“Yes, is the investigation going well for everyone?”
A middle-aged man, accompanied by knights, ascended the mountain.
People at the scene approached him to greet him.
“Chief Investigator, you’re here. As you can see, it’s truly horrific.”
The people gathered on the mountain were investigators.
These were not ordinary investigators, but members of the Sail Kingdom’s investigative agency, the [Black Feather].
The man called Chief Investigator was named Lindel.
Lindel took out a cigarette from his inner pocket, scowling.
“I see. It’s a truly gruesome scene.”
An inn on a small mountain.
The problem was that the people who had stayed at the inn were found dead.
The floor was covered in red blood, and corpses were tangled and scattered across it.
The condition of the bodies was uniformly withered.
The internal organs had already shriveled.
Only the expressions of terror etched onto the faces of the dead reminded them that something had happened.
A foul stench assaulted their nostrils with every breath.
“Tsk. So, what is the situation so far?”
Lindel quickly lit his cigarette, trying to escape the suffocating smell.
In response to his words, an investigator began to report.
“We have, in fact, investigated the first witness. They said they exchanged greetings with the innkeeper as of yesterday afternoon.”
“Then this must have happened during the night. Continue.”
“Yes, we have confirmed the innkeeper’s body. And another identity has been confirmed: Garcia, a wanted criminal for murder and robbery.”
Upon hearing Garcia’s name, Lindel shook his head.
Lindel remembered the man from his days as an investigator on-site.
Garcia, as he remembered him, was just a bandit, so why was he found dead at the inn?
Something felt off.
“It’s also estimated that the other bodies are all Garcia’s followers. The problem is that traces of them fighting each other with swords have been found among them.”
Lindel entered the scene, smoking his cigarette.
However, an even more intense stench greeted him.
“……”
He threw the cigarette he was smoking on the ground and covered his nose with a handkerchief.
“This is terrible.”
The rate of decomposition of the bodies was too fast to be the result of an incident that occurred in just one day.
Furthermore, some of the bodies showed signs of being eaten.
“Is this the work of monsters?”
Chief Investigator Lindel muttered in a calm tone.
He surveyed the remaining bodies with cold eyes.
Then, he quickly began to organize his thoughts.
A moment ago, an investigator approached the Chief Investigator who was investigating.
“At first, I thought it was the work of a warlock following an evil god. But the pattern of the blood scattered on the floor is too contrived. This can only be the work of a vampire who can manipulate blood at will—”
“Investigator.”
“Yes!”
However, Lindel interrupted the investigator.
He took out another cigarette from his pocket and lit it. Then, he whispered in a low voice,
“Her Majesty the Queen is greatly concerned about this incident.”
“Ah….”
Lindel’s words were understood.
The royal family did not want this incident to be known to the public.
“Think about it. The kingdom’s situation has been too chaotic recently. Even with Her Majesty the Queen’s divine protection, wouldn’t it look bad if such unpleasant incidents continued to occur?”
“That’s certainly true!”
“Let’s handle this quietly. People from above will be coming soon, so just preserve the scene for now.”
The business of the [Black Feather] ended there.
Others would handle the rest.
Although the [Black Feather] was the kingdom’s investigative agency, they had not been very influential in the past.
The nobles held more power than the king.
However, things began to change when Queen Irena ascended to the throne.
Although the coronation ceremony had not yet taken place, most nobles had lost their power, and royal authority had been strengthened.
Most importantly, various government agencies in the kingdom were reorganized to be virtually under the direct control of the royal family.
The [Black Feather], one of those agencies, was also transformed into an organization directly under the Queen.
Naturally, its power increased considerably compared to before.
Lindel, the second-in-command of the investigative agency, did not think the current changes were bad.
‘I can’t bear to see the nobles strutting around like before.’
Besides, sooner or later, he would be the one to lead the agency, so he just needed to faithfully follow the Queen’s orders.
Just as he was about to wrap up the situation.
Someone ran up urgently.
It was a knight who had accompanied him earlier.
“Chief Investigator! An inquisitor from the Church has arrived!”
“Damn it.”
Lindel’s expression twisted again.
He didn’t know why an inquisitor had come, but he had a premonition that something was going wrong.
Especially since the inquisitors possessed formidable power.
He quickly went outside to greet the inquisitor.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Lindel, the Chief Investigator of the Black Feather.”
“My name is Jeremiah. Jeremiah El Esteban.”
Lindel was surprised by the inquisitor’s thin voice.
