《My Immoral Detective System》


 Chapter 1 - Modern Sherlock Holmes

    A man sprinted in the dark and dashed toward the narrow alley. His hands protected the hood from falling off of his head while running. He didn''t want anyone to see his face!


    It was late at night. Only dogs were walking on the streets and barking at each other. Their noise filled the entire area.??


    The shutter of the shops were down, and the houses on the street looked like they belonged to middle-class families. Even at this time of the night, the residents hung clothes from the balcony, fluttering every time whenever the wind blew past them.


    Neither the dogs nor the innocent families sleeping inside the houses in the alley expected a man to come running out of the dark suddenly. His bloodshot eyes kept scanning the alley while he ran forward without stopping, wiping the sweat off of his forehead.


    He wanted to pause and take a breather, but he couldn''t. Otherwise, the police following behind would kill him. Even thinking about those men following him made his face as pale as white. He was unlucky today!


    A few people wearing dark blue uniforms dashed into the dark alley, running after the man in a hoodie. Profuse sweating made their clothes stick to their bodies, but they didn''t stop running. The man in the hoodie was the person they had all been waiting to catch for years! And now, when this golden chance had finally arrived, how could they stop?


    They needed to catch this person tonight! Determination flashed in their eyes as they sprinted after that man.


    "I¡­.I didn''t kill that family!" The man in a hoodie made a last futile attempt to save himself. Although he was the culprit behind the murder of an entire family, he still was young and aspired to live his life. The man gritted his teeth and said, "You all have found the wrong guy!"


    "Oh, really?" One police officer sneered as he aimed his gun at the man running in the dark. "If you don''t stop right now, I''ll shoot you!"


    Cold sweat formed on the man''s forehead, and he contemplated his chance of survival. At the time of desperation, an insane thought flashed through his mind.


    If he can''t survive today, he will not let these b*stards live either!


    So he made a turn and actively dashed toward the path that led to a dead end. Three walls surrounded him, and his steps halted.


    The police officers running after the man in the hoodie frowned after seeing this. They suddenly had an ominous feeling in their hearts, but before they could think more about this, they heard the other party laughing maniacally.


    The man didn''t take off his hoodie, but the police officers could still tell that there was probably a grin on that face. The man in a hoodie fished out a small square-shaped remote control from his pockets. His thumb hovered above the round red button in the middle as he stared at the group of police officers coldly.


    "Alright, I confess. I killed those people! I''m the serial killer you were searching for all this time! But unfortunately¡­" The man chuckled darkly. "You''re all going to die!"


    The man swiftly pressed the button, waiting to hear an explosion, and closed his eyes. He waited, waited, and waited, but the burning pain didn''t shoot through his limbs. He couldn''t feel the expected explosion around him.


    He opened his eyes again, tilting his head in confusion. The man in the hoodie remembered he had placed a bomb on his waist that he could trigger any time. But why didn''t it go off? Was there a loose wire or something?


    It stunned the man in the hoodie when an unfamiliar crisp voice echoed in his ears, out of the blue, that sent shivers down his spine. "Of course, there''s a loose wire. I cut it off from my own hands."


    Cut it off? How could someone play with a bomb just like that?! His head spun toward his left, only to find a young man in jeans and a check shirt standing before him.


    That young man had a smile on his face as he played with the wire that seemed way too familiar to the man in the hoodie.


    When the police officers saw this youth, a flush of relief washed over their bodies. Their shoulders relaxed, and they smiled. "Thank goodness! Now that Mr. Nelson is here, we can catch this criminal."


    The man in the hoodie froze after hearing the words of the officers. This youth before him was an important personality. Otherwise, why would the police talk to him with so much respect?


    He had calculated the number of people following him. But from where in the world did this extra person come from?! The man''s eyes were so wide that they even seemed to come out of his socket!


    Mr. Nelson seemed to have read his thoughts. The smile on the former''s face widened as he cocked his head. "I was in the shadows right behind you. Didn''t you notice?"


    "F*CK you all!" The man in the hoodie yelled. His nostrils flared as he stared at the young man with his red eyes. Even though one technique failed, he still had another bomb. He knew something like this would happen. So he had prepared another set of bomb just for catching the smart asses off guard!


    The man fished out another remote, and before pressing the button, he grinned. "You didn''t expect this, Mr. Nelson, did you?"


    The young man, who was playing with the wire earlier, frowned and had just stepped forward to get that remote when the person in the hoodie pressed the button.


    .


    .


    .


    That night, the sleeping families staying in the apartments few streets away from the dark alley heard an explosion all of a sudden. They all jerked awake and dashed toward the window, watching the scene before their eyes with widened eyes.


    Waves of fire engulfed the dead-end area. The surrounding walls crumbled and fell to the ground. Multiple dead bodies were lying on the ground, covered in blood.


    Along with that man in a hoodie, the police officers and Mr. Nelson had also died in the blast. But these families didn''t know about that. Their faces turned ashen, and some of them fished out their phones with trembling hands and called the police.


    A day later, the news flashed in bold letters that a famous detective, Zion Nelson, died in the explosion last night. The world was shocked to hear that news.


    Zion Nelson¡­ A brilliant individual known for his superb deduction skills and solving multiple cases. His fandom had given him the title ''The Modern Sherlock'' after following him for years!


    But now that this man had suddenly died, they couldn''t accept it at all!


    All the single girls, who wanted nothing but to fangirl after this detective, cried so much that their eyes turned red.


    This was a loss for the world, but the person who made those girls cry didn''t know about all these things.


    The moment that explosion came out, a throbbing pain burned throughout his limbs, but for the next second, he was still conscious. How come he was still alive?

 Chapter 2 - A Strange Floating Man

    Just when the bomb exploded, the first thing that Zion felt was a wave of stabbing pain in his limbs. Every part of his body was suffering through intense pain. It felt as if millions of scorpions were impaling him at the same time. For the first time in his life, he was feeling helpless.


    But the next second, the immense pain vanished. As if it was just his worst nightmare. His body was floating above as he stared down at the bloody scene beneath him.


    The fire hadn''t died down, and the scene before his eyes was horrifying. The residents saw several burnt bodies on the ground as fire sparkled the area.


    But before he could give it some thought, his transparent body floated above with great speed.


    Everything around him became blurry. Zion was confused about what''s happening around him. Where was that place? Was he dead or alive? Then suddenly, his body stopped, and everything became clear around him.


    If he had a physical body, all the hairs of his hands would''ve risen because of the floating speed.


    After stopping, what he saw before his eyes was a vast universe and¡­


    A handsome young man with long waist hair and a crown on the top of his head. This man was also floating in the universe, with a warm smile on his face.


    But what made Zion choke was what this person was wearing.


    He had long golden ornaments around his neck, almost as if this wasn''t the neck of a man, but a woman who loved to show off gold. And this man''s entire clothing had fluffy, pinkish fur. He even had a furry scarf around his neck, which made things even worse.


    Zion couldn''t help but feel nauseous. "What the heck are you wearing?"


    The man glanced at his attire and tilted his head in confusion.


    "Isn''t it the latest fashion?"


    "No!" It was almost like the latest fashion disaster, but Zion held his tongue, realizing the absurdity of the situation. He squinted his eyes at the man. "Who''re you?"


    "Methuselah."


    "Methu¡­" Zion couldn''t pronounce that name properly. Just what kind of name was that?!


    "No, it''s Methuselah."


    Methuselah could tell that the youth was getting impatient. So he chuckled awkwardly and said, "Don''t worry about what, where, and how. Yeah?"


    Zion said nothing and instead kept on staring at him with his cold eyes. At one point, this Methu person was intimidated enough that cold sweat started forming on his forehead.


    After some moment of brief silence, the Methu guy laughed awkwardly and said, "Okay, so I''ll explain things in short. You''re dead."


    Zion again stared at the man as if the latter had gone crazy. He already knew he died tragically, but this person had to rub salt on his wound.


    Methuselah coughed, "Of course, you know that already."


    "Come to the point. Why am I here?"


    "Aren''t you surprised? Like I''ve seen many people screaming out of fear for the first ten minutes. To be honest, I was kind of expecting you to scream and yell at me."


    Zion felt a headache coming on. This Methu person sure was stupid. Otherwise, why would he chat so casually like this?


    If he still had physical hands, he would''ve punched Methuselah until the latter''s body fell apart. But it wasn''t possible. Even if he tried, his hands would have passed through the man''s body. Zion was a ghost now. Touching physical objects was no longer possible for him.


    The man suddenly felt a chill down his spine, and he could tell that the youth before him was on the verge of losing his patience. So he cleared his throat, coming to the point.


    "Since your good karma points are so high, we have given you a second chance at living."


    "Good karma points?" This phrase attracted Zion. He could tell what it meant, but he still wanted to confirm it from this weird-looking Methu man.


    "It''s the number of points you get every time you do a good deed."


    "Okay, go on." Zion nodded.


    "As I was saying, you''ll get a second chance, but you''ll have to prove yourself."


    "What do you mean?" Zion frowned.


    "Um¡­" Methuselah fell silent for a moment. He didn''t know where to start, but he clearly knew about those latest novels on Earth related to the system. And what he was going to propose was like stories. "You''ll get a system, and-"


    "I don''t need it." Zion clearly knew that if there was a system, there would be something to hold him back, and he clearly didn''t want to be forced to work under someone. He would rather reincarnate into a beggar''s body than to get a system.


    "This¡­" Now the man was getting a headache. If things weren''t urgent, he wouldn''t have chosen this person. The level of arrogance this person had was even higher than the citizens of his planet. But he didn''t have any other choice. So he could just beg¡­ "Mr. Nelson, to be honest, we really need your help."


    Zion''s eyebrows rose. So this was the real reason. They needed his help. He nodded and urged the other person to continue.


    Methuselah gave the other a bright-eyed glance.


    "One planet is going to be destroyed and pr-" Then the man paused as if he held himself back from saying another word and continued. "And you''re the only person who could save everyone."


    "Earth''s population is around 7.8 Billion, but you still felt like I was the only one who could help you." Zion shot an indifferent glance at the man, clearly not believing a word. "Interesting."


    The man felt another wave of chilling sensation running down his spine. He knew the youth was smart, but he didn''t expect for Zion to interpret that he had been hiding a lot of things. It was important to hide the truth from Zion by hook or by crook!


    Determination flashed in the man''s eyes at that. He had to stop this youth from deducing something new!


    Methuselah avoided the other''s eye contact and was rude for the sake of billions of lives on the other planet! "Well, you don''t have any other choice. We have already attached the system to your subtle body."


    "Subtle body¡­?"


    "It''s an invisible body wrapped around your soul. Your ghost body." The man paused and continued. "Now, you''ll be reborn with a system that would help you survive. So, toodles!"


    Before Zion could open his mouth to curse the other person, his body started fading and vanished from that place.


    Methuselah heaved a sigh of relief. That person was hard to deal with, and he could only use force against him.


    He hoped Zion could live up to his expectations.


    Just then, an anxious voice transmitted into his mind. "Boss, did you send Mr. Nelson?"


    "Yes, why?"


    "There was a minor mishap¡­" The voice paused for a second as if he was contemplating something in-between.


    The other person transmitting his voice gritted his teeth and said, "Somehow, the coding of an immoral system mixed with the detective system."


    "So it became an immoral detective system¡­" Methuselah finally felt a trace of fear rising in his heart. He was speechless for a moment, not knowing what to say.


    If Zion realized Methuselah had made this gross mistake, would that youth come rushing after him with guns or bombs? His limbs suddenly trembled in fear. "Listen, don''t pick up Zion''s call in any situation. No matter what! Just block the helpline number!"


    "¡­Okay."

 Chapter 3 - System 007 Is Online

    When Zion opened his eyes, his body was already breathing. He felt dizzy for a moment, and then he moved his limbs.


    But before he could get a grasp of the situation, a soft female voice attracted his attention.??


    "What kind of person did you choose?! He doesn''t even know how to serve well!" Even though the voice was soft, the rude tone made it harder for Zion to appreciate the girl.


    "Ignore him," another female voice said in a helpless tone. "Oi, servant 52, pour water in my cup."


    Servant 52? Zion finally opened his eyes and observed his surroundings.


    The room had multiple red-colored objects. Everything, including carpet, curtains, bedsheets, couch covers, pillows, and practically everything related to clothes, was red. But the room seemed to have an ancient touch, giving out the vibe of a medieval European setting.


    On his right, two ladies wearing an ancient gown of pink and light green color sat on a dining table. The girl in pink suddenly reminded him of the floating Methu man he met earlier, and the feeling of nausea returned, making him feel sick in the pit of his stomach.


    He still didn''t know what his situation was! So he lowered his head and acted like a docile servant, pouring tea in the cups kept before those women.


    He tilted his head.


    First, he died just because he failed to find the second bomb, which he suspected was planted inside that criminal''s body. And second, he met a strange Methu man wearing those weird furry clothes.


    His nose wrinkled as he recalled that view.


    Third, that man forced a system on him.


    Speaking of the system, why didn''t he feel anything in his mind? Hadn''t that furry man said that they would attach it to his ''subtle body''?


    Then¡­ where was this system?


    *System 007 is online*


    This word flashed in front of his eyes on a transparent screen, and before it could surprise him, he heard a voice.


    "Did you just call me?" A transparent screen flashed before his eyes, with a familiar figure grinning on the screen. When Zion saw this figure, he blurted out, "Methu man?!"


    That''s right. The person who appeared on the transparent screen before was the same man wearing those furry clothes.


    So the furry man was his system¡­


    He couldn''t help but feel a wave of a headache coming at this point.


    That man was stupid!


    At first, he had thought that he wouldn''t have to see that face ever again. But now, looking at this kind of funny virtual image of that man, Zion''s expression turned stony.


    Perhaps the system understood that he had somehow offended Zion. So the person shook his head instantly and said, "If you''re talking about Methuselah, I''m not him."


    Zion felt relieved after hearing that.


    "I''m system 007-"


    "Why 007?" Zion was curious about this.


    "Isn''t it a famous number because of James Bond?"


    Zion couldn''t help but shake his head helplessly¡ªas expected of a system that looked similar to that stupid floating man.


    "As I was saying, I''m a virtual version of him!" Then the person paused. "In your words, I''m an artificial intelligence created by taking reference from that person."


    "Get to the point!"


    Before the system could reply, a female voice suddenly spoke in an icy voice. "Lia, dear, your servant is such a skamelar. Does he need tips?"


    "I said, ignore him." The woman dressed in a green gown stressed on her words, attempting to gain her attention.


    That''s when Zion noticed the surrounding women. The pink girl''s eyes flashed with a touch of disdain when she glanced at him, but this Lia girl only smiled gently.


    What shocked him the most was her eyes. Half of her eyes were red, and the other part was black. Wavy blond hair reached her waist as she averted her eyes and smiled at her friend, chattering with the other person.


    This girl was indeed beautiful. If it were an ordinary world, Zion would''ve tried to converse with this girl, but he had just been transmigrated into another unknown planet with a weird system attached to him.


    Even the other girl wearing a pink gown didn''t seem normal.


    He was so busy staring at those women that he failed to glance at the system, who was emitting pink bubbles and heart emoji while staring at those women with glistening eyes.


    Slowly, Zion calmed down and concluded they were probably far from human.


    "That''s true!" The system chirped smilingly after listening to Zion''s thoughts. "This race is called Dhampir, and the two women before you are the royals with a half-vampire and half-witch blood in their veins. Both are sisters."


    Zion glanced at the screen. "Say, system, why did Methu man choose me?"


    But the smile on the system''s face faded as he took upon solemn expression, saying, "I''m not obliged to answer this question."


    Zion sneered in his heart. Sure enough. This system was a robot that acted friendly only on the surface.


    The system trembled under Zion''s icy gaze and quickly explained the rules. "I''m a very user-friendly system. If you want to see your status, think of the word status, and it''ll show you your name, occupation, and points. And if you want to use your points to shop for power and other stuff, you just have to say shop! Similarly, if you have some query, you can just say help, and I would get you connected with the superiors."


    "You mean Methu man."


    "Yes, yes! Him! He''s my boss!"


    This system was as stupid as his boss. It hadn''t told him anything about his purpose in this world! This 007 didn''t have a slightest inclination toward work. Zion rolled his eyes at that. "Okay, but what exactly do you do?"


    "Oh, my bad! I didn''t even tell you why I''m here!" The system face-palmed itself. "I''m a detective system, and I''ll help you become the topmost detective in this world!"


    And he would also help the man meet the most beautiful ladies in the topmost races across the world. But this wasn''t something the system wanted the man to know. According to the coding, the word ''immoral'' shouldn''t be said out loud. So he showed a lecherous smile and glanced at the ladies sitting at the dining table.


    Zion, who was already on the top of the previous world, didn''t find this reward even a wee bit alluring. But as he glanced at the system, he saw that weird lecherous smile directed at the women and raised his brows. This system was indeed odd, and there was probably something hidden within that smile.


    For now, he would keep that matter aside until he could gather more evidence.


    The system waiting for some praise got a sharp glance from Zion and shivered in fear. The virtual man coughed awkwardly and opened his mouth.


    "I have one more reward." The system paused, and star-shaped emoji flashed in his eyes. "If you can get 500,000 points, you can get rid of me permanently! Just solve as many cases as you can and earn these points!"


    Zion raised his brows. This was the only thing that seemed interesting, but he knew there would be a downside to this path. The system would dig a pit for him secretly, waiting for him to fall automatically under the guise of 500,000 points.


    So he didn''t believe that this system was na?ve. Instead, he wanted to investigate this transparent virtual person more. So his eyes narrowed for a moment before lowering. "What''s my first case?"

 Chapter 4 - Earth Version 2

    As soon as the system heard the magical words ''first case,'' his eyes shone in delight. Zion glanced at two heart-shaped emojis forming in 007''s eyes in an enlarged shape. This kind of image made the system look even more...girlish.


    Zion couldn''t help but avert his eyes. Didn''t that Methu man feel embarrassed while coding such a strange artificial intelligence system? But nevermind. His focus was solely to find out more about this system and increase the chances of his survival. Right now, he didn''t even know what he looked like.??


    As for the two heart-shaped emojis: Zion had an idea about what this meant. Was this artificial intelligence lusting after ladies? He had caught this system reacting the same way after seeing those women a while ago.


    Zion couldn''t help but furrowed his brows at that. He had an ominous hunch in his heart but didn''t dwell on it more, since he lacked evidence. But his heart was telling him to be wary of such a system.


    Sure enough, the system opened his lecherous mouth and revealed his hidden intentions.


    "The first case is of a victim named Princess Lia!" Lia? Was it that girl who had glanced at him gently a while ago? Zion couldn''t help but turn back at the girl, only to find her staring at him. He was stunned, but before he could retract his gaze, the girl averted her eyes and smiled at the pink gown girl.


    "And what to speak about the princess? She is elegant, brave, confident, and fulfills the promise she makes! But the most important thing is that Princess Lia is currently single! Do you know what that means?" The system gave out a dirty laugh, hiding his mouth with his hands. "This means that everything big in her body can be yours! She will warm your bed at night and won''t let you die of boredom because she''s really talkative-"


    Zion squinted his eyes at the system. He knew if he let this lecherous system continue, the latter would go into extreme details, creating a p*rn story. So he expertly interrupted the words of this immoral system. "Are you a detective system or a perverted matchmaking system?"


    "I''m a perverted detective system!"


    This virtual thing even admitted to his face. Zion''s mouth twitched at that.


    Now, he could already tell that mishap must have occurred while creating this system, and it ended up like this. He even knew that the Methu man wouldn''t pick up his call either if he asked for help. But he still wanted to try it.


    "System, help."


    "I''m contacting the higher authority right now!" And another screen surfaced before Zion''s eyes, showing a pop-up where a few words were written:


    ''Wait, contacting the higher-ups.''


    But these words suddenly changed into:


    ''The higher-ups are not available right now. Please wait and contact us some other time.''


    Zion sneered. As expected of those people who dared to force a perverted system onto his shoulders.


    "I''m sorry, host. I cannot contact them temporarily." The furry man''s image appeared on the screen again.


    "Can you send them a message?"


    The furry image nodded.


    Zion''s mouth stretched to form a smirk. "Then send them this: ''Let''s see how long you guys plan to keep your mouths shut. You dare to create a perverted detective system and force me to use it?! If I ever meet you another day, you guys will face demise for sure.'' And send this message on an urgent basis. Make sure you broadcast on their channel so that everyone can hear."


    When he imagined the creased brows and widened eyes of those people after reading this message, his mood lifted instantly.


    Wait, didn''t he forget something? "System, the case."


    "Oh, right!" The system thought of something and said, "Just wait a while, and you''ll know the details. A small tip. Princess Lia is an important person in this case."


    Zion thought he would just wander around and get more information about this world until the case was revealed. At this moment, he still didn''t know a thing, which was dangerous for his survival.


    Just then, he heard a voice.


    "Servant 52, bring me some wine." The woman in the pink gown said in a high-pitched voice filled with impatience, "What''re you standing there for? I''m thirsty!"


    Zion glanced toward Lia and left the room, paddling in the long, endless corridor. The walls were filled with many images of people and war as the red carpet decorated this place. These people really seemed to like the red color. "System, will I get to see the memories of this body?"


    "Host, this function is not available yet. Please be patient until we bring more updates in the future."


    The furry man stood on the screen in front of Zion''s eyes and got a headache looking at the outfit. He rubbed the bridge of his nose and said, "Can''t you change what you look like?"


    "Host, I''ve been programmed to become Methuselah''s shadow, who is the most handsome and dashing man in the entire universe-"


    "Define the universe." Zion interrupted the system''s words. He knew he couldn''t find straight answers, so he would ask a few more queries about the universe to get more information about where this system''s origin. But 007 was stupid. So the latter would naturally take the bait.


    Sure enough, the system nodded as if he were an adult who was supposed to guide the children properly. "The universe is filled with planets and living beings, and there are many such universes like this. The place you came from, Earth, comes under the category of middle-level planets under the control of the higher-level beings. There are also lower-level ones, but the host doesn''t need to know about them."


    Zion quickly caught the hidden meaning behind these words. Wasn''t the system describing heaven, Earth, and hell in the modern language? "So that Methu man belonged to the higher-level planet?"


    "Yes, he''s one of the most dedicated people who control the technology of the world."


    Zion also wanted to know why they summoned him to this world. So he used this opportunity and asked, "They''re also humans?"


    "Host, they are also souls, just with a different type of body and authority. They exist to maintain all the middle-level planets and see that these planets run smoothly."


    "And what about the planet I''m on currently?"


    "Host, this is also a middle-level planet, Earth version 2."


    Now, everything was crystal clear before Zion''s eyes. Something must have definitely happened to this current world, and the higher-level beings arranged for such a system to save this world from being destroyed. So the reason he was summoned was probably to save this place.


    But why him? He was just a detective and didn''t even have excellent martial art skills of the ancient or medieval times, and this current world seemed to be in the latter setting.


    There could be only one reason: saving the world perhaps required his deduction skills; and second, the higher-beings maybe had little time, resulting in such a gross mistake while creating a system.


    Just as he was thinking about this, he saw a few guards rushing into the corridor. They walked past him, followed by a king with veins popping on his forehead, and they were all heading toward Princess Lia''s room.


    Zion frowned and followed them. It looked like he would discover what the case was soon enough.

 Chapter 5 - Host, Please Dont Be Mad!

    Zion turned around and ran toward Lia''s room. A surge of adrenaline washed all over his limbs. His speed was fast, but this kind of speed also affected his body.


    By the time he reached the room where Princess Lia and her friend in a pink gown were sitting, sweat drops trickled down his forehead. The grey-colored clothes he wore stuck to him.??


    His focus drifted for a moment until he calmed his breathing and hid behind a giant flower vase just beside the door. After that, he cursed the power level of the current body. Even a child could have a fistfight with him and win!


    But this wasn''t the time to focus on such things. He needed to find out more about the case.


    "Guards, capture her!" The King spoke. This person at least wore something presentable, unlike that Methu man. The King''s clothes had a velvet texture filled with rich colors. He had a gold crown on the top of his head that enhanced his handsomeness. If not for the wrinkles this person had on his face, he would have looked even more dashing.


    It was just that the dual color of his eyes matched that of Lia''s.


    Guard raised their unsheathed swords toward the girl dressed in green. She glared at her father and said, "What''s the meaning of this?"


    "You still dare to ask this?!" The King gestured to the people with swords. "Bring her to the prison!"


    They put their swords away and grabbed her arms from both sides as she struggled with all her might, but couldn''t escape. She glared at the men around her. "Father, let go of me! What did I do?"


    "You killed your brother, and you say, what did you do?!" Veins throbbed on the King''s neck. "How impudent!"


    Lia''s eyes widened at this. "Brother''s dead?"


    "No use of pretending now! The evidence is against you!" The King rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Take her away. I don''t want to see her."


    The guards dragged the girl outside the room. But before they could pass the door, Lia''s head spun toward the place where Zion was hiding and glanced at him with a thoughtful smile on her face.


    Zion was still busy mulling over the King''s words and what Lia had said. So he failed to see Lia''s face.


    When they took away Princess Lia, the girl in the pink dress jerked as her limbs trembled in fear. She sprinted out at lightning speed.


    And when everyone left the room, the King, who looked energetic and angry a moment ago, slumped back in a chair, tears appearing in his eyes. "How could this happen to me? I loved my children, and I especially doted on my daughter. How could she kill the crown prince?"


    The King didn''t stay inside the room for long. Once he walked away, Zion released the breath he was holding. His weak body still wasn''t strong enough to use his fighting skills to go against the guards if he were to be captured. So he was even holding his breath and hid his body in the shadows.


    But while he was hiding, he noticed Dhampirs were shorter than humans. If he was at 6''1, the Dhampirs females were around 5''5, while the males were about 5''10 in height. So the top of Princess Lia''s head reached his ears.


    Glancing at the receding back of the King, Zion could only sigh. This was a typical murder case, and he was sure that someone wanted to frame Lia. Even though he didn''t know the reason behind it, he was confident that the throne was probably the instigation behind this murder. Otherwise, why would someone murder a crown prince and anger the Royals?


    "System, is it necessary to take up the case?" It wasn''t like Zion didn''t want to save that Princess, but he still didn''t prefer to trust this system. If his deductions were correct, this system wasn''t a threat to his life. He would just have to solve the cases 007 would give him in exchange for points and save the world.


    But if his deduction weren''t correct, then it would mean 007 wanted to force him down in a bottomless pit filled with darkness. That was why he was reluctant to take up this case.


    Since the system refused to explain why he was here, he could only assume things based on the information he had got.


    "Host." The furry man grimaced. "If you want to walk back from a case, just pay up ten times the points you would get after solving it."


    As expected. At present, he had zero points. So he had no other choice but to solve the case. Sighing, he said, "Fine, I''ll solve this case." Then he paused and thought of something. "By the way, how many points will I get from this case?"


    "How could I forget such an important thing!" the furry man exclaimed and facepalmed himself. "Fifty points."


    Zion''s eyes turned cold. He glanced sharply at the system, who shivered under his intense gaze. The latter averted his eyes in guilt and said, "H-H-Host, please don''t be mad. This is the easiest case. So it was bound to provide minimum points."


    But the system''s host didn''t bother to coax the frightened 007. Zion squinted his eyes and continued to stare at the furry man until the latter wailed. Two teardrops poured out of his eyes. "Host! Please don''t look at me like that! I''ll pee out of fear!"


    This artificial system wasn''t just useless but also unreliable. It looked like Zion had to depend on himself to solve this case.


    But first, he would have to know more about this world before finding clues.


    On the other side, they pushed Princess Lia in the jail. A few people with broad shoulders guarded the main door of the cell. But there was something different about these Dhampirs. They had Elven ears and red eyes with canine sharp as a vampire''s. They were another powerful group of Dhampirs, after the Royals themselves.


    Lia sneered in her heart after seeing these guards and refused to look at them anymore. In the bedroom, she was acting like a docile princess, but when she was alone, she showed her actual face.


    Sitting in the dark, she continued to stare at the wall. She was so silent that it went against her character. This princess was famous for her talkative tongue. She couldn''t stand silence, but at this moment, she acted like a wise queen who was thinking about the meaning of life.


    If Zion were here, he would have seen through her facade and realized that something might be wrong with this Princess. He had also heard about what the Princess'' character was, and he would doubt Lia after seeing this scene.


    But he wasn''t here, and Lia was finally free from the shackles, staring at the darkness for God knows how long.


    All of a sudden, a shadow flashed in the cell''s darkness as if the man were waiting for Lia''s arrival. Then shadow rushed toward the Princess, who seemed to sit there on the ground, staring at the wall expressionlessly. For a moment, it seemed like this shadow would be successful in killing this girl.

 Chapter 6 - A Violent Ghost!

    Princess Lia darted her eyes toward the shadow, grinning. "Do you think you can kill me?"


    The person''s shadow, however, didn''t fluster at her reaction. He didn''t even want to know whether there was something wrong with this girl. He just wanted to murder her in the prison''s darkness. This person was covered with a black suit from head to toe, not revealing his skin. Only his eyes shone in the moonlight coming in the room from the ventilator below the prison''s ceiling.??


    Before the shadow man''s sword could reach the girl''s neck, she instantly stood on her feet, and her body swirled around on her toes, dodging the attack. Her dress fluttered when she continued to avoid the attack without a drop of sweat on her forehead. She smiled, but there was an icy glint in her glance.


    It seemed as if this girl was so skillful that she was even enjoying the minor act of fighting. Her actions of dodging the attacks made it looked like she had been playing with the man who wanted to kill her. After a long time of attacking and dodging, even the shadow man realized that Princess Lia enjoyed this!


    He gritted his teeth and rushed to her with a deadly attack. His hands took out another sword hidden in his belt as he aimed at the girl''s heart.


    The girl had expected this man to use a second sword. So she dodged on time when the second sword was about to pierce her heart. Her body flashed back as she skillfully reached behind the shadow man and held his neck from a knife she took out from God knows where.


    The shadow man''s forehead was covered with cold sweat as he stared at the knife on his neck. Where did she take out this knife from?! His eyes were constantly on her form, but he still couldn''t tell where she was hiding this knife!


    The princess knew what was going on in the shadow man''s head. A dark chuckle escaped her lips. "You don''t need to care about this. If you want to live, get me out of here!"


    But the shadow man''s face was pale as white, and he didn''t know what to do. The instructions given to him were clear. If he failed in his mission to kill the princess tonight, he should kill himself rather than getting caught.


    Since he knew he had to die, what was there to be afraid of? His shoulders relaxed, and his body moved forward as his neck slashed against the sharp weapon. A gush of blood spurted out in an instant.


    Princess Lia was stunned after seeing this action before she sneered and put down the knife on the ground. After that, the sound of footsteps was coming toward the cell, and Princess Lia realized what had happened. If she were to get caught here with a dead body like this, they would consider her a murderer, according to her father, since she had ''killed'' someone else earlier. So it shouldn''t matter if she ''killed'' another person in her cell either.


    So no one would listen to her pleas about how she was defending against the assassin. But she was a princess who had survived this long for a reason. Ever since she was a child, her brothers and sisters were dying one after another because of an unexpected accident or sickness. She could only save herself because of her intelligent mind.


    So Lia messed up her appearance and scooted in one corner of the prison, curling her body up as fast as she could, and screamed in a horrifying manner. Her voice was so loud that even the guards outside jolted.


    When they opened the door, they caught the scene of the princess trembling from head to toe. Her limbs were covered with injuries as tears poured down her cheeks. "H-He was trying to kill me!"


    She wasn''t afraid, but her acting was so spot on that for a moment, even guards felt sympathy for her.


    After that, they cleared the cell ,and transferred the princess to a more secure prison. If the assassin''s attempt hadn''t occurred, the King wouldn''t have even imagined that someone wanted to frame the princess. After all, one of his trusted subordinates had seen Lia killing her brother. So how could his trusted subordinate lie to him?


    But after this assassin attempt, the King frowned. Did he make the right decision?


    Before he could ponder more, a guard walked inside hurriedly, with an anxious expression on his face. Sweat drops accumulated on his forehead as he glanced at the King, wanting to open his mouth but unable to say a single word.


    The King assumed that the news wasn''t good when he saw this person''s expression, and waved his hand. He should hear and be done with it.


    "Your Majesty, I-I, I-I¡­ I¡­"


    "Speak human language!" The King got a headache because of the guard''s stuttering.


    The guard gritted his teeth and said, "Your Majesty, we confiscated the Princess'' properties and servants, but we can''t find one person."


    The King frowned at this. "Who?"


    "Servant 52."


    The King''s brows furrowed deeper. It shouldn''t matter if a servant went missing. But when he glanced at his guard, he felt something was strange. Why did this guard act as if he had seen a ghost? "Then didn''t you scout people to look for him?"


    "We did, but we can''t find a trace of that person. But we found a dead body, and some people identified him as servant 52."


    The King had many things to think about now, and this lowly guard was wasting his time. He rubbed the bridge of his nose in irritation. "Get to the point!"


    "Your Majesty, I received the news that someone had seen servant 52 strolling outside the late crown prince''s mansion. But that''s not the worst thing." The guard opened his mouth, and his face became visibly pale when he thought of something. "A rumor has circulated recently that the servant 52''s soul is still wandering in the mansion, seeKing revenge for plotting against Princess Lia. It was said that he loved the princess dearly, and when she was caught, that servant committed suicide. And now, his ghost is out to take revenge."


    The guard''s teeth chattered in fright when he thought of this and instantly lowered his head, trying to hide his trembling limbs. There was one thing he didn''t tell the King. It was that he had not only seen this ''ghost'' but also negotiated with the latter so that it would not kill him. Under the direction of that servant 52, the guard was the first person who skillfully spread that rumor.


    But he wouldn''t tell this to anyone even if he were to be imprisoned for spreading such a rumor¡ªfor a prison life was way better than to die a tragic death because of a violent ghost!

 Chapter 7 - Dead Body Of Servant 52

    Zion wanted to eliminate his identity as a human servant 52 and find out more about this world before he could find clues for his first case in this world. At first, he was just waiting to see if he could sneak inside the common library as a servant. But when he had walked over, the guards only scolded him and shooed him away with a disdainful expression on their faces.


    Such a reaction confused Zion. Even though everyone would treat the servants in an unfair manner, the residents of this world reacted in an extraordinary way.??


    So he observed other servants, who were also humans, and realized one thing¡ªthe situation of humans wasn''t good in this world.


    Just as he was thinking about this, an idea formed in his mind.


    What if servant 52 committed suicide because he felt so remorseful after seeing his owner behind the bars that he couldn''t handle it and killed himself? This reasoning seemed to be good enough for now, but the thing that made Zion rethink his decision was that he didn''t have a body to replace him.


    If he were in his original world, he would have found a look-a-like dead body within half an hour if he wanted to fake his death. He had resources, and he knew people who could assist him from the morgue. But currently, he was a nobody who knew nothing in this new world.


    So Zion could only knock on the system''s door.


    "Oi, 007! I want to ask something."


    A familiar furry man appeared, and Zion rolled his eyes. He wanted to hack into the system and change the dress code, but he suppressed his desire.


    He still didn''t know what type of coding language they used for creating this artificial intelligence. Besides, Zion had just transmigrated. If he were to get on the system''s dangerous side, he would be the one to suffer since 007 chose the cases for him.


    So, in his heart, he told himself: ''I would just endure it for now and deal with this furry man later.''


    After calming himself down, he gave the system an indifferent glance.


    "What is it?" The system didn''t know that this man wanted to hack his interface to change his dress. If he knew, he would indeed snort in disdain. This coding language was only available for people belonging to the higher realm, and lower realm humans wouldn''t understand it.


    But the system was unaware of Zion''s thoughts and smiled. "Host, ask whatever you want to ask, except for hints. You haven''t leveled up enough to get more benefits."


    Zion nodded. He knew this very well, but he was curious about the ''benefits'' his stupid system mentioned. "Tell me about the benefits first. Then I''ll ask you what I want."


    "That''s the thing you should ask!" The man chirped as his mouth stretched to form a wide grin. "You get points, and I would level up along with you! And on each level, I could give you more benefits! For example, on level one, I could give you only one hint. On the second level, I could give you three hints. On the third level, I could give you medicine that can cure any injury! And the list goes on!" The system paused as if he thought about what he forgot to add, and his eyes glistened all of a sudden. "Oh! I almost forgot! You can also power up! After every level, the strength of your body increases, and the shop will be available to you after the 5th level where you can even purchase magical tools!"


    "And how do I level up?" This system hadn''t given him this information. Of course, he knew that the furry man forgot to mention this earlier. So 007''s action didn''t surprise him.


    "To reach level one, you would have to get at least 1,000 points."


    After listening to this, Zion fell into deep contemplation. First, he could tell that even though the system needed his help to ''save this world,'' it also dug a pit for him so that he couldn''t get out no matter what.


    Now, Zion couldn''t even skip this case because he would have to pay ten times the original points.


    Heh, it seemed like the Methu man planned it well.


    "So, how many points do I have now?"


    The system grimaced. "Zero."


    "Hmm¡­" What he needed for now was a look-a-like dead body that could help him change his identity. Even though this system was useless for now, he could catch one loophole. Didn''t this system say he could ask for anything except for the hints? A smile formed on his lips. "System, can you arrange a look-a-like dead body for me?"


    007 tilted his head. The furry man stared at his host for a long time before reacting. "What?"


    "Find me a dead body that can look just like my current face." Speaking of which, he still hadn''t observed himself in the mirror.


    "That¡­" After confirming the second time, the system realized that his host wasn''t bluffing, and Zion wanted a dead body! What did this guy think 007 was? A God?! So he glared at his host. "How can I arrange a dead body? Do you think it''s easy?!"


    Zion ignored the system. He had expected this stupid thing to be shocked after hearing his words. "Think about it like this. If I''m still a servant and if I were to escape, no one would believe that this servant, who had escaped, was na?ve. They would all consider him a murderer who had assisted the princess with murder. Do you want me to die?" He paused and added more words to make sure that the system was under his commands. "I won''t be able to do anything without your help¡­."


    The system froze, and the memory of what his master had told him before finding Zion flashed in his mind. His goal was to save his host at all costs! Now that a matter of life and death had appeared, system 007 couldn''t help but waver. If they killed this man, his master would end his life. Even though the system was artificial intelligence, he still wanted to survive.


    What Zion wanted was just a dead body. Why was he reluctant? So the system pursed his lips and said, "Okay, I''ll arrange a dead body for you."


    The corners of Zion''s lips curved up. This proved another thing. His life was valuable for the system, so much so that this stupid 007 would go to any lengths to save his life.


    After an hour, a fake dead body appeared on the screen, and the furry man had sweat drops on his head. "Don''t ask how I managed it. Just tap on the dead body beside me when you have reached the place where you want to put it."


    After that, what happened was history. Not only was Zion able to fake his death, but he had also put white powder on his face to scare away more than half the palace guards, even encouraging one of those people to spread a rumor for him.


    Now that no one stood in his way, and the entire palace knew he was a ghost, no one could stop him for a while. He just wanted to get information from the library, and by the time the King would find out about his little trick, he would escape after learning most of these things about this world.

 Chapter 8 - Magicae—A New World!

    Zion moved his body stiffly, pretending to be a ghost as he walked toward the library. The rumor spread across the guards that a ghost was wandering around in the imperial estate, especially around the crown prince and princess''s palaces. So even though this news didn''t affect all the library guards, they still had been a little frightened.


    Once they saw a familiar face of a person who had just tried to enter the library, they couldn''t help but glance at the ''ghost'' and shiver. They had all heard the news about this servant 52 dying a tragic death, and even the guards around the princess''s palace identified this person.??


    Then if this person was dead, then who the hell was the man walking toward the library? Was it true? Was this a ghost?!


    The guards couldn''t help but widen their eyes as their faces turned pale as white. This ghost wouldn''t avenge himself for that day, right?


    Servant 52 had tried to enter the library, and they couldn''t forget this face because the guards had humiliated that servant so severely that the latter showed a crying expression before he left.


    After becoming a ghost, that person still remembered to come to the library and test the guards'' patience. At this thought, the Dhampir men couldn''t help but tremble.


    For now, they would pretend that they hadn''t seen this ghost entering the library! If only they knew that this man would soon commit suicide, they would have let him enter this library sooner to fulfill that servant''s last wish!


    Zion, who had seen through those two guards'' thoughts, felt even more satisfied in his heart. These Dhampirs were acting just as he had expected. They wouldn''t even glance at him out of fright. At this thought, he couldn''t help but click his tongue. It was so easy to manipulate people with superstitious minds.


    After that, he reached the library, and no one dared to reach up to him. For them, he was a vengeful ghost who could take revenge against his humiliation that day. So they let him do whatever he wanted.


    So Zion wandered around the library for almost two hours, going through several scrolls available, and finally found out more about this world.


    The name of this world was Magicae, where humans and beings with superpowers often lived in harmony for centuries until one day, humans started making trouble.


    It all started two hundred years ago. Their new king was highly ambitious. Not that all the humans were like that. This clan was known for their high thinking and simple living. But unfortunately, their late king had just associated with a female right before going off to hunt for animals. He hadn''t even married yet and ended up dying tragically because of many lions.


    So the entire palace was in a mess until that prostitute came, claiming that she was pregnant with the king''s son. Of course, no one believed her but once the king''s relative''s blood matched with the baby in the prostitute''s womb, they relaxed. They were quite happy seeing that the new king had arrived.


    But what they didn''t know was that this person didn''t have even a speck of royal blood at all! Instead, that prostitute sold her body and gained the support of many royals to sneak out the royal blood.


    How did they match the DNA of two types of blood? It was because the world was like the modern setting in Zion''s original place.


    Zion raised his brows and continued reading.


    So after that, the prostitute became the Queen, and her child became the new king. But as the little kid grew up, they all realized that he was very ambitious, and he crossed the limit one day when he took the throne officially. This person dared to go against the entire world and declare that he would indeed become the supreme emperor!


    All the races cracked their knuckles as they glared at this human king. What did this little man think he was? A God? If he could declare such a thing, then they could do something like that too!


    In this way, the legendary war of all the races began that even wreaked havoc worldwide. People could still find the traces of that legendary war across the world!


    But the result was that the race that used to be prominent on this planet, Humans became extinct so much so that at present, people would sell them as exquisite servants or sex slaves at hefty prices or aristocrats displayed them in the museums after their deaths. People even stopped using machines created by humans, and thus, even the technology collapsed.


    Zion glanced at his body, which was covered with a grey-colored cloth. His hands and feet seemed to be normal, and even his ears were ordinary. So he was a human who had been rare for the residents of this world.


    No wonder his ''death'' made such a big fuss here.


    But that was the only information available in this library. After that, he read details about how Dhampirs progressed. Half-vampires and half-magicians became the royals since they were the most powerful among all other types of half races.


    After reading everything, Zion closed the scroll and walked out.


    The guards'' faces paled when they saw this ''ghost'' again. They didn''t dare to say a single word and waited for the man to disappear, and finally sighed in relief.


    Even after obtaining information, Zion felt like something was missing. In the scroll, why was it portrayed that humans were the only ones who had ill intentions? Of course, you can blame that greedy human king for that, but this was only one side of the truth. He knew that there might many layers to it he didn''t know about.


    But this thing wasn''t necessary for now. His priority was to save the princess.


    Zion frowned at this. How would he save that girl? Everyone blamed her for killing the crown prince, and there was even evidence against her.


    Just as he was thinking like this, he heard some guards whispering, "Someone attacked Princess Lia!"


    Zion''s ears perked up at that.

 Chapter 9 - A Ghost Searching For An Evidence!

    When the king found out that the guards had seen a ''ghost'' in the library, he ordered the imperial soldiers to head over to the area, but they were a little too late.


    They couldn''t find the traces of that ghost at all! But the king didn''t give up. His narrowed eyes glanced at all the library corners and picked the books that Zion had used to find world history. The Dhampir king flipped through the entire book and found traces of white powder on the pages.??


    As Zion had predicted. After leaving the library, they caught his little trick with ease.


    The king''s eyes went red in anger. He nearly crushed the history scroll with his magical power. Cold sweat formed on the librarian''s forehead when he saw his king''s angry look. He wanted to stop the king, but when he thought of this person''s wrath, he shut his mouth and saved himself over a small history book. Anyway, he had more copies of it. So if the king would destroy one of them, nothing terrible would happen.


    But the king realized he was going to destroy a book. So he carefully placed it back on the shelf and glanced at the librarian coldly before walking out of place.


    This king, Rhesus, was also a unique character. He had been the youngest son of the previous king. But the only reason he could take the throne was that his elder brothers had died mysterious deaths. It was still unclear whether they died a natural death or someone murdered them.


    Only a few younger brothers were still alive because none of them showed any signs of having a greed for the throne. Everyone could tell that someone had used unique means in the dark to push Rhesus on the throne.


    But who would ask their doubts to this king? He was cold, and even if he would ever make a mistake, he wouldn''t admit it, even in his dreams.


    With such a personality, this man could gain the support of most of the residents. The history faded into dust, and no one remembered about this anymore.


    Of course, our particular detective Zion would undoubtedly unearth the truth, but this would happen later.


    At present, Rhesus went back to the palace to have a meeting with his ministers. And just as he entered, a guard came back with another piece of bad news.


    "Your Majesty!" The same guard who had come with the news of the ghost earlier appeared all over again.


    The king had a headache. He rubbed the bridge of his nose and asked in an irritated voice, "What?!"


    "Someone sneaked inside the late crown prince''s residence!''


    Rhesus''s brows furrowed as he realized what must have happened. He glanced at the imperial soldiers and ordered them to head over there with no delay.


    "Your Majesty, what if it''s the same ghost?" The guard was practically shivering in fright. He had nearly peed in panic as his face became so pale that others thought he was sick.


    But after a moment of silence, the guard heard his majesty''s chuckle. He tilted his head. Why was the king laughing like this? But the latter waved his hand. "It''s good if it''s the same ghost!"


    The king didn''t believe in ghosts, unlike a few residents and guards across his kingdom. Instead, he knew it was probably man-made trouble, and someone was taking advantage of the havoc caused by Princess Lia in the palace.


    So this ''ghost'' must be someone who could find palace secrets with ease.


    Meanwhile, that ''ghost'' searched for evidence at the place where the murder had occurred, the crown prince''s bedroom. Since it was a private place, not everyone could enter. So the primary suspects were the servants.


    But the king was told by his confidant that he had seen Princess Lia killing her brother from the window.


    So Zion wanted to change his identity to that of a magician traveler to enter this place. He had read about wizards and witches, too. Although they weren''t really extinct, they were less, but other races respected them. And it was also said that not all wizards could use power. So Zion hadn''t worried about the king identifying him in that identity.


    But even this plan was a back-up he created. First, he would ask the system to help him change his appearance. If 007 failed to live up to his expectations, Zion would go for his back-up.


    Earlier, when he was in the library, he had just opened his mouth to trick the system into changing his identity. That was when he heard about how someone attacked Princess Lia in her cell.


    So he realized he had little time to save the situation. The murderer could kill the princess any time!


    What was the purpose behind that assassination attempt? Zion couldn''t help but frown. Princess Lia was already in prison, and her father would have given her a death sentence.


    One reason could be: perhaps the murderer was in a hurry to get rid of all the children of King Rhesus. But why?


    There was another possibility. Perhaps the murderer hated Princess Lia to death, and that''s why he couldn''t stop himself from finding an assassin.


    But because of the lack of evidence, Zion couldn''t figure it out for now. So he kept this matter aside.


    That was the reason he had appeared in the prince''s room in his ghost identity. He knew this was a tremendous risk for him. After all, if the king of Dhampirs were even a little smart, he would have figured out that this rumored ghost was indeed a person. And right now, the king was practically fuming in anger, sending all his guards to this place.


    So Zion didn''t really have much time. So skimmed through the dressing table, bed, cabinets, even curtains carefully, but he found no traces of fighting. Perhaps the murderer had removed the traces. But another thing was also possible where the killer was someone the crown prince knew.


    It was impossible for anyone to murderer someone without leaving evidence behind. This showed that the murderer was perhaps a professional.


    Zion''s brows furrowed. Could it be that someone hired an assassin to kill the crown prince in his sleep? He remembered hearing from the guards that they found the prince''s body in the morning.


    At present, he found out from the conservation of the guards that someone had slashed the prince''s neck with a knife. But saying was one thing, and evidence was another. Anyone could say anything to cover up the truth, but evidence showed what happened.


    Plus, the late prince was a royal who knew all kinds of magic and protection techniques. He could even tell that the dead brother of Princess Lia had perhaps learned martial arts, too. So it would be too strange if that person could die with a knife.


    Zion walked toward the cupboard and opened it, going through the dresses of the crown prince, one after another. Still, he couldn''t find anything.


    Just as he was about to close the door, he suddenly noticed a piece of cloth stuck inside the deepest drawer. Zion couldn''t help but narrow his eyes.

 Chapter 10 - The Murder Weapon!

    Zion saw a knife wrapped in the cloth, staring at him with a mocking smile on its face. It almost felt as if the knife was saying, ''Hey Zion! I''m the murder weapon! Take me away!''


    He snorted and took the knife away that he placed in his pockets. Murder weapon or not, it was something he found here. So he might as well take it away and think about it after getting out of this room.??


    But he still felt something off, as if he hadn''t seen this bedroom enough. His eyes narrowed as his eyes stopped at the window. He indeed felt he left something out in this room. It was the window!


    He walked over and crouched. His fingers caressed the carpet and found the thing he was looking for! Black pieces of thread laid down on the red-colored carpet. He stood up and glanced at the edges.


    His fingers ran through the edges and stopped at a specific place when a pointy thing poked his skin. He squinted his eyes, and sure enough. It was a nail with traces of blood on it.


    When he looked down, he could imagine what had happened in this room. If he would go with his deduction that an assassin was here, perhaps that person might have jumped from the window, and that nail would have wounded that person''s hand. A few pieces of thread from that murderer''s hand-gloves would have fallen on the ground.


    In an instant, he crouched again and picked up the black thread. After stuffing it in a cloth he found in the cabinet, he got up.


    Zion wanted to search for more, but he heard footsteps outside the door all of a sudden. His glance darted toward the door, and he pursed his lips. The king was here earlier than he expected. Perhaps that old man had figured out that there wasn''t a ghost, but a man who was making trouble.


    He turned back to the window and jumped out without hesitation. This window was on the ground floor. So even if his body were weak, he wouldn''t suffer much.


    Now it was time to change his identity!


    Soon after Zion left, the king and his party entered the room, only to find it as it was before. There were no traces of someone entering this place if one wouldn''t look carefully.


    But Rhesus knew that the ''ghost'' would have come here. So he glared at his guards and ordered them. "Search this place! Don''t ignore even a speck of dust!"


    The guards saw the king''s impatience and pursed their lips before exchanging glances. They all thought of only one thing: their king had gone mad because of a vengeful ghost!


    But even after searching the place twice, they couldn''t find anything. Just as they were about to sigh and tell their king the bad news, someone shouted. "We found something here!"


    Everyone rushed toward that place. It was a cupboard, and they found traces of powder on the handle. The king frowned and looked inside. He found a red cloth with traces of white powder on it. So that ''ghost'' was perhaps here to take something out of this red cloth.


    Did he miss out on something before while searching this place? Rhesus couldn''t help but furrow his brows. The irritation in his heart grew stronger, and his frown deepened.


    Just then, a maid called out. "Your Majesty!"


    The guards present at the door stopped the maid and raised their swords to block her path. She bit her lips and glanced at the king with pitiful eyes. It looked as if the guards had wronged her for no reason.


    Rhesus sighed and waved his hand. "Let her enter."


    "Your Majesty!" The maid bowed. "Prince Linton is here!"


    The king''s stony expressions changed to bliss as a smile formed on his lips at that word. This Prince Linton was one of his younger brothers who had become his best friend over the years. When anything happened to the kingdom, the first person Rhesus would approach was Prince Linton.


    So now, when the crown prince had died, he could seek a helping hand from his youngest brother. Rhesus''s shoulders couldn''t help but relax.


    He walked out, and his eyes locked with a person standing at the door. He had his mother''s blonde hair while his forehead looked just like the late King''s. The man had red and silver-colored robes draped on his body.


    If someone said this person looked more like an elegant king, it wouldn''t be wrong. As soon as he saw King Rhesus, he bowed. "Big brother."


    "Thankfully. You''re here. I''ve to tell you so many things!"


    Linton smiled. "That''s why I''m here. The crown prince was dear to my heart. I don''t know why anyone would kill such an elegant boy!" But he paused for a bit and thought for a while and said, "Brother, I don''t think it should be Princess Lia. The murderer must be someone else. I wouldn''t believe it even in my dreams that she could kill her brother!"


    The king frowned as if he had just heard an unpleasant topic and waved his hand. "I don''t want to talk about it." His mood fell because on one side. If he believed his daughter killed the crown prince, he would be heartbroken. But if someone else killed him and framed Lia, that would mean the murderer would have bribed his confidant.


    If that were the case, wouldn''t that mean the murderer had spread his roots murderer even in his palace? Such a thought made him feel uncomfortable. But before he could think more about this, Linton tugged his sleeves.


    "Let''s talk somewhere else."


    The king nodded and walked away with his guards.


    When walked away, Zion, who was hiding in the shadows behind a tree, came out and frowned. It looked like there should be more to the story than he had deduced.


    First, he would have to meet all the suspects. Then he might get more evidence.


    For now, he just wanted to think of a way to trick the system into changing his identity. If he were in his original world, even using no outside help, he would have been able to change the way he looked and acted by using his innate skills. He would have found some fake hair after sneaking inside random shops to find extensions, and then he would buy some clothes to become a completely different person.


    But now, he didn''t have enough resources, and he couldn''t even change his body to become either a Dhampir or a person from other races. So it would be better to approach the system for that.


    Hadn''t the system found a dead body for him in just half an hour? It showed that this 007 had a hidden ability to find random things for him if he pushed the system to its limit.


    When Zion thought of this, his lips curved up.

 Chapter 11 - Coaxing 007

    Zion knocked on the system''s door after reaching a secluded place in the woods. If he were to change his identity, he wouldn''t want anyone to see his transformation.


    "Oi, 007, I need your help."??


    The system that was tired as heck and only wanted to sleep was knocked awake and popped out before Zion on a screen. He glared at his host. "What do you want?! Can''t you see? I was sleeping."


    A fuming man with female clothes looked funny. Zion coughed to hide his laughter and said, "Arrange an identity for me and change my face."


    The system gasped. "What did you just say?!"


    Zion rolled his eyes. "Change my identity."


    "No!" The system glared at his host. "Not in a million years I''ll help you! Do you know how much I had to suffer just to bring one dead body to you? My seniors spent no less effort to scold me! No! I won''t help you!"


    Zion narrowed his eyes. Dark shadows flashed in his eyes as he chuckled. "Then I''ll just die. I can''t solve this case without your help."


    The system''s eyes carried a trace of suspicion when he glanced at his host and pursed his lips as if he was thinking about something. Then, in a timid voice, he said, "Will you really die?"


    Zion closed his eyes and leaned on the nearby tree. "Do you need me to prove it to you?"


    Before the system could say anything, Zion broke off a nearby tree branch and raised it to his neck. The pointed peak of the branch touched his skin. If he pressed further, blood would pour out of there. Then he glanced at the system from the corner of his eyes. "Are you sure?"


    The system jumped and said, "STOP! I agree!"


    The corners of Zion''s lips curved up. "You should have said earlier."


    "Don''t do things like that!" The system glared at his host and wiped his sweat. "You scared me!"


    Zion said nothing and stared at 007 with his icy gaze until the latter shivered. The system groaned. "Fine, but this time, I won''t help you for free!"


    His host could understand what 007 said just now. Of course, no one would help any insane human for free in this type of magical world. So he was ready to pay.


    The system didn''t wait for his host to say anything. He opened another pop-up that looked more like a form. "This is a loan form. Fill it and sign at the bottom of the page."


    Zion narrowed his eyes and read it, and after reading, he signed it directly. To be honest, he had expected the system to loot him, but after seeing this, he realized that the system was generous for once. He would have to pay up only 10 points for changing his appearance.


    That means he could at most change his appearance thrice in this world and save the remaining points for his future.


    "Okay, what do you want to become?"


    Zion thought for a while. It had been a few days ever since he came to this world. The first day when he arrived was when the king caught Princess Lia, and someone tried to assassinate her. Then he went ''ghosting'' around to get more information. Later, he waited for dawn to find evidence in the crown prince''s house.


    After spending so much time here, he almost figured out how this race worked.


    Royals were half-vampires and half-magicians.


    Guards were half-vampires and half-elves.


    Aristocrats were half-vampires and half-dwarfs.


    And last, the residents were half-vampires and half-minotaurs with sturdy arms and legs.


    After the imperial people, aristocrats had more influence in this kingdom. Wherever they would go, the guards would pay their respect and let them go anywhere they wanted. Even the aristocrats with intelligence would earn fame. The king would hire them as an officer in his court.


    Zion was confident that if he were to appear as a detective aristocrat, the king wouldn''t make it hard for him and hire him immediately. So he said, "Make me an aristocrat."


    The system nodded, and before he could choose this option, he frowned. He looked like he was mulling over something. Then suddenly, he raised his head and couldn''t help but ask, "Why aristocrat? You can do better as a guard."


    Zion squinted his eyes. He didn''t want to explain, but he sighed. The system was helping him with this. So he couldn''t ignore 007''s wishes. So he said, "The king chooses guards after a series of exams. And such exams take half a year. I don''t have that kind of time. So it''s better to be an aristocrat. Don''t you think so?"


    The system nodded and sent the form to his seniors. "Now, wait for five minutes. If they pass your form, you will become a Dhampir aristocrat instantly."


    His host nodded and relaxed on the tree. At present, all he wanted was to have a peaceful life with no headache. After dying once, he didn''t want to waste his time anymore and fulfill some of his desires.


    But that was the thing. To pursue his career as a detective, he never even thought about what exactly he wanted other than his job?


    He thought for a while but still couldn''t come up with anything other than living a peaceful life. So he stopped thinking about it and thought about the case.


    Zion could mingle with guards, the king, and everyone around the palace to get more evidence. Only then would he be able to find possible suspects. At present, he didn''t want to suspect anyone without obtaining more information. If he ended up focusing on the wrong person, he would waste both his time and efforts.


    Princess Lia''s life was in danger. So he could only scrutinize everyone.


    Just then, he heard the system''s voice again. "Done! You''ve passed the review, and I''m free to give you loans from now on! And one more thing. I''ve also applied to change your identity. You would become an aristocrat who had been living on the outskirts of this kingdom for twenty years already. Your original professional will also be a private detective, and you''ve come to the city to get more fame."


    Zion nodded and closed his eyes. He was waiting for his attire to change.

 Chapter 12 - The Murderer Is Present In This Hall

    After transformation, Zion walked over to the nearest river and glanced at his reflection. What stared back at him was a young man who had dwarf ears that extended long.


    His human appearance in this world was still the same. He had seen the face of the body that the Methu man gave him earlier, and coincidentally, his original face and the body''s appearance matched. Even Zion was confused about this.??


    But when he had asked the system, that stupid furry man just explained that for the sake of convenience, his boss gave Zion a body that had a similar constitution to that in his original world.


    Now that he glanced at his appearance after transformation, it changed completely. His original silver hair transformed into curly black, and his blue eyes became deep brown. It was a good thing that his face shape was still a triangle, and the mole on his neck was still visible clearly.


