On a dark night.
Wheeez…!! Wheeez…!!
A man was sprinting through an alley shrouded in darkness.
Behind him, a pitch-black shadow was chasing after him.
The darkness consumed every bit of light around as it closed in on him.
Damn!! Damn!!
The man gazing into the dimming alley turned his head and muttered curses.
Why?
Why is this happening to me?
Of course, no one answered that question, and meanwhile, the darkness was creeping closer.
Just a bit more.
If he could reach the wider street with more people, he could call for help.
As he caught sight of the distant lights on the main street, he held onto a flicker of hope.
Breath heavy in his throat, the real fear of death creeping up behind him was much scarier.
As he felt the distant luminescence of the main street getting closer, he reached out toward the void.
But…
Puff!
As always, hope was crushed in an instant.
Cough…!!
A burning sensation radiated from his abdomen along with a cough.
A metallic, sticky feeling began to climb up his throat.
All his strength began to drain away, and darkness clouded his vision.
Yet, even in that situation, he struggled to muster every last ounce of strength to move forward.
The last thing that entered his sight was…
A pair of blood-red eyes lurking in the darkness.
—
It was late dawn when Rudell and Leje arrived at the crime scene.
Yawn… so sleepy…
Get a grip. It’s a murder scene.
Leje shot back at Rudell, who spoke with drowsiness…
The two stopped in a narrow alley, where lanterns cast a faint glow, revealing a stream of people passing through.
Hello, Professor.
You made it.
The voice of Rudell and Leje, bowing their heads, made Fernand de Pasel, the A-1 class head professor at Philsberg Academy and former department head of the Royal Road Peacekeeping Force, nod.
Another [The One Who Steals Lives], isn’t it?
Yeah, looks like they’re late again.
Countless soldiers busily moved about around Pasel.
Since the event happened at dawn, no one was particularly focused on it, but a few anxious faces peered out from nearby building windows.
We’re going to inspect the scene now; do you have any thoughts?
If you’re going, we should too.
The role assigned to the two was none other than the protection of Fernand.
While it was true that Fernand was exceedingly skilled, when dealing with a serial killer causing a stir, anything could happen.
Of course, there was more to why the two were given this role.
Remember, our objective is to secure him before the Peacekeeping Force does.
While on the surface, it appeared they were collaborating with the Peacekeeping Force, Fernand had an ulterior motive.
That was to capture The One Who Steals Lives and remove him before the Peacekeeping Force got to him.
Though he only discovered it later, Fernand was also one of Jade’s accomplices.
In other words, he had gathered the three of them together to prepare for any potential fallout.
Understood.
Nodding at Fernand, the two followed him toward the scene.
Halt!
A Peacekeeping Force soldier guarding the area stopped them as they approached.
Fernand de Pasel, department head of the 1st division. I’ve come to assist.
Welcome, Department Head Fernand. We’ve been expecting you. But who are these?
The soldier, checking Fernand’s ID, looked at Rudell and Leje behind him.
They are my escorts. Here’s the confirmation from Philsberg Academy.
Confirmed. Come in, Lady Leje El Lagrind, Sir Rudellheit Weinstein.
Let’s go.
As the soldier stepped aside, Fernand moved inside the scene, with Rudell and Leje following closely.
A moment later…
So this is the crime scene.
Ugh…
As Fernand stopped, Leje covered her pale face with her hands upon seeing the scene.
…
Meanwhile, Rudell looked on with a composed expression.
A body covered in marks from sharp thorns lay along with a large pool of blood scattered in the alley.
The horrific sight was reminiscent of countless scenes he had witnessed before.
This is truly gruesome.
Indeed…
Pulling out a notebook from his pocket, Fernand began jotting down notes, while Rudell crouched down to examine the horrifyingly twisted body more closely.
…
To the naked eye, the injuries looked like those inflicted by shadow magic.
However, it was clear that they were not made by Rudell.
After all, Rudell had never killed an innocent person.
His enemies were solely the Church of the Eaters of Death.
The man before him was just a plain human being.
…
The moment Rudell stood before that ghastly scene, he realized the true purpose behind the murder: it was all a trap to lure him out.
Rudell? What are you doing over there?
Nothing. Just wondering if there’s any clue.
Leje’s voice snapped Rudell back to reality.
Even if there was, the Peacekeeping Force probably collected everything by now.
As Fernand spoke, he closed his notebook and began scanning the vicinity.
Then, as if he had spotted something, he started moving in a certain direction.
Rudell and Leje followed him, leaving the crime scene and heading deeper into the alley.
Where are we going?
Following a trail.
Fernand answered Leje’s question while shining his lantern to the ground.
The faint light illuminated the damp alley floor, revealing faint footprints.
This is…
Let’s follow them.
Leaving Leje, who swallowed nervously, Fernand headed deeper into the alley, with Rudell and Leje trailing behind.
As they delved deeper, the surroundings grew more complex and dark, yet they pressed on, following the footprints on the ground.
Time passed…
Hold on.
Fernand raised his hand, stopping, and at his signal, Rudell and Leje also came to a halt, alerting their senses.
Rudellheit.
Yes, Professor?
Do you sense any magic residue nearby?
… Yes.
At his question, Rudell summoned magic to examine the surrounding traces.
What he saw was a very faint trail of magic residue.
You’re curious how I knew, huh?
Fernand spoke with a faint smile towards the astonished Rudell and continued.
Look closely at the wall around us.
The wall?
Upon Fernand’s prompt, Rudell examined the wall but found no notable features.
Look a bit more closely. Do you see any wavy patterns?
I don’t see anything.
Despite his scrutiny, Rudell found only a normal wall, prompting Fernand to step closer and shine his lantern against it.
That was when a very faint trace appeared, leaving Rudell with a baffled expression.
It was practically undetectable, almost laughable as a trace.
It was wise to say that without someone of Fernand’s caliber, who had once held the title of the youngest head of the Royal Road Peacekeeping Force, one could hardly find it with the naked eye.
Using magic in an open space usually wouldn’t leave such traces, but in a confined area like this, traces are bound to remain.
But is this trace really that important?
Of course, anything, no matter how trivial, can turn into a clue.
Nodding, Fernand resumed searching for traces on the ground while Leje and Rudell exchanged bemused looks.
It wasn’t that they doubted his skills, but seeing him search for traces like this was… what should they say…
Like a special forces captain in modern policing.
Or a brigadier general in the military, looking rather out of place.
Then, while Fernand was in the middle of searching…
…?
Rudell turned his head, sensing something off.
But all he could see was the thick darkness of the alley…
Just when he thought that.
…!!
Having detected something, Rudell quickly summoned his magic, and Leje expressed her confusion.
The next moment…
Clang!!
A blood-red thorn shot out from the darkness, clashing with Rudell’s created blue barrier and ringing metal sounds filled the area.
The other two, now startled by the unexpected attack, turned to see where the blood-red thorn came from.
[…]
Then, a pair of red eyes glinted in the darkness.
