Chapter 78: The Pattern
Arwyn stood tall in front of the long counter, her posture composed yet carrying the quiet gravity that often made people lower their gaze before she even spoke. In front of her, the desk girl Trisy straightened nervously, smoothing the scattered parchments before bowing her head in respect.
Arwyn's voice, low but clear, slipped into the silence. "Trisy…"
The girl looked up quickly, her hands pausing over the documents. "Lieutenant… how may I assist you this time?" Her tone carried both deference and a hint of unease, as though she already suspected that this was not a matter of routine.
Arwyn did not shift her stance, only let her gaze rest upon the girl with that steady sharpness that revealed little of her thoughts. "You must have heard the news by now. A knight from the Prison Division has been killed. I am not here merely to confirm rumors, Trisy... I am here to investigate. I require everything: his personal information, his record, and above all, the cases he was assigned in these past weeks. Leave nothing out."
Trisy bowed her head lower, her voice subdued but firm. "Understood, ma'am. At once." She moved quickly, her hands darting across the surface of the desk, searching through thick stacks of files and bundled reports. The rustle of paper filled the hall, accompanied by her hurried breath. At one point she gestured to another knight across the room. "Fetch the victim's element records immediately. The Lieutenant requires them."
Arwyn watched in silence, her thoughts moving with a calm precision. Every death left ripples, but this one had left more than ripples; it had left an echo that rang too close to her Captain's suspicions. If the fallen knight shared the same element as the others, then Seraphina's fears would be realized, and the reason of murder would no longer be mere coincidence. Arwyn's gloved hand tightened slightly at her side.
At last, Trisy returned with a bundle of papers, placing them carefully on the counter. "These are his cases, Lieutenant. I have included his reports and the most recent files he submitted."
Arwyn accepted them with a small nod, her fingers sliding over the parchment as though she could feel the truth hidden between the ink strokes. She opened the first document, reading with a measured calm. Her eyes moved steadily, yet her mind weighed each word. Then, before she had reached her conclusion, the sound of armored boots against stone announced the arrival of the knight who had been dispatched. He approached swiftly and bowed, holding out a sealed file.
"Lieutenant. Rowen's elemental record, as requested."
Arwyn extended her hand and took it from him with careful precision. She broke the seal and unfolded the parchment, reading it in silence. The ink marked his element clearly. Her face betrayed nothing. Neither relief nor dread colored her expression. Yet behind her calm, she felt the tension ease slightly, like a taut string loosening. Seraphina's worst fear had not been confirmed, and for that Arwyn was quietly grateful.
Still, her gaze fell back upon the pile of case files. She turned the pages slowly, her eyes narrowing as she read further. Then something in the records caught her attention. Her gaze sharpened, her hand lingering upon the ink as if weighing its meaning.
"So…" she murmured softly, her tone edged with quiet sharpness. "That's how it is, huh? Coincidence? No, not now. I'm really, really surprised. I should have seen this coming from the start."
Her eyes rose, colder and sharper than before, and without another word she closed the file. With a measured grace she turned away from the counter, her cloak whispering against the stone floor. Trisy lifted her head, startled.
"Lieutenant? Is there anything further you require?"
Arwyn's voice carried back without hesitation, calm yet commanding. "No. What I require lies beyond these walls. Continue your duties, Trisy. The rest will fall upon me."
"There's another thing you should know, Lieutenant..." Trisy suddenly said.
The moment she spoke, Arwyn's eyes sharpened. Without another glance, she walked toward the exit, her mind already deep in calculation. Something had been uncovered, something that hinted at the shadows lurking behind these deaths.
---
Kael pushed open the tall double doors of the Adventurer's Guild and stepped inside. The place was as lively as always. Laughter, clashing mugs, and heated conversations rose from every corner. The air smelled of roasted meat and stale ale, mingling with the sharp tang of iron and leather.
Once, not long ago, his name had been whispered mockingly in this very hall. After that dungeon incident, people had grown quiet, but as the days passed the old habits slowly returned. Snide comments reached his ears now and then, though he didn't care in the least.
His eyes swept the room briefly before drifting to the counter. Behind the long wooden table, Celeste stood... no, more accurately, leaned in her usual languid manner, her arms resting against the polished surface as though the world itself tired her. She had the look she always wore, that familiar pity in her eyes, the kind of gaze she gave to everyone as if their existence was something to be tolerated. And yet, strangely enough, Kael thought he saw something different today, a faint spark that didn't belong to pity at all.
He didn't walk toward her, not yet. Instead, his steps carried him to the towering quest board. Sheets of parchment hung everywhere, some fresh and crisp, others yellowed with time. His eyes scanned across them lazily, weighing the possibilities. The less dangerous, the better. He had no intention of throwing himself into something suicidal just for coin.