    Even his height changed little. He just transformed from a 6''1 human to a 5''7 Dhampir.


    And the most important thing was that no one would be able to connect him to the servant 52, who had silver hair and blue eyes attractive enough to allure anyone. At least, now he wasn''t looking like a magnet who could draw everyone''s attention.


    After getting up, he glanced at the system, who was puffing up his chest in pride.


    "Excellent work."


    "Humph!" The system squinted his eyes. "If not for me, you''d be dead already."


    Zion nodded as if he believed the system''s words and didn''t talk any nonsense after that.


    When he transformed, even his clothing altered. From a human with rugged clothes, he became an aristocrat with red-colored medieval England robes with black buttons and silver stripes at the hem.


    Half an hour later, he got a carriage that took him straight toward the palace. Since he was an aristocrat, no one objected to his words. They even believed his excuse was that a thief stole his money.


    The half-vampire and half-minotaur driver glanced at Zion with a trace of sympathy in his eyes and drove the latter for free. The driver even urged Zion to pay up the money later.


    So Zion didn''t object, and even happily sat inside the carriage.


    If they still had the technology, perhaps he could have taken a taxi rather than a carriage. He sighed, thinking about it.


    Zion didn''t know why someone would just abandon technology. Whether it was the fault of humans or other races, the people who suffered were ordinary people. Their lives would have been easier with technology. But some people refused to give others that luxury and discarded the use of such aspects just because a few humans were greedy!


    There should be a reason behind this; otherwise, no one would say no to technology. Zion frowned upon, thinking of this.


    While Zion was still in his thoughts, they reached the palace. Since he was an aristocrat, no one stopped his advances. The guards quickly brought him to the court before the king, who was busy chatting with the same blonde person Zion had seen earlier, and another man with brownish hair. Both of them were sitting on either side below the stage, where the king sat with a golden crown on his head.


    Two more people stood, and he had met one of them¡ªthe girl who was with Princess Lia earlier. And beside her, another boy of the same age stared at his feet in a daze with a blank gaze.


    Zion narrowed his eyes. This person looked more like he had trouble focusing on one thing.


    As soon as Rhesus saw Zion, he smiled and clapped hands. Servants soon came forward and bowed to their king as the latter said, "Arrange the sitting arrangement for Mr¡­."


    Zion hadn''t yet chosen a name for himself in this aristocratic identity. So he randomly made it up. "Vincent."


    The servants went and cleaned up a chair beside the blonde man on the king''s left.


    While this was going on, Zion glanced at the people present in this hall from the corner of his eyes. The blonde smiled gently at the king while talking in a slow but concise way. He said everything with his voice that sounded more ethereal.


    Other than that, the brown-haired man sitting opposite to him snorted and argued on every single sentence uttered by the blonde, and the king watched the two people before his eyes argue like this but didn''t interrupt the two people.


    And the girl in the pink dress acted as arrogant as ever and scolded the boy beside her every minute, but the latter didn''t bother replying. It almost felt as if this boy wasn''t even consciously present in this hall and daydreamed while staring blankly at his feet.


    Zion didn''t know which of these people could be the murderer. From a glance, they seemed normal, but he knew there should be more to the eye.


    So after settling down, he smiled at the king and said with a respectful voice, "Your Majesty, I have a request to make."


    The king nodded and gestured to say something.


    "My king, I belong to a place attached to the city of Bridgeport, Jamestown. I used to work as a private detective to help the locals solve the crime and lead a peaceful life."


    The king nodded in understanding. The city from where the king operated was Bridgeport, and attached to it were several towns and small cities that came together to become the kingdom of Norham under Vanne Dynasty. The place called Jamestown was also near the central city, and many Dhampir aristocrats lived there.


    So Rhesus didn''t doubt Zion''s words, who sneakily used the information he had got from the library.


    "Then you came here to gain more fame?" The king guessed why this aristocrat must be here since things like this had happened a lot in the past.


    Zion smiled. His surrounding aura changed when the system altered his appearance. It seemed like he and Zion were two different people who cannot be the same person. While the modern detective was cold and arrogant, this aristocrat seemed gentle and silent, with a trace of warmth in his voice that could make anyone respect him.


    Vincent would smile often and make others feel at ease whenever he was around. This kind of acting made Zion even a better detective. That was precisely why he was famous in his previous life.


    So he parted his lips and said, "Your Majesty, I''ve heard about the case of murder in this palace, and I wanted to help you."


    The king raised his brows while the brown-haired, arrogant person frowned. The blonde one didn''t show any reaction, but his gaze lingered on Zion for a moment. But Rhesus wasn''t looking at the blonde and brown-haired people. Instead, he glanced at this aristocrat with a surprised gaze after hearing those words. "How can you help me?"


    Zion''s lips curved up momentarily. This king fell into his traps with ease. "The murder case isn''t simple, and I suspect the murderer is currently present in this hall."

 Chapter 13 - Ill Help You!

    Everyone was surprised, and the servants who were present there froze as their backs drowned in a cold sweat. When the guards and servants thought that this man Vincent was pointing fingers at them, only Rhesus could understand what that guy meant.


    This aristocrat was pointing fingers at his family members!??


    Rhesus''s face showed a trace of anger, and he glared at Vincent. "Do you know what you''re talking about?"


    Zion smiled and nodded. This kind of reaction was within his expectations. So the king''s words didn''t offend him. "My king, give me five days, and I''ll help you find the murderer of the crown prince."


    The king''s anger didn''t vanish, but it increased ten folds. He knew his younger brothers well. They couldn''t even kill an animal without fearing him. So how could they even think of killing his son and framing his daughter at the same time?


    But even though he didn''t want to believe it, he still had 10% doubt in his heart. Someone had tried to assassinate Princess Lia in prison. So that proved his daughter was innocent. And even if she wasn''t innocent, she might have acted on someone else''s behalf who wanted to kill her off and destroy the evidence before she could open her mouth.


    So he deliberately hid her away in a secure place.


    But after the assassination event, his heart was filled with doubts whenever he would see anyone. And, of course, this aristocrat was even more doubtful. This man was a stranger who came out of nowhere just when he was troubled over the crown prince''s death.


    Was it a coincidence, or a planned strategy?


    The king didn''t trust Vincent. So his gaze became colder after a few minutes, and then he said in a rude voice, "Mr. Vincent, if you want to investigate, ask the guards. But you''re not allowed to go out of the boundary and search the palace, especially the rooms of my brothers and their families."


    "Then¡­." Zion thought for a while and said, "Can I see Princess Lia?"


    "No." The king''s gaze turned icier. He sneered in his heart. He knew this aristocrat would create more trouble after meeting his daughter. And if this person is another assassin, he would kill Lia with no hesitation!


    He absolutely wouldn''t let that happen!


    Zion sighed. He knew this would happen. But at least this suspicious king didn''t kick him out after listening to his words.


    Initially, he didn''t know whether someone in the main hall of the palace had killed the crown prince or not. So he just bluffed that someone among the people inside this hall was the murderer to see through everyone''s reaction.


    And Zion didn''t regret lying about it. He had seen the way the servants, the blondy, brown-haired man, and even that girl reacted. He was at least sure that someone among these people probably knew a few things about the case.


    Otherwise, why would everyone show weird expressions on their faces?


    The most suspicious one in Zion''s eyes was that man with blonde hair. He didn''t react at all when the former had said that someone among them was the murderer! Common people would be surprised or angry, but this person acted like everything was normal.


    So the blond man instantly became the first suspect. Even if this guy hadn''t murdered the crown prince, this blondy must know some inside information about the murder.


    Then there was the king, who also reacted strangely.


    After hearing those words uttered by Zion, an average person would expect the king to get so angry that he might even give a death sentence to the aristocrat. But the king didn''t punish him instantly showed that even Rhesus doubted his family members subconsciously.


    So when Zion realized the king wouldn''t give him a chance to find clues at the palace, he would only have to focus on one thing for now.


    "Can I get to see the Crown Prince''s dead body?"


    The king''s expression became stormy. He glared at the man and wanted to kill him right this instant! His hands went to his sword, and he said, "One more word, and I''ll chop off your head! I didn''t kill you until now because you''re an aristocrat. If you continue to test my patience, you''ll die!"


    Before Zion could open his mouth, the blonde person beside him stood up and said, "Brother, please don''t be rude. He''s a detective. So he''s bound to ask you that query."


    Zion darted his eyes at that man and lingered on him for a while before he lowered his head. No one could tell what he was thinking. But before he could ponder more, the blonde man called him out. "Mr. Vincent, if you need something, approach me."


    When Zion saw this kind of gentle expression, he didn''t know what to say. Was this man as calm as he looked? Or was there a hidden layer behind his face?


    For now, he couldn''t tell. But since this blonde man was offering his help, he wouldn''t hesitate anymore. He rubbed his long ears and said, "Take me where the crown prince''s body is placed."


    After that, no one dared to stop this strange aristocrat Dhampir. The guards and servants didn''t even look at his face. They were so frightened that they wanted to pee their pants!


    If this man ended up pointing fingers at either of them, the king might just kill them all in a fit of anger! They all knew the anger this king possessed, and they didn''t want to test Rhesus''s limits!


    Soon enough, the blondy opened a door and gestured Zion to enter a dark and cold corridor where even walls, ceilings, and floor were colored in white.


    Since it was dark, he had to squint his eyes to observe. He felt something fishy about this place. Why was there no fire torch here? They didn''t even have a window at this place.


    "Can you light up this room?"


    "We can''t." There was a trace of regret in the blonde man''s voice. "This room is special. It can preserve the dead bodies for weeks, and for that, coldness is something that we need to create that icy atmosphere."


    Zion frowned. His reply sounded reasonable, but he could tell that there might be some other reason behind this. Maybe this blondy wasn''t telling him the whole truth.


    Now that he found this room, he didn''t know how to examine the dead body without light. Just then, a thought flashed through his mind.


    What if he asked the system for help again? That furry man should help him with arranging a torch. This thought made Zion''s shoulders relaxed, and he started thinking of millions of ways to trick the system again.

 Chapter 14 - A Dead Body!

    It looked like the system had become smarter these days. Without even asking, 007 popped out and glared at his host. He didn''t read Zion''s thoughts this time, but he was observing everything from the sidelines.


    Just by seeing the situation at present, the system understood what Zion wanted currently. 007 gritted his teeth and glared at his host. "Don''t say a word! I''ll arrange for a torch. Just pay me 2 points back in the future."??


    Zion nodded and smiled in satisfaction. "You''ve become intelligent."


    At this, the system sent another glare toward his host and went off.


    Before entering the room, Zion turned around and said, "Your highness, I''d like to be alone to find clues here."


    Prince Linton nodded in understanding. "It''s fine. Go ahead."


    Zion turned around and closed the door behind him. After a while, the system popped up. "Click the torch beside me." When he watched his host following his order obediently, his throat choked up. In an emotional tone, 007 said, "You''ve troubled me so much! If you were always like this, my life would be easier."


    At this, Zion''s eyes narrowed. "If I were like this, I don''t think Methu man would''ve chosen me."


    "Ah¡­" The system also realized that his boss chose this host for his wits and brain. So 007 nodded in agreement. "That''s true."


    Zion''s lips curved up at that. He had just taken a gamble by saying that the Methu man needed his help just because he was witty and smart enough. After listening to this system''s words, his suspicions were cleared, and he was even more confident in his deduction about why that furry man summoned him in this world.


    Apparently, not even martial art professionals could save this world. So perhaps the person who was going to wreak havoc in this world was way smarter than ordinary people. But that person still hadn''t appeared or even showed their presence. But Zion wasn''t impatient. He only wanted to earn more points and become powerful before he could get the first clue about what was going on here!


    So after turning on the torch, Zion''s sharp eyes noticed that this room was spotless, and he couldn''t see even a trace of dust on the ground or decorative paintings on the wall. Most of the pictures were filled with drawings of a handsome young man with dual-color in his eyes.


    This must be the prince.


    Zion walked further in through the corridor and saw a coffin in the middle of a room. He frowned and walked over at a slow pace.


    The room wasn''t unique. In fact, all four sides of this room had white paint, but it had no windows. Not even a ventilator was there for the circulation of air. Perhaps this was mandatory to keep the surrounding cold.


    He glanced at the coffin and pushed the lid, which didn''t budge an inch. After a few minutes of pushing it continuously, the coffin still didn''t move and continued to mock him in the face.


    Zion glared at the coffin and looked down at his hand. His lips pressed together when he realized that his strength was an obstruction to his case. He would tell the system to choose harder cases for him with higher points to reach the next level and improve his strength.


    But what should he do now? Should he ask the system to help him with this? When the image of a pissed-off 007 popped up in his head, Zion shook his head. Although he could manipulate that unfortunate thing any time, he didn''t want to push the system''s limits.


    If the system got angry, he would be doomed.


    Perhaps he could try to remove the lid again. But why the heck was it so heavy? By looking at the coffin, he could tell that the surface looked like that of wood, but such an object shouldn''t be so heavy! Zion once again gave his all and pushed the lid.


    His expression contorted as his hand muscles strained to the point of feeling numb. After a while, he saw the lid moving an inch that left a gap.


    Zion sighed in relief and gasped for air. He hated his useless and weak body!


    When he took enough rest, he pushed himself to the limit and could get rid of the lid after half an hour of exercise.


    He glanced inside to find a familiar face he had seen in the portrait. It was just that this man seemed to be asleep. There was a red injury mark scratched across the dead body''s neck as the man wore black-colored robes.


    Zion''s hand reached the neck, and he was just about to rub his fingers against the red injury mark when his fingers accidentally touched something. He frowned and squinted his eyes at that place.


    Just below the man''s chin, something was sticking out. It almost felt as if there was an outer skin layer that he could peel off anytime!


    Zion frowned. He quickly used both hands to remove the skin layer from the man''s face without damaging the corpse.


    As soon as he removed the layer, he gave the man an indifferent glance and squinted his eyes. What appeared before his eyes was a whitish face of an unknown person who didn''t look even a little similar to the person in the portrait. His eyes darted toward the layer of skin on his hand, which looked like a fake face mask that had someone else''s appearance.


    Sure enough. Nothing, in this case, was simple. Even the dead crown prince''s body wasn''t really the original person.


    If that were the case, then where was the prince?


    Zion squinted his eyes. He didn''t trust anyone, not even the king. So he didn''t plan to share this discovery with anyone. So he put the mask on the corpse''s face again with the same precision. After he was done, no one could tell whether someone had removed the mask.

 Chapter 15 - Father Meets His Daughter

    While Zion was busy finding clues, Princess Lia requested her father''s presence out of the blue. Even the king couldn''t understand why she wanted to see him. At first, he thought of rejecting, but when he remembered how an assassin nearly killed her back then, he sighed and agreed to her request.


    After ten minutes, he reached the prison and stayed on the other side of the room as he opened the small door window. A pungent stench of something rotten got his nose, and he covered it with a handkerchief.??


    Then he glanced inside and said, "Why did you remember to talk to me just now? I''m sure it isn''t just sentiments."


    He knew his daughter well. She was stubborn, but would beg no one in dire situations. She would instead fight head on and make everyone beg her for mercy. To say that she was as mentally strong wouldn''t be a lie. So, combined with her mother''s talkative tongue and her father''s stubbornness, Princess Lia was a unique girl.


    Of course, she had a woman''s graceful attitude, but once she would open her mouth, she would talk on and on for hours without stopping. But when she had to share her heart, she would stay as silent as a ghost. That was why when the king heard his daughter wanted to see him, he realized it wasn''t to share her heart.


    Princess Lia, who was sitting on the ground, smiled and asked in a calm voice, "Father, can you see that dead mouse?"


    The king tilted his head. What mouse?


    As if she could read his mind, she opened her mouth again. "That mouse was eating my food and died within seconds." Then she turned toward her father with a smile on her face. "Do you want to kill me?"


    Her voice was like a young girl with a touch of sweetness, but in this scary place, this voice sounded more like someone took it out of a horror movie!


    Light came inside the room from the ventilator and fell on her face that looked white as a sheet of paper. She had dark circles beneath her eyes, and even with rugged clothes, she looked beautiful.


    The king was stunned to see her condition, and he realized his daughter might not have eaten for one or two days! He clenched his jaw and stared at the dark cell for a long time as if he was trying to locate the dead mouse.


    Rhesus took a deep breath and asked in a bitter tone, "Why didn''t you tell me sooner?"


    "And risk getting murdered by your guards?" Princess Lia snorted. "I''d rather stay and die out of hunger and thirst."


    The king felt guilty about this. He didn''t want to see his daughter suffer. So this time, he softened his tone. "Lia, I''ll change the guards. Don''t worry."


    "Father, don''t bother. It''s too late."


    The king froze and stared at his daughter for a while before a sigh escaped his lips. "Why did you want to see me?"


    "Will you fulfill one request?"


    Rhesus squinted his eyes and thought for a while. For his daughter to request something like this, he couldn''t help but feel suspicious. He pursed his lips and said, "I''ll try my best."


    "Let me see servant 52."


    Rhesus''s eyes narrowed as he stared at his daughter''s figure. "Why him?"


    Princess Lia lowered her head to hide the emotions in her eyes. Even with her current sick condition, she looked as elegant as ever. It almost felt like she wasn''t suffering in this cell but was passing her leisure time. "I have to tell him something."


    The king''s brows furrowed. Were the rumors true? Was there really a relationship between servant 52 and Princess Lia, and the former committed suicide just because his princess had been in jail?


    If that were the case, Rhesus would never let these two meet! Servant 52 was dead, and his ''ghost'' had been wandering around for a while already. So even if Princess Lia wishes to see that servant and made it her last wish before dying, he couldn''t do anything about it!


    So the king sighed and said, "He''s dead."


    "Dead?" Princess Lia raised her eyebrows.


    Rhesus had expected her to at least have emotions of remorse on her face after hearing that servant 52 died. But on the contrary, she was calm, and even her eyebrows raised as if she just heard something interesting.


    "Yes." The king paused to see if his daughter wanted to say something else, but she stayed silent. The surrounding atmosphere became so awkward that Rhesus couldn''t take it anymore and said, "Was that all you wanted to talk about?"


    Princess Lia glanced at her father and shook her head. "I wanted to share that thing with you, too, but I''m afraid you won''t listen. So it''s better if I stay here until someone sends another assassin after me."


    Rhesus felt guilty, and he sighed. "I shouldn''t have doubted you just based on my confidiant''s words."


    His daughter let out a dark chuckle. "Father, it''s okay. You don''t have to pretend to console me. I know you have never loved me."


    That was true. The king always inclined his son rather than his daughter. In fact, he would give his son everything and even forget sometimes that he had a daughter named Lia. So it wasn''t strange to see that he believed his confidant instead of Lia herself.


    But her words pierced Rhesus''s heart into pieces. He knew he had been unfair to his daughter, and he still regretted it. But what could he do? The crown prince was someone close to his heart. He couldn''t give him the best! The king lowered his head and said with an emotional tone, "If there''s nothing else, I''ll take my leave."


    Before leaving, he paused and turned back. "I''ll change the guards. So from tomorrow on, you can eat your food."


    But instead of thanking her father, she waved her hand as if she never cared about these things.


    Rhesus sighed, seeing her action, and walked away.


    When he was no longer standing before the door, Princess Lia''s smile vanished, and she stared at the dead mouse before her. "Father has always been like this. He would never stop being biased."

 Chapter 16 - Sneaking Away

    Zion laid on his bed and gave the ceiling a blank stare. His mind was still on that corpse. Just who was that person lying in that place? Why was the body being kept inside that chamber? Didn''t anyone recognize this person wasn''t the real crown prince?


    He didn''t get any answer to that. Zion remembered that after leaving the room, he acted like he found nothing and was about to see the king and leave the palace grounds when that blond prince stopped him and said that they had prepared a guest room for the detective.??


    So that was how he ended up sleeping inside the imperial building tonight. As for why that blond prince stopped him¡­


    Zion thought about it. If that blond prince was an associate of the murderer, he must want the crime to remain secret. He wouldn''t want to give freedom to the detective. So the villains might want to monitor Vincent for now.


    At this, Zion''s brows wrinkled. If that were the case, they wouldn''t hesitate to take his life if he posed any threat to their schemes. That means the more they realized he had found more evidence, the higher were the chances of his death.


    So right now, Zion only had to pretend that he wasn''t a good detective and collect the evidence silently.


    Now, what would an average person do at this point? He would see Princess Lia first, by hook or by crook. Since she was the suspect in this scenario, an average detective would first investigate her thoroughly before approaching someone else.


    But Zion was different. Although he also wanted to approach her and ask questions, it wasn''t on his priority list. He would rather spend his days finding clues in the shadows than risk his life just to hear a word or two from her.


    Now, if he wanted to save himself from getting appreciated by the murderer who hid in the dark, he would have to come to light and prove that he was not worthy of the villain''s schemes.


    Zion sighed and turned to his side, gazing outside the window. The moon was up in the sky that glanced at him in a gentle manner. Tomorrow, all he had to do was sneak inside the prison in such a way that the guards would soon discover him.


    After plotting his schemes, he finally closed his eyes and went to sleep.


    ***


    The following day, no one realized detective Vincent had been missing from his room. The servants were afraid of him and thought that if that detective would point his fingers at them, they might be doomed. So they all wanted to stay away from that aristocrat.


    Neither did the imperial guards try to seek that detective. Not that they were afraid of that aristocrat, but His Majesty didn''t order them to seek that person. So they could only stand at the main door and guard the palace.


    Meanwhile, the king was too busy to see what the detective was doing. He didn''t take that aristocrat seriously. In fact, he wanted to invite that person to have a meeting in the afternoon to talk about why Vincent thought he involved his brothers in this crime. But one after another, cases piled up in the court that gave the king a headache.


    He glared at the pile of papers before his eyes. How good would it be if he could find a detective as his officer to handle these things!


    Rhesus''s eyes flashed at this thought. He already had a detective aristocrat in the palace. If that man proved that he was a valuable person, the king wouldn''t hesitate to take Vincent as his subject.


    After thinking of this, some of his headaches receded, and he continued his work. He had gone through cases and made several announcements while ignoring some of them that seemed redundant. But the entire time, he still had that detective in his mind. He desperately wished for that person to find the criminal and prove to the court that the latter was a talented person!


    So after quickly finishing his court duties, Rhesus went toward the guard and said, "Find Vincent. I want to have a word with him."


    The guard nodded and walked back into the corridor. Right now, only the king remained in the court. So he sighed and picked up the stuff before walking toward the corridor as well.


    After walking for what felt like hours, the king reached the palace''s main hall. This was the place where he spent most of the time, except for the court. This room was available for both family members and visitors who were granted permission to enter.


    Since he wanted to meet that detective, he would have to wait in the main hall before taking that guy somewhere to converse in private.


    But just as he entered the room, the guard came running toward him.


    The latter''s back was covered with cold sweat. He knew His Majesty valued that aristocrat. But if he were to realize that this aristocrat was missing, how would the king react? But the guard still had to relay the news to the king! It was crucial information!


    "Your majesty!" The guard bowed and said anxiously, "Mr. Vincent is missing!"


    "What?!" The king''s eyes widened at that. How could that be? That aristocrat was just fine last night and slept soundly in his guest room. Rhesus had left a spy after that detective to keep an eye on that person. But even after this, that guy sneaked away.


    Why?! Did someone kidnap him? As soon as this thought appeared in the king''s mind, he shrugged it off. No one would dare to make such an attempt in broad daylight.


    Rhesus''s eyes flashed at that moment. Hadn''t that detective asked him to see Princess Lia? The king was sure that Vincent had gone to see his daughter! If that detective aristocrat were an assassin in disguise, his daughter would be as good as dead!


    How could he be so stupid to trust his spies?! He should have monitored that man himself!

 Chapter 17 - Guards, Capture Him!

    While the king was busy blaming himself for not watching over the detective properly, the latter easily sneaked away and hid in the shadows. This was an essential skill he had gained in his previous life. That was also how he hid from that suicide bomber in the first place!


    Zion knew that there was a guard who was monitoring him all the time. So he didn''t dare to act in an abnormal way before replacing himself with pillows and sneaking out of his room secretly. After that, he kept walking slowly and stealthily across the palace until he could reach the prison area, which was far away in the East.??


    He exhausted all of his strength just to come here! After wiping sweat from his forehead, Zion squinted his eyes at the guards with elf ears, who were protecting a giant door with metal bars. Now, how would an average detective enter this place? If it were him, he wouldn''t enter instantly, since he knew Rhesus would come here looking for him. He would hide in this area and wait for the guards to change their shifts before walking inside.


    If possible, Zion might have even taken the disguise of a soldier with a helmet covering his face.


    But right now, all he wanted was to tell the entire world that the aristocrat detective had entered this prison. He even planned to give himself away so that the king could easily find him with no hindrance.


    Zion''s eyes flashed with determination as he thought of something.


    Rhesus had many aristocrat officers under him who had permission to enter the prison to interrogate the criminals. So he can pretend to be one and enter. The king would have realized that Vincent was missing from his room. Zion could bet that the first thing that king would do was to suspect that the aristocrat detective was an assassin in disguise who wanted to murder Princess Lia.


    After all, the criminal targeted that girl. It was perfectly normal for Rhesus to think like that.


    When Zion made the plan to show himself as an aristocrat officer, he didn''t wait any longer. This group of guards hadn''t seen him entering the main hall of the palace since yesterday. So they wouldn''t know who he was!


    Thus, Zion didn''t bother changing his attire and walked toward the guards, who stopped him and gave him a fierce glance. "Who are you? You''re not allowed to enter."


    "Not even with His Majesty''s permission?"


    The guards raised their eyebrows. "Then show the evidence."


    Zion nodded and took out a seal he had stolen from one of the aristocrat officers in the passing. The guards glanced at the seal with a dull expression on their faces and nodded. Then they gave him the way to enter the prison.


    Once Zion entered, he didn''t go inside directly. First, he didn''t know which prison Princess Lia was kept in, and second, he wanted to get caught. So wasn''t it better to just stand at the point from where the guards could see him clearly?


    He moved his gaze and stood beside the first prison door silently, and stared at the lock. He was proficient in picking locks in modern times, and in this world, the technology had collapsed. So since everything looked ancient, it was even easier for him to open the lock before his eyes, but he wouldn''t do so.


    Zion would just continue to act like he was finding it hard, trying to open this lock.


    These prison doors were unique. Without a key, no one could even get a glimpse of who was sitting inside the iron door. An average person couldn''t open the window meant for giving food. So even if he had to search for the princess, he would have to open all the locks and see who was inside through the small window.


    Just then, he heard a girl''s humming sound that faintly reached his ears. He frowned. This voice was familiar. Wasn''t this Princess Lia?


    Zion leaned toward the door in front of him, and the sound became clearer. So it seemed he really ended up hitting the jackpot.


    But he didn''t relax his shoulders. He had come here not to interrogate this princess, but to avoid the troubles that would occur in the future. But if a pie fell from the sky, who wouldn''t catch it? Naturally, Zion also thought he might as well just ask her a few questions.


    So he finally opened his mouth. "Princess Lia?"


    The humming sound stopped all of a sudden. Then he heard a groaning sound as someone''s footsteps echoed from the inside. Then the girl stopped and said, "Did you find who''s the culprit?"


    Zion raised his brows. How did she know he was looking for the murderer? But he didn''t intend to answer her. He cross-questioned her instead. "Do you know why I''m here?"


    "Do you think I''m a God?" Princess Lia Snorted. Her voice was hoarse, but she acted as if she wasn''t suffering, and her voice even had strength that made ordinary people bow before her respectfully.


    The detective said nothing. Just when he thought the girl would remain silent, she spoke. "I can give you a hint."


    Zion frowned. He felt as if this girl already knew who the killer was! His eyes squinted for a moment. But just as he was about to open his mouth to ask something, someone opened the door. He couldn''t help but curse under his breath, but his expression didn''t change.


    He would get more chances to confront that dignified girl. For now, he would have to focus on the task at hand.


    What Zion saw before his eyes was a group of guards glaring at him, and behind them was Rhesus, whose face was filled with anxiety.


    Did he just strike a win with his deductions? Zion''s lips curved up to form a satisfying arc. It looked like this detective''s mood turned better all of a sudden.


    But the king obviously wasn''t happy. He even glared at the detective hatefully and said, "How dare you enter this room?! Guards, capture him!"

 Chapter 18 - Should I Follow Him?

    There was a reason why Zion took this risk. Many people might think he was too bold and stupid to just jump right before the king and ask His Majesty for punishment. But the reality was different. Rhesus couldn''t do anything to the aristocrats unless they do a major crime such as treason or murder. But since Zion only sneaked inside the prison, he knew that the punishment wouldn''t be harsh.


    So he suppressed his lips from stretching into a smile and made a depressed expression. "I-I was lost."??


    The king believed Zion''s act and sneered before glaring at the man standing before him. Just what did he think when he made this aristocrat an officer in his court to handle crimes? To the king, this person was not worth the effort! Either Vincent was foolish enough to enter this place directly, or was smart enough to sneak inside to assassinate the princess.


    Rhesus''s body boiled in anger at the thought. "Take him away!"


    The guards didn''t know where to take this person, but since this foolish aristocrat was staying in the guest room earlier, they might as well bring him there. They all exchanged a glance and nodded, thinking of the same thing. Just as they were about to move, their king''s thunderous voice echoed again. "Why are you bringing him in the direction of the guest house?! Throw him out!"


    Zion''s lips curved up. This was exactly what he wanted. First, he wanted to get rid of those people that were following him ever since he had entered this palace, and second, he wanted to create such an image before the king and other royals that they would end up taking him for granted.


    It looked like his technique worked.


    When the king took Zion away, Princess Lia, who was eavesdropping, giggled. "I didn''t expect this person to be such a smart boy!"


    ***


    A person wearing a black cloak was standing in a room of a random inn and stared outside the window. His face was covered with the hood that revealed only his lips turned down, as if the person was worried about something. Just then, he heard a knock on the door. "You can enter."


    His youthful voice echoed. It looked like he had expected someone to come in the morning.


    A guard came over and saw the broad back of his cloaked black man. "Master, I have news about the detective." His voice was formal without a touch of enthusiasm, but the cloaked man didn''t care about it.


    The latter didn''t even glance back and said, "I''m listening."


    "The aristocrat sneaked inside the prison but failed. He found nothing, and after that, the king kicked him out."


    All of a sudden, the cloak man''s lips arched upward as if he had just heard something funny, and he let out a chuckle. "Really?"


    The guard behind the cloaked person stood straight. It seemed like he was standing in front of an important official. There wasn''t a twitch on the corners of his lips, and neither of his eyebrows rose after hearing such a tone of the man standing beside the window. It was almost as if he was accustomed to seeing this cloaked person having mood swings, which happened quite a lot these days.


    "Should I continue to follow him?"


    This guard was also one of this cloak man''s people who had been spying on the detective. A day ago, the cloaked person had ordered him to continue to report the whereabouts of the detective and the evidence that the aristocrat would find. And today, he found that despite sneaking inside the prison, the detective couldn''t find anything. The cloaked man should be happy about this, but he frowned and pursed his lips. He felt something amiss. But what?


    Since he couldn''t figure it out, he would just shrug it off. But the most crucial thing that acted as a ticking bomb on his head was that damned princess in prison. Ever since the king hid her, he couldn''t send another assassin to kill her off. This situation made his brows furrow deeper.


    The princess was his top priority. So he shook his head and said, "No. Forget him. He''s not as important as the princess. Monitor her." Even if he couldn''t kill her off, he needed to monitor her movements properly.


    The guard nodded and left through the front door after closing it behind.


    Zion didn''t know what had happened in a certain inn. He had just been kicked out as the guards glared at him. "Get out of here!"


    He rubbed his shoulders and turned away while ignoring the stony gazes of the guards standing at the palace gate. His eyes scanned the surroundings, only to find unfamiliar faces, and his shoulders relaxed.


    Zion knew a person had been following him ever since he entered the palace. That person could even continue to hide in the shadows, even when the king had asked a palace guard to monitor Zion. This was the reason he had been worried about his untimely death. The person following him in the shadows seemed to be skilled. So Zion''s life had been in that spy''s hands all this time. Now that the spy finally left him alone, he could relax and find more evidence.


    But one thing was clear. The palace had more secrets than what he could see. If not, why would someone replace the dead body of the crown prince? And where was the original person, if not here?


    Someone had deceived Rhesus and even dared to place a fake dead body inside the palace.


    The most important thing was that Princess Lia seemed to know something and was probably unwilling to tell anyone about it. Zion frowned as he crossed the street, filled with various shops. Many shopkeepers called him to buy stuff, but he ignored them all. His feet steadily walked in a single direction as he kept his head lowered.


    Should he sneak inside the prison again to interrogate the princess?


    A deep frown made its way on his forehead as he discarded this idea quickly. He had just entered the prison, and he knew he wouldn''t have time to find the princess soon. The surrounding security would be strict for a few days.


    So he could only shift the interrogating part to the second point on his priority list. It wasn''t like he would die if he couldn''t find the princess. He had many other ways to get the evidence.


    Just then, he saw a familiar figure stepping out of the carriage that stood before a brothel. It was Prince Linton. Zion''s steps paused as he dashed behind a shop and rubbed his chin while staring at the blond man. This person was his primary suspect for now, and maybe he should keep following him.

 Chapter 19 - Changing His Identity, Again!

    Zion glanced down at his body and pressed his lips together. It was time to change his identity again. He remembered he would get only fifty points after solving this case, and he took a loan of twelve points already. So he could change into two more identities for now. After thinking of this, he knocked on the system''s door, who was lazily spending his time in Zion''s mind.


    007 instantly popped out in front of Zion on a screen and yawned. "I was sleeping. What is it?"??


    "I want to change my identity." Zion ignored the bored look on the furry man''s face and rolled his eyes. He wasn''t as irritated after seeing that attire of his system as he was before. Perhaps he was getting accustomed to seeing this image.


    The furry man groaned. "Now?"


    At this, the system received a nod. 007 had an urge to slam his hands against the table in irritation. But he controlled his anger and glared at the man before a word rolled out of his throat. "Fine!"


    He suppressed his rising anger and pushed open the identity form before asking, "Which one should I choose?"


    "Servant dhampir." Zion didn''t hesitate before answering. 007 tilted his head but said nothing. He started filling up the detective''s details.


    A smile graced Zion''s lips after seeing this kind of behavior. So he couldn''t help but say, "If you continue to be obedient, I will bully you less."


    The system was just filling up the form when he heard those words, and his hand slipped. He was about to click the female option by mistake, but he paused his hands-on time.


    007 wiped the sweat from his forehead. He knew his host would certainly not leave him alone in this lifetime if he had clicked the female gender, and that person would bully him even more.


    He cried with bitter tears in his heart. His work as a system was too difficult! Why did his boss give him such a host?!


    "Host, I have a question," 007 said to change the topic.


    Zion was in a good mood. So his lips were turned upward as he nodded and gestured to the system to continue.


    "Why did you choose a servant again?"


    Zion rolled his eyes. There it was! The system was acting stupid again. For a moment, he didn''t know whether to laugh or cry. Hadn''t he told 007 the reason behind this choice already?


    Perhaps the latter could tell that his host''s irritation was rising. So the furry man hurriedly spoke to explain himself. "You don''t have to go through six months of education. Can''t you just sneak into the palace without passing the test? It would be such a hassle¡­."


    The detective glanced at the system with half-closed eyes and shook his head. This system was starting to become stupider as the days passed. So Zion couldn''t help but open his mouth to ridicule the little virtual thing. "I take my words back. It''s good to bully you more."


    The system shut his mouth and gave out a nervous chuckle while scratching his cheeks. "Host, why are you so¡­." He was about to say a bad word for the detective when he stopped his gullible mouth and lowered his head. He should just submit the form and pretend to die. Why did he have to ask such a question?


    Zion''s body gained a relaxed posture as he said, "Fine, I will clarify your doubt. If I''m a guard, I need sword fighting skills, at least above-average level. If not, how could I make others think that I''m a guard? Haven''t you seen those people practicing every morning? It''s their daily routine."


    007 understood. If the detective were to become a guard, they would easily blow his cover, since he didn''t have any sword-fighting skills. The king wouldn''t hire someone without such an essential skill. So the system silently lowered his head and submitted the form before turning to his host. "Your identity will change within five minutes. Better hide in a separate room before that."


    Zion nodded, and the system disappeared again. After that, he got busy finding an inn and using the gold he stole from the palace to rent a room for a few days.


    When he was finally left alone in a room, he leaned back on the bed and thought about the case again until his identity changed again. This time, he would first have to follow Prince Linton for a while and find more clues.


    For now, he only knew a few things. Someone wanted to shut the princess''s mouth in the prison after the guards captured her. They wanted to kill her instead of letting the king give her a death sentence. That means they must be in a hurry to get rid of her.


    Did something happen when she was going to the prison with the guards? She must know some inside information about the case. It must have taken half an hour to walk that far. And after reaching the prison, the assassin attacked the princess after a few hours.


    It shouldn''t be that someone sneaked inside the prison and told the princess a secret that forced the murderer to send an assassin. No one would be that crazy to say to the princess about it, who was already imprisoned. After all, her father''s position was higher. Why wouldn''t the secret be shared with the king instead?


    So she must have heard or seen something while going to the prison. Was that what she wanted to tell him back then, in prison?


    Zion rubbed his chin. But before he could think more about it, his body changed. Although he didn''t feel any pain, he felt blinded when a bright light engulfed his entire being. He closed his eyes and waited for the light to fade away.


    When everything around him became dark again, he opened his eyes and glanced down to find that his hands had become rougher, and his legs turned into a minotaur''s shape. The only common thing was his canine that made him look like he was a half-vampire.


    For a few days, he was already accustomed to his identity as a dhampir. So those canines didn''t trouble him. Despite looking like a dhampir, he was still a human from the inside. So he didn''t have to drink blood, unlike others.


    After his clothes and face changed, he went and glanced at his appearance, which wasn''t any better. He looked like an average dhampir citizen he had seen walking on the street or selling something in the shops. After feeling satisfied with his appearance, he wrote on a piece of paper using a feather in crooked handwriting. "I''ll be out."


    His face contorted seeing that handwriting. He hesitated and thought about whether he should rewrite and gave up. No one was going to check whether he wrote it. After all, he had changed his identities many times.


    So he simply walked out before handing out that note to the inn manager. Then he walked out of the inn and strolled toward the brothel, where he had seen Prince Linton as he asked the system about his current identity.

 Chapter 20 - Zion In The Brothel!

    While Zion was busy heading over to the brothel where he had seen Prince Linton, Rhesus tapped his finger on his throne chair with a frown on his forehead. Even after kicking out that detective, his problems still weren''t solved. He hadn''t found out the truth behind the murder.


    To be honest, he hadn''t seen anyone having a bad relationship with the crown prince, Bradley Vanne. That child had always been friendly and kind to all. Why would someone hate his son? The king knew that there should be more hidden in the dark that he didn''t know about. His frown deepened when he thought of that.??


    He had done everything he could to find the clues, but he also knew that he needed the aid of a few intelligent officers. So would he have to hire new people already?


    Rhesus stared at his feet for a long time before finally letting out a sigh. Fine, if it would take an officer to solve this case, he would appoint someone from the available guards. After deciding this, he clapped his hands.


    A guard entered the hall and bowed before the king. Although he didn''t say anything, his stance was straight as he stared at the king without any expressions.


    "Do you want to work as a detective under me?"


    This guard was a Dhampir that belonged to the elf race. He wasn''t supposed to be promoted to an officer since, according to the rule, only aristocrats become officers, but the king was desperate. He needed someone to find the murderer as fast as possible. So he was willing to promote this guard.


    After hearing those words, the guard''s eyes widened. This person hadn''t shown any reaction before, but now, he couldn''t help it. But his head and face were covered with a silver-colored helmet that only revealed eyes and lips. So no one could see the face hidden behind that helmet, and neither the king nor the guard cared about the look.


    But the latter was truly shocked. He opened his mouth and closed, and didn''t know what to say. Should he thank the king or refuse the offer since it carried too much burden? Even this guard knew what the king wanted him to do after becoming a detective. But he couldn''t refuse even if he wanted to.


    So he took a deep breath and went on his knees with a serious expression on his face. "I, Oswin Irwine, an imperial guard, would henceforth become and work as a detective officer and help your majesty in solving crimes of this kingdom."


    The king''s shoulders relaxed at that, and he nodded. He remembered this guard named Oswin, whom he had hired a year ago. Since then, this guard had been able to use his intelligence in helping him solve many cases. If it weren''t for this guard, Rhesus wouldn''t be able to find many criminals. So why not give this person an official post to make things easy?


    After that, he called a servant to bring a seal. Rhesus signed it and gave it to the guard standing before him. He felt like his burden had been reduced after so many days. He could allow this person to handle the case officially, and he could rest in his bedroom.


    Before going, he suddenly remembered something. "Oh yes, find the whereabouts of that ghost. That person didn''t appear after the day Prince Linton came. I feel like the ghost can be a big lead for us."


    Being a guard, Oswin knew the secrets of the palace. So he knew what the king was talking about. So he just nodded and left the palace hall.


    Zion was currently standing right before the brothel and stared at the entrance with a frown on his face. He knew that Prince Linton had come here a few minutes ago in a carriage, but he couldn''t find the trace of that blond man now. Not even the carriage was parked around here to wait for the prince. Did that man leave already when Zion was changing his appearance?


    His eyes narrowed, and he decided just to enter this place to wait for the prince. Even if Linton wasn''t, Zion was sure that he could find valuable evidence here. So he fixed his appearance and walked inside.


    After entering, he saw rows of women in beautiful dresses leaning on the railings from the balcony while staring down and batting their eyelashes at the customers gathered downstairs. Zion quickly averted his eyes, but there was someone who enjoyed this scene. The system.


    007 popped out and stared at the woman upstairs with glistening eyes. The furry man''s face had already turned red as he stared at the women with a hint of desire in his eyes. If you look closely, you would see the system literally letting out drops of saliva from the corner of his lips while staring at those girls.


    Zion squinted his eyes after seeing the system''s reaction. He knew that this 007 was perverted, but today, he saw the extent of how far this thing could go to satisfy his desires.


    He silently added another point at the grudge he held against those higher planetary beings, especially that Methu man. After that, he coughed and forcibly shut off the system. He didn''t want to waste more time talking to this strange system. His headache had increased after seeing the system blushing face that constantly stared at those women.


    To be honest, Zion felt nervous at this place. This was the first time he had entered a professional brothel, but he kept a straight face. After all, he had lived in the 21st century where half-naked women would roam around the street without any shame. So his cheeks didn''t turn red after seeing those women wearing revealing clothes. He moved his eyes toward the main staff room, where many ladies were gathered.


    Since Zion''s attire was that of a servant, none of the girls looked at him with interest. The females were all either aristocrats or half-elves, showing their beautiful features.


    So he moved and walked inside without even giving them a second glance. It wasn''t like he didn''t want to be in a relationship or pursue any girl. It was just that currently, his priorities included survival in this strange world filled with danger at every step. So he had thought about this. He would only pursue a relationship after stabilizing his situation. And before that, he wouldn''t even look at another girl.


    Just as he was thinking about this, he heard a voice gaining his attention. "Oi, servant, why''re you here?"

 Chapter 21 - Saving Flowers

    After reaching the brothel, Zion realized that there were two types of servants here. The first kind of servant was of higher positions that included the Dhampir residents belonging to half minotaur race. Whereas the second category, the servants working under them, were humans who had no free will whatsoever. Whatever they were told, they would have to do without complaining.


    Zion''s shoulders relaxed after seeing this kind of situation. At least he made a good choice when he wrote Dhampir resident after all. He had the free will to stalk Prince Linton all he wanted.??


    So after some time, Zion found one of the human servants standing all alone in one corner. This particular human servant was given under Zion''s care by the brothel manager just when he went inside the office to take the seal.


    So he was free to interrogate this person without any hesitation. "Did you see Prince Linton entering this place today?"


    Zion had already found out that the blonde''s name was Linton back when he was staying in the palace. But he still didn''t know details about this person. For Zion, every character had a different background that often separated them individually. He would never believe that a two-faced person like Prince Linton wouldn''t have any secrets. And Zion was willing to stalk that person all day long in this brothel to find that secret.


    The human, who was suddenly getting interrogated, glanced up with a blank look in his eyes. His attire was messy. It could be said that this servant looked more like a beggar than a regular servant. Even his hair seemed as if he hadn''t washed it for a long time. That man was in a daze for a few seconds before he parted his chapped lips. "Yes¡­.he did."


    "What did he do?"


    The human servant didn''t understand why the senior officer asked this question, but he didn''t say a single word of complaint. He opened his mouth and said, "He just entered the same room as always."


    It looked like Prince Linton even had a room that was always booked for him. Zion nodded and sent the servant off. The man bowed and walked off with the bucket in his hand. For a while, he felt sympathetic for that servant. This person was a human, and he was treated so badly that Zion could see zero emotions in his eyes. He even had dark circles.


    Zion pursed his lips and decided to focus on the task at hand. After that, he would just contact this servant and take him under his wing.


    And just like that, the next day arrived. Zion slept in the servant''s quarters where almost all the senior servants were sleeping. After getting ready for the next day, he finally managed to see the person he was looking for: Prince Linton.


    The blond man didn''t recognize Zion. Of course, a sane person wouldn''t even suspect that this senior servant was a detective aristocrat in the past. The difference between the bodily configurations of the aristocrats and the ordinary servants was totally different. So they wouldn''t even think of comparing the two people. That was why Zion was relaxed after changing his identity. He believed no one could identify him.


    The prince first went inside the staff room, where he nodded at the brothel manager before making himself comfortable in the room. A human servant served a cup of tea as the prince sat down with a straight back. He carefully sipped the tea without looking at the manager.


    Zion sneakily entered the room and hid behind the door, quietly watching the scene from the shadows.


    "Your highness, what brings you here today?" The manager glanced at the prince with glistening eyes as he rubbed his palms. He seemed like he was waiting for Linton''s arrival.


    Prince Linton showed a bored expression on his face and squinted his eyes. "Why are you asking?"


    The manager grinned and said, "If you are here for a special purpose, I''ll send you off to your room." It almost looked like this manager was the happiest person alive who couldn''t wait to earn more money from the prince.


    Linton snorted and leaned back on the wall while staring outside the window. At this time, spring had just arrived, which resulted in colorful flowers blooming on the trees. The prince glanced at those flowers indifferently as his voice echoed. "Blooming flowers are going to fall soon. I have to be ready for that day."


    The manager tilted his head, hearing those words. Blooming flowers? Why would those flowers fall? It was strange hearing about such a thing in spring.


    But Zion understood these words. From what he heard, he could tell that something was about to happen in this kingdom that would wreak havoc. His brows wrinkled at that.


    He didn''t get time to dwell on it before he saw the prince getting up on his feet and smiled at the aristocrat manager. "Don''t worry about the room. Fetch Lisa for me."


    The manager''s smile dimmed a little, but he forced himself to keep a pleasant expression. After that, he nodded and walked away.


    Room? Zion frowned. Perhaps Linton had been coming here to meet someone in a special room while giving more money to the manager. This was why the manager''s face was full of happiness when he saw the prince entering the brothel and why his expressions became sad when Linton refused to enter the ''room.''


    Zion didn''t go after the manager and instead kept glancing at the prince whose corners of lips turned down as the latter stared at the door in displeasure. Then Linton said to himself. "Now that I have made this decision, I hope to save a few flowers from falling off the tree."


    Save a few flowers?


    Zion''s brows furrowed after hearing those words. This prince seemed to be hiding many things in his heart. That was the reason why he suspected this person in the first place. But now, when Prince Linton started saying those words, he realized that there might be a deeper meaning behind it.


    It almost seemed as if the prince was being forced to side with the murderers to save someone. But who? And what was the reason behind this action?


    Zion didn''t know, but he knew that he would uncover the truth behind this incident. For now, he would keep following this prince. Even though this person''s words might seem like he was saving someone, Zion still suspected Linton. After all, he didn''t know the reason behind those words.


    But just what was Linton trying to do now?


    He followed the prince in the shadows. When he saw Linton entering a room with a beautiful woman in his arms, his eyes squinted as he followed the two of them.


    Zion sneaked inside the room and hid behind a folding screen as he crouched. He glanced at the prince from the hole.

 Chapter 22 - Authentic Dancing

    Zion had expected to see the prince jumping over the poor prostitute and pushing her on the bed. But what he thought of didn''t happen. Instead, he waved at the girl standing before him, and she bowed before she walked into the middle of the room. After that, she randomly started dancing.


    The steps she performed urged Zion to raise his brows in surprise. At first, he had thought that this girl would perform an ancient dance, but what she was doing was an ugly mixture of hip hop and belly dance. Being a 21st-century youth, he knew how the dancers performed, and even prostitutes would be aware of a professional way of dancing it all out.??


    But when he glanced at the girl who was dancing before him, he felt a rare urge to puke. The prostitutes were supposed to dance with elegance to seduce the man before him, but such a performance would only force the clients away!


    Even kids in the apartment he lived in his previous life would do better than this lady! This girl was just flapping her hands in the air like a mad person in the name of dancing!


    Zion pressed his lips together and curbed his urge to throw something at the dancing girl before him. He averted his eyes and simply decided to ignore the girl''s funny dancing. The only good thing was the soothing piano music in the background.


    Just when he thought he would save himself from seeing such an embarrassing thing, he heard a high-pitched voice that sang what seemed like a comical version of a modern pop song. His brows were wrinkled.


    What kind of world was this?! At every point, he saw something that irritated the heck out of him! Then he glanced at Prince Linton, who had a smile on his face as his entire body relaxed and leaned back on the wall. The man watched the funny dance before him and seemed like it was making him feel relaxed.


    Zion really wanted to march toward the guy and shake his shoulders. How could he like such a stupid performance?!


    Just then, he heard something that made Zion even more irritated.


    "Okay, that''s enough. I want to be alone now." Prince Linton paused and took out a pouch filled with coins before throwing it toward the girl. "Here. You have professionally presented the pre-war culture. I guess the ancestors who had lived in the technology world would shower praises on you."


    The prostitute grabbed the pouch and grinned before heading out.


    Veins popped on Zion''s forehead. What professional?! This was nothing but comical! He could bet that if the ancestors saw this kind of performance, they would definitely throw shoes and stones at the girl!


    After calming down, he realized what Prince Linton meant by pre-war culture. He had read about how the world was like when humans were still ruling over the world. It was just like the world Zion used to live in his previous life. And if that were the case, then the dance presentation he saw just now was a comical version of the real one belonging to the technological era.


    He was just thinking about this when he heard the loud scolding voice of the manager coming from the main hall. Zion glanced at the prince, who furrowed his brows and walked out. With nothing to do for now other than following Linton, the detective also sighed and walked out while hiding his presence in the shadows.


    What he saw next made him feel an urge to kill every single person.


    He saw a girl performing a professional hip-hop dance, and that lady''s steps looked like she had just jumped out of the television to show them the authentic dance. Even her singing was up to the mark that made him feel relaxed. But the manager standing before her glared at the woman and said, "What the-" He took a deep breath as if he was suppressing his anger. "What kind of performance is this?! Learn something from Lisa! This is not what a professional dance looks like!"


    The girl abruptly stopped and lowered her head as if she was guilty of her actions. "I-I''ll try my level best¡­."


    The manager was too angry. So he knocked her head with the paper fan in his hand and said, "You have been learning from that lazy man Riley, haven''t you? That man has been teaching comical and unauthentic versions of dance and songs for years, and King Rhesus still hasn''t done anything at all!"


    Unauthentic?! From what corner did this dance look unauthentic to these people?! Zion glared at the manager. He wanted to go and flip the table right before their eyes!


    He originally wasn''t a person who would get irritated quickly in his previous world. Of course, back then, people would praise him for everything he would do and not even dare to do anything to irritate him. But now, when people from this world were going against the norm, he couldn''t help but feel irritated.


    Still, he was here to solve the case and survive rather than focusing on unnatural things. He took a deep breath and glanced at Prince Linton, who laughed and walked back inside the room. Zion swiftly followed and hid behind the folding screen again.


    He watched the prince closing the door behind him before he strolled toward the cupboard. After opening the wooden door carved with flower design at the corner, Linton shifted the hanging clothes on one side. He pressed something on the wall and slid open the hidden door inside the cupboard. What was revealed was darkness.


    After glancing at the room once again, he entered the dark place before closing the door. Zion squinted his eyes and stared at the opened cupboard for a long time before he came out. His vigilance was high since he wasn''t sure when that person would pop out of that place. But even after waiting for a while, the cupboard door didn''t slide open.


    So he went back to the same place where Prince Linton had done something on the wall. He squinted his eyes and caressed the bricks. He even knocked every single one of them and tried pushing them. But no matter how much he tried, the cupboard''s hidden wall didn''t open again.

 Chapter 23 - His Cover Was Blown

    So Zion squinted his eyes at the wall before him and walked behind the folding screen again. He would wait here for the prince even if it took an hour! But he didn''t have to crouch behind the screen for a long time before the hidden door opened again. This time, he could see that the prince''s forehead was covered with a cold sweat, and the complexion of his face paled several degrees.


    Something was wrong. Zion could tell that either Prince Linton had been threatened or he was about to die a tragic death and saved himself at the last moment by compromising. At this time, the detective could think of various scenes in his mind where the villain was threatening a cowardly person who was covered with cold sweat and finally decided to agree to the former''s wishes.??


    If that was the case, then this prince also seemed to be a victim.


    But something still felt off for some reason. He glanced at the prince, who returned to his gentle yet aloof demeanor while walking outside the room. When Zion saw that, he pursed his lips and followed the man. Before he could even think of following the person more, the prince nodded at the manager before strolling toward the carriage and leaving the brothel.


    For the next few days, he didn''t see the prince again, which made him frown deeper. Why wasn''t the prince coming to this brothel again? Zion didn''t want to stay here anymore, even as a servant. He almost felt like he would turn into some pervert after hearing so many moans from several rooms.


    Even though he was from the 21st century, he still wasn''t ready to hear the live version of those kinds of bedroom activities every day. Every time he crossed a room, he would hear a girl''s moan that was loud enough to reach everyone''s ears in the brothel. For the first few days, Zion had a trace of blush on his face while pretending to be a servant and waiting for the prince to arrive.


    But after a few days passed, Zion felt that he was getting numb. He was even starting to imagine what the man must have done to that prostitute inside to make her scream so loud. When he thought of this, he couldn''t help but wrinkle his nose. He wasn''t a man idly imagining such things about girls randomly!


    Was he going to become a pervert staying inside this place?!


    He clearly needed something to get busy to stop thinking about it anymore!


    The second most important thing was his system continuing to pop out in front of his eyes every time a girl would scream. That happened quite a lot, and Zion was getting sick of it. 007 would pop out even when Zion was talking to someone, and the poor detective would have to pause in the middle of conservation and focus on suppressing his shocked expression.


    And the most irritating thing was the expression that the furry man would make after coming out. He would have two heart-shaped emojis popping out of his eyes while staring at the closed door with an expression filled with lust. Then he would lick his lips and say to his host. "Host, I would recommend you to stay here and manage the brothel from now on. You don''t have to solve the cases anymore."


    Zion knew that this stupid system was just getting blinded by lust. So he didn''t take those words seriously and diligently waited for the prince.


    A week later, the prince appeared again and almost made Zion shed joyful tears in his heart, although from his expression, no one could tell what he was thinking. His face was cold and calm as usual.


    But the prince didn''t act as Zion expected. Linton came, spent some time watching a prostitute''s strange dance, and left just like that. That''s when he realized that perhaps his cover was blown.


    Zion frowned at that. He rubbed his chin and thought for a moment while entering his living quarters that night.


    The prince perhaps knew that Zion had been waiting there behind the folding screen. Was that why Linton made that expression? So was the prince really threatened or not?


    This case was getting more complex. Wasn''t this supposed to be an easy one? Why wasn''t the prince behaving like a victim? This man was acting more like a murderer''s companion who had decided to fool the police.


    "System," Zion called 007 in his mind. "I want to buy one last identity."


    The system appeared before his eyes. This time, the furry man was wearing a nighty made out of pinkish fur, and there was a cap of the same color on his head. This system looked even like a girl who had just woken up unjustly.


    007 quickly caught on to what his host was thinking and glared at the man. "I''m not a girl! What part of me looks like a girl?"


    Zion seriously considered answering this question and gave the system a thorough glance before opening his mouth.


    "Don''t! You don''t have to answer that." The system wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. He had seen the way Zion had glanced at him. The man''s gaze almost felt like he was screaming, ''this system is too foolish.'' So it was better for the system to stay silent whenever his host thought about his clothing style.


    007 didn''t want to be bullied even more than he already was!


    So he forced the topic back on track. "I''ll fill the form. So do you need to go out or change into an aristocrat?"


    Zion thought for a while and nodded. "Change me into an aristocrat when I head out. I have to sneak back to that inn and transform into a human servant to come here."


    The system didn''t understand one thing. "Why do you need to change your identity again?"


    Zion gave the system a cold glance as if he was calling 007 a fool a thousand times. The latter gulped and said, "Don''t answer that. My bad."


    His host shrugged and pulled up the blanket. "I''ll be sleeping for a while. You better not disturb me."


    The system had an urge to throw a fist at this man. Who was it that disturbed his sleep first?! 007 was sleeping soundly before the man knocked his door like this. Now the detective even dared to say that the man shouldn''t be disturbed?!


    But despite being angry, the system didn''t do anything. He mumbled curses and silently turned off the screen while monitoring Zion''s every move.

 Chapter 24 - The Room

    Zion''s face with a new identity looked pretty normal, except for a scar on his right cheek. This was his third identity, and he was already feeling tired. So he decided to disturb the system to refresh himself.


    "Oi, system!"??


    The furry man appeared again when his host called him out. He was furious at this person for disturbing him every time he was about to do something meaningful. Just a few moments ago, he was about to confess his love to a female system that was created with him. Even though they might not have lived for years, 007 was already an adult in the system''s world.


    Just as he had opened his mouth during the video chat, the notification went off, and he had to reluctantly cut off the call and drag his feet outside his host''s mind.


    How could Zion do this to him?! Just what did this detective think of himself? A King of all detectives?! 007 glared at the man standing before him and said, "You have to disturb me every time I''m about to do something important."


    Zion shrugged and walked on the street. "It''s not like you were about to confess."


    The system was silent.


    The detective instantly understood the meaning behind this silence and smiled. "So I actually saved a girl from falling in your clutches. I feel pretty good after hearing this."


    007 decisively turned off the screen and went back into hiding.


    Zion, having gotten his daily dose of laughter, didn''t disturb that unfortunate thing again. But he was feeling slightly sad. He wanted to go back to his original identity. Even though, as a human, he was nothing but a servant, he still had his pride. Moving around for weeks as someone else with a new name was pretty much uncomfortable.


    A sigh escaped his lips, but he still walked ahead. After sneaking inside the brothel again, he silently started working as a lower-grade servant and stole someone else''s seal.


    Why didn''t he take a new seal for himself from the manager? For once, he knew that the prince was cunning, and that person might have asked the brothel manager about who was the new employee here. So he would have had a few people spying on Zion''s every move already.


    It wasn''t strange that his cover was blown just like that. He wasn''t on his guard. To be honest, he didn''t think that people of the races that looked more ancient were smart.


