Chapter 17
Volume II, Book 5: For a Black Hunt, a Mute Pack - Javert's Pursuit

Javert walked through the streets of Paris with the methodical precision of a bloodhound following a scent. His years of experience had taught him that every criminal left traces, no matter how careful they believed themselves to be. The man who called himself Monsieur Madeleine had vanished from Montreuil-sur-Mer, but Javert knew that such disappearances were rarely complete. A man with a child would need shelter, food, schooling—all things that left records, witnesses, connections. He had already begun his inquiries at the boarding houses and lodgings near the barriers of Paris, showing the detailed description he had memorized: a man of unusual strength, graying hair, traveling with a young girl of perhaps eight years. The hunt had begun in earnest, and Javert felt the familiar surge of satisfaction that came with the pursuit of justice. He had sworn an oath to uphold the law, and that oath bound him more surely than chains. Jean Valjean might have escaped once, but Inspector Javert was patient, thorough, and utterly relentless. The criminal would make a mistake—they always did—and when he did, Javert would be there. Inspector Javert methodically hunts for Jean Valjean through the streets of Paris, driven by his unwavering belief in the absolute nature of law and justice. His pursuit is not merely professional duty but an obsession that defines his entire worldview. Meanwhile, Valjean struggles to create a normal life for himself and Cosette while constantly looking over his shoulder, knowing that his past as a convict makes him...