But then, as his gaze strayed, he noticed another section. Off to the side, not quests but announcements. The papers were longer, marked with the official stamps of authority. Two panels stood there. One bore the familiar crest of the Knight Orders, the ink still sharp and black. The other was faded, curling at the edges, and Kael realized he had seen it long ago, perhaps even on the day he had first arrived here.
He stepped closer.
The older notice was a missing-person sketch. A little girl with long, slim ears. An elf. Her features were drawn in clean strokes, but the paper had aged so badly that most details were hard to make out. This poster had been here so long that no one seemed to notice it anymore.
But it was the newer one beside it that caught him.
There was no sketch. Only words.
"If a man with black hair and crimson eyes goes missing, you are to notify the Knight Orders at once."
Kael narrowed his eyes at it. For some reason, it unsettled him. He repeated the words under his breath, his voice barely audible. "Black hair… crimson eyes."
He lifted his hand to his chin, tapping it lightly in thought. "Why does that sound familiar? Have I met such a man before? I don't remember anyone like that. Not a single face. Maybe just someone I crossed paths with in town… or maybe I only heard about him somewhere."
The thought refused to settle. Something tugged faintly at the back of his mind, but no image came. With a sigh, he scratched the back of his neck and forced himself to move on.
When he finally turned back toward the counter, Celeste's gaze had found him. For the first time in weeks, she actually smiled. A real smile. It was… polite. Almost formal. And that in itself was rare for her. Normally she only sighed or pitied or made people feel small.
Kael lifted his hand in an easy wave, pretending not to notice the subtle difference in her eyes. He walked toward her with a steady stride, keeping his focus fixed on her face. Not long ago, he had learned never to let his gaze slip downward when speaking to her. That could cause problems, since he was a married man after all.
"So," Celeste spoke the moment he stopped before her. Her elbows rested on the table, her fingers interlaced, her body leaning forward in a posture that looked casual but carried a strange edge. "Our weakest adventurer has finally decided to take a quest. Unexpected, isn't it… Kael?"
Her tone lingered somewhere between amusement and mockery, yet her eyes glimmered with something sharper.
Kael folded his arms, smiling faintly. "Yes. Actually, I thought about it quite a lot. Eventually I realized that, if I want to keep eating, I need coin. And if I want coin, I need work. So here I am, ready for a quest. Hardly unexpected at all, if you ask me."
Celeste tilted her head. That smile of hers deepened, no longer polite but mysterious, almost dangerous. "Work, yes… but what kind? Should I hand you an A-Rank? Perhaps an S-Rank? Or maybe a quest where you're guaranteed to die? That would be simple enough to arrange."
Her words carried the shadow of a laugh, but there was no warmth in them.
Kael sighed loudly, shaking his head. "You do enjoy trying to kill me, don't you? I'll remind you, Celeste, I can barely handle the E-Rank or D-Rank quests. And yet here you are, offering me S-Rank jobs. Have you finally lost your mind?"
Her lips parted as if she might say something sharp, but instead she closed them again and studied him. The way she stared was different. It wasn't pity, not this time. Something burned faintly beneath her calm expression, though Kael couldn't quite place it.
At last, she turned away and reached for a stack of parchment. "Fine. Here. Choose for yourself."
She laid out several sheets between them.
"Hunting a stray cat," Kael muttered. "Helping build a house… hauling timber… finding herbs."
His hand hovered before finally settling on the simplest one. He picked it up, tapped the page, and handed it back to her. "This. I'll take this."
Celeste raised an eyebrow, pretending not to care, though her eyes flickered for just a second. "Finding herbs again?"
"Finding herbs again," Kael repeated calmly, pocketing the quest slip.
He was about to turn when her voice stopped him.
"By the way, Kael," she said sweetly, though her expression darkened as she spoke, "I heard you've been going around with two beautiful girls lately. Sharing cakes. Laughing together. What a blessed little life you must be leading."
The words dripped with venom hidden beneath her gentle tone.
Kael froze, blinking. "Who told you that? I'm barely keeping my life together, and now you're making it sound like I'm living some kind of dream."
Inwardly he thought, "Why does she sound angry? Why now? She's been acting strange these last few days…"
Celeste lifted her chin slightly, eyes narrowed. "My sister told me."
That caught him off guard. "Wait. You have a sister? Don't tell me… it's the cake shop owner?"
"Yes," she said without hesitation. "She's my older sister."
Kael's brows shot up. "What a surprise. I had no idea. You never mentioned it."
Her gaze softened for the briefest moment, but then she looked away, almost sulking.
"Well then," Kael said lightly, trying to shake off the odd tension, "I'll be going. I need to finish this before afternoon. It's already getting late."
He turned, but as he stepped away a thought struck him.