    When he finally got his place in the brothel, he wandered around and acted like a servant under a lazy senior servant''s commands. Why did he choose a lazy person? It was because that man wouldn''t check the list of servants under him. So Zion could do his work without getting caught.


    When he settled down, he finally bore the fruit of his efforts. The next time when Prince Linton came, he directly went to see the manager and said, "Send me to the room."


    The manager''s eyes lit up at that, and he nodded instantly. He called a servant nearby, who happened to be Zion and ordered him to guide Linton toward the latter''s room.


    After staying at the brothel for a while, he had already realized that Linton had his room here where he would come and pay up extra money to keep everyone out. Basically, this prince treated this room as a hotel with plenty of beautiful dancers around him.


    Zion walked toward the prince''s room and unlocked it before stepping aside. Prince Linton stepped inside, but before he could close the door, he frowned and turned back. "Are you new here?"


    The detective disguised as a servant didn''t look up and shook his head. "I''ve always been here."


    Prince Linton''s brows furrowed deeper. "Really?"


    Zion didn''t say anything and simply nodded. When the prince went inside the room and locked it from the inside, the disguised servant stayed there as if he wanted to guard that place, but in reality, his ears were focusing on every step the prince was taking inside the room. Just when he felt like Linton had reached the cupboard, Zion moved and walked out of the brothel stealthily before entering the same room through the window.


    His deductions were correct. The prince was perhaps acting like a victim to misleading him when he had followed Linton in his half-minotaur identity. Then it was good that Zion had changed his face earlier.


    But he still wasn''t willing to trust this prince. What if the current situation was also an act? So he hid closely in the shadows and watched the prince''s actions with keen eyes. This time, he didn''t want to miss out on anything.


    So he watched the prince pulling out a brick in the eleventh row with ease and putting it back in that place. After that, Linton once again took out a few more bricks and pressed adjacent ones in a pattern that no one could understand from the naked eye. It almost looked like the prince was pulling out and pushing the bricks at random.


    But Zion squinted his eyes and continued to watch this scene with keen eyes. He focused on every step and didn''t even blink. It wasn''t until Linton stepped inside the hidden door that he moved from his place and stared at the wall beside the cupboard for a long time.


    After thinking for a while, he took out the first brick from the wall and placed it inside. Then, he continued to push and pull in a way similar to the prince''s, but his speed was a little slower. It could be said that this detective was known for his photographic memory in his previous world that also gave him many opportunities to overcome the enemies and capture them.


    So he skillfully solved the puzzle and heard the hidden door opening. The corners of his lips curved up at that.


    Without thinking twice, he entered the narrow corridor that was so dark that he couldn''t even see his hands. The door closed behind him automatically, but he didn''t care about it anymore. He knew that the prince would enter this dark corridor once again. So he focused on finding clues. For now, then he would think about escaping this dark corridor.


    After walking for a while, he finally saw the light at the end, but he didn''t feel happy about it. The closer he got to the destination, the more he felt an ominous premonition in his heart. His hunches had never been wrong. So he frowned and continued to walk ahead with caution.

 Chapter 25 - He Wouldnt Rely On His System!

    As soon as he came closer to the bright opening of the tunnel, he heard the voices of two people talking to each other. Zion stopped and hid behind a pillar still in the dark corridor.


    After glancing outside, he could see many trees as the entire place was surrounded by greenery. Birds chirped and flew freely in the sky above the heads of two people. One was Prince Linton, and another one had a cloak draped on his head and body.??


    The detective frowned. This cloaked person was likely to be the mastermind or someone close to the mastermind who had planned the murder. After hiding carefully, he shifted his focus toward the people who were talking beneath the sunlight.


    "Are you sure no one followed you?" The cloaked man asked in an emotionless tone.


    Zion could only see the lips of that cloaked man that were in a relaxed position as if that person didn''t have any worries. Then he glanced at Prince Linton shaking his head. "I''m positive. The servant has resigned."


    "He should have followed you." The cloaked man sighed in distress. It almost felt like he was sad for some reason. "I had a big surprise for him."


    "Surprise?" Linton was confused as he tilted his head. "Wasn''t that only a servant?"


    Zion''s brows furrowed at that. From what he heard, this cloaked man seemed to be waiting for him in his previous identity. So it was safe to say that he wouldn''t be taking that disguise ever again. They really knew that he was following the prince, didn''t they?


    The only relief was that he knew how to change his identities at random. So none of these people could figure out that Vincent, the senior servant, and the human servant were the same person.


    "Not just a servant." The cloaked man suddenly said as his lips curved up to form a smile. "He was a spy. Someone is onto us."


    Before anyone could get a chance to dwell on that thought, he waved his hand and said, "You can go back and don''t come here for a few days. I will find you later when I''m in need." After that, the man turned toward the dark forest and slowly stepped in that direction.


    Linton nodded and pursed his lips. It seemed as though he wanted to say something. He opened and closed his mouth.


    Zion could tell that the relationship between these two people was awkward. Just when he thought he wouldn''t hear that person speaking, the prince spoke with a trace of hesitation in his voice. "Are you sure you want to do that to your father? After all, he¡­."


    The cloaked man''s feet paused, and he turned back all of a sudden. It seemed as if his entire aura changed from a gentle person to someone who had hidden intentions and killing intent. The man stared at Linton for a long time before letting out a cold chuckle. "Should I thank you for reminding me that, uncle?" The man emphasized the last word he spoke before he turned around and dashed toward the jungle.


    Prince Linton''s body was stiffened, and when he was sure that the cloaked man had left already, he sighed in relief. "That person is dangerous. Thank God that I managed to appear on his good side." After that, he also walked toward the dark corridor where the detective was hiding behind a pillar.


    Zion moved and instantly went inside the darker path without daring to think of anything else. He didn''t want to be caught so soon when he nearly figured out the mystery. After reaching a safe place, he would think about what just heard. As he approached the hidden door, he hid behind another pillar on the side while waiting for the prince.


    When Linton came, he didn''t have the slightest clue of how someone had followed him and heard his conservation with the cloaked man back then. The prince did something on the wall that Zion noted with his keen eyes and walked out of the corridor, following behind the man.


    After half an hour, when Zion finally managed to come back to the inn with his aristocratic identity, he laid on his bed and started pondering about the things he heard a while ago.


    It seemed the murderer had many spies in the brothel who were keeping an eye on almost everyone who had just joined, and coincidentally when Zion came, he caught their eyes and attracted their attention. They might have told that man in cloak everything.


    As for the surprise, Zion wasn''t too keen on knowing what it was! He was sure that it wouldn''t be good anyway. But he planned to find the place that was connected to the brothel through the dark corridor. That area seemed to be a forest on the outskirts of the kingdom, or at least at the place where Rhesus''s men couldn''t enter.


    Secondly, he had managed to identify who that cloaked man could be: crown prince Bradley himself!


    Thinking of this, Zion tilted his head. Why did it seem like this case was too simple? He had already found the mastermind behind the murder, and he just had to find the evidence, but he vaguely felt as if he had left something out.


    This feeling was the same when he had picked up the knife back then wrapped it up in cloth within the crown prince''s room. It seemed as if everything was staged so nicely that anyone trying to solve this case would walk in the direction the murderer guided them.


    Zion frowned once he realized this and quickly fetched out that knife.


    In any case, this was the only lead he had. So he might as well go out and search for the place where the murderer bought it. He gripped the knife tightly and got off of his bed.


    He kept the knife on the table beside the bed and grabbed a piece of leather. After that, he got ready to create a cosplay face mask. Of course, he would call it a cosplay since he already was in a fantasy body.


    Since he needed to change his attire from scratch, he wouldn''t depend on the system all the time. It cost him points! So it was better to use leather, paint, glue, and other things he found earlier to change his identity!

 Chapter 26 - A Mischief!

    Zion knew how to change his attire manually because he had done something like this when working as a private detective during his college days. At that time, he had just started his career and needed to change his face to sneak inside any building easily to find more clues. So he would simply use cosplay face-creating techniques he had seen on YouTube to change his identity at home.


    Of course, this process was quite tedious and required him to spend almost half a day. But when Zion was recruited by the FBI after his college, he didn''t have to waste his time making cosplay face masks anymore to change his identity. Whenever he would be required to go undercover, the officials would provide him with many things, including a secret identity, and would change his face using make-up and technology.??


    But now, when he had entered this crazy world, he forced himself to use the same face-changing method that he had acquired during his college days.


    After five hours, Zion stood before the mirror when he successfully changed his face. If it weren''t for the hair color and clothes, no one could connect this person to the detective aristocrat who had entered this room earlier.


    Zion nodded at himself in satisfaction. Now he needed to find clothes to change himself to the fullest.


    When the system saw this, he rubbed his forehead and instantly popped out. "You could have asked me for another identity."


    Zion coldly glanced at the system and averted his eyes. He didn''t bother explaining to this stupid thing about what he was doing and the reason behind it.


    The system seemed to have perceived his host''s thoughts and silently went back into hiding.


    The detective glanced at the mirror one more time before he sneaked out of the room. After glancing at left and right, he silently went into the adjacent room to fetch clothes from his neighbor. As for the hair color, he would apply the paint he had used on his face.


    When he was ready, he took the knife and walked outside the inn as nothing happened.


    What he didn''t know was that someone had been following him all the time in the shadows. This person''s skills seemed to be even better than Zion, who also had a talent for hiding himself pretty well.


    So the person saw that an unknown aristocrat came out of the inn and was baffled. He hadn''t seen this person before. This spy had been hiding here for a few days and already knew people''s identities living here. First was the manager having a round stomach living with his minotaur and human servants. Then those aristocrats who had transferred in the city from the towns nearby to find themselves a job at the imperial palace.


    But he hadn''t seen the man who just walked out of place. For a moment, the spy was confused, and suddenly he realized something. This should be that detective aristocrat, shouldn''t he?


    The spy immediately became alert and walked in the shadows while following the person closely.


    After walking for a while, Zion frowned. He felt as if someone''s eyes were on him. He turned back, and at the same time, the spy hid his body behind a pillar.


    When Zion didn''t find anyone, his brows furrowed deeper. He still seemed to have this intuition that someone was following him, but since he couldn''t find anyone, he could only walk ahead.


    Even if someone was here to keep an eye on the detective aristocrat, Zion could already tell who would have sent this person.


    It must either be the king or the crown prince hiding inside the forest, but he felt as if the latter''s chances were higher. After all, that cloaked man had found out earlier that Zion''s minotaur servant identity was following Prince Linton. So he wouldn''t be surprised if that person sent another spy after him.


    Zion pursed his lips and played with the knife on his belt. This was the same knife he had found in the prince''s bedroom. Maybe he should lead this person in a completely different direction to make the villains confused. A mischievous glint flashed in his eyes at that.


    He would just keep this knife thing aside for now and make things difficult for this small spy.


    After that, he walked over to a liquor shop and sat on the table before lazily leaning his body on the wall behind him. He placed his legs on the table and raised his chin toward the waiter passing by. "Bring the most expensive liquor."


    The waiter saw this kind of attitude and pressed his lips in a thin line. He hated customers like these who didn''t even know how to sit as a guest! But what else could he do?! He couldn''t just lash out at a customer just like that!


    So he took a long deep breath to control his anger and forced a smile on his lips. "Right on, sir."


    The spy, who was observing this scene, tilted his head in confusion. This aristocrat sitting before his eyes didn''t seem to be the cold and gentle detective Vincent! The aura around this person who kept his legs on the table seemed to be completely different! The feeling that this man gave the spy was that of an arrogant and spoiled young master from a wealthy family!


    Zion hummed a song and waited for the waiter, and when the latter served him the liquor, he took a sip and spat the liquid from his mouth at the servant''s face. "You call this liquor?!" The detective glared at the person standing before him. "It seems more like water! And you want money for serving me this! Get lost!"


    After that, he deliberately smashed the cup set that looked expensive before marching outside the shop with an angry face.


    The spy stood in the shadows and didn''t follow Zion. It seemed that he had made the wrong decision after all! He followed the wrong person without even asking his superior!

 Chapter 27 - The Mystery Of The Knife!

    After a while, this spy appeared before his superior¡ªthe cloaked man. Zion had indeed deducted correctly. The man was standing with his back straight before the window like before, but the person that had approached him this time wasn''t the same guard from earlier. He had sent that guard somewhere else for significant work on the king''s side.


    The guard that had appeared in this room was the one he had sent a few days ago to keep an eye on the inn where the aristocrat detective was staying. If possible, he even asked that spy to continue following Zion if the latter found anything suspicious. Now when the guard came here, the cloaked man realized that this spy must have discovered something.??


    But before he could say anything, the guard fell on his knees and lowered his head. "M-Master¡­. Punish me for my mistake! I followed the wrong person!"


    The corners of the cloaked man''s lips curved up, and he cocked his head. "Are you sure you followed the wrong man?"


    This man''s voice seemed ethereal, as if someone from heaven had come down to speak in a serene and enchanting tone. The guard was baffled for a moment as if he went into a trance after hearing that voice, but he shook his head and said, "Yes! I''m right! That man and the aristocrat detective are completely different! The person I ended up following was an extremely arrogant and spoiled young master from a rich family!"


    The cloaked man let out a smile all of a sudden. This smile was so scary that someone looking at it might feel a chill down his spine. But unfortunately, his back was facing the guard, and the latter couldn''t see his master''s expression. Then the latter saw his master waving his hand. "You can go."


    This sentence surprised the spy. "You forgave me?" His voice sounded unsure, as if he couldn''t believe what had just happened.


    The cloaked man hummed as the guard jumped to his feet and saluted cheerfully before leaving.


    "It seems I''m going to enjoy this a lot." The cloaked man mumbled as his lips continued to form an upward arc.


    ***


    At this time, Zion had just gotten out of that shop with an angry expression on his face when he felt the spy taking his eyes off of him. His shoulders relaxed, and he continued to walk with a smile on his face.


    Now that no one was keeping an eye on him, he was free to do whatever he wanted. His eyes glanced down at the knife on his waist as a meaningful smile formed on his lips.


    No matter who planted this thing to delude everyone, this was the only evidence he had at present. So he had no choice but to find the seller of this knife. Zion knew that if the murderer were to think of planting fake evidence, he would never use his own things. That person would only buy from a very inconspicuous place.


    So his first goal was to ask a professional to check out the knife and tell him more about it. After thinking of this, he walked over to the nearest tea shop and tapped on the counter. The person who was holding the tea kettle glanced at Zion.


    "Is there a shop from where I could buy a knife?"


    The man with the kettle shrugged. "Depends on what kind of knife you want."


    Zion quickly fetched the knife and showed it to the kettle man. "Something like this."


    The man came closer and stared at the knife with interest. Then he glanced up in surprise. "Where did you get this?"


    "What do you mean?"


    "I mean¡­." The kettle man put the thing in another hand while he caressed the knife''s handle carved in a rose design. Its metallic surface looked more like someone had painted it with a matte lipstick of the metal color. "I don''t know much about knives, but this one used to be a royal knife, and the design carved here"¡ªhe pointed at the rose¡ª"doesn''t belong to the current era. The current king forced the manufacturers across the kingdom to stop making such knives when he took over the throne. In fact, he even destroyed all those knives in the palace with this design! So to say, this knife shouldn''t even have been here!"


    Zion raised his brows and glanced at the rose design on the knife handle. "I picked it up from the road."


    The kettle man sighed and shook his head before a sympathetic smile formed on his lips. "The owner of this knife must be wondering where it''s gone."


    "Thanks a lot! I''ll quickly find the owner or at least the manufacturer to return it."


    When he moved away from the shop, Zion traced the rose design. His brows furrowed. "Was this knife meant to be found by the king and give him a warning?" He mumbled to himself.


    After hearing from the kettle man, it was clear that the relationship between the current and the late king wasn''t very good. Otherwise, why would Rhesus force everyone to stop making such royal knives? It seemed more as if the king wanted to remove all traces of his father¡­.


    It was either that Rhesus was someone who had murdered the late king, or he must be hiding a secret.


    So that meant the king wasn''t as pure-hearted as he showed himself. And that was perhaps the reason why the murderer might have planted this evidence on purpose¡ªto warn the king that there was still someone who could become a threat to the former.


    This case seemed more like a royal war between brothers and sisters of the older generation.


    But who did this knife belong to? A frown appeared on Zion''s forehead. Since all the manufacturers stopped making this item, this knife must be decades old!


    Maybe he would have to enter the palace to find more evidence. This time, he wouldn''t become an aristocrat who had attracted the attention of not only the king but also the spies of the murderer hidden in the dark. So this time, he planned to keep himself low enough that not even the closest servants would tell that he was investigating the murder.

 Chapter 28 - Im Bored!

    He changed back to his half-minotaur servant identity before using makeup to alter his face. Then he approached the servant quarters to apply for the job officially.


    The servant quarters were situated far behind the main palace, inside the boundary wall of the royal ground.??


    This ground contained the palace at the center, but it was also surrounded by several personal palaces of the princes and princesses. The biggest one of these private palaces belonged to the king.


    So after Zion entered the main door of the servant''s quarters, he headed straight toward the half-minotaur sitting behind a desk with a scroll in his hand. Just as he came closer to the Dhampir holding the scroll, the latter glanced up and raised his brows. "What''s your name?"


    "Grant."


    Without asking twice, he bent to pick something up from the cabinet below and handed Zion a scroll.


    "Please read the instructions carefully before signing. Use your thumbprint, please, and make sure you sign up for the training grounds as well where your skills will be evaluated."


    The man was expressionless as he said this before looking back at the scroll in his hand.


    Zion wasn''t surprised after seeing this action. Whenever an unknown half-minotaur Dhampir entered this servant''s quarters, everyone would assume that they had come to join the palace as a servant.


    So he took the scroll and went toward the corridor behind the Dhampir on the desk that led him toward a giant hall where many servants were gathered with a similar scroll at hand.


    After seeing a new person entering, the guard standing at the door pointed at the center of the hall and said, "Go and stand there. Sign the scroll while you''re at it."


    And then, the process of choosing the servants was initiated. For an ordinary person, this process would be tedious, but Zion was different. He already had a habit of cleaning his house and cooking his own meals. So he quickly passed the tests, and the servant chief promoted him to one of the leading servants in the palace.


    Zion tilted his head and realized something. These people seemed to be following the order of modern business. In simple terms, he just became a team leader who would be handling many lower or higher-grade servants under him.


    This position was beneficial since he would enter any place he liked without asking anyone''s permission.


    After half a day was spent like that, the chosen servants were sent to their shared dorm and changed their dresses. So now, what the detective was wearing had been brown-colored pants and a loose white shirt with a belt tied on his waist.


    In his mind, the system was still watching his host''s actions and finally couldn''t take it anymore. He had been bored for half a day when this man was acting like a servant.


    He popped out instantly and glared at his host.


    A hint of surprise flashed in Zion''s eyes that quickly converted into indifference. "What''s up?"


    "I''m bored." 007 was bored enough to mess up with the host who used to bully him now and then.


    "I''m not here to entertain you," Zion said and quickly assembled in the hall again along with the selected servants. At this time, the chief would assign several jobs to the leading servants before handing them to humans.


    "But you''ve been at this for God knows how long! I''m tired of seeing you wash the floor all day!" The system whined.


    Zion exhaled a long breath and glanced at the furry man. "I''m also bored seeing you wear pinkish fur all day and night. Go change your clothes."


    The system''s face turned red in anger, and he immediately said with his cheeks puffed up, "I don''t have that kind of coding!"


    "Then get lost and don''t complain about getting bored."


    The two continued chatting while Zion walked toward the chief to choose a place to serve: the main palace. Since he got the highest marks in the test, he could approach the chief directly and request a special place to be assigned. Of course, not everyone would get this kind of benefit, and only the top ones were able to choose the place that they wanted to serve.


    After that, Zion came to the palace with a few human servants behind him.


    Right now, he only had to keep an eye on everyone in the palace and find the person who owned more than one ancient royal knife like the one he already had.


    So after assigning all the human servants to a position, he excused himself and hid in the shadows again. He knew that there were many spies here at this place. So he took every step carefully while observing in all directions with keen eyes. Even though he couldn''t pinpoint these spies from the servants, not a single one of them stalked him.


    After seeing this, Zion''s shoulders relaxed as he moved toward the palace''s main hall stealthily. The king was supposedly present here at present. So he didn''t have to search for the person elsewhere.


    When he reached the main room where Rhesus was sitting on the throne, he stopped and hid behind a pillar. Just then, he saw an unknown guard entering the hall before he bowed at the king.


    Rhesus nodded and gestured to the half-elf Dhampir to get up. "Oswin, what''s the news? Did you search for what I ordered?"


    The guard, whose entire face was covered with a helmet, said, "There''s no sign of that fake ghost. His last traces disappeared at the crown prince''s bedroom."


    Rhesus frowned. He still remembered that day when he suddenly heard about how someone had sneaked inside his son''s bedroom. He had even found traces of powder there! A flush of anger flowed in his heart, and he glanced at the guard. "What else? Did someone catch your eye?"


    The guard nodded and said. "There was a half-minotaur servant at the Alpha brothel a while ago. His actions seemed a bit suspicious."


    Zion immediately understood that this Oswin guy must be a spy planted by that cloaked man inside the palace. Otherwise, how would he know about this identity? He knew only that cloaked man and Prince Linton were after him. So for this guard to bluntly say that his half-minotaur identity was suspicious, he realized this must be the cloaked man''s plan.


    That murderer wanted to put all the suspicions on Zion''s shoulders!

 Chapter 29 - Talking To A Gardener.....

    Zion cursed the guard in a helmet standing at the center of the hall and then glanced at the dark expression on the king''s face. Then the latter raised his head and said, "Is there a possibility that both the ghost and half-minotaur Dhampir are related?"


    He just knew that they would be able to connect the dots. The king was smart enough. If he wasn''t, how would he be able to handle a kingdom this big???


    Zion was just a simple detective who was hiding his identity. So it wouldn''t be a surprise if others would figure out a connection between him and other identities he had taken.


    He continued to stare at the two of them from a distance.


    The guard frowned and nodded after thinking for a while. "It''s possible, Your Majesty."


    Rhesus''s expressions fell. If that human ghost were to be one of the murderer''s people, he was sure that a deeper scheme was there that was clearly meant to destroy him entirely! The enemy not only killed his son and sent his daughter behind bars but also tried desperately to create hurdles in the investigation!


    He had been trying to find a clue for so many days already, and now when so many days had passed already, the ordinary residents were getting anxious. He received many letters urging him to punish the murderer locked in the jail.


    The common Dhampirs still considered Princess Lia to be the chief instigator behind the murder, and they were angry. For them, the princess had killed a gentle and caring prince who could have been their king someday. Some of the residents were even holding public protests to demand a swift execution.


    The king had also thought like this when he still doubted her, but he didn''t expect to make so many discoveries that proved his daughter innocent. The worse thing was, he didn''t even have solid proof that could stop everyone from cursing his daughter.


    Should he instead go ahead and say, "My daughter is innocent because an assassin attacked her?" No one would believe his excuse. To be honest, when he found out Princess Lia was attacked, he was reluctant to blame his daughter and wanted to prove that she didn''t do anything.


    Rhesus pursed his lips and looked at the guard with a hint of urgency in his eyes. "Did you find the half-minotaur?"


    "Not yet, Your Majesty."


    Zion saw the king''s gloomy face and thought that the king was already feeling a sense of defeat. He knew that the Dhampir couldn''t find any evidence to prove Princess Lia''s innocence, and now the king was feeling unlucky and helpless.


    The guard then bowed before the king and said, "If that''s all, I will leave."


    Rhesus waved and leaned back on his chair while he stared at the ceiling in a daze. That was why he failed to see Oswin''s expressions that changed all of a sudden and darted toward the direction where Zion was hiding.


    The latter''s heartbeat rose, and he instantly hid behind the pillar properly. He knew that the other man couldn''t have seen him, but that person could at least be suspicious. The guard must have sensed someone''s presence here. Zion''s body shrank even more as he tried to calm himself.


    He knew that if he were caught here, no one would spare him. So he could only try his best to stay silent. He even held his breath and waited for the guard to move away.


    Thankfully, Oswin didn''t move and glanced at the floor while strolling away from the palace''s main hall.


    The detective released a breath of relief and continued to stick around the hall, but after a while, Rhesus didn''t receive any guests and went back to his living quarters. After that, Zion also left the hall in the shadows.


    Now that the king left the main hall, he knew that the former wouldn''t be receiving anyone and would rest in his place guarded by many soldiers. Since Zion was only a servant, he couldn''t get a chance to enter the king''s room quickly. So he could only use this chance to find out more about the knife.


    He went for a stroll in the palace to see if he could find anything and happened to see a half-minotaur Dhampir planting a rose flower outside the palace. It was a beautiful garden, and the person tending the plants had very delicate facial features.


    Zion was about to go there and converse with that person when he saw a fellow half-minotaur servant walking over with a watering can. The latter''s face was sturdy and completely opposite to the gardener.


    The person with a sturdy face huffed and said, "Aren''t you done, little girl?"


    The delicate-faced Dhampir sighed after hearing that sentence. He knew that his fellow servant was just mocking him. So he ignored that guy and continued planting the flower.


    The sturdy guy snorted seeing this but didn''t say anything else. He watered the plants and kept the can back before heading inside the palace.


    Zion could tell that this delicate-faced gardener''s situation shouldn''t be that good here. Of course, having a face like a girl''s despite being a half-minotaur man could make it even worse.


    He walked out of the shadows skillfully and strolled inside the garden.


    At present, he was himself acting like a half-minotaur servant with make-up on his face to change his identity from that of a brothel senior servant to someone who had just joined this palace.


    After stopping behind the person who was planting the flower, he asked in a naive tone, "Why did that person talk to you like that?"


    The gardener looked up and smiled. "It''s because of my face."


    "But that''s bullying."


    The gardener shook his head and got up before dusting off the mud from his pants. Then he bent to take the watering can, and he used it on the rose plant he just rooted on the ground. "So what? No one cares even if I complain."


    Zion frowned and made a face that showed he was highly disappointed by this.


    When the gardener saw this, he said while waving his hand, "Don''t worry about it. I''m accustomed to it. I don''t mind." Then he paused and said, "You must be new here, aren''t you?"


    Zion nodded. "Grant. Joined today, and I was just taking a stroll to get to know the palace."


    Then they continued talking before Zion figured out a few more things. This garden was unique because the previous Emperor enjoyed wandering through it. But ever since Rhesus became the king a decade ago, this place was isolated until the king finally appointed this gardener, Lang, to take care of this place. Even though the previous king liked all the flowers planted here, his favorite was rose. So even at present, the majority part of the garden was decorated with rose plants.


    No wonder there was a rose carved in the knife.


    Before Zion could say another word, he heard Lang asking all of a sudden in a serious tone, "You''re not here to see the flowers, are you?"

 Chapter 30 - Replica Of The Royal Knife

    Zion smiled and shook his head. "Not at all."


    Lang put down the watering can in his hands. "Are you here to see me? Or are you here to order new flowers?"??


    Zion shook his head again. "I''m not."


    Lang looked at him and asked, "Then...Did a pretty lady send you to me?"


    Zion was surprised. "No..."


    Lang showed a disappointed face. "Really? I was about to receive a lady''s favor..."


    "I''m here to ask you about something else."


    Lang''s eyes brightened. It seemed this guy liked talking to people. "Oh? What is it?"


    Zion frowned and sighed. "I was going to ask you about the royal knife."


    Lang was startled. He wasn''t sure if he heard it right as he stared at Zion with a pale face.


    Zion saw Lang''s expression, and his brows furrowed. He couldn''t help but ask, "Lang, you''re not sick, are you?"


    Lang shook his head. "No... I''m not sick."


    Zion frowned and said, "Then why are you pale?"


    Lang smiled bitterly. "I was just shocked and surprised. I didn''t expect that you would ask such a question."


    Zion was surprised. "Why?"


    "The royal knife is a taboo of the Eria dynasty. No one is allowed to talk about it."


    Eria¡ªthe name of the current dynasty. Zion had read about how this dynasty was named in the library back then. The story was pretty simple. After the war, when the races separated and made their own kingdoms, Dhampirs weren''t left behind. The father of the previous Emperor brought along all his people at this place and settled. At first, they were living simple lives, but slowly, the status of several Dhampirs changed over time according to their work, and Eria became what it is today.


    Zion nodded. "Look, I''m just here to ask a few questions."


    Lang looked at Zion suspiciously. "Are you thinking of making a replica?"


    Zion raised his brows. "Why would I need a replica?"


    Lang sighed. "I know many people are thinking like that. So I suspected that you were one of them."


    Did someone try to approach Lang to ask about the process of creating that knife? When Zion thought about this, he felt it possible since Rhesus destroyed all the royal knives for some mysterious reason. So some curious people would ask around about it for profit.


    So he opened his mouth and asked the most critical question, "Who approached you recently?"


    Lang tapped his chin and said, "An imperial guard had come to see me a few days ago. When was that again?" The Dhampir''s brows furrowed before it eased, and he smiled. "Before Princess Lia was taken in jail."


    "Can you tell me the name of that guard?"


    Lang nodded. "Oswin."


    Zion couldn''t help but remember that guard who talked to the king today about his ghost and senior servant identity. Since Oswim was related to the cloaked man, this meant that the knife was probably created by them as well.


    But even if that was the case, the cloaked man wouldn''t have chosen to make a knife that couldn''t even cut a leaf. He had tried to use that knife earlier and see how sharp it was, but unexpectedly, it couldn''t even cut a small and delicate leaf. So he assumed it might be rusty and old that made its blade so dull.


    Sharpness was the main reason why Zion suspected that this royal knife was old, but now he was having second thoughts when he heard this servant''s words.


    Before that, he needed to ask another question. "Why did they come to you for this query?"


    Lang smiled and leaned back. "Because I''m the only person alive among the workers who made the knife. Even though I was a kid back then, I still remember the process."


    Zion''s eyes squinted. No wonder the murderer chose to contact this gardener. But before he could continue to think about this, he heard Lang saying the next words.


    "There''s no way for you to make a replica of the royal knife because it''s not just a regular weapon. There was a spell enchanted on it, and only the royal blood could activate its magical powers."


    The detective frowned. According to Lang, the previous king had a crazy idea when he was still in his twenties to secure his position as the crown prince. Since the royals were half-magicians, they could use powerful spells for fighting. Even so, they didn''t have any weapons that could be activated with spells. So he gathered a few people and created the structure of this knife with them. Back then, they even had many aristocrats working on this along with humans and half-minotaurs and made something famous that was still in this kingdom. It didn''t take long before his father chose the previous king as his successor.


    But the strangest thing was that Rhesus''s late father used his blood to carve that rose on the handle. This rose was the thing that could activate that knife. Otherwise, it wouldn''t even be sharp enough to chop off a vegetable. That means only his descendant can create a replica.


    Zion raised his brows. That solved the puzzle of the sharpness. When he heard about how only magic could activate and sharpen this knife, he realized that this royal knife was probably created recently for the murder to act as fake evidence.


    But he was still doubtful about one thing. "How can you tell whether a knife is real or just a fake replica?"


    Lang sighed. "You can''t. That''s the specialty of this knife. If it''s in the hand of a commoner, it''s useless, but for a royal person, it''s the best weapon he can hold. Sadly, it doesn''t exist today."


    So he would have to find a royal to test this, and he had a perfect candidate for this. A smile formed on his lips at that, and he turned to Lang. "I apologize for asking so many questions. I heard someone talking about it just now. That servant said he had a royal knife that he picked up from the street, and he wanted to find its owner. So I became curious about what it was!"


    Lang looked up with a hint of surprise in his eyes. "There''s still a royal knife out there?"


    Zion shrugged. "Who knows! But thanks to you, I''ll help that poor guy. Perhaps someone from the royal family had kept it as a memento and lost it somehow."


    After bidding the gardener goodbye, he walked into the corridor adjacent to it that headed toward the royal residences outside the main palace. He knew that palaces of the royals surrounded the main building. That was where the king''s family members lived. So he swiftly hid in the shadows and went inside one of those palaces.

 Chapter 31 - A Special Scout!

    After reaching one of the palaces he chose randomly, he sneaked inside to see if this place belonged to that muddled boy. But when he got inside, he saw two familiar faces on the tea table on the ground. A trace of surprise flashed in his eyes before he recovered his cold expression and stared at the scene before him.


    "Father, why isn''t his majesty giving Princess Lia the death sentence?!" The girl Zion had seen earlier with the Princess when he first arrived in this world. She whined and pouted while staring at Prince Linton sitting before her. "What''s taking so much time?! Didn''t you tell me that Lia would be out of sight sooner or later?"??


    Linton grimaced at her question and shook his head. "I don''t know. When I had first decided to join the crown prince in his mission, I was told that the king would spend no effort in pushing the princess to her death!"


    "So why did the crown prince change his methods?!" The girl''s lower lips jutted out as if she was very displeased with the situation.


    Linton narrowed his eyes at that. "I''m not too sure about this. Bradley was fine until Princess Lia was captured. After that, his temperament suddenly changed. It''s as if he became completely another person: cruel and unpredictable."


    The girl scoffed. "Wasn''t he always like that?"


    "Well, yes." When the prince thought about this, he really did feel like the crown prince was like that, but those qualities multiplied ten-folds! "Whatever, Edda, don''t talk about this to anyone, alright?"


    Edda smiled and said, "Of course! I just want that stupid princess to die!"


    Zion frowned when he heard this. What exactly happened that changed the crown prince so much that even Prince Linton commented that the youth had become extreme? He didn''t know, but he was willing to find out more about it.


    So he kept listening to the words of these two. This girl, Edda, also seemed suspicious and harbored hatred for her cousin, Princess Lia. He still remembered the day when he had appeared in this world and seen these two girls sitting on the table like that. At that time, they acted as if they were best friends and didn''t have a single trace of hatred in their hearts.


    Even though he didn''t know how Princess Lia felt about this Edda, the latter indeed hated the former.


    Another thing he pondered about was the connection of the knife with this Lia. From what he heard, it was clear that this knife was planted as fake evidence that should have pushed the princess to her death''s door, but he changed the villain''s plan and altered the trajectory of the course, forcing the king to become affectionate to his daughter.


    Perhaps this knife belonged to Lia!


    As soon as he got this thought, he immediately aborted his mission to find that muddled boy. Instead, he made up his mind to find the princess in prison to ask her more about this knife.


    At this time, he knocked on the system''s door.


    "What is it?" 007 instantly popped out and yawned.


    Zion snorted after seeing this appearance. "Why are you always sleepy?"


    "I don''t mean to be sleepy, but recently, all you have been doing is cleaning the palace and sneaking around. Do some action!"


    Zion rolled his eyes. He remembered what this system had told him earlier that the latter was made out of that Methu man''s personality. Now that he thought about it, he could assume that both of them were unreliable people! Zion took a deep breath and calmly said, "Give me back my human form."


    007''s ears perked up at that. "Why?" The system acted as if he would watch a fantastic movie filled with action and the correct percentage of romance. So he suppressed his excitement and said, "You''re going to act, aren''t you? I suggest you start from that brothel!"


    After saying this, the system went into a trance and imagined several scenes involving him and those women in the brothel. A line of saliva was already dripping from the corner of his lips, which made the entire scene look even more disgusting.


    Zion wrinkled his nose. "Can you give me back my human form or not?"


    The system was brought back to reality, and he glared at his host. "Fine. Just give me a word, and I''ll send back your original identity. "


    Zion nodded and made his way toward the prison. At this time, he already knew where the princess was locked. So he didn''t bother searching for it and followed his memories. Since he went to that place in the past, he knew the way already, but after reaching a certain intersection point, he changed the path and kept hiding in the shadows.


    The last time he went on the regular route, he had left several clues so that others could quickly follow and capture him. But this time, he didn''t want a single soul to know about him. His eyes glanced in every direction as he continued to walk forward while keeping his guard up at all times.


    What he didn''t know was that no matter how powerful his scouting skills were, he couldn''t be better than those who could use magic. In this world, there were several groups of people who would use magical powers. Among Dhampirs, half-magicians and half-elves could use magic at different levels. Of course, elves could mainly perform basic magic to fight and use magical weapons. In contrast, the royals could create those weapons and even use other techniques, such as planting a protective layer to keep a certain group of races away, creating magical weapons, doing daily households, and even scouting.


    A few royals had found a few soldiers to instill this magical scouting technique in their minds, and one of these scouts had been following Zion around ever since this morning. It was a good thing that Zion hadn''t changed his face yet. Otherwise, his secret would have been out in the open.


    This scouting technique was strange and powerful. Dhampirs would just have to hide their breath and sense of presence from neighboring people through a spell. If there were only a few people, these magical scouts could hide easily, but they couldn''t do well if the area contained more than seven people. So, for now, since Zion was accustomed to being alone, this scout didn''t find it challenging to continue to follow him.

 Chapter 32 - This System Will Remain Perverted......

    Zion entered the prison quickly without being discovered by the guards, but he knew that this world was strange and filled with magical things. He could tell that he would fall into danger if he continued to do dangerous things. When he reached the prison and stood before a familiar prison, he knocked on the system''s door again.


    "You can change my identity now."??


    "Wait!" The system suddenly exclaimed. "I can sense a powerful source around you."


    Zion raised his eyebrows and lowered his eyes while suppressing his urge to glance around. After hearing the system''s words, he could tell that someone had used magic to monitor him, and he had nearly given away his secret. He sighed in relief and thought that perhaps this 007 wasn''t as bad as he thought.


    But the next sentence coming out of the system''s mouth destroyed the latter''s image again. "If it were a girl, I would be happy! Host, find that person! I bet it''s a female scout. I could feel her gender in my bones!" After saying this, the system temporarily disappeared from Zion''s vision as if running for his life. Perhaps 007 could tell he made his host angry.


    So the reason why the system warned Zion about someone monitoring him was only that this pervert wanted to find that scout''s gender. A vein popped in Zion''s neck. He had an urge to open kill this stupid system, but he went against his thoughts and took a deep breath before squinting his eyes at the door before him.


    It was a good thing that he was already prepared and carried some tools to unlock this door; otherwise, he would have been stuck here. He took out a woman''s hairpin he had found from the servant''s quarters and used it to open the locks one after another.


    That was easy....


    Zion was more accustomed to unlocking doors with the help of technical methods like hacking and directly bombing the area. He placed his hands on the doorknob and was just about to open it when he remembered that this was a place filled with magical races, especially the guards and royals. Even though he didn''t know whether the guards could use magic or not, he was sure that the scout that had been following around him shouldn''t be royal.


    So it was likely possible that there was a certain spell used on this door to stop a random person from opening it. He frowned and quickly retracted his hand before locking the door again.


    That was close. He had nearly triggered a hidden mechanism. His shoulders relaxed as he glanced at the guards standing outside. It seemed he would have to open the door using the key. He was sure that the key would safely open the door for him.


    After learning more about the royal knife, he had come to one conclusion. The royals could inject magical powers into weapons or things and give them a purpose. For instance, if a sword was meant to use lightning power, the royals would only have to inject lightning spells inside the material while the sword''s blade was being created.


    So Zion was sure that the key would have also been created like that. The key could nullify the magical power and help him open the door with ease. But if he stole the keys, he would have less time to spend inside the prison before anyone could find out that the key was missing.


    A frown crossed his forehead. He was at a disadvantage this time only because he wasn''t familiar with this magical world. So he took a deep breath and suppressed the unease in his heart before walking over to the soldiers guarding the gate outside the prison corridor.


    He squinted his eyes and scanned the sturdy bodies of those half-elf Dhampirs. His glance darted toward the guard standing on his right, and he quickly noticed a bunch of keys hanging from the man''s waist. Now he would have to come up with a method to take that key.


    Zion walked a few steps back and deliberately hit the door of the prison to create a noise. Even the princess, who was sleeping inside the cell, was disturbed and narrowed her eyes, but she didn''t make a noise. It seemed as if she was waiting to see what was happening outside her cell.


    A certain detective standing outside didn''t know the thoughts of Lia. He hid in the shadows and glanced at one of those guards entering inside. Zion had two plans. If the one on the right had entered, it would have been easier to get that set of keys. But the one who entered was the left one. So Zion''s body flashed toward the guard outside, who was still on his guard and sneakily took away the keys before directly walking out of prison.


    The system popped out and tilted his head when he saw this action. Hadn''t his host wanted to talk to the princess? Then why did this man walk outside instantly? "Why did you come out?"


    Zion glanced at the furry man''s image in front of his eyes and rolled his eyes. He just knew this system would come and ask him that. The low IQ of this system still surprised him. "You will never become smart."


    "Why are you cursing me like this?!" 007 didn''t know how he triggered his host and cried bitter tears. "I was just curious! Forgive me for that!"


    A hint of anger flashed in Zion''s eyes, but he closed them and suppressed his emotions. He knew that getting angry at this stupid system was useless. So he should just say the necessary words and kick 007 out! "These guards know how to use magic. So they would definitely use a spell to scan the entire area."


    The system was about to say something when he felt powerful magic coming off from the prison''s direction. He glanced at that place, and his eyes widened.


    His host was spot on! He turned to look at Zion with worshipable eyes as the latter ignored the foolish system and glanced at the prison door.


    It turned out those guards had really used that spell. The guards stood inside the prison corridor with the jail doors on either side of them locked. Not even the food window was left open. Their eyes were closed as they used several hand signs. The wind blew around them and scanned the entire prison before coming back to them.


    After that, they opened their eyes, and both of them shook their heads. "Then....What was that noise?"


    All of a sudden, a certain princess who was silent opened her mouth. "It was me." Her voice was sweet, as if it had a hint of honey dripping from it. "I want to eat something."

 Chapter 33 - Entering The Prison.....

    Zion was stunned when he saw this scene. He heard the princess''s voice very well, and it seemed like she was covering up for him. Otherwise, why would she lie to the guards? Was this girl waiting for him all this time?


    The guards glared at the closed prison door where Lia was captured. "Really now? You just ate! How much more do you want? You aren''t a princess anymore. The king will soon announce your death!"??


    Instead of crying and begging for help like anyone would assume a girl to do, Lia laughed and said, "Whatever you say." And after that, she went silent again.


    Zion frowned as his mind was filled with several thoughts, but none of them could prove why this princess wanted to save him. She shouldn''t know about his existence in the first place! Unless Lia was someone related to the case and could find information from the outside.


    He raised his brows and still felt doubt in his heart. This princess seemed to be hiding a lot of secrets in her heart. There could be two situations in this case. It was either that Lia was colluding with the enemies, or maybe she was someone who was even more formidable than the murderers who could even know about things going on in the palace.


    Zion shook his head. These were just his assumptions, and nothing could be ascertained. For now, he would ask the princess about this knife and then see what she says. Based on that, he would figure out the further course of action because the knife was the only evidence he had for now.


    The guards went back to their places when they couldn''t find anyone around that place. At this time, Zion''s eyes darted around them as if he were trying to find that scout hidden in the shadows, but even he couldn''t find anyone.


    The corners of his lips curved up. This spell seemed even more powerful than the manual scouting skills. He wanted to know more about it.


    Should he return to the library and read books about royal magic? He hadn''t had the luxury of reading more books back then when he went around acting like a ghost. So he didn''t know many things about magic. Now that he had a scout following him in this manner, he didn''t know how to get rid of this thing.


    For the first time, he felt that he had made a terrible choice ever since he came into this world. But the situation wasn''t that bad. He could use this opportunity to turn the tables and make that black cloaked man dance on his fingers.


    After thinking of this, his shoulders relaxed as he schemed an idea. He had no intention of hiding that knife anymore. Instead, he wanted those villains to show themselves in broad daylight. He would intentionally let these people do everything they wanted and make them believe that they had won their battle while Zion would stand back and continue scheming. And once they would lower their guard, he would capture them red-handed!


    This was one of the methods he had often used when he was still working for the FBI in his past life. But now, when he was in a new world filled with different races with no one to rely on, he was skeptical about following the same route. He could have used a more direct approach by first knowing more about magic before he could think of a way to get rid of those magician scouts hiding in the dark that he couldn''t locate.


    If it weren''t for his system, he wouldn''t even have realized that someone was following him all day long!


    But this method needed more time, and he lacked that. From what he could understand, even though 007 hadn''t given him any deadline for finishing up this case, he knew that the time was ticking by slowly, and soon enough, the citizens of this race would start revolting against the king. For them, the princess was the murderer, and they would think that the king was just wasting time because of his affection for his daughter.


    So now, all Zion could do was risk it all and take a gamble.


    After taking a deep breath, he entered the prison again. He was vaguely aware of the fact that the scout was still seeing him from the dark, but he didn''t care. His cover was blown anyway, and the black cloaked man would realize that Zion''s ''servant'' identity was investigating the murder case in the palace.


    He might as well use this opportunity to find out more about the knife in his hand.


    When he had heard Lia''s honey-like voice earlier, he wasn''t even a little moved by that girl''s tone because he knew that the princess carried dark intentions behind her words. He still hadn''t confirmed whether Lia was innocent or not.


    After opening the door with the help of the key, he swiftly entered the prison. Just as he went inside, he heard a girl''s voice asking him in a tone that made it seem like she was familiar to him. "Took you enough time. I had expected you to do better than this."


    Zino narrowed his eyes and immediately put up his guard. He stood near the prison door as he stared at the princess''s face with vigilance. "Do you know who I am?"


    "Would you believe me if I said I do?" The princess answered with another question while raising her chin toward the ''servant'' who had just entered. In the dark, her clothes looked tattered, but at least her skin seemed clean. Perhaps she had just taken a bath, but since she didn''t have access to more clothes, she only had to make do with whatever she had. She wasn''t wearing her beautiful gown, but her body was covered with grey-colored clothes that even beggars wouldn''t wear.


    Zion didn''t want to waste more time on this fruitless talking. He knew that Lia didn''t intend to explain why the heck her behavior was so strange. So he threw the knife toward the princess that he had stuck to the belt wrapped around his waist.


    As expected, the girl caught it expertly with her right hand. It seemed as if Lia was skilled at handling the knife that made Zion raise his brows. Did she learn martial arts before?


    Zion''s primary focus was to solve this case and find the murderer. But when he thought about this, he realized that the system hadn''t explained to him that this was a murder case. Instead, the crown prince was still alive and moving around wearing a black cloak. So technically, Zion would have to find evidence to prove that Bradley Vanne was alive, and the so-called murder was a plan instigated by him for some reason.


    Then, what was Lia''s role in this?

 Chapter 34 - A Bait!

    Lia stared at the knife for what felt like hours before gripping it tightly. It felt as if she was being reminded of a bitter memory before she took a deep breath and threw it back to Zion. "It''s mine."


    As expected. Zion put it back on his waist before he squinted his eyes at the girl. It was dark in the cell, but he could still see clearly from the moonlight that came inside through the ventilator above. The look in the princess''s eyes was strange. It felt as if she had been thinking of a terrible memory, and this happened right after she took the knife in her hand. He even saw her gripping the weapon tightly as if she couldn''t wait to slash someone''s throat.??


    Something might have happened, and it was related to this knife. So he didn''t bite the bullet and asked bluntly, "Tell me everything you know about the crown prince."


    The princess didn''t say a word for a while as she leaned against the wall. Even though her height was smaller than Zion''s, even in his current identity, her powerful aura revealed she was instead a queen rather than a princess. When he stood before her, it seemed as if he was standing in front of an experienced warrior, not a mere girl who was caught in this injustice.


    She glanced at Zion and opened her mouth as if she was about to say something but decided against it before going silent again. Zion''s eyes narrowed at this, but he still waited. Lia perhaps wanted to tell him something but didn''t tell him ultimately. He wasn''t in a hurry. He could always come to this place again.


    Lia finally opened her mouth and said, "Brother only knows how to pretend in front of our father. That''s all I can tell you about him."


    "Anything else? About why you were captured?" He remembered that he had deduced back then that something must have happened to the princess that forced the enemies to get her behind bars. So this might be a good time to ask about that. "You heard something you shouldn''t have, didn''t you?"


    The corners of the princess''s lips curved up. "You sure have a sharp brain. You''re right. I heard something I shouldn''t have, but I don''t think you should be worried about that."


    Zion''s eyes narrowed at her. "What do you mean?"


    "I would advise you to save your a** first."


    He was going to ask more about it before he heard the guard''s anxious voice. "Where are the keys?"


    Another guard''s voice followed. "How would I know that? Shouldn''t you be taking care of that?"


    "His majesty is sure going to kill me now!" The first guard''s voice that came from the outside became more anxious as he walked closer to the entrance of Lia''s prison. "I should search in the corridor. Perhaps I dropped it somewhere."


    Zion didn''t waste time there with the princess. He locked the door, threw the keys on the ground, and escaped from the prison. After that, he only stopped when he entered his servant quarters. Even though he wanted to know more about the case from the princess, his focus entirely went on the last sentence she spoke. Why the heck did she tell him to save himself first?


    He gritted his teeth. The time was limited; otherwise, he would have asked more about this.


    At least he found out that this knife belonged to her, and all his deductions in the past were correct. It was just that he was back to square one. He didn''t have any evidence other than the knife on his waist.


    But one thing was obvious. The crown prince wanted to shut the princess up and even destroy her image. If Zion assumed that the crown prince, Bradley, hated the princess, he wouldn''t be wrong. It also seemed that the prince wanted to get back to his father about something.


    Perhaps there was a hidden history between King Rhesus, his eldest son, and Princess Lia. To find that out, he would just have to keep following those people around, and before that, he would have to think of a way to get rid of the scout he couldn''t even detect. He felt uneasy in his heart with that person around him, hidden in the shadows.


    Just then, an idea flashed in his mind, and he called out to his system. "Oi, 007." He talked to the system through his thoughts, not words. He knew that if he moved his lips to say something, that scout would hear him, and his cover would be blown.


    "What?" The system popped out instantly as his eyes were glistening brightly. Zion immediately understood why this system was behaving like this. He had just been around a princess, and even though she wore dirty and tattered clothes, she still looked pleasant. And this perverted system must have danced within his mind after seeing Lia.


    Zion suppressed the feeling of irritation in his heart and asked, "Can you help me keep an eye out for the night?"


    "Why should I help you?" 007 clearly didn''t tend to stay awake throughout the night. He didn''t want to work hard at all! So the system kept a firm expression on his face and stared at Zion as if he was a superior officer and his host was his junior.


    The host could tell what his system was thinking about. So he ignored 007''s stupidity and said, "You''ll get to know whether the scout is a girl or a boy."


    This was something the perverted system was interested in, so 007 nodded before frowning again. It seemed as if he realized something, and his eyes widened. He glanced at his host in a fury. "You''re using me, aren''t you?!"


    "What? You can''t even keep an eye out for the night?" Zion bluntly said, "You''re normally useless, but this time, you''re proving yourself to be even more unreliable. I had already died once. So I''m not afraid of death. I can kill myself and send you back to your master. Do you want that?"


    The system got a fright from his host''s words as he suddenly remembered how Zion had once tried to kill himself from a tree branch. So he instantly nodded and said, "I''ll do as you said. What do you want this time?"


    A certain detective was satisfied after seeing his system acting so obediently. So he said, "Give me back my original human identity as soon as the knife disappears."


    The system understood what Zion wanted to do. "You''re keeping a knife as bait to get rid of that scout? But what if there are more than one?"


    "Are there?" Zion''s eyebrows raised. "I thought you could feel their power. So you tell me if there is over one person around me."


    Did Zion just say he was going to depend on the system for finding out about the number of scouts? 007''s eyes filled with tears of gratitude as he glanced at his host with glistening eyes. For the first time, he felt as if he was someone reliable. He wiped his tears happily and said, "There isn''t. I can only feel one person inside the room."


    Zion said nothing and simply placed the knife on the table and laid on the bed. The night was going to be long.

 Chapter 35 - Almost Dying!

    Zion didn''t have to wait for a long time before he heard someone''s footsteps coming closer to him. After suppressing the urge to react, he kept his breathing slow before he focused on the noise coming from the person walking closer to him. Soon, he felt someone''s shadow on his face, but he didn''t react.


    At this time, the system, who was still watching everything, suddenly lamented. "Ahh¡­..Where''s my beauty?! Why did my intuition lie to me?! The hidden spy turned out to be a man!"??


    Zion had the urge to shout at this system, but he suppressed his emotions again before he heard the man moving. He assumed that this person would come for the knife. After all, the black-cloaked man still had to prove that Princess Lia was the murderer. That was why Zion had kept the knife out in the open for the shadow spy to come out and go back to his master.


    His plan was simple. After the knife was taken away, Zion would ask the system to change his identity to a human, and then he would enter the human division and live among human servants. But of course, this plan would work under the premise that the black-cloaked man wanted to kill the princess in the cell and tarnish her image in front of everyone so that no one would believe her tales.


    But what if the magic spy failed to come? That was also a possibility he had thought of, which seemed unrealistic. If the crown prince didn''t want this knife anymore, then it would mean they had another method to kill the princess in front of the audience. But then, why would they even plant Lia''s knife as fake evidence if they already had another method at hand? That would make no sense at all!


    If the fake evidence was planted for another reason, the black-cloaked man wanted to do nothing with the princess for now and just aspired to lead Zion around the nose and misguide him into thinking that the murderers wanted the knife. When he thought of this, he paused. An ominous premonition appeared in his heart.


    What if that really was the case? He hadn''t considered this possibility at all! According to common sense, the enemy shouldn''t even know about Zion''s existence. Neither should anyone have thought beforehand that he would take away that knife when he was in his human-ghost identity. So that was why the thought that the murderer wanted to misguide him didn''t even appear in his mind.


    But if this was true¡­.


    Zion''s heartbeat sped up at this thought. He didn''t dare to think what would happen if that really were the case. If the enemy didn''t want the knife, the spy shouldn''t have appeared. But the fact that this spy had appeared showed that perhaps his first deduction was correct. So he forced himself to calm down, but the feeling in his heart didn''t disappear.


    Throughout his career, Zion had given his intuition the first preference over anything. Whenever he was in trouble, his keen intuition would always help him in dire situations. But right now, he didn''t want his instinct to be correct. If it were true, it would mean those villains weren''t after the knife but wanted to kill him instead!


    Zion''s fingers formed a fist and gripped the bedsheet under the blanket tighter. He couldn''t let his guard down, or he would end up dying the second time because of his foolishness!


    He waited and waited for the spy to pick up the knife, but that person didn''t move. He could still feel a shadow looming over his face as he continued to pretend as if he were asleep. His heartbeat went faster as time passed.


    After a few more seconds, Zion realized that he had yet again underestimated his enemies. He should have considered his course of action from all angles! How did the enemy even know about his identity?


    No, he shouldn''t come to this conclusion just yet. Perhaps the spy wanted to kill him only because he had approached the princess. Maybe the black-cloaked man didn''t want anyone to hear the thing that the princess was hiding.


    But now wasn''t the time to think about it. He would ponder over it after reaching the safe place!


    The next moment, he opened his eyes and flipped his body to the other side of the wooden bed before jumping on the ground. He saw a man wearing a black outfit from head to toe had already slashed the bed into two pieces with his sword.


    Zion''s eyes widened after seeing that. If his response were a second later, he would have died already! "System, do you have anything to boost my speed?"


    007, who was still shocked after seeing the action, woke up from the trance and appeared in front of Zion''s eyes before exclaiming, "Ahhh-"


    "You can scream all you want after we escape! Tell me, do you have anything to help me with?!" The black spy attacked Zion as he slashed the sword toward the detective, who bent down to escape the attack.


    "Th-There is¡­.But it''s costly and temporary!"


    "I don''t care! Loan me!" Zion couldn''t care less now. He could only think about his survival for now. Another set of furniture broke after the spy attacked him multiple times.


    "But, there are restrictions!" The system also knew how delicate the situation was! He wiped the sweat on his forehead and continued, "If you take a loan of points more than you will earn in the first case, you will have a deadline under which you would have to pay them back! The thing you wish for costs fifty points, and you will have fifty weeks to pay them back!"


    "That''s fine! It''s almost a year." Zion desperately urged the system as he dodged another attack. "I don''t have the skills to fight this person."


    He felt like he had almost reached the end of his life after seeing the sword going near his throat so many times. His heart was jumping in his chest like a rabbit afraid of death, but he couldn''t do a thing about it.


    Would he be saved from this situation?

 Chapter 36 - His Secret Was Out?

    The assassin was here just to do his regular job, killing a person for money. He didn''t feel anything about anyone, but he was quite astonished when he had received the latest assignment. Some guards hired him and gave him a small letter where it was written:


    "Make sure the servant, Grant, dies. He''s a hindrance to my mission. Also, he might do something to make a quick escape, and he might even magically make his speed faster, or his body could even become more powerful. Make sure to be prepared for that."??


    The assassin had raised his brows back then upon seeing this, but he didn''t take those words seriously. Now when he saw Zion''s body surrounded by light, his eyes widened, and he let out a gasp. His employer''s words were coincidentally correct!


    Among Dhampirs, the royals, the last descendants of the magicians, and half-elves could perform magic. The ordinary citizens and servants didn''t have such a constitution. But when he saw a half-minotaur using magic right in front of his eyes, he gripped his sharp weapon tightly.


    He was fortunate enough since his employer had previously warned him about this. So even though he didn''t prepare for such a situation, he could still calm down faster and make quick decisions. At this time, he assumed that this half-minotaur would try to rush past the front door if this servant used speed magic as the black-cloaked man assumed.


    And even if that servant made his body more powerful, the assassin knew that as long as he could cut off the windpipe, he would be fine. So he took a deep breath and silently moved his body toward the door to block it while staring at Zion with squinted eyes.


    On the other side, Zion felt a flood of energy surrounding him when his system finally agreed to give him a loan of special power that was only available for the next hour. It was really a failed business, but what else could he do? At this point, his only priority was to save himself first before anything else.


    So by the time he opened his eyes and looked around, he frowned. Where did the assassin go?


    Don''t tell him that the assassin ran away, seeing bright effulgence around Zion!


    The latter shook his head and turned back only to see the man in black standing at the door as if he was blocking the way. Zion stared at the man with a gaping jaw.


    Just why did the assassin go toward the door? The latter could have attacked him, and Zion would have sneaked out with his speed-boosting power. But why did the man in black robes stood guarding the door like that?


    It couldn''t be possible that this person had a screw loose. When Zion thought of how this assassin had fought with him tactically, he shook his head. That man did have some brain that he used in fighting.


    The only possibility was that somehow, that black man knew that Zion would try to escape at a faster rate through the door. Otherwise, why would you change your position all of a sudden in the middle of a fight?


    When Zion realized this, his expressions changed. He could only think of one reason why the assassin knew about his escape plan: this man in black must have known about Zion''s secret! Even if he could assume that the assassin didn''t know his secret, the black-cloaked man, or Bradley, might have been aware of this aspect.


    Zion''s eyes widened at this realization, but right now, he didn''t have time to think of this. He would have to find a way to escape this place and change his identity. If his enemy knew that he had changed his identities many times, his life would be in danger! There wasn''t a point of staying at the palace surrounded by guards and the black-cloaked man''s spies all around him!


    But how to escape? He gave a glance to the bed and bent before breaking a leg of the furniture. Thankfully, the thing that his system loaned to him not only boosted his speed but also gave him strength. So he was confident that he would be able to fight and escape!


    At this time, Zion didn''t plan on killing that assassin who liked to walk around in the shadow using magic. He didn''t have enough martial arts skills. He only wanted to leave this place and change his identity to another one. But now, when he saw the assassin revealing that the latter knew about the detective''s secret, Zion hesitated before making this decision.


