The Laws of Werewolf Hunting

Chapter 564 Familiar Name

Donna killed for the first time as easily as eating a piece of cheese.

Clayton's demeanor was not as calm as it appeared, but he concealed it well.

His niece had never hidden her desire for combat since the time she was in Gévor, and she had spent a lot of time learning combat from him. It was only natural that things had developed to this point.

Tritice has already taught Donna how to be a person, so all he can do is teach her how to fight and survive.

“A shovel can also be considered a long-handled weapon. If he uses it to confront you, you have no way to break the deadlock and can only rely on Clara to do her job.”

"Clara's strength is considerable, but with two extra arms, her blades are harder to wield, and her agility is significantly reduced. When her magic is blocked by the Hand of Glory, her only remaining ability is invisibility. This is very useful, but not unbreakable; the tomb raider has actually already discovered her."

"Before taking action, it is crucial to determine the number of your opponents. If you only see two people come in, you don't know if they have any accomplices keeping watch outside the wall. If a third person sets up a ladder outside the wall and aims a musket at you from the top, you will be in a very dangerous situation."

"Of course, you chose a good spot, allowing you to retreat into the woods quickly, but it could be better. After you fire your shots and retreat deeper into the woods, don't make any sudden movements. It would be best to whistle a couple of times so that your birds can call out to you from all directions. This way, the other side will start to worry about whether there are still ambushes in the woods. If you can delay them for a while, even if the school's security doesn't work, Clara should have time to support you."

"Force the other party to solve the problem, instead of waiting for them to give you the problem."

Clayton leaned against the tree trunk and rambled on, criticizing Donna's initial preparations and then criticizing her for refusing to send him messages.

Donna wasn't disappointed at all; instead, she nodded very seriously, taking notes of every key point he made. These were valuable lessons she would learn next time.

“Also, you used a fate-binding spell in Gevor, and now we can be linked together again, so I can take half the damage for you,” Clayton said, recalling the past.

After returning from Gerva, he asked her to lift the spell, because back then he was the one who was more prone to causing trouble, but things were different now.

However, Donna's face showed a hint of embarrassment:

"Well... to put it this way, the success last time was an accident. I haven't mastered such advanced witchcraft yet."

“I understand.” Clayton licked his lips.

Donna quickly changed the subject, discarding the two Glorious Hands carried by the grave robbers, even though they were worth some money. She reasoned that leaving them on their owner would help the grave robbers and police quickly identify them, saving the school some trouble.

Clayton acknowledged her actions but also noted that this was still a disadvantage of her not messaging him.

Because as long as she sends him a message, he can take care of the police. God knows how many of his former drinking buddies are now wearing that black coat. It's not that he's arrogant, but this kind of thing doesn't require any favors at all.

However, he finally comforted her, saying, "It's okay. You're a strong girl. The growth you've gained from this is greater than any gold or silver."

Donna lowered her head: "Actually, I'm still a little sad inside."

For a moment, Clayton thought she was saddened by the fact that he had killed someone, or even secretly pleased, but that was not the case.

"That tomb raider was named Joseph, how unlucky!"

“I’ll take good care of Joseph at home,” Clayton could only say. After the eventful second half of last year, he was no longer willing to easily judge what superstition was.

If a message is perceived by a wizard, it may indeed trigger special consequences.

He tried to ease the tension with a piece of solid good news: "You just asked me how my relationship with Mr. Melcher improved, and that's actually related to you too. He panicked immediately after receiving the letter from the school, and I told him that my house was near the school, and if the school was no longer safe, you would bring his daughter back for refuge, and I would treat her the same way I treat you. That's how our relationship improved."

Donna was greatly pleased: "It seems that killing does have its benefits. It's a pity Mr. Ashley didn't come, otherwise your friendship with him could have been strengthened."

Clayton is starting to miss Triss a bit now.

He wanted to reprimand his niece for thinking that way, but he also felt a strong urge to fight, so he had no choice but to give up.

"But I was really surprised that Mr. Yashir didn't come. He has always doted on his daughter, and he shouldn't have missed the news from the school. Maybe I should go and visit him again."

“If he gets scammed again, remind him. I don’t want to upset Lant,” Donna said.

Clayton promised this, and instructed his niece not to tell her mother what had happened at school, to keep it a secret between them, to which she reluctantly agreed. Once the matter was settled, Clayton left the school with Mr. Melcher, who had also said goodbye to his daughter.

Walking down the street, having confirmed his daughter's safety, Mr. Melcher was more sober than before. He thanked Clayton and felt he should reciprocate Clayton's kindness with a gift.

