The guard captain of Hamutz City reported.
“Four people died due to the damage caused by the monster that appeared at night. The victims are the mother and daughter of the Hudson household, where the monster was first sighted, and the Hans couple from next door. Also, five houses burned down in the fire that broke out as the creature ran wild. There were no deaths from the fire, but dozens were injured. They say the monster broke through the fence and fled.”
Groans spread at the damage, which was greater than expected.
The guard captain sighed and continued speaking.
“And in addition…… Ashley, the daughter of the Hans couple, was abducted. According to witnesses, she was still alive when it escaped through the fence.”
It was common for monsters that attacked villages to abduct people. They did not necessarily have to eat all their food on the spot.
And there were also monsters that preferred prey that was still fresh and alive, thrashing in their grasp, over dead corpses.
Yung Percival, the Dragon Knight sitting beside the guard captain, took over and spoke.
“We tracked the monster immediately after the incident together with the guards, but…… unfortunately, we lost it.”
The mayor wiped away sweat and asked,
“Even Dragon Knights could not chase it…… Does the thing fly?”
“No. It fled across Baifun’s border. There were no border guards, so we entered slightly, but it had gone too deep for us to keep following.”
The expressions of everyone sitting in the conference room hardened.
If the monster made a nest beyond the border and decided that place was safe, then continued to attack the city, it was certain a truly difficult situation would unfold.
The mayor clutched his head.
“Right after dealing with the Verde Wolves, this happens…….”
The other officials and local notables who had been called into the meeting jumped up and down, glaring at the guard captain as if they might kill him.
“Where exactly did the monster enter from?”
“We do not know. No one saw it enter.”
“Does that make sense? We went through such chaos because of those wolves just recently, and you still have not come to your senses?”
“What is that supposed to mean? We nearly doubled the night watch! We found no trace of it climbing over the fence. It definitely did not come from outside!”
“What nonsense! Then are you saying it sprang up from the ground?”
The atmosphere turned ugly.
As voices rose, the guard captain desperately protested, but it was useless.
In the first place, it was an incident where the damage was clear, but the cause was filled with uncertainties.
The dispute between the people only barely settled after the mayor shouted for them to stop.
The heat the people had poured out created an atmosphere where it was difficult to speak.
A silence followed.
The one who broke it was someone’s clear voice.
“It may not have been a simple monster attack.”
“……?!”
“What did you say?”
Everyone’s gaze focused on one person.
Under that gaze, Eugene took something out.
At a glance, it looked like ordinary cloth clothing.
But when Luohan saw it, his eyes widened.
“That…… Where did you get it?”
“I obtained it from the room where an Espacio Order priest named Jeremiah was staying.”
Luohan received the clothes from Eugene.
After even checking the smell of the clothes, Luohan turned to Yung, who was wearing an expression asking what on earth had happened.
“The mana traces and smell on the clothes…… match those of the monster we chased.”
“What?”
Startled, Yung received the clothes.
Not only Yung, but everyone else looked at Eugene with faces demanding an explanation.
Eugene adapted the information he possessed and briefly explained the current situation.
That Herman Marquez had received help from a priest named Jeremiah.
That he had introduced Jeremiah to the mother and daughter of the Hudson household, who were among the victims of this incident.
That the priest named Jeremiah’s whereabouts were unclear, and that he possessed strange abilities.
Yung and Luohan looked as if they were hearing this for the first time, but the people of this region knew about the Espacio faith.
The mayor stroked his chin.
“The Espacio faith…… They are not a place with any major problems.”
“Look at Priest Palmer. Does he look like someone who would do something strange?”
“But I have also heard rumors that the priest who came from Baifun possessed strange powers.”
Various opinions passed back and forth.
If left alone, meaningless talk would likely continue.
Eugene subtly raised a flag in the conversation and pointed it in one direction.
“I am not saying the Espacio faith is the problem. I am saying that priest may be a strange person.”
It was easier to focus the story on one individual than on a religion whose identity was ambiguous.
Eugene continued speaking.
“I am sure everyone has at least heard the story of the mage who touched body-control magic to cure his daughter’s incurable disease, only to become a monster himself and devour her.”
“Surely…… Are you saying that priest Jeremiah is a black mage?”
Someone said that in a startled voice.
Body-control magic.
Magic that tried to directly use or control the human body, excluding limited medical magic.
This was a technique forbidden not only in the Dragon Empire, but across the entire continent.
Because countless accidents had occurred until now through things like immortality magic and research attempting to revive corpses.
Because of that, people called those who used and researched such forbidden magic black mages.
Eugene shrugged.
“I believe the possibility is high. Pretending to be an excellent doctor and drawing in experimental subjects is one of the tricks black mages often use.”
What Eugene was saying was this.
Had that Jeremiah fellow sold the name of religion, disguised black magic experiments as medical practice, and caused an accident?
Bella, sitting behind him, nodded.
The contents Eugene and Bella had heard from Herman contained parts that were difficult to explain with black magic alone.
But they could not start talking about Voidnir or the like here, so they were using black magic as an excuse.
Bella thought it was a fairly clever method.
“Hmm…… If he is a black mage, then it does make sense…….”
A monster suddenly appearing in the city, and unlike an ordinary monster attack, the creature immediately fleeing. Even the abduction could be explained.
Black mages who researched body-control always gained something at the cost of the human body.
The other Dragon Knight comrades also seemed to think Eugene’s words had a point.
The mayor, reading the atmosphere, carefully tried to gauge their reaction.
“Um…… You Dragon Knights have finished your away mission period, have you not?”
He spoke indirectly, but he was asking them to help resolve this matter.
“The away mission has ended, but…….”
Yung stroked his chin as if troubled. The mayor pleaded.
