Faerun: The arcane mage is still too imprisoned.

The next morning, sunlight was already shining on the windowsills of the riverside villas.

Lance was awakened by a heavy weight pressing down on his chest.

He opened his eyes and looked down to see Little Black lying on his chest, curled up like a round cat pancake, fast asleep.

Its little belly rose and fell with its breath, and it made a constant gurgling sound in its throat. Occasionally, it would smack its lips, and the tip of its fluffy tail would twitch from time to time. It looked as if it was dreaming of some plump little fish.

Cielsa, who was already awake, was propping her chin up as she looked at Lance. Her long, silver-gray hair was spread out on the pillow, and her grape-like eyes held a languid smile.

"Lord Lance, this cat really likes you; it's almost become one with you."

Lance moved the little black dog gently to the soft pillow next to him. The little guy meowed in dissatisfaction, rolled over and buried his head in the pillow, but didn't wake up.

Cielsa threw back the covers and got out of bed, reaching out to poke Little Black's soft bottom, both annoyed and amused:

"What an ungrateful little thing! Yesterday when I came back, I fed it some top-quality fresh fish, and it sniffed it and turned away. But when you casually tossed it a sausage, it ate it with relish, more than anyone else."

Lance: "That shows the cat has good eyesight; it knows who the master is."

……

When Lance slowly walked downstairs, breakfast was already laid out on the long table in the restaurant.

The aroma of the fried bacon, crispy and golden brown, the perfectly runny yolk of the fried egg, and the freshly baked crispy bread with its wheaty fragrance filled the room.

Little Black was walking down the stairs with elegant cat-like steps, following Lance.

Lance bent down and picked up Little Black, and the little guy immediately snuggled into his arms, nuzzling his head to find the most comfortable spot.

While eating breakfast, Cielsa suddenly remembered something and looked up at Lance:

"Lord Lance, when will the Supreme Judge you discussed with the city lord yesterday take office?"

"I'll be taking office today, in a little while."

Lance was very curious about the city's judicial system.

After breakfast, he went back to his room to change into a classic dark blue mage robe, with Little Black perched on his shoulder, and set off with Sielsa.

Walking on the streets of Rild City, Lance clearly felt that it was different from when he first arrived.

The thugs and hooligans who used to be everywhere have disappeared, the vendors no longer look anxious, and even the ordinary people passing by have a more relaxed look on their faces.

It seems the previous crackdown on organized crime was quite effective.

The Sheriff's Office of Rield City is located two streets east of the City Lord's Mansion, and is an impressive three-story stone building.

The gray stone walls were thick and solid, and four fully armed city guards stood at the entrance, their backs straight and their eyes scanning the passersby warily.

They had just received a direct order from the director this morning: a supreme judge personally appointed by the city lord might be coming to take office today.

That person was a silver-haired half-elf with an incredibly powerful background. He was an absolutely intimidating figure, someone we had to be extremely careful with. Any mishap would result in our wrath.

Upon seeing Lance, one of them left his post and went into the police station.

As Lance reached the door, the remaining three exchanged glances and respectfully asked, "Sir, may I ask who you are...?"

Lance calmly said, "I am Lance, the newly appointed Supreme Judge of Rield City."

The four city guards instantly stood at attention, raising their hands in unison to salute, their movements so precise it seemed ingrained in their very bones.

"Lord Lance! Please come in!"

Lance and the others nodded slightly as a greeting, and then walked straight inside.

As soon as he entered the gate, he heard hurried footsteps coming from the second floor. A slightly overweight middle-aged man in a black official uniform tumbled down the stairs. It was none other than Curry, the director of the Rild City Police Department.

He had just received an urgent report from the guard at the gate, only to find out that the legendary VIP might have already arrived.

"Lord Lance! Your presence is an honor! I have failed to greet you properly, please forgive me!" Curry rushed to Lance and bowed deeply, his back almost touching the ground.

"Why didn't you give me a heads-up? I could have personally come to meet you at the police station!"

"Oh?" Lance stepped closer, level with Curry. "So, you're blaming me?"

"No, no, no, I wouldn't dare! I wouldn't dare!"

The director instantly broke out in a cold sweat, almost soaking his pants.

He wasn't like those city guards living happily in ignorance; he truly knew that Lance had wiped out four noble families.

Instead of being punished, he was appointed by the city lord to the position of Supreme Judge, a position he could only dream of!

"Don't be so nervous, I forgive you." Lance lowered his head and said with a smile.

"Thank you, Lord Lance!"

"I just came to take a look around. After all, I took the city lord's gold coins, so I have to do something about it," Lance replied casually, his gaze sweeping around the hall.

The hall, which had been noisy, suddenly fell silent.

All the clerks, patrolling guards, and civilians who came to report the crime stopped what they were doing and quietly glanced in this direction.

After all, they had rarely seen anyone in their lives who could make the director bow and scrape to such an extent, and their eyes were full of curiosity and awe.

Curry quickly led the way, bending over like a shrimp:

"Lord Lance, your office has already been prepared to the highest standards! It's on the second floor, at the very back, with the best view from the south-facing floor-to-ceiling windows. The decoration is all up to the standards of the City Lord's Mansion. Please take a look and see if you're satisfied. If not, we'll tear it all down and redo it immediately!"

Lance followed him up to the second floor, and the innermost office was indeed impressive.

The spacious room features a full-length window, a thick wool carpet, a large oak desk in the center, a leather sofa and a solid wood wine cabinet for relaxation, and even a three-meter-high bookshelf in the corner.

"Okay, it's pretty good." Lance nodded, put the little black guy in his arms on the sofa, and the little guy curled up into a ball as soon as he touched the soft cushion and started to catch up on his sleep.

Curry's smile grew even more obsequious: "I'm glad you're satisfied! How about I assign you a few capable assistants? Or do you have any other requests? Just let me know, and I'll do my utmost to fulfill them!"

"No need, I just came to sit for a while. Don't bother me unless it's important." Lance waved his hand and sat down in the chair behind his desk. The chair was soft and quite comfortable.

Curry quickly agreed and offered a string of compliments before quietly leaving, thoughtfully closing the office door behind him.

The office fell silent instantly, with only the occasional sounds of the street outside the window.