The dense canopy of the forest finally began to thin, revealing a heavily fortified checkpoint made of jagged black stone and shimmering magical wards. Rei and Dell stepped into the clearing, the air humming with the high-pitched frequency of a protective barrier.
"We've made it," Dell said, pointing toward a line of sleek, silver-plated carriages parked near the gates. "That's the gateway to Aurion City. From here, we have to take an enchanted cart. Walking is a death sentence."
Rei adjusted his blindfold, his senses shifting revealing the body shape, powers and attribute as well as the heavy, rhythmic thumping in the distance—monsters. "How much for a seat?"
"They're pricey," Dell warned. They approached a stout man with a ledger who was aggressively haggling with a group of mercenaries.
"Two seats," Dell interrupted.
The cart owner didn't even look up. "2,000 gold coins each. There are only two spots left in the next armored convoy. The rest are booked by the Merchant's Guild."
Rei paused, his brow furrowing. "2,000 gold? That seems... excessive for a taxi ride."
"It's not just a ride, Rei," Dell whispered. "Aurion is a fortress city surrounded by a 'Death Zone' filled with high-rank monsters. These carts are enchanted with Grade-A concealment circles and reinforced with physical barriers. Without one, the monsters will smell your scent from a mile away and tear you apart before you see the city walls."
"Fine," Rei sighed, reaching into his pouch. "Let's go."
As the enchanted cart lurched forward, its wheels glowing with a soft blue light that masked the sound of its movement, Rei leaned back against the cushioned seat. They were heading into one of the most protected cities in the land, but Rei knew that barriers were only as strong as the people behind them.
While Rei moved toward Aurion, the atmosphere at the Soo Mansion was suffocatingly grim. Ben, Emilia, Levi, and Alya stood in the grand foyer, facing the grieving heir of the estate.
"Welcome, masters," Young Master Soo said. His voice was steady, but the dark circles under his eyes told the story of a man who hadn't slept since his father's throat was cut. "My father... he is still in his quarters."
Ben nodded, his eyes scanning the hallway. "I hope you haven't moved the body, Young Master."
"No. We left everything exactly as it was, per your instructions," he replied, leading them deep into the mansion.
They entered the master bedroom. Lord Soo lay sprawled across his bed, his silk robes stained a dark, rusty crimson. He had been stabbed multiple times in the chest, but the killing blow was a surgical, deep laceration across the jugular.
"Quite a scene," Alya remarked, her hand resting on the hilt of her sword. "Lord Soo was a High-Tier combatant. How did no one hear a fight?"
"Sound-canceling Krystallite," Levi noted, pointing to a faint, shimmering dust on the floorboards. "It creates a localized zone of silence. Very professional."
Ben knelt by the body, his eyes narrowed. "It's odd... the wounds don't match a single style. Young Master, bring in the witnesses."
Four individuals entered the room: a guard, a gardener, a chef, and a waitress. They didn't look like typical household staff; they had the calloused hands and steady gaze of veterans.
The guard stepped forward first, showing a torso covered in jagged, fresh scars. "I was the first to see him. The leader was a man with twin daggers. He was a ghost. I've fought many speed-types, but he completely outclassed me. He moved like a blur. then with just his dagger he made cuts all over my body till I passed out from blood loss."
The gardener, an older man with a stoic face, spoke next. "I was watering the Night Lilies since Lord Soo like Night Lilies a lot" Alya asked "But why during the night you could have watered them during the day" The gardener said "I was watering them during the night since they store Moon Origin when watered on full moons. I saw the shadow and attacked with my scissors."
"Scissors?" Emilia asked, surprised.
The gardener held up a pair of massive, reinforced iron shears. "I'm a retired soldier from the Vanguard. I fought him on equal footing for a minute, but he used poisoned throwing knives to clip my legs. He hit me with a sleeping powder, but before I went under, I managed to sink my shears into his thigh."
Alya grinned. "A gardener who bites back. I like it. Who's next?"
The chef, a burly man with arms like tree trunks, stepped up. "The assassin was limping when he reached the kitchen so I attacked with my butcher knives." Emilia asked "wait you too, but you are not a fighter" Ben said "Emilia within noble circles they usually hire retired soldiers and slum people to do works like gardening, making food etc" Alya said "I see but why?"
Levi said "Noble word mean showing high moral principles and these principles include being kind, selfless and honest also it happens because a noble has to prove himself to become a noble, after turning 10 years old when one leaves their home noble children suffer the most since they had been coddled the most and to get their noble status back these noble children need to contribute in sections like infrastructures, military, slum development etc without recieving support from their parents so they could be seen as worthy enough to inherit their family name you should ask young master Soo here about his journey"
Young Master Soo said "yes I contributed in creating a good infrastructure in the slums and providing them safety currently my organization also delves in cleaning slums as well" both of them understood and Ben said "lets come back to the main topic chef you can continue" The chef said "As I attacked he retaliated and the fight was a stalemate of pure skill, but he was getting desperate. I threw a pot of boiling soup at him, but he dodged in mid-air and kicked me so hard with his other leg that i crashed through a wall."
Next, the waitress spoke. "I was going to give some drinks to Lord Soo when the assassin came I was surprised but took out the dagger, charged and attacked him but he was able to stop the attack with his own daggers and then used his free hand to attack to take another dagger from his waist and attacked with it but I dodged the dagger slash he made at me and then took out my other dagger too our daggers clashed and he stopped all my dagger attack with his daggers and then i used a faint by acting like I was going to attack with reverse grip but instead changed and attacked with saber grip but he put his head down anticipating it and kicked my legs making me fall and then kicked me which sent out of the window"
Ben stood up, rubbing his chin. "So, we have a highly skilled dagger specialist who is currently suffering from a severe leg injury caused by a pair of gardening shears."
"If he's hurt, he can't have gone far," Emilia said. "But how do we find one man with a leg injury among thousands of adventurers?"
"We don't look everywhere," Ben said, his eyes flashing with intelligence. "Young Master, send your men to search the East, North, and South areas. Completely ignore the West."
"Why not the West?" Levi asked.
"Because the poison found in Lord Soo's wounds contains trace elements of 'East-River Hemlock,'" Ben explained. "The assassin would know that. To hide his tracks, he'll try to camouflage himself in the area where that plant is common so the scent of his own tools doesn't give him away. He thinks he's being clever by staying close to his 'source.'"
Young Master Soo bowed. "I will have every man with a leg injury in the eastern districts brought here for examination immediately."
"Good," Ben said, looking at the bloodied bed. "Let's see how long this ghost can hide."