While not entirely unheard of, there were women who served as inquisitors, so Lindel quickly changed his expression.
However, when he saw her face after she removed her robe, he couldn’t help but be surprised again.
‘Wow… she’s so young?’
Even though he had anticipated it by her voice, seeing her in person, she was far too young.
More importantly, there was her background.
‘Jeremiah El Esteban.’
He didn’t have precise information, but he could infer her background from her surname.
The Esteban family.
A prestigious family from the Duchy of Adonil Kingdom, which had been loyal to the Church for generations.
In fact, the Adonil Kingdom itself was adjacent to the White Church, so the Church’s influence was formidable.
Thus, nobles often served the Church.
“Well then, excuse me for a moment.”
Jeremiah entered the inn without paying attention to Lindel’s reaction.
“Ha.”
Lindel sighed at her brazen behavior.
Even he could not stop the actions of an inquisitor.
He could only watch.
Still, he thought he could at least offer some words.
“You don’t need to look so closely. This incident occurred entirely within the Sail Kingdom. Since there were no victims related to the Church, it’s not something an inquisitor needs to worry about too much.”
In other words, he was telling outsiders not to meddle.
Although he spoke quite directly and forcefully, Jeremiah ignored him and reached out to touch the body.
‘She has a strong stomach.’
Lindel frowned again at her unhesitating touch of the corpse.
How much time had passed?
Jeremiah, who had been diligently examining the corpses, stood up.
“This incident appears to be the work of a vampire.”
“Haa…. We will handle this ourselves.”
Lindel’s vision went dark at her words.
The Queen was already wary of the spread of this incident, and now an inquisitor had appeared, seemingly intent on messing things up.
“Inquisitor, we proceed with investigations based on evidence. There is no concrete clue yet to confirm it is a vampire.”
Lindel’s rebuttal was ignored by Jeremiah.
Instead, she pointed to the bloodstains on the floor and replied,
“Look at the traces of this demon. This is certainly evidence of a wicked vampire. Such sin cannot be overlooked.”
Jeremiah’s eyes burned with a sense of justice and determination.
The conviction to eradicate evil emanated from her.
Lindel pondered how he would report the current situation to the Queen, while Jeremiah’s words continued.
“However, with this level of power, it seems to be the work of Baalcherit.”
Baalcherit?
Lindel had heard that name before.
If his memory served him correctly, they were vampires based in the Kalrn Empire, threatening the Empire and the Free City Alliance.
“Huh?”
And then, a good idea suddenly struck him.
If, as the inquisitor said, it was Baalcherit’s doing, then everything would be resolved.
Furthermore, they could diplomatically protest to the Kalrn Empire for failing to control them properly.
“Investigator!”
At Lindel’s shout, an investigator approached.
“As the Inquisitor stated, this incident indeed appears to be the work of vampires. Specifically, Baalcherit. Immediately report to superior command and prepare to form an extermination team—”
“No, there is no need for that.”
Lindel, having found an opportunity, was about to move, but Jeremiah stopped him.
“I will personally deal with Baalcherit. This is the will of the Goddess and my mission. Chief Investigator Lindel, please focus on the investigation.”
Jeremiah’s voice was confident and resolute.
Her life had long been devoted to the Church.
Loyalty to the Church and hatred for evil were her driving forces.
Jeremiah immediately turned and left the scene.
“Well, I’ll be. What a sight.”
Lindel sighed and shook his head.
There was no point in arguing with an inquisitor consumed by religious fervor.
Perhaps it was best to focus on the investigation, as she suggested.
However, he failed to see Jeremiah’s resolve.
Her burning fighting spirit, which would forgive no one who stood in the way of the Church’s righteousness.
* * *
While the investigators of the Sail Kingdom were busy with their investigation.
Dambi and Rills, the actual parties involved in the incident, arrived at Yenarian Lake.
As they were not humans, they were able to reach Yenarian Lake in the south from the north at an unbelievable speed.
The biggest change was that as they traveled south, the temperature became warmer.
“Dambi, that large lake is Yenarian Lake.”
Dambi’s gaze followed where Rills pointed, and Yenarian Lake came into view.
Above all, despite the scorching sun, the lake greeted Dambi with a mystical radiance.
The surface of the lake sparkled as if strewn with thousands of diamonds, and white seagulls gracefully flapped their wings above it.
After a brief glance at the lake, Dambi immediately turned her head.
The admiration ended there.
She had to finish her task.
Dambi and Rills walked towards a city near Yenarian Lake.