    If his enemies really knew about his identity, they would try to follow him around no matter what kind of identity he took. Still, he had no way to figure out how much inside information his enemy knew. Perhaps he could use this chance to find out about what the black-cloaked man was aware of!


    So Zion gripped the wooden leg tighter and stared at the assassin with an icy glare before calling out to the system. "Oi, 007."


    "What?!" The system squealed and jumped out all of a sudden. It seemed as if 007 was too excited while watching an action scene and was disturbed out of the blue.


    Zion ignored the system''s expressions and asked, "How fast can you give me my human identity back?"


    "Within five minutes from now."


    He nodded and said, "Then start the preparation."


    A flash of surprise appeared in 007''s eyes before he frowned. "But¡­.why now? Are you confident that you will be able to escape faster?"


    Zion scoffed. "Do I have any other choice? With the strength and speed boost power you have loaned me, I can definitely find a way out!"


    When the system saw his host''s confidence, he shut his mouth and sighed. "Fine. I''ll initiate the process, but make sure to hide yourself in a corner before the countdown ends."


    The detective didn''t reply as his body flashed in front of the assassin at top speed. The system, who watched this action all of a sudden, was stupefied before he disappeared out of the host''s sight and went into hiding to watch the show with a bowl full of popcorn.


    Zion didn''t know that his system was enjoying this live-action sequence. For him, this scene was more likely a situation of life and death where even slight negligence could kill him.

 Chapter 37 - The Assassin!

    As soon as Zion appeared before the assassin, the latter''s face paled. He had seen the way this servant was able to break the bed''s leg so easily. Sweat beads had appeared on his forehead seeing that scene, and he soon realized that Zion might have had a power boost too! This aspect made things difficult for him multiple times!


    He raised his hands and instinctively blocked the attack from the half-minotaur that came to him with full force. To his surprise, Zion in his servant identity managed to throw him off, and he staggered a few feet back. But the assassin recovered soon after this and raised his hand to attack the servant. At this time, since his assassination attempt was already uncovered, he wouldn''t care less about hiding himself in the shadows and attack this person with all his power!??


    At this time, Zion felt that the person before him in black robes changed his tactic again. Earlier, this man was using a different kind of sword fighting technique, but right now, the sword''s angle suddenly changed that made it seem more like it held brilliant force that was enough to kill off anyone.


    Zion''s eyes stuck to that sword for a moment before he gritted his teeth as he called out to the system in his mind. "Oi, 007, cancel the transformation. I guess this will take some time."


    The system didn''t come out, but it facepalmed himself as if saying, ''I knew this would happen.''


    After that, Zion raised the wooden leg in his hand and rushed at the assassin with a cold expression on his face. But how could a mere youngster of the modern world who hadn''t learned anything about martial arts in his past life be an opponent of an assassin who was a master in the art of fighting?


    Back when Zion was still working for the FBI, he primarily dealt with the scene, leaving the rest of it for the police officers. He never had to indulge himself in fights with the criminals. Even if he had been forced into such a situation of life and death, he would always have his colleagues behind his back.


    After all, he just had a year of experience in the professional field where only guns spoke louder than fists. Of course, it wasn''t as if he didn''t know how to fight at all. He still had his basic defense skills that were taught to all the officers before they joined such a high post. But at this moment, such a skill couldn''t match the assassin with years of experience.


    Soon, Zion realized that he had once again, created a pit for himself by underestimating his enemies out of the rising arrogance in his heart.


    The two of them continuously exchanged blows in that cramped space as it further destroyed their surroundings. The current ''bedroom'' looked more like a place filled with trash and broken furniture. Dust rose in the air every time they broke a piece of furniture to the point that no one could recognize what it was before being slashed into bits and pieces.


    But even after the entire room was destroyed, the two of them still couldn''t pause. It was probably because the assassin could use magic that had saved him a couple of times. Whenever Zion would force him into a corner, the assassin would use his magic to hide for a few seconds before appearing from a completely different location to throw Zion off guard.


    And when this thing happened too many times, even the detective felt sweat dripping off his forehead. He didn''t know fighting was such a hassle. If he had known about this earlier, he would have focused on improving his fighting skills before solving the case!


    He gritted his teeth and launched another attack on the assassin. No one knows how much time had passed, and Zion wasn''t in a mood to count it, but soon afterward, he felt the energy draining from his body. As soon as this happened, his face went pale.


    "F***." After this word, every kind of cursed word escaped his lips.


    Just what kind of luck did he have?! First, an assassin stuck close to him when he was still trying to do his detective work, and when he was trying to get rid of that person with the help of fifty extra points, he was stabbed in the back only because he didn''t possess enough skills! He wanted to shout at the heavens for forcing him into this kind of situation. But what else could he do? Right now, the only thing that had kept him alive was also slipping out of his hands, making him realize how naive he was to think he could escape merely with the help of his system.


    Zion had forgotten the fact that the assassin in front of him was probably a high-grade fighter who had trained for years! Even with all the power and speed he had, he wouldn''t be able to empower this assassin with years of experience! Soon after that, the energy was drained from his body as the wooden leg fell from his grip, anf his steps staggered.


    When the assassin saw his opponent''s condition, his steps paused a bit before his body flashed beside Zion, who had already fallen on the ground, unconscious. The man in black robes squinted his eyes and used the handle of his sword to nudge the detective''s face as if he were merely trying to test the waters. When he saw that the servant didn''t move, he released a breath of relief and put back his sword in his sheath.


    Phew, this man had higher strength and speed. It was good that this servant didn''t have many skills that failed him. If not for this fact, the assassin would have become a pig butchered under this person''s wooden leg. When he remembered the thing that caused him countless injuries, he glared at the shattered weapon beside Zion and kicked it.


    The assassin was so much injured that he would have to spend another few months to bring himself back to his feet! It was a good thing that his employer this time had offered him more money than he could ever comprehend. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have been able to keep his calm until now.


    After this, he picked up Zion''s body by the latter''s collar and sneered. "My work is nearly finished. I would only have to bring this man in that room, and I''ll be done with my duty."

 Chapter 38 - In The Heavenly Planet...

    While Zion was unconscious, the ''unreliable system'' that was supposed to stay in the host''s consciousness glanced at the host for a brief second before jumping out of the body. Since a heavenly being created the system''s furry form, no mortal could see him. So after getting out of Zion''s mind, he closed his eyes and uttered some words in another language before his body vanished.


    This was the first time he was leaving this mortal world to enter the heavens. 007 had thought that he wouldn''t get the opportunity anytime soon to go there, but who knew that this chance would come crawling at his door???


    The system''s furry little body reached the heavenly planet in the blink of an eye. As soon as he looked around, he found himself in a familiar yet unfamiliar environment. Butterflies flew from one flower to another that bloomed and shone brightly. There was no sun. Instead, everything in this place sparkled that generated light. Birds chirped and flew happily from one branch to another. Some of them were even tapping each other''s beaks which looked more like they had been kissing.


    This planet was his birthplace, and he had seen this when he was still a younger system under high maintenance. But now, after he had matured and gone off to his mission, he felt a hint of nostalgia in his heart.


    He sighed and covered up his emotions with an expressionless face before he averted his eyes. His tiny body flew toward a palace made of gold and diamonds to his right. Above the main gate, a sentence was carved in bold letters: The master of technology.


    It seemed as if he knew exactly where he should go. So without bothering to ask any guards present at the gate or the servants watering the plants in the garden, he flew toward the main door and entered the corridor.


    As his body flew past them all, some of the residents in the palace recognized him. A few of them were either servants or disciples wandering around the palace rooms. They gasped in surprise and said, "007? Weren''t you on a mission?"


    If it were any typical day, he would have replied with a joke, but when he remembered his host''s limp figure that seemed to be on the verge of dying, he gritted his teeth and went flying past them all deeper into the corridor. The disciples exchanged a glance. "What happened to him?"


    "He probably went mad on his first mission."


    The disciple snickered and walked further away.


    At this time, 007 finally reached his destination. When he encountered a closed door at the end of the corridor, he closed his eyes and uttered a spell before his body flashed right past the obstacle in front of his eyes.


    Right after entering the room, his body covered with all kinds of fur collided with a palm that was as big as his small form. He groaned at the impact and flew back before he fixed his appearance.


    In front of his eyes, he could see a person wearing similar clothes as him while looking at him coldly. 007''s eyes lit up at that. "Master!"


    "What the heck are you doing here? Aren''t you supposed to be with Zion?"


    "I used a summoning spell. I don''t have much time, but I felt like I should report something."


    The ''master'' didn''t say anything else but squinted his eyes at the system standing before him. A moment later, he gestured to the system to explain, who parted his lips and said, "I think there''s something wrong with that world."


    "Really?" The ''master'' looked unperturbed as if he had expected these words to come out of the system''s mouth, but sadly, the naive 007 didn''t notice this and went on babbling.


    "Yes!" A trace of worry flashed in the system''s eyes. "When I had searched for the first case, I had thought this was easy because of the information I had received from the server. Based on that only I chose the number of points the host would gain after finishing up the case successfully.


    "But after actually facing it all, I feel like it''s not that simple. If it were normal, Zion would have solved this case already with plenty of evidence, but it seems as if someone had found out about me. Otherwise, how could they send an assassin and even warn him that my host could receive power all of a sudden? I don''t know what the heck is going on, so I couldn''t help myself and-"


    "Okay, okay. Calm down first." The bigger Methu man, covered with furry clothes of all colors and kinds, frowned. "You say Zion''s secret has been discovered? How?"


    "I don''t know!" The system wailed. "I have always been careful! It''s impossible for a mortal to know about heavenly missions! Is there any other system out there in that world that''s been messing with my plans?!"


    The man didn''t say anything as his brows furrowed. After thinking for a moment, he sighed and said, "Go back for now. Even though Zion had created a pit for me by asking you to broadcast that message, which you dutifully did¡­." The man glared at the system, who averted his eyes in guilt. "I still don''t care about that anymore. I don''t hold any grudges against a mortal who was supposed to die and reincarnate peacefully. Give me a few days until I search where the problem lies dormant."


    007 didn''t have any choice but to look at his master pitifully. "Can''t we at least do anything to save him?"


    The man had a look of helplessness in his eyes as he glanced at the system before patting the little one''s head with his finger. "It''s impossible. You know we can''t break a rule for mortals. The presence of a system in the mortal world alone is a heaven-defying aspect, but we have to do that in case of emergencies. Nevertheless, we can''t do anything but watch. But don''t worry about that brat Zion. This kind of person who would fall many times knew how to pick themselves up time and again. So he will be fine."


    007 nodded and said, "Then¡­..What about points?" There were two reasons why 007 was asking about this. He didn''t want to do injustice to his host, and secondly, he also wanted to earn extra commission through it. The more points his host would get, the higher his commission will be. So why would he not ask for extra points, considering how complicated the case was?!


    Of course, the original points were also chosen by him, but he had merely sent them to Methu man and the latter''s team for a review. Only after passing this review could he give those points to Zion. But if the system wanted to change the number of points his host would get, he would have to go through a lengthy process and wait for a long time before finalizing the points. This aspect might take more than a few weeks!


    So why should 007 even strive to follow the same path when he could get results just by taking a shortcut?


    The man sighed before glaring at the system. "You''re a greedy little thing, aren''t you?"


    "Of course! I was designed after your image, after all!"


    The man nearly spat the blood, but he couldn''t refute it. It seemed as if 007 had learned a few things from that brat Zion. The man took a deep breath and said, "Fine. I''ll ask my people to increase the points."

 Chapter 39 - The Darkroom

    When Zion woke up, a strong scent of blood roamed around him. He frowned and didn''t open his eyes as he called out to the system. "007, how much time has passed?"


    The system, who had just made a quick journey to the heavenly planet to see his master and came back a few seconds ago, was stunned at that question. He didn''t even have the time to figure out things before he was asked this question. So he silently glanced at the clock before parting his lips. "An hour."??


    "Is there any presence around me?"


    "Yes, but hidden."


    Zion gritted his teeth. After wasting so much energy and points, he still gained nothing. For a moment, helplessness flashed in his heart. Even after getting more powerful, he couldn''t do a thing when faced with a skillful master! He knew he lacked skills, but he didn''t think he would face such a humiliating defeat so soon!


    When the system saw his host looking disappointed, 007 sighed and opened his mouth. "I went to my master just now and bargained to increase points for this case."


    Zion was surprised at these words. Although he forced himself to remain still and didn''t show any emotions on his face, his eyes fluttered a little as if they were about to open. If he thought deeply about his system''s words, he realized that there could only be one reason why 007 increased the points: The first case''s difficulty had increased due to some unforeseeable events.


    Then he could no longer treat this case as something simple. Did it mean that the villain had found out about Zion''s identities? He didn''t know, but all the things he had thought of before he had jumped to fight the assassin were useless. Right now, he didn''t even know where he was!


    Now that all of his identities were out in the open, what could he do? He frowned when a thought crossed his mind.


    So what if his identities were exposed? It was a good thing that had happened to him! He could now boldly go into the lion''s den without any fear! At least, now he knew that he had a formidable enemy that could even guess about his identities to such an extent.


    But why was he still alive? His brows furrowed again. He had thought that the assassin would finish him off. But since Zion was still alive, he suddenly felt like things might not be very simple.


    First, he didn''t know what his enemies were aware of and had just assumed that the black-cloaked man knew about his system, which made the latter guess about the sudden growth of power and warned the assassin ahead of time. Second, even if the black-cloaked man knew about something, he still wasn''t clear about their purpose. Did they just want to stop Zion and pursue their goal? Or did the murderer have any other plan?


    For a moment, Zion felt an ominous premonition rising in his heart. In any case, the worst situation would be death, and he had already faced that earlier. He knew that if it weren''t for that Methu man coming to beg him for help back then, he would have reincarnated as another person. He would still be able to live even after death. So what was the point of risking his life to keep the current body alive that wasn''t even his, to begin with?


    Of course, he wasn''t someone who would jump in the fire and commit suicide. He also wanted to live, but the fear of death flew out of his mind all of a sudden when faced with such a situation. He exhaled a breath and opened his eyes only to find himself in a dark room. No matter what, things couldn''t be worse than death. So he could bravely face the future and deduce just how he could solve this case.


    The system, who perceived such thoughts, was scared witless. "H-H-Host, why are you thinking of death?!"


    Zion almost rolled his eyes, but when he remembered that there were spies hidden in the dark around him, he suppressed his urge and said in his mind, "I won''t die, but even if I do, I''m not scared."


    After spending so many days with his host, the system didn''t want to part just like that. Even though he was still young, and he didn''t need to finish off the mission, he didn''t want to see the world at its end just because of that! He knew that if Zion were to die without finishing off the mission, this world was sure to be doomed.


    So 007 gritted his teeth and said, "Don''t you have even a slight inkling to go back to your world and be reborn just five minutes before the explosion?!"


    Zion froze at that statement and couldn''t help but ask, "What did you say? Going back to my world?"


    The system soon realized his blunder and shut his mouth, pretending to be dead. But Zion wouldn''t let it remain silent for long. When he heard those words just now, he realized that there were still things that his system didn''t tell him. So he sighed and causally stroked a sharp object lying near him. "Too bad¡­. I would have wanted to know how I could get back. Sadly, you have left me with no choice but to kill myself."


    His voice had a touch of tranquility and gentleness, but his words made the system frozen as if he had just encountered a winter season. "Don''t! I''ll tell you¡­."


    Zion''s lips curved up. "That''s like a good boy. Now open your mouth."


    "I wasn''t supposed to tell you this until after you finished the first case." The furry man appeared in front of Zion on a screen. "You get two options: First is to get rid of me, and second is to find your way back home with doubled points."


    "So when were you going to tell me this?" Zion coldly stared at the system for a long time as if he couldn''t wait to commit a murder.


    007''s body shrank back and said hurriedly, "It''s not my fault! That''s the rule! We aren''t supposed to share any details. The first case is usually an evaluation of whether the host can perform better in a world. If not, they would be sent off to reincarnate in another world while wiping off their memories. But your case is different, so I wasn''t told anything about whether or not to share those details with you, but I still followed the rules¡­."


    Zion listened to the chatter of the system and was about to open his mouth when he heard the footsteps of a few people walking toward the darkroom.

 Chapter 40 - Faster Than A Sword!

    "He''s inside?" A voice fell in Zion''s ears, and he immediately recognized who this person was! It was the guard who would be standing right beside the king every time Rhesus would come to the throne room. Zion frowned as his lips pursed their own, but he didn''t even get a chance to do anything before the door opened and a bunch of people entered.


    As soon as the door opened, bright light entered through the corridor. The room became clear to Zion, and he could see ancient flower-like designs on the wall and ceiling carved in dull colors as if the painter had lacked passion while doing his work in this room. The room itself was small, and there was only a table and chair before a tightly shut window.??


    But what shocked him was what was lying on that chair.


    A dead body of not just anyone, but a guy he had planned to tail: Oswin.


    Zion stared fixedly at the scene before his eyes.


    Why? Why would someone kill him and bring Zion''s unconscious body into this room? His restless eyes watched everything in the room carefully. He noticed the details of how the blood had splattered around the dead body as there was a hole on the man''s chest.


    There was a frown on Oswin''s forehead as his hands rested on either side of him, hanging beside his body. Around the room, there wasn''t any sign of struggle as it should have been if this guy was killed by someone unknown. That meant the killer might be an acquaintance of this dead man.


    If Oswin had colluded with the murderer, then the only person who would like to kill him was that black-cloaked man. Zion couldn''t think of any reason why the king would kill this guy in a mysterious way. Even if Oswin''s background were revealed, the king would have given this guy a punishment publically.


    If Rhesus really wanted to finish this guy, the latter would have realized it already. Zion knew that Oswin would have at least struggled before dying, which he didn''t. Then it should mean that the guy who killed Oswin was the latter''s acquaintance, and the dead guard should have his guard lowered toward the killer.


    Zion frowned when he thought of this. Did Oswin find out a secret about the black-cloaked man that he shouldn''t have? If that were the case, then it would mean that the black-cloaked man was probably hiding many things from his people.


    But before he could think more about this topic, the guard who came from the outside picked him up by his collar as if he were merely a cabbage thrown on the ground and sneered. "I didn''t think a small servant would have the guts to do this. Take him away!"


    After that, Zion was forced away from the scene, but his mind had reacted instantly as he keenly looked at all the details he could see in the room then closed his eyes as soon as he was brought out of the room by others.


    He didn''t say a word while he was being dragged through the corridor. In the blink of an eye, they reached the throne where the king stared at Zion with chilly eyes, but the latter wasn''t afraid. Since he had already died once by burning alive in the blast, he knew what kind of hellish pain that was! So at this time, he didn''t care about it.


    It was just that he still wanted to live, and he remembered the system''s words that had said that he could go back to his original world. Even though he didn''t have many friends there, he still wanted to live in a carefree and magic-free environment that was only filled with humans.


    Just then, his desire to live grew stronger. He wanted to go back to that familiar Earth where he was born! After thinking of this, his mind buzzed while thinking of various schemes to escape the prison. He knew that he wouldn''t be given a death sentence soon, but the king seemed angry and would probably think that Zion had colluded with the murderer with his servant identity.


    So he didn''t trust the king''s judgment at this time. It wasn''t that he assumed the king to be useless. After all, that person had led an entire race for years. How could he be useless? It was just that Zion felt like when it comes to emotional situations, Rhesus''s brain would be clouded by feelings that would lead the latter around the nose.


    Before Zion could continue to think of this, a roar sounded from the throne. "You dare to kill my most trusted soldier?!"


    Most trusted? Zion sneered in his heart. Had the king even tried to find out the background of that guy Oswin? Did Rhesus become so foolish in his desperation to find the murderer that he even forgot to do a simple thing before promoting someone among his soldiers¡ªchecking the background?


    "What''re you thinking about?! Huh?" The king roared again as he glared at the servant brought by the guards before him. "You have colluded with the murderer, haven''t you? Tell me, what''s your connection with servant 52 and Vincent? Who''s the mastermind among you? Tell me something!"


    The rims of his eyes had turned red upon saying those words. Zion lowered his head as he sealed his lips tight. He knew that the king was being manipulated by the black-cloaked man''s spies around him. He even suspected that those guards standing around him right now were also that crown prince''s men who had been ordered to make sure that Zion was executed thoroughly before the public.


    But just who was Zion? How could he let the black-cloaked man act as pleased?


    Zion raised his head and glanced at the king with seriousness in his eyes. "You''re a king. Does it seem good for you to act so outrageously without any evidence? I was found in that room in a half-unconscious state. Use your brain a bit, will you? How can a half-unconscious person like me kill someone as powerful as Oswin? Have you ever seen my fighting skills?" Zion opened his mouth and blackened his image before everyone without any shame. "All I know is how to defend, and you should know how powerful your soldier was! Do you think he won''t defend even if someone ambushed him? With my mediocre skills, it''s definitely not possible!"


    Everyone was speechless after hearing those words, especially the king. They didn''t know how to react, and just when they thought Zion was done, the latter opened his mouth and made the king even more surprised. "Don''t listen to those mouths around you. They can kill you faster than a sword."

 Chapter 41 - The Punishment!

    The king was stunned after hearing those words and wasn''t provoked. Instead, he frowned and deeply contemplated it. According to what the servant indicated, he had been making such rash decisions based on people''s influence. Now that he thought about it, it really was the case!


    He remembered that when he hadn''t assigned Oswin the detective work around his kingdom, he had heard about the guy''s achievements from the servants one day. Those people clearly said that the guard named Oswin had found many criminals across the land and killed them on behalf of the Emperor, which had impressed Rhesus back then. Then the situation at the court kept getting worse and worse, but the presence of Oswin seemed to be like a pie that had fallen on his lap.??


    But when that guy actually started working as a detective, it felt like all his achievements were only words. On an impulse, the king had even secretly searched about Oswin and found that the claims made by the servants around him were valid. Then why wasn''t this guard able to find clues about the murder?


    Before the king could figure out more about this person, he was killed by someone. Of course, Rhesus was angry not because his trusted aid had been dead but because he wasn''t able to find out if that person was genuinely trustworthy or not.


    But now, when he heard those words from Zion''s mouth, his eyes widened momentarily before he covered up his emotions. If there really were spies around him, it wouldn''t do justice if he reacted strongly at this.


    He silently glanced at the people around him who were watching him with keen eyes. They all had a spark of curiosity in their eyes, and some servants were even acting as if they were watching a show with snacks at hand. The king pursed his lips and averted his eyes. Perhaps it was too late to pretend that he hadn''t heard Zion''s statement.


    Then he glanced at the servant being held by his soldiers. Although this guy seemed to be someone unknown, he knew that the servant before him was probably an acquaintance of someone who wanted to find the murderer who started this fiasco wholeheartedly. That meant there was a person out there who was solving the case on a serious note and probably possessed enough deduction skills but didn''t dare to come out because of these spies lurking around the king.


    Who was it? A frown crossed his forehead. Just then, an image of a person flashed before his eyes.


    Vincent!


    It could be that person! Maybe that aristocrat had found out beforehand that there were spies around him and wanted to get rid of their suspicion to find more evidence! Perhaps this servant before him was a man sent by that aristocrat to infiltrate those spies hidden in the palace!


    Then a plan emerged in his mind. Maybe he could force the guards to bring the servant to the prison and interrogate him secretly without telling a single soul about it.


    But as Rhesus thought of this, his brows furrowed again. What was the point of realizing who could help him solve this case? It was probably too late.


    The king knew that if he had reacted to Zion''s words instantly and thrown a fit in anger, no one would have doubted that Rhesus held suspicion. But now, when he had paused and thought for a while right in front of those spies, the king could tell that they knew about what Rhesus wanted to do.


    A sigh escaped his lips, and he glanced at those guards with a complicated look in his eyes. He didn''t have any choice anyway. Since the other party was putting up pretenses, he could only follow and pretend that he didn''t hear anything. "Take him to the cell."


    The guard holding Zion frowned. "Your Majesty, the crime is grievous. Don''t you feel angry on Oswin''s behalf? He was our comrade!"


    The king shook his head. "I do feel bad, but that doesn''t mean I can punish any innocent soul right before my eyes. Take him away. I''ll find someone to search that place. If we find any evidence, we can give him punishment." As Rhesus said this, he paused. If these spies could infiltrate the palace to such a deeper level, it was possible that they could even fake the evidence. So he pursed his lips and said, "No need to do anything else. I''ll investigate this on my own."


    The guard holding Zion gave the king a glance filled with disappointment and grabbed the servant''s arm before dragging him away.


    On the other side, Zion could already guess what the king was thinking about, and he even speculated that Rhesus probably wanted to meet him in the prison while hiding from those eyes around the king. So he just lowered his head and pretended to be really upset about this decision.


    Human nature was strange. If he had acted as if he was calm and collected, they would have suspected that he would conspire with the king in secret. But if he acted like a weak person, he would stay out of the radar of those people.


    After a while, he was pushed into the prison, which seemed to be far away from the place where Lia was being held. But he didn''t care about that girl for now. After meeting her that day, he could tell that she possessed the ability to run away from there without any difficulty.


    After getting inside the jail, Zion leaned against the wall while sitting on the ground and lowered his head. For now, all he could do was think about that room and how that person was killed. Silently, he closed his eyes and recalled the scene that he had engraved in his mind.


    First, it didn''t seem like someone had opened the window anytime soon because he had seen dust lying over the wooden handle of the window. He could even tell that no one had even touched that thing for weeks.


    Then the only possibility was the door. It felt as if Oswin was probably writing something in a scroll that was perhaps taken away after death. Maybe that was why he could still see ink spots on the feather pen that the ancient people used. Even though he had not touched the ink, he could tell just by glancing at the tip of the feather that it was still wet. So it could be assumed that Oswin must have died recently.


    That meant Zion should still be in the same room lying on the ground lifelessly when this happened. So who else could he suspect other than that black robbed assassin he had encountered earlier?

 Chapter 42 - Obedient? Nope!

    As Zion had suspected, the king did come to see him when the area around the prison cleared up. He still didn''t know much time had passed in this cell since there wasn''t even a ventilator here. There was a small curtain in the corner for relieving yourself, and that''s it. He would be timely given food and based on that. He could tell that at least two days must have passed, assuming they gave him meals twice a day.


    But on the third day, when the guards exchanged their positions, and the coast was clear for the next five minutes, a man donning a cloak over his head walked inside. Zion could quickly tell who this person was! So he didn''t pretend to be naive and said, "Your Majesty, don''t you feel ashamed to sneak into your own prison like this?"??


    "Tell me everything you know." Then the king paused as if he wanted to say something but hesitated before he finally parted his lips. "I own this place. I don''t have to ask someone''s permission to sneak in like this."


    Zion snickered but didn''t continue that topic. He leaned back and lazily glanced at the king. "I would say you should be prepared. The enemy can attack anytime."


    The detective had thought of all the consequences before saying those words. Based on how quickly things were happening around him, it was clear that the enemy was getting anxious to make a final move, and he assumed that it could be because Prince Bradley wanted to usurp the throne.


    But he still couldn''t understand one thing¡­.


    He glanced at the king, who went silent after hearing his warning, and asked in a solemn voice, "Do you have an unpleasant history with Prince Bradley?"


    When the king heard this question, his expressions changed many times. After that, he pursed his lips and shook his head before parting his lips. "I do, but why do you want to know about that?" The king paused as if he realized something. "There''s a connection between his death and my history, isn''t it?"


    Zion raised his eyebrows. It seemed that Rhesus wasn''t the foolish person he had assumed to be. His lips curved up. "You''re right."


    The king was silent for a while. How good would it be if he had met this person or Vincent when his kingdom was still alright? Right now, all he could think was how to prevent something that would destroy the entire kingdom. A sigh escaped his lips before he lowered his gaze and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "It''s my fault. Everything''s my fault. I shouldn''t have been greedy."


    Zion didn''t say anything and kept staring at Rhesus, who looked more like a lonely figure. He knew that this Dhampir king would speak about the most confidential thing that led Prince Bradley to take such a step, and he could already guess it was probably something cliche. But he still didn''t open his mouth and kept staring at the man.


    The king stood and glanced at the ground with a hint of disgust in his eyes as if he couldn''t stand sitting on the filthy ground. He pursed his lips and finally opened his mouth with difficulty. "I had many brothers, both old and young, but most of them died because of my greed."


    Zion didn''t even bat his eyelids at that. He knew this would be the main reason behind the current massacre. So he didn''t disrupt the king and kept listening.


    "I was ignorant and had a malicious heart as a teenager and didn''t want to be at the mercy of someone else." Rhesus sighed and held the prison bar. This kind of prison was different from where Zion had been, and he wasn''t surprised. He knew that the king wanted to keep his daughter safe. So that was why he chose that kind of prison for her.


    After pausing for a while, the king continued. "It would have been fine if I had stopped at that, but I had to be in love with the eldest brother''s wife, the crown princess back then."


    "Let me guess." Zion finally couldn''t help himself. "Bradley was your eldest brother''s son, and he looks a lot like your lover, so you couldn''t kill him and adopted him when he was still a toddler. Am I right?"


    The king pursed his lips and glanced at Zion awkwardly. "Kid, could you think of becoming a detective in my court after this was over?"


    Zion''s reply was a cold gaze that stared at Rhesus for a long time until the latter shifted his gaze away.


    "He found out about that a few weeks before his death and was angry at me for killing his real father. But I managed to please him! Back then, I had thought that I coaxed him into listening to me. Who could have thought that someone would just kill Bradley?!" The king''s fingers around the bar tightened instantly.


    Zion didn''t say anything and waited to hear if the king had anything else to say.


    Rhesus took a deep breath and loosened his grip. "I couldn''t even look at my son''s corpse for even a second. I had originally asked others to look at the bedroom thoroughly." A sigh escaped his lips. "But now when I think about it, if there really are spies around me, I can''t trust anyone. I probably had missed out on evidence by entrusting my guards to search the room after the murder."


    Zion finally opened his mouth. "You''re right. They probably took away anything that could raise suspicion. If not, you would have found out about the murderer''s identity a few days back already."


    Rhesus backed a few steps and asked, "I should go. Do you have anything else to report to me?"


    "Be aware of Prince Linton and his daughter."


    Before Rhesus could react to this statement, guards'' voices could be heard from the outside. Zion and the king stiffened. Without glancing at the servant inside, Rhesus walked out hastily before anyone could catch him.


    At this time, Zion squinted his eyes and stared at the wall before him. Even though he found out why Bradley wanted to get rid of the king, he still felt strange in his heart. It was as if a thought just popped up but flashed past his mind, making him feel irritated.


    But one question did trouble him the most: how did Bradley know about Zion and his connection to his identities?


    The fact that the assassin chose a servant named Grant, Zion''s identity when he came to the palace, told the latter that they had selected him deliberately to keep him shut inside the prison. Zion sneered when he thought of this.


    As if he was going to sit behind bars like an obedient child.

 Chapter 43 - A Responsibility!

    It was an easy feat for Zion to escape the prison. He could have escaped earlier, but he wanted to wait for the king, who came to see him right as he had expected. But now, when Rhesus was gone, Zion also didn''t have any desire to keep staying behind bars and wait for death.


    As soon as the time came for the guards to change for the second time, Zion moved from his position. He had the royal knife that was still with him and a sharp ladies'' hairpin that he had used earlier for opening the princess''s prison. After glancing at the dark corridor and ensuring that no guard was outside, he pulled out the knife from his robes and inserted it in the lock.??


    It was a good thing the guards had missed out on the knife and the hairpin of the ladies that he had still safely placed hidden in his inner robes. After a few seconds, the lock opened up with a click, and he quickly removed it from the knob before pushing the prison door. From what he had observed, the guards would take at least five to ten minutes to change and gather at this place again.


    So he pursed his lips and put those things back in the pocket of his inner robes, and moved outside stealthily.


    "007, is there a guard around me?"


    The system didn''t come but answered in a solemn voice. "Nope."


    Zion frowned at this. Why didn''t they have anyone monitoring him this time? He could tell that they wanted to get rid of him as soon as possible. That''s why they hastily put him behind bars with an excuse that he was perhaps one of the main suspects of Oswin''s murder. They should have tailed him after listening to the king''s words.


    But now, when Zion thought about it a second time, something flashed in his mind that made him pause his footsteps. There could only be two reasons why the enemy would leave you alive: In the first case, the villains would be too busy planning a fatal attack such that they would leave him alone for a while, giving him a momentary peace before a disaster. This would only happen if the enemies had been a hundred percent sure that they could achieve success without bothering the good guys.


    And the second case would be when the enemies had failed to fulfill their goals, not having enough resources and time to deal with the hero. Consequently, Zion could tell that it would be the first case because he hadn''t done anything yet to attack the murderer to such an extent that the black-cloaked man would move toward failure.


    When Zion thought of this, his brows furrowed deeper. If that were the case¡­.


    The kingdom was definitely in danger, and he was close to losing this mission!


    "Hey, system." Zion quietly hid in the shadows and asked, "Will the randomly chosen case be worse than now if I failed this mission?"


    The system was silent for a moment. He still remembered he had told his host about what could happen if Zion failed the mission. The system would forcibly choose any random case if the host were to fail in a task, but he hadn''t told his host the details. Now that his host had asked him the same thing again, he could tell that the current mission was close to an end, and that would probably lead to failure. 007 pursed his lips and popped out in front of Zion, and hesitated before opening his mouth.


    "It''ll be hard and the last chance at living. The difficulty level of that case would be doubled, and you won''t get any points. If you pass, you can continue living, but if you fail, you will die and not get a chance to return to your original world." The system paused and thought for a while as if trying to remember what else he had forgotten. "You also have to give back ten times the current points to us as compensation for failure. Of course, this would be possible if you hadn''t taken any loans and you still had enough points in your account. But now that you have a loan¡­."


    Zion squinted his eyes. He understood what the system wanted to say. "I would die and have to pay up those points in some other way, right?"


    "Something like that. In the situation you''re in, you won''t even get the last chance to stay in this world and solve cases. Plus, you would be punished after you reincarnate as compensation to get those points back in the form of karma points." The system shook his head and sighed. "Although I still don''t know what the punishment would be since no host took a loan in the first world itself."


    Zion went silent for a moment after this. He had heard these words ''karma points'' from the Methu man back then. It should mean that the system would suck away all the good karma from his next life and the lives after that until all the points could be given back.


    That meant if he failed to finish this mission, he would probably be living hundreds of lives filled with misery. A wave of shiver crawled up his spine. Although he was fearless, he really didn''t want to reincarnate so many times in different kinds of miserable situations!


    After taking a deep breath, he glanced at the system and said, "Okay, you can go. I''ll make sure to pass this mission by hook or by crook."


    The system went back into hiding, but his mood fell into depression as he glanced at his host still walking through the prison corridor in the shadows. There was one thing he didn''t tell his host. If Zion were to fail this mission, this world would probably end with the destruction of everything. This was a confidential message that he shouldn''t tell the host in any case.


    The reason was, if the hosts are given too much information at the start they end up getting too afraid to do anything. So the higher-ups in the heavens created this rule for the system to avoid such a tragedy.


    When 007 thought of how everyone in this world could probably end up dying horrible deaths, he pursed his lips as a hint of desperation flashed in his eyes. He said to himself, "Host, please make sure to pass this test. Lives of millions of people are on your shoulders."

 Chapter 44 - Someone Died Again......

    ***WARNING***


    Nope, not an R-18 scene, but somewhat gore. Like someone dies in this scene. So I''m warning you, just in case.? ?


    ***


    Although Zion couldn''t hear what 007 had just said in his mind, he could tell that things would be difficult for this world if he failed his mission. He sighed and decided to hand over the evidence he had collected until now to the king. Even though he didn''t catch the black-cloaked man red-handed, he still knew that man would be the main villain.


    For some reason, Zion still felt as if he forgot about one crucial point. He frowned and focused on the thought as if it flashed past him, storing in his subconscious mind permanently. When he couldn''t remember what he had forgotten, he sighed.


    He might as well give all the evidence to the king. At least, this wouldn''t be considered an utter failure. He was sure that he would be able to get some points even if he didn''t hand over the murderer and showed the latter''s true nature publically.


    But even after thinking of this, the unease of his heart didn''t subside. Since his intuition had been something that would always give him success, he didn''t take this feeling lightly. He decided that after giving the evidence to the king, he would go back to the brothel and sneak inside the room with a hidden passage before walking toward the forest.


    After he planned this, he felt his shoulders relaxed as the headache troubling him because of being too tense decreased.


    So after this, he sneaked inside the bedroom of the king and found a scroll. He glanced around, and when he felt it was safe to come out for a moment, he sighed in relief and picked up the scroll before jotting down everything he had found until now. Although he didn''t write his name at the bottom, he knew that Rhesus would assume that it was probably his aristocrat identity, Vincent.


    After doing all of these things, he picked out the knife from his inner robes along with a familiar red cloth with tiny black-colored threads wrapped neatly that he had found in the prince''s room. Then he put everything on the table to see empty teacups and a flower vase in the center. When he was done with this, he instantly sneaked out of the room without any delay.


    While he was doing all of these things, Prince Linton was inside the brothel, having another meeting with the black-cloaked man. At this time, his brows were furrowed as he stared at the man before him in the forest area with desperation in his eyes. "You cannot do this! You promised you wouldn''t!"


    The black-cloaked man shrugged and waved his hand. "Don''t piss me off. Did I sign an agreement?"


    Prince Linton couldn''t suppress his anger anymore. He grabbed the man''s collar and glared at him furiously. "You piece of sh**, do you know how many people will die?! Do you have any idea what kind of havoc you will create?!"


    The corners of the black-cloaked man''s lips curved up. He could have removed Linton''s hand, but he didn''t. Instead, he looked at the prince in amusement. "I had already told you earlier. I will do anything to achieve my goal."


    "But that''s devious!" Linton pushed the man roughly as his gaze turned icy, filled with hatred. "The only reason why I had decided to conspire with you was to save the residents from death! We both know how King Rhesus has been managing the kingdom, don''t we? The crime rate has increased! I had already known that my brother was ruthless, but I had to keep my mouth shut to stay alive. And when you offered such a deal presenting yourself as a saintly figure, I couldn''t stop myself from admiring you. But you¡­."


    Linton wanted to say more. Cursed words were on the tip of his tongue, but he swallowed them all and averted his eyes, fearing he would say something even worse out of anger. At this time, the rope of his life was in the black-cloaked man''s hand. So he could only step back and think of a way to get out of this situation.


    It seemed that the black-cloaked man realized what his ''uncle'' was thinking about. So he smiled again before parting his lips. "Uncle, did you know your dear daughter has a lover?"


    Linton froze and glanced at his ''nephew'' for a long time before his face went pale. He understood why this man suddenly talked about his daughter. It turned out this person was giving him a warning. Clearly, Bradley had obtained such personal information that even Linton didn''t know. Now, not only did the black-cloaked man have people after him, but even Princess Edda''s life was in danger! He took a deep breath and instantly regretted joining hands with this cursed person named Bradley. "I''ll do as you say."


    But in his heart, Linton had already decided to rebel. At least, with Rhesus still on the throne, he knew that the kingdom would be much safer. Now when he knew what Bradley was planning to do, he couldn''t let this man succeed. Linton also knew that this man wouldn''t let him live anyway. So he would go to the opposing party and tell them everything! It would be even better if he could warn the king!


    After considering all the pros and cons, just as he was about to go back through the hidden door, he heard his nephew''s voice. "Going so soon? I wanted to give you a present."


    Linton frowned and turned back to face the black-cloaked man. But before he could open his mouth, he saw Bradley''s figure flashing in front of him. A hint of surprise appeared in Linton''s eyes, and just then, a sword slashed his neck as blood splattered around him. He felt a jolt of pain in his neck, and he stared at the black-cloaked man with fearful eyes.


    "Uncle, I''m allowing you an eternity of peace slumber." The black-cloaked man smiled and squinted his eyes before wiping his sword with a handkerchief. "Have a good night, dear uncle."


    Linton wanted to say something, but he couldn''t because the sword had cut open his windpipe and destroyed his neck thoroughly. Although he couldn''t see his wound, he could tell that all the organs of his neck were visible to the naked eye. Not a single whisper could be heard from his mouth.


    But why did Bradley even kill him? How did this person know what Linton was going to do?! He had thought that after he surrendered at the end and pretended to be supporting Bradley after being threatened, the latter wouldn''t trouble him anymore. But his ''nephew'' did something like this, which was beyond his expectations!


    Why¡­.?


    Unfortunately, Linton didn''t get an answer to his question as his weak body fell on the ground with a thud. After the soul left, the body''s eyes were still opened wide, staring into nothingness.


    The black-cloaked man''s face was covered except for his lips. He looked down at the dead body for a while before turning to leave.


    "That''s why I''m forced to kill those guys." He muttered under his breath as if he were talking to someone. "Just like Oswin. They just overthink too much."

 Chapter 45 - Standby Mode

    At the same time, Zion had already reached the brothel. Before he came, he had asked the system to give him back his original identity since it was no use roaming around as a servant who was supposed to be in prison. Since his original identity as servant 52 was dead weeks ago, he used makeup to change his face a little before he could sneak inside the brothel. He didn''t have much time, so he couldn''t change his entire look.


    But the changes from makeup also made it seem as if he was another individual. There was a bloody scar right across his face that made him look hideous. He had deliberately put dark circles around his eyes and made his cheeks feel they didn''t have any color. After changing more things like his nose, chin, and even the shape of his eyebrows with makeup, he sneaked inside the brothel and headed toward the room.??


    This time, he didn''t even care about taking a seal. He directly hid in the shadows and pushed the door open. Surprisingly, it wasn''t locked, which made him frown.


    Did someone open this recently? From what he could remember, the manager would always keep this room locked and hide the key in his inner robes. But now that Zion found this room unlocked without anyone guarding here, he didn''t know what was going on.


    He narrowed his eyes and got inside. He would find out what was wrong with this place in a while anyway. So he didn''t bother himself with anything else and unlocked the room. It was a good thing that Linton hadn''t changed the lock so that he could open it easily.


    After entering the dark corridor, he didn''t even turn on the torch for fear of alerting the enemy. He took a few steps before pausing as if realizing something.


    If he would go and tail the villain, the black-cloaked man would find out that someone was following him. But what else could he do?


    A frown crossed Zion''s forehead. He wouldn''t be afraid of this in the usual case, but ever since he had realized that his enemy probably knew his secret, he would have to keep his guard up. The person who could find out about Zion''s secret identities, it wouldn''t be a surprise if that man knew about his system too.


    So should he hide the system or himself? He knew he couldn''t do both since he was already lagging in terms of points.


    His brows furrowed deeper as he contemplated with a serious expression on his face. If he would hide, there was a huge possibility that the enemy would be able to find out about him through sensing the presence of his system that was lying dormant in his mind. So it would be safer to hide the system. At least, even if the enemy would be able to find out that someone was tailing him, that person wouldn''t consider that it was Zion following the black-cloaked man.


    After thinking for a while, he decided to call out the system. "007, can you hide your presence?"


    The system tilted his head innocently. "Why?"


    "No reason. Just do as I said." Zion didn''t have the patience to talk nonsense with this furry man.


    The latter could tell from the expression on his host''s face that things were critical. So instead of asking more, he suppressed his curiosity and silently nodded. "But if I hide my presence, I would go to standby mode and won''t be able to turn on before five minutes."


    Zion pursed his lips. This choice was risky, but it was his only solution. He nodded and glanced at the light that showered brightness at the end of the dark corridor, and he squinted his eyes. Would he be able to find that black-cloaked man here? He didn''t know. But he intended to go there. It was the only path he could choose, or else he would be back to square one.


    The system knew that his host had made a choice. So he sighed and said with a trace of emotion in his voice, "I''ll go to the stand-by mode. Just call me out when you want to turn me online. I will come out after five minutes." 007 paused and hesitated before opening his mouth. "Be careful."


    After this, the system went offline and didn''t say anything else. The system seemed to be in a deep sleep and wouldn''t wake up for a long time.


    Zion took a deep breath and calmed himself before stealthily moving forward. He knew it was a risky decision, but his intuition told him that hiding his system was the first thing he should do while dealing with this villain.


    But just as he reached the brightened forest that he had seen earlier, he froze. Right in the middle of the ground covered with grass and surrounded by trees, He saw the dead body of a familiar man lying on the ground with eyes wide open as if the person was frightened before he died.


    It was Linton, and the killer didn''t even bother cleaning up the dead body.


    When Zion thought of this, a trace of anxiety burst into his heart like a cyclone. It destroyed his peaceful and calm mind.


    This situation right now seemed as if the villain was waiting for him to come and see the dead body. Zion''s eyes were stuck to Linton''s pale face as blood flooded out of his neck. It seemed as if this prince was killed just a few seconds before he came. The injury in the neck seemed as if someone had slashed the flesh open so much that he could even see internal organs filled with blood.


    Zion gritted his teeth and passed by the dead body. Even though his hands were itching to check up the body, he couldn''t afford such a luxury. He knew that the enemy was nearby, and that person would find out about his presence easily if he were to come out and boldly check the dead body. A sigh escaped his lips as he hid in the shadows while walking ahead.


    This was the first time in his life that someone had managed to lead him around the nose like this. Was this Bradley acting alone in this world? Or was there someone else, or probably a group of individuals behind him? Zion couldn''t tell, but he had a feeling that today he would find out something that would change the face of this mission forever.

 Chapter 46 - Sleep!

    Zion continued to walk around the forest area for a long time before he could hear footsteps. Since he was practically running as his body flashed past many trees in the shadows, his pace was faster than the black-cloaked man, who was strolling as if he were in a garden.


    But when Zion heard footsteps coming from the forest, he subconsciously slowed down his own pace as his eyes narrowed. Even though he rarely used to walk in the forest, back when he was in the FBI, he had been given the training to hide in the shadows and follow someone practically anywhere, even in the forest, while hiding the sound of his footsteps at the same time.??


    So he was confident that the black-cloaked man wouldn''t be able to hear him at all. But that person might have other means of knowing whether Zion followed him. So the detective didn''t lower his guard and was prepared to protect himself if the person in front of him attacked him. But nothing like that happened.


    Instead, the black-cloaked man continued to walk forward at a steady pace. After a while, they both reached open ground in the forest surrounded by trees. There was a small house made of wood and dried leaves that looked as if someone had put together a few things to create a shade temporarily to hide from the rain.


    Zion followed the black-cloaked man who went inside the house. His steps paused, and he frowned. Just what kind of shabby place was this? He pursed his lips and continued to follow the man and hid behind a window.


    He still didn''t know whether the black-cloaked man had identified his presence yet, but he was sure that he couldn''t go back without finding something from this place. Even a small clue would be enough to save the day. He was confident that he could figure out the rest easily.


    But as soon as he glanced inside the house, he saw a scene that made his eyes open wide, and his limbs frozen.


    The black-cloaked man was inside and had opened a coffin lying in the corner. Even the design of that coffin was shabby, as if the person didn''t have enough money to purchase a good one. But what shocked Zion the most was the person lying inside the coffin.


    It was the Crown Prince, Bradley Vanne.


    Zion was so shocked that he continued to stare at the dead body lying inside the coffin for a long time without blinking. He couldn''t see a sign of a fake face or make-up applied to the dead body. That meant it was possible that the person lying inside the coffin was the original Bradley. Then he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.


    He should have known that this black-cloaked man was an imposter! There had been many signs already that he had failed to focus on! That was what he had been forgetting all this time.


    He remembered the picture of Bradley that he had seen inside that cold room back then, in his aristocratic identity. In that pic, he could see that the man was bigger than most of the Dhampirs in the royal family. With a broad chest and shoulder-length hair that blew in the air, the man''s tanned skin would shine brightly in the sun.


    But when he saw the black-cloaked man the first time, he remembered that even though the man''s hands and shoulders were like the pic that he had seen, the smile on the villain''s face was nowhere near as similar to the prince''s. If Bradley were someone who would smile at every single one of them despite the problems he was having in his heart, the black-cloaked man had a rather sinister smile on his face that made him look more dangerous.


    Of course, he even remembered the conservation that Prince Linton and his daughter had back then. They had talked about how the prince''s behavior had changed recently, ever since Princess Lia was captured. Back then, he didn''t think this information was necessary.


    But who would have thought he would end up stumbling into such a devastating secret!


    That meant his enemy, who had been creating havoc and making this case difficult, was this imposter! Now that he thought about it, he could even connect it to the death of Oswin and Linton. Perhaps in the original plan, Prince Bradley should have worked together with them to take King Rhesus down from the throne and establish himself as a compassionate leader.


    But something must have happened. Zion was sure that they must have perceived that their so-called prince had changed tactics and had become even more sinister than the current king! So when they thought of rebelling, the black-cloaked man finished them quickly!


    Just when he was thinking of this, he heard the black-cloaked man clicking his tongue. "Do you think he looks better?"


    A trace of astonishment appeared in Zion''s eyes. He just knew that the black-cloaked man had sensed his identity! He didn''t think that this person had a screw loose who would talk to himself like this.


    Now what? The system was still offline, and he planned to keep it like that. He first wanted to figure out what this man knew about him and his system before calling 007 out.


    But if he didn''t turn 007 on, would he still be able to come out alive?


    Zion''s heartbeat rose rapidly as his eyes restlessly looked everywhere on the floor, as if trying to find a way out of this scene. Just when he thought he was doomed, he heard the black-cloaked man talking again. "Don''t worry. I won''t kill you now. After all, you are the only one who gifted yourself to my doorsteps. I can find your master with your help. So you''re safe until your master appears."


    A frown crossed Zion''s forehead. So his decision to hide his system was good. He could at least be alive until then. But why did this black-cloaked man think that Zion could lead the man to his master? And how did he not know that he had a master in the first place?


    His brows furrowed deeper, and just as he was thinking about this, he heard the man talking again, with a hint of laughter in his voice. "Whatever your name is, be a good boy and hide here until I finish off the rest of my work. I''ll deal with you after coming back."


    After saying this, the black-cloaked man''s body flashed outside and came right in front of Zion before revealing a dark smile. "Sleep."


    Then he tapped his index finger on Zion''s forehead as the latter''s eyes closed automatically.


    No! He couldn''t sleep! From the words of this black-cloaked man, this person was going to wage a war against the kingdom! He would have to warn the king that this person wasn''t Bradley, but an imposter! In his anxiety, he subconsciously called out to the system in his mind. "007, come out and wake me up!"

 Chapter 47 - Heading Toward The Forest!

    It was a good thing that the system recorded everything, despite what he was doing. If he were in the standby status, he could still see whatever happened with his host. It was a method to avoid dangerous situations. Of course, it hadn''t been a rule not too long ago.


    There was a system that went on a vacation with his girlfriend when his host had finished most of his missions. Although the last task was remaining, the system was confident that with the host''s ability, nothing would happen. But the result of these things was that by the time the system came back from his holiday, he saw his host was on the verge of death and couldn''t say a single word. Even his host''s thoughts were chaotic. That made it difficult for that system to guess what had happened that pushed the host into such a state.??


    So, after that system came back with tears in his eyes, the officials in the heavens rebooted him. That meant the system didn''t have the memories of his past anymore. After this incident, the Methu man and his colleagues created a rule that whenever someone leaves the host, even for a few minutes, they would record the scene and watch it right after coming back. And they also created another rule according to which, the systems aren''t supposed to leave the hosts for a long time.


    This aspect saved the lives of many hosts, and today, it saved Zion from dying at the hands of the black-cloaked man.


    As soon as 007 entered the scene, the first thing he saw was an unconscious Zion in an extremely unfamiliar place. Before doing anything else, he played the recording and was shocked when he saw the end.


    Then did it mean his host was on the verge of failing this mission?! According to the rules that he had still not shown to the host, it was mandatory to bring the crime to light and capture the criminal to make sure that this person wouldn''t be harming people anymore. You could say that Zion had to change the fate of these people. 007 also knew that without his host, the world would be destroyed eventually.


    But if Zion failed, not only would the people of this kingdom die, but even Zion would suffer for innumerable lifetimes!


    A hint of anxiety rose in his heart. He was gone for five minutes, and his host had already fallen into the hands of the criminal! What could be worse than this?


    If he failed to wake up this sleeping master, he would fail this mission, and 007 would also suffer from this. He was sure that the Methu man would reboot him like that system that had created so much trouble!


    After thinking about this, he brought a pot of water from God knows where before appearing in front of the host on the screen and throwing the water at Zion''s face. The latter coughed and fluttered open his eyes, glancing around him in confusion. Where exactly was he?


    Then a string of memories flashed in his brain as his eyes widened. That''s right! He was unconscious, and he had subconsciously called out to the system!


    He looked down to find a familiar furry man staring at him anxiously. "Now, what should we do?"


    Zion took a deep breath to calm himself and got up from the ground. After that, he went inside and glanced at the coffin before opening his mouth. "Is there a way to hide this body?"


    Hide? Where? The system tilted his head while glancing at the body inside the coffin. Just a moment after thinking about it, 007''s tube-light-like brain ignited, and he realized what his host wanted. "You want to take this body with you!"


    Zion said nothing but stared coldly at the furry man''s face until the latter shivered under that icy gaze. "Fine!" The system spoke those words through his gritted teeth and continued, "We''ll bring him along."


    There was an inventory where Zion could hide foreign objects inside, but there was a limit to it too. Currently, he could only hold one thing, and seeing how big this body was, the system was afraid that the space wouldn''t be enough to hide this dead body in the inventory. Thankfully, it had space, so 007 easily pulled the body inside the screen by closing his eyes and uttering a spell.


    Then the body disappeared and flashed on the screen before disappearing from there as well.


    Zion''s body relaxed as he made his way out of the house. He glanced in the brothel''s direction and ignored it before heading over to the opposite direction.


    The system was confused after seeing this kind of behavior from his host. He couldn''t help but ask, "Why aren''t you heading over to the brothel? That''s an easier way to get out of this place, right?"


    Zion walked at a faster pace through the forest as he said, "I''m sure the black-cloaked man would have prepared a good, welcoming gift for me if I woke up before he thought I would. But he would never expect me to go this way. For him, I must be a regular servant of the ''master'' he talked about. So I should logically choose the brothel, not the unknown route."


    "Wait¡­." The system just remembered something when Zion said about the master. "What did the black-cloaked man mean by saying, master?"


    Zion sneered in his heart at that. "What did he mean? Well, let''s see. The first time I came into the limelight was when I was Vincent. So he must have taken me for granted back then, while leaving a spy to follow me. But soon after this, he saw me coming out of the same inn with different faces. It made him deduce that I, in my Vincent identity, was perhaps leading a detective group that was dead set on solving the murder case, and he didn''t want that. While doing this, he strangely recognized your presence and considered that Vincent must be giving his followers a strange power to deal with the situation. I''m sure he probably didn''t know exactly what the system was, but he was aware of your presence and must have thought that Vincent sent that system from one person to another for the sake of the case."


    007 nodded as he understood what Zion was talking about. So, after this, he silenced his mouth and watched him walking through the forest at a faster pace.

 Chapter 48 - Theres Gonna Be A War!

    "Wait, there is something I still don''t understand." The system spoke up again while hiding itself in Zion''s mind.


    "What?" The latter''s voice had a touch of impatience by answering all the questions that his system was talking about. He wanted to focus on making his way out of this damned forest, but here he was, casually talking nonsense with his system. He wished if his system could be a bit smarter, Zion wouldn''t have to be so impatient and bully 007 so frequently.??


    The system seemed to have perceived his host''s thoughts, and his body shrank in the corner as he glanced at Zion''s face. Whenever the system was hiding inside his host, a screen would appear in the darkness showing his host in a third-person view as if he were merely playing a game. The system even had the authority to change the field of vision to see from any angle he wanted.


    But that wasn''t what he cared about at this point. He anxiously stared at his host and opened his mouth. "Why are you so sure that the black-cloaked man is going to declare a war against the kingdom?"


    Zion paused his steps and thought for a while. This time, the system didn''t act as stupid as he had thought he would. He was quite satisfied with the question that 007 had just asked him. "That imposter killed two people directly who knew about what the man wanted to do and opposed it directly. Do you remember what Prince Linton said in the brothel back then? He said he wanted to save the ''flowers.'' I''m sure he was comparing those flowers with citizens. That means, his original intention was to save the kingdom from the hands of Rhesus, who was himself cruel enough to kill his brothers in his youth. Something must have happened in the kingdom that made him believe that Rhesus is a bad person.


    "Linton had thought this imposter wanted to take the kingdom by non-violent means, which were the intentions of the original Prince Bradley. But unfortunately, the former died at the hands of the black-cloaked man. This imposter wanted to do something heinous that could kill millions of those ''flowers.'' I can assume that even Oswin was killed in the same way. They were both patriots who wanted to save the kingdom. Now, what''s the opposite of saving? Of course, it''s killing. There''s only one thing that can kill many citizens without any warning¡ªa surprise attack on the imperial city."


    The system nodded and stared at his host with eyes full of worship. For him, Zion''s mind was the best thing he had witnessed. If it were 007 in the host''s place, he would have died a long time ago!


    Zion could perceive the system''s thoughts, and the corners of his lips curved up. In reality, he had a hunch that something like this would happen for sure. That was why he had spoken about it in front of Rhesus in the cell. And now, after witnessing two deaths and thinking more about it, he was sure that the black-cloaked man was planning a war. What was the reason behind it? Zion still wasn''t sure since this man was an imposter.


    "Anything else?"


    "Yes!" Now that the system thought about it, he had another thought that bugged him. "I still don''t understand why we didn''t go to the brothel. So, what if the black-cloaked man had decided to give you a hard time? It''s not like you have never been in such a situation. I''m sure you can hide your presence and get out as per your usual method! I think it''ll be a faster way than what you''re doing right now!"


    Zion''s mood, which had turned so good after witnessing a rare scene of his system asking an intelligent question, went down again. He had a dark expression on his face, and it even looked like he was planning a million ways to kill this furry man in his mind silently without any trace.


    The system saw through his host''s mood and sealed his lips while staring at the scene before his eyes. It was better to keep his mouth shut, otherwise someday he would be brutally murdered by his host!


    Even though Zion''s irritation rose to an unprecedented degree, he didn''t plan to keep his naive system waiting. So he parted his lips and said, "Do you really think the person who could perceive your presence would let me go so fast? I don''t think so. I''m sure he would have planned something far worse than death so that I wouldn''t get another chance to escape."


    While he was heading toward an unknown direction in the forest, King Rhesus had already started working on his plan to save himself. The first thing he did after coming out of prison was to call out to his people and get ready for war.


    But soon after that, he received the news that the prisoner who had warned him about it had escaped. Rhesus stopped his work and glanced at the soldier who had just come before him as he was sitting on the throne. His eyes stared indifferently at the soldier for a long time, as if he was trying to figure out if this person was a spy or someone he could trust.


    After a while, a sigh escaped from his lips. Even though he would like to figure out who his enemies were hidden in the palace, it was impossible since they all acted so perfectly. So he waved his hand as if he didn''t care and vaguely told the soldier, "Investigate but don''t put all of your energy into it. Take two more guards to search for him."


    But the king knew he wouldn''t be able to find the man anytime soon. He leaned back on his throne and rubbed the bridge of his nose as if he were overworked and tired enough to take a nap.


    To be honest, he didn''t know why he would have so many rebels in his kingdom. It wasn''t that he did ruthless things after taking the throne. The only time he went all out with his schemes was when he was young and had killed his brothers.


    A few years ago, the situation in his kingdom started to change. The crime rate suddenly increased for no reason, and most officials started blaming the king, saying he wasn''t doing anything about it. But Rhesus was himself puzzled as well and did everything he could to make things right.


