Chapter 104: The Holy City’s Unwanted Problem

Chapter 104. The Holy City’s Unwanted Problem

I cleared my throat and put on the most respectable smile I could manage while several tons of butchered S-rank monster remained suspended behind me.

"Good morning, gentlemen. My apologies for you having to see me in this state."

The royal official’s eyes briefly moved toward the dripping meat.

Right.

It was perhaps an understatement.

"Please, come inside. I’ll follow as soon as I finish this."

I turned toward Ariel. "Can you help them?"

"Of course."

As expected from the woman who could somehow turn even a magical slaughterhouse into a respectable household operation, Ariel calmly gathered several servants and approached our guests. The two Royal Knights dismounted while the official finally managed to pull his attention away from my morning butchery.

They followed Ariel toward the mansion.

Which was precisely why I’d chosen the outer yard for this operation rather than the inner courtyard.

I understood basic sanitation.

Processing dozens of monster corpses would create blood, organs, bits of tissue, unpleasant smells, and enough biological material to make the entire mansion smell like a butcher shop had married an alchemy laboratory and produced an exceptionally disgusting child.

If I’d done this inside, we’d probably be smelling S-rank Cave Drake for a week.

No amount of Lily’s flowers could save us from that.

The last streams of blood finally stopped dripping.

I lowered the remaining flesh.

My concentration returned fully to the work.

The fifty floating dark scalpels shifted.

[Abyssal Darkness Manipulation]

Their shapes thickened and widened, elegant surgical instruments transforming into enormous butcher knives.

"Let’s finish this."

My fingers moved.

The blades descended.

Cuts came rapidly now, because precision around valuable organs and hides was no longer necessary. Huge sections of monster flesh separated into manageable portions, each cut clean enough that an actual butcher would probably either applaud me or become deeply concerned about my previous occupation.

Probably both.

Within minutes, the remaining flesh had been divided.

"There." I pointed toward several particularly good cuts. "Those are ours. Keep them for lunch and dinner."

A few servants nodded.

I gestured toward another large pile. "And those, prepare them for everyone working on the estate. Guards, servants, stable workers, gardeners. Everyone." Then I pointed toward the rest. "And those are for sale."

Several heads immediately turned.

S-rank monster meat wasn’t exactly normal employee lunch.

I glanced at Liora. "You don’t mind, right?"

She examined the quantity for a moment. "No. We already have enough valuable material to sell. Giving the workers a bonus is reasonable."

Then her eyes moved toward the assembled servants and guards.

Her expression cooled. "I simply hope everyone remembers not to bite the hands that feed them."

Silence.

Several workers straightened immediately.

I slowly smirked.

I liked this woman.

Liora didn’t even need forbidden magic.

She could threaten someone’s entire bloodline using a neutral expression.

The workers quickly began transporting the separated meat.

I turned back toward Lily’s blood.

One last adjustment.

[Obsidian Earth Manipulation]

The crystalline basins rumbled.

Thick black lids grew across their tops, sealing each container individually to prevent contamination. Then additional earth rose beneath them, flattening into enormous processing tables.

I added one more feature.

At the bottom of each basin, the crystal reshaped into a simple narrow channel with a removable stone stopper.

A primitive faucet.

Most importantly, it meant nobody needed to tip over a basin containing hundreds of liters of monster blood and accidentally create the world’s most horrifying slip hazard.

I had personal principles regarding slippery floors now.

"There." I dusted my hands. "I’ll leave the rest to you."

I turned toward the mansion.

Before I could take three steps, Lily caught my hand.

I looked down at her.

"I made flower pastries this morning. Tell the servants to pack some for our guests," she said.

I smiled. "Bribing royal officials with pastries?"

"Hospitality."

I relayed the instruction to a servant before heading inside.

By the time I entered the reception room, the scene had become considerably more civilized.

Tea had already been served, and the two Royal Knights stood near the wall while the official sat opposite an empty chair.

I took that chair. "Sorry for the wait."

The official shook his head quickly. "Not at all, Lord Valen."

He was still slightly pale.

Apparently watching a Royal Magus juice S-rank monsters had lasting psychological effects.

He reached into his coat. "His Majesty has given me an emergency request for you."

He took out a sealed letter.

The King’s crest.

I accepted it and broke the seal.

My eyes moved across the page.

A town.

Lumenford.

Population wasn’t particularly large. It was a trade and pilgrimage town positioned along one of the southern routes leading toward the Holy City. There had been disappearances. Not random ones. Young women.

I continued reading.

All unmarried.

More specifically... Brides-to-be.

My expression hardened.

The first disappearance had happened approximately one month ago. Then another. Then another. The intervals shortened. Twelve women were currently missing. No confirmed bodies. No ransom demands. No witnesses who could reliably identify the culprit. The most recent woman had vanished two nights ago.

I lowered the letter slightly. "Twelve?"

"Yes, my lord."

I read the report again. "This kind of case would normally fall under the Minister of Justice."

Kidnapping wasn’t exactly heroes territory.

The official nodded. "Normally, yes."

"But?"

He reached into another compartment and handed me a smaller folded paper. "This was found after the most recent disappearance."

I opened it.

Only one sentence had been written across the paper.

"The Dark Lord will come back."

I stared at it. Apparently the dead bastard refused to stop causing administrative problems even after being dead.

"I see." I placed the note on the table. "So we’re probably dealing with one of his followers."

"That’s His Majesty’s concern."

Probably a cult. Possibly someone attempting resurrection. Maybe sacrifice.

Twelve brides-to-be specifically meant there was likely a ritual pattern rather than simple kidnapping.

My favorite kind of thing. I’d studied this stuff extensively, but seeing it up close and in person would be even better.

The official hesitated. "This type of mission would ordinarily be given to Sir Darius." Then he stopped.

He didn’t need to continue.

I understood.

Darius was the Holy Knight. A Dark Lord cult operating near the Holy City would normally be the perfect heroic mission for him. But the King had sent it to me.

Rey Valen, the man half the kingdom still associated with forbidden magic and the Dark Lord’s corruption, would be the one sent to save them.

This wasn’t only a mission.

It was an opportunity.

If I solved it cleanly, preferably with witnesses, it would chip away at the reputation my former companions and the Light Temple had spent years building around me.

I looked down at the town’s name again and tapped the report. "Lumenford. That’s near the Holy City, isn’t it?"

The official nodded. "Approximately half a day’s travel by carriage."

"The Light Temple’s influence should be strong there."

"The missing girls are all followers of the Light Temple."

My eyebrow rose. "And the Temple hasn’t done anything?"

The official’s expression became professionally blank. "Lumenford’s local authorities sent requests for assistance. However, the Light Temple and Holy Knight Headquarters generally do not involve themselves directly in smaller local incidents unless the matter has broader religious significance or a formal royal request is issued."

Okay, translation for this: Not famous enough. No glory. No important noble family. No reason to send expensive Holy Knights when ordinary town guards could die trying instead.

I leaned back.

Twelve young women. All followers of the Light Temple. Kidnapped almost underneath the Temple’s nose. And the people who preached salvation couldn’t be bothered because the mission was too small.

A humorless huff escaped me.

How wonderfully holy.

This could work beautifully.

The Temple wanted me in the Holy City.

They were currently using Mira to lure me there.

Meanwhile, the King had just handed me a legitimate reason to operate near their territory while publicly saving their own followers from a Dark Lord cult.

The irony was so delicious I almost wanted Lily to bake it into a pastry. "I’ll take it."

The official looked relieved. "You’ll need to depart as soon as possible."

I nodded. "Got it."

My fingers tapped once against the letter.

So much for a quiet day.