Chapter 2180: Complex Mystery

Chapter 2180: Chapter 2180: Complex Mystery

After stealthily entering the Crowley Steam Bathhouse, Shard and Mr. Benhart once again entered the secret passage and made their way to the area found by the guidance of the black cat spirit yesterday. The corpse of the slain monster still lay on the ground, and after confirming that the ritual left before leaving yesterday was not triggered, they began their last attempt at investigation in this seemingly clue-less place.

The two split up, with Mr. Benhart using the talents of the Vampire Kind to search for hidden bloodstains, while Shard walked around and listened with the "Echo of the Past."

However, since too much time had passed since the incident, his listening did not bring more effective clues. Instead, Mr. Benhart successfully discovered some unusual traces, but those were not bloodstains.

"How can this be?"

He crouched beside the monster’s corpse, wearing gloves, and cut open the heart area of the corpse. During yesterday’s battle, he had already crushed the monster’s heart, but he was still able to extract a drop of blood from the heart using the talent of Blood Manipulation. It was not ordinary blood; its crystalline appearance was quite extraordinary.

"What does this blood mean?"

An empty-handed Shard asked, as Mr. Benhart’s face darkened:

"The Vampire Race usually possesses certain immortal nature, but this is actually just our extremely strong recovery ability. The heart and head are fatal areas, as we all know about the brain, but the heart stores the Vampires’ most fundamental power, which usually manifests in the form of blood. I just wanted to see what was up with this mongrel’s blood, but I didn’t expect to actually extract Blood Essence."

He did not explain what the "Blood Essence" was:

"The blood of Vampires used by the Dragon Feast Cult for human alchemy, I originally thought it was just any Vampire’s blood, but now it seems, this blood is even more refined than mine. I am a Vampire Viscount, and the blood source of this comes not only from a more noble lineage than mine but is also at a higher level... This kind of blood cannot be obtained through coercion, and this blood is also difficult to preserve for long. Locally, it seems there really is some cooperation between a Vampire and the Dragon Feast Cult—there is a traitor among us!"

"So, while the church’s investigation hasn’t been as deep as ours temporarily, their direction isn’t wrong either?"

Shard asked, and Mr. Benhart nodded grimly:

"That’s right."

He returned the crystalline drop of blood to the heart area as Shard observed the chest cavity where the heart originally was, seemingly healing itself. But since the monster was indeed dead, Shard wasn’t concerned and instead touched the Ring of Immortality on his hand before taking a deep breath to restore the dissected chest to its original state.

Mr. Benhart was too preoccupied to marvel at Shard’s proficient Temporal Magic as he stood up from beside the corpse:

"Is someone local cooperating with those cultists? Does Ptolemy know? Do any of the local same clan I know? Or perhaps, our Order has already secretly intervened... No, after the Milestone incident, our Main God has decreed no random interference with the matters of the Chosen. But locally... have they been lying to me ever since I arrived here?"

"Maybe it’s just a single Vampire cooperating with the Dragon Feast Cult. I’ve met your local same clan—the Magicians, university professors, nobles—they all have their peaceful lives, no reason to jump into a more thrilling life."

Shard said from the side, but his expression was not good. The appearance of a powerful Exotic Ring Sorcerer familiar with the local situation suggested that the Dragon Feast Cult, seemingly just starting its invasion here, knew much more about Moon Bay than they had imagined.

"I will write back to Velindale immediately to inquire if the Order is involved in this matter."

Mr. Benhart said, having been tasked with escorting the Divine Descent Vessel to Milestone, which showed he had some standing in the Order.

"It’s probably unrelated to your Order, but will your Clan send someone to investigate this matter?"

Shard looked at the monster’s corpse on the ground:

"Isn’t this considered a Desecration of your bloodline?"

"It’s difficult, the divisions among different clans are more severe than you think, and unless it comes from the Main God oracle, different regional clans don’t have such extensive jurisdiction... This matter can’t end like this. On the side of the Velindale Order, they will probably have me investigate this thoroughly... But I trust Ptolemy, this matter should have nothing to do with him, he was the one who proactively told us about that female corpse... I think I need time."

It was evident that Mr. Benhart was rarely so emotionally unsettled. He clutched his forehead, taking a few deep breaths, and apologized to Shard:

"I originally thought this matter had no relation to my same clan, and that the investigation here was sufficient, but now..."