“The people are anxious. On top of that, there was an abduction. I know that after this much time has passed, it will be difficult for her to return alive. But at the very least, we must recover even the body.”
Public security was an important issue.
The reason people obeyed imperial commands and paid taxes on time was that they believed the fence called the state would protect them.
If that belief was shaken, then naturally, the prestige of the nation and the emperor identified with it would fall.
For those like the Dragon Knight Order, who received salaries from the state, it was naturally a matter they had to care about.
If it had been an ordinary case, Yung would have helped as a matter of course. They had enough justification.
The problem was that to track that black mage or monster, they would have to cross the border.
Relations between nations were extremely sensitive, and they were not something a subordinate could easily judge.
If they submitted a formal report and received procedures, several days would pass from that alone.
With that much time, even if they caught the monster and cut open its stomach, it would be difficult to recover even a piece of flesh, let alone a corpse.
‘What should I do about this?’
That was when Yung was thinking.
Eugene, who had been quietly listening to them, opened his mouth.
“Let us send a letter directly to the lord of Baifun and request help.”
Yung looked at Eugene.
Eugene continued smoothly.
“Unlike the Dragon Empire, Baifun’s king is only a representative, and practical authority over each region belongs to the lord who governs it. There is no need to weigh all sorts of complicated matters. If we receive permission directly from the lord who governs the nearby region, we should be able to cross the border.”
Hearing that, the mayor agreed.
“That is correct. That would work! Lord Herain, who governs Baifun’s territory, is someone who can be reasoned with. The circumstances were somewhat different, but…… we have received help from them several times when famine came or when a large horde of monsters was discovered.”
When he said that much, Yung had nothing left to say.
They had justification, and a method to carry it out had been made.
He looked at Eugene, who had created the entire current situation, as if dumbfounded.
“Well, now. As expected, you are a junior worth the commander looking after.”
After tapping Eugene’s shoulder, he immediately turned back to the mayor and said,
“Good. Then let us proceed that way.”
At Yung’s approval, the mayor brightened and rose from his seat.
“Then I will write the letter immediately. Still, for a courier to come and go, it will easily take half a day, so could you wait for a while?”
Yung shook his head.
“No. Since we are doing this, let us do it properly. We will deliver the letter ourselves.”
“It is for delivering a letter, but…… directly crossing their airspace would likely be considered quite unpleasant from their side.”
“Then we simply do not fly.”
Yung looked at Bella.
“You will have to suffer a little.”
He instructed Bella, who could run faster than a horse, to deliver the letter.
Bella nodded as if she understood, then pointed at Eugene.
“May I take this man with me? He is good with words, so if persuasion proves difficult with only the letter, he will be of help.”
“Can you make the trip even with one person in tow?”
“There will be no problem.”
“Good. Then do that.”
Just as he had accepted Eugene’s opinion, Yung readily accepted Bella’s opinion as well.
Before long, the mayor brought a letter sealed with his signet. Yung stood before Bella and Eugene, who had received it, and said,
“While you two go and return, I will submit a report to the higher-ups. And just in case, I will have Dark Thunder stand by at the border region. If the lord’s permission is granted without issue, fly straight back here. Then we will all track the bastard together and catch it.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Understood.”
The two nodded. Yung grinned and pushed their backs.
“Then work hard. Be careful not to cause any problems.”
Twinfaker, having finished preparations, exited city hall.
In front of city hall’s doors, Noan and Henri were waiting.
Noan pushed up his monocle and said,
“Crossing the border on your own is more dangerous than you think. Depending on the situation, it is no different from entering the middle of enemy territory alone.”
Eugene grinned and waved his hand.
“Come on, I know that much.”
“You fool. I am telling you to be careful even if you know. If you let your guard down like that, someday you will be done in by something insignificant.”
“You don’t need to worry about that.”
Bella stood beside Eugene. Her ringing voice followed.
“Because I am here.”
Noan smiled faintly.
“True. Perhaps it is needless worry for Twinstella Dragon Knights.”
Searching inside his clothes, Noan took out a medal and handed it to Eugene.
“If it becomes necessary, use this.”
“What is this?”
Judging by the magic stone embedded in its center and the considerable mana he could feel from it, it did not seem to be an ordinary object.
“It is a coordinate beacon. If you tinker with it a little, you will be able to use it immediately.”
“This is a coordinate beacon?”
A coordinate beacon was an item used by mages of the Lightning Magic Tower when sniping enemies outside their line of sight.
Simply put, it was a location tracker only they could find.
If one merely placed it in enemy territory, a mage in the main force could recognize those coordinates and drop lightning on that point. It was an amazing fire-support device.
Eugene asked,
“What is its recognition distance?”
“About thirty kilometers.”
“Huh…….”
Before the regression, the maximum recognition distance Eugene remembered for Noan had been fifty kilometers.
And yet less than a year after regressing, he had already reached thirty kilometers.
It seemed the constant stimulation since training camp had taken effect.
Eugene looked at Noan with surprised eyes.
“Did you think I would keep losing forever?”
Noan smiled.
“Thanks. I’ll use it well.”
Eugene smiled back and put away the coordinate beacon.
He did not think he would need it immediately. But someday, it would definitely help.
Then he looked at Noan, who was watching him with a strange expression.
“What is it?”
“No. I was merely surprised that you obediently said thank you. I was certain you would say something ridiculous.”
“Of course I wouldn’t. Look who’s standing beside me.”
This block of stone will not understand unless I say it like that.
Saying that, Eugene gestured at Bella with the tip of his chin.
“Silence. Enough idle chatter. Let us depart.”
Bella struck Eugene. Then she lifted him, held him in her arms, and immediately kicked off the ground, dashing forward.