“This was the work of a vampire.”
“The blood was drained from the body, and clear traces of blood magic were left behind.”
Priest Derek walked from the street to the corpse, took a glance, and spoke calmly.
“Exactly. However, we must first rule out the possibility of a blood demon,” Nolan added, picking up where Derek left off.
“If those brutal demons were responsible, they wouldn’t be kind enough to leave a complete corpse for the family.”
“Therefore, the culprit is either a blood mage with exquisite spellcraft or a thirsty vampire who has lost their mind.”
Nolan analyzed the situation based on the results of the investigation at the scene combined with his own knowledge of demons. He quickly narrowed down the scope of the search.
“Huh? There actually are vampires!”
Vivian covered her mouth in shock, her face full of surprise.
‘Did some passing evil god hear my prayer and twist my wish?’
‘And then sent down a divine messenger who slaughters the innocent and disregards human life?’
‘That evil god is way too petty.’
“What’s wrong?” Nolan turned to look at the startled Vivian, feeling a bit confused.
“Nothing, nothing. I’m just a little scared of vampires, ahaha…”
Vivian quickly laughed it off and threw out a question to divert attention. “So, how do we find them?”
“Right now, I’ve thought of two directions for our search.”
As Nolan spoke, he gestured with two fingers in the air.
“First, let’s assume the culprit suddenly came to Ma’en City from the outside to commit the crime.”
“In that case, we’ll investigate the unfamiliar faces that entered the city over the past few days.”
“As long as they’ve been in the city, they must have left a trace.”
“Even if it’s just a mosquito passing through, it’ll leave two bites, let alone such a large target,” Nolan said decisively.
“Second, assume the culprit has been hiding in Ma’en City for a long time.”
“In that case, whether they’re a blood mage or a vampire, their daily life requires blood to sustain them.”
“We can investigate the flow of bagged blood in the city.”
“At the same time, we can look for people in the city who might have been bitten after being hypnotized by a vampire.”
Upon hearing this, Vivian suddenly became full of confidence.
“Then let’s go find the culprit now! Let’s start with the first one — investigating the strangers in town!”
She spoke impatiently, giving Nolan a nudge with her elbow. At the thought of a criminal hiding in Ma’en City, Vivian grew anxious.
‘My friends and my life cannot tolerate this unpardonable bastard living for even one more second!’
‘I’m going to beat him until he regrets ever coming into this world!’
Vivian thought ruthlessly.
“Don’t be in such a hurry. Let’s arrange our specific actions,” Nolan said, pressing his hands down to signal Vivian to stay calm.
“We’ll proceed with the first assumption for now.”
“Vivian, the two of us will go to the guards at the city gate to check their entry and exit records.” He pointed at Vivian and himself.
“Priest Derek, you are most familiar with the people in the city, so stay here with the guards.”
“Clean up the scene and maintain order while questioning the residents to see if any suspicious individuals have appeared nearby.”
Nolan quickly organized their actions, being methodical without a hint of panic. It was as if he had rehearsed everything in his mind countless times.
“Also, go inform the City Lord and have him seal off all exits from Ma’en City.”
“We’re making quite a stir. It’ll be a problem if the criminal catches wind of this and slips away,” he added, turning to one of the guards behind him.
“Yes, sir! I guarantee the mission will be completed!”
Suddenly called upon by Nolan, the guard immediately stood straight and saluted.
After assigning everyone their tasks, Nolan took Vivian’s hand.
“Come on, let’s go to the guardhouse at the city gate.”
With that, the two rushed toward the city gate without pause. Before long, the low city walls of Ma’en City appeared before them.
On the wall’s walkway, two soldiers were leaning against the battlements, slacking off. There was another guard on duty at the gate, holding a spear and standing tall. There was no one in front of him, and only a light breeze blew across the drawbridge. However, he continued to stare intently at the main road outside the city, not daring to relax even for a moment.
The two arrived before the guard, and Nolan pulled out the Church’s Demon Hunting Squad badge. He had forgotten to return it after borrowing it from Derek last time, and it happened to be useful now.
Nolan showed the badge to the guard and said solemnly, “We are members of the Church’s Demon Hunting Squad. We need to access the entry and exit records for the city gate.”
“What Demon Hunting Squad? Never heard of it.”
The young guard scoffed at the badge in Nolan’s hand and rejected his request without a second thought.
“Do you have a warrant from the City Lord? Only the Lord is qualified to access the records.”
“We are pursuing an urgent matter. We will send someone to provide the City Lord’s warrant later,” Nolan’s tone sank. This guard didn’t seem to understand how the world worked…
“No warrant, no talk.”
“Why are you showing me some bullshit badge? Who would look at that?”
The guard didn’t even lift his eyelids as he waved them away.
Nolan was unlucky. If it had been any other guard, showing the badge might have allowed him to pass easily. Unfortunately, the person on duty today was a fresh recruit who had just come from the countryside. This young and hot-headed guard only did things by the book. No matter who came to plead, it was useless.
“Why don’t we just knock him out!”
Vivian clenched her fists and took a step forward. Accustomed to clearing the way with her fists, she intended to solve the problem in the way she knew best.
“Wait!”
The young guard suddenly lowered his head. When he saw the small Vivian, a light flashed in his eyes.
“Are you Miss Vivian?” he asked hesitantly.
“If you mean the Vivian from Black Rat Street, then yes, that’s me.”
Upon hearing this, the guard’s eyes lit up with joy, and he said excitedly, “It really is you, Miss Vivian!”
“I just came to the city from the nearby Redstone Village, and I’m living on Black Rat Street now too.”
“All over Black Rat Street, there are legends about how you dealt with the bandits and thieves.”
“If it weren’t for Miss Vivian, who knows how lawless those villains would have become.”
“It was nothing.”
Vivian raised her head proudly, revealing her smooth chin. Since he was being so polite, she had no choice but to pull back her fist.
“And some say Miss Vivian killed a demon that was causing trouble in the city with a single punch!”
“Everyone privately believes you are a messenger sent by Elios to crusade against demons! A living saint!”
The young guard grew more excited as he spoke, acting like a fanatical fan of Vivian’s.
“Hehe — I’m not actually that great.”
Dizzy from the guard’s flattery, Vivian rubbed her head sheepishly.
‘I didn’t expect to be this famous.’
She puffed out her chest triumphantly.
“Are Miss Vivian and this companion investigating a new demon incident?” the guard asked.
“Yes, a major murder case happened in the city. We’re looking for suspicious people who entered recently.”
“I see. I’ll take you two to the guardhouse right away.”
The guard’s attitude did a complete reversal, becoming respectful in an instant.
Seeing this scene, Vivian couldn’t help but cover her mouth and giggle. She remembered a famous chameleon from her previous life — Ochumyelov.
‘The Church’s influence isn’t even as useful as my own reputation!’
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