Chapter 122: Even the Rocks Look Suspicious

Chapter 122. Even the Rocks Look Suspicious

I walked toward the window and pulled the curtain aside, taking another look at the training ground. From here, I could see almost the entire circular field. Something about this place continued bothering me.

Twelve enormous stones stood around its perimeter, arranged at regular intervals like the numbers on a clock. The packed earth in the center was smooth, with several faint lines remaining from previous training exercises. An open space. Direct exposure to the sky. Enough room for a large magical formation. And twelve conveniently positioned stones.

Hmm. Well, well. Would you look at that?

This place could actually be perfect for the ritual.

I narrowed my eyes, studying the arrangement more carefully.

If someone engraved the correct runes onto those stones, they could function as twelve separate magical anchors. The central field would provide enough space for a vessel, while the surrounding structures could help conceal preparations from anyone unfamiliar with forbidden magic.

And when the full moon rose... Direct moonlight. Everything would be conveniently arranged. Almost suspiciously convenient. But that was exactly what bothered me.

Wasn’t this a little too obvious?

If I were planning to resurrect the Dark Lord, the last place I’d choose would be a training ground sitting directly beside the town lord’s administrative building.

Unless, of course, I controlled the building. Now that was an interesting thought.

I rested my chin against my fingers. If this place was involved, the culprit couldn’t be some random servant sneaking around. Preparing a large-scale forbidden ritual required time, materials, and access. Someone would need to modify the training ground without attracting attention. They’d also need enough authority to prevent guards or servants from interfering.

A high-ranking official, perhaps. Someone trusted by Lord Veymont. Or Lord Veymont himself.

Possible.

But then another question appeared. Why put me here? Why give me a guest room overlooking the exact location where they intended to perform their ritual?

That would be spectacularly stupid. Unless they wanted me to notice it. Or perhaps they were confident I wouldn’t recognize the arrangement.

Or...

I stopped.

Ah, damn it! Too many possibilities.

My researcher brain was already preparing seventeen different theories. Better to investigate before jumping to conclusions.

[Abyssal Hunter’s Domain]

A thin wave of mana spread outward from my body. It passed through the walls, floor, and ceiling without making a sound, expanding across the building and surrounding grounds. My perception widened.

The room disappeared from my immediate awareness, replaced by an intricate network of magical signatures, living presences, and spatial structures.

The domain expanded through the guest quarters first. Empty rooms. Several servants cleaning the corridor. A guard stationed near the eastern staircase. I extended the scan toward the administrative offices. More people. Ordinary mana signatures. A few guards with stronger magical affinities. No significant concentrations of dark energy.

Then I pushed my perception downward. Basements. Storage rooms. Underground passages. Even the small holding cells beneath the administrative wing.

Because who knew?

Perhaps the culprit had decided to hide twelve kidnapped women directly beneath the noses of the people investigating their disappearance. It would certainly be bold and irritatingly clever.

Unfortunately, I found nothing.

I withdrew the domain. The world returned to normal. "Nothing, huh?"

How disappointing. I’d almost hoped to discover twelve kidnapped women conveniently hidden beneath the building. Find them. Beat up the culprit. Go home. Or maybe head to the Holy City, since they definitely wouldn’t waste an opportunity to drag me there.

Just then, a knock came at the door.

I turned toward the door. "Come in."

The door opened slowly. A young man stepped inside. He looked to be in his early twenties, with a thin build, slightly messy brown hair, and round glasses that seemed a little too large for his face. His dark-blue staff uniform was neat, although he held a rolled-up map against his chest like a shield.

So this was the assistant.

I studied him for a moment. Thin. Glasses. Slightly hunched shoulders. The unmistakable appearance of someone who spent far too much time surrounded by documents. He looked like a proper researcher. I approved.

At least half my former colleagues had looked exactly like this. Although most of them hadn’t been timid. Quite the opposite. Give a researcher three cups of coffee and an opportunity to argue about an obscure theory, and suddenly you’d discover that the quiet man who hadn’t spoken all morning possessed enough aggression to challenge a dragon.

The young man bowed hurriedly. "G-good afternoon, Lord Valen. My name is Theo. Theo Bell."

"I’m Lord Veymont’s assistant," he continued. "He instructed me to accompany you throughout the day and help with anything you might need."

"Nice to meet you, Theo." I smiled. A perfectly normal smile. The kind of expression that should reassure a nervous young man that I wasn’t planning to turn him into experimental material.

Unfortunately, Theo stiffened. His fingers tightened around the map.