“The name of this city is Rakusbury. It’s no exaggeration to say it’s the most developed city in the Sail Kingdom after the Royal Capital.”
The two entered Rakusbury city, walking along a wide promenade built along the lakeside.
Three countries embraced Yenarian Lake.
The Sail Kingdom, the Free City Alliance, and the Orbis Empire.
As active trade occurred through the lake, the city of Rakusbury was also bustling with activity.
The streets were crowded with merchants and adventurers from all over.
From familiar accents to unfamiliar ones, it seemed like the languages of various regions were mixed together.
“Fresh fruit! Fruit just arrived from the Free City Alliance!”
“Luxurious armor from the Orbis Empire! Comparable quality to what the Imperial family uses!”
“Adventurers! Equipment needed for dungeon exploration at a low price! Highly recommended for those who have just become adventurers!”
Amidst the merchants’ cries, adventurers walked in groups.
Looking at their excited faces, they were clearly people who had just become adventurers.
“We’re going straight to the Adventurer’s Guild.”
This quest was practically a mission from above.
However, as they needed to build up their performance as adventurers, they planned to stop by the Adventurer’s Guild first.
Although it was their first visit to the city, finding the Adventurer’s Guild was not difficult.
The Adventurer’s Guild was always a bustling place in any city.
Dambi and Rills had already spotted a grand stone building with a fancy crest at the entrance.
“Looks like it’s over there.”
Now, all they had to do was have the requested item confirmed at the Adventurer’s Guild and release the monster, Aqua Devourer, contained within the tube into the lake.
As they were about to head to the guild office to complete the request.
“Let go! How dare you lowly beings touch my body! Insolent! Let go!”
A disturbance erupted nearby.
Dambi and Rills turned their heads towards the commotion, and the sound came from a ship that had just arrived at the pier.
“Excuse me, young lady? We require identity verification to disembark. Please submit your identification, even if you are a noble from another country.”
The kingdom’s soldier maintained a cautious demeanor.
Although she appeared to be just a young girl, by her speech, she seemed to be the offspring of a noble from another country.
“Do you think I need such identification! And I am not a child!”
The soldier sighed as communication proved impossible.
Moreover, they couldn’t simply arrest someone presumed to be the child of a high-ranking official.
They knew that if there were a problem, it could escalate into a diplomatic issue between nations.
As they pondered what to do.
The young lady shouted, looking somewhere.
“Oh? Hey, you there! Come here!”
Naturally, the soldier’s head turned as well.
There stood a man and a woman dressed as adventurers.
They also looked in their direction.
“Yes, you! I sense a strange aura from you!”
At that moment, the soldier’s face brightened.
He quickly approached the adventurers and spoke to them.
“Do you happen to know this person?”
The soldier spoke to Dambi first.
Since the young lady had pointed to this man first, it felt like a lifeline had been extended to the soldier.
“……”
However, Dambi remained silent.
Rills whispered in Dambi’s ear.
“…They are a vampire. However, they seem a bit mentally unstable. Let’s ignore them, so we don’t get caught up in trouble.”
That was true.
Dambi wanted to avoid further entanglement here.
But contrary to Rills’s thoughts, the young lady was too talkative.
“How dare you ignore me! I am all vampires—”
At that moment, Dambi’s body shot forward like an arrow.
She had suddenly covered the mouth of the being on the ship.
“Hoo…”
The kingdom’s soldier was surprised by Dambi’s speed.
“Indeed, you must be incredibly powerful.”
Judging by her agility, she must be an adventurer of tremendous rank.
Leaving the admiring soldier behind, Dambi continued to cover the woman’s mouth.
She had never encountered such a type in her life, a vampire who would reveal her existence by her own mouth.
‘The world is truly vast.’
There was a time when she lived in a vampire dungeon.
She had heard tales of noble beings who were descendants of the Vampire King.
The ones who didn’t reveal the noble’s name because Dambi had humble blood, but they said that person was so noble that one would want to follow them just by looking.
In contrast, Dambi found it fascinating that such a mad vampire also existed.
However, if she ignored this and left, she might get caught up in troublesome affairs.
If that happened, it would be no different from failing the Great One’s orders.
In such cases, there was no choice but to ask for help.
“I will contact upstairs.”
Dambi said to Rills.
By ‘upstairs,’ she meant the Chief Administrator, Celia.
This was a moment when Celia’s help was needed.
“Oh… you truly are magnificent individuals.”
The soldier, misinterpreting Dambi’s words, looked at Dambi and Rills with eyes full of respect.
