Apart from being a mentor, Violet had formed a small team with na, Leah, and the others. Together, they had taken it upon themselves to track down rapists who had been causing trouble in the city.


    At first, Violet had thought it would be a simple task: catch the culprits, force them to confess, and send them off to the authorities. But when they arrived at the authorities, the culprits imed they had only confessed because they had been beaten up. na had quietly approached the young women who had been victimized, hoping they might speak up. But one by one, they denied that anything had happened. Some even turned them away as soon as they saw na or anyone from her group. Without any evidence to back up the ims of their crimes, the authorities had no choice but to release the culprits.


    Violet''s frustration grew with every failed attempt. At times, she was filled with a murderous urge, and the thought of dealing with the culprits in the same ruthless manner she would have previously crossed her mind. In the martial arts world, she would have simply taken care of it herself and walked away unscathed.


    But now, she was not acting in the capacity of someone from the martial arts world. Rafael was part of the government, while Carissa controlled the Mystic Army. Violet couldn''t afford to be a criminal.


    Rounding up the men and sending them to the authorities was the most straightforward method Violet could think of, but it was undeniably clumsy and didn''t seem to be working at all. She had worked tirelessly, only to have it all be in vain. They hadn''t been able to send a single culprit to jail.


    So, she couldn''t hide the frustration and anger in her eyes.


    As the two women chatted for a while, Carissa offered some words offort, "Don''t be discouraged. At least you''ve made them pay for it with a beating. They know you''re watching them now and won''t dare repeat their actions."


    "How is a beating enough? I want them to be brought to justice," Violet replied, her fist pressed against her temple as she tilted her head, clearly struggling with the situation.


    Carissa sighed. "The young women who''ve been hurt are too afraid to speak out. They would rather bury the shame and keep it hidden."


    "So, we just let those animals get away with it?" Violet asked, her voice tinged with frustration. "Is there really no other way?"


    "Next time, if you can''t find evidence, don''t bother taking them to the authorities. Beat them harder. Break an arm or a leg, or make sure they won''t be able to walk again," Carissa replied.


    Violet''s expression softened as she considered the idea. "That''s actually not a bad n."


    "Did all of you investigate those culprits thoroughly?" Carissa asked.


    Violet immediately nodded, assuring her, "Don''t worry. We''re being very thorough. We haven''t unjustly used anyone. It''s just that the victims won''te forward, and the methods we''re using aren''t exactly legal. The authorities can''t do anything about them."


    She was feeling somewhat disheartened, having originally thought that once the culprits confessed, the authorities would handle it swiftly. She hadn''t realized that they needed evidence and, even more crucially, the victims'' testimonies.


    Carissa didn''t have any answers for her. Thew had its strict processes which had to be followed.


    The two women exchanged a look, their eyes filled with silent encouragement.


    Rafael had stayed in the pce for a long time, and only left when the pce gates were about to close for the night. As he left, the snow had started to fall. By the time he arrived home, his cloak was heavy with soft, white snowkes.


    Carissa helped him remove his cloak, shaking the snow off. "Have you eaten? Why sote tonight?"


    He stood by the fire, warming his hands. "I had dinner with His Majesty. He ns to have me quietly go to Lunvale in a few days."


    Carissa was surprised. "He wants you to go personally? Why not send the Nightsteel Guard?"


    n sent someone there already. They''ve made some discoveries, but they can''t investigate further. The people they sent don''t have much martial arts skills," Rafael replied.


    Carissa understood


    immediately theck of skill or careful nning meant that rash probing could easily alert the target. If they were discovered and the


    target quickly moved, any chance of progress would be lost.


    "How many people are you taking? When are you leaving?" she asked.


    It was the 15th of December now; it would be two weeks until the New Year''s celebration.


    "I''ll speak with Randall tomorrow and see what he knows. I n to leave in three days. I''ll be taking Dn, Travis, and a few of the household soldiers who''ve had proper martial arts training," Rafael replied. He wrapped his arms around her waist and gently added, "Don''t worry. I''ll be careful. Nothing will go wrong."


    "Take Isaac with you," Carissa suggested.


    Rafael frowned slightly. "He''s been busy with the Ministry of Defense, working on the firearms project. Don''t trouble him."


    In fact, Isaac was not as ignorant as he imed to be. He had been by Adrian''s side for a while and had been working on firearms with him for a long time.


    At first, Isaac had pretended that he


    didn''t understand anything, in


    ordance with Adrian''s


    instructions. Adrian had told Isaac to


    intervene less when he was in the


    capital, and to let the people sort it out themselves after giving them the notebook.


    However, when Isaac visited the Ministry of Defense and took a walk around, he couldn''t stand it anymore and decided to take action. So, he was rarely in Hell Monarch Estate these days.