"It’s alright, let’s keep investigating then."

"Alright, I’ll write to Velindale first, then confirm if Ptolemy is involved in this. If he is still trustworthy, Mr. Watson, today is Wednesday, let’s meet at the Morgue on Sunday. Ptolemy, being a local, can provide a list of suspicious local figures, and from there we can find out who’s really daring."

Armand Bernhardt felt not just anger and panic, but also a sense of shame before Shard, as though the discovery embarrassed him in front of his friend. Nonetheless, new clues indicate further progress in the investigation, and Shard’s clues aren’t limited to this:

"Also, the Vampire Beast hatched from the egg. I think I encountered it last Sunday night, and it’s necessary to find it. It’s very good at hiding and surely not a mindless wild creature. If it knows what happened before its corruption, it could save us a lot of time."

Mr. Benhart’s attention was divided with confirming matters among his clan, so Shard would need to seek help from the Witch to capture the hiding Vampire Beast, which had ceased its crimes due to increased church surveillance efforts.

However, when Shard arrived at the Belindel Estate that morning, the Countess was unfortunately meeting with important guests. Shard waited half an hour before seeing her in the study. Yesterday, she only heard from Shard about the suspected "Fragment of Poem Chapter" from the black cat’s mouth, so Shard talked about Miss Danester’s mention of the "Sword of Light" and the recent findings in the sewer monster investigation.

"Sword of Light?"

Surprisingly, even Miss Galina had only heard of the story, and this Southern Nation’s Countess furrowed her brow, asking Shard:

"Are you talking about the Dragon Sword?"

"What?"

"This is an ancient story from our family, also involving the origins of the Seven Families honored in Moon Bay—[In those ancient times, Belindel and six others ventured west, fleeing war and natural disasters. A voice led them to this Coastal land, and as they gazed upon the boundless sea, a dragon descended from the sky, granting them power and wealth.]

This is the legend of the formation of the Seven Families. But there is actually a small section that doesn’t circulate as widely as the earlier one—

[The seven supported each other, planting the first small tree on the earth of Moon Bay. Gathering people around them, they jointly established the first city. But darkness and evil watched over these beautiful souls, and as disaster loomed again, the seven, united, drew their dragon-granted treasure sword, defeating evil with the power of justice.] And that treasure sword is the Dragon Sword."

Miss Belindel explained, giving Shard time to ponder before adding:

"These legends from ancient times, due to their primitive nature, sound quite fabricated. Even now, the descendants of the Seven Great Families consider the latter part of these tales as embellished myths intended to enhance the Seven Families’ legitimacy and rightful control over Moon Bay—as the Seven Families have always protected Moon Bay, they rightfully enjoy power through generations."

"But here’s a problem: while the story mentions ’justice,’ there’s no evidence to prove this sword is the Sword of Light supposedly forged by the Ancient God. And you also said, the sword in the story isn’t the name I’ve unearthed through other channels."

Shard said, furrowing his brow before asking again:

"But assuming the story’s sword is the one we seek, originally, who among the Seven Families drew it from the earth? Or did the seven jointly draw it? Does the sword’s appearance require the seven families to unite tightly like their ancestors once did?"

The Witch shook her head:

"I don’t know, it’s just a fable. If it weren’t for my recent investigations, these childhood tales wouldn’t come to mind so quickly. Moon Bay is an ancient city, full of stories."

But she wasn’t worried at all:

"If the Sword of Light related to the Chosen One Ceremony is truly the Dragon Sword, rest assured, we are not the only ones investigating. It’s now clear that the Dragon Feast Cult is collaborating with some from the Seven Families, so they are likely also seeking similar materials. I will fully monitor the movements of the Seven Families, including the other members of Belindel. As long as that person maintains contact with the cultists, I will definitely root them out!"

"If any unsavory acts need to be done, feel free to task me. After all, with your status, getting caught would be very embarrassing."

Shard said, and the Witch smiled:

"Understood, you are quite considerate... Don’t forget about accompanying me to the banquet tomorrow night. Speaking of which, though you’ve been in Moon Bay for some time, you’ve never attended such a large banquet. Moon Bay’s banquets differ from those in the Northern Country and Randall Valley. I hope you enjoy yourself."