    But things became worse to the point that a hundred children were kidnapped and killed every day. A dozen women were raped, and many humans were stolen from the aristocrats.


    As the crime rate rose rapidly, the officials in the court also became anxious.


    Was that the reason why he was on the verge of being attacked today? Was someone making use of the situation in his kingdom to wreak havoc?


    The more he thought about it, the more anxious he became. But before he could ponder more about it, a soldier came running to him with sweat dripping all over his body. He saluted Rhesus and said with a voice filled with tremors, "Your Majesty, they came."

 Chapter 49 - Releasing His Daughter

    The first thought in Rhesus''s mind wasn''t to save the kingdom, but to do something about a certain girl in his cell. He knew that the situation was dangerous, and he couldn''t keep his daughter locked in the cell. As soon as he thought about this, his expression became serious.


    He glanced at the soldier and nodded. "Get ready as per the things I had planned."? ?


    "But your majesty¡­.." The soldier''s face was pale. "What about the citizens?"


    The king frowned. It was good that the servant had already told him about this war. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have been prepared for this at all! So he glanced at the soldier sharply and said, "Do as I say. I''ll handle the rest."


    He had already planned to evacuate the citizens. Then he clapped as a few men wearing soldier''s robes came to him. "Initiate evaluation. Quick."


    After that, he got off of his throne and walked toward the corridor to his right at a faster pace. He knew things wouldn''t be the same after this war, and he didn''t even know if he could still be on the throne after today. So at least he could save his daughter''s life to compensate for everything he had done to her.


    He pursed his lips when he thought about it. He had ignored his precious daughter for the sake of a child that wasn''t even his own. If someone else heard this, they would laugh at him. But the king''s heart still belonged to that woman who was married to his late eldest brother.


    He still remembered the first day they had met. It was a day filled with pink-colored flowers that showered their happiness as spring burst forth across the kingdom. It was at this time that his brother had brought home a crown princess who belonged to the half-magician clan in the kingdom.


    Even though there weren''t as many half-magicians as the aristocrats who weren''t royals, their status was higher as they would take over the position of leader in several villages and towns. And this girl belonged to a family ruling over the smallest village.


    Rhesus''s first impression of her wasn''t good because she didn''t belong to a reputed family, but as days passed, he started to glance more toward her face, and he didn''t even realize when he fell for her.


    A sigh escaped his lips at that as a trace of helplessness flashed in his eyes. When he had killed all of his brothers, he had intended to marry that woman, but who would''ve thought that she would curse him and die? The only thing she had left behind was her newborn baby, who looked naive and innocent.


    So, instead of killing that toddler, who looked more like her than his father, Rhesus adopted him and made him his son. Subconsciously, he focused more on his son even after he got married and had a daughter.


    Now that he thought about it, it seemed he still hadn''t let go of her.


    Soon, he reached the prison and glanced at the guards. "Enemies are at the gate. Take your positions."


    The guards'' eyes widened at that, and they nodded before heading away from the prison. For a few days, their king had given them all kinds of training, and even the guards standing at the prison were included.


    There was a difference between regular guards and soldiers. The former was only required to stand at the gates to guard him against enemies, while the latter would be stationed at the towers, ready to attack. Some soldiers would even be available in case the king wanted to catch a criminal.


    But a few of these people acted as both guards and soldiers. They had special combat training and were stationed all around the imperial palace. These were the soldiers who had come to capture Zion in servant form.


    But a few days ago, the king initiated a tiring training session for all of his guards and soldiers, regardless of their status. Now that Rhesus suddenly said that they were being attacked, the guards who had been standing at the prison sweated while they ran into the corridor.


    It seemed their king had anticipated a war for a few days.


    Inside the prison, the king went and directly opened a familiar cell while glancing at his daughter. "Lia."


    The princess still wore her shabby clothes as she drew circles on the dusty ground. When she heard her father''s voice, she frowned and glanced at the man. "Why are you here?"


    Her voice seemed unwelcoming as if she hated seeing this father of her.


    "I''m sorry." These were the first words he spoke after meeting her face-to-face as he ignored her dull and hateful voice. When he was facing a critical situation of life and death, he realized that he would probably not be able to see his daughter anymore. He said, as his voice was choked with emotion, "I''m sorry. I shouldn''t have ignored you like this. I shouldn''t have, but it''s too late."


    The expressions on Lia''s face changed all of a sudden. It almost seemed as if she had never expected something like this to happen. She looked at her father as her eyes widened slowly and her limbs froze. Then, in a soft voice, she said, "Why are you saying this, father? You''re right. It''s already too late to apologize."


    Rhesus shook his head as he suppressed his urge to tear up at the spot. At this time, he couldn''t tell her about what was going on in the palace. Since his daughter''s childhood, he hadn''t given her attention, and she grew up under the care of maids. So he had expected this kind of reply, but one good thing had happened. He knew that his daughter was likely far away from the kingdom''s politics. And he wanted to keep it that way.


    So he suppressed his emotions and said in a stern voice, "Escape this place as fast as possible and don''t come back. If things are good, I''ll write you a letter and post it in the chrysanthemum garden outside the kingdom. But if not, I''ll still write you back. But stay away from the kingdom at all costs. Get married to someone else, but don''t come back."


    This garden was the Queen''s favorite place that she often visited when Lia was in her womb. But soon after the Queen died, that place closed off. Only Lia would visit it once a year on her mother''s anniversary.


    Lia''s expressions changed multiple times after hearing her father''s words. She kept staring at her father for a long time before she got up and glanced at Rhesus while hiding her emotions. "I don''t know what''s happening in the kingdom, father, but you don''t seem to trust my abilities."


    "It''s not a question about your abilities!" The king suddenly had a headache after seeing Lia''s rebellious attitude. To be honest, he didn''t trust her abilities because he had never given her professional guidance. So how could he let her stay when enemies were at the door? His glance became sharper as he stared at his daughter. "It''s my order as a king. Go away. And if you were to refuse, I''d consider you a traitor."


    A string of laughter escaped the girl''s lips. "This is why I never thought of you as my father. You have always acted like a king in front of me." She paused and nodded while glancing at her father. "So your majesty, fine. I''ll leave and never come back."


    After that, she walked past him as if it were a natural thing for her to escape the prison right in front of the king. But behind her, the king''s body was frozen as he continued to stare at the place where she stood a while ago with a dark laughter on her lips and hateful emotion floating in her eyes.

 Chapter 50 - The Eastern Gate!

    Zion heard the hustle and bustle of the city when he was still standing on the narrow forest path that ended behind a small hut. Since he had reverted to his original identity, his clothes were identical to those he wore when he first arrived in this world. There was no point in changing his clothes since all the servants that he had seen in the city were dressed similarly.


    Even if he wanted to, he didn''t have the luxury of changing his clothes since time was ticking by so fast that he expected the enemies to have attacked the kingdom by now.??


    He was absolutely correct.


    From the forest, he sneaked into the city and saw that almost everyone was on the road. Standing on either side of the road were soldiers wearing golden robes with black-colored straps at the ends and a sword hanging from their waists. The soldiers sternly stared all the citizens at as they pushed the latter toward a gate in the north.


    Zion didn''t sneak in and join those people. He knew that they were all leaving the central city. The evacuation process must have been started by the king. Only one thing could have caused this: the enemy had launched an attack.


    He pursed his lips and stayed hidden inside the hut before glancing at the road through the window. If he wanted to escape, he would have joined them, but right now, he could only think about how to inform Rhesus about the imposter. Prince Bradley, he recalled, was still held in high regard by the king. He didn''t want Rhesus to soften his heart during the battle.


    But he couldn''t trust any of the guards either, since most of them could also belong to the black-cloaked man.


    That means unless he told the king about it from his mouth, he couldn''t leave this place no matter what!


    "What''re you doing?" The system popped out suddenly and stared anxiously at his host. "You''re going to get yourself killed! The case will be automatically solved if you spread a rumor among the citizens and reveal the evidence to the court officials about the dead body in that brothel forest. The war will start any minute! Just escape first, then we will think about the case later!"


    Zion shook his head and said in a low voice, "There''s no later. The king is going to get himself killed by the imposter, thinking the latter to be his son! Would it be possible to live guilt-free even if I escaped, knowing that so many people died because I wanted to save myself?!"


    The system sighed and cursed his host under his breath. He hadn''t known that this case would end up causing so much trouble for them. For him, even if they didn''t approach the king at this critical juncture, they could find another way to solve the case. As long as Zion would publically capture the murderer and provide proof to the authorities at present about how the criminal had committed the murder, everything would be fine.


    The simple-minded system didn''t think it was that necessary to risk life and enter the palace right now. After all, King Rhesus was the authority right now, and that person wouldn''t change. If the king died, they would have officials in the court who wouldn''t let criminals take away the throne!


    Zion could tell what this system was thinking about. He scoffed and said, "Really, you should be given an award for the dullest system in history. Don''t you think the imposter must have had his spies even among those officials to guide the court according to his needs?"


    ''Idiot'' was the only word that came to mind when he looked at the system. A shiver went through 007''s spine, and he quickly disappeared, not wanting to be bullied any longer by his host.


    After conversing with his system, Zion''s mood turned foul as he went in the opposite direction, toward the palace.


    Speaking of which, Rhesus was also preparing for war as he stood in the throne room. There was a sword hanging from his waist as he wore silver-colored armor over his golden robes. A helmet decorated his head while he walked outside the throne room with a bunch of soldiers behind him wearing outfits similar to the ones standing on either side of the road. But the guards who stood behind the king were also covered in armor. It showed that these soldiers had a higher social standing than others. It was their job to protect Rhesus in any way they could.


    An exhausted soldier approached him as he was about to make his way outside the palace. The former''s eyes were filled with a hint of worry. "Your majesty, I have some bad news to deliver."


    What could be worse than what''s already going on? The king thought to himself inwardly but didn''t say a single word. He pursed his lips and nodded at the soldier.


    "Your Majesty," The soldier wiped the sweat off his forehead and said, while taking out a half-finger-sized scroll, "I have received this news through an official pigeon. According to this, the enemies have attacked the eastern side of our kingdom, wreaking havoc on all the villages. Many citizens are slaughtered, and even the distant royal families aren''t spared. Right now, they are heading toward the eastern gate of the central city."


    The central city of the Vanne kingdom was surrounded by giant boundary walls. So it was impossible to sneak inside unless they had permission to enter through either of the four gates in four directions.


    But after hearing the soldier''s words, the king''s brows furrowed even more deeply. Zion had kept a scroll in his bedroom that he had read earlier, and he had learned that the dead body kept in the palace''s cold room was a fake. After learning about this, he was shocked, but he immediately calmed down, walked over, and went to see the body.


    The moment he removed the mask, he realized it had been his son who had cheated him. He almost had a heart attack when he realized that!


    Prince Bradley was known for his compassionate heart throughout his life. A rising tide of criminal activity in the kingdom may have inspired his own son to attack him in this manner. Rhesus''s son must have found out who his father was before Bradley took over the throne forcibly like this.


    Even though Bradley was attacking, Rhesus assumed his son would not go all-out and kill the citizens. But when he heard about how many citizens were killed, Rhesus couldn''t help but frown. Just then, another thought occurred to him out of the blue.


    The eastern gate was the closest to the city! It meant that they wouldn''t even get a chance to stand guard outside the gate before the enemies would attack! He still didn''t know how many soldiers his son had!


    The light in Rhesus''s eyes dimmed. He would have killed himself and given the crown to Bradley had his son asked him earlier. Why did that child feel the need to act in this manner?

 Chapter 51 - Not A Word!

    A guard in the fortress''s tower glanced through the telescope with a frown on his face. In the distance, he could see dust rising from a wide path covered with stones and mud. Trying to focus, his eyes squinted, and he soon noticed people riding horses in black robes. His heart raced as he watched the soldiers appear one by one from a distance.


    A cold sweat formed on his forehead. They have arrived, and the king hasn''t sent reinforcements yet! They only had about two hundred troops stationed at the eastern gate, and by the looks of it, it seemed that the number of enemies was about a thousand!??


    He could see a group of black-clad enemies had already appeared on the horizon. His legs trembled as he whipped out a whistle and blew it three times in response. The royals had developed a special whistle that could be heard for miles. The royal family had used magic to enhance its sound that could reach even the palace!


    Everyone in the city could hear the whistle at this point. Since more than half the wealthy families had fled, the remaining ones included middle-class citizens and servants. They turned pale after hearing that sound.


    Zion, who kept a watchful eye outside the hut, frowned when he heard the sound. As a result, his intuition told him that things would only get worse from here on out. He pursed his lips and went out stealthily before heading in the palace''s direction. After inspecting his surroundings, he moved into the shadows in order to avoid being discovered.


    But before he could head out, a certain girl appeared right in front of him on a horse, blocking his path. It was Princess Lia.


    After watching this servant of hers who was supposed to be dead, she narrowed her eyes, and a smile broke out on her face. She didn''t show a single trace of surprise on her face. She was so calm that even Zion was puzzled. Normally, if you see someone coming back from the dead, you would be shocked enough to tremble in fear, but this girl acted as if she had expected him to come back from the dead. Her mouth opened before Zion could figure out why she was staring at him in such a way.


    "Climb on up!" She instructed. "We''re going to leave."


    Zion suddenly remembered who he was in his original identity. Princess Lia''s servant!


    He cursed his bad luck and looked away. But how did Lia escape from prison in the first place? Wasn''t her father keeping her inside?


    She grinned even wider when she saw her servant''s confused expressions. "I''m leaving the kingdom and never coming back. My servant, you must follow me."


    "But-"


    "Not a word!" Her eyes squinted, as if she was displeased with her servant''s attitude. She already seemed to be in a foul mood. "Do you not understand? Everyone is engaged in a war. If we don''t leave, we will be under attack. That whistle you just heard is a sign that the enemy is about to arrive at the eastern gate. Hurry! My father will handle the rest."


    Zion gritted his teeth and licked his lips before opening his mouth. "Your highness, I must inform His Majesty of the situation. Please grant me this wish."


    He knelt on his knees and bowed his head before Princess Lia could say a word. He had seen human servants perform this action when they wanted to request something from their masters. Although humans weren''t given any humane treatment, kind Dhampir owners would feel compassionate after seeing their servants kneeling on the ground like this. So this became a custom among many humans living in both brothels and the palace.


    He didn''t care about whether his actions were shameful or anything else. All he cared about was solving this damned case and promising himself not to take loans in the future. This thing had caused him enough trouble already!


    "I won''t!" Princess Lia regained her composure after her initial shock and glared at the boy in anger. "You''d better come along with me."


    Zion''s eyes narrowed. He did not know this girl was so tenacious! But what else could he do? There was no way he would linger around Lia anymore. He had to tell King Rhesus about the imposter! If not, this kingdom would be doomed. Not only would he fail in his first-ever case in this world, but many people would die. And who knows what this imposter wanted to do after taking up the throne?


    A matter of life and death was at stake in this situation! Second, he shouldn''t need permission from anyone. He was a living being. Then why force him to become a slave-like servant?


    A hint of determination flashed in his eyes as he pursed his lips. He got up on his feet and looked at the stubborn girl on the horse before sprinting off in another direction without saying a single word. The princess quickly lost sight of him since he had mastery in ''run and hide'' field. She gritted her teeth and glared at the place where he was standing a while ago.


    She tightened her grip on the horse''s rein as she rode in the direction in which she last saw him previously.


    "Hah, this boy has some guts." A dangerous glint appeared in her eyes, and she galloped in that direction at the fastest speed. "I was forced to break my promise to my father because of this sudden attack, so I wanted to hide this idiot before heading to the battleground. But who would have thought this damned servant would do something like this?! Hah, this is outrageous! I have to teach him a lesson!"


    Zion didn''t know that he was in trouble, but even if he knew, he wouldn''t care about it anymore. In college, all of his teachers would chastise him for not listening to their instructions. No matter what others thought, he would do the opposite if something went against his goals.


    His primary concern was finding the king and informing him of the imposter before considering escape. After this, the case should be resolved, right?


    Zion was about to call out the system when he heard a loud blasting noise coming from the eastern gate. It was only then that he noticed his enemies had already broken down one of the main gates, leaving a trail of bloody corpses behind.


    His pupils contracted as he stopped in his tracks and stared at the scene before him.


    Was he too late to save this kingdom and solve the case?

 Chapter 52 - Hold Me Tight

    A few minutes earlier¡­.


    At the eastern gate, the enemy army had already arrived. There were two layers of security at every gate: the first was dozens of soldiers at the gate, and the second was a group of archers perched high above the fortress with bows and arrows in hand. When compared to the millions of enemies wearing black robes that stood guard at the eastern gate, there weren''t enough soldiers to keep the gate guarded at all.??


    Still, Rhesus''s soldiers were also well-trained. As soon as they saw their enemies approaching, they drew their bows and arrows before glancing at their leader. As the leader of these soldiers raised his head, he stared intently at the enemies before him. A few seconds later, he opened his mouth to say: "Fire."


    Soldiers fired arrows at the same time. It almost looked like the sky had decided to rain arrows on the enemies'' heads. The black robbed soldiers on the horses glanced up and quickly backed away from the range of the arrow. As the arrows rained down, most of them were killed, despite their efforts to escape. Blood splattered around as the arrows pierced the hearts of dozens of soldiers at once. They all fell from the horses without being given a second chance to live.


    The leader standing at the fortress cheered up after seeing this scene, and without a pause, he fired another command. "Troops, prepare for the war."


    Then, before the fortress soldiers could do anything, they heard what sounded like a distant bomb blast. Next, they all glanced up to see an approaching volley of cannons. The speed was so high that the cannons seemed to have caught fire in the air while approaching the soldiers.


    The leader and the troops stationed at the fortress were alerted, and their pupils constricted. "Retreat!"


    But it was too late to save the situation. Nobody could have predicted how many cannons the enemy would bring with them! When they had gotten the intel earlier, they were told that the enemy forces consisted of only cavalry and infantry troops. Then where did these cannons come from?!


    But before they could think of an answer, the cannons hit the main gate, and it was smashed to pieces.


    Zion had paused and turned his head to look at the scene earlier, a hint of fear flashing across his eyes. He wanted to do something about it, but he was powerless, and he endured as he watched the soldiers die one after another.


    He had no time!


    This thought struck him, and he sprinted toward the palace. This time, his expressions remained aloof. No matter what it takes, he was determined to inform the King about the imposter. Today, however, his luck did not seem to be on his side. He was stopped in his tracks by the princess. Lia was able to locate him with ease, thanks to his brief pause. Her face was tinged with anger and anxiety. "Stop right there!"


    Zion hesitated for a moment before he came up with an idea and stopped. It occurred to him that walking all the way to the palace would delay things. They had bombed the eastern gate and were on their way to the palace, so he wanted to share some information with them before things got worse.


    Therefore, he said, "I''ll go with you, but only under one condition. Your Highness, please bring me to His Majesty. Before he can meet his enemies, especially the leader, I must see him."


    Lia narrowed her eyes and stared at him for a moment before asking, "What do you mean?"


    Zion paused once more before continuing. What if he told her about the case? It wasn''t like she hadn''t been involved in the case at all. It''s possible that she was aware of her brother''s plan, which led the original Bradley to take her to prison to silence her.


    But a new leader has emerged that changed everything. Then, when another cannon bombed the gate, he looked at her and said, "Let''s go. I''ll tell you everything I know."


    For some reason, his intuition told him that he should trust Lia this one time.


    Lia helped him to his feet as he sat behind her and leaned on her for support. "Hold me tight," she said in a low voice before they galloped.


    Huh?


    Before he could even think about whether it was impolite to touch a girl, the horse sprinted off toward the palace. Zion quickly grabbed her shoulders before he could be thrown off. After he stabilized himself, just as he opened his mouth, he felt a gust of wind entering inside. He got the impression that he was riding at the back of a modern biker girl. A baffled expression appeared on his face as he stared at the princess and struggled to open his mouth. "Couldn''t you have warned me?"


    "I did, didn''t I?"


    A few seconds ago? Were those words referred to as a warning? A trace of irritation appeared on Zion''s face as he chanted in his mind: "I won''t beat up a girl."


    Of course, he could only think about this. A fight would have been pointless for him because he knew she would kill him without batting an eyelash. He could feel a dangerous aura around her just by standing close to her.


    Zion frowned when he thought of this and looked at the princess with a doubtful look in his eyes. It would be strange for a princess to see bloodshed no matter how much her father liked Bradley and ignored her. From what he had read in the library, the world was at peace ever since the war that had occurred between the humans and the races. It was only recently that he had started to hear about the aspects such as rising criminal cases in the Vanne kingdom. But he was damned sure that King Rhesus would never let his daughter capture the criminals no matter how negligent he would be.


    Then what exactly was it that made Lia coldhearted?


    He squinted his eyes and studied her form, but he still couldn''t figure it out.

 Chapter 53 - What’re You Doing Here?

    The palace was filled with tension as the king stared intently at his soldiers, who continued to follow his instructions. Since it was a war, he couldn''t just jump at the scene and start fighting. He had a lot of preparation to do.


    When it came to the citizens'' evacuation authority, he had to make sure that it was passed on to a trustworthy individual. Secondly, a few high-ranking soldiers were required to remain in the palace to handle a few situations and send reinforcements if necessary. He also had to find the officials and call them for an urgent meeting in the court to give his instructions in case he died in the war.??


    Finally, he could breathe a sigh of relief after going through the first two steps. He was still in the court while having a last-minute meeting with his officers about the war strategies. At this time, not just court officials but also his soldiers had been standing before him, giving him frequent ideas about it.


    He was still wearing his war robes, but the strategies they had developed earlier to fight with the enemies head-on needed to be changed. This was the reason why the meeting was taking so long.


    The official on the right side stared fiercely at the king and said, "Your Majesty, I think there''s a mole among us!"


    The king knew about this from Zion, but he still pretended to be surprised. "Really? Why do you think so?"


    "Earlier today, we had received the information from our scouts in the eastern region. According to their claims, the enemies lacked cannons. This is why we devised a strong strategy to prevent the war. We also spent a great deal of time and effort guarding the eastern gate with as many good soldiers as possible, but it was all for nothing." The officer''s expressions turned darker as his fist tightened. "If this keeps going on, I''m afraid that we would lose. They will be reaching the boundary wall of our kingdom soon enough. From what the surviving soldier had said, the enemies are only fifteen minutes away!"


    "This time, we even agree with the right officers." The ministers on the left side spoke one after another, nodding their heads with others. "We need another strategy now, but what''s the guarantee that it won''t be leaked to our enemies? We should do something about it!"


    "That''s right. We will have a backup plan!"


    The right-side officer frowned. "And let our enemies know that we are aware of their tactics? Absolutely not! I suggest we should let His Majesty deal with this personally."


    "And what would he do alone?" The officer on the left side retorted. "Someone would have to tell him whether or not his plan is flawless. It has always been this way! For every king in our dynasty, getting approval from the court officers is the first step in any war! It''s not enough to skip a step just because there''s a mole among us. Let us focus more on finding this person who had leaked the previous strategy we had acquired."


    "Do you really think we have time for that?!" The other officer glared at the person on the right side. "The enemy is going to approach within fifteen minutes! Do you even know what that means? We are all going to die! And we don''t even know who attacked us."


    Even though he knew his son was plotting against him, the king refused to tell these officers. He wanted to save his son from the clutches of these officers. While he was aware that many of them were spies, he also knew that some sought justice. They wouldn''t have to wait long to take action against Bradley, especially after finding out the truth. He knew that at some point, he would have to tell them, but he couldn''t. He felt helpless in his heart when he thought about the choices he was being forced to make.


    A loud noise brought him back to the present as he stared at the officer who just hit the table and glared on the other side while opening his mouth to argue about war. Rhesus''s lips pursed as he heard them arguing like they were at the grocery store.


    His eyes squinted after hearing all of this, and he rubbed his forehead.


    The king was still baffled as to why his son was acting in this manner. The king would have given his life for his son if he''d asked. Why, then, did the prince decide to destroy the Vanne dynasty?


    After making many mistakes in his youth and ending up forcing the dynasty into a state of chaos, the king realized how grave it was to kill his entire family in one go. Even his worldview had changed after managing the kingdom for so long. He was serious in his role as this race''s leader, still feeling regretful for his actions.


    The light in his eyes dimmed as he pondered this. Is this his punishment? Suddenly, someone familiar entered the courtroom with fanfare as he was contemplating this. When he saw a certain princess enter the court, his eyebrows shot up.


    It was Edda.


    "What''re you doing here?" As he frowned and studied the princess'' expressionless face, the king had a bad feeling in his heart. Edda had never before walked toward him with an expressionless face. She had shown him respect in the past, even though he could tell it was pretentious on some level.


    He knew that the girl was harmless.


    There was a difference in the air today, however. His displeasure stemmed from her actions of entering the court without his permission. Then, before he could ponder more on this topic, Heath Vanne, another of his brothers, marched up behind Edda.


    What was his third brother doing with the daughter of his second brother? And where the heck was Linton? He hadn''t seen him at all in the palace.


    Rhesus''s brows furrowed, but before he could get a chance to say another word, the girl who was walking ahead of everyone stopped at the center and looked up at him. Her face contorted as she became enraged. "Where''s my father?!"

 Chapter 54 - The Scroll!

    The king looked at her with a trace of confusion floating in his eyes. His brows furrowed as he pursed his lips and asked, "What are you talking about?"


    A deathly silence descended on the crowd before him. There were two rows of officers on either side of him, and they all looked with curious eyes at the princess, who was standing directly in front of them. Bloodshed and tension were still rife at this time of day. Everyone''s eyes were filled with concern. But they were more curious about why Edda entered the courtroom filled with officers and spoke in such a tone.??


    Could it be that she held no desire to live at all?


    But none of them intervened to stop her in her tracks. No one even thought about the war that was still raging at the time or about the soldiers who died at the eastern gate a moment ago. It was much more pleasant for them to sit inside a courtroom and witness such a drama. Curtains blocked heat waves coming from outside, keeping the room warm. Only because the door was still open did everyone realize it was still summertime.


    Edda and her soldiers, along with Prince Heath, walked into the hall and left mud stains on the red carpet, but no one bothered to clean it.


    Everything was as quiet as if it were an examination hall of the modern-day.


    Seeing the innocent face of His Majesty, the princess''s anger grew. As she glared at him, her face turned red. "You still have the audacity to ask me this question. Where did you hide him? Huh? Every one of your plans has been revealed! You cannot escape the dynasty officials and me now! I know everything!"


    The king was even more confused now. Just what did this girl know? For a moment, his mind drifted toward the ongoing war, and his mind got agitated. "Can''t you do this after I deal with the war? The enemy is already at the gate, and yet, you are creating havoc. Do you want to die?"


    "Sure, sure," said the girl. "You want to run away after destroying everything around here, don''t you?" Edda''s eyes turned red with anger. "Really, I haven''t seen someone as hypocritical as you. What a clever way to turn things around!"


    It became annoying to hear such offensive comments about Rhesus. The officials couldn''t take it anymore. One of them stood up from his chair and said with a trace of anger in his tone, "Even though you''re the princess, you should respect His Majesty! He''s above you in status! Do you want to die an early death?!"


    Others nodded at his words and joined in scolding the princess, who laughed out of anger and glared at all of them before throwing a scroll that she had been carrying with her on her waist. It was an ancient-looking scroll that looked almost like it had been passed down from many hands to make its condition worrisome. Its red color was dull as it was marked with scratches and thumbprints. "You all won''t say the same thing after reading this. It''s evidence I have acquired about how your beloved king, Rhesus, has become mad after possessing so much power and is planning to destroy the entire kingdom!"


    Murmur spread across the hall. The crowd that was silent before glanced at each other in disbelief. The majority of them were looking at her as if they were seeing a dead person. She was accusing him of being a traitor to the kingdom. Was there anything that made her any different from a deceased person? They were sure that the king would get so angry to throw her in the cell right this instant.


    It didn''t happen like that, however. His Rhesus''s eyebrows furrowed even more as he began to realize that the scroll he had been handed was, in fact, ''fake evidence'' that would undoubtedly prove him wrong.


    A thought flashed in his mind. What if the rise of criminal activities around the kingdom was also connected with this situation?


    At this point, his heart began to sink. If his suspicions were correct, his son might have been planning all of this for some time. But before he could ask someone to fetch the scroll, another officer picked it up out of curiosity and started reading it out loud.


    "There''s no mention of who wrote this letter, but we shall begin," said the officer as he started reading the scroll from the start out loud. "There''s been evidence present in the paper about how Rhesus had killed the former crown prince about twenty years ago. The evidence of blood and weapon used are all present there, along with the documented statement of one of the people still alive from that day. The short conclusion is that King Rhesus is responsible for the bloodshed that had occurred all those years ago."


    Everyone''s eyes widened as their heads snapped in the direction of the king, but the officer frowned and continued reading. "The king, however, didn''t stop there. He found an ancient magic scroll that contained a forbidden spell that could make him even more powerful. That''s what''s causing everything that has been going on in the kingdom right now, including the increase in criminal activity." The officer didn''t wait for anyone to interrupt him. Even when the king himself said ''STOP'' loudly, he didn''t stop and continued reading. He had just discovered a terrible secret, and his face had turned pale.


    The officer turned the scroll down and read the content. "While plotting, Rhesus included his only daughter and created havoc to complete the secret formation. If the king wanted to become powerful, he would have to sacrifice millions of people to a Demon Lord. One could say that the king''s special soldiers are responsible for the ongoing war and for the so-called enemy that has been holed up on his border!" The officer paused for a moment as if taking time to digest the content before opening his mouth again. "Prince Linton, who had heard the king discussing this plan with his servants, was imprisoned in a dungeon before the war began."

 Chapter 55 - Why Was He Still Alive?

    The officer closed the door and looked around as if to indicate that he was done reading. In a fit of rage, the ministers on the other side of the room got up from their seats. Some tried to defend His Majesty with everything they had. A number of them even argued about the authority of the scroll that was presented before the court. The peaceful environment was shattered and turned into a grocery store.


    But, at one point, the supporters of Rhesus froze when someone brought up the fact that the king had killed his family members to obtain the throne. Doubt flickered through their eyes as they turned to look at the king. Did they have any proof that their king was honest? It was still time before the princess could show the scroll.


    Should they believe in the words of the scroll just like that?


    It didn''t take long before Edda produced a second scroll, which she hurled straight at the officer. It was written by a witness who still knew the secrets of how the royals had died all those years ago and was willing to share them. As before, the officer grabbed the letter, opened it, and read it robotically as he had before.


    This letter was also anonymous. "I''ve seen it all with my own eyes! After seeing His Majesty''s dark, menacing face, I was terrified. As a result, I hid among the citizens. I''m sorry, but I can''t reveal my identity. But after His Majesty had killed everyone, the king destroyed all of the royal knives, but the murder weapon was still there, and I was able to hide it, but it was stolen from my home a few days ago! Who else could it be if not the king? I believe he''s the one who wants to wreak havoc once again!"


    As he watched this unfold, the king was dumbfounded.


    "What''re you still standing here for?! Go and kick those people out!" The king shouted at the guards, but they didn''t listen to him. He stared at them for a while before a trace of anxiety flashed in his eyes. It felt as though his power was slipping through his fingers.


    Rhesus''s body slumped on the throne, and he waited for his fate. Fear filled his eyes as he surveyed the crowd. A few days ago, he could call on his soldiers at will, but the scene before his eyes was contrary to the past. The difference between how his soldiers behaved was like heaven and Earth! But he knew why they hadn''t reacted today. The first king of the family created the rule before his death, and it remains in effect today. The first king had stated in the scroll stamped with his thumb that if a future king ended up becoming a threat to the kingdom and dynasty, the court would temporarily uphold all powers until the evidence could be presented. Afterward, it would be displayed for the public to judge.


    Every member of the royal family, as well as the guards, was aware of this fact. This scroll was the first thing that almost everyone in this kingdom was taught in school when they began their studies. That was why everybody promptly stopped listening to Rhesus''s orders after reviewing the scroll.


    The king''s expression darkened as he glanced around at the people. Even though a certain so-called witness was still alive after twenty years, Rhesus didn''t react. He just lowered his head and continued to listen. He could tell this was a plan his son had devised to bring him down. Just how much resentment did Bradley hold toward him?


    The tears welled up in Rhesus''s eyes at the thought of how he treated his son like a treasure, but Bradley didn''t even give it a second thought before lashing out at him. As a father, he had no idea that his son would be so brutal.


    It was only after a few deep breaths that he realized that the officer had already read the scroll containing the witness''s testimony and that the princess was pulling out another old scroll from her waist. He opened his mouth to say something, but words died in his throat as he averted his eyes. What was the point in struggling? No one was going to listen to him anyway.


    The princess continued to throw scrolls of evidence one after another as the officer in the courtroom read them aloud.


    The king couldn''t do a single thing about it. He only watched the scene unfold in front of him with a hint of panic in his eyes, but he did not speak. Anger was evident on the faces of most of the officers by the time everything was over.


    After hearing about all the evidence, an officer flipped his sleeves and got up from his seat, almost convinced that Rhesus was a manifestation of evil. "It''s hard to believe we once listened to this kind of a king! His actions must be brought to justice! The evidence is stacked against him! How will he manage to escape?"


    "Yes! We should choose another person." The officials from the right and left sides agreed at one point. "How about Prince Linton?" asked a member of the opposition party.


    When they thought of that gentle-looking prince who was captured and locked in the dungeon, their hearts ached, and they collectively glared at their king.


    One of the chief officials couldn''t take it anymore. He pointed at the king and said, "Capture the king, and force him to stop this nonsense! Many of our soldiers have died. Just how much more bloodshed does this demon want?! I, the leading officer of the left cabinet, command the soldiers to capture King Rhesus and torture him until he stops the war!"


    After that, he hurriedly wrote a scroll, and almost all the officers signed.


    Rhesus, who witnessed his sudden downfall, let out a chuckle and glanced around helplessly. "Do whatever you want."


    At that moment, a thunderous voice erupted from the courtroom''s entrance, filling everyone''s ears. "Are you going to leave it like that, father?!" A trace of astonishment flashed across everyone''s eyes as they turned their heads toward the courtroom''s main entrance.


    Unbeknownst to them, a girl with blond hair tied up in a bun came and stood at the entrance. She used a stick she found from who knows where to keep her bun in place. No, she wasn''t wearing one of her usual princess dresses. The armor around her body was stained with blood, while a sword hung from her belt.


    Behind her, a young man stood with his head bowed in submission. But none of the officials were calm after watching his face.


    Wasn''t this the human servant 52?! Why was he still alive?

 Chapter 56 - Regret.....

    Edda regained her composure and glared at her cousin sister. "How dare you prevent me from capturing the national criminal?! Guards, get her! She''s also with the king!"


    During this time, Edda was enraged, and she could not distinguish between right and wrong. Earlier that day, she had shrugged off Linton''s sour mood when he left the house in the morning, saying he would see Bradley.


    She was only aware of her father''s conspiracy with Prince Bradley to overthrow King Rhesus from the throne. Her father had even told her that the current king was ruthless and would never change his ways. She was convinced.


    The fake murder was planned by Bradley, and she never saw him again after that. She was also uninterested in politics. Only one thing she wanted was for Lia to be out of her way! Afterward, she would be able to lift her head and walk around the palace with pride. It was just that when a spy showed up at her door to deliver a letter, she didn''t give a second thought as to why Linton wasn''t coming back and continued to wait while she opened the note.


    "King Rhesus captured your father."


    Everything fell into place after that. She figured that the king had learned of their plans and had captured her father due to that information. She was about to pull her hair out of her scalp in anger when the spy said in a cold, emotionless voice, "Master has sent you a message. Take a look at these scrolls. As soon as you see them, you''ll know what to do!"


    She snatched them up and read them all before taking a breath. Bradley made it clear that he wanted her to overthrow the king by any means necessary with the help of those scrolls. At that time, everyone in the palace was hurried to hide because the war had already started. In an instant, she grabbed the scrolls and headed toward the king''s palace.


    Princess Lia was her opponent in the courtroom a half-hour later. Why? She wanted nothing more than to be noticed! Everyone in the palace has been fixated on the eldest princess since their childhood, mainly because everyone thought Lia was pitiful. Edda would smirk at her cousin, thinking of Lia''s wretched life at the palace. That girl had never received her father''s love. However, all of her pride washed away when the palace''s citizens and servants paid more attention to Princess Lia.


    What was it about Lia that made everyone want to be around her? Edda was envious of her sister, even though she didn''t remember when it all started. But now, when they were facing off, how could she retreat so quickly now that she had such an excellent method to take Lia down? She would fight back!


    She drew her sword and gave the order to her soldiers after a few moments of contemplation. "Stop. To the death, I will fight!"


    Lia''s lips curled up as she continued to squint her eyes at the girl in front of her. She then slowly drew the sword from her waist and pointed it at Edda before opening her mouth. "Don''t look back and regret your decision."


    She was frightened as Lia drew her sword and pointed it at her, but she had already promised to fight her cousin to the death! She couldn''t possibly change her mind at this point.


    A gust of wind blew through their bodies, and Edda said,  "I''ll never look back with regret!"


    In her knowledge, Lia''s military training was limited to the point that the girl only knew how to defend herself. However, Prince Linton, who still held a high position in the royal family, arranged for regular classes for Edda. During these special classes, only royal family members and children from other half-magician clans would be allowed to attend. From fighting with weapons to politics, the topics covered would also vary.


    Others attended school on the outskirts of the kingdom''s capital, which taught military training and livelihood. Half-elves, half-dwarfs, and half-minotaurs would come here to learn. Except for humans, who did not receive any formal training and were subjected to harsher treatment, everyone in the kingdom would go to school.


    Edda, on the other hand, was confident of her abilities. Despite her average grades in school, she could still fight better than Lia, who had never been the one to pick up a real sword in her eyes. Edda had never seen the king encourage his daughter to join the royal school!


    Zion stood silently behind Lia, watching the commotion in the courtroom with her. After seeing his face, everyone was shocked, but they no longer cared when they saw Lia and Edda facing off in the middle of the courtroom. The officials had already concluded that Lia and Rhesus were the villains, and the war would stop only after capturing them.


    The detective clicked his tongue silently and praised the black-cloaked man for his scheme. This was the first time he had encountered someone who was one step ahead of him, and to be honest, this feeling of fighting someone smarter than him was novel. But that didn''t mean he would start taking his enemies for granted.


    Zion closed his eyes and thought of what the black-cloaked man wanted to do.


    The man would probably come inside the palace after capturing the king and princess Lia alive before revealing his face, which would look identical to Prince Bradley. He would make up a fake story about how he had killed the enemy soldiers and saved the entire kingdom.


    But Zion had no idea what that man''s true intentions were, and this fact could change the entire course of actions that he just deduced.


    His brows furrowed, and he glanced at the crowd before his eyes. Since he didn''t know the intention behind the black-cloaked man''s actions, he would focus on what he could do.


    King Rhesus'' innocence had to be proven at this point. But how would he do that after hearing the evidence presented at the court? Everyone believed an anonymous letter sent by Princess Edda.


    Perhaps he would have to step up and do something about this situation.

 Chapter 57 - The Commander!

    "I have to say¡­." Zion leaned at the door frame and opened his mouth when he saw things going worse. "You guys are fascinating. Instead of saving the citizens, you''re trying to go with an easier route and believe the words of an anonymous person who presented the so-called evidence. Are you guys that desperate to save yourselves or born stupid?"


    Officials in the courtroom were enraged by the provocation of a human''s words. They all glared at servant 52 with hatred when they saw this kind of thing happening. It didn''t matter if what the human said was almost entirely true; they wouldn''t put up with him. As soon as the selfish truth buried deep within their hearts was revealed, they became even angrier than they had been before.


    Aside from their concern over their country and desire to remove an evil king, the officials had another reason for wanting to do this. Usually, they would''ve spent several days delving into this matter instead of reacting quickly. Just debating with each other would have taken days. They would have kept their king under house arrest and temporarily transferred the authority of the throne to the brothers of Rhesus.


    Today, none of the officers had time to think when the swords were aimed at their necks. After reading the scrolls, they immediately risked it all, believing the words on it to be true. In their minds, they questioned: who would have the time and energy to create fake evidence? There was no way anyone would be stupid enough to plan so much for their backward kingdom. Even the officials were self-aware about the fact that their kingdom wasn''t very wealthy.


    Zion could tell that most of the officers thought the same way. When he observed their angry faces, he sneered and said, "If I said the enemy is completely different from what you expect, I''m sure none of you will believe me. But what will you do if the scroll is proved to be wrong? Only His Majesty is powerful enough to save every single one of us. If you give him to power back, he will surely not let the enemy win, but do you dare to take this risk?"


    He knew that at this moment, only provocation would work and nothing else. The officials weren''t in a mood to believe his words.


    He was correct. As they stared at Zion, all of the officials'' eyes turned red with anger, but they could not refute him. Most of them were provoked, but one of the officers instantly saw through Zion''s schemes and sneered. "I have to say it. Your plan to divert attention was a success, but we will not let you off so easily! It is clear from your words that you only want to save your evil king and sneak away while we are busy fighting the enemy soldiers! Hah! We''re not going to let you go without a fight."


    So the black-cloaked man has stationed his men here among officials too.


    Zion''s gaze traveled from one official inside the room to another before settling on one individual. On either side of Rhesus''s throne, chairs were neatly arranged, but none of the officials were sitting at this time. Edda, who had just called Lia for a deadly match, had them all gathered around her.


    The corners of Zion''s lips curved up as he squinted his eyes at the man. "My master and I will not be a fool to suggest that you capture us in exchange for the king and fight the real enemies because I do not believe in the words of people who are deceitful and take bribes from a certain enemy who was supposed to be dead."


    After hearing those words, the officer''s face turned pale as he stared at Zion with unblinking eyes. This shocked everyone, including the king, who had lost all of his power because of those scrolls. Rhesus watched the scene in silence since he had no authority to speak unless the officials gave him that permission.


    On the other side, the officer accused of being bribed trembled a little bit when he heard the allegations. How did this human know about his involvement with  Prince Bradley?  Rhesus was a threat to the kingdom, and the officer had worked hard to convince both the left and right cabinet officers of that. Yet this human had to appear and cause trouble!


    He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. No! he wouldn''t let this human intimidated him anymore. The next time when the spy official opened his eyes, he looked like he was going to march up to the human and punch him in the face! "Human, you''ve got guts. Who do you think you are to accuse me of bribery?! You''re just talking nonstop garbage! Do you not feel any shame? Guards, seize this human and his master right this instant! Don''t let them say a word to each other."


    They were all immediately agitated upon hearing those words. Almost wanting to lash out at the human, they glared at him, but this servant was correct. Even though humans were not considered equal to other races, it wouldn''t sit right to ignore those slaves downright when such provocative words were spouted.


    This human had dared to challenge them that they couldn''t stop the war no matter what!


    But this servant was right. The war was still going on, and the enemy soldiers were at their gates. What the heck were they wasting time on such a scroll?


    One of the officers with some intelligence left in his brain pursed his lips and said,  "You know, he''s partly correct. Otherwise, not only will citizens be negatively impacted, but also us as individuals. This is a matter of life and death!"


    "Officer Oliver!"  Among the cabinet members, another spy intervened to bring everyone''s attention back to the original subject of the discussion. "Is there any shame in your heart?" the spy asked, clenching his teeth. "Is it possible for you to face off against thousands of soldiers? So why send them to fight against the hoard of villains when you can confront their leader? The majority of citizens have also fled. The only people loitering around the kingdom''s border are human servants. Our chances of suffering a major setback are slim to none."


    "Have you lost it? Even though they''re humans, they also deserve to live!"


    The spy clicked his tongue. "So you want to give humans a right to live? Did you forget how tyrannical they used to be?!"


    The officials continued to argue, but the commander finally lost his patience with the squabbling. All of them were glared at by him, and he exchanged glances with the other soldier standing beside him. Even though he knew of the king''s inability to give them any orders, he was left with few options. It was not possible for the soldier to stand by and watch destruction take place. Although the officials claimed that the citizens had been evacuated safely, he was skeptical of it.


    As a soldier, he didn''t want to stand back and watch people die!

 Chapter 58 - Martin: A Young Warrior!

    The helmet of the chief soldier standing behind the king revealed a scar on his forehead. Along with that, his hands and legs were also covered with big and small war injuries. He inhaled and exhaled before he glanced at the young guard beside him and crept closer to him. "Gather soldiers and go fight the enemies. This is my order."


    Those words caught the listener off guard. The youth lowered his voice as he looked at his commander. He asked, "What are you saying? Assaulting the Vanne dynasty authorities when the king was in custody? Have you lost your mind?"


    "You can rest assured that I know what I''m doing!" Gritting his teeth, the chief soldier uttered these words and exhaled deeply. "After the war, I''ll go to the border and surrender. You won''t be implicated because it will be my fault."


    "But-"


    "But what? Should we believe those scrolls Princess Edda got from who knows where?" The commander clicked his tongue. "Definitely, someone is trying to stab us in the back. Fight on, if you must! You can act as a commander. Use the same strategy as before, but you can make momentary changes," the chief said, pausing as if he had suddenly remembered something. "You''re now on your own. Good luck."


    As he glanced at his chief in concern, the youth appeared to be hesitant. Half-elf or not, he had no interest in fighting, but he wanted to recite poetry non-stop the entire day. Despite his efforts to create a book filled with interesting things for the world to see, no one accepted his work for publication due to his half-elf status. To earn a livelihood, he had to throw away all of his poems to get a military badge.


    Even though he did gain some benefit, his mind continued to wander back to the poems. He loathed fighting, and he was especially opposed to killing other people, so he avoided it. It was pure luck that he was chosen to be one of the top soldiers who would stand by the king day and night for the rest of his life.


    It was just that the chief soldier whom he had revered so much earlier had given him such an important task: To save this kingdom by any means necessary. Nevertheless, how in the world was he going to take on such a formidable foe?!


    Just before he was about to part his lips, the chief pushed him out of the backdoor, leading to the palace. "Go!"


    Having no choice, the young man grabbed the seal of the chief soldier and ran out of the courthouse. Now, it was a ''do or die'' situation. As soon as he joined the army, he knew he would die a brutal death, but it came too soon!


    A sigh escaped his lips as he walked through the palace''s corridors before entering a hall filled with soldiers. This hall was inside the palace''s main building, which was connected to several other rooms. There were lockers in some of the rooms, while others had bathrooms.


    Multiple soldiers could practice in this hall without feeling cramped. Almost everyone could show off their skills even if a thousand people showed up.


    There were only a few armored soldiers present when the youth with the chief''s seal opened the door. "I, Martin, from the third group,"¡ªhe said in a loud voice as he marched toward them¡ª"order you all to gather as many soldiers here as possible quickly!" His next move was to reveal the seal.


    The soldiers were stunned before carefully inspecting the seal, confirming that it was real, and then leaving the hall.  Martin, the young soldier who had been assigned a seal, wiped the sweat from his forehead. He smiled bitterly and tightened his grip on the seal in his hand. "Damn it all! Fighting ability or not, I''ll do my best!"


    Even though he didn''t enjoy fighting, he wasn''t a cold-hearted person who would stand by and watch everyone die a cruel death either. Even though this was his hometown, he was determined to stop the enemy from destroying it further. After a while, he went to where only the chief would stand and put the commander''s whistle around his neck before staring at it in a daze for a long time.


    This whistle would only be carried by his chief all the time, and now that he was wearing it, he felt complicated and closed his eyes. Millions of lives depended on him. Even so, he thought on some level that he was incompetent for the position.


    After a while, everyone entered the hall, their faces bewildered. There was a war going on, and many people were killed, but they were confused as to why the king hadn''t sent reinforcements, but they still waited. Just a few seconds ago, when they were called, a wave of relief and the feeling of determination to save the kingdom burst through their veins, but when they saw the scene before their eyes after entering the hall, they froze. They were even more perplexed when Martin, who had always been a hard worker with mediocre skills, arrived with this seal.


    Most of the soldiers came to the same conclusion:


    Something must have happened at the court.


    Why, then, would the chief send Martin, of all people, with his seal to the battlefield? All of them were aware of the significance of this seal. An army commander who possesses this seal is capable of acting as a secondary commander and leading the entire army in dire situations. However, none of them wished for the chief to be forced to use such a seal. In any case, their leader was capable of devising a plan on the spot, so who else could match his skills?


    When they glanced at Martin, some of them were envious, while the majority were sympathetic. Despite the commander''s absence, the soldier team had many people with enough experience to lead the war in his absence. How could Martin be chosen as their temporary commander? To them, he was a sloppy youth who was always looking for an excuse to laze around. This person''s success in getting the king''s attention is a mystery.


    In their eyes, Martin didn''t deserve to become their commander, but when they saw the seal in the hands of Martin, they could only grit their teeth and swallow their frustration. Since the chief made this decision, they would have to believe in his words and deal with it!


    Martin was able to hear the murmurs of people who were talking about him. Many of the words echoed in the background contained phrases like ''He doesn''t deserve this,'' but what else could he do? He also knew he didn''t deserve to lead an entire army!


    He took a deep breath and blew the whistle that hung from his neck to attract everyone''s attention.

 Chapter 59 - Success Rate

    As one of the king''s top guards, Martin was always on time to ensure Rhesus''s safety. Although he knew this particular youth possessed only mediocre skills, the king had specifically chosen him for the purpose of serving as his eyes and ears. Half of his problem would be solved by bringing a guard near him whom no one could doubt.


    Martin would not be able to attract the attention of the enemy. Because of this, they would instead choose to ignore him. That''s what made him a special guard who would inform the king of every daily activity of the soldiers standing nearby. Even the enemies inside the palace wouldn''t be on their guard in front of such a mediocre soldier.


    Rhesus thought it was the best decision he''d made since the murder case occurred, but it all happened a bit too late. When the war broke out, he was on the verge of discovering who was in charge of all the enemy spies hiding in the palace. But at the current moment, he could no longer speak a single word without the officials'' permission.


    It''s funny how things can change so quickly! Now, after killing everyone and taking away his brothers'' throne more than a decade ago, he felt like fate was stabbing him in the back mercilessly and without any recourse. He was helpless.


    This was undoubtedly his karma acting against him.


    Meanwhile, the officials were debating whether or not to send the soldiers outside to fight. A frown appeared on his face as a result of this. There is no reason why the officials should even consider not sending troops there. When the enemy was conquered, they could still keep him in captivity while preventing further harm to innocent people.


    Were they under the impression that it would be easier to defeat one enemy than to focus on hundreds? What gave them the confidence that the scrolls Edda read not too long ago were correct? The king''s glance swept past a few officials arguing against sending the soldiers, and he instantly understood.


    It turned out that the spies on the other side were scheming to get everyone to agree to the enemy''s plan. To fight against those soldiers in black, they didn''t want to send any reinforcements at all. Rhesus gritted his teeth and glanced around only to see that the young soldier he had recently promoted wasn''t by his side anymore. It was the commander who caught his confused glance as the chief soldier stood expressionless before nodding and averting his eyes.


    Rhesus raised his brows. Was his commander smarter than him? By sending Martin away, it appeared that his chief soldier had already acted out of a sense of duty to protect the kingdom. This young soldier wasn''t valued by anyone, which is why no one knew he was no longer in court.


    As soon as the commander realized why the king had promoted the youth, the chief soldier took immediate action to protect the kingdom on his behalf. While gazing at his court, the king''s shoulders relaxed. Now it didn''t matter if the court officials held him for however long. If the kingdom could be protected from the enemies, Rhesus was confident he could get out of this mess.


    Zion was the only one who could see the changes in the king''s expressions and how relaxed Rhesus had become after glancing at the soldier standing beside him. The detective had kept his eyes on everyone, even the young soldier who had been pushed out of the courtroom''s back door. After seeing that the soldiers were provoked enough to send reinforcements in secret, he let out a breath of relief and poked his system.


    "Hey 007, are you there?" Zion lazily looked at the two sisters who also joined the argument at some point along with the officials and said to his system in his mind, "Can you tell me if it''s possible to close this case with a 75 percent success rate?"


    The system popped out on the screen, and he tilted his head in confusion. "Why only 75%?"


    "Because I don''t think we''re going to win this one."


    Zion spoke so calmly, without showing any emotion, that even the system thought he was cold-hearted in his heart. "I never thought you''d be this cold," said the little furry man, who looked more like a chibi version of the Methu man. "Are you not willing to think of a way out?"


    Before sneering, the detective''s eyes squinted at his system. "The enemy appeared to be an imposter who emerged out of nowhere. He even knows about you," he said. "The black-cloaked man, on the other hand, we know nothing about at all. My hopes of completing this case successfully have been dashed now that we''re at a disadvantage. We can''t end it as we thought before." He paused and asked 007, "How will this case end at a 100% completion rate?"


    "After capturing the criminal, or at least leading the authorities to capture him and spreading a word about his antiques to the world."


    "Right." Zion''s brows furrowed for a moment before he glanced at his system again. "You didn''t answer me. Is it possible?"


    The system sighed and replied, "Yes. After this case, you''ll have access to a progress tracker that will let you know how far you''ve come in the investigation. A new feature will be added after this case."


    It was at that moment that Zion''s stare turned colder, causing 007 to shudder from head to toe. An awkward chuckle escaped his lips that was followed by a  head scratch. "I had no idea about this. My master sent me an urgent update message, telling me that this urgent update would give me new features that would help you solve cases in the future with greater accuracy. Of course, this time around, my privacy will be better protected."


    Zion finally felt like the Methu man had done something good for the first time after creating 007. "Fine by me. Just be prepared in case something bad happens." He paused as if he remembered something. "You still have that dead body in the inventory, don''t you?"


    "Yes."


    "Be prepared to bring it out," Zion said as a hint of determination flashed in his eyes. "It''ll be our ticket to escape."


    The chibi system nodded and disappeared as Zion''s gaze shifted at the courtroom before him. The more he watched the people argue, the more his brow furrowed.


    His opponent appeared to have been one step ahead of him. The black-cloaked man had carefully considered every detail before plotting against the kingdom, and it was possible that they would succeed.


    Upon thinking this, Zion felt uneasy in his heart. When he was alive on Earth, he had never experienced such a crushing defeat. There had never been a time when he felt compelled to pay so much attention to someone. Murderers and thieves were the only people he had captured in the FBI.


    This time, however, it felt as if he had fallen into the trap of a terrorist who wanted to destroy world peace.


    Will he even be able to save this kingdom from its destruction?

 Chapter 60 - The New Commander!

    In contrast, the young soldier who had just been promoted to the rank of commander had already explained everything that had happened in court and had even informed everyone of the risks involved, but they had no choice. Most of them would die, and the survivors would be punished for opposing them. He knew this very well. That was why he wanted to explain everything in detail before doing anything else.


    "Are you guys with me?" he asked, raising his bright dual-colored eyes mixed with red and green.


    He clenched his teeth nervously as he scanned the stunned crowd. Just as the soldiers were about to decide, some of the enemy spies hiding among the soldiers spoke up to oppose the majority''s decision.


    "You''re a psychopath. It appears that you want us all dead."


    "Are you aware that this young man was recently promoted? He is unqualified! He had to have stolen this seal from the commander, I''m certain! Before we make a decision, I say let''s wait for the chief."


    "This man dares to stir up trouble. The war is going on, doesn''t he know? How can he make up his own rules and order the people to die on his initiative? We know he''s a spy!"


    "What are you awaiting? Take the seal from him and put a stop to his actions!"


    Martin was glared at by many soldiers after the spies uttered those words. His face paled from receiving so many cold stares from strangers. He wasn''t even a leader, and he didn''t know what to do when so many soldiers turned on him.


    It was fortunate that a few soldiers were rational and knew how to use logic instead of believing in useless rumors.


    "How old are you guys to think like that? Just look at his face!" It was one of the old soldiers who spoke up for justice. He asked, "Does he strike you as a scheming individual?"


    "This person is credible, I say. That seal cannot have been snatched from the commander by just any soldier with average skills. We should heed his warnings and not put our citizens'' lives at risk."


    That was it. The soldiers had been divided into two factions in an instant. Those who were not willing to fight with the enemy sided with the spies. Although the enemies attempted to persuade a few senior soldiers who had joined Martin, none bowed to them and walked away with the youth.


    However, he was relieved to find that many seniors were willing to lend a hand. While still dazed, he glanced at them with moistened eyes as he walked out of the palace. When the lives of so many people were on the line, he was not going to back down. "Thank you," he said, bowing his head.


    Martin''s back was rubbed by an older-looking soldier, who smiled and said, "Thank you for what? Be the leader your commander expected you to be by following his instructions. The army needs a leader. Let us prove the enemies that we can also defend!"


    "Yeah!" Behind him, everyone yelled. Martin grinned, wiping his eyes with his sleeve and nodding.


    About thirty minutes later, they were all riding their horses in the formation they had decided on earlier. A few soldiers had left, but those who remained were determined to save their kingdom. They were passing houses and streets one after another. Their eyes were drawn to the clothes, utensils, and other household items that were scattered about. The homes were all vacant.


    They didn''t know if the enemy had succeeded in tearing the boundary wall apart this time around or not. A few human servants were still visible in the city. Some Dhampir servants and aristocrats were still around, but fewer than before.


    Soldiers who helped with the evacuation were nowhere to be found, and the number of guards stationed at other gates had also decreased. This led Martin to believe that those soldiers had moved toward Eastern Gate after the cannon had been fired to fight the enemy.


    As a result, a small number of soldiers were left in other gates if the enemy came from another direction.


    Most of the soldiers were already dead by the time Martin and his team reached the Eastern Gate. As half of the boundary wall collapsed, several dead bodies lay on the ground. Arrows had pierced others, and their blood continued to seep from their bodies. Multiple bodies were burnt near the boundary wall that was still burning.


    It was harrowing to see so many dead bodies piled up near the gate. Martin wasn''t used to seeing so many corpses at once. Upon his arrival, he was startled and felt something crawling up his stomach, making him want to vomit as he looked around him. He pressed his lips in a thin line that prevented him from vomiting, and he resolutely stared forward. Despite the fact that the enemies were still on horseback, they were now visible to the naked eye. A telescope was used earlier to keep an eye on them, but now they were close enough to be seen clearly.


    Martin gritted his teeth and said, "Stand and guard the gate. Come on, let''s keep them out of our city!"


    "....But they have cannons."


    "Then prepare the cannons," he instructed. "We had discussed it with the commander in the past." Martin''s forehead was wet with sweat, and he hesitated before speaking. "Let''s keep our formation. We''ll make changes based on our current circumstances."


    "Roger!"


    Indeed, the young man wasn''t confident in his leadership abilities. As of right now, he was only able to work effectively because he still remembered the strategy they had all developed prior to the king''s appearance in the courtroom. As for Princess Edda, who would have thought that she would show up at court with such evidence to bring the king to heel?


    He let out a sigh and parted his lips as he said,  "Seniors, please give me some guidance. I don''t wish to hold this position, but for some reason, the commander decided to believe in me. I''m not sure if I''m up to the task, but please guide me. I¡­."


    "Soldier Martin, the chief has chosen you. As of today, you are our new commander." With a smile, the older soldier said.


    Others nodded in response, showing their support to the youth.


    While looking at the soldiers beside him, Martin''s shoulders relaxed as he glanced at the enemies. His heart swelled with determination. Though incompetent at fighting and leading, he would still give it his all regardless.

 Chapter 61 - The Battlefield!

