The Mafia Empire

At this moment, Gador was both furious and terrified. He couldn't believe that Pronto had deceived him into standing by the window, claiming that the boss's men had arrived, and even more unbelievable was Pronto's readiness to draw a gun and shoot him without hesitation. The shot wasn't fatal—a wound to the shoulder rarely threatens a person's life.

This was knowledge Gador had gained through countless experiences. He could clearly feel the bullet lodged in his shoulder, and it was the force from that impact that caused him to lose his balance—right at the window's edge.

The fear from the tilt and the sensation of hanging in the air made Gador struggle desperately, but it also accelerated his fall from the window. He tumbled out, the wind howling in his ears like the mocking laughter of those high-powered figures who always looked down on him with disdain.

The ground's presence grew stronger and stronger, and amidst the frantic rush of wind, he could already smell the faint scent of soil. The next moment, with a sickening thud, everything went silent.

People watched in horror as Gador's body, heels pressing against his shattered skull, twisted grotesquely and then collapsed against the ground with a splat. No matter how hard Gador's head might have been, the moment his heels met the back of his skull, his fate was sealed.

Blood spattered far and wide, after a moment of dead silence, the crowd erupted into screams and shouts of outrage.

Gador was dead!

Pronto approached the window with a stern, indifferent expression, carefully holstering his pistol. He extinguished the last trace of pity from his eyes with ruthless precision, as he internally reviewed the heap of flesh that was Gador on the ground. The remnants of sentiment within him gradually faded away. He felt it wasn't the boss's fault, nor was it his own—it was Gador's fault.

Gador had failed, hadn't he?

"We're just tools. When a tool becomes uncooperative, it has to be replaced."

"Didn't see that coming, did you?"

The faint sound was like the wind in the moment Gador fell from the window, sending a chill through Pronto. He wondered if Gador had experienced a similar sensation as he fell. A shiver ran up his spine, and his neck stiffened as he instinctively drew his pistol again. But before he could turn around, an arm pressed down on his shoulder.

He saw a profile—it was Shaun. In that instant, countless thoughts flashed through Pronto's mind, and his eyes narrowed with a sinister and determined glint. Just as he was about to make a decision, Shaun turned his head and met Pronto's gaze.

"Are you trying to frame me?" Shaun smiled. "That could be interesting, you know?"

Pronto felt like a bucket of cold water had been poured over him. He did indeed have that thought: if Shaun had driven Gador to his death to extract information, it would be the perfect conclusion.

People would readily come up with a plausible motive—Shaun was an agent of the Imperial Security Bureau stationed in Ternell City, and perhaps he saw Gador as a chance to regain a central role, ignoring others opposition and subjecting Gador to brutal interrogation. Faced with Shaun's ruthless torture, Gador, loyal to his secrets, chose death by jumping out the window.

Such a scenario would not only clear Pronto of any trouble but would also show the boss that he was genuinely doing his job while pushing Shaun into opposition with some of the boss's allies. A win-win situation, wasn't it?

On the surface, Shaun seemed carefree, spending his days either partying with women or drinking himself into a stupor. But Pronto had never let his guard down around Shaun. He could overlook small transgressions, like Shaun stealing his liquor or taking his joyrides, but when it came to significant matters, he maintained strict vigilance.

Sometimes, Pronto even wondered if Shaun's current behavior was genuine or if he was simply biding his time, waiting for the right moment.

After all, Shaun had once been a prominent figure involved in major affairs. He had been exiled to this backwater, but he certainly wasn't resigned to his fate. Wouldn't someone think that Ternell City, a stronghold of the Old Party's influence, could be the breaking point to breach the Old Party's defenses across Kanros State?

It wasn't impossible. If he could use this opportunity to drag Shaun down, then Shaun's superiors—if they existed—would undoubtedly be disappointed in him and eventually discard him, leading him to gradually disappear from public view until he was forgotten.

The plan had been perfect, at least for a moment, but once Shaun exposed his intentions, Pronto no longer thought so.

"How could you think such a thing? We're friends, aren't we?" Pronto slipped his pistol back into its holster, his smile radiant as if it were a summer blossom reflecting sunlight.

Shaun patted his shoulder meaningfully and leaned over to look out the window. In that instant, Pronto felt an almost uncontrollable urge to shove Shaun out as well. But he ultimately didn't dare to do it, because Shaun was indeed different.

The Imperial Security Bureau was not like other institutions. From the days of the feudal imperial era, the Empire had faced an unspeakable issue: most regions had a tendency to break free from central control, becoming semi-independent but without formally declaring independence.

The nobles power had grown so strong that each lord ruled a territory, with some of these Lords tracing their lineage back five or six hundred years.

During such long reigns, the people living under noble rule often recognized the nobles as their legitimate authority rather than the emperor. To change this situation, which had begun to alarm the royal family, the predecessor of the Imperial Security Bureau was established—the Imperial Emergency Special Operations Unit. Officially, this unit handled disaster relief and prevention.

However, its real purpose was to monitor the nobles. If any noble displayed signs of rebellion or separatism, the unit was tasked with assassinating them as quickly as possible. Over its century-long history, the unit carried out many missions, including the infamous incident involving the Duke of Gewaren.

According to the newspapers and official accounts, the Duke and his family went on a trip shortly after a rainstorm and were caught in a landslide, leading them all to meet their end.

The Special Operations Unit saved the Duke's grandson from the disaster. In the following twenty years, the grandson, known for his vices, died young, bringing an end to the Gewaren lineage. Whatever the truth was no longer mattered; what mattered was that this department's reputation had long since instilled fear in the hearts of many powerful figures.

After the New Party's "uprising," the Imperial Emergency Special Operations Unit wasn't disbanded but was instead absorbed entirely by the Imperial Security Bureau, leading to speculation that the so-called "uprising" had the tacit approval of the emperor and the royal family. Their goal was to change the increasingly precarious situation and prevent the Empire from collapsing.

As previously stated, the truth was irrelevant; what mattered was that Pronto knew he could never touch Shaun, no matter how despicable Shaun might be.

If Shaun died, the Security Bureau wouldn't send another person; instead, they might send in a "cleaner."