"Her sister told her? But how did she even know me well enough to mention it? Everyone knows who I am, yes… but why share something like that with Celeste so quickly? It feels strange. Unnecessary. Almost as if…"
He stopped himself, sighed, and shook his head. "No point thinking about it. It's just… awkward. Cringe, even."
And with that, Kael pushed open the doors again and stepped back out into the daylight.
---
Seraphina sat at her desk, the heavy oak surface almost buried beneath neatly stacked reports, sealed files, and scattered parchment. She had already gone through the required documents, her signature placed where needed, her attention given where demanded, and yet one matter remained lodged in her thoughts like an unwelcome thorn. The murders. And above all, the question gnawing at her, that lingering doubt whether the healing element was, in truth, the key behind the pattern of killings.
Her fingers rested against her temple as she considered this for what felt like the hundredth time. Then, finally, the soft creak of the office door stirred her from her thoughts. Arwyn returned at last.
Straightening her posture with deliberate grace, Seraphina raised her eyes to him, her voice measured but carrying the weight of command. "Arwyn. What have you brought back to me? Speak plainly. Was the element the same?"
Arwyn stopped a respectful distance away, her voice steady yet carrying that faint hint of deference she always held before her. "No, Captain. The knight bore no trace of healing magic. I confirmed it myself. His element was of fire, though so minor and undeveloped that it could scarcely light a lantern without strain."
A faint exhale escaped her, almost a sigh but restrained, the sound of a calculation being set aside and discarded. "So then… my theory turned out to be wrong. I begin to see it as more than mere coincidence. Perhaps I was guilty of forcing the pieces into shapes they were never meant to take. After all, two people sharing the same element can very well be nothing more than chance." Her gaze sharpened, her tone cold and precise. "Tell me, did you uncover anything of substance? Or does the matter end there?"
Arwyn's expression shifted, the faint light in her eyes giving way to something darker, more shadowed. The change caught Seraphina's full attention, her cold composure focusing entirely upon her. "There is more, Captain. While reviewing the knight's record, I uncovered details that should not be overlooked. His recent casework was… unusual. One in particular drew my eye."
Seraphina leaned forward ever so slightly, "Then speak. What was it that you found?"
Arwyn stepped closer, her tone losing its softness, replaced by a faintly severe edge as though the words themselves weighed upon her. "The final case he pursued was a theft investigation. And the thief he apprehended… was none other than Eska's husband. Does that not strike you as curious, Captain?"
Her eyes narrowed, the sharpness within them cutting through the air. "What did you say?"
"Yes, Captain," Arwyn continued, her voice carrying an uneasy gravity. "It was not merely a passing involvement. That knight was the very one who also arrested Eska's husband. He was the man who placed the shackles on him, who brought him before the court. It is too precise, too deliberate to dismiss."
Silence held for a long moment before Seraphina spoke again, her words precise, "Her husband was arrested for theft, was he not?"
Arwyn inclined her head in confirmation.
"Indeed, Captain."
Her voice deepened, colder still, the weight of her reasoning falling heavy. "Then recall this detail: he was released today. A full month in custody, and the moment he stepped into freedom, he vanished. And that is not the only thread, his release came precisely after the knight had been missing from duty for a week. Tell me, Arwyn… does that strike you as chance? Or does it feel like the tightening of a noose we have only just begun to see?"
Arwyn's silence was agreement enough, though she gave a slow nod.
Seraphina rose from her chair, her steps deliberate as she paced toward the window, her gaze fixed not on the light but on the unseen beyond. "No. None of this is chance. Every detail threads into another. These cases, seemingly scattered, are bound by a single design. Eska, her husband, the knight's death, the S-Ranked adventurer's murder, the young woman's murder... all of it belongs to the same weave. The attack on Eska was no misfortune. The one who may have hired those assailants could be her husband, or someone using him as a piece on their board. The murders do not diverge; they converge."
Arwyn straightened, her voice steady but carrying a faint heat. "Then we must assume he is already part of this greater design. And if that is so, Captain, then we are closer to the heart of it than we believed."
She inclined her head ever so slightly, her eyes narrowing as though peering into the void itself. "After those bandits deaths, I thought I felt a strange presence, but when I went there, there was no one. I dismissed it as imagination. Yet now I know better. He was there. The masked man. Watching. Waiting. Cloaked in silence while we stood blind."
Her hand touched her temple once more, the faintest trace of weariness hidden beneath layers of steel. "Clues have been scarce until now, scattered like ashes in the wind. But this changes everything. They begin to align before us, and with alignment comes pursuit. If we press forward carefully, if we anticipate his movements, we may yet seize him before he strikes again. No... we must. It is no longer choice but duty."
Arwyn inclined her head with solemnity, her voice calm but carrying the pride of an oath.