    The first troops used crossbows to engage the enemy. This time, they were mounted on horses because they feared that if the enemy fired cannons, they wouldn''t be able to escape. Back then, the chief had this idea as he made it the first step into defeating the enemy, and nothing has changed.


    A group of soldiers was standing behind Martin, who was squinting his eyes at the enemies. In his chest, his heart was pounding faster than it had ever before. As he continued to calculate in his head, his gaze never left the enemies. When he tried to think of possible countermeasures for situations that were unexpected, his mind went blank.


    It didn''t matter how hard he tried to think of anything. Suddenly, he felt his chest tighten, making it difficult to breathe. The soldier behind him called out to him just as he was about to pass out from anxiety. "Commander, is it safe to fire?"


    Martin glanced at the soldiers behind him who were at his beck and call. Why? Why were they even asking him? They should know better when to start the fire, shouldn''t they? But why were they asking a soldier with average skills? The more he thought about it, the more he trembled. His face turned pale with anxiety. His forehead was soaked in sweat, and he glanced at the enemies one more time before turning his eyes away.


    When would be the best time to shoot the arrows? He recalled that the commander would demonstrate what to do on the battlefield while they were practicing. In both windy and calm conditions, they had trained. As a result, the chief had divided the army into two parts and forced them to fight each other in mock battles with fake weapons. Those were the days when Martin was still a trainee. This meant he used to stand far behind the temporary commander that their chief had chosen during the mock battle.


    Every time the temporary commander gave orders, he had only one thought in his head: How do they know when to shoot the arrows at the right time to corner the enemy? Not knowing this, Martin wasn''t the kind of student who would go looking for answers. He would shrug it off and carry on as if nothing had happened.


    In front of so many of his colleagues today, he was a commander, and the same question kept popping into his head, but he had no one to ask about it. Because the situation was so critical, he could not afford to waste any more time thinking about it.


    He muttered a curse. It would have been better if he''d asked his question earlier. But he was powerless to do anything about it at the moment. As a result, he would simply call out blindly, relying on his instinct. He parted his lips and yelled, "Fire!"


    A hail of arrows rained down on the enemies. Sadly, it appeared that the enemies had anticipated this outcome. In order to defend themselves, they raised their shields the moment the arrows were about to touch their heads.


    Martin''s mind flashed with another memory all of a sudden. It wasn''t the first time he''d seen this kind of thing happen during practice. His temporary commander had then given the order to attack again without giving the other side a second chance to the enemies to counterattack him. As a result, the enemy was attacked and failed brutally in the mock battle.


    It had irritated the soldiers acting as enemies back then that a temporary commander could inflict so much damage so quickly, despite the fact that their weapons were fake. Everyone, including their chief, had praised such a temporary commander back then.


    The youth closed his eyes before he glanced at the enemies still protecting their heads from the attack.


    "Prepare to shoot!" Martin yelled at the top of his lungs. "Fire!"


    When the black robbed soldiers were about to lower their shields, another set of arrows was fired at them. Another attack prompted some of those who had already begun to lower their shields. Some of them panicked and went to grab their shields, but it was too late. In the end, many enemy soldiers were killed.


    As soon as he saw that scene, Martin''s eyes glowed brightly. Now he understood why soldiers were so passionate about combat. Winning had a drug-like effect on them!


    But the victory was short-lived as the enemy''s cannons fired a hail of fireballs. Martin''s face turned pale, and his mind went blank.


    What should he do?


    He had a million thoughts, but none of them told him what to do. The soldiers behind him also got anxious. One of them urged their temporary commander. "What should we do next?"


    Martin clenched his teeth, glanced up at the sky, and said, "Scatter! Quickly!"


    After he gave the order, every single soldier left the area immediately. Nearly everyone who was standing in that area had been able to escape when a fireball struck it, but some of them weren''t fast enough. Despite their best efforts, they were unable to escape death''s grasp and were killed by fire.


    Those soldiers, screaming at the top of their lungs, died in front of the young commander''s eyes. Martin''s heart was pierced multiple times by their voice, which was filled with pain. Those dead bodies made him anxious to the point where he was having trouble breathing. Tears rolled down his cheeks as he watched the scene.


    Why?


    Why were they fighting such a brutal war?


    Why didn''t he choose the scrolls and forced the king to stop the war? It seemed to be a better choice. At the very least, they''d be alive! By forgoing the chance to become a hero, what did he gain? He was doomed to death!


    His limbs trembled.


    Suddenly, an older soldier called out to him. "Keep your eyes off of them, commander. They died in peace, knowing that we were there to protect the kingdom. If you can, please control your emotions and give the order."


    When Martin turned around, he saw his senior nod at him before casting a cold glance at the enemies. " After years of combat, our soldiers become accustomed to seeing death. Other people in your place would be more concerned with killing all their enemies than with surviving. Normally, we would accept the death of ten soldiers in exchange for the killing of even one enemy, but you are an exception. You''re innocent enough to make sure we have lesser casualties. That was why the chief chose you. There was no way to win, but he was aware that you would choose a path that didn''t result in the death of every single person. It seems¡­.It seems as if the chief had no other choice."

 Chapter 62 - Ive Got A Plan

    Instead of being motivated by those words, the youth became more confused and anxious.


    "Sigh," he said as he continued to stare at the senior soldier standing behind him.


    He should have been aware of this. Commander wanted to delay enemies as much as possible. Not all the soldiers would fight in the war against the millions of black robbed soldiers, and he knew they would not win. In order to buy a few more minutes before the enemy could enter the capital city, the chief sent troops out.


    After some thought, Martin took a deep breath. So, they didn''t have to win this fight. This meant he could only survive and buy as much time for the other people inside the court as possible. The only thing he was good at was escaping.


    As he looked back, he could still see himself in the mock battle. Because they were afraid of losing, Martin and a few others fled. Consequently, they were all severely punished by the commander.


    When this memory flashed through his mind, he cracked a small smile. He would do anything to return to that time and spend as much time as possible with his friends. This battlefield reminded him how much better it would have been to become a writer or poet. At the very least, he would have been able to flee with citizens.


    "What should we do, commander?"  Martin''s thoughts were interrupted as he glanced around. One after another, the enemies hurled fireballs, destroying the entrance. The soldiers were still hiding, so only a few were behind Martin, and others had escaped to another place.


    "Prepare the cannons," he instructed. No idea what Martin should do, but he was determined to buy as much time as possible for his commander.


    Inside the courtroom¡­.


    Someone finally realized that a soldier was missing from the courtroom, which caused more havoc among the people in the area. They glared at the commander, who had an indifferent expression on his face.


    "Who told you to send soldiers to the battlefield?" the council members demanded, their faces red with rage. "We did a good job of handling it! We had a way to make the king surrender! There was no need to waste the manpower!"


    "You''re doing a great job handling the situation!" The opposing officer retorted sarcastically. "Prioritizing is a matter of common sense. Our enemies do seem to be attacking us, don''t they? First, we must save ourselves and our fellow citizens."


    "It is a fact that all citizens have already evacuated!" The spy officer said with a face full of anger. "What if there was a faster solution?"


    In his irritation, Zion rubbed his forehead as he watched all of this unfold. Princess Lia and Edda were already engaged in a sword fight outside in the compound at this point. Then, he glanced around to make sure no one was looking at him, and then he went to hide in the bushes. He called out to the system''s door after crouching down.


    The furry man popped out and glanced at his host with a trace of pity in his eyes. "Have you got a desire for something? Anything? I can fulfill your wish."


    Zion''s eyes narrowed as he asked, "Why does it seem like you''re trying to fulfill my last wish before I die?"


    As the system coughed uncomfortably, he averted his gaze from his host. "That''s not true!" Although this seemed to be the truth since he couldn''t see this case ending even with a 50% success rate, he would never admit it to his host''s face.


    "Bring out the corpse," Zion ordered. Amid his busy schedule, Zion had no time to deal with his system''s stupidity.


    007 nodded and clicked on the option to make the body appear before Zion. The prince''s body lay beside the latter after a few seconds. Indifferently, he glanced at it and then turned his gaze away. "To put an end to this case, I can only do one thing."


    The system''s ears perked up at that. "What?"


    "Wait for the man in the black cloak first. After entering the court, he will be able to brainwash everyone into believing that he was the crown prince who stood up to the king and killed all his enemies." It was easy to see the system''s eyes widening with each sentence Zion spoke. "That means it will be necessary to let the imposter win first."


    "Is this for real?!"  The system finally gave out. He became so enraged that he created Zion''s image and smacked over the head of the picture with a baseball bat he brought out of nowhere. The picture crumbled and disappeared, but the system was still angry. He would have punched his host in the face at this very moment! Angry emojis erupted from his eyes, turning his face a bright red. "It is difficult to understand why anyone would want the enemy to win! Are you a psychopath? Do you really want to die so soon? This is a sham! This world is doomed to failure. Why don''t you get it!? If I were next to you, I''d smack you a million times!"


    Zion continued to stare at the angry chibi version of Methu man filled with emojis. Seeing the furry man made him laugh so hard that he couldn''t contain himself, and he coughed to hide his chuckle. But he also knew that the situation was critical and that it was not the time to make light of it.


    When the system heard him cough, 007 began rambling about how many ways he would use to beat his host. Suddenly, the other man announced, "I''ve got a plan."


    007 squinted his eyes and looked at his host with a trace of doubt in his eyes.  "What''s the plan?" he asked.


    Zion didn''t say what he would do because he wasn''t sure if he could pull it off. It was because of the enemy''s ability to predict his every move, for the first time in a long time, he was hesitant to act. His first attempt at solving a case had not left him feeling this way. It was almost as if he doubted his own capability when confronted with such a formidable foe.


    Secondly, his plan did not include the survival of this kingdom as a component. Things had gotten out of hand, and he was forced to choose between saving the kingdom and completing the case. Despite himself, he wished to live.


    For the first time in his career, he was forced to choose between saving others and finishing the case. He knew that by taking the final step, he would only be able to save himself and no one else, but he still did it and steeled his heart.


    He felt a tinge of helplessness in his chest. This was not his intention, but he was not the type of person who would give up his life for others in that manner. After having experienced the agony of death once, he thought he would be indifferent in the face of death the second time, but reality proved him wrong. He had to face the misfortune of being unable to decide whether or not to die when the time came.


    He went with the easiest option that could save him.


    The situation made him unhappy, to say the least.

 Chapter 63 - Lets Leave!

    A gust of wind passed through Zion that made his robes flutter. He glanced at the two sisters who were still having a sword fight outside in the compound. Lia simply stood at the side while blocking Edda''s attacks. The expression on her face was calm and cold, as if she wasn''t affected by this, while on the other hand, Edda was having a hard time. She was exhausted and sweaty all over.


    But Edda couldn''t give up no matter how tired she was! The girl before her was the same person who had made her feel burned in jealousy. Since their childhood, everyone had paid particular attention out of sympathy to Lia and even gave this princess everything she needed, especially since the girl didn''t have any attention from her father.


    Lia had always been the smarter one. It was good that the girl never got to go to school, which was an advantage for Edda, but she still felt jealous because Lia had more knowledge than her despite the fact that Edda would go to school every day!


    Just how was Lia able to gain so much knowledge? Edda didn''t know, but she would always glare at her cousin behind her back.


    Now that she had obtained a way to get rid of this girl once and for all, why should she back out just because she wasn''t able to defeat her opponent? She assumed that the only reason why Lia was only defending and dodging her attacks was that the princess might not know how to fight at all! This was the only thought that kept Edda going.


    She gritted her teeth and glared at Lia as she charged at the girl standing in front of her.


    It was unfortunate that the latter didn''t bat an eyelash at her cousin''s expression. Instead, she pressed her lips to suppress her laughter. She found it funny to see how Edda was trying to maintain her demeanor even after being exhausted enough. The girl couldn''t even lift her finger, but she still stubbornly glared at Lia like that.


    How could Lia not find it funny?


    But she wasn''t in a hurry. After all, she still hadn''t met the imposter yet. She wanted to see who it was that had dared to step his foot in her kingdom.


    When she thought of the black-cloaked man, she sneered as a hint of cruelty appeared in her eyes. Her actions instantly changed as her body flashed in front of her cousin, making the latter stunned.


    Before even giving the girl a chance to open her mouth, Lia instantly used the back of her sword to hit the girl''s head and knock her off. Just as Edda''s body dropped on the ground, Lia scoffed and put the sword back in the sheath before glancing at the courtroom that still looked more like a vegetable market with multiple council members debating nonstop.


    She shook her head and glanced at the garden attached to the courtroom. This garden was to the left side while the pathway where Lia was standing led everyone outside the palace gates directly. This was one of the main gates of the imperial palace.


    The bushes moved just as her glance swept past that area, and she stopped. Her eyes squinted at the figure hiding in the bushes, and her eyes widened as she realized who it was! But before she could even open her mouth, the man moved, revealing everything he was doing.


    What she saw made her so shocked that she stayed frozen in the middle of the road.


    She saw Zion dragging a man''s body that seemed to be unconscious toward one of the windows of the court. Her gaze stopped at the unconscious man''s face, and her eyes widened.


    It was Prince Bradley!


    Just how did this person manage to get his hands on her brother?!


    This was something servant 52 had forgotten to mention to her! Anger rose to her chest as she glared at the person who seemed oblivious to her gaze. After that, she didn''t wait anymore and marched toward Zion as she stopped right beside him.


    The detective, who was calmly dragging the dead body, suddenly felt a familiar girl standing beside him, making him freeze. He stayed in that position, bending down as he was gripping Bradley''s hands. He slowly glanced at her face that looked cold as winter.


    "What the heck are you doing?"


    Zion was stunned as he averted his eyes. Wasn''t she fighting with Edda just a few seconds ago? When he remembered the latter, he glanced behind Lia only to find Edda''s body lying lifelessly on the ground.


    Lia could sense what her servant was thinking. "She''s alive. Just unconscious." Then, she pointed her fingers at his face. "Now, you tell me. What''re you doing? Just where did you find Bradley? Didn''t you say the body in the palace wasn''t real?"


    "Oh this¡­." He glanced at the dead body on the ground before he stood up and turned to face the princess. "From the imposter''s guy. He had hidden the crown prince''s dead body in his hut."


    "....dead?" Lia was stunned and glared at her servant. "Why didn''t you tell me brother had died?!"


    "I forgot."


    Lia rubbed her forehead and decided not to deal with this man who was still expressionless while answering. While she was still thinking, Zion shrugged and started dragging the body again as if he didn''t care whether or not Lia cared.


    The girl stared at him in a daze for a long time before she blinked as a hint of anger rose in her heart. She walked with large strides and grabbed his arms. Since she was more powerful than him, she could quickly grab his shoulders and turn him around. "Just stop and tell me first!"


    "I don''t have time for this!" Zion finally couldn''t handle it anymore. This princess''s actions made him feel irritated. "Look, I''ll tell you everything. Just let me do this first."


    Lia looked at him with a doubtful gaze, but she didn''t stop him this time. She didn''t know what this man was doing, but she let him continue while observing his every move with narrow eyes.


    The entire courtroom was filled with people who only argued relentlessly without stopping. So none of them noticed Zion climbing through the window and keeping a dead body on a chair. After that, he swiftly climbed out and hid in the bushes to observe everything from there.


    Lia was confused about what was happening at this time, but before she could open her mouth, Zion silenced her. "Shh¡­.He''s coming. Let''s leave."

 Chapter 64 - A Secret!

    "Why?" Lia still couldn''t understand what this guy was doing. So she continued to stare at his face, wanting to see what this guy was going to say.


    Zion didn''t answer her and continued to look at her with his cold eyes as if trying to convey a silent message. He knew that if he were to stay here any longer, the black-cloaked man would identify him through his system''s presence within a few seconds. So he wanted to escape after finishing his work as soon as possible. Still, he also knew that leaving Lia would also be a bit difficult since, technically, his identity in this world was that of Lia''s servant. If he were to go out alone, the problems he faced would increase tremendously.


    He just wanted to avoid the issues that could hamper his progress.


    But seeing that the princess was also silently watching him with a frown on her forehead, Zion sighed and said, "I''m leaving then."


    Before he could walk a few steps, his arm was grabbed, and the princess dragged him back to their previous position. "Where do you think you''re going? You still haven''t explained everything to me yet. Don''t even think about leaving as of now!"


    Zion rubbed his forehead tiredly and said, "If we stay here, we will be caught by that imposter. Trust me this once."


    Lia''s eyes narrowed as she looked at him with suspicion floating in her gaze. Then, she closed her eyes and glanced inside the courtroom before hesitating for a moment. "The kingdom¡­."


    "Will be doomed."


    Lia''s face darkened, but she still opened her mouth and asked, "My father¡­."


    "Might be dead, might live."


    "Then¡­.what about the murder case?"


    Zion raised his brows. He knew that Lia was aware of many things about him for some reason. He was still surprised after seeing how upfront she was about it. "So you realized I was the one solving this case."


    "I had always known it was you in different identities," Lia said dryly. "And how did I know about this? That''s a secret."


    Zion nodded as he opened his mouth and said, "So you might understand why I''m in such a hurry to leave. That man can track my presence easily." His words seemed to be blunt as he glanced at the courtroom. "The case will be solved, but I''m not sure if this kingdom will be saved or if your father would still be alive. It would just depend on the soldiers'' ability to protect the king after knowing the truth about the imposter. I''m sure they still don''t know anything about the black-cloaked man being an imposter. They still think that he''s their dear Prince Bradley, and I''m sure this guy has fed them with false truths to bring them to his side."


    When Zion thought of this, he couldn''t help but click his tongue. "That guy has always been a step ahead of me in every way, leading me around the nose, but he probably didn''t expect me to take such a decision." He paused as a frown crossed his forehead, and he glanced at the crowd inside the courtroom that was still very actively debating on the topic he didn''t even remember. "Even I didn''t think I would be this ruthless and choose to ignore the lives of so many people just to solve this damned case."


    Lia didn''t say anything. There were many things she wanted to tell him, but she pressed her lips and swallowed the words down her throat. She knew that if she were to open her mouth and let it all out, she would probably end up scaring the guy. So she sighed and said, "Fine. We''ll leave. It''s not like I have any attachment to my father. I had never loved him, and neither did he care about me in any way. Let''s just go."


    She didn''t mean to leave her father in such a situation. It was just that she had a grudge against Rhesus that created a knot in her heart. It had been burning her chest for years, so much that she found it difficult to forgive her father. So it wasn''t strange to see that she would get ready to leave even after knowing that the chances of seeing the king alive were nil. Even after thinking like this, she felt uneasy in her heart, but she buried this feeling deep inside and took a deep breath.


    They both got up on the horse with Lia handling the reins as Zion sat behind her, carefully placing his hand on her shoulders before they took off. They passed many streets covered with the trash of household items that seemed to have fallen off while the citizens were hurrying to escape.


    Zion averted his eyes and said, "Won''t you ask me how I changed so many identities?"


    The corners of Lia''s lips curved up. "Won''t you ask me how I can fight and have such a strange bloodthirsty aura around me?"


    Zion was silent after hearing that. He knew that this girl had secrets, but he didn''t think she would be so blunt as to agree to the fact that her aura was cold and murderous as if she had been through many battlefields. Every time he would stand near her, he would feel her oppressing energy forcing him to surrender. In the modern-day, she would be the chief of all the soldiers who had been fighting against soldiers with top-notch guns at hand for years.


    He could tell from what he read in the Vanne Kingdom''s library that they were in peace for nearly a century or two. So it was typically impossible for her to become like this by staying in this place.


    Princess Lia must have a reason why she acted like an old queen who had killed many people. So he shut his mouth and didn''t say anything. They all had secrets that they didn''t want to share with anyone. His secret of the system and reincarnation was unique that he meant to take to his grave.


    Perhaps, someday they would be able to talk it all out and share things that had forced them into the current situation, but until that day, he would keep guarding his secret.


    Just when they passed the Southern gate, Zion''s eyes flashed back toward the East. For a long time, he had been hearing that the enemy had come from that direction. So it must be that the war was still going on. As he glanced, he could see two sides firing cannons one after another without stopping. Both sides faced casualties, but the Vanne kingdom party seemed to be on the verge of death. Many soldiers had burnt to death, and the remaining hid behind rocks, trees, and houses inside the boundary wall.


    The eastern gate wasn''t far away from the Southern one. So the situation of the battlefield was clear to him just with one glance.


    He could see a few of the soldiers still crouching behind a big rock to hide from the enemies as they continued to attack from the shadows. Of course, the only ones who were visible to the enemies were the soldiers who carried cannons right in front of the eastern gate. These cannons were also unique. It seemed like a bulletproof thing that wasn''t harmed even after being attacked by many fireballs. It could be that there was a layer of protection that every single one of the cannons had to protect against the fire attack.


    So the Vanne kingdom soldiers would light the fireballs and hide again from the enemies.


    This strategy seemed to work for a while, but soon, the enemy was able to figure out the position where the majority of the Vanne kingdom soldiers were hiding. The enemies dragged their cannons in that direction and shot out multiple fireballs.


    Zion''s pupils contracted. "Stop!"

 Chapter 65 - Hugging The Horse

    The horse did stop, but by the time Zion wanted to open his mouth and say a few words, the fireballs had already landed on the ground, destroying the rock into pieces. Many of the soldiers hiding there escaped, but a few were still caught in the fire. They burned to death as the sound of their screams reached Zion''s ears.


    He stared at the scene before him for a long time as if he was frozen in time. His eyes widened as he continued to watch them burn. If people were to look at his expressions, they would think that he was calm even after seeing such a horrific scene, but only he knew how much he wanted to squeeze his eyes shut.


    Zion was an ordinary youth who had joined the FBI after he became famous. During his course as a detective, he had always been the one who was sitting behind the desk most of the time while observing the clues. Of course, he would go out to solve the cases, but that was in earlier days. When he got a promotion, traveling stopped until he was told to sit behind the desk. Only in severe cases would he go out and find the enemy, just like in the last case that killed him.


    The number of murder cases that he had solved could be counted on fingers, and even the dead bodies only had knife injuries, nothing worse.


    But this was the first time he had seen so many people burning to death. This happened because he wasn''t fast enough to solve the case. If only he had the idea that the imposter would go all out, he wouldn''t have been too slow and wasted so much time. Their painful screams made his heart uncomfortable as he continued to feel guilty.


    Even though he knew he was at fault for this, he still wanted to do something to make himself feel better. This emotion of guilt was something that was eating him alive, and he wanted to do something to get rid of it.


    As soon as this thought popped up in his head, he immediately wanted to act on it. He glanced around and found a few soldiers who were still alive. Since he wanted the black-cloaked man to enter the courtroom sooner, he would have to drag these soldiers back. After thinking of this, he glanced at the princess and said, "Can you order them to stop the war?"


    Lia rolled her eyes and got off the horse before making her way toward the battlefield on her feet. Zion, who was still sitting on the horse, was stunned after seeing this move and quickly hugged the horse''s neck tightly before glaring at the girl. "Give me a heads-up next time, will you?! I don''t know how to ride a horse!"


    But Lia didn''t say anything. She coolly waved her hand without even looking back and walked straight toward the nearest guards. Coincidentally, she happened to meet Martin''s group that hid behind another rock nearby. Their faces were covered with sweat as traces of smoke were evident on their skin. It almost looked as if they had stood near a fire for a long time to look like this.


    "Stop fighting."


    The guards turned to look at the princess and were stunned. They had all heard about how the king had colluded with Princess Lia. Even though they had thought that those scrolls shouldn''t be authentic, they were still vigilant. Now that they heard those words from Lia, they couldn''t help but glare at the girl with hateful eyes.


    But before they could say a single word, Martin squinted his eyes before his glance went at the human servant who was still hugging the horse as his life depended on it. After that, the young soldier closed his eyes and took a deep breath before he glanced at the princess again. "Okay. We will back off."


    The fellow soldiers were shocked after hearing those words. Those seniors who were about to scold the princess harshly swallowed their words back and glanced at their temporary commander. They didn''t know what this guy was thinking, but they didn''t doubt this person. The main reason was how Martin was diligently fighting to protect this kingdom. After seeing how this youth, despite being clumsy enough, was still stubbornly holding on while fighting such a dangerous enemy changed his perception in their minds.


    They were almost wanting to consider acknowledging him and training him for the position of the real commander. Even though Martin showed bravery, he lacked in skills when it came to leading. He made so many mistakes that the seniors had to guide him throughout the fight. Otherwise, it would have been impossible for them to be alive.


    Now when the youth made this decision to surrender and leave the battlefield, they exchanged glances and put down their swords. They all thought that the youth had considered everything before making this kind of decision.


    What they didn''t know was that the youth who was highly appreciated by those seniors was currently heaving a sigh of relief after hearing the words of Princess Lia. His thoughts were clear. Since his chief had believed that those scrolls were fake, he would also believe the same. And now that Princess Lia said those words, he assumed that she was sent by his chief to stop this war.


    That means something must have definitely happened back in the courtroom. Plus, he was almost close to giving up. He was so tired and guilt-ridden after seeing so many deaths before his eyes that he just wanted to jump in the fire and die. Being mentally and physically exhausted, he didn''t think he could continue to go on and on.


    So he nodded and asked, "Where should I go then?"


    "Go back and guard the king no matter what." The princess finally gave in to the uncomfortable emotion in her heart and decided to leave her father a way out despite what he did to her. She pursed her lips when she thought of how stupid her current action was, but she sighed and said, "Protecting him should be your main priority for now."


    The youth didn''t know what had happened, but he took the princess''s words to heart and vowed silently to protect the king even if he died. After that, he nodded and glanced at his seniors before turning back to the princess. "Then we should head back to the courtroom."


    Lia nodded and didn''t care about them anymore. In any case, her work was over. Now she had to get back on the horse and ask Zion about what exactly did he do to solve the murder case.

 Chapter 66 - Bradleys Dead Body

    Back in the courtroom, the dead body was still silently lying there being unnoticed by everyone. Zion had placed the body leaning against a pillar beside the window before placing a letter inside the prince''s clothes. He had hidden it so well that everyone inside the court would have to look twice before figuring out that an extra person was leaning against the pillar. No one knew what was written in that letter, but it would be revealed as soon as someone noticed the body.


    It seemed that Zion''s wish to get the body noticed was fulfilled. An official who wasn''t on the enemy''s side noticed the body, and his eyes widened.


    What was this person''s body doing here? Wasn''t the prince supposed to be inside that cold room within a coffin? The official was confused and was just about to call out to others when he noticed a scroll that was hanging on Bradley''s robes. Half of it was outside, and the other part was inside the clothes.


    The official frowned and grabbed it before reading it. As soon as he read the letter, his eyes widened, and he didn''t say anything. He glanced around before silently putting the scroll in his sleeves to hide it from the wolves that were itching to devour it. After that, he left the body as it was and walked toward the king with a calm face before glancing around again.


    He was one of the officers who would never believe that their king, Rhesus, could commit a crime. He had blind faith in his king no matter how much evidence was presented before him. So he calmly went beside the king when no one was watching him and handed him the scroll before escaping the area as if nothing happened.


    Rhesus was stunned when he suddenly saw someone handing him a scroll. His eyes squinted before he opened and read the content. Only one sentence was written inside it, but it was enough to shake his entire world.


    "The enemy is an imposter."


    This meant that the author of this letter especially wrote this for Rhesus! The latter''s eyes widened as he recognized the handwriting of the person who wrote this. It was the same person who had told him everything about the case earlier!


    The king''s glance instantly swept past the crowd filled with officials, but he couldn''t find anyone. Neither any human nor a Dhampir servant was present here. He couldn''t even see Vincent, who he had initially assumed to be the main detective according to his conclusions.


    Who was it that sent this note? Who-


    His eyes stopped at a familiar body that was leaning against the pillar with his eyes closed. The last time the king had seen this face was when the murder hadn''t happened yet. Back then, he just had an argument with his son about something he couldn''t even remember, after which Bradley left the room in anger.


    The king had thought that he had much time in his palms, and he could easily coax his son as before. But who would have thought that after just a few weeks, his son would plan his own murder? To be honest, Rhesus hadn''t known that his son was alive at that time. He had really considered that his son had died a brutal death. It wasn''t until he met Zion in his servant''s identity that he found out the truth that his son had been planning to overthrow Rhesus so cruelly.


    Rhesus had only felt one thing back then: a hope to see his son alive. He didn''t care back then that his son hated him for some reason enough to revolt against the kingdom just like that despite being the crown prince. As long as his son was alive, he knew that he would happily kill himself to satisfy Bradley''s desire.


    But now, when he saw a familiar face that didn''t have a spark of life, the king''s heart sank deeper in the ocean of sadness. His eyes moistened as he continued to stare at his son''s corpse, and then he looked down at the scroll with familiar handwriting.


    This was a clear warning. An outsider had misused the opportunity of what his son was doing to create a disturbance and destroy the Vanne kingdom.


    When the king thought of this, his face paled as the hands that were holding the scroll trembled. Someone wanted to wreak havoc in his kingdom, and he didn''t know a damn thing about it. His glance swept past the crowd before stopping at his son''s face. He had to use all his power to hold tears in his eyes and not cry out loud in front of all of these people. The spies among them were still here.


    He took a deep, shuddered breath and closed the scroll before stuffing it in his sleeves.


    It was good that he found out sooner than ever about the presence of the imposter. Otherwise-


    The king frowned as he pursed his lips. Otherwise what? He didn''t know what to do. If his son were the enemy leader instead of that imposter, he would have surrendered instantly and begged his son to stop the bloodshed. He was even ready to die a brutal death at the hands of Bradley.


    But what was the point of thinking like this now? His most precious son was dead!


    Rhesus''s eyes turned red as he glanced at his son''s dead body before he shut his eyes close. What should he do? He indeed was the king who owned the throne, but he didn''t have even an ounce of power right now. Just how was he supposed to deal with this situation? Would anyone believe him?


    When he thought of how he had killed all of his elder brothers for the throne, he fell into depression all over again. He really wanted to travel in time and kill himself. At least, the Vanne kingdom wouldn''t have fallen in such a pit, and so many people wouldn''t have died. This was his retribution for sure. This was the cruelest punishment he was forced to face for something he did in his youth.


    Just as he was silently repenting, he heard the sound of footsteps that echoed in his ears. He instantly looked up to see someone standing before him covered in a hood from head to toe. His glance swept past the crowd before stopping at the dead body. The man in the hood seemed to have frozen and stared at the body for a long time before he let out a chuckle.


    "Good game." The man shook his head and smiled. Only his lips were visible through the hood. His voice sounded ethereal, as if someone had put some meditative magic that could make people calm. "Looks like someone wants to destroy all of my plans."


    Rhesus, however, shivered after hearing that voice.

 Chapter 67 - The Mood

    On the other side, Lia climbed on the horse as Zion held her shoulders, gripping so tight that even the princess frowned. "Can''t you hold lightly?"


    Zion said nothing. He would never admit to the fact that he had been given a scare because of what had happened earlier. He nearly felt he was about to fall off the horse when Lia heroically jumped off to find Martin back then.


    The girl could tell what this guy was thinking about, and the corners of her lips curved up. "Servant, what''re you scared of? You have saved so many soldiers'' lives. You should be proud of yourself."


    The detective was silent again. He didn''t really want to talk to her anymore and knocked on the system''s door. "Hey, 007, what''s the status of the case? Is it finished yet?"


    The system came out and pouted. "Why are you asking me? Shouldn''t you be clear if it''s finished or not?"


    Zion shook his head. "Things aren''t simple. Check and tell me."


    The system sighed and said, "I don''t have stats and other features. I told you already that I''ll get them after the upgrade. But don''t worry. I''ll get a notification soon when the case is finished."


    Zion pursed his lips and went silent again, staring at the back of Lia in a daze. He was still feeling uncomfortable, but he knew he didn''t have any choice. He had to survive, but the fact that he paved the path to living after indirectly becoming the cause of many people''s death made him feel uneasy.


    He had always been a law-abiding citizen and never thought he would end up doing something like this. If some people had even told him about the choices he would make, he would have laughed at their faces. He let out a sigh thinking of that.


    Lia heard his voice and couldn''t help but ask, "Hey, are you okay?"


    "Yes."


    "What did you do in the courtroom?" The girl couldn''t stop herself from asking this out of curiosity. "How are you sure the case will be completed automatically because of one dead body?"


    "Look." Zion''s attention shifted toward the case as he started to explain. He was effectively distracted from his depressing thoughts. "I had suspected that the imposter didn''t tell anyone that he isn''t the real crown prince. If that were the case, he wouldn''t have hidden Bradley''s body in that small hut. And secondly, I think Prince Linton and that guy Oswin must have found out something about the imposter, and that''s why they were killed-"


    "Uncle Linton''s dead?!" The princess asked in shock, as if she couldn''t believe what she just heard.


    Zion tilted his head at her reaction and didn''t think too much about it. "Yes. And I couldn''t explain many things earlier since we didn''t have much time, but the thing is that this imposter relied on hiding his real identity to get the throne. Who knows what he wants to do after killing the king, but I suspect that this guy loved destruction, not just the throne. There are two ways for him to get the throne, and the easiest route is staying away from war and surrendering to the king as Bradley.


    "The imposter could have found a substitute enemy who had planned the fake murder, and he could have portrayed himself as a faithful son who never planned to revolt. The king, being foolishly attached to his son, would have bought this excuse, and the imposter would have gotten the throne easily. But that person didn''t do that. So it seemed only the throne wasn''t the goal. But there''s something I don''t understand¡­."


    Lia was still in a daze, and even the horse''s speed slowed down while she continued to listen to Zion''s theories. After a long time, when she noticed that the human behind her stopped talking, she gathered herself and asked, "....What?"


    Zion pursed his lips and said, "Why kill so many people? I know what he must have planned to do after this, or else he wouldn''t have continued to use Prince Bradley''s identity. He must have wanted to use that identity to gain the sympathy of the Vanne kingdom''s citizens and kill the king before taking the throne. What I don''t understand is his reason for killing so many people. I have heard a lot of villagers were murdered by those soldiers in black robes. But why?


    "Anyway. What I did is I made it difficult for him to continue to use that identity. When everyone figures out that this person was an imposter, things will be difficult for that man. His followers will feel cheated, and they would perhaps side with the king to get revenge against the imposter. If things go right, they will save the kingdom, but I know things won''t be that simple. The man will definitely do something to turn the table around."


    "Why are you so sure he''ll do that?" Lia tried to keep her voice steady even though she felt her limbs trembling after hearing Zion''s words. No one could see that her face had turned pale, especially when she heard about the murder of so many villagers. It seemed that she knew about something that could help Zion understand why the imposter had initiated a war against the kingdom instead of choosing a simpler route, but she kept quiet. She continued to force herself to stay calm and ask the detective her query.


    Zion didn''t know what was going on in the princess''s mind. After he heard her question, he looked at the sky and squinted his eyes. "It''s because the man had always been a step ahead of me. He would have planned for something like this. I''m sure that he has some backup plan to save himself and turn the table around."


    Both of them went silent as the horse continued to gallop at medium speed. Their surroundings were that of a forest that had failed to show even a trace of a living being. The only good thing was the rocky road that was wide enough to fit over half a dozen horses in a row. But neither of them was in a mood to observe the surroundings.

 Chapter 68 - A Deathmatch!

    Back in the courtroom, everyone was in a stalemate. It wasn''t until Prince Heath realized what was going on and stopped arguing with the officials as he opened his mouth. "Who''re you?"


    The black-cloaked man ignored the prince and stared at the king with an unfathomable gaze. There wasn''t a smile on his lips at this time as he continued to stare at Rhesus for a long time.


    That gaze was so cold that even the king''s back was covered with cold sweat. He didn''t dare to move as he held his breath, watching the man without blinking. Why was this man after him? Why did this person have to wreak havoc in his kingdom? The king didn''t know, but he was confident about one thing¡ªthe black-cloaked man before him was dangerous.


    So he didn''t dare to say a single word and kept staring unblinkingly at the man dressed in black in vigilance.


    But the man dressed in black acted like he didn''t see the king''s guarded expressions. Instead, he relaxed his expressions and even smiled before parting his lips. "Your Majesty, that''s so unfair. I wanted to surprise you, but it seems you have already prepared something for me."


    Rhesus didn''t even dare to blink, but after hearing that sentence, not just the king but the entire crowd filled with soldiers and officials became confused. They didn''t know who this man was and what this guy was trying to do, but the king knew perfectly well that this black-robed man was the main villain who had created havoc in this kingdom. So he finally got up on his feet and said, "I, the king of this Vanne dynasty, challenge you to a deathmatch. I dare you to come forward and fight!" He paused and glared at the man as the rims of his eyes turned red. "You have dared to kill my innocent son. I''ll never forgive you for this!"


    It seemed that he was venting all his anger on this villain standing in front of him. At this time, Rhesus was quite confident that he would deal with this man easily using his skills. After all, the king had decades of experience in fighting, and this person in front of him was just a young man from an unknown race. The result was evident in the king''s eyes, especially since Rhesus knew magical spells that could make it easy to defend the enemy.


    At this time, he had already forgotten that he was under the supervision of the court officials. If it were an average time, they all would have stepped forward to go against their king, but this time, they all exchanged glances and stood at their places without saying a single word.


    It wasn''t like they didn''t want to stop their king. It was just that ever since the man in black robes stepped inside this courtroom and opened his mouth, they all felt strange tranquility, but at the same time, they trembled at the dark aura that surrounded the man. This person seemed to be making them think of two kinds of emotions that had a difference between heaven and hell!


    They all instinctively wanted to stay away from this person, but after what they heard the king say, they were all shocked. They darted their eyes toward their king and lowered their heads.


    His Majesty knew that this person had killed his son?! Then who was this man in black? Suddenly, some officials who weren''t the man''s spies connected the dots and realized that those scrolls were fake and were all planted by this man dressed in black! They all felt so regretful of their actions that they couldn''t help but glance at their king in guilt. If only they hadn''t done that, their king would have sent the soldiers faster and saved their kingdom! It was all their fault!


    On the other hand, the spies were also too shocked to move. They had always regarded this man dressed in a black hoodie as Prince Bradley. But when they heard the king''s words, they subconsciously looked at the dead body of the prince leaning against the pillar and toward the black-cloaked man, wanting to hear refuting words. But the man didn''t say anything and instead smiled.


    The spies'' world shattered instantly as they stood frozen on the ground. So at this time, neither party came forward to stop the king from saying those words.


    The man dressed in black finally opened his mouth and said, "Alright. Let''s go outside."


    He walked casually outside as if he wasn''t surprised in the least after getting challenged by the king to a deathly fight. It almost seemed as if he had expected the king to speak in such a way.


    The spies were frightened after thinking like that, and they silently stood among the crowd for fear of being recognized by the black-cloaked man.


    The man seemed to have noticed their tiny movements as he snorted and walked past them, not wanting to bother with ants roaming about in this court. He calmly took out his sword as he stood a distance away from the king right outside the court. At this time, Princess Edda was still lying unconscious on the side, but no one bothered to look at her. The man''s back faced the courtroom as the officials peeked their heads out and glanced at him with a frightened look in their eyes.


    As the king walked and stood there facing the man, anger bubbled up in his chest, making him feel stuffy. It almost felt as if something was blocking his throat that made him unable to speak a single word. The man before him was the source of all the misery he had started to face in his life. So no matter what, for his kingdom, the king would definitely make the black-cloaked man repent and kill the man to save the kingdom once and for all!


    A gust of wind passed through both of them as their robes fluttered. At this time, the man in black robes opened his mouth and asked, "If you die, will I get the kingdom?"


    "I won''t die! There''s no question of losing here!" The king raised his sword and glared at the black-cloaked man. "The one who will die today is you!"


    The man chuckled and said softly, "Don''t regret your decision."


    After saying that, the man''s body charged and flashed before the king while raising the sword.

 Chapter 69 - The Spiritual Attack!

    No one saw the black-cloaked man moving his lips, and as soon as he was done, the sword in his hand was engulfed in white light as if the weapon was empowered with energy. But it happened so fast that the king only had to blink before he saw the man coming in front of him while aiming the magically charged weapon at his neck.


    Rhesus wasn''t surprised after seeing his opponent using spiritual energy to energize the weapon. It was a norm for some races born with spiritual power running through their veins to use their Qi to energize their weapons. It was just that this was the only thing they could do while Dhampir royals were almost well versed with how to regulate the Qi within their vines and use several hand signs to create various attacks depending on their spiritual roots. Since his spiritual root was electricity, he could use it in the form of attacks.


    This was the reason why the king was confident that he could win against this person. There was no way he believed that the man standing before him knew about anything other than sending Qi to the sword.


    He didn''t think too much about the person in front of him before dodging the attack and forcing his Qi running inside his veins onto the sword in his hand. Soon, even his weapon was charged with spiritual energy that shone brightly within the sun.


    Just then, the black-cloaked man turned around and hit the king again, and this time, Rhesus blocked the attack. Two powerful weapons collided as sparks flew between them. They both stared at each other with squinted eyes before jumping back.


    The king didn''t mean to change the attack so soon and reveal his cards. He wanted to judge what the other person could do by exchanging blows, but it seemed the man also wanted to do the same. They were both guarding against each other while they fought. None of them thought of attacking with full force and making the person in front of them die at one strike. They were busy guessing the limit of the other person''s power.


    After fighting for ten minutes like this, the king vaguely figured out that the black-cloaked man was somewhat cautious and believed in striking fiercely rather than playing it safe. Even though the man was trying to keep it low while fighting, he could still expose his desire to attack ruthlessly.


    The king became even more cautious after seeing this. He instantly made complicated hand signs with one hand. Just as he finished, the sword on his hand started glowing. Qi in his body surcharged the sword with even more energy and covered the entire weapon with electricity. This was one of the hidden attacks he often used to surprise the opponents and silently warn him that he wouldn''t hesitate to kill them.


    It had been years ever since he had used this attack, and even now, when he felt that his body was deteriorating, the attack was still powerful as before. But for some reason, the king''s vitality wasn''t as strong as it was in his youth. Drops of sweat appeared on his forehead just with one attack. The hand that was close to his chest with two fingers straight and others closed trembled, but he could only bite the bullet and endure.


    He couldn''t back away now when he could see the enemy before his eyes. Just then, a worried voice yelled from the courtroom. "Your Majesty, let me fight this man!"


    Prince Heath, who was silently observing from the side, finally decided that the king wasn''t wrong and thought of helping his brother while putting aside their differences. He could tell that the king''s strength had decreased with time, and Rhesus was on the verge of collapse. When he thought of the words the king said before the attack and how the black-cloaked man reacted, it didn''t take time for him to connect the dots and realize that they all had been fooled into fighting amongst each other.


    When he realized this, he wanted to charge against the enemy and kill him in one shot! That was why Prince Heath opened his mouth and asked the king about this.


    Rhesus spat blood and took a few deep breaths to gather strength to speak while attacking the black-cloaked man with his electrical sword. "I''m fine. This is due to my negligence, brother. I''ll deal with it no matter what!" He paused as if he remembered something and dodged the enemy''s attack before sending out an electrical attack with his sword. "I was the one who challenged the man, so I should be the one fighting him, not you!"


    The black-cloaked man''s lips moved, and a protective layer finally appeared before his body that blocked the spiritual attack.


    When Rhesus and others saw this, they were all shocked. They stared at the man with widened eyes. The king''s face turned pale when he realized that the man standing before him knew how to use spells to regulate the Qi and generate other attacks! He had thought that this man in black robes was an individual from a typical race, but if this person were using spells to fight back, the king was in grave danger!


    Only two races knew how to use spells to manipulate the Qi to attack their opponent: The elves and magicians. The king would rather die before believing that the elves had anything to do with this. Since ancient times, the elves had been born with spiritual energy flowing in their veins. They didn''t have to meditate for years like Dhampirs, who had to learn to charge their veins with spiritual energy.


    At present, the elf race had everything it needed: wealth and prestige. If the current Queen of the elves had asked him to surrender to her, he would have obliged her demands and collaborated with her. Rhesus knew that the elves were currently the superrace of the world and powerful enough to bring everyone to their feet just with a single spell.


    So there was no way the king would believe that this black-cloaked man was an elf because, from what he knew, this race would never use an underhanded technique to attack. They would instead charge at their enemies and kill them directly.


    And why even the elves would attack him? He had a good relationship with the Elf Queen. So he knew they would never do this to him.


    But the magician race was different. They were many wizards and witches who had already become extinct back when the world war had happened between humans and all the races. These people were said to be even more powerful than the elves, and they were able to overpower everyone just using threat. It was just that they had sided with the humans back then that led to their demise. This piece of history was known to everyone from all the races in this world.


    So when the king thought about it, he suddenly had a bad premonition in his heart. Did this black-cloaked man belong to the extinct magician race?

 Chapter 70 - Ready To Die?

    A shiver crawled up the king''s spine as he continued to stare at the man before him in horror. He took a step back as if he was scared even to take action against the man. If his deductions were correct, not only his race but the entire world was in trouble!


    According to what he remembered, there were a total of four wars that had happened from ancient times: Three world wars among humans and one among all the races. In the year 2021, the third world war had started that had created a mess for humans. The world was divided into many countries back then as humans had been scattered all across the planet. At that time, people from other races were also hidden among humans to keep their identities a secret. This was because several leaders of different races had surrendered to the humans for world peace.


    So whenever a world war happened among humans, every country would have its troops of people from different races. Things were so drastic that if two nations had an equal number of royal Dhampirs, the group would be forced to fight against each other just because they came under the nationality of a different country. It was because of such oppression that all the races were dissatisfied with the humans. But this came to an end when the third world war occurred.


    Back then, the humans fought against each other not only with high-grade weapons but also with technology. This was the primary reason why people from different races hated humans and their technology.


    Thankfully, the war ended in the year 2033, but billions of humans had died as a result. The remaining gathered at one place and formed a country only consisting of humans knowing they didn''t have the power to oppress other races anymore. They also feared that another world war would soon occur if they were to force other races under submission like before, and the humans didn''t have much power and energy for that. So they silently elected a king and lived secluded for a century.


    It was in the year 2133 that things got worse again, and the new king born of a prostitute went against different races. By then, the races had come together and formed their own countries where they could finally live like themselves. But when they noticed a certain human king wanting to seek death, they retaliated and fought back. This era of when the son of the prostitute became the king and initiated the war was so long that it was already 2236 when the war ended with the demise of humans.


    It was said that there was a certain warrior among humans who pleaded with other races and signed a contract to keep the remaining alive under the condition that they would all become slaves. That was how the humans, who were hated by all the races, became slaves of everyone. It has been over a century after the great war between humans and other races ended. The current year was 2337 where different races had established their own territories.


    Everyone had started to live in peace except for the magician race.


    Who knows why the magician race had decided to establish a relationship with a human king born from a prostitute, but they all hated the magician race altogether. It was a good thing that the entire race was destroyed during the war, and only humans were spared because of that contract. Otherwise, they would all have been doomed.


    Rhesus still remembered this story well because his father was the person who had participated in the war and had taught him when he was still young. It was a tragic thing that the previous Dhampir king had died at the hands of Rhesus when the latter became an adult. And how the king killed his family was a completely different story that involved a different level of scheming and manipulation. If his father weren''t killed by him back then, the previous Dhampir king would have lived for at least a hundred years.


    The only thing that remained the same even after the king changed was the contract with humans still in action.


    Rhesus frowned when he thought of world history.


    Did this black-cloaked man belong to the magician race? If yes, this could explain why this man was able to use spells as a protective shield. If not, this person belonged to some other race and had successfully learned how to use Qi to attack others using spells. This knowledge was only with the elves at present, and if someone else had obtained their scroll, then it could only mean one thing: someone had dared to steal information from the elves.


    He knew how protective the elves were of their power, so much so that they wouldn''t give anyone a chance to even ask about how they powered up and used spells to transform Qi into attacks. No one even knew about the words these elves spoke in the form of spells, and it was just a rumor that they used an ancient language that no one had heard of.


    Despite this, the king could only come to one conclusion that someone might have stolen the secret from the elves. He wanted to send a message to the Elf Queen to confirm this, but this damned black-cloaked man was becoming more and more aggressive!


    The man came forward with his spiritually charged sword and attacked the king again in a fast motion. This person didn''t seem to be tired no matter how much he moved on the ground. On the contrary, the king''s energy was depleting every time his sword collided with the protective shield of the black-cloaked man. Rhesus had thought that if he could keep attacking the shield, he would be able to generate a crack, but no matter how much he tried, the shield was unbreakable!


    His hand was still pressed to his chest in the same position, but his power had now drained to the point that only 5% was remaining within his veins. He knew he wouldn''t be able to use another attack. Blood seeped from the corner of his mouth as the king''s face paled.


    But when he saw the black-cloaked man''s lips moving, Rhesus gritted his teeth and raised his sword with difficulty. He didn''t know just what kind of attack this man was planning this time, but he wasn''t scared. He knew he was going to die when he had challenged the black-cloaked man to a deadly fight. But he still couldn''t help but tremble.


    As the black-cloaked man''s lips stopped, he threw his sword aside, and both of his palms glowed with energy balls surcharged with electrical energy. After that, the corners of his lips curved up to form an evil smile that sent a chill down the king''s spine. "Are you regretting it now?"


    The man''s voice was ethereal as he said this, but nothing about his expressions explained the word ''ethereal.'' His face twisted as he continued to smirk while staring deeply at the king''s pale face, and he said, "Ready to die, my dear king?"

 Chapter 71 - Hes A Beast!

    The king took a deep breath to control his trembling hands and squinted his eyes at the man standing before him. He knew he was going to die, so he might as well be prepared for it before the man could give him a big surprise.


    "I have one question. Can you answer it?" Rhesus finally asked the black-cloaked man who belonged to who knows which race. The man paused as the energy ball kept glowing on his palms. Just watching it made the aristocrats and Prince Heath tremble. How could someone manage to continue to keep the energy ball intact for so much time? Being a royal, Prince Heath knew that it was difficult to keep the energy ball skillfully on his palms for even a few seconds.


    Heath had water spiritual roots, so his energy ball was rather made out of water that would help him throw powerful attacks. He even had the power to convert water into ice to increase the vitality of his attack, but if someone asked him to keep the energy ball intact for several minutes and even listen to what others were saying, Heath wouldn''t be able to do it.


    This simple process was so difficult that it required a higher level of concentration just to keep the energy ball circling on the palms. At the same time, it was equally difficult to divide his focus to hear someone''s words. The fact that the black-cloaked man was actually doing this made his eyes widened. His face paled as he continued to watch the scene before his eyes.


    Just what kind of monster this black-cloaked man was?!


    Then he glanced at the king who was already on the verge of dying, and Heath gritted his teeth. What should he do? From what he had heard, he had realized that his brother was rather innocent. It was this black-cloaked man who had instigated everything and created such havoc in their kingdom to destroy everything altogether!


    Why?! Heath wanted to know, but more than that, he wanted to make it up to his elder brother who had already lost much of his energy. After taking a deep breath, the prince gripped the sword and squinted his eyes at the imposter as he got ready to jump any minute. He would save his brother no matter what!


    At this time, even Edda had woken up and walked inside the courtroom stealthily while observing the king and black-cloaked man. A frown crossed her forehead. After that, she glanced at the council members who poked their heads out and sneaked a glance outside at the king. Then she looked at the most reliable person standing inside the room: Prince Heath.


    She carefully scooted closer and asked, "Uncle, what''s going on?"


    This princess was the culprit who naively thought that the king was the reason why she couldn''t find her father, and so she rushed to the palace without thinking twice. But who could blame her? She had such evidence that would look authentic at first glance! Even Prince Heath had become delusional that Rhesus was the reason why things had been going wrong in the kingdom!


    When Heath thought about it, he couldn''t help but grimace and ignored the princess. He didn''t want to acknowledge such a stupid girl as his niece!


    She had brought trouble to the entire kingdom! If things would turn out right, which didn''t seem to be the case, he would make sure to punish Edda severely!


    After thinking of this, Heath took a deep breath and glanced at the scene outside. When the princess saw that no one was ready to answer her query, she silenced and looked toward the black-cloaked man with a frown on her face.


    Just then, they all heard the king uttering the words they were all curious about. "Who are you? Why did you do this to us?! We, Dhampirs, have never hurt other races and always maintained a good interpersonal relationship! Why do you want to destroy us sneakily like this?! Just what the heck is your purpose?"


    The black-cloaked man''s lips curved up. "You don''t have to think too much. I just love seeing the destruction."


    A chill crawled up Edda''s spine when she heard that voice. This was the first time she had heard him, and she was surprised to see that a soothing voice could speak such cruel words! And just what was the king talking about? Where was Princess Lia? She pursed her lips and glanced around only to find that everyone in the hall was holding their breaths as they continued to look at the black-cloaked man.


    Just then, they heard a voice of a familiar prince. "Your Majesty, move aside. Let me fight this man while you recuperate!"


    And without giving the king a chance to refute, Prince Heath instantly charged his sword with Qi and jumped right in front of the king. He stood before his brother in a protective stance, glaring at the black-cloaked man.


    "Heath!" The king was agitated as he looked at his younger brother with anxious eyes. "Don''t do this. You cannot fight this man! He''s a beast!"


    But Prince Heath ignored those words. He pushed the king back and said, "Dear brother, you should observe how I fight and protect the kingdom! You have to understand that you aren''t alone anymore!"


    Rhesus froze and stared at the prince before him for a long time as his eyes moistened. Long ago, when he had killed his elder brothers, he had never thought of apologizing or even remembering what he had done for the throne. But as time passed, the feeling of guilt kept rising in his heart, making him feel choked up. And now when his youngest brother uttered those words despite knowing what kind of person he was, he couldn''t help but feel a familiar emotion of regret rising in his heart that made his chest tighten up.


    Just why was he so ruthless? If Rhesus hadn''t been so greedy in his youth, perhaps the kingdom wouldn''t have ended up like this.


    While he was still thinking about his past in remorse, Prince Heath and the black-cloaked man got busy in an intense battle against each other. The former dodged the attack of an energy ball filled with electricity as he charged at the enemy with his sword. At the same time, he made several hand signs as a layer of frost appeared on the surface of his sword. And just like that, he attacked the black-cloaked man, who still didn''t have a sword at hand.

 Chapter 72 - Unconscious.....

    The king watched the fight with his eyes fixed on the two people standing in front of him. The black-cloaked man was throwing one ball of energy after another while his youngest brother continued to dodge time and time again. Sometimes, Heath would also hit the energy balls with his frost sword that would also lead to a crack on his sword.


    The black-cloaked man seemed to be powerful, and the smile on his lips made it seem like the fight wasn''t even worth his frown. It was as if the black-cloaked man was completely at ease when fighting against the prince, while the latter was starting to get exhausted. He wiped the sweat from his forehead as he stared at the imposter and gritted his teeth.


    No wonder why the king was on the verge of losing just now. This imposter was more powerful than he thought! Heath glared at the guy and finally decided to fight head-on. He charged at the man with the frost sword while dodging the electric balls one after another. Finally, when he reached the man and slashed his sword pointing at the imposter''s neck, it clashed with a protective layer.


    Sparks flew in the air.


    Heath looked at the scene in surprise. Just why? How was this black-cloaked man able to have so much Qi inside his body that he could hold onto the protective layer for such a long time?! This imposter was really a monster!


    For a moment, the prince froze as he continued to stare at the imposter''s face as a hint of fear flashed in his eyes. How would he be able to defeat this monster?


    Just when he was thinking about this, the imposter grinned and thrust the sword in Heath''s stomach.


    The expression on the prince''s face changed. When did this person take his sword back?! Wasn''t it thrown on the ground earlier?!


    The imposter seemed to know what the prince was thinking. So he twisted the sword, earning a painful and weak hiss from Heath, and smiled. "Dear Prince, I know a spell to call the sword anytime I want. Why did you think I threw it earlier in an ongoing battle?"


    Heath''s face went pale as a jolt of pain ran throughout his body. His limbs were paralyzed as he stared at the man in horror.


    Just when he thought the man would twist the sword again and thrust inside his chest to kill him off directly, a sudden wave of electric attack came out of nowhere that pointed at the black-cloaked man''s chest. The imposter''s smile vanished as the attack clashed with his protective shield. Then he turned to look at furious Rhesus, who was glare at the man with reddened eyes.


    "How dare you?!" The king stared at the black-cloaked man in fury. After that, he raised his sword and rushed at the man with all his power. In fact, Rhesus knew that he didn''t have more than 5% of power, and even the rest he had just now wasn''t enough to replenish his health, but how could he just sit back and see his youngest brother getting killed ruthlessly?! Rhesus knew that he was cruel as a youth, but he wasn''t that person anymore! He had changed.


    At this time, he wanted to protect the people he loved. Since he couldn''t save his son on time, he could only shift that feeling to the remaining family member in front of him. He had already sent away his daughter, who might survive out there, but he knew that this kingdom also needed a man from the royal family who could control the kingdom after Rhesus died, and to him, Heath Vanne was that person.


    So thinking like that, he started fighting. One after another, they both continued to attack each other with fierce spells until the last 5% of the king''s power was depleted. Rhesus fell on his knees in the end as blood seeped out of his mouth. He felt something blocking his throat that made him cough violently as he puked more blood on the ground.


    The fight was fierce, and he started to see stars before his eyes, but he didn''t regret it. He was at least able to save his youngest brother today. Why was he so cruel when younger? He didn''t know, but he had no energy to think in that direction. The vision in front of him blurred as he continued to stare blankly on the ground.


    The black-cloaked man didn''t attack anymore and looked down at the king without a smiling face. "I must say. You have greatly surprised me. I didn''t think you''d protect your brother."


    Rhesus sneered. "I guess I didn''t live up to your expectations." He coughed violently again and wiped the traces of blood that appeared on his mouth. "For¡­.For you to say these words, I''m sure you have heard of my past."


    The black-cloaked man didn''t say anything else but raised his leg to kick the king when a loud voice yelled all of a sudden. "You''re going to die today!"


    Heath couldn''t take it any longer. He used several hand signs and when he was finished, the black-cloaked man''s body froze. This time, the prince had used a hidden attack, which was to control the water inside the imposter''s body! This attack was forbidden and so dangerous that it could harm both the attacker and victim. It was because the attacker needed to be at his full strength to use this formation.


    But if the person had 95% energy, the spell would take energy from the attacker''s life force. Even though the life force had plenty of spiritual energy, it would still be dangerous if more than half were taken away. It could make the person unconscious, and in worse cases, the attacker could even die!


    But at this time, Heath had no choice but to risk his life and save the king. So he focused on creating havoc inside the black-cloaked man''s body. Soon, the man staggered back and fell to the ground. He seemed to have realized something was wrong as his lower lips trembled. But before anyone could see his face, he uttered some spell, and his entire body vanished into thin air. It almost felt as if this person wasn''t here in the first place.


    Heath puked blood and fell on his face, unconscious.

 Chapter 73 - What Happened?

    Martin, on the other side, didn''t know about the fight that was going on in front of the courtroom. He entered inside the boundary wall through a broken gate and rushed on the horse as fast as he could. All the senior soldiers followed behind him as their expressions became serious. They didn''t know what was going on, but since the princess had warned them to stop fighting and return, they would listen to her.


    It took several minutes for them to reach the court, and as soon as they did, the scene before their eyes made them all freeze. Martin''s eyes widened as he watched Rhesus and Prince Heath lying on the ground unconscious.


    What was going on? Just how did these two end up in such a condition? His glance swept past the pale faces of the officials and Princess Edda, who was still staring at the king unblinkingly from the courtroom, not willing to walk even a single step outside. Even the soldiers and his chief inside the courtroom were staring outside with pale faces.


