Chiori gripped a katana that gleamed with a chilling sheen. In the next instant, she became a streak of swift yellow light, dashing straight toward Lucien Valois.
"Hey! Chiori, assaulting an officer in broad daylight is a serious crime!"
Lucien Valois shouted as he snapped his baton open in one smooth motion.
But Chiori acted as though she hadn't heard a word. The katana in her hand carried a sharp, icy momentum as it thrust directly toward his lower body.
If that strike landed, he'd be reduced to "Eunuch Lin" for the rest of his life.
A chill ran down Lucien Valois's spine. He immediately sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the blade, and raised his baton high before bringing it crashing down toward the girl's slender frame.
Chiori reacted swiftly, lifting her katana to block.
With a loud clang, she successfully stopped the strike—but the sheer force transmitted through the baton sent her stumbling back several steps.
Before she could steady herself, Lucien Valois's next attack was already upon her.
Caught off guard, she barely managed to raise her blade in defense.
This time, the heavy downward smash of the baton made her arms go numb with shock.
Then came a relentless barrage.
Lucien Valois showed not the slightest hint of mercy.
The numbness in Chiori's arms intensified, like countless ants gnawing at her nerves.
Finally, under another fierce and overwhelming strike, she could no longer hold onto her katana.
With a crisp clatter, it slipped from her grasp and fell to the ground.
She was just about to admit defeat when Lucien Valois charged forward, seized her wrist, and pinned her soft body beneath him.
In that instant, the faint fragrance emanating from the girl beneath him drifted into his nose, almost pulling him into a daze.
He quickly snapped back to his senses and declared in a righteous tone, "Given your excessively dangerous behavior, I have no choice but to take compulsory measures."
"Let go!" Chiori's voice was as cold as frost. "Your baton…"
Lucien Valois's face flushed instantly. He hurriedly released her and stood up awkwardly.
Chiori rose as well, smoothing out her slightly disheveled clothes before turning and walking back into the shop.
At the moment she turned away, a faint blush quietly spread across her once-icy face, like cherry blossoms trembling gently in the spring breeze.
Lucien Valois retracted his baton and followed her inside at an unhurried pace.
Under the soft and elegant lighting of the boutique, exquisite garments hung in neat arrangements along the racks, dazzling to behold.
Lucien Valois walked straight to a plush sofa and dropped into it casually, sinking deep into its embrace, looking utterly relaxed.
"Tea or coffee?" Chiori asked coolly.
Lucien Valois was long used to her tone. "Tea. If I drink coffee all the time, I won't be able to sleep at night."
After a brief pause, Chiori took out some tea leaves from a box she kept for herself, brewed them, and set the steaming cup on the table before him.
The fragrance of hot tea quickly filled the air.
She sat opposite him and said calmly, "Since becoming deputy captain, your strength has improved again."
Lucien Valois chuckled, a hint of pride on his face. "For a martial genius like me, isn't rapid progress perfectly normal?"
Chiori's lips curved slightly in faint mockery. "If you were truly some martial genius, you wouldn't have been beaten half to death by a few street thugs two years ago."
Lucien Valois's expression turned awkward.
Back when he had first transmigrated, his system hadn't awakened yet. He had no money, no influence, and was a foreigner. Being bullied had been inevitable.
That period was the most humiliating and unbearable chapter of his life.
He cleared his throat and changed the subject. "Chiori, how much do you know about Olivier?"
She thought for a moment before replying, "He's the young master of the Kappe family. Wild and indulgent by nature. Fond of toying with young girls' hearts. I've heard he's recently involved in a murder case."
She paused, lifting her eyes to meet his. "What, you plan to uphold justice? The Kappe family isn't something a mere deputy captain of the Gardes can afford to offend."
Lucien Valois lifted his teacup and took a slow sip. "The victim was my subordinate's sister. So even if the murderer were the Heavenly Principles themselves, I would still send him to the Fortress of Meropide."
At his words, something stirred quietly within Chiori's chest.
She drew a slow breath. "I'll help you gather information about Olivier."
Chiori's Boutique catered to the elite. Most of its customers were nobles, making it an ideal place to collect intelligence about aristocratic affairs.
"Thank you."
After a slight hesitation, Lucien Valois extended his hand. "And… lend me some money."
Chiori's expression instantly turned icy.
"Let me guess. You're taking it to buy little cakes for that great and charming Lady Furina again?
I've never seen a more shameless man—using my money to court another woman."
Lucien Valois merely shrugged. "It's a necessary investment.
If I weren't shielding you from the storm, those unscrupulous competitors—and the nobles you've beaten up—would've long since sent you to the Fortress of Meropide."
Chiori let out a cold snort. "Even without you, I'd have my own ways to deal with them."
"And wouldn't that still cost money or favors? You might as well give the money to me. Once I claw my way to the top, I'll repay you a hundredfold, a thousandfold." Lucien Valois replied with complete confidence.
Chiori shot him a look of disdain. "Spoken like a true scoundrel."
Despite her words, she turned and fetched a pouch of mora, handing it to him.
Lucien Valois accepted it and stood to leave.
Just as he was about to step out the door, Chiori's voice came from behind him.
"Do you really have to keep climbing upward?"
He stopped.
After a moment of silence, he answered, "Once you step onto this path, there's no turning back."
Then he walked away.
After leaving Chiori's Boutique, Lucien Valois quickened his pace.
With a thought, a simple system interface appeared in his mind.
Host: Lucien Valois
Strength: Transcendent (Mid-Tier)
Mission: Become the Supreme Commander of Fontaine
Current Progress: Deputy Captain of the Gardes
(Reward obtained: Transcendent Mid-Tier Strength)
Next Rank: Captain of the Gardes
(Reward: Transcendent High-Tier Strength)
Note: If the host abandons the mission, he will return to the life of an ordinary person.
Seeing that final line, Lucien Valois gave a faint shake of his head.
Now that he had already stepped into the realm of the transcendent, how could he ever be content to become ordinary again?