirmation.
Lycaon knew this was both a show of honesty and a threat from Andrew.
Anyone with malicious intent would likely feel their knees buckle and want to flee at the first sight of this menacing equipment.
What surprised Lycaon, however, was that in addition to the two weapons mentioned in the intel, there were two others that were clearly much more powerful. One of them, a tachi, pulsed with a blue light, as if it were breathing.
'It seems this man didn't even use his full strength in that battle...'
But this was just an old habit of his; Lycaon wasn't here to gather intelligence.
He declined Andrew's invitation to sit on the offered stool, remaining standing as he gave another slight bow.
"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Lycaon, from Victoria Housekeeping Co. I've been sent by the Mayor to deliver a few items to you."
With that, Lycaon took a stack of cards from his pocket and offered them to Andrew.
"This is a small gift from the Mayor. I believe you are in great need of these right now."
Lycaon then presented the cards to Andrew with both hands.
"These are the citizen ID cards for all members of the Silver Squad. Please, accept them."
Andrew took them and looked. Twelve ID cards, no more, no less.
Looking at the ID cards, Andrew understood everything.
This was both a warning from the city's highest authority and an acknowledgment of the Silver Squad's existence.
As long as the Silver Squad acted as normal citizens from now on and did nothing to harm New Eridu, they would forever be citizens of New Eridu.
'What a sly old fox...'
The fact that they had found him in less than a night proved that the Mayor couldn't have been completely ignorant of the situation at the Aegis Umbrella facility.
To have these prepared in advance, he probably wanted to make a move long ago but couldn't act openly against a military asset due to his position.
Judging by this rapid response, he had likely prepared numerous contingency plans for the facility's downfall, minimizing any potential threat to New Eridu as much as possible.
With this level of competence, it was no wonder he could keep a city like New Eridu—a place where calling it a 'den of vipers' would be a compliment—in such good order.
Seeing Andrew accept the IDs, Lycaon produced the next item.
It was a bank card, completely anonymous.
Lycaon offered it with the same two-handed gesture and explained:
"This is the reward the Mayor had me collect from Public Security on your behalf, along with a token of my personal gratitude and support for your actions. The total is five million Dennies. Please confirm."
"Collect a reward from Public Security?"
Andrew was confused. He wasn't a police officer, so why would he get a reward from Public Security?
Noticing his confusion, Lycaon explained carefully:
"Whenever a citizen reports a crime that is subsequently confirmed, Public Security issues a cash reward based on the severity of the case."
Lycaon cleared his throat and continued.
"Because the case you reported was of extreme importance, and because the officer in charge, Ms. Zhu Yuan, argued passionately on your behalf—stating that cracking this case would have been impossible without you—the reward reached the maximum amount Public Security can issue: a total of two million Dennies."
Hearing that Zhu Yuan had helped secure at least part of this reward, Andrew couldn't help but nod.
It seemed he hadn't misplaced his trust. Zhu Yuan was just as righteous and upright as he'd felt she was when they'd met.
Still, Public Security is a bit cheap, huh? This is the maximum reward?
____
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