Chapter 121: When the Full Moon Rises

Chapter 121. When the Full Moon Rises

"Which means we need to move fast," I said, leaning forward to examine the twelve documents again. "If my theory is correct, the ritual will need direct moonlight from the full moon. That’s probably the trigger."

Lord Veymont frowned. "Direct moonlight?"

"Most likely." I tapped the center of the arrangement I’d made with the victims’ records. "There’s another problem. The ritual might require one more person."

Chief Marr looked at me. "Another sacrifice?"

"Not exactly. A vessel."

The room fell silent.

I continued before either man could misunderstand. "If they’re really trying to bring the Dark Lord back, they’ll need somewhere to put his soul. Summoning a powerful soul without a suitable body would be like pouring boiling lava into a glass bottle. The vessel would probably collapse before the process was completed."

Unless the Dark Lord possessed some other method of manifesting. Which was possible. But for now, I preferred working with the evidence I had.

"The vessel could be the culprit himself, someone he’s prepared specifically for the ritual, or even another victim. We don’t know yet."

Lord Veymont rubbed his forehead. "So there might be thirteen victims?"

"Possibly. Or twelve victims and one idiot." I shrugged. "Some cultists genuinely believe becoming a vessel for their master is the greatest honor imaginable."

I glanced toward the window, where sunlight streamed across the marble floor. We had several hours before nightfall. Not enough. But not hopeless either. "Do you know any possible locations where they could perform the ritual?"

The two men exchanged another glance.

I continued, "The culprit should still be somewhere around Lumenford. Transporting twelve people secretly isn’t easy, especially if they’re unconscious or restrained. Unless we’re dealing with an organized cult with enough members to move them, hiding the victims nearby would be much more practical."

And even with a cult, transporting twelve captives would require planning. Food. Water. A secure location. Possibly magical restraints. Someone had to keep those women alive until the ritual. That meant supplies, movement, and opportunities for witnesses. Unfortunately, it also meant the culprit might have prepared everything well in advance.

Lord Veymont sighed. "There are quite a few places around Lumenford that could be used for something like that."

"Quite a few?"

"Too many, I’m afraid."

Chief Marr nodded grimly. "We have the cliffs, open fields outside town, several abandoned structures, and caves scattered along the coastline. There are also secluded beaches that can only be reached during low tide."

I mentally pictured the town from above.

Lumenford’s geography was beautiful, but it was also a nightmare for anyone attempting a thorough search. The cliffs created countless hidden spaces, while the caves beneath them could conceal an entire group without anyone noticing.

And if the culprit understood concealment magic? We might be searching for a needle in a haystack. Except the needle was planning to resurrect an ancient monster.

I exhaled. "Right. That’s a lot of ground to cover."

Chief Marr rose from his chair. "I’ll order my people to start searching immediately. We can inspect the caves, abandoned buildings, and less frequently visited areas. Perhaps we’ll find something the investigators overlooked."

"Good. But tell them not to enter anything suspicious without backup," I warned. "If they discover an active magical formation, they should report it instead of touching anything." The last thing I needed was an enthusiastic town guard accidentally activating a sacrificial ritual because he wanted to prove how brave he was.

Chief Marr nodded and hurried toward the door.

Lord Veymont turned to the official standing nearby. "Send our people as well. I want every available patrol involved. This investigation takes priority over everything else."

"Understood, my lord." The official bowed.

"One more thing," I interrupted.

He stopped.

"A map. I need a detailed map of Lumenford and the surrounding area. Include the coastline, caves, abandoned buildings, and anything outside the town walls."

"Of course, Lord Valen. I’ll have one delivered immediately." With that settled, he left.

I leaned back in my chair and reached for one of the snacks the servants had brought earlier.

A small, golden pastry. I popped it into my mouth. The citrus flavor hit first, followed by a delicate saltiness that reminded me of the ocean breeze outside. Interesting. Lemon and salt. A surprisingly pleasant combination.

Lord Veymont watched me for a moment before clearing his throat. "It’s almost lunchtime, Lord Valen. Would you care to join me for a meal?"

I swallowed the pastry. "I appreciate the invitation, but I’ll have to decline. I’d rather eat somewhere in town while asking the locals a few questions. Someone might have noticed something useful without realizing it."

After all, official reports only contained information investigators considered important. Ordinary people noticed different things. A strange customer. An unusual delivery. Someone purchasing suspicious quantities of food. A carriage moving through town at an odd hour. Little details that seemed meaningless until someone connected them.

