CH 35

Words : 2116 Updated : Sep 10th, 2025

C35: Nightcrawler When Trina Ryanhowl and her two lieutenants appeared, the Rickson mansion filled with tension. The police inspecting the scene of the crime saw her and saluted by standing upright. “Marquis Trina! It’s an honor to meet you! My name is Inspector Tevoran!” “Oh, yes.” “May I ask what the cause of Marquis Trina’s coming here is?” “As of now, all investigation rights into the murder that took place at the Rickson Mansion will be done by our Sheriff’s Office.” “The Sheriff Office?” Inspector Tevoran, with a long beard and sideburns, swallowed his saliva. He didn’t think it was just a simple murder case, but it’s had to be extremely dangerous if the security bureau came. “Sir, I’m sorry! Everyone get out!” The inspector and his subordinates quickly escaped from the scene. What they had to do now was to stop reporters from the front door, who still had their eyes on what was happening inside the mansion. As their sight faded, the younger of the two lieutenants, a man and a woman who followed Trina, relaxed. “Ugh. I’m bad at setting the mood.” “Enya, even if others don’t see, act up to the reputation of the Nightcrawler Knights.” Enya rolled her eyes at the nagging of Lloyd, who was scolding her. “No, old man. Anyway, there is no need to go all the way here.” “Enya, you……” “Stop it, Lloyd. You just have to not show yourself that way in front of others.” “Look. That’s what the manager said too.” “This little thing…” Lieutenant Lloyd finally shook his head and raised the white flag. The Nightcrawler Knights was a place where only the elite gathered like the knights that guard the center of the empire, but it was also a place where seniors and juniors talked comfortably among themselves. It was all because Trina, the commander of the knights, liked that kind of atmosphere. However, the rules were not loose. Above all, the fact that the discipline of the Nightcrawler Knights has not collapsed is proof that the current leader, Trina Ryanhowl, possesses great power and charisma. “Do not forget why we came here.” “Yeah.” “Yeah.” This case was evaluated not as an ordinary case, but as a serious matter that even the Security Agency had to step in. In particular, in terms of the connection between cryptids and black magic, it was unusually serious because Trina, the commander of the knights, came out directly. “Although it’s still just a rumor, the dead Bellbot was a man on our security bureau’s list of things to watch out for because of his suspicious behavior. The fact that he was suddenly killed by a monster cannot be considered a mere coincidence.” Lloyd and Enya nodded at Trina’s words. The three immediately began exploring Rickson’s room. Broken windows that looked like an intruder had entered and black marks that could be said to be traces of a dead monster. There was also blood, presumably belonging to Bellbot, scattered around. According to eyewitness accounts, a monster appeared and Rickson was murdered. Given that their statements are all identical and consistent, she didn’t think they’re lying. For more than 10 minutes, they moved in search of clues, but there was no sign of anything special. Lloyd was about to say something, thinking he had searched everything. It was then that Trina, who had been contemplating with her arms folded, suddenly strode towards a wall. “Chief?” “Come here.” Trina stared at the pictures hanging on the wall. Bellbot, as one of the wealthiest people in Leathervelk, decorated his room with all kinds of colorful artworks. She came closer to the wall and touched the frame borders of the picture then she lifted it in the corner and set it aside. “Chief, what is that picture?” “There is space behind it.” Enya asked, staring at the empty space with curious eyes. Trina crossed her arms and said in a hoarse voice. “Given its size and location, it was probably the place where he hid a secret safe.” “A secret safe?” “Because Bellbot Rickson was notorious for being a wealthy man and a vicious entrepreneur he must have evaded the eyes of the Empire and hid his black money.” “Is this the safe where he kept them?” “But there is no safe.” Lloyd, realizing something about, opened his mouth with a heavy face. “Someone took it.” “Yes.” “Then who took it? The users of the mansion? Shall we start with the most suspicious butler first?” At Enya’s words, Trina shook her head. “No it won’t make any sense. The butler has nothing to do with this.” “Yeah?” “There is no way a man like Bellbot would have entrusted his slush funds to anyone else. He probably hid it thoroughly so that only he knew.” “But this place is empty.” “Just because he didn’t tell doesn’t mean people don’t know.” Trina also discovered this secret space right away. “Entrepreneurs, wealthy people, and merchants all have the same thoughts. They’re not very fond of opening an account in a bank. They always want to have a spot or gold coins within their reach that they can use right away. That makes them feel comfortable.” “Then who took it?” “We have to find out. It’s just a guess, but the person who stole the safe must have something to do with Rickson’s death.” “But everyone said Bellbot Rickson was eaten by a werewolf.” “I doubt it was a werewolf. Look at the traces that still remain. Nearly half the floor of this spacious room is on fire. It was burned by magic, so it did not spread into a fire. They say it was burned only with a precise range of flames, but it is still that size.” “That is……” “The height of a werewolf won’t exceed three meters. It is very large, but even if you burn such a being to death, the traces won’t be of that size.” And it is said that those who actually witnessed the werewolf mistook it for a “monster” at first. “The result is that someone was involved in the death of Bellbot Rickson. Unnatural death, the appearance of a monster and even the bad rumors about Bellbot, there is still a lot left to check.” What bothered Trina more than anything was the ability of an unidentified intruder to take the safe that should have been inside without leaving any trace. ‘No way. There must have been a safe here. Until last night, too.’ The proof is that the floor has not yet accumulated dust. Even in an enclosed space, air and dust are bound to pass through. ‘If so, who took it?’ This feeling of trying to grab a blurry mirage with her hands was not unfamiliar to her. She felt a sense of déjà vu. A few years ago there was a thief who made the continent tremble. Blurred as if wrapped in the darkness of the night, his movements were so unpredictable that no one had ever seen his true face. The person who easily broke through any strict security and wiped away valuables without leaving a trace, making many rich people weep, Phantom Thief . ‘Maybe that phantom…… No, no. It’s been a few years since he stopped working, but now he came back?’ Even if it wasn’t him, she couldn’t deny the possibility that it was an acquaintance, an accomplice or a disciple. “Lloyd.” “Yes, chief.” “Isn’t there anything unusual about the incident that happened in Leathervelk?” “Uh, um. There was one thing.” “What?” “One of the factories in the abandoned factory area has been burned down in a fire on the same day Bellbot died.” What could have caused an abandoned factory to be burned down? * * * The werewolf situation that had made Theon and Leathervelk noisy came to an end with the death of a rich man. By the way, I was ill right now in my dorm room. ‘If I had known this would happen, I would have prepared a little more. It’s a good thing I don’t have classes today, otherwise it would have been a disaster.’ Rather than my aching body, the subtle headaches are the most painful. Lying on the bed, I took out three pills and popped them into my mouth. Others may think of it as a headache or pain reliever, but this is literally a chewable mana potion that replenishes magical power. Usually, when it comes to recovering magical power, it is mainly to recover automatically over time or drink a potion but now, with the development of pharmaceuticals it became possible to grind the magic recovery potion into a powder and drink it with water, or to mix it with starch and eat it like me because powder or pills are easier to store and carry than to hang around with potions. In other words, the pill itself that restores magical power is not a very strange product. Now it’s just the difference in how effective the same drug is. Therefore, what is important in pharmaceuticals is the efficiency of how well it works compared to the ingredients used. Effect risk and efficiency. Combining these three factors, the drug is graded from the best grade 1 to the lowest grade 10. The pills I am currently taking are my original recovery pills that I made myself. An item that maximizes the effect at the cost of slightly increasing the risk because of my “body condition”. Because it’s my special product that wasn’t entrusted to clinical trials, a grade tag wasn’t attached. ‘The problem is that I used too much force. I always finished my battles quickly, but who would have known that he was a warlock who had changed his body in that way?’ Because of the older worm brother Veron, I had no choice but to use the ‘real magic’, not the magic of this world. It’s not about magic or knowledge of this world, but magic with the occult and mythological knowledge of the world I used to live in. If there’s a problem, it’s that the aftereffects aren’t a joke. The fact that I periodically take medicines that replenish my magic power was something I had to go through because I learned this magic. [━━━━━] The sound that kept tormenting me gradually fades away and then disappears. This voice can only be suppressed by using magic power, so I have become a constitution that consumes magic power even if I normally breathe. Therefore, it is necessary to periodically replenish my insufficient mana. ‘It’s a little better.’ As the headache subsided, another thought occurred to me. This werewolf incident was able to end once I took the initiative. Since they were all burned without a trace, there is no way to find any evidence. If there is a problem, it must have been an eyewitness at the scene. ‘Aidan.’ A first-year student who stopped me from killing a werewolf. With brown hair that doesn’t stand out that much, he has a pleasing impression but perhaps the greatest thing about him is his personality. It was a rare act to take a risk to protect a friend, or to take action on his own when he thought he might be in danger. To put it bluntly, he was like the main character of a boy cartoon-style game or novel. In the case of the students taking my class, I remembered them all, and Aidan in my memory was a model student who focused on my class with brighter eyes than anyone else. Unlike other people who learn magic as if they are being chased by something, he is a hard worker who enjoys learning because he purely likes magic. Such a guy witnessed the secret of the werewolf. If this was a game, it would probably be [Act 1]. The title ‘The Werewolf of Theon’ came to my mind. ‘Maybe I’m being suspected because I killed that werewolf.’ Fortunately, Leo and Tracy Friad, who were also there, didn’t notice but if Aidan tells them, the story will change. How the heck did a freshman get caught up in an incident like this and approached the truth? It wasn’t intentional, but things were twisted and turned like this. I put my hand on my forehead and brushed my bangs back. If things keep going like this should I kill him?

CH 35

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