Through their previous conversation, he knew that Clayton Bello knew Des Joanrard, but not much. The lieutenant had lived in the city for several years, but knew nothing about one important area—the nobility.

Putting aside his mysterious abilities, Mr. Bello is currently in a phase of rising social status, and this lack of awareness could affect his future.

Mr. Melcher tried to make up for this deficiency, so they went back to his home to talk in detail about the most respectable people in town.

Although Mr. Melcher's work requires him to leave the city frequently, he did grow up here, and the current state of Sasha is not much different from when he was young.

The aristocratic groups in Sasha are divided into three. The most prominent group at present is the emerging aristocratic group led by Philip Pulitzer (who is known as Mr. Pulitzer) and the Petten family.

Philip was a nobleman from outlying areas, and also the type of nobleman who underwent the most complete transformation. He was essentially a landless nobleman, and the nobles who mingled with him were much the same, many of them even being second sons without titles. They talked incessantly about investments and international market trends, and their main source of income was not land, but business, so even if they were wealthy, they were looked down upon by conservative forces.

But the strong support from the Druids allowed them to firmly establish themselves in Sasha.

The conservative faction opposing the new aristocracy was led by the Courles and Callahan families. They insisted that nobles should not engage in menial work, and that their nobility and income should derive solely from the land. Although these nobles were economically backward, their vast blood networks bound them closely together, and they had relatives in other cities who echoed their sentiments.

Because of their bloodline, they occasionally produce someone who can serve in the Queen's court, ensuring that their influence does not decline.

Furthermore, in Sasha, the conservatives own the most land and have considerable influence in the city council.

The third faction was created by Des Joanrad, a remarkable figure. He possessed a status and landholdings that conservatives could only dream of, yet his style of conduct leaned more towards that of the new aristocracy. His court not only included many of his second sons but also those whom he considered outstanding commoner elites.

But aside from his style of doing things, Sir Joan Lard's ideology leaned towards that of the classical aristocracy. He believed that people were divided into three classes: the prayer, the warrior, and the producer. However, he differed from fundamentalists in that he was quite flexible in his division of these three classes. For example, he would include natural scientists and poets in the category of the prayer, claiming that their work was the same as that of the clergy—to provide faith and confidence to all mankind.

Melcher thought the old man was right, because he was also a natural scientist.

"You have gained the favor of Sir Jonard, which is the foundation for your rise to prominence. However, you must still be careful in making friends in his court, as not everyone is of one mind."

While explaining, he warned Clayton that he divided the nobility into three factions only for ease of understanding; in reality, the nobility were the nobility, and the connections between them were intricate.

At least half of the new nobles allied with Philip were related to the Conservatives by blood, and despite their mutual disdain, they maintained regular contact. Meanwhile, these new nobles frequently visited Sir Jonard's court seeking opportunities to make money, and some of them were recognized by the old man as promising talents. Elite members of the Conservatives were also recruited by Jonard.

Because he balances two sides, Des Joanrad is the most influential nobleman in Sasha City. Only a quarter of the local nobles don't care about him at all, and they are the backbone of the conservatives, including the Kules and Callahan families.

Clayton remembered the Kules family; during the time he was dealing with Clara's mother, Athena Berlusconi, the second of the Kules brothers, Faslag Kules, had given him some trouble.

The elder of the two brothers, Caroline Courles, was known for his volatile temper and ruthlessness, and had previously run for mayor.

But apart from that, he knew nothing about them.

The familiar surname piqued Clayton's interest.

“Tell me more about the Kules family,” he said.

Mr. Melcher's expression showed a slight displeasure at the recollection of the Courles family: "Forgive my rudeness, but ever since the head of the Courles family, Caroline, lost his mayoral election, he has gone down a path of madness and mania. He has publicly stated several times that his brother was murdered, that he wants to hunt down the mysterious killer, and that he firmly believes that the killer is being protected by Sir Jonard. But everyone knows that his only brother, Fassrag, died several years ago."

“Several years ago?!” Clayton’s pupils widened.

If Faslag was already dead, then who was it that caused him trouble because of the Spider Priest? A ghost?

Mr. Melcher nodded and answered him matter-of-factly: "Yes, he died several years ago, shortly after he put on his uniform. Carolingian was furious about it then. I don't know why he brought it up again, and the other nobles didn't correct him."

Clayton was silent for a moment, then thought of the lesson he had taught Donna, which was truly wise.

Large-scale memory alteration is something even the water nymph Adelaide couldn't do.

Although the Spider Priestess was eventually killed by him, it doesn't mean she was much weaker than him. The Abyss Warlock's abilities were so bizarre that even if he had to do it all over again, he couldn't guarantee that he would still win.