(Samuel's POV)
I stood in front of the cremating pyre, the flames flickering as the heat spread throughout the area. This was happening outside, behind the manor. I had no choice but to gather the dismembered pieces of the workers that I found a sealed room in the manor. It had turned out that they were slaughtered by the Cursed Bat and possibly consumed.
I couldn't find a complete corpse, just pieces. It was not a very pretty sight to behold, but I had to do something. I gathered all of the pieces and built a pyre to set them ablaze.
"I..." The Maid was standing next to me, "Why would we cremate them? Their families would've probably want to bury them."
"What's your name?" I asked
"Carrie." She said softly
I didn't look away from the flames, "Flames purify the defiled corpse." I told her, "A victim of a Monster attack must always be cleansed by fire. It would prevent their remains from being cursed."
"I see..." She said softly
"Spread salt on the corpse and a bit of purifying dust, then burn it." I said, "That is what always must be done."
"A Hunter Funeral." She said
I nodded, "Yes." I said, "The proper sign of respect."
"Do monsters get that respect?" She asked
"Not all of them." I replied, "Some monsters simply disintegrate, return to the Distortion. Others cannot be physically burned. And others are not worth trying to give respect. We do what we can to ensure that the corpses cannot be used."
"I see...." She said, her voice was shaky, "This is all my fault.....f-for not calling sooner."
"Do not blame yourself." I told her, "The next time something like this happens, do not hold back. Try and get some help."
"Master Yvan's.....legacy is already on thin ice." She said as she sobbed, ".....something like this would ruin him."
"What would you prefer? A ruined legacy? Or your fellow workers being alive?" I looked at her, seeing that her head was hanging down, tears rolling down her cheek, "Sometimes, you must swallow that pride up and ask for help. That is what we Hunters are here for, you know. We are here to do what others cannot."
"Will Roth be okay?" She asked, her voice shaky
"I tested him for any lingering Curse signs." I said, "He will be fine physically. But the trauma of being the thing that killed everyone here will not leave him whole. I am afraid I am not someone who can properly deal with that."
She looked at me, "T-Thank you...." She said, "For....helping...."
I shrugged, turning around, "Make sure the flames die out. Do not touch the ashes until they've cooled down completely." I said, "Gather the ashes and portion them, give them to their family members."
"O-Okay...." She said, "W-We'll send the payment to Ellerift....as agreed."
I nodded, "Right." I said, "If you need anything else."
"Don't hesitate to call for me."
***************
I was out by the city square, leaning against the wall of an apothecary. I felt a slight shiver, caused by the falling snow.
"Hm...." I said, looking at a piece of paper with a drawing, "What the hell does this mean?"
It was an oval with a cross and a few dots drawn inside the circle. It was the Curse Mark that I saw on Roth. I had drawn it on the paper, mostly out of pure memory. I have never seen a Curse Mark like this before, much less these exact same effects.
A Curse that can turn a man into a Ravager Bat variant. This was quite dangerous, considering that Roth slaughtered a lot of innocent people. I was able to deal with it almost without being scratched, hitting it with an Anti-Curse round. That meant that the Mark itself wasn't too strong, just slapped on it. But the fact that it was able to result in a transformation this potent, it was a bit concerning.
What kind of Curse is this?
Who created this Curse?
Why place it on a random Lothrand servant?
I frowned, "Hm....." I said, "This is rather specific."
Why would anyone bother cursing a Lothrand servant? Was it just testing the Curse? Or was it an intentional target?
All this job left me with was more questions than I had before.
There was the whole Valtheris situation, which was already rattling my brain, then there's this. A Curse that I had never seen before, used on a rich family's servant.
This was going to be a pain in the fucking ass, I can tell.
I let out a sigh, "Oh boy....." I said, placing the paper in my pocket, "I have to get to the bottom of this."
I took a step forwards, immediately bumping into someone that I didn't see coming.
"Ah!" a woman's voice said, "Excuse you!"
I straightened up, adjusting my hat, "Forgive me." I said, "I apologize."
I looked at the woman; she was a mature woman wearing a black dress, a fur coat draped over her. She had black hair and brown eyes, a very beautiful face with fair skin that was even paler due to the cold.
My eyes darted down, scanning her body, seeing that it was rather curvy; wrapped around the dress she had on. Her chest was quite large, even from being covered by her coat. Despite her being clearly older than I was, she looked rather sexy. I bet that her
"Hm..." She said, looking at me, "State your name, boy."
"Name's Samuel, ma'am." I said, looking at her, "I apologize for bumping into you."
I noticed an owl-like pin on her chest, gold in color. I recognized that pin; it belonged to one of the Families here in Nourenth.
The woman eyed me up and down, "Hmmm...." She said, "Samuel, hm?"
I nodded, "Yes." I said, "That is my name."
"Well, if you want to apologize." She said, looking around, "I suggest you meet me somewhere else."
"Oh?" I asked, "Where?"
"Small black building, three blocks from here." She said, "There's a small white owl on the bottom of the door. Be there in 15 minutes, do not be late or your opportunity will pass."
I gave her a slight smile, "Don't tell me, ma'am." I said, "Are you really that kind of woman?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about." She turned around, "You're going to apologize."
"That's all you'll do."