"Yes, Captain. Our vows bind us. This town is under our protection, and no murderer, no phantom, no masked shadow will slip beyond our reach. We shall catch him. But… what step shall we take next? Where do we move from here?"
Seraphina fell silent. For a long while she let the question linger in the air, the silence itself heavier than words. Deep within her, where none could see, unease stirred, an unease that had haunted her from the moment she first suspected the killer targeted healers. There was a certain someone she wished to kill herself, not by someone else's hand. And beyond that, even Arwyn, her most trusted subordinate and friend, bore that same element. She could defend herself, she knew. But Kael? He could not. The thought had unsettled her until now, yet with this new revelation, the unease faded. What remained in its place was resolve, sharpened and merciless.
She turned to Arwyn, her tone steady, cold, and commanding, each word deliberate. "We will trap him within his own shadow. To do that, we must walk ahead of him, always a step beyond the strike he plans. But for that, we require more. More information, more patterns, more evidence to bind him. Collect it. Leave nothing untouched. Every detail may be the thread that leads us to his grave."
Arwyn bowed her head slightly, her voice strong, noble in its obedience. "As you command, Captain. I will see it done."
When she departed, silence reclaimed the office. And within that silence, a smile crept across Seraphina's lips, not warm, not kind, but dark and cold, the curve of a predator who had marked her prey. Her sharp blue eyes glimmered faintly as she whispered to the emptiness. "Let us see how far you can run… before I take hold of you."
---
In the far north of Velhart town, only a few miles away yet already feeling distant, there stretched a vast forest. It was not just large but endlessly so, vast enough that one could imagine entire cities hidden within, swallowed by its endless green. This place had a name whispered often, the Forest of Death, and though its depths were known to harbor dangers no sane man would ever face lightly, the outskirts were calmer, where people sometimes ventured to gather what they needed.
Through clusters of medium-sized trees and patches of grass that swayed lightly with the touch of the wind, a boy moved slowly, his brown hair falling messily as he bent down again and again to search among the long blades. Kael was here for herbs. That was all. Nothing more. He would never have set foot here otherwise. For now, here at the forest's edge, there was no threat that could truly endanger him, or so he believed, because if there were even the slightest chance of death he would not have taken the quest. He knew his own weakness too well, and dying in such a pathetic state was the last fate he wished to meet.
The beginning of the forest was still forgiving. Harmless monsters lingered here, small animals too, and most importantly, this was where herbs could be found. Plants with tender leaves and delicate flowers, known for mending wounds or easing sickness, grew quietly in the shaded ground as though waiting for careful hands. Kael's sleeves were rolled back, his arms brushing against the grass as he moved it aside, his eyes searching carefully for what he came for. Already he looked tired. He had been at it for minutes that felt much longer, and his efforts had yielded only two small plants. For him that was far from enough. He had hoped, even foolishly wished, to stumble upon a whole patch of them, but with the way his luck always ran, such hopes were nothing more than passing dreams.
Time slipped away slowly as he pressed through the grass, his movements clumsy yet persistent, until at last he managed to gather the number he needed. Relief eased over him when he counted them, though his eyes quickly caught on the few more still missing. He looked around carefully, brushing aside one patch after another, but found no more of the pink-flowered herbs. He paused, lifted his head, and searched the area once again, yet nothing revealed itself.
Then he moved a little further, his steps quiet yet expectant, and at last he saw them. Ahead, by the roots of several medium-sized trees where the bark split unevenly, the herbs stood, small and fragile yet shining faintly with their soft pink blossoms. His chest loosened at the sight, and he hurried forward, careful not to trip over the uneven roots. The quest would be finished soon, he told himself, and after that all he needed was to return to the Guild and hand them over.
Reaching the tree, he bent down slowly, placing his hand gently on the rough bark before easing the herbs from their place, taking care not to break them. He had done this before and knew how to pull them without damaging the stem. He worked in silence, steady, until at the last herb a sound drifted from the other side of the grass wall ahead of him.
A faint crackle, like something moving. He froze for an instant, then breathed out, convincing himself it was no more than a rabbit or some other harmless thing. He ignored it and reached again, but then came another sound... louder this time, the sharp snap of a branch breaking.
Kael's hand hesitated. He leaned forward, gently parting the tall grass in front of him, expecting perhaps the glimpse of a small animal darting away. But what met his eyes instead struck him like a cold spear down his spine. His breath caught. His chest tightened. He instantly pressed a hand over his own mouth to stop the sound that almost escaped, his body shrinking back until his shoulders pressed into the bark behind him.
His eyes were wide, trembling as he forced himself to remain still. His thoughts burned with frustration and despair, spilling out inside him in silence.
"What a fucking life of mine. I just want to live a fucking normal life. And my fucking bad luck is also so fucked up already. Ugh… just kill me already."
---
(Chapter Ended)
To be continued...