    Martin darted his eyes back to the king and wounded prince. From what he could remember, the enemy soldiers still hadn''t come yet, and they were still fifteen minutes away! Who was it that came before Martin and created such havoc?!


    As he was still thinking, his gaze narrowed toward the king''s fingers that were still moving. Martin''s eyes widened as he got off the horse and dashed toward Rhesus. Whatever had happened could be considered later. For now, his primary focus was to take care of the king and make sure that nothing could harm him.


    Although he was thinking like this, the soldiers behind Martin didn''t move. The seniors squinted their eyes at the scene and exchanged glances. At a single glance, it could be said that the king and Prince Heath had fought fiercely to the degree that one of them went unconscious and another was on the verge of dying. An ordinary citizen who hadn''t witnessed the fight earlier would misunderstand things and go on blaming the king for nothing.


    But the experienced soldiers could tell that something was wrong. They could see the footprints of a person other than Lia and Edda who wasn''t around anymore. Still, the young and inexperienced guards who still didn''t understand anything continued to gossip amongst each other while blaming the king for his brutality.


    But at this time, the simple-minded Martin didn''t have anything to do with this. His mind was buzzing with only one word: Princess Lia had wanted him to protect the king, but he failed before he could even start! Just what should he do now? Martin really wanted to go back in time and fasten the pace of his horse to reach here sooner.


    He crouched on the ground and gently shook the king''s shoulders with moistened eyes. "Your Majesty¡­.What happened?"


    The king finally opened his eyes, but he couldn''t move. He felt as if he were a fish that was forced out of the water, and now he was out of breath. He could only speak one sentence before resting for eternity. His dry lips opened as he said, "Save Prince Heath. Go and find Princess Lia, and follow her to your death. That''s all I wish for."


    Rhesus was aware of the mistakes he made, and he knew it was too late to apologize to his daughter, whom he had neglected all her life, but at least he could make sure that she lived a pleasant life after he died. Yes, Rhesus was going to die, and he didn''t regret it. At the last moment, he had protected his brother from dying a gruesome death, and he knew that the attack on the stomach wasn''t deadly. So he could tell that Heath would survive.


    That was all he needed to do to make it up to his family. Now he felt like he could face his ancestors in the heavens with pride. At least, he did something to make up for his regretful actions in his youth.


    His eyes moistened when he thought of it, especially a familiar face of a young woman who had touched his heart in his youth. It was Prince Bradley''s birth mother and his eldest brother''s wife. Although he was responsible for her death, he still regretted it. But now, he could face her and his son with pride. He could tell them that he had changed for good.


    Martin, who was in a daze after listening to those words, didn''t hear anything else from the king. He shook Rhesus''s body more than once, but the king didn''t speak again. The latter''s eyes that had partially opened closed again as if he were sleeping, but Martin knew that those eyes would never open again!


    Teardrops finally dropped from his eyes. Why? Why was he so incompetent? When Martin was young, all he wanted to do was writing and reciting poetry. He was also fond of romantic stories and would read them all day long. But when he was forced to join the military, he hated his family, especially the king, for imposing such a rule that told every half-elf to become proficient in martial arts.


    But now, when he saw the king dying right before his eyes, his chest felt heavy with emotion. He didn''t want to admit to the fact that it was his laziness that had forced them all into such a situation. If only he were powerful enough, he would have saved everyone today.


    Not only did he fail to fight against the enemy, but he also couldn''t complete the mission that the princess had assigned! What was the use of his life when he couldn''t even do such a simple thing?!


    Tears continued to fall out of his eyes, but he didn''t bother wiping them. The soldiers behind him realized something had happened before they swiftly got off their horses and walked toward the king''s dead body. With just a glance, it was clear that Rhesus had died. The man''s lips were dry, and skin tone was pale. A pool of blood was already beneath the man''s mouth as if the king had just puked all the blood from his body. Sword was thrown on the side that had lost the touch of Qi.


    No one said a thing. They all stood there silently as a gust of wind passed through them that made their clothes flutter. All the officials inside the court still hadn''t woken up from the trance after witnessing a deadly fight between three people. The black-cloaked man was against two people and still couldn''t be overcome. If Prince Heath hadn''t used the forbidden attack back then, they were afraid that none of them would have stayed alive!

 Chapter 74 - Passed!

    Martin quickly wiped his tears and stood up before glancing at the unconscious Prince Heath. He could see a pool of sea beneath the prince''s body too, and there was a horrific injury on the man''s stomach, but it wasn''t at the center. The armor was covered in blood, and the lower right side was where the black-cloaked man had thrust the sword, leaving behind a wound that looked like it would kill the person on the spot.


    The worse thing was that Prince Heath had even used the forbidden attack to kick the black-cloaked man out of here. This, combined with the injury, had a significant impact on the man''s body that made him unconscious. To say that Heath had probably gone into a coma wouldn''t be an exaggeration.


    But at this time, Martin didn''t know that Heath''s condition was delicate. So he thought that as long as the prince''s main organs weren''t touched, that person should still be alive. Still, he grabbed Prince Heath''s body and was just about to enter the courtroom when a soldier approached him and said, "The enemies are closing in on us. What should we do?"


    Yes, the soldiers dressed in black robes were still approaching. How could he forget about them?! Martin gritted his teeth and said in an urgent voice, "Run. Everyone, escape! I''ll bring Prince Heath to safety." Then he glanced at the soldier who had brought him the news. "Ask the court officials what has happened here after we are safe."


    He didn''t know where the princess was at this time, but since this was the last request of his king, he would fulfill it. But what about the Vanne kingdom? What about the citizens who had just been evacuated before the war? Now that the king had died and even Prince Heath was injured, no one could take charge of the situation! He couldn''t trust Princess Edda at this point, who looked like she had just seen a ghost. Even the court officials and other soldiers inside were too frightened to speak a word.


    So would everything ultimately fall on his shoulders? He glanced inside the courtroom and found the Chief commander standing there with a pale face as Martin''s shoulders relaxed. There was still the chief! How could he forget the commander?


    Martin pursed his lips and forced himself to stay calm. He took a deep breath and glanced at the same soldier, and said, "Let us first go and meet up with the citizens who had evacuated. Then, we''ll think about what we should do."


    At this point, he didn''t know where the citizens were evacuated to, so he would give the seal back to the chief and let him handle everything from here on out. He was tired, and he just wanted to lie down and sleep. It had been a long day for him.


    But what should he do about Prince Heath? He hesitated and decided that the prince should stay back with the citizens. They still needed a leader who could give them hope that their hometown would be saved one day. After making this decision, he held the prince''s unconscious body with his arm and dragged the heavy Heath toward his horse.


    While they were heading over to the place where the remaining citizens of the Vanne kingdom were alive, Princess Lia and Zion were still on the road. They didn''t know what had transpired at the kingdom, nor did they know the Dhampirs had lost and were forced to escape. They were still silent as they kept thinking. Well, at least Lia was thinking in her mind, but Zion seemed to be talking with a specific chibi system, who was dead set on showing off his perverted side now when things had calmed down.


    "Can you move closer to her?" the system said while pointing his finger at Lia, who sat in front of Zion on the horse. His eyes glistened as he continued to stare at Lia''s back. It even seemed as if saliva dripped from the corner of his lips. "I cannot move the camera closer, and I want more!"


    Zion sneered. "Shameless system. Do you not have any conscience? We have just witnessed a war, and many people died. Yet, you want me to move closer to a girl. What are you? A pig?"


    The system pouted and shook his head before taking a deep breath as if he were trying to calm himself. A trace of guilt flashed in his eyes, and he sighed. "I know, host. I was trying to lighten up the mood."


    Right¡­..


    As if Zion would believe that. Before the system could utter any more nonsense, he opened his mouth and asked, "What''s the status?"


    "Oh, right!" The system''s mind was instantly distracted. "That''s what I wanted to tell you. Congratulations, host! You have successfully passed the first case with a 75% completion rate. You''ll get 100 points, out of which 82 will be deducted automatically for the temporary boosting power, identities, and the torch. Although you can''t keep the boosting power anymore, you can still have other things, including identities."


    "....no need." Zion didn''t think he would get a chance to change his identities with Lia wandering around him. "25% were deducted because we lost the kingdom, didn''t we?"


    The system pursed his lips and nodded. "It seems to be the case. Although I don''t know what exactly happened, Princess Lia and the king aren''t suspects anymore. Even though no one could catch the enemy, they still knew that the murderer wasn''t the princess nor the king. So you have passed the case."


    If it were before, Zion would have felt relieved after hearing that he had passed the case, but now, all he felt was regret and helplessness. Why was he so weak? If only his body were a little stronger, and if only he knew how to fight with a sword¡­.


    His eyes glanced toward the princess, and before he could think about it, he opened his mouth and asked her, "Can you teach me sword fighting?"


    Zion knew that the princess was powerful, and he had seen her ''playing'' with Edda earlier. So he was ready to make her his first teacher. He thought that she would agree, but-


    "No."


    It was a firm rejection that didn''t give him a chance to refute. Zion pursed his lips and asked, "Why?"


    "Because no human is allowed to fight," Lia said in a solemn voice. "It''s the rule. They aren''t allowed to learn how to fight."


    He rolled his eyes. "No one will know."


    Lia''s eyes narrowed. "Why do you want to learn anyway?"


    Zion was silent for a while and looked at the sky. The system had retreated into his mind when he had started talking to Lia, but he wasn''t focused on that. All the detective could think was how good it would be if he could stand on equal ground against his enemies. How good it would feel after saving millions of people with his strength, but for that, he needed to grow. He needed to become powerful. "I just want to save more people."


    Lia was stunned as the corners of her lips curved up. "I''ll think about it." This was the first human she had seen who was ready to risk his life for others, and she didn''t doubt him. If it were any other human, she would have doubted them, but this person was innocent and pure-hearted. She could tell. So perhaps she could trust him just a little.

 Chapter 75 - Learning How To Fight!

    That day, the system had finished his duties and wrote a 3000-word long report diligently before sending it back to his master in the heavens.


    Methuselah, whose name was so complicated that even in the heavens, people would call him Methu, sat in front of the screen while playing with the coin in his hand. It was made out of gold as an ancient God was carved on the surface. Methuselah''s attire today was different.


    He was finally wearing something presentable. His body was covered with a white-colored shirt, a belt around his waist, and breeches. He almost seemed like a pirate, and the only thing missing was a strange hat.


    But he wasn''t focused on his attire at this moment. His eyes squinted after reading the entire report before he leaned back on his seat. At this time, he was sitting inside a well-furnished room where several people sat in front of transparent screens while typing diligently on the keyboards made out of holograms.


    After reading the report, especially about a certain black-cloaked man, Methuselah frowned and closed the report. "Was I right? Is there really another system working to destroy my plans?"


    The worried master''s fingers stopped tossing the coin around as he instantly stood up and paced the room anxiously. Others saw his condition and exchanged glances. "Boss, what''re you worried about?"


    At this place, where many of Methuselah''s subordinates would work on software in different computing systems, they would usually call him boss. In contrast, the systems he created called him ''master'' just like 007. He had made many such systems, but 007 was dear to him since that little chibi thing was created after his own image. Of course, if he could just forget about the mishap that no one had identified until 007 attached to Zion, everything was good about that system.


    Now, when his dearest system was in a world filled with dangers, he couldn''t help but be worried. He would have to make a decision! After thinking like that, he pursed his lips and glanced at the guard standing at the door. "Go to the heavenly court with my message. I''ll write and give it to you."


    This time, the case was serious, and he would have to inform the Emperor and bring back the system for an upgrade. He would provide 007 with the utmost security to protect his and Zion''s life. He couldn''t just sit back and watch the world be destroyed in front of his eyes!


    And just like that, the system bid Zion goodbye for a month as soon as he got the message. At this time, they had stopped at the nearest village outside the Elf race''s kingdom. Even though this village was filled with elves, it still couldn''t be counted as a place inside the Elf kingdom, Viridis. If Zion knew Latin, he would have realized that this word''s meaning was green. How come people of Magicae knew Latin?


    But sadly, Zion still didn''t know that language. It wasn''t as if he was curious. When he had just joined the FBI, he wanted to learn it as soon as he got time, but he died even before he could finish filling up his bucket list.


    At this time, the detective had just woken up early in the morning when someone splashed a bucket of water on his face. This was the day after they finally stopped at this place. The princess told him the news that she was ready to teach him on one condition: He wasn''t allowed to showcase his skills, and even if Zion ended up fighting, he would have to disguise himself as another person, preferably as an elf if they were in the Viridis kingdom.


    But if Zion wanted to become her student, there were rules, and the first is to wake up before the sun rises. The modern detective, who was accustomed to waking up at 7 am according to his biological clock, was forced to endure the harshness of Princess Lia for the first time. He had indeed told her that he couldn''t wake up early, but she had reassured him that she would help jim. Still, it didn''t mean that Lia had to be so cruel!


    Even though it was summer, it was the middle of the night for him! Zion''s schedule was a mess when he was still alive in the previous world. He would stay up late solving cases and would sleep until noon every single day. Of course, things were different if he had college. And things had become even worse when he joined the FBI. He would literally sleep only for three hours everyday, and nap all day long on the weekends.


    So now when the princess woke him up at 4 am, he didn''t even feel like he had had enough sleep! The moment he felt cold water being splashed on his face brutally, he felt as if he was being electrocuted! He sucked a cold breath as he jolted up from his bed and glared at the princess who had just marched into his inn. They had just paid up for this inn last night, and it was already too late. He had thought this woman would leave him alone since it was the first training day.


    But who would have thought for Lia to march right inside his bedroom and dump cold water on his body?! Was that how a gentlewoman should treat a young man?!


    Before his glare could even turn fierce, Lia rolled her eyes and waved her hand. "No excuses. That glare isn''t going to work on me. It''s time to learn something, student."


    After saying that, she took the bucket and sprinted off, leaving a fuming detective behind. He inhaled and exhaled multiple times before he could calm himself. No girl had made him so angry before! He should just treat her like a temporary anchor and find a way to leave her clutches.


    When he thought of how all the humans were slaves of other races, and it was even a compulsion, the feeling of helplessness bubbled up in his heart. His shoulders dropped as he pursed his lips. For now, he couldn''t go anywhere else since Lia was the only person who had been giving him so much freedom. If he were to find another master, who knows what they would force him to do? Just thinking about it sent a shiver down his spine.


    He took a deep breath and walked toward the bathroom to get ready. This world was strange. Even though technology collapsed, some things from the human era were still prevalent, such as washrooms and flushing systems.


    Half an hour later, he found himself standing right in front of Lia in a vacant field. She had booked this earlier by paying a pocket full of gold coins. Yes, this world''s financial aspect was being carried on with the help of gold coins with an ancient God''s carving, and it was used in every kingdom.


    So after they both stood face to face, Lia threw a wooden sword at him that he failed to catch, and it dropped on the ground.


    "Here. Let''s start with the basics." Then he saw Lia walking a few steps toward him before looking up at him lazily. "C''mon. Hit me."

 Chapter 76 - His Hectic Schedule

    "....why?" Zion tilted his head.


    "I want to see your skills."


    "But you don''t have a sword." Zion thought if he were to fight a girl, both sides should be standing on equal grounds. To be honest, he wasn''t wrong to think like that, but Lia was very proud of her skills. She was so confident that she knew she could defeat Zion without even batting an eyelash.


    Her eyes squinted as she stared at the man for a moment and snorted. "Defeat me without a sword, then I''ll think about it."


    What else could Zion say? He pursed his lips and picked up the wooden sword before he walked slowly. He still didn''t know what he should do, but since he already had hands-on experience while fighting that assassin, he still had basic skills. In his own world, he had joined defense classes where they had taught him how to defend himself from any attack. It was just that the martial arts used in his world were nearly 5% of what he had seen after coming to Magicae.


    That was why it made it impossible for him to fight against basically anyone here. So now that he stood at the center of an open ground surrounded by trees, he stared blankly at the princess standing in front of him in a fighting stance. His lips pressed in a thin line as he raised his sword. This girl hadn''t even attacked him yet, so he didn''t dare to go all out as he had with the assassin.


    He sighed and slashed the sword toward the girl weakly, but she caught it without any delay and threw it on the ground before looking at the human in front of her with cold eyes. "Is that how you will attack an enemy?"


    Zion scratched his head awkwardly. "I really don''t want to attack you. It''s like, you have not harmed me yet, so why should I unnecessarily pick up the weapon against you? Even if it''s for learning, I can''t really harm anyone without any reason. You get it, right?"


    In his world, people wouldn''t pick up weapons and fight just anyone. It was against the law that allowed everyone to live without a trace of violence in their minds. Zion was the same even after he joined the FBI. When in danger, he would just use his mind to save himself instead of picking up weapons. Finding weapons would be the last thing on his mind if he were to be left alone in a dangerous situation.


    Lia squinted her eyes, and the corners of her lips curved up. "So that''s why. Then, I should attack you for real."


    After saying that, Zion didn''t even get a chance at taking his weapon back when the princess rushed at him. Her body flashed across the field and stopped right in front of him. He just blinked when the girl appeared before his eyes as she smiled, and her hands stopped at his neck as if she were about to chop his head off right this instant.


    Zion''s heart leaped up as he stared at her in a daze. Why did he ask her to attack him? Could he even think of a possible counterattack? If he had known she would be way faster than that assassin he fought earlier, he wouldn''t have asked her to attack first! He pursed his lips and backed up a few steps. Even though Lia was shorter than him, he couldn''t take her for granted. He was already her slave, and if he were to do something to irritate her, she would chop off his head for real!


    Meanwhile, Lia was enjoying the dumbfounded expressions on her servant''s face. She backed away and said, "Now, do you really want me to fight?"


    Zion shook his head and took his sword with a serious face, and charged at her.


    ***


    Fifteen days passed by just like that, and the detective''s life became even more disastrous. Since he would be woken up with a bucket of cold water every morning, he had to force himself to sleep early at night. Just as he would freshen up, he would practice with Lia for the entire morning without any food or water. At noon, she would take his test about the recent fighting style that she taught. If he were to fail to live up to her expectations, she wouldn''t even let him have his lunch and force him to continue to practice.


    The more Zion went hungry like that, the more careful he became when practicing his skills to the point that he wasn''t showing any chance to produce error in his sword-fighting formation and style after fifteen days. Then, he would take a break until the evening when Lia would teach him a new skill. If he hadn''t passed the noon''s test, she would make him practice until dinner.


    It had been fifteen days since he was going through such a hectic schedule, and yet, Lia hadn''t picked up the sword. His sword wasn''t even able to touch her hair! In the morning, he wiped his forehead as he angrily looked at her and said, "You''re doing this deliberately, aren''t you?"


    Lia shrugged and folded her hands on her chest, looking arrogant. "You wanted to learn from me, and I had warned you earlier that I would be strict."


    Zion''s eyes went gloomy, and he raised his sword again. It was earlier in the morning, and he was hungry, but the rule said that he would have to practice until noon and give an exam before he could get something to eat. He took a deep breath and was just about to charge at the princess when the girl stopped him.


    "Let''s take a break today."


    "Really?" The detective was skeptical. The girl who wasn''t giving him a chance to rest peacefully suddenly said they would take a break today. It had been an hour since he had started practicing with the sword. He squinted his eyes at her and said, "I don''t seem to understand why you would want to take a break today."


    "Let''s go somewhere. It''s been half a month, and we still don''t know anything about what happened in the Vanne Kingdom." She said and walked toward the inn. "Don''t tell me you aren''t curious."


    Of course, he was curious. He wanted to know what happened to the black-cloaked man and whether the king was still alive or not. So he said nothing and lowered the wooden sword as he followed the princess.

 Chapter 77 - What Happened To Them?

    After leaving the inn and the open ground, Lia and Zion walked on the street filled with elves. Most kids with shiny green eyes and white hair were wandering around with their parents having similar hair color. Rare of them had blonde, yellow, and pinkish hair mixed with a tint of white. Some of these kids were crying with beads of tears dropping from their eyes while they pointed at a particular shop filled with chocolates. A few couples were entering a shop with ancient Chinese dresses hung at the top of the ceiling within the shop. Many mannequins were placed inside right in front of the glass wall.


    At this time, Lia entered a restaurant followed by Zion, who acted as a perfect servant while bowing his head. None of the passersby cared to glance over at him. For others, humans were an invisible, worthless existence that should be ignored. No one would think highly of a human being, and it was expected for them to be slaves. Since Zion knew about this, he didn''t dare to act otherwise and continued to lower his head throughout his journey.


    He could see humans, but they weren''t allowed to walk down the street like other elves. They were instead cleaning floors in several shops. These humans would always get the lowest grade of work. Zion pursed his lips, seeing that.


    Finally, the two of them sat at a table. When the detective took a seat in front of the princess, almost all of the guests eating food inside paused their actions and stared at the human in shock. There was a human who dared to sit with their master! How rare!


    They were ready to watch the show of how a master would scold his human servant for such a small thing, but unfortunately for them, Lia just smiled and called the waiter.


    Zion felt everyone''s gaze, and he closed his eyes. That was a small mistake on his part. He shouldn''t have sat down with his ''master'' on the same table. How could he forget that he was also a human who should have been mistreated in this world? But when he glanced at Lia, who didn''t care about those gazes, his shoulders relaxed, but he still kept his head lowered.


    "Bring tea for my servant and me," Lia said as soon as the waiter came and waved her hand.


    The waiter, an average elf man with a thin body and white hair, looked dumbfounded at the princess. No master has ever ended up providing their servants with so much facility. All the humans were supposed to follow the rules, including waiting for the master even to eat their food. They were slaves, so this was a common occurrence in this world.


    But when this waiter saw the princess treating her servant in such an elegant manner, surprise flashed in his eyes. Other humans wiping the tables and floor stopped their work and glanced at Zion with envious eyes. They had never expected to see a day when a slave would receive so much respect!


    The princess finally couldn''t take it anymore and cleared her throat. The waiter glanced at her and scratched his head awkwardly. "I apologize for our misconduct." Then he glanced at the human workers and glared at each of them. "Get back to work!"


    Lia didn''t say anything and stared at the man with cold eyes. This village was on the outskirts of the Viridis Kingdom, so the residents here were accustomed to seeing people from other races, especially the Dhampirs, wandering around the town.


    The waiter finally went back to his work and came back five minutes later with two cups filled with tea. The entire time, Zion acted like an obedient slave and refused even to raise his head. He didn''t even touch the tea handle and take a sip. Since he was aware that the humans who acted on their own accord were treated as unique species, he dared not to serve as someone exceptional. He had to act low in case he ended up attracting the attention of the criminals like in the previous case.


    Lia saw the human''s action and rolled her eyes. "You can have the tea, servant." She specifically pressed onto the word servant.


    Only then Zion raised his hand to drink tea from the cup.


    While they were drinking, Lia took a sip and stopped the waiter again. "Why aren''t any Dhampirs around here anymore? The last time I traveled here, I could still see at least a dozen of them in this restaurant. But today, no one is here. Why?"


    Although she knew why the Dhampirs weren''t here, she felt acting like a traveler was the best way to ask about what happened to the kingdom after she and her servant left. Come to think of it¡ªshe still hadn''t asked him his name. She briefly glanced at the human who was drinking quietly and turned back to the waiter. She would remember to ask him about this later.


    The waiter heard her words, and a trace of sympathy flashed in his eyes. "You must be a traveler, so you don''t know. Something major happened in the Vanne kingdom. I really feel pity for those still alive."


    "What happened to them?" Lia feigned an expression of shock and said, "I have been traveling for almost a year and was just going to return."


    "No!" The waiter got anxious in an instant. "Don''t go. Would you please keep traveling or settle in some other place? You are always welcome in our Viridis Kingdom! Our queen has been very compassionate to Dhampirs. It''s better to stay far away from the Dhampir kingdom!"


    "Why?" Lia squinted her eyes.


    "It happened about ten days ago. Suddenly, a Dhampir messenger came here, all injured. He had his arms and stomach wrapped up in a bandaid. As soon as he arrived, the chief of this village came forward to receive him, and we got the most shocking news of all!" The waiter lowered his voice while glancing left and right. "The Dhampir king, Rhesus Vanne, is dead in an attempt to save the kingdom from an enemy who suddenly declared war! Prince Heath is still in a coma while they''re tending to his wounds, and his son is missing. Princess Edda is in shock, while the elder princess is also missing. The remaining surviving Dhampirs and a few humans are staying in the outskirts of the kingdom. The worst thing is that the citizens who weren''t able to escape were killed on the spot by the enemy! The black robbed soldiers are scattered all around the kingdom, and they are still on a killing spree!"

 Chapter 78 - How Did He Die?

    There was a reason why none of the elves identified Lia as a princess. Since she never showed her face to anyone whenever the elves would visit the Vanne Kingdom, none of them knew what the only daughter of the late king looked like.


    So Lia continued to pretend as if she wasn''t aware of the war. But when she heard about her father''s death, her breath stopped. The cup slid down her hands and broke on the ground as the liquid spread on the surface.


    Zion, who was still sipping his drink, stopped for a second as he glanced at the princess''s expressionless face before putting the cup down. It didn''t seem reasonable if he continued to drink his tea when his master had stopped.


    After a long time, Lia recovered her voice, but her face was still cold. "The king died?" She asked this question as if she couldn''t believe what she heard just now.


    Her voice had a touch of hoarseness that made it sound as if she was being rude, but the waiter didn''t mind. He just assumed that this traveler''s family must be in danger. So he didn''t overthink about how Lia was acting as a hint of sympathy flashed across his eyes again. He ordered a human servant to clean up and said, "I''ll bring another cup. It''s in the house. You don''t have to pay."


    "How did he die?" Lia''s voice finally returned to normal, but her eyes were colder than before.


    Zion averted his eyes and continued to look down. He had assumed this kind of thing to happen when the system had brought him the news about a 75% completion rate. So he wasn''t as surprised as the princess, but he still felt bad for those citizens who were killed without any consideration. There must be a reason why those black-robbed soldiers were still on a killing spree. When he thought of that, his eyes squinted.


    The waiter, on the other side, started answering the question. "The messenger told the chief about how Princess Edda and other officials still alive were standing pale-faced for a long time. Even after reaching the safe zone, they were still trembling in fright. After waiting for a long time, they all uttered one sentence


    : Prince Heath risked his life to save them all from a monster."


    "Monster¡­." The princess repeated the last word, and her eyes squinted. "Thank you. I''ll be taking my leave."


    Zion instantly got up while still keeping his head lowered and walked away as he followed Princess Lia outside. After walking for a while, Lia crossed the inn where they were staying, but she still strolled. The detective felt something was wrong with her. So he glanced in his surrounding area, and when he noticed that they were in the forest without any living soul around, he picked up his pace and stopped in front of her.


    Lia was surprised to find her human servant stopping her, and she blinked as if she just woke up from a daze before letting out a weak chuckle. It almost felt as if she understood why Zion stopped her, and for a moment, a trace of warmth engulfed her heart. "Don''t worry. I''m good. I have already forgotten my old man. Let''s go back to practicing."


    And after saying that, she turned and walked back to the village.


    Zion stood there for a moment and suddenly missed the system''s presence. If 007 were still here, he would have chatted with that stupid system. It would have given him a little relief that could provide him with ample opportunity to think more about what was happening in the Vanne Kingdom. But now, he was forced to watch the helpless and almost depressed princess to the point that even after doing her best to hide her expressions, Lia''s emotions still leaked through her eyes.


    He felt uncomfortable after watching her behave like that. After all these days of training, he had become accustomed to seeing her ruthless face. But now, when he saw Lia''s expressions, he felt a trace of sympathy for the master and temporarily forgave her for throwing water at his face every morning.


    But this kind of thought only swirled in his head until they reached the inn and went to the open field for their daily practice. She threw the wooden sword at him that rolled down on his feet. The emotion of helplessness and depression disappeared from her face. Instead, a trace of iciness flashed in her eyes as her expressions became colder than before. It seemed as if she was glaring at him for making her angry, and he didn''t even know what she was mad about.


    But before he could even say a single word, she took out another wooden sword that was dangling on her waist. Zion''s eyebrows raised in surprise. Just when did she find another sword?


    After taking it out, she said in an icy cold voice, "Attack me. Be as fierce as you can."


    "But weren''t you supposed to let me defeat you first before you can use the wooden sword on me?"


    "I have changed my mind. Now attack me!"


    ***


    By the time night arrived, Zion was already beaten black and blue. He now realized the reason why it was said that no one could understand women. It was incomprehensible to see how a girl''s mood transformed from depressed to anger in the blink of an eye. At this time, he was lying on the ground, both injured and hungry, as he squinted his eyes at the princess, who finally put the sword back on her waist before sparing a glance at him.


    She hesitated as she picked out a brown colored pouch that looked like it was ancient. Then she threw it in front of Zion''s body lying on the ground. "The medicine to heal your wounds. Good night."


    Without even asking if he needed help, she walked away.


    Zion rubbed his face and pulled his body up. He didn''t hate the princess for treating him as a punching bag today. He knew her father had just died so that he would endure his anger for once, but if something like that happened again, he would retaliate! After thinking like this, he picked up the pouch and staggered toward the inn while flinching on the way because of pain.

 Chapter 79 - Candies!

    ***WARNING***


    Nope. No smut scenes, but a warning. This arc contains a case of a psychopathic murderer who kills children. So I was just warning you guys, that''s all.


    Now enjoy.


    ***


    While Zion was going back to the inn and applying medicine to his wound, something unexpected happened in the village. An adult wearing a silver colored mask approached a child when all the shops were closed. This kid accidentally came out of the house to fetch his playing ball that had fallen outside the window. The man gave the kid the candy and said softly, "Do you want more?"


    The child put the candy in his mouth as the sweet taste spread across his tongue that sent a warmth in his heart. He excitedly nodded while sucking juice from the piece of candy.


    The man wearing a silver mask smiled. Only his lips could be seen at this time, and his smile felt like he was a father who was talking to his child. His voice had a touch of compassion that could make others feel like he loved children.


    "Come with me. Uncle will give you a lot of candies." The man held out his hand in front of the child as he stood up, staring with a touch of affection in his eyes. There was also a trace of another feeling hidden deeply, but the man covered it up carefully. He pressed his lips to hide his turbulent emotion before blinking and staring at the child. It seemed as if a trace of another emotion that flashed in his eyes just now was merely a hallucination.


    The kid looked at the hand while still sucking the candy and glanced at the man''s face hidden behind the mask. He was curious about the mask earlier, but he didn''t dare to ask about it. Now when he heard the man''s voice that seemed to coax him, he smiled innocently as dimples appeared on his face. He placed his hands on the man''s palms and tilted his head. His pinkish hair with highlights of white waved as a gust of wind passed through them. "I want more candy!"


    Even though this child''s mother had told him not to trust a stranger, he scoffed. Why would his mother think like that? The uncle in front of him was so good and even talked like a gentleman. The uncle even had an unlimited supply of candies! But there was one thing he was curious about.


    "Uncle, can I ask you a question?" The kid asked as they continued to walk on the street. Since it was late evening, darkness spread around the place. Almost every citizen was inside their houses, so none of them knew that a kid from their locality was holding the hands of a stranger while walking to an unknown destination.


    The man smiled and looked down affectionately. His green eyes flashed as he said, "Ask away."


    "Why do you wear a mask?"


    The man''s smile vanished as the hand that kept holding the child started sweating nervously. It almost seemed as if this question had invoked a specific memory in the man''s mind that made him nervous. But this didn''t last long. He took a deep breath before he could recover the smiling face again. He took the child to a dark alley.


    The kid finally seemed to realize something was off. He frowned and pulled out his hand. Since the man''s hand had become sweaty, it became easier for the kid to snatch his hand back. He glanced at the man with a trace of fear in his eyes. "Uncle, where are you taking me? This place is so dark. I''m scared!"


    The man ignored the sentence and squatted down before him, and caressed the child''s head affectionately. "You asked me a question just now about my mask. Are you still curious?"


    When he saw the child nodding at his words, the man''s lips pursed. He raised his hand all of a sudden and hit the child''s neck with force. The latter''s eyes widened as a jolt of pain appeared on his neck before he went unconscious.


    The man stroked the kid''s fair cheeks and whispered, "Oh child, I wish you were my kid, but sadly, you had to see this day. I''m reluctant to do this, but¡­." He paused and sighed as if he couldn''t think about it anymore and said, "I tried to make you smile before your end. As for your question, I don''t want anyone to see my face. I really don''t want to reveal that a person like me can commit such a heinous act in the middle of the night." He shook his head as he carried the child in his arms while patting the kid''s back. It seemed as if he really were the little one''s father. "I wish I didn''t have to do this but sigh. I''m myself caught in a dilemma. Will you forgive me? I''ll burn paper money in front of your grave."


    The child was still unconscious as if asleep. After a while, it seemed the silence was eating the man alive. So the latter glanced at the sleeping face of the child as his eyes softened. "You''re so innocent. I really don''t have the heart to do this." He sighed and glanced at the moon. "Would you like to hear a song?"


    Then, without waiting for a reply, the man started humming an old folk song as if he were putting up the child to sleep.


    ***


    Zion had no idea that a strange man was habitual of showing affection to the children before abducting them like this. He woke up as usual, and the princess splashed water over his face early in the morning. After that, he went to practice until noon before taking the test. Surprisingly, he passed the test with top marks, and he even earned Lia''s nod, which was as good as praise.


    So Zion was in a good mood the entire time when he and Lia went back to the inn and walked downstairs to have a meal.


    Just as they sat at the table and ordered some food, they heard a guest elf on a table beside them speaking.


    "An extra kid died this week," a man said as he sighed.


    "Again?" Another person sitting before him spoke up in shock. They both were young and were also waiting for the waiter to come and serve them food.


    Zion''s ears perked up at that. He focused on two things at this time: the death of an extra kid this week and the word ''again.'' It seemed someone had committed a crime last night, and it also wasn''t the first murder!

 Chapter 80 - The Murders....

    The first man had a scar across his face as if he had fought with someone a few days ago. That man gave off a feeling that he was a local criminal. But at this moment, he sighed and had a trace of sympathy in his eyes. "I didn''t think the murderer would end up killing another child in a single night. The authorities have recovered three bodies tonight."


    The youth in front of the man with the scar shook his head. "Don''t you think the murders have increased lately? The first time something like this had happened, it had created havoc! Women had stopped sending their children to schools for fear of encountering the madman!"


    The man with the scar scoffed. "If I had a kid, I would also behave the same. After all, why would anyone want their kid to go outside with a crazy murder wandering about?"


    They were both silent as Zion''s frown deepened. To say that he wasn''t curious would be a false statement. He was so interested that he was on the verge of getting up from his seat and asking those youths about this murder.


    Lia observed her human servant''s expressions that darted toward the men who gossipped about the murder and sighed. She got up and went toward those men and sat on the third seat. In front of her were a round table and two men who stared at her in surprise. She coughed awkwardly and said, "Murder of a child? What were you talking about? I apologise that I overheard your words, but I''m curious. Is something happening in this village?"


    The men saw that this girl belonged to the Dhampir race, and a trace of sympathy flashed in their eyes again. They had all heard about what had happened to the Vanne Kingdom, so they especially thought that the woman in front of them was pitiful. So they just exchanged glances and decided to tell her everything. "It all started about a year ago. A child''s dead body was found at the bank of the Yala River a few miles away from here. It seemed like the dead body came with the flow of water. No one knew whose body it was, but the condition of that child was terrible. There were traces of injuries on the child''s chest as if someone had brutally murdered the little one by slashing a sword against the kid."


    "Did you forget about the neck?" The youth asked all of a sudden.


    The scarred man thought for a while and nodded. "Yes. It seemed like the kid was also strangled to death and then was slashed with a sword against his chest. It was crazy, and the kid''s parents belonged to the capital city of this kingdom. They cried so much, and went to higher-ups, even approaching the Queen to make an appeal. Sadly, the murderer left no traces behind and vanished in thin air for a few days. The case closed with no leads, and the court officials decided to wait and see."


    "As a result¡­." The youth spoke when he saw the scarred man pausing. "Another child was murdered, and this time, the intensity of sword injury doubled. Although the child didn''t have a neck injury, it seemed that he was slashed to death! His body was also found in the same river. And one after another, murders continued to occur four times a month. People started to call that place a river of death."


    Lia frowned, and Zion opened his mouth as if to ask something, but closed it again. He was a human, and he didn''t have the authority to speak anything. But it seemed Lia was also thinking the same thing as him. "Then why did you say there was an increase in murder? And it has already been a year. They haven''t caught the murderer yet?"


    "Well¡­." The two men exchanged glances and sighed in sync. "Since two months ago, the murderer seemed to be on a killing spree. He started killing eight children a week!"


    The youth said again, "The reason why we were surprised today was that it was already the ninth case this week. None of us expected his killings to increase all of a sudden."


    Just when they were discussing this, a drum sounded from outside. Almost everyone stopped what they were doing and instantly rushed there. Lia and Zion glanced at each other and followed them.


    There was a man with a drum hanging on his neck. The elf had white hair that seemed similar to others. When he saw that everyone had appeared, he expressionlessly opened his mouth and said, "The village chief has left a message and a warning. Since the children''s murders have increased, the authority has decided to put up a lockdown during nights. No child is allowed to wander about alone. If a child is found alone, his parents will be punished. If anyone other than the kid is found, they will be locked up in the cell for three months."


    After saying that, he beat the drum three times before repeating the message again. Then he walked away expressionlessly with a row of elf soldiers behind him. They were all wearing dark green robes with sleeves fluttering in the wind as they carried swords on their waists.


    At the same time, Zion grabbed the princess by her hand and brought her to a secluded place. He said with a serious expression on his face, "Go to the village chief and tell him that you want to solve this case."


    "Why would I do that?" Even though Lia was interested in the situation here, she didn''t want to invest her energy into something that wasn''t connected to her. She didn''t even stay behind to help her father. Why should she even help the elves whom she didn''t like? She had a reason to hate them, and she didn''t want to think about it. So she took a deep breath and glanced at her human servant coldly. "I won''t go. You have to practice sword fighting skills."


    Just as she was about to walk away, she heard Zion''s voice again that made her stop in her tracks. "Are you going to ignore it just like that? Have a conscience, will you? Children are dying, and I have skills to help solve the case, but you''re saying we should sit back and see the murder occur." Zion paused and glared at her. "And you say humans are bad. Here, all I can see is how a Dhampir princess is ignoring such a heinous crime. I say humans are better than you."


    This was a firm declaration of war against a certain Dhampir princess. His words meant that he, as a human, was higher than Lia just because he had a conscience in his heart and wanted to save the elf children.


    Sure enough. Lia turned back and glared at him fiercely.

 Chapter 81 - The Village Chief

    Zion had thought that she would lash out at him for saying such provocative words, but she only stood there with her expressions fiercer than ever. Her cold eyes stared down at him unblinkingly as if telling him that if she weren''t considering him as a useful person, he would have died many times already. He pursed his lips and opened his mouth to say something. Just then, Lia raised her hands and said, "Not a word. You''re going to be silent. If you open your damned mouth again, I''ll make sure to chop off your tongue and grind it!"


    He imagined that kind of scene and shut his mouth. His tongue was essential to him, so he didn''t dare to say anything anymore.


    By the looks of it, Lia seemed to be holding herself back as she turned around and picked up the wooden sword, and said in a harsh voice, "Let''s go. We''re having a meeting with the village chief."


    Zion''s lips pressed in a thin line as the two of them walked down the street. It seemed that his remark, this time, pissed her off a lot. But what else could he do? If he hadn''t said those words to her, he feared that she would stand by and let the kids die one after another. From the entire Viridis Kingdom, almost a hundred children had died and ended up floating to the banks of the river. And now that the murderer arrived in the current village, he feared that things might go out of hand soon.


    To be honest, he wasn''t even from this world, so he shouldn''t be so invested in the cases that weren''t assigned by his system, but he couldn''t just sit back and let the crime happen! It went against his morals, and he hated psychopaths. He still remembered vividly how he had ended up dying, burning to death in an explosion due to one such psychopath in his previous life.


    After hearing the details about the case, he could tell that it might be the work of another serial killer who was out there to vent his anger. Zion wanted to catch that person and make up for how he had died in the past life.


    Soon, the two of them silently reached the village chief''s place. Zion looked up to find a magnificent three-story house that was decorated with flowers. A garland hung at the main gate that had an arched opening. Two elf guards stood on either side of the gate, watching Zion and Lia with icy stares.


    Just as the princess and a particular human servant walked toward the gate, the two guards pulled up their spears and glared at the girl. "You aren''t allowed to enter until you have an appointment."


    "Do you know who you''re talking to?" Lia was pissed off now. Zion''s remark earlier made her so angry that she wanted to beat the man until he would be unconscious, but she suppressed her anger and decided to meet this chief thinking she should at least try to show Zion that she could still fulfil his wish, and she wasn''t as terrible of a person.


    But now, when they were here, these guards were stopping her! They dared to do this despite knowing she was a Dhampirs? Didn''t they all love to entertain her people and respected the residents of the Vanne Kingdom? What happened to that so-called respect now?


    ''What a bunch of hypocrites!'' Lia thought and sneered.


    "Even if you were the princess, we still wouldn''t allow you to enter for official reasons," the guards said in a serious tone as if he belonged to the righteous faction. "The crime rate in our kingdom has increased to the point that the village chief can''t even sleep. So we request you to approach the official route by applying for the appointment from the court. His time is precious for all of us."


    Lia''s face turned red in anger as she stared at the guards with a furious gaze. "Really? Well, and here I thought I might help the village chief by lending him a hand! But it turns out he doesn''t even need one!" She glared at the two guards and turned around before glaring at her human servant and walking away.


    Zion stood dumbfounded for a moment before anxiously following Lia. How could the princess leave just like that? Weren''t they supposed to meet the chief? He didn''t want to repeat the mistakes from his previous case. Back then, he hadn''t thought of actually becoming an official detective and just stayed in the shadows. But by doing that, he attracted the attention of that black-cloaked man faster than ever. So this time, he didn''t want to take a chance and ask Lia to become an official detective.


    Of course, he knew that this princess might not have deduction skills, but he was willing to work in the dark and let her take away all the credit! If something happened, the one who would be facing the enemy head-on and fighting them would be Lia. Although he felt bad for using the princess like this, she was more powerful than him. So he was confident that she could kill a hundred of the assassins like the one he had encountered in the previous case.


    But now, when she observed her expressions that spoke of fury and anger, he shut his mouth. He should wait for half a day and let her calm down before saying something.


    From the three-story building, an old elf walked out and headed toward the gate as he observed Lia''s back with squinted eyes before turning toward the guard. "They didn''t argue?"


    The guards shook their heads, and one of them said, "The girl said a thing or two before going back."


    The village chief sighed in relief. "Don''t let anyone enter, and keep an eye on these two. Since the murder has increased, I fear that people might come at me and revolt. So it''s better to keep everyone away and monitor the suspected ones."


    The guards nodded in understanding. When the murder had occurred, many people had come marching down the main hall of the chief''s house and blamed the old man for not having tight security. Things had gone out of hand, and the guards had to use weapons against the villagers. So they really didn''t want to repeat the scene from earlier, and the chief decided not to meet anyone until the murderer is caught.

 Chapter 82 - The Twins....

    On the other side, Zion could feel the princess''s murderous aura expanding to the point that a hint of suffocation pressing onto his throat. He gulped and kept a steady distance while walking. He couldn''t help but feel that she might end up lashing out at him any minute. He wasn''t even able to defeat her barehanded. Now that she was in a fury, he didn''t know just how much she would beat him up!


    It was way too embarrassing to be beaten up by a girl who was shorter than him!


    But it seemed that Lia finally wanted to vent a little.


    "It was all your fault." Lia didn''t glare at him, but he could tell how angry she looked right now. "You wanted me to have a conscience, but the other person isn''t ready to accept my kindness! They''re just hypocrites who don''t know how to respect others! Let their kids die! I don''t care!"


    Zion parted his lips and closed them without saying a single word. He knew it would be useless to argue with Lia at this point. She wasn''t ready to listen.


    But Lia was still in a fury and wanted to blame her servant for making her so angry. "You know what? We better leave this village as soon as possible lest you want to solve this murder case. You have to remember that you''re my servant. SERVANT! So act like one! Do you even know what it means?" Lia paused and turned around to glare at him that made him hold his breath while staring at her. She pointed her finger at his chest and said, "You have to listen to everything I say. And if I said I want to have nothing to do with the elves, you will have to follow whether you like it or not! If you don''t like my decision, then go die!"


    "Why do you hate elves so much?" Zion finally couldn''t help it, and he spoke up.


    He watched Lia''s finger that was pointed at him stiffening as if she froze after hearing his words. A trace of some emotion appeared on her face that he couldn''t understand because it went away instantly, and Lia closed her eyes as she took a few deep breaths as if calming herself down. Then she opened her eyes to stare at him coldly. "Don''t ever ask me that question. You hear me?"


    Zion stood there watching her turn around and leave in fury as he squinted his eyes. Something might have happened between the elves and Lia for her to hate them to this point. She wasn''t even ready to show compassion to the elves.


    Just what kind of things did Lia have to face to become like this?


    Zion silently walked toward the inn and stayed holed up in his room for the entire day. He knew that if he were to practice his sword skills today, he would be beaten black and blue again. His previous injuries still weren''t healed yet!


    ***


    At night, the man with the silver mask came to this village again and wasn''t surprised in the least after seeing the empty roads. Before, he would always see a few more children and elders walking down the street every night at this time, but today, things were different. Not even an animal could be seen here. It was so silent that the man could hear his own heartbeat.


    He patted his chest as if to calm his anxious heart. "Don''t worry. So what if kids aren''t around on the street? I can still find them and bring them back. I don''t have to be so anxious."


    Although he said that, he still got anxious. Under the mask, his brows furrowed in worry as he continued to stare at the empty street before he let out a deep sigh. "Looks like I have to use an underhanded method to abduct the children." Then he thought of those cute little children as a trace of sympathy appeared in his eyes. "I wish things were different. I never wanted to hurt those children."


    After thinking like that, he went forward and stealthily entered a house. He moved upstairs since he knew most kids in a duplex would always sleep in the room upstairs. It would be better if he could find two kids here. That would reduce his work to a greater extent!


    When he opened the door and went inside, he saw two little kids sleeping soundly in their quilts. The two of them looked identical, so he assumed that they would be twins. He closed the door softly and walked toward the sleeping kids without making a noise.


    For a while, he stared at them in a daze as if he were trying to engrave their image in his mind, and then his gaze went gloomy. A sigh escaped his lips. "I''ll just have to be done with it. There''s no point in getting attached to them like this."


    After muttering this under his breath, he took out two handkerchiefs with sleeping powder spread on them and pressed them against the nose of both the kids. When he was sure that they were unconscious, he picked up the kids in his arms and walked away while singing the same old folk song again. He also continued to pat the children''s backs gently as if he were putting them to sleep.


    ***


    In the morning, when Zion practiced diligently and went to eat in the afternoon, he heard the news about how the murderer killed the twins this time. The injuries in their bodies were similar to the cases earlier, and they were also found at the same river bank. It almost seemed as if the murderer had dumped the bodies in the river near his house and left it just like that.


    The officials had also traced this river back when they had taken up this case, but they had ended up with nothing. The river led them back to the capital, and almost all the houses near the river were checked. Nothing came out of it since everyone was found to be innocent.


    So they had all assumed that the killer must have dumped the bodies in this river deliberately to create confusion.


    This was what Zion heard from other guests when he and Lia went downstairs to eat their food. He glanced at the princess''s expressionless face that made it seem like she wasn''t affected by the news of two more murders and sighed. It looked like he would really have to go against this stubborn girl this time.

 Chapter 83 - So-called Slave!

    Zion ate the food quietly and presented himself to give off the notion that he didn''t care about the murder. No matter how anxious he was in his heart, he didn''t let it show on his face. After having lunch, when he saw Lia walking upstairs to her room, he picked up his pace and followed her.


    Just as she entered and was about to close the room, she was surprised to find Zion standing right in front of her door. She pursed her lips and moved aside to invite him in, and after that, she closed the door. "What do you want?"


    At this time, Zion hesitated. He knew that it was useless to ask Lia about this, but he still hoped she would get involved. If not, things would only get harder for him. So he finally took a deep breath and said, "I have to solve this murder case."


    Lia stared at him for a long time without showing any expressions on her face. It seemed as if she wasn''t surprised by this kind of development where her servant asked her such an absurd thing. Too bad she wasn''t up for helping the elves. In the end, she didn''t say anything but continued to stare at the youth in front of her as her gaze turned icier.


    Zion could tell that his words had incited anger in the princess''s heart, but he didn''t care. It wasn''t like he wouldn''t solve the case if the princess rejected his offer. When he was still in college, he wouldn''t listen to his professors, and they even got a headache whenever they had to deal with him. So why would he stand behind and continue to be oppressed under Lia''s cold gaze?


    "I already said no." Lia opened his mouth and spoke in a cold voice. "I won''t repeat myself."


    "I''m also not kidding. I''m telling you my decision." Zion''s eyes squinted. "Where did you get the idea that I was asking your permission to get myself involved?"


    Lia''s expressions darkened as her fingers curled in the form of a fist. "You''re my servant! Do you know what that means? You aren''t supposed to act on an impulse. I own your life, and I have the authority to control how many breaths you take in a day! Do you think being a slave is nothing? Try going against me and see the consequences!"


    She paused to take a deep breath and continued. "I''ve already given you enough freedom. Ask around and see who is allowing their slaves to sit at the same table and eat! No one teaches them how to fight! And yet, when you''re being spoon-fed, you''re urging for more. Sure enough, humans are greedy and selfish creatures! You should never trust them!"


    For a moment, Zion hesitated. He knew he wouldn''t be able to go against this girl. Her murderous demeanor was something that was beyond his expectations. She was so cold and dark that even he was suspecting whether the princess even had a heart. But he still had to try his best in case she agreed, which was nothing more than a miracle if it happened. "All I''m asking is if I can solve the case. It''s not like I''m asking you something illegal. We can stand on the sidelines if you want, but it''s vital to solve this case."


    Even Zion didn''t know why he wanted to solve it so severely. Perhaps the idea of a psycho being involved made it difficult for him to ignore. And for some reason, he felt this should be his second case, so even the system wouldn''t say anything.


    "But I don''t want you to get involved with the elves!" The princess blew up. You can practically see her fuming nostrils and bloodshot eyes as she stared at him unblinkingly. "I HATE them! You have no idea what kind of two-faced creatures they can be. Practically all the elves are a bunch of hypocrites who only know how to live a self-centered life! There''s no need to help them at all! I say, let them die a brutal death for all I care!" She paused and took a deep breath. "I guess we have to leave this village immediately!"


    "I''m not going anywhere." Zion couldn''t handle it anymore. He had calmly tried to make her understand how important this case was to him, but she wasn''t listening to him at all! A trace of irritation grew in his heart. He was also a living being with a bad temper. "Unless I solve the case and save the elf children from getting killed, I''m not going anywhere. And you!"


    He pointed his finger at her. "You say they''re selfish, but aren''t you the same? You have some deep prejudice against them. You''re uncomfortable to see that someone living close to you is helping your enemy! That''s another kind of hypocrisy. You pose yourself as a good Dhampir by saying you have given me, a human, utmost freedom, but what you''re doing with the elves is far worse than this! If the elves are evil, then you are ten times worse to repeat the same mistakes as them!


    "I can also say that you''re selfish in a way. You are just trying to save yourself from getting into situations that would go against your emotions! That''s not how the world works, lady!" Zion was also fuming at this point. He pursed his lips as he tried to calm himself. "I''m not like you. I don''t have a sense of belonging to this world. I don''t have attachments or enemies. The only thing I can see is that many people are suffering. And if I can save them, then why wouldn''t I?


    "After watching the entire Vanne Kingdom getting destroyed, do you still have the face to see another destruction?" Zion indeed hadn''t said so many words at once for a long time, and even he was surprised after finishing that sentence, but he was also angry enough to spout everything from his mouth that came into his mind. "You''re even worse of a woman than I imagined. I regret being your so-called slave!"

 Chapter 84 - A Meeting!

    Lia continued to stand there as she watched the human turning around and walking away in a fury. She was so shocked after hearing those words that she couldn''t react for a moment. Indeed, more than half of the words he spoke were true, and she didn''t want to admit this. She had never imagined someone would come and scold her like this with so many harsh words.


    After a long time, she parted her lips and closed them as if wanting to say something but didn''t know what. But she couldn''t help it. Her hatred for the elves was deep-rooted, and no one could change how she thought about them. To her, the elves had caused her the highest misery to the point that she couldn''t forgive them.


    After a long time, she gathered her emotions and sneered as she looked toward the door. It was opened ever since Zion left her room and went out to who knows where. She took a deep breath and muttered under her breath. "I should see what that human servant''s been upto. If he dies, all my effort will go to vain!"


    Then she instantly took her silver-colored sword, hung it at her waist, and walked out with a darkened expression on her face.


    Even though she didn''t know where her servant had gone, she could try looking for him at a few places and stalk him all day and night! If he ended up falling victim to the elves'' schemes, then he shouldn''t blame her for dragging him out of here!


    ***


    On the other side, Zion was regretting whatever he said to the princess. He knew that it was difficult to make him so irritated that he ended up speaking nonsense, and when he did, he had no control over his mouth. It was almost as if his auto speaking mode was turned on, and whatever the first thought he encountered in his mind, he would end up uttering those words without any reservations.


    He pursed his lips as he remembered what he said at the end. He really didn''t mean to seek death by being mean to Lia, but what else could he do? She made him so frustrated by her actions and words that he didn''t have a choice but to go all out.


    She wouldn''t kill him, right?


    He pursed his lips and didn''t think about it anymore. It didn''t matter anyway. Even if she were dead set on killing him, he would hide first and wait for the system''s arrival. After that, he would change his identity to hide from her.


    But the reason why he wanted her to get involved was for the sake of simplifying things here. Now that he saw her reaction to the elves, he grew more curious about Lia''s and the elves'' past.


    To be honest, his first and foremost goal after coming into this world had always been survival. Even though he had hypocritically thought that he would be indifferent to death, when faced with a choice, he had instead chosen to kill his morals and live on. Even though he had been saying all about saving people, deep in his heart, he still wanted to survive, and he wouldn''t hesitate to abandon everything else for the sake of living.


    Who wouldn''t want to live? He had already gotten a second chance at living with all of his memories intact. Of course, he was worried that he would end up repeating the same mistakes that he had made in the first case. He didn''t want to be the reason behind the deaths of millions of people, but this was also for the sake of his survival.


    He didn''t want to fall into situations that could lead to his demise. He knew well that if he were to be the reason for the destruction of the entire kingdom again, he wouldn''t be able to escape the royals the next time. And ever since he arrived in this world, his luck had been far from good. Plus, the black-cloaked man was still out there, and he didn''t even know whether that guy only wanted the Dhampir kingdom. So he had a hunch that he should take every step carefully in the future.


    That was why he needed to be on his guard, not letting a single opportunity to live slip away from his palms.


    Before he could continue to think on this topic, he reached the place he wanted the most: The village chief''s house. The two guards from before were still standing on either side of the main gate to stop anyone from entering. After seeing that, Zion ignored the entrance and walked behind the house to look for a backdoor. Surprisingly, this house didn''t have a single backdoor that could open from the kitchen.


    Maybe he would have to enter the house from the window.


    After thinking like this, he climbed at the boundary wall and instantly jumped down without making any noise. What he didn''t know was that a certain princess found him quickly since she knew what he planned to do. She had assumed that he would come marching down at the doors of the village chief. So when she arrived, she found this human walking to the backside of the village chief''s house. She pursed her lips and followed him.


    When they reached inside, she heard a few people talking about the murder in the village.


    "The chief is going to have a meeting today." Both Zion and Lia heard this sentence, and they turned toward a soldier walking down the garden. At this time, they both had just jumped down from the boundary wall and hid in the shrubs. The detective was unaware of Lia''s presence. He looked at the soldiers still talking. "Two officials from the royal court are going to arrive since things have gotten out of hand. This time, the murderer has increased the number of children he killed again, so everyone is worried."


    "Of course, they''ll be," another elf soldier said and shook his head. "You don''t know what it''s like to lose your child in the blink of an eye. The residents are on the verge of collapse, especially after hearing how the murderer kidnapped those twins from their homes. They''re all frightened." A trace of sympathy flashed in the soldier''s eyes. "I pity the village chief. The responsibility on his shoulders suddenly increased."


    "And we still have to follow that Dhampir girl and her human servant." The first soldier spoke with a hint of irritation in his voice. "There''s no evidence. Who knows why the chief wants to stalk them."


    "He''s just desperate." The second soldier defended the village chief. "He could have doubted even an elf traveler who was acting all high and mighty like her."


    Zion stopped focusing on those two soldiers after that. Their conversation topic changed to girls and marriage. But here, the detective had a frown on his forehead. Although he had expected the village chief to be suspicious of him and Lia, he still felt uncomfortable after hearing it from the soldiers'' mouths.


    It seemed his future in this place was going to be difficult.

 Chapter 85 - The Village Chiefs House!

    Should he forfeit his plans to involve himself in this case and escape before things got worse? Zion hesitated for a moment when he suddenly remembered the words he spoke to Lia a while ago in anger.


    ''After watching the entire Vanne Kingdom getting destroyed, do you still have the face to see another destruction?''


    He had only uttered those words in anger, and he didn''t mean it. Advising someone was one thing, but acting on the same thing was completely different. He knew the consequences he would have to face if he continued to involve himself here.


    But when he thought of how a psychopath was involved, he gritted his teeth and stood there without moving. He hated these types of psycho killers who murdered without a trace of humanity. Without even thinking twice, he would get himself involved in these cases, even when he was in the FBI.


    It was because he was a victim to one such psycho killer. One person brutally murdered his father, and no matter how much the government tried, they couldn''t find that killer. When Zion chose to pursue a degree in criminal investigation and started his college life, he was optimistic that the officials would do something about his father''s death, but who knew that those people would be unable to find that damned murderer? In the end, he took the matter into his own hands and started investigating on his own.


    Later, his investigation led him to the murder in a matter of a few days. After he dragged the killer to court, he caused a sensation in the nation! He became so famous that people started looking at him in admiration. That was when he got the nickname: A Modern Sherlock.


    But the point was, after punishing that psycho murderer, Zion didn''t stop. Whenever he would get a chance at solving a psychopathic murder case, he would automatically get involved whether anyone liked it or not. So now that one such case was right in front of his eyes, how could he let go of years of obsession within just a few days?


    As for his survival¡­.He would only have to work hard in that aspect and be on guard while solving this case.


    After determining this in his heart, he took a deep breath and stealthily went inside, followed by Lia, who was quietly observing him. She pursed her lips and thought what she had been doing was absurd. She shook her head and decided to follow even if it was for the sake of her damned human servant''s life.


    So the two of them, with entirely different kinds of thoughts, entered the house through a window and jumped inside the room one after another. Zion didn''t know Lia had followed him inside since he still couldn''t be on the same strength and skill level as her. And even if he knew, he would decide to ignore it. In any case, the princess was against him, so why should he waste his time with a certain girl who didn''t want to listen to him at all?


    He was certain she wouldn''t kill him. He had provoked Lia in all kinds of ways, and she still left him alive. So what did he have to be afraid of?


