Gregor bowed respectfully to Lydia, then donned his full gear and strode out of the lord's manor, full of vigor.

  At this moment, he wore a tight-fitting suit of dark armor, with the emblem of a succubus's wings clearly printed on the chest plate and the back of his cloak. The mark was unmistakable, proudly proclaiming his identity: a true Succubus Patrol Officer.

  Gregor tightened his cloak and glanced back at the scaled horse standing beside him. This mount was noticeably larger than an ordinary horse, covered from head to hoof in black scales that gleamed with a cold luster.

  Though predominantly deep black, the scales subtly shimmered with other hues depending on the light. Typically, scaled horses assigned to succubus patrols were black. It was a member of the exotic beast family— swift and battle-ready.

  Its serrated fangs visible in its mouth and the snake-like tail tipped with backward barbs instantly revealed its dangerous nature.

  The scaled horse was highly adaptable, capable of galloping over rugged mountain paths and covering a thousand miles in a day. Its only drawback was the inability to fly, yet it remained one of the finest mounts among the demi-human races. To put it in perspective, a single scaled horse's value often exceeded that of a lord-level magical beast.

  Of course, all of this was manor-issued equipment. Like a company car, ownership didn't belong to Gregor— only the right to use it.

  Besides the armor and the scaled horse, Gregor also carried a slender sword at his waist. The blade was thin and elongated, the hilt intricately carved with elaborate patterns. It was a bloodline weapon, capable of resonating with his own lineage.

  Adjusting the sword at his waist, Gregor led his scaled horse down the broad streets of Selene City, feeling extraordinarily distinguished— as if he were the most dazzling figure in the entire city.

  He pulled a map from the pack on his saddle, which also contained eighty gold coins— his monthly allowance for living expenses for himself and his mount.

  Guided by the map, Gregor eventually found the stone house assigned to him. The manor's allocated residence was on the west side of Selene City, where houses were noticeably sturdier and taller than those in the slums, inhabited by people with stronger backgrounds.

  He approached the stone house, confirmed the location against the map, then tied his scaled horse to a hitching post outside and took down his pack.

  Pushing open the door, the interior wasn't large— about five meters in diameter, roughly the size of the village chief's house in Village No. 1. The thick stone walls and well-equipped interior showed sturdy construction.

  Gregor wiped the wooden bench inside and found almost no dust, suggesting that even though the house was vacant, it was cleaned regularly.

  He sat by the hearth, took some gold coins from his pack, and put them into a small pouch at his waist. The remaining coins he casually tossed onto a beast skin behind the hearth, which served as his bed.

  Gregor was satisfied with the manor's treatment. He understood such provisions were not easily granted, but he also knew he wasn't here to enjoy them.

  His purpose was to investigate the succubi in the south searching for the elven princess— to find a breakthrough and expose the hidden darkness behind the incident.

  Just as he was planning his next move, footsteps sounded outside. The scaled horse, tied up, flicked its nose and let out a low snort, as if issuing a warning.

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  "A fine mount indeed— even good enough to guard the door," Gregor said with a slight smile but did not stand. He could almost guess who was outside.

  Sure enough, the door opened and four figures stepped into the stone house— his subordinates, members of the Seventh Patrol Squad.

  Gregor was not alone. With these bloodline warriors supporting him, his strength was more assured.

  Among the four were a succubus named Linda; a burly troll; and two fierce frost wolf warriors.

  "All present and accounted for. Seventh Patrol Squad fully assembled!" they said in unison, fists pressed to their chests with considerable spirit.

  Gregor gestured for them to sit down. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, he began to learn about their individual circumstances.

  All four were bloodline warriors with considerable strength. Linda the succubus was a high-level bloodline warrior, while the other three were of mid-level rank.

  Linda is the only high-level bloodline warrior in the squad and also serves as the deputy captain of the Seventh Patrol Squad. A typical Succubus Patrol squad consists of five members: one leader-level captain leading four squad members.

  Although this team is called the Seventh, it doesn't mean Selene commands only seven patrol squads. In fact, the original Seventh Squad was completely replaced during the last large-scale purge and this current team was newly formed.

  Almost every patrol squad's deputy captain is a succubus—a method Selene uses to control the squads' actions. She won't allow her subordinates to just take money without doing their jobs; someone has to keep an eye on them to ensure missions get carried out.

  Linda wore a fitted black leather armor that allowed her agile movement. Two sharp daggers hung at her waist. Her short black hair was neatly combed to one side, her face stern and expressionless.

  Her sharp gaze gave off an undeniable aura of professionalism and competence. Just standing there, she made it clear she was not someone to be trifled with.

  In stark contrast was Ade, the troll. He was shirtless, his thick muscles as hard as iron. His skin was a glossy blue-green, resembling a smaller version of the Hulk.

  On his back rested a massive double-edged battle axe, its blades gleaming coldly. Ade's prominent fangs jutted past his lips, giving him a fierce and powerful appearance.

  There were also two frost wolf tribe members: Kevin and Nick. The frost wolves looked very similar to the black wolf tribe, except their hair and tails had sections of snow-white fur, as if frost covered their heads and tails. Both wore ponytails, a traditional style among demi-humans.

  Kevin was older and calm, carrying a heavy sword on his back. His tall, sturdy figure radiated determination and reliability. Nick appeared younger, wearing a mischievous smile with a sly and carefree gleam in his eyes.

  He sat by the hearth, endlessly fiddling with two daggers in his hands, seemingly ready to throw or use them for defense at any moment.

  Seeing them, Gregor felt this was a squad with considerable potential. After getting acquainted, he didn't beat around the bush and asked if they had received any recent assignments.

  Nick smirked, showing some dissatisfaction:"We didn't have a captain before, so nobody gave us missions." His tone carried clear complaints and impatience.

  Gregor silently tagged Nick as impatient and short-sighted—a type unlikely to last long in the squad. He pressed a few more questions to better understand the team members.

  Then Gregor took gold coins from the pouch at his waist and began distributing them. Linda received ten coins, while the other three each got five.

  Linda got more not only because she was the deputy captain but also because she was entrusted with feeding the scaled horse. After all, that huge beast with serrated fangs was no herbivore; it needed meat to replenish its energy.

  The sudden influx of gold coins brought smiles of joy to the Seventh Patrol Squad members, silently praising Gregor's generosity.

  By comparison, their previous monthly allowance was quite limited, especially for Nick and Kevin, who had gone a long time without much benefit.

  Gregor didn't intend to waste time forming sentimental bonds with them. He wanted to use this money to quickly gain control of the squad because time was tight. He knew money was the most direct and effective tool to keep the team stable and obedient in the short term.

  However, this money was not spent in vain. During the conversation, Gregor obtained a crucial piece of intelligence that might become a key breakthrough in investigating the forces behind the southern succubi.

  Ade the troll brought news: the Tauren tribe had announced a bounty, confirming the death of Bronan and were making a full-scale effort to capture the killer. Those who provided clues would receive a reward of 100 gold coins, while directly capturing the culprit would yield a bounty as high as 500 gold coins.

  Gregor knew well that if someone reported the culprit as a southern succubus, the Tauren tribe— one of the four great tribes under Selene's command— would not stand idly by. And the southern succubi, led by Freya, would certainly not give up easily.

  This was undoubtedly a huge variable. A flicker of excitement and anticipation crossed Gregor's eyes.