Lord Veymont nodded. "That makes sense. In that case, allow me to show you your room first. You may need somewhere to rest later. We’ll likely need all the energy we can spare tonight," he added.

I smiled faintly. "Sure."

Lord Veymont stood, and I followed him out of the meeting room. We passed through a long corridor decorated with paintings of Lumenford’s harbor, historical battles, and several portraits of former territorial lords.

The building was larger than it had appeared from outside, although most of its rooms seemed dedicated to administration rather than accommodation. We eventually reached an open courtyard. And there, something caught my attention. A training ground.

The field was circular, surrounded by several enormous stones positioned at regular intervals. They resembled the markings on a clock, with each stone facing toward the center. The ground itself was covered in packed earth, while wooden weapon racks and several practice dummies stood near the outer wall.

I slowed my steps. "That’s a big training ground."

Lord Veymont followed my gaze. "Ah, yes. It was built many years ago, back when the Dark Lord was still alive. It was originally used for formation training against larger monsters."

Now that caught my interest.

I examined the stones again. Their arrangement was practical. Each marked a position where soldiers or magicians could stand while maintaining a coordinated defensive formation.

"Back then, some monsters grew far larger than they should have because of the Dark Lord’s power," Lord Veymont explained. "Their strength and endurance were also abnormal. Fighting them with brute force alone was nearly impossible."

Corrupted monsters were notoriously difficult to deal with, especially when their bodies underwent mutations that ordinary magical theory couldn’t explain. Excellent research material.

"So the soldiers used coordinated formations," I said.

"Exactly. Some distracted the monster while others attacked its weak points. The stones helped soldiers learn where to position themselves, especially when facing something much larger than a normal beast."

I studied the field with renewed appreciation. Whoever designed it had understood that positioning could be more important than individual strength. A hundred ordinary soldiers charging blindly at an enormous corrupted monster would probably only become an all-you-can-eat buffet. But a hundred soldiers who knew how to coordinate?

That was another matter.

"We rarely use it for that purpose anymore," Lord Veymont continued. "There haven’t been many large-scale monster threats in recent years."

"Then why maintain it?"

He smiled. "We use it to train the children."

I turned toward him. "The children?"

He laughed at my expression. "Nothing too dangerous, Lord Valen. We teach them basic survival skills every weekend."

Well, that was unexpectedly sensible.

He continued, "How to react if they encounter a large monster while traveling without adults. Where to run, how to recognize dangerous behavior, and how to help one another escape." He gestured toward the wooden dummies. "We also teach them basic defensive movements. Nothing advanced, of course. Just enough to give them a better chance of surviving until help arrives."

I looked back at the training ground. That was actually a good idea. Most towns taught children to avoid monsters. Which was reasonable.

Knowing how to recognize danger and escape was considerably more useful than simply being told not to wander into the forest. I approved.

Although I couldn’t help imagining a group of tiny children practicing how to escape a giant monster while their instructors pretended to be enormous beasts.

Adorable.

Perhaps I should suggest something similar for the servants’ children back at the estate.

We continued walking until we reached a quieter section of the building. Lord Veymont opened a door leading into a small but comfortable guest chamber. The room contained a large bed, a writing desk, a wardrobe, and a pair of upholstered chairs beside a window overlooking the courtyard. Fresh curtains hung beside the windows, and the faint scent of cleaning herbs lingered in the air.

"The guest quarters are somewhat empty these days," Lord Veymont explained. "We rarely receive visitors who stay overnight. However, I had the servants clean this room yesterday after receiving the King’s message."

"Thank you. This will do."

He visibly relaxed. Apparently, he’d been worried that I might demand a royal suite with golden furniture and a bathtub filled with expensive perfume.

Lord Veymont gestured toward the desk. "I’ll have the map and any additional reports delivered here. You may use this room whenever you need to rest or work."

"Appreciated."

He hesitated before adding, "I’ll also send my assistant to accompany you around town. He’s a little timid, but he’s competent and knows Lumenford very well."

Another poor soul who would probably look as though he were accompanying his own executioner.

"He also helped investigate the disappearances," Lord Veymont continued. "In fact, he was the one who discovered the note left after the most recent kidnapping."

Someone who’d personally examined the scene and found the note. Much better than an escort who merely knew where to buy pastries.

"I’d like to speak with him."

"Of course. I’ll send him shortly."

I nodded.

Lord Veymont bowed politely before leaving, closing the door behind him. And just like that, I was alone.