    After walking through the endless empty rooms and corridors, Zion finally found a room with two guards standing like a statue in front of the door. When he saw this room that was protected well, he realized this was the place where the so-called meeting might have been held between the officials and the village chief.


    So he walked toward a room in the same line while avoiding the keen eyes of the elf soldiers and jumped out of the window. He looked to his right and counted the windows before walking stealthily toward a particular one. Without trying to break it, he used sharp wood to create a gap in the window as he got closer to it such that only his ears were touching the opened spot.


    As he did that, different chatting voices drifted inside his ears.


    At the same time, Lia, who had followed her human servant outside, couldn''t help but become curious about what this person was trying to listen to. So she sat in a meditative posture and expanded her aura. Her aura covered that room as the chatting voices entered her ears. This was one of the techniques she would use to keep an eye on the enemy.


    "Officers, please have tea and calm down." The village chief''s voice had a touch of anxiety as he said, "You shouldn''t be angry about that murder. We don''t even know who that person is, and why is he doing this!"


    One of the officers hit the table in front of him with his hands in anger and looked at the village chief with bloodshot eyes. "More than eight dozen children have been killed this year, and it seems the murderer is planning to continue to increase the number! Tell me, chief, how can I dare to calm down when lives are at stake?"


    Zion found it hard to believe that there was an officer who wanted to save the people. From what he had observed in the Dhampir kingdom, none of the council members had a clue to save others. Instead, they were hypocrites who wanted to fulfill their demands in the name of protecting citizens.


    ''Aren''t you the same?'' His mind voiced it sarcastically.


    He pursed his lips and decided not to think about it anymore as he shifted his focus inside.


    The village chief poured the tea in the cup before putting it in front of one of the officers. No one knew how many officers were present inside, but Zion and Lia weren''t focused on that. Instead, they were attracted by the words the chief spoke the next time. "Officers, I dare say that if we don''t calm down, we will end up losing more children tonight. Don''t you know what day it is?! That murderer has shown a history of living in a single village or city for a week, and on the last day, he would double his murder as a ''gift'' to the villagers. And today happens to be his last day in my city, if we go by his regular schedule. If we don''t do anything, there''ll be a bloodbath! Do you understand what that means?"

 Chapter 86 - The Marketplace!

    Zion narrowed his eyes after hearing that. Sure enough, coming here was a good choice. He was starting to find something interesting about the case. All his thoughts of doubt and hesitation flew out of the window in an instant.


    The officers seemed to have calmed down after hearing the chief''s words. They were silent for a long time before speaking again. "Then, let''s discuss the information we have on the killer until now, and then we will decide further course of action."


    This was exactly what Zion wanted to hear! His ears perked up as he focused on the voices even more.


    There was a voice of putting something on the table, and he could only assume that the people inside might have opened some scroll. After that, one of the officers said in a solemn voice, "One of the witnesses saw the murderer kidnapping a child about a month ago. The man was around six feet long, and his face was adorned with a silver-colored mask. The important thing was that the silver mask seemed to have been created out of real metal, but we still don''t have confirmation about it because this is all based on the observation of that witness. Secondly, the murderer would always find children at night, which is a benefit for us. We can spread soldiers across the village to find that b*stard!"


    The detective noted down the information in his mind and pursed his lips while listening. He knew he was sure to find out more information about it. At this time, he was hiding well in the bushes. He was lucky to find a window near the bushes where he could hide and hear what was going on inside the room at the same time.


    "Then, why haven''t we heard it before?" The village chief also heard this information for the first time, so he frowned after hearing the officer''s words. "Not a single citizen knows about this."


    "You don''t understand, chief." The officer sighed. "The killer can be anyone. If we let the public know about such things, we will practically tell that psycho that we are one step closer to him. He will be on guard. So to prevent such a situation, we are keeping everyone in the dark. In any case, the murderer is currently hidden in the dark, which is more dangerous. We have to be more careful."


    That was probably the reason why Zion hadn''t heard rumors about this among the public. Just was about to listen to more, he heard a sharp voice of a soldier laced with anger. "Who''s there?"


    Zion''s body lowered automatically at that as a trace of anxiety flashed in his eyes. Did someone see him? He pressed his lips in a thin line and silently walked away before anyone could see him.


    The princess, who had also observed her servant retreating and the soldiers coming at this place to scan the area, also opened her eyes and got up from the lotus position. She had been observing everything through her third eye, and now she was also curious about what these people had found out about the murderer. Still, seeing the situation getting out of hand, she forced herself not to think too much about it and continued to do her original work, which was to follow Zion.


    After all, this was her initial motive behind stalking her servant like this. She didn''t care about what happened to the elves.


    When Zion escaped the house, he felt a bit regretful for not hearing more about the killer. After finding out that the man was habitual of wearing a silver mask and tonight would be his last day in this village, he felt closer to catching the murderer. His shoulders relaxed as he continued to walk through the crowd. Most of the elves frowned when they saw a human walking outside without any permission.


    "Hey, human." One elf approached Zion and glared at him. "Go and find your master."


    "Yeah! Go away! Don''t spoil our shopping day."


    "You filthy humans." One old elf lady fumed in anger and threw dried vegetables at his face. "What do you think you are doing here in broad daylight? You should always stay locked up inside the shop, and the only time you''re ever allowed to come out is with your master, but I don''t see anyone here!"


    "Looks like this human''s abandoned." One of the shopkeepers gossiped while squinting his eyes at the man.


    Lia, who was observing it all, felt uncomfortable in her heart. It was one thing for her to scold her servant, but when she saw others saying terrible words to Zion, she pursed her lips. Without thinking twice, she walked out from the shadow as her body flashed right in front of her servant before she glared at all the elves and looked at her servant with a trace of anger in her eyes. "Servant, hadn''t I told you to follow me? What do you think you''re doing walking around on your own? Let''s go!"


    Before Zion could react, he was dragged away from the marketplace. The two of them quickly entered a nearby restaurant and sat at the table inside.


    The detective was astounded at this time and glanced at the princess suspiciously. She had been following him for quite a while, hadn''t she? But he didn''t dare to ask her for the sake of his life. At this time, he wasn''t powerful enough to even defeat her without a weapon. So he sighed and drank water from the cup.


    Just then, a wisp of conservation fell on his ears.


    "Have you heard? The killer is going to do something big tonight!" A waiter gossiped with one of his customers near Zion''s table. "The rumor''s that he is only choosing kids between the age of ten to twelve. One of my friends has seen a few officials talking about this in a restaurant!"


    "Yeah, I have also heard that the officers had come to the village to have a meeting with the chief." The customer''s expressions were grave as he drank the tea. "What do you think will happen tonight?"


    The waiter sighed. "Only God knows that. We''ll have to be extra careful tonight."

 Chapter 87 - A Husband And His Wife....

    Another waiter came with the food that Lia had ordered for them, and Zion ate in silence. Although the latter wanted to hear more about the murderer, the gossip on the neighboring table stopped as the waiter returned to the kitchen. All the villagers decided to stay up all night to protect their children, but other than this, he heard nothing valuable about the case.


    So after eating his fill, he washed his mouth and went inside his room to fetch the wooden sword. He still didn''t know what else he could do, so wasn''t it better to try and think about the case calmly? What was the best time to gather all the points together in his mind? While exercising! Zion''s brain would work more efficiently when he was exercising, which was why he got a habit of thinking about the case in the gym in his previous life.


    Since people didn''t have a gym here, he could still exercise by practicing his sword skills. It couldn''t be said that he had become an expert in that, but he was confident that he wouldn''t be able to lose if he faced an assassin like in the previous case. This aspect made him practice his skills more diligently.


    After reaching that place, he raised his sword and started slashing it in the air in a specific style. His skills were sharp as he presented a perfected sword dance. This was the first skill he had learned from the princess, and he had become a professional in it. This technique was effective in attacking the opponent when one knew the weakness of the attacker. Zion could use this skill to impose his presence in front of his enemy and give a killer attack to the attacker''s vitals.


    While practicing, he recalled what had happened until now in this case.


    First, when they came to this place, about fifteen days later, he heard from a few villagers in the restaurant that some children were murdered, and their dead bodies were thrown into the river. The villagers started getting anxious and gossiped a lot about it. About nearly a hundred children were killed within a year, and the murderer had started to target the children from the village Zion was residing in.


    These cases only occurred at nights when the murderer would come out wearing silver masks. It was also said that this mask could be made out of real metal. Zion frowned at this. When he was in the Dhampir kingdom, he was clear about one thing¡ªthey had separate distinctions for aristocrats, citizens, warriors, and servants. Humans would come at the far end. But when it comes to elves, he still didn''t know anything. All these days, he only focused on sword skills without having any time to observe the surroundings.


    But from the gossip he had heard while eating every day at the restaurant, he could tell that such divisions existed even among the elves, and the villagers here would consider the ones dwelling within the capital as the aristocrats. So he could assume that the murderer might have belonged to the capital city of this kingdom based on the quality of the mask, but to confirm this, he would have to see that mask for himself.


    Secondly, he had also heard that today was the last day for the crime in this village, and the silver-masked man would come and kill double the number of children, but at this time, he wasn''t thinking about those kids. His focus was drawn toward the number of days that the murderer stayed in this village to commit the crime.


    When he and Lia had come to this village and started learning swords, the first few days were a mess, so he hadn''t had a chance to even eat in the restaurant. To save time, they would order the food to their rooms and eat in a hurry when the restaurants were closed in the late afternoon. So for the first few days, he didn''t even know what was going on around the village anymore.


    But after Zion started getting his hands on his skills, they started going to the restaurant. That was when he had heard about the murder of children for the first time, but he could tell that it had already been a few days ever since the murder had started to occur in this village. As per the village chief''s information, today was supposed to be the last day.


    So he had half a day to figure out how to catch the murderer, or at least get a glimpse of that psycho killer.


    Zion pursed his lips and paused as another thought occurred in his head.


    He could go out and wander around the village at night. He knew he wouldn''t be able to catch the murderer like this and that the killer wouldn''t be so dull to come out tonight knowing the villagers would be after him. Zion still didn''t want to let go of this chance. Who knows where this killer would end up going after leaving this village?


    Now that he got a chance to take a glimpse at the murderer, he wouldn''t let it slide!


    ***


    When Zion was planning to go out at night, someone else was packing his bag in a hurry. The entire room was drowned in darkness with doors and windows tightly shut. Not even a trace of light could enter. At the same time, a sharp female voice echoed in the man''s ears. "Why did we have to go today? This place is so beautiful!"


    The man''s movements paused, and he glanced toward the voice. With a smile on his face, he said, "My dear, we will come back once I''m finished with my work. You don''t have to worry, but tonight, we can''t stay here."


    The woman muttered something under her breath that he couldn''t hear. "What?" He asked while continuing to pack his bag.


    "I said, you''re right!" The woman sighed. "I want to go home. I miss my bed already."


    "Sure you do." The man chuckled after he stuffed all the things he wanted inside his bag. "Ready?"


    The woman nodded, but when she remembered how dark this place was and her husband couldn''t see her face, she lowered her head in embarrassment. She said in a soft voice, "Let''s go."


    "We have a long way ahead, my dear." The man caressed his wife''s hair affectionately and smiled. "I''ll bring you to another place after a visit home, okay?"


    The woman nodded and rubbed her face against the man''s palms. After that, the man''s hands paused as a frown crossed his forehead. It felt as if he had forgotten something. When he remembered that, his eyes widened, and he said hastily, "Wife, wait for a moment. I have forgotten something."


    His wife said nothing like the man dashed inside one of the rooms. After going in, he picked up a particular shiny silver mask placed on the table beside bed. His fingers caressed the cold surface as he stared at it for a long time before he placed it deeper inside his bag. "Sometimes, I really want to throw this thing." He muttered under his breath.


    After that, he walked outside the room where his wife was still waiting for him.

 Chapter 88 - Whats A Human Doing Here?

    When night arrived, the gates of the village were closed. The town was surrounded by a massive boundary wall with only two gates in the north and south directions. One of those gates led people outside the kingdom, while another would open the doors further within the kingdom. All the villages inside had their own boundary walls followed by a gap filled with forest between two towns or cities.


    But today, both of these gates were closed as soldiers stood guard on either side, keeping a keen eye on all directions. Usually, there would only be two soldiers at both entrances. But ever since the killer came to this village and started killing children, the number of soldiers on the gates increased to the point that it looked as if a war was going on.


    At this time in the night, no one was allowed to exit the place. It wasn''t that this rule was prominent the entire time. People could leave the village quickly before today, but they would have to go through a series of registration processes that would take half a day. But even after this, a few of them who were suspicious were kept locked inside their houses. If some travelers didn''t own a home in this village, they would stay overnight at a hotel until the killer travels to another place.


    This registration process was being carried on for about a week, ever since the first murder. It was just that Zion hadn''t appeared in the public that he got this news too late. When he heard about this while having dinner in the restaurant, his brows furrowed.


    He had an ominous hunch in his heart.


    The only thing that was there in his mind was whether the killer would even step his feet outside or not. But when Zion thought of this, he shook his head. He didn''t believe that the psychopath would be so scared of the officers that the killer would curb his psychopathic tendencies. Zion had seen many psychos risking their lives to fulfill their desires. So he could tell that he would be able to see that psychopath murderer tonight.


    But he still didn''t know why he was getting a bad feeling about this. If it were any other day, he would have avoided going out, but today, the murderer would come out for the last time in this village, and after this, he would surely lose that man''s trail. So it was better to stay on his guard and take this risk.


    He calmly put down his fork and spoon before taking the plate to the sink. The restaurant was also strange. All the customers except the humans weren''t required to pick up their plates, but only the humans were forced to take their plates and put them in the sink especially made for the humans. So there would be a long line here after dinner every day.


    Only special days would allow him to finish his food quickly, just like that day when he had been standing in front of Lia''s door to ask her whether or not they would solve this case.


    After finishing the dinner, Zion went back to his room to show Lia that he wasn''t interested in solving this case. Since she didn''t want her to get involved, he would hide from her.


    So after heading inside the room, he opened the window and climbed outside with the help of a pipe.


    At the same time, Lia frowned when she saw Zion entering his bedroom and closing the door behind him. Her eyebrows furrowed. Wasn''t he trying to solve this case? Did he decide to abandon the case after seeing so many soldiers wandering outside at this time of night? She looked at the door suspiciously before shrugging.


    Lia didn''t doubt that her human servant would escape his room in the middle of the night and thought he didn''t want to solve this case after all. So her shoulders relaxed as she moved to her bedroom.


    At this time, Zion had just jumped on the ground and headed out of the inn. He had taken a hoodie kind of dress with him that covered his head. It wasn''t that he had money to purchase this kind of thing. Earlier, when they had first found out about the murder, he had stolen this dress from Lia''s backpack when she wasn''t around. He had a hunch that she wouldn''t agree to solve this case, so he took many things from her without asking permission.


    In any case, he would return it after dealing with this psycho murderer.


    After that, he stuffed his hands in the pockets of the hoodie and sneaked away from the inn.


    Late at night, he walked slowly on the street in the shadows when many people were unsurprisingly wandering around the village in the name of keeping an eye. Among these people were a few residents and soldiers who wanted to protect the children of this village. He ignored them and walked among the crowd.


    Every elf was carrying a fire lamp in his hand as they walked down the street, calling out to every house to stay on guard. The lights within all the houses brightened the rooms, meaning no one slept yet.


    Zion frowned at that. Maybe today''s mission would be difficult for the killer with all these people around. Then wouldn''t that mean the murderer will try to escape this place?


    As he was thinking about it, he saw a figure flashing past a house to his left. He frowned and glanced in that direction. All of a sudden, he saw the exact figure again, and this time, he could see something silver flashing in that direction.


    Zion didn''t think twice before heading over in that direction. The figure with the silver mask flashed past the street and entered a house to his left before entering a dark alley. His eyes squinted when he closed in on that area, but to his dismay, when he arrived in the dark alley between two buildings, the silver masked person disappeared.


    He still didn''t know whether that person wearing the silver mask just now was the murderer or not. If only he were fast enough¡­.


    Just as he was about to walk into the darkness of the alley to find that person, he heard someone''s voice being directed at him. "There''s a human out here!"


    "What?!" An elf man carrying a fire torch roared in anger. "Where?!"


    Someone pointed in the direction where Zion was standing and said coldly, "There. In the dark alley!"


    "What''s a human doing here?"


    "Surely, it can''t be a good thing." One of the elves sneered. "If you say he''s the killer out to murder our children, I wouldn''t be surprised."


    "Hah. There''s no need to even think about it!" Another elf shot a glare at the detective and said, "He''s definitely the murderer! Otherwise, why would this human be here without his master around? There''s something fishy going on here!"

 Chapter 89 - A Dark Alley!

    Zion stood dumbfounded as he stood on his guard. After watching the scene in front of his eyes, he was sure that the silver masked man had perhaps escaped and ended up standing among those people. And after that, he deliberately put all the blame on a human before the latter could even call out others. Since humans had always been scolded for no reason, no one would believe in Zion''s words anymore. Even if he told them that he had seen the masked man from his own eyes, the murderer might use his exceptional social skills to turn the tables around and make trouble for Zion.


    His eyes squinted at that as he glanced at the crowd filled with elves. Almost all the elves were using a fire torch here, and he frowned. Weren''t elves supposed to have magical skills to do supernatural stuff? Then why wouldn''t they use spells to create a ball of light or something?


    When he was thinking about this, one of the elves with a fire torch glared at the human and said, "I guess we will have to use magic to capture this guy lest he escapes."


    "Are you mad?!" Another got irritated and had a hint of anger in his eyes as he glanced at the elf beside him. "Don''t you remember we have limited spiritual energy these days? Do you want to lose all of your spiritual powers and become powerless?! We don''t have to use our power for this worthless slave."


    Zion''s brows furrowed when he heard this sentence. What was this thing about limited power? Why couldn''t the elves use their power?


    "I agree with him," another elf said, nodding at the man standing to his right. "We have to preserve as much as we can until the Queen can find a solution."


    "But we can''t let him escape!"


    "What should we do?"


    "I say," One of the elves squinted his eyes at Zion and said in a low voice, "We should use lower grade spells to capture this guy. This is a human without any powers, so I''m sure it won''t be any harder to get him in. What do you think?"


    Others tilted their heads and thought for a while. This idea seemed feasible. So what if they couldn''t use more potent spells? They could still capture this human with the help of a few basic magical powers. As soon as this idea came into their minds, they glanced at each other and then turned toward the human standing in the dark alley.


    Zion backed up a few steps. When he glanced at them, he could see that all of the elves standing in front of him were ordinary citizens rather than soldiers. So they might not have any fighting technique, but he was still on his guard since this was the village filled with elves. He still didn''t know what kind of power levels they had!


    For a moment, he regretted coming to this place alone. If only he had found a way to make Lia agree to his decision¡­.


    But he didn''t think about it anymore. His eyes focused more on the people standing in front of him. Then he slowly walked back a few steps.


    It was his misfortune that he ended up standing in the alley with walls on both of his sides. The only way to escape was to run deeper in this alley into the darkness.


    He pursed his lips, and when he was pondering on the issue of how he could escape, one of the elves standing near him muttered something under his breath before his eyes started shining. The green eyes shone brightly as if someone had turned on the light inside. Just after that, two small fireballs appeared on his palms that were the size of a pea. If it weren''t for the flame surrounding it, it would look even smaller.


    As soon as it appeared, the light shone brightly from it that was even more intense than the fire torch in the hands of other elves.


    After that, the elf with a fireball in hand shouted to others, "We''ll get him injured first. Let''s attack his legs."


    Others nodded and stood at the alley entrance as if they were guarding that place to stop Zion from escaping.


    The detective, who knew that he wasn''t left with another option than to choose the darker path, didn''t waste another minute before he turned around and entered deep into the alley. He did not incline to spend his time fighting those people with special powers.


    But it seemed he had underestimated the power level of those elves.


    Soon one of those fireballs was shot at his leg and approached him in the blink of an eye. At this time, he was already looking back, and his pupils contracted seeing a fireball shot at him appearing right in front of him. It was good that after fighting with the assassin and training for fifteen-plus days with Lia, his reflexes became faster. So his body moved to his right and dodged the attack.


    Another fireball closed in on him all of a sudden as if the same person shot it. At this time, Zion didn''t even have the time to react when it attacked his legs. His eyes widened, and his body jolted up. A wave of pain spread throughout his legs that made it difficult for him to stand. It felt as if his bones were burning. He looked down and was shocked to see his left leg shining brightly in red color as if his skin and bones were on fire. Soon it died down, but the pain of burning only increased.


    He gritted his teeth and dragged his leg forward. If he wanted to survive, he would have to escape even through the pain! His lips pursed as drops of sweat formed on his forehead.


    "Capture him!" One of the elves shouted. "Do not let him escape!"


    Zion didn''t turn around anymore as his eyes glanced at the intersection nearby. An idea flashed in his mind. His body moved to the nearest big dustbin. At this time, the alley was surrounded by darkness. Almost all the elf citizens had already abandoned the fire torches, and they all chanted a spell to create small energy balls of different elements. Some were created out of pure electricity, while some had ice balls rotating on their palms. There were even pea-size stones dancing on some elves'' hands.


    Soon, all of them shot their attacks in Zion''s direction as his body instantly jumped to the side and shifted behind the dustbin.


    It was his fortune that the dustbin was placed right at the intersection, so when he ducked behind it, others thought that he turned to the right path in the intersection. They didn''t think twice before dashing in that direction and running.


    After they were all gone, Zion released the breath he was holding and dragged his injured feet toward another direction.

 Chapter 90 - Injured......

    The next day when Lia woke up at 3:30 am, she washed up and walked outside her bedroom habitually. These days, she was used to seeing Zion''s voice coming out of his room at this time, indicating that he had woken up, but today, it was so silent that her feet paused in front of his room as a frown crossed her forehead.


    Why was her servant still asleep? She remembered that these days, his habit of staying in bed until late morning had improved a lot, and she hadn''t been throwing buckets of cold water on his face for a few days. So why did he not wake up today?


    Her frown deepened as she instantly opened the door to his room with the spare key she had asked the manager. As she opened the door, she noticed him lying flat on his stomach on the bed while facing the window. If you were to see his body, he wouldn''t seem injured, but Lia could tell something was different. Being a dhampir, her senses were stronger as compared to ordinary people. So as soon as she entered the room, she sensed quickly that her servant''s breath was so slow to the point that it seemed as if it would stop any second.


    Her expressions became grave as she entered his room and closed the door behind him. After that, she touched Zion''s forehead with the back of her hand. The skin was so hot that it almost felt like a stove! Her hand jerked back as she stared at his unconscious body with widened eyes.


    Just¡­.How did her slave end up like this?!


    She didn''t have time to think more about it. It seemed that if she failed to treat him, he would end up dying any minute! It was a good thing that she knew a few healing techniques with both hand signs and herbs. Otherwise, her servant would have been doomed!


    Lia dragged a stool and placed it beside the bed before sitting on it in the lotus position. Then she made a couple of hand signs as energy appeared out of her hand and traveled straight toward Zion''s legs, entering his calves. That was the place where the fireball had attacked earlier, and even though she didn''t know anything about where the root problem was, the energy found that place and started healing that area.


    About half an hour later, Zion''s fingers moved as his eyes opened. The first scene he saw was the opened window. Curtains fluttered because of the wind. At this moment, he felt at peace as if something was washing the insides of his legs with cold water to calm the burning pain that he had felt the night before. The pain was still there, but the presence of that energy made him feel at peace, almost to the point that he wanted to freeze and continue to feel it.


    But it seemed Lia had realized that her servant woke up. So she abruptly stopped healing and said in an angry voice, "Where the heck did you go last night?!"


    Zion''s body stiffened. He slowly turned and looked at the Dhampir princess, whose entire face had become red in anger. All of a sudden, he felt a wave of guilt rushing in his heart. He pursed his lips and refused to say anything.


    But his silence fanned her anger even more. She pointed her fingers at his face and said, "It was good that your situation wasn''t life-threatening. Otherwise, I wouldn''t have known how to save you at all! My power can only heal small injuries. Do you know how dangerous it was??" She took a deep breath and curbed her anger. "It was a good thing that you were attacked with only one fireball. That''s why you weren''t dead on the spot. If the elves had attacked you more, I fear your body couldn''t have taken it, and you would have died right there. So do you understand what I''m saying?! You could have DIED!"


    Zion didn''t say anything knowing it was his fault to get involved last night. Even though he had a hunch that something terrible would happen, he continued with his plans. That was the mistake on his part. So he steeled his heart for once and turned his head to look out of the window.


    Lia, who observed her servant''s silence, rubbed her forehead in irritation and got up from her seat. She walked over to the door as she glanced back and glared at the human. "You better behave today. Otherwise, I''ll kill you off and slice your body into pieces!"


    The detective squinted his eyes as he stared outside the window. It was still dark with a hint of light that was about to shine from the horizon. When Lia left his room, he glanced at the clock hung on the wall. It was already 4 am.


    Earlier, he didn''t know how this world worked, so he was utterly confused after seeing these wall clocks that looked the same as those in his world. He was clear about one thing: none of the dhampirs and elves had a trace of technical stuff. So how did they make wall clocks and similar things that would run on batteries without electricity?


    But after watching how the citizens were fighting yesterday with different kinds of magical balls, he could assume that these clocks would have been made by the elves using spells and transported to other races. Now when the elves, according to what Zion heard last night, are losing their powers, it would severely affect the entire kingdom.


    At this time, many forces might appear out of nowhere to make use of such an opportunity and fight back to take over the throne. Zion''s eyes narrowed. Were the killings also happening because of the throne?


    Although he couldn''t be 100% sure of this fact, he could still tell that the throne might play an essential role in the current situation. The question was, who would want to have the throne?


    To find out more about this case, Zion thought that he should get more information about elves and their magic. After thinking of this, he pursed his lips and pushed himself off of the bed. He would go and search for a library today.

 Chapter 91 - A Torturous Class!

    Zion had been ignoring Lia after their argument that day, and he would practice elsewhere. Still, today, he decided to face her even after hearing her harsh words, only to ask her to go to the library. So he and Lia headed over to the open ground behind the inn and started their daily practice. Today, she decided to change her teaching routine. This time, she didn''t allow him to use the wooden sword and only taught some basic defending skills against magic. He didn''t know any magic, so using bodily flexibility to avoid attacks would help him escape faster the next time without any misgivings.


    Lia, after teaching basic dodging style, moved over to the other side and said, "I''ll attack you with my spiritual power. Try and dodge it."


    After saying this, she took out her wooden sword and inserted her Qi in it. Soon, the sword started glowing with bright light, and the more she channeled, the brighter it became. Later, she used hand signs to create droplets of water that appeared on the sword''s surface. Lia had the tendency to change the temperature of the water at will, so this time, she made it so hot that the entire wooden sword''s color changed, and it seemed as if its surface was painted in the mirror color. Bubbles on the surface that seemed as if water were boiling. He was sure that if he were to be attacked by this sword, both his outer and inner skin would burn alive.


    Zion saw this and became speechless. Could she not use such a dangerous technique? It was a wooden sword, not something made out of metal that could handle boiling hot water!


    But that was not all. She used another set of hand signs as bubbles of water rose in the air from her sword that further turned into balls of boiling water. Her hands paused as she stared at him with squinting eyes. "Ready?"


    Zion watched the boiling water ball that shone brightly and gulped. Could he say no? But when he thought of how he was attacked so quickly last night, he gritted his teeth and nodded. He had learned all kinds of dodging techniques from Lia. Before today, he didn''t know people could dodge the attacks in so many ways.


    After that, Lia made hand signs with her free hand as the ball of boiling water channeled through the air and flashed toward Zion. He could see fumes coming out of the ball, and as soon as it reached him, he used one of the techniques to dodge the attack. But before he could relax his muscles, another boiling ball of water approached him again.


    He flexibly dodged the attack one after another and soon got exhausted. Sweat poured out of his forehead, drenching his clothes wet, but the princess didn''t stop attacking. Was she taking revenge against him now for not telling her where he had gone last night?! He glared at her and continued to dodge one after another.


    Noon arrived soon, and at this time, Zion was lying on the ground as his entire body was filled with pain. He couldn''t lift his eyelids. What to speak of heading over to the library, he couldn''t even get up on his feet. This princess must have done this on purpose!


    On the other side, Lia seemed as if she was utterly satisfied. She exhaled a breath and looked at her servant before scoffing. Then she used a few hand signs. Slowly, energy from Lia''s hands channeled through the air toward Zion''s body as it enveloped him with the warmth of healing light. His body shone brightly, and he felt as if something warm had entered him that cooled all the burning pain that he was feeling throughout his body.


    It went away soon, and Zion''s pain lessened by a higher degree. He moved his fingers as he looked at Lia in astonishment.


    The princess ignored his gaze and walked toward the inn and said, "Now you''re ready to face at least those bunch of useless elves who only know how to cast energy balls."


    "Wait," Zion said as he still remembered his real intention for coming to the sword fighting class today. "Take me to the library."


    Lia''s steps paused, and she glanced at her servant with a complicated look in her eyes before she shook her head. "Let''s go then."


    The human was left dumbfounded at the spot as he stared at her for a long time. Why did she suddenly agree with him? Wasn''t she against the fact that he was trying to solve this case?


    As if Lia could hear his thoughts, she added. "Don''t think I''m doing this for the elves. I want to find some books in the library too."


    After that, they both stayed silent before heading over to the restaurant. Just as they entered the public place, the hall that was filled with general chatter silenced in an instant. The customers, waiters, and even human servants sweeping the floor all stared at Zion''s face collectively.


    His footsteps paused at the door as he narrowed his eyes at them. Did the news reach their ears so fast? He wasn''t even the actual perpetrator, and people had already started considering him a murderer? Indeed, he believed it was the real killer who had spread the rumor overnight. Otherwise, how could anyone point fingers at him randomly, saying he was the murderer? Of course, this world was strange where humans were defied and blamed for no reason at all, but he could still tell that no one would randomly point fingers at the humans unless manipulated.


    Someone must have manipulated the crowd, and he believed it was the killer!


    Just then, he looked at the crowd that was glaring at him coldly. Suddenly, one of them got up from his seat as the chair shifted back, and the elf hit the table in anger. "So here''s the human who killed five children last night! Just saw his poster this morning!"


    The murmur started again. "I''ve heard that this human was able to fend off a group of citizens easily and killed those children!"


    "If only I were present, I would have prevented that!" A middle-aged man spoke as he glared at the human standing at the door.


    Zion took a step back as he stood on his guard. For some reason, he felt that he and Lia wouldn''t be able to have lunch today.

 Chapter 92 - Lets Get Them!

    Lia''s mouth twitched as she turned back and glared at her servant. It was all Zion''s fault! Why did this person have to step his foot outside and even trick her into thinking that he was sleeping throughout the night?!


    Then she turned to look at the crowd who seemed to have forgotten her and cleared her throat. "Did your eyes go blind or what? The owner of this human is still standing here. Whatever you have in mind, talk to me."


    Others finally noticed a dhampir girl wearing a regular pinkish-brown gown standing in front of the human and moved to block her servant''s body before glaring at all of them.


    One of the elves remembered that a certain dhampir had arrived at their village a while ago, and they all had felt sympathy at that time. At this time, too, the image of dhampirs was good. So they curbed their anger and respectfully told her, "You have no idea, but your servant sneaks out in the middle of the night and kills children!"


    Others nodded. "Just when did you get this servant? No servant can go outside without their master''s permission, and I know this law is prominent even in the Vanne kingdom. So it''s clear that he sneaked out behind your back!"


    Before Lia could respond, the crowd started making their theories.


    "I think she might have picked him up here," one of the elf customers said. "Have you heard of the event when a dhampir or any other person from a different race takes out their human servants for a trip? I haven''t! No humans are allowed so much luxury. If a master goes out for a month, the human servants stay behind under someone else''s jurisdiction. No one is seen taking their humans out!"


    "Even if no one''s at home to look after the human slaves, they would be sent to the soldiers or the human enslavement community in every kingdom."


    Others nodded at this statement as they all assumed that the human must have belonged to the Viridis kingdom. This was the so-called justification they provided to prove that the human must have been the killer. And if this human hadn''t belonged to the Viridis kingdom, it would be impossible for him to travel all the way from the dhampir kingdom to here only to commit the crime.


    Lia looked at them coldly and decided not to disturb them. At this time, she realized how biased they all were toward humans. It wasn''t like all humans were terrible. But she couldn''t deny the fact they most of them from history err indeed bad.


    She remembered that the war between humans and other races was due to a human ruler that had turned bad. She had even read that the humans of those days were using technology to bully people, spreading negative things about other races so much that many supernatural people were abused.


    So the hatred toward humans could be justified. But when she saw everyone manipulating the facts so boldly right in front of her to blame her human servant, a hint of irritation grew in her heart. Was she also like that once, blindly treating humans as if they were always in the wrong no matter what the truth was?


    Her brows furrowed.


    Zion, behind her, also heard those words and felt uncomfortable, but he said nothing. What else could he say? He was a human who people of this world discarded. He had the authority to do nothing. So what could he possibly do at this point?


    He pursed his lips and took a deep breath. There was no point in blaming these people.


    Being a modern fellow, he knew perfectly well how manipulation works. A business owner could purchase ghostwriters and pay them to write fake comments and reviews to defame anyone. And the public would be innocent enough to believe anyone without thinking twice.


    He knew this because many people had tried to defame him when he had become famous overnight as a modern Sherlock, and he could tell that most of them were purchased especially to show his online image in the bad light. So he wouldn''t be surprised if the same thing had happened here. It only proved that the killer must be in a hurry to shift the blame on someone else''s shoulders.


    Who could be the best person to blame? Humans! They were already terrible people in the eyes of other races, and no matter whether they really committed a crime or not, everyone would believe otherwise. The innocent citizens would trust the fake evidence against a human no matter how illogical it seemed.


    Humans were in this world presented as vile creatures in every kingdom. Of course, he knew that it was due to the enslavement treaty the humans had signed with other kings to stop the war, but that didn''t permit others to treat the humans worse than animals. But what else could he do? The word slavery meant their masters could do anything to them.


    Just when he was thinking about this, he heard Lia speaking.


    "Can you all hear the things you all are saying?! Huh?" Zion glanced at the princess''s back in surprise as she said, "You''re blindly manipulating the facts without even asking me! I''m the greatest evidence here, but you won''t ask me just because it can prove your words wrong! Why the heck do you guys want to blame my servant so badly?! Does he even look like a criminal? Have a mind at least of your own, will you? I know for sure that all the elf children know basic martial arts, but humans don''t. Why did you even get this idea that my slave would end up killing them? Even if he goes near those children, he would instead be strangled to death! Just look at how thin his body is! Have some shame!"


    The detective''s eyes stuck at the girl''s back as she fumed in anger, but before he could open his mouth and say something, the crowd started talking again. One of the elves glared at her and said, "You''re actually siding with a human! Hah! Could it be that you''re also involved in this case?"


    "What''re you trying to argue about with these people?" Another elf asked and muttered a few words as an iceball formed over his palms that shone brightly in the air. "Let''s get them!"


    Zion''s eyes froze open as he stared at that ball of ice hovering over the palms. He had recently been tortured with many boiling energy balls, and he still remembered the feeling he had felt at that time: helplessness and fear. Even though he had learned all the dodging techniques, he would still appreciate not facing such a situation where energy balls endlessly attacked him.

 Chapter 93 - Unconscious........

    Before Zion and the princess could react, the horde of people attacked them as they stood at the door. Lia cursed under her breath and instantly moved her hands. It was just that her hands weren''t fast enough, and one of the fireballs that an elf customer had created snuck in before she could even send her Qi to the sword.


    The fireball swiftly passed by her without her knowledge as she was busy inserting Qi in her weapon and attacked Zion''s chest, whose eyes widened after seeing it as his body moved to dodge the attack. But he was standing close to Lia. So he could only move a little before the energy ball attacked him. He jolted all of a sudden as if he just touched electricity. He glanced down only to find his shirt torn to pieces in that area on his chest, right beside his heart, as his skin turned into dark red, still glowing from the impact.


    A wave of pain emerged in that area that weakened his body so much that he could hardly stand.


    He had just spent hours training how to dodge, but he still couldn''t do anything about the hidden attacks that were shot at him! Sure enough. One day of practice wouldn''t give him all the benefits.


    He gritted his teeth and took a few steps back as his body leaned against the wall. He didn''t know what was happening around him anymore as his ears buzzed. Even though the pain he had felt in his leg last night was so high that he couldn''t even stand, he could still push himself to his limit to get back to his inn. Now when the attack hit directly on his chest, his breathing slowed down in an instant.


    His lungs felt as if they were burning. Someone seemed to have lit them up with fire that was inextinguishable. His hands gripped the clothes of his chest and fell on his knees.


    Lia had no idea that her servant''s condition was critical. She was so angry that she charged at the elves with full power. Her sword skillfully cut through the energy balls that approached her at the fastest pace. She moved her body in every direction as the tables and chairs broke apart from all the fighting that happened. At this time, she was only thinking of one thing: She would have to prevent these balls from going toward her servant. She had just spent half an hour treating that guy, and he wasn''t even fully healed before she had dragged him into learning all the dodging skills earlier.


    If he got attacked for the second time now, his body wouldn''t be able to take it anymore! She gnashed her jaw and kept fighting with all her power. One after another, those people kept shooting the fireballs toward her as she stood in front of the door to block them all.


    Maybe she should ask him to escape first!


    Just as she thought of this, she opened her mouth and said, "Oi, servant, you have to escape! As fast as possible! You don''t need to worry about me. I''ll be done in five minutes!"


    She had expected to receive a reply soon after this statement, or at least she could have heard the sound of Zion''s footsteps, but she didn''t. A frown crossed her forehead. After hitting a bunch of balls that disappeared as they were sliced with her sword, she sneaked a glance only to see her servant lying flat on his stomach, unconscious.


    Her eyes went wide.


    What the heck just happened?! She was supposed to be one of the strongest martial artists, but she still fell short when encountering the elves! She glared at them and used hand signs.


    Even though dhampirs knew magic and used hand signs to fight, they still didn''t know as many powerful attacking techniques as the elves. The fact that dhampirs had to insert their Qi in their swords to use the hand signs limited their power to a greater extent! On the other hand, the elves could easily use their mouths to ignite the power and work according to what they wanted! She still wasn''t clear about how the elves'' magic worked, but she knew one thing for sure: These vile creatures had it all easy!


    She glared at them furiously and used her bubble magic to throw a series of boiling water energy balls at almost all the customers and swiftly picked up Zion''s unconscious body from one hand to escape.


    She didn''t want to use her power just now. She had already used it to her limit to teach Zion and treat his wound. Now when he got another injury, she was losing all her hopes of keeping him alive.


    At this moment, a hint of anxiety flashed in her eyes. What should she do? If this human died right in front of her eyes, her efforts would just be in vain! Even if this guy seemed to be a little¡ªokay, a lot weaker in physical strength, his brain worked more than others! How could she just let him die like this?


    No! She refused to believe that she couldn''t save him! She gritted her teeth and passed by her inn. At this time, living in her inn wasn''t an option. They had all seen Zion''s face, and someone even posted posters of his face drawn by an unknown artist across the village. After the incident at the restaurant, she knew that they would be facing a lot of problems, and the hotel owner might even kick her out with Zion.


    She looked down at his face that was getting paler as the seconds passed by, and picked up her pace.


    Where should she go? Lia had no idea, but anywhere would be better than this elf village.


    Soon, she arrived in the forest area as she traveled in an unknown direction and found a cave. After that, she placed Zion''s body leaning on the cave wall before using her sword to cast a basic spell with hand signs. Warm energy came out of her hands and created a shield around Zion to protect him against any attack. The shield was visible to the naked eye only for a few seconds before it disappeared.


    She sighed in relief and dashed outside in a hurry to find the herbs. If she delayed any longer, she wouldn''t be able to heal her servant at all! She still had some of her energy preserved inside her body, so she knew she could save him with the help of both her power and medicines. It was her servant''s fortune that she knew so much about herbs and healing techniques!

 Chapter 94 - Healing All Over Again

    Zion''s brows furrowed before his fingers moved all of a sudden. It was a good thing that he felt warm energy floating in his body. Maybe it was Lia who had been using her healing skills like before. Otherwise, the pain that he had felt in his chest was worse enough to kill him off!


    He parted his lips softly and closed as a layer of sweat formed on his forehead. It seemed as if he had just woken up from a nightmare that was so scary that it made his face pale. In fact, what had happened to him wasn''t anything less than a nightmare. The fireball that had attacked his legs last night hit him again in his chest, and he couldn''t do a damn thing about it!


    The only relief was that he had experienced this attack before, so he knew what to expect. If it were any other energy balls that had hit his chest, he wouldn''t have taken it quickly. He didn''t even want to imagine what it felt like to be hit by an energy ball filled with thunderbolts! Even the thought was enough to make him shiver from head to toe!


    All of a sudden, he felt like cursing that damned Methu man who forcibly sent him to this world after he died. He wanted to go and reincarnate, but what had that stupid furry man done? Sent him to an unknown world without even asking his permission!


    At first, he hadn''t thought too much of it since he never believed things would ever go beyond his expectations. He had enough faith in his deduction skills that if he focused on everything around him more, he wouldn''t be able to miss out on small pieces of evidence unlike what he did before dying in his previous world.


    But this world proved him wrong! Time and time again, the cases forced him to see his shortcomings, and now, he had realized that he needed to have a deep understanding of this world''s magic before he could even think about solving cases!


    Heh, it looks like he really had underestimated this world.


    Just as he was thinking about this, he felt someone''s soft hands moving against his chest, especially the part where he was attacked. He felt a sudden jolt of pain rushing into that area. The relaxed feeling that had surrounded him a while ago, bringing him momentary peace, was disturbed in an instant as a burning pain took its place.


    Even though he was a man, and this was the first time a lady had touched his chest, instead of blushing, his brows were wrinkling in pain! It wasn''t as if he was similar to his overly sexual system, who would lust after girls every single second of his life. Zion was an ordinary man who had never believed he would obtain any attention from girls at all!


    In his original world, due to his lean body, slim muscles to the point of seeing bones through the skin, and dark circles that were always around his eyes, he wouldn''t be attractive to girls in his whole school life. It wasn''t until he went to his university and got the private detective''s certificate that he gained some fans, but still, none of the girls had ever approached him! Most of the time, they were too afraid to even approach a few meters distance around him because of his status as a world famous detective!


    Even then, he had fantasies about when a girl would touch him for real. In his mind, everything would be pleasant with an obedient girl in front of him. He had dreamt about a bunch of stuff he didn''t even want to think about at this point, but just because of an injury, everything was ruined!


    What to speak of pleasure, all he felt was burning pain that made his limbs tremble!


    His eyes opened as his hands caught Lia''s wrist, and he glared at her fiercely. Then he spoke through his gritted teeth. "I''ll do it myself."


    Lia didn''t know what was going on in her servant''s head. She threw the herbs at his face and got up before she brushed off the dust from her dress. It wasn''t an elegant dress, to begin with. Her clothes and mud stains all over that changed its design altogether. "Suit yourself. I''ll keep an eye outside."


    Zion lowered his head and was shocked to see such a deep and darkened wound covering half his chest. His eyes widened at sight, but he took a deep breath and calmed his palpitating heart before he raised his trembling hands and applied the herbs.


    How the heck did he come out alive even after having such a terrible wound on his chest? It was a miracle that he was still breathing!


    Lia scoffed. "You owe me."


    "I owe you," Zion muttered unconsciously as he continued to apply the herbs carefully without looking at her.


    This time, the princess nodded with a satisfied expression as if she were ready to make use of this opportunity and force her servant to run errands for her. While this was happening, Lia was sitting at the mouth of the cave while glancing at her human servant now and then to see if Zion was still alive or not.


    Just then, a thought flashed through her head. "Why did you want to go to the library today?"


    Zion''s hands paused as he thought about what he should say and then continued to apply the medicine. "I want to know more about this world, especially the elves and their magical powers. I would end up dying someday without that knowledge."


    The princess scoffed again. "Should have asked me before putting yourself in danger last night. I would have warned you enough." Then she silently added that she would have scared him so much that he wouldn''t dare to take a step away from her, but she wouldn''t utter those words and said, "Well, you see, the elves are divided into six classes when it comes to power. From the first level to sixth, and mind you, the last one only belongs to the Queen."


    Zion noted how Lia pressed onto the word ''Queen'' as if she was too angry to say that word.


    Lia didn''t care about that and continued. "The first level is when one learns basic skills like throwing energy balls, as you observed just now. There are other things too that they learn, such as inserting energy into weapons and protective shields, but those aren''t important. As the level keeps rising, you will see the elves getting more and more powerful." Then she turned to look at him with a serious expression on her face. "Do you know why they can make so many clocks? Because almost everyone, even a kid who has passed the first level can make them."


    Just as Lia wanted to add something to what she just said, she heard the noise of footsteps coming from the outside.

 Chapter 95 - The Cave!

    "Are you sure they''re here?" One of the elves spoke with a frown on his face as they walked through the forest. This time, the ones who came to capture Zion and his master were the elf soldiers. Their power level was higher than the ordinary people, and they came here under the orders of the village chief.


    Truth to be told, they had already been given word that a human who was suspected to be the murderer had appeared in the nearby restaurant. They had all seen his portrait stuck to the walls across the village. So without wasting any time, the village chief gravely ordered a few soldiers by his side to find the human and lock him up.


    But who knew that once they would approach the restaurant, they would be greeted by a disastrous scene of broken furniture and injured customers? The most shocking thing was that the human''s owner was a dhampir girl who had just arrived in their village a few days ago! The latter was supposed to go against a slave in normal situations and should have sided with the government, but no! She instead went against everyone to save one worthless guy!


    The village chief''s blood boiled after thinking of this, and he immediately assumed that the dhampir girl must have something to do with this. Otherwise, why would she save a human?! No one cared about humans anymore. Instead, he believed she was trying to save herself!


    That''s why, when they had appeared in the restaurant, they were shocked and followed the trail of the Lia and Zion. They had nearly lost the two when the soldiers met with an elf villager who witnessed the scene where Lia dragged an unconscious human toward the forest area.


    So currently, they investigated everything from the passerby elf and marched toward the cave faster. But since they hadn''t even seen a glimpse of a dhampir girl and a human, they were a little disappointed. Some of the soldiers were even losing faith and thought that the elf villager was lying to them.


    But the commander or chief soldier who was in charge of this troop did not doubt those words of the passerby. He shook his head and said, "Don''t doubt that villager. I can tell when a person lies and that passerby was telling the truth. If he said we would find them in this path, we will! We just have to pick up our pace and catch them off guard!"


    On the other side, Lia and Zion, who had heard the voice of footsteps just now, froze and darted their heads in that direction. Just a few seconds later, Zion listened to his ''master'' cursing under her breath, and she said,. "Did they find us already?"


    "We should escape." The detective frowned and packed the rest of the herbs before putting them on his belt. His shirt was still tattered into pieces. So he didn''t bother wearing it anymore and grabbed the piece of cloth Lia had brought before wrapping it on his chest over the area where he had applied herbs. Although he wasn''t bleeding, these herbs were still necessary to heal his inner injury.


    After that, he turned to Lia and said, "This time, the people who might approach us would be stronger. So we better escape soon."


    Lia nodded, and just as they were about to leave, they heard the sound of people talking.


    "There''s a cave!"


    "Do you think they''re hiding inside that cave?"


    "Who knows? But we can''t see any other place that could shelter them. I say they''re definitely hiding there!"


    "Let''s get them, soldiers!"


    The expressions of Lia and Zion changed all of a sudden. Without saying a word to each other, they worked with a tactical understanding and rushed deeper inside the dark cave. Still, unfortunately, even though this cave seemed bigger from the outside, it was a small empty shell, in reality, having only a little space inside.


    Before they knew it, they came to an end and stood in front of the wall with pale faces. They exchanged glances. "What now?" Lia asked as if she were trying to figure out what they should do.


    Zion pursed his lips and thought for a while. Ever since he had decided to take up this case, he didn''t get even a second of rest to ponder over the case. All he was forced to do was either practice his martial arts skill, make plans to think about the children murderer, and continue to run away from the elves who wanted to capture him!


    It had been so many days, and he even failed in his previous case, but did he improve? Nope! He was quick to realize that he, a small human in his world, would find it so difficult to even survive among people from different races!


    Then he remembered the first time when the system had asked him to take up the case, 007 had told him that Zion would be punished if he failed. It could be said that he was practically forced to take up the case the last time, but what about now? The system was still under hibernation, and Zion just casually decided to solve this murder case based on what? Did he think he was some super powerful and intelligent person who could solve any puzzle with a good brain?


    Of course, he did have more brains than ordinary people, but at a time like this, when he was in a life and death kind of situation, he didn''t know what to do anymore! It was just like he was a person who couldn''t swim and still proactively decided to jump in the ocean only to drown in the next second, waving his hands and feet to find something for support as if he wanted to breathe one more time.


    Just when did he become desperate? He had never been the person who would go to lengths to keep his life because he didn''t need to! When he was still in his previous world, almost everyone would take care of his life and give him the ultimate protection. Other than the mistake that had occurred in the end that cost him his life, he had never faced any difficulties. Being famous, he had gotten everything easily that made him feel as if he was a spoiled young master from ancient Chinese literature.


    But what was the point of becoming famous in that world? Here, in Magicae, he couldn''t even save himself. What to speak of the case?!


    In the present situation, did he have any other solution than surrender to the enemies and then find a way out? The elves were outside the cave and were about to enter, and Zion was standing at the dead end with no escape. Just how was he supposed to save himself?

 Chapter 96 - Capture Them!

    Lia frowned when she saw her servant pausing for a long time. She had realized his mind worked faster than anyone else, but why was he taking so much time now? She had asked him for a way out only because she didn''t know what to do, and she felt utterly helpless, but she had faith in this servant of hers. She knew he could find something that could save them both. "Oi servant, what''re you thinking about? I''m asking you something!"


    Zion snapped back to reality and glanced at her. Now that he thought about it, this girl had been acting suspiciously since the start. Why did she have unprecedented faith in him? A frown crossed his forehead, and he couldn''t help but ask, "Why are you doing this? Just go and do your thing while you can still escape. I''m not being heroic here but presenting a rather important issue. Why do you have to be so stubborn enough to save me, a human? Have you gone crazy or what?"


    Lia looked at him as if her human servant, whom she considered brilliant, suddenly turned into a foolish slave. She raised her hand and hit the back of his head. "Fool. Do you think I''m like those hypocrites?"


    His hands caressed the back of his head as he looked at her with a complicated gaze. After coming to this world, he understood one thing: No matter what you do, humans are always the bad guys, but how the heck did Lia turn out to be like this? She was also a dhampir princess who lived in the palace before the black-cloaked man destroyed everything.


    But why did she start to care for a human? When did she become so powerful that even Princess Edda was surprised back then in the Vanne kingdom? How did Lia''s personality become so dark? Being a princess, she should be proud and stubborn, but how did he turn into a bloodthirsty woman who could charge among enemies without thinking twice?


    His eyes narrowed, and he changed the topic. Since his current situation was critical, he would put this matter aside for now and focus on escaping.


    At present, he and Lia were already here, and he was deeply injured. And no matter how powerful Lia was, she could definitely not overpower a crowd of soldiers when her powers were exhausted. She had taught him all morning and even healed him many times. He was sure that she was on the verge of losing consciousness. He could already see a layer of sweat on her forehead, and she took deep breaths as if she had just run a marathon.


    Just a small walk made her so tired. She wasn''t in good shape, so fighting back wasn''t an option. That left them with only one choice:


    "We should surrender."


    "Huh?" Lia didn''t think he would suggest something like this. She instantly glared at him and refuted. "Why? Do you think I''ve died and can''t fight anymore?! I still have energy!"


    "Save it." Zion rolled his eyes at her words and continued. "Your chest is heaving as if you have just exhausted your breath; your clothes are covered with sweat, and it smells pretty bad. I know you''re in no shape of fighting back, so better listen to me on this."


    "I smell BAD?!" Lia exploded. Even though she never acted like a girl anymore, it didn''t mean this human servant could go and tell her that she smelled terrible! She had the pride of a girl, and no one should say to her that her body was leaking a foul odor! She glared at her servant fiercely. "Take that back. Right now!"


    Zion ignored her and said, "I''m not saying we should accept that we killed those children, but we should go out without our weapons in front of those soldiers, and let them take us away. I''ll make sure we both escape the prison before they could torture out a fake confession from us."


    When Zion talked about something serious, Lia had to suppress her anger and nodded stiffly while still glaring at him. She understood the situation too well. They didn''t have enough time to bother themselves with such arguments, but why the heck did he have to comment on her bodily scent?!


    After that, they both silently decided to leave. Lia put down her weapon and even took out the hidden weapon from all parts of her body and put it down at the innermost part of the cave.


    Zion was stunned seeing that. "Just when did you hide those weapons inside your clothes¡­." He didn''t even want to imagine what it would have felt like to be poked by those weapons against her skin at all times.


    Lia waved her hand and said coolly, "Let''s go. You said we should surrender, right?"


    He nodded. "But we don''t have to admit that we are murderers no matter what."


    After they exchanged a few more words of how to remain cautious, they walked out solemnly.


    Outside the cave, just when the soldiers were about to enter, they heard the sound of footsteps coming from the darkness. The chief soldier frowned and gripped his sword tightly. Just then, they saw two people walking out with severe expressions on their faces. One of them was wrapped in a cloth that showed traces of green-colored herbs being applied to the skin, while another looked like a harmless little girl who seemed as if she couldn''t even afford to buy herself good clothes.


    But the chief soldier knew better. He had heard how the human behind her had managed to escape the crowd of civilians twice! It should mean that the master of this human must be even more dangerous! They had seen how she left the restaurant in such a mess back then. How could they leave these suspects out there? Even though the soldiers didn''t have any evidence, the elves really didn''t want to doubt their people.


    It was better to make someone else their scapegoat and force the dhampir girl and a human to take responsibility for the crime. And it wasn''t as if the elves even considered the fact that the dhampir and her servant hadn''t committed the crime. The feeling of patriotism came to them naturally, so in their hearts, the human who was found wandering around the street late at night had already become the criminal who had killed almost hundreds of kids.


    Just as the chief soldier saw the two people coming out from the cave, he looked at them with eyes full of hatred. Then he ordered his subordinates. "Capture them!"

 Chapter 97 - His Deduction

    Zion and Lia sealed their lips and walked voluntarily with the group of elves. The scene of capture was so easy that the soldiers were doubtful for a full minute. According to those customers in the restaurant, the dhampir girl had a sword at hand that she used to suppress all the elves present at that time. There were about ten customers, five waiters, and a few human servants, and she overpowered all fifteen of them.


    But now, when the soldiers looked at the submissive people standing in front of them, they narrowed their eyes. Did these two really create such havoc in the restaurant?


    Zion could see a doubtful look in most of these soldier''s eyes, and that was the effect he wanted. He had deliberately asked Lia to curb her anger and pretend to be a meek and poor girl. So when they still hadn''t gone outside the cave, the princess took mud from the ground and walls and rubbed it all over her dress to make it seem even more realistically poor. She even tore the corners of her clothes to make them seem more compelling.


    Still, the soldiers didn''t dare to let these two go. They knew that the village chief had a reason to capture these people. So he didn''t delay it any longer.


    But even though they all captured Zion and Lia, they didn''t put up their guard as much. They could see that this dhampir girl didn''t have a weapon at hand and looking at her exhausted face and a servant who was still injured, the soldiers didn''t fear them. The latter even thought naively that even though these two travelers were found to be criminals, the dhampir girl couldn''t possibly do anything without her sword. Even though the spiritual practices in different races were hidden, it was still a well-known fact that dhampirs couldn''t breathe a single spark of magic without a weapon, specifically a sword.


    Still, they rechecked her body, and when they found that no weapon was hidden in her clothes, they sighed in relief and tied their hands at their backs as they dragged Lia and Zion to the opposite side outside the forest. It took them more than an hour before they could reach the village chief''s house¡ªthe same big house with two guards standing at either side of the front gate.


    This time, when they all passed by, the guards didn''t stop Lia and Zion from entering, but their expressions turned fiercer than before as they glared at the two travelers collectively.


    Veins popped on Lia''s forehead. She had been suppressing her anger all for her servant''s ''grand plan'' to work, but why the heck were these people glaring at her like this?! She wasn''t a criminal, but from their expressions, it looked like they had already considered her the murderer!


    Sure enough, she wasn''t wrong to hate these vile creatures called elves!


    Zion cleared his throat when he saw her face getting red from anger and secretly poked her arms. As he glanced around him, he found that no one was looking at him as he covered his mouth with his hand and whispered to Lia, "I''ve observed something about these elves."


    Sure enough. That caught her attention. She glanced at him and raised her eyebrows as if arrogantly indicating to him to continue.


    Zion coughed, thinking hard about what he should speak. Just now, he was bluffing that he had noticed something about these elves only to distract Lia, and now when she was thoroughly distracted, he didn''t know what to say. He licked his lips and thought for a while.


    What could he find in these people that even a dhampir like Princess Lia or the former eldest princess of the Vanne Kingdom might not know? He pursed his lips as his mind turned round and round until he reached an important conclusion:


    "I think there might be a reason why the murderer is trying to manipulate these citizens."


    "Why?"


    "It might be because the murderer is afraid of getting exposed. Isn''t that why he chose to make me his scapegoat that day hastily? He was worried that I''d expose him. Being an elf, he should have enough power to overcome a hurdle like me, but he didn''t do that. Instead, he removed his silver mask and mingled into the crowd before pointing fingers at me."


    Zion paused as if he just remembered something and continued. "It might also be the case that the killer might not be that famous because when he became one of the people in the crowd that night to ''expose'' me as a murderer, others should have recognized him, but they didn''t. It could be either that he was wearing a hoodie or¡­.." A flash of memory appeared in his eyes. "There was someone! That person had his head covered with a blanket that seemed tattered. At that time, I had thought he was a beggar, but it turns out, he was the murderer!"


    "And what do you mean by this?" Lia''s brain definitely wasn''t like the system''s, as stupid as a clown. When Zion uttered those words, she could already tell he had found something. It wasn''t as if she wasn''t interested in this case, but she had been initially against solving this case because she didn''t trust elves at all. But now, when they were already in deep water, she would have to bite the bullet and help her human servant to get out of this predicament faster. If they couldn''t prove that they weren''t the killers, they wouldn''t be able to escape from this place!


    Zion could tell that the girl had become serious, so he didn''t waste more time and said, "What I meant to say is, this murderer might be a well-known figure, but he might not have much power to fight off so many people. Otherwise, he wouldn''t have sneaked among the crowd in fear that I''ll yell his whereabouts. You should already know how powerful those citizens were. They would have cornered the murderer in a second.


    "And the reason why he''s wearing the mask on his face every time he kills is that he doesn''t want anyone to recognize him. Of course, we can''t rule out that this murderer might also be a crazy killer who just likes to kill while wearing the mask. I''ve seen many of those. Lastly, the silver mask signifies that he''s probably rich, although this fact cannot be claimed until we figure out whether the silver mask is really made out of actual metal. The point is, this killer can be an elf of high status who cannot use much magical power."


    Lia had a thoughtful expression on her face as she contemplated his words. Zion didn''t say anything anymore, but he didn''t need to. He already did his part to shift the girl''s attention somewhere else by providing her details about what he deducted until now.


    If not, he feared that there would be another bloodbath here.


    They entered the corridