The fairy maid cheers for her deceased master today.

Regardless of whether it appeared out of thin air or not, based on X's many years of gaming experience, this is not a good sign.

So AX urged the carriage to speed up. Irene was already drunk and in her most vulnerable state; AX didn't want anything to happen to her.

The carriage sped along the wet streets, its wheels splashing through puddles. Finally, Axe made it safely back to the detective agency, letting out a sigh of relief and removing his hand from the revolver.

Angel took out her key and opened the door. Ax carried Irene, who was still tipsy, to the bedroom upstairs in the office and tucked her in.

"No, don't go... Jazz..."

Elena murmured, her long emerald hair cascading over the pillow, her cheeks flushed like ripe cherries under the gaslight.

"I didn't leave. Don't worry, I'm here," Ax replied softly.

So Elena fell silent.

Only then did Ax return downstairs.

"Catherine!"

When Axe found Catherine, the blonde detective was carefully wiping her lucky gloves.

Ex immediately got straight to the point: "On the way back, I saw the Scarecrow."

Catherine's glove fell to the ground with a thud.

She looked up abruptly, her grey-blue pupils contracting sharply: "Wearing a cloak?"

"Yes. A scarecrow, wearing a black cloak, very crudely made."

Ax immediately recounted what he had seen and heard, and Angel chimed in to add her own comments.

"Damn it!" After hearing the explanation, Catherine slammed her fist on the table, making the teacup jump. "It's here! Spring-Heeled Jack!"

What?

X and Angel exchanged a glance.

"The Scarecrow..." Catherine murmured to herself, a sharp glint in her eyes. "The flickering gaslight ghost, the anonymous letter, the charred marks, and the Scarecrow—these are all omens of its arrival. Sir, you've encountered Spring-Heeled Jack."

"I understand..."

“No, you’re an outsider, you don’t understand. This is London’s most notorious vagrant freak.” Catherine’s voice carried a chill. “He’s been active on the streets of London since 1837. He’s a master of leaping, his eyes blaze with fire, and he has metal claws on his fingertips. He specializes in attacking passersby—especially women.”

"No, I understand perfectly," Ax replied hastily.

Catherine clearly thought this was just an excuse. She stood up, walked to the wall, took down a yellowed newspaper clipping, and handed it to Ax.

The Times headline read: "Spring-Heeled Jack Reappears! Miss Lucy Skyler Attacked!"

"According to the victims' descriptions," Catherine pointed to an illustration in the newspaper, "Jack wore a white bodysuit, sometimes with a black cloak, his eyes were like burning fireballs, and he could breathe blue-white flames from his mouth. Most terrifyingly—"

She pointed to Jack's exaggerated legs in the illustration: "He can leap up a nine-foot-high wall, and even jump directly from the ground onto the roof!"

No, I've also seen it do a super jump, leaping high into the air and turning into a tiny dot.

Axe quickly interrupted Catherine's explanation, asking, "Why is it targeting us?"

That's the key issue.

"Who knows?" Catherine shrugged, but her eyes remained serious. "Maybe it was just a random selection. But..."

She looked at X: "You encountered the Scarecrow, which means Jack has his eye on this neighborhood. It's very likely to come tonight."

"No, I will definitely come," X said after thinking for a moment.

"Um?"

"The scarecrow is standing right in front of my carriage. I think... Spring-Heeled Jack is eyeing me and Elena."

"Exactly!" Catherine slammed her hand on the table again. "Drunken fairies are natural bait to attract alien species!"

Is there such a thing?

X quietly asked Angel, "Are drunk fairies more vulnerable to attacks from alien species?"

"Master, okay, I seem to remember that. Not drunk, but unconscious..."

Exton suddenly remembered. Deacon Samuel had said something similar, that fairies easily attract other species.

And for a fairy who has lost consciousness, it is even easier to attack.

"Then we must be prepared." Ex looked up and said decisively to Catherine, "Fortify the doors and windows, prepare weapons—"

"Wait a minute." Catherine interrupted him, walked to the bookshelf, and took out a heavy iron box from the bottom shelf. "In that case, ordinary weapons won't work."

She opened the tin box, inside were dozens of silver utensils—a knife, a candlestick, and even a silver cross, among other things.

"You were prepared?" Ex asked curiously.

Catherine, however, asked in surprise, "Which household doesn't keep some silverware? After all, it can ward off evil spirits."

That makes a lot of sense; it just reveals that I'm not a local.

"But that's not enough." Ax looked at Catherine. "Can I borrow your basement for a moment?"

■

Soon, the Miss Detective Agency was engaged in tense defensive work.

Catherine directed her maid Mary to place silver cutlery at all the doors and windows.

Ax, along with Angel, placed items such as silver candlesticks and crosses in suitable locations in each room, making them easily accessible.

Besides the basic silverware arrangement, X also reinforced the doors and windows with wooden strips. After all, one should trust science; after all, mere silverware probably wouldn't scare Jack away.

Jack's reaction speed is so fast, he's not so easily hurt by silverware.

Furthermore, based on previous experience, silver bullets are effective, but not lethal. The same should be true for silverware.

So, in addition to the silverware, Axe placed specially made kerosene lamps in every room. There was one next to the sofa. Mary even gave her one.

These were all specially made by him through equivalent exchange while he was in the basement.

Catherine found it strange, but didn't say anything.

Afterwards, everyone gathered in the most spacious living room. This area offered a clear view, making it easier to spot enemy movements in advance and effectively prevent surprise attacks.

Of course, Irene was also moved to the sofa in the living room for special protection.

"Is everything alright?" Angel asked softly, glancing at Elena on the sofa.

X nodded. "This is the safest place, and we can protect her. She's very likely the target."

"So you're not going to sleep tonight?" Angel asked again.

"Hmm, I'll stay up late tonight and take a look. I have to be careful."

X had already experienced how formidable Spring-Heeled Jack was last time.

But Axe also knew that this London was still Irene's "inner world." Strictly speaking, it was still Irene's home turf.

Furthermore, if it really is the same Jack from last time who entered Elena's inner world, his power should be suppressed.

Hopefully... I still know too little about the "Rain World".

Time passed second by second.

As night deepened, the rain gradually intensified. Raindrops pounded against the window, making a pattering sound, like countless hands slapping against it.

Ax, Catherine, and Angel sat in the living room, the atmosphere heavy.

The maid, Mary, was already hiding in a corner; she wasn't considered a combatant. It was better for her to stay hidden.

X gripped his revolver tightly, which was loaded with silver bullets. Catherine held a silver cane, her eyes wary. Angel stood beside X, her small hands clutching the hem of his clothes, her fingertips poised to unleash magic at any moment.

Apart from the sound of rain, the office was deathly silent.

Sudden--

"Snap!"

A soft, crisp sound came from the second floor. It sounded like glass being shattered.

X immediately stood up, his eyes sharp as knives: "They're here!"