Oh, come on. Was my face really that terrifying? I had five beautiful wives who seemed quite enthusiastic about kissing it. Then again, perhaps my reputation was doing the heavy lifting.

Whatever. My ego had endured worse.

"Is that map for me?" I asked.

Theo blinked. "Ah, yes! Th-this is the map you requested, my lord." He quickly approached the desk. "It’s the most detailed map we have of Lumenford and the surrounding territory. Lord Veymont asked me to bring it immediately."

"Good. Let’s see."

He placed the rolled parchment on the desk and carefully untied the ribbon.

I helped flatten it, securing the corners with several objects from the table.

The map was surprisingly detailed. Lumenford occupied a series of cliffs overlooking the sea, with the administrative district and cathedral positioned on the higher terraces. The residential neighborhoods descended toward the harbor, connected by winding roads, staircases, and stone bridges.

Outside the town walls stretched fields, wooded hills, and several old roads leading toward neighboring settlements.

The coastline was considerably more complicated. Cliffs. Beaches. Caves. Abandoned watchtowers. Old storage facilities. A ruined coastal fort. This place had more potential ritual locations than a necromancer’s vacation brochure.

I traced one of the roads with my finger. "You’re the one who discovered the note after the last kidnapping, right?"

Theo nodded. "Y-yes, my lord."

"Tell me what happened." He adjusted his glasses. "The twelfth victim was a young woman named Clara Fen. She worked at a flower shop near the eastern market. She was supposed to marry a carpenter next month."

I glanced at him. "Where was she last seen?"

"Near the flower shop. She finished work shortly before sunset and was walking home. Her family became worried when she didn’t arrive."

"And you found the note?"

"Yes. I was helping the guards search the area the following morning." He hesitated. "We found her basket in a narrow passage behind an old candle workshop. Some flowers had fallen onto the ground, but there were no signs of a struggle."

"No blood? Damaged clothing? Broken jewelry?"

He shook his head. "Nothing like that."

"What about the note?"

Theo swallowed. "It was folded beneath the basket."

I looked up. "Beneath it?"

"Yes. At first, we thought the basket had simply fallen there. But when one of the guards lifted it, I noticed a piece of paper underneath." He rubbed his hands nervously. "The writing said, ’The Dark Lord will come back.’"

"Was the paper damaged? Dirty? Wet? Crumpled?"

"Oh. No, my lord. It was quite clean."

Now that was interesting. A basket supposedly abandoned during a kidnapping. Flowers scattered across the ground. But a clean note deliberately placed beneath it. Almost as though someone had arranged the scene.

"Did you notice anything else?"

Theo thought for a moment. "There was a faint smell of incense."

I stopped examining the map. "Incense?"

He nodded. "Yes. I thought it was strange because the candle workshop had been closed for several months."

Incense. That could mean something. Or nothing. Lumenford was a town filled with wedding ceremonies and enchanted lamps. Fragrant materials probably weren’t unusual here. Still, it was worth remembering.

"What kind?"

"I’m not sure. It smelled sweet, but there was something bitter underneath."

I nodded slowly. "Good observation."

Theo blinked. "R-really?"

"Yeah. Small details matter."

His expression brightened slightly. Apparently, complimenting his observational skills worked better than smiling.

I returned my attention to the map. The eastern market sat near several narrow streets, with an old road connecting it to the lower coastal district.

If Clara had been taken from there, the culprit could have transported her toward the harbor. Or into one of the nearby storage buildings. Or through the eastern gate. Or... Damn. Too many possibilities again.

I examined the coastline. There were at least seven marked caves, several isolated beaches, and multiple abandoned structures. And those were only the locations someone had bothered to record.

Who knew how many hidden passages existed beneath the cliffs?

I stared at the map for another moment, mentally calculating how long it would take to investigate every suspicious location. "Alright. Let’s go."

I rolled up the map and handed it back to Theo.

He blinked, fumbling slightly before catching it. "U-uh, where are we going, my lord?"

"First, we’re grabbing lunch. Then we’ll check a few places around town. You know the area better than I do, so I’ll need your help."

His shoulders relaxed. "Oh! Of course. I know several good restaurants near the market."

"Excellent." I headed toward the door, then stopped. "And, before that..." My gaze drifted toward the window.

The circular training ground remained visible below, its twelve enormous stones standing quietly beneath the afternoon sunlight.

I turned toward Theo. "There’s one place I need to check first."

If someone had been stupid enough to prepare a forbidden ritual right beneath the town lord’s nose, I wanted to know.

And if not? Well, at least I could stop suspecting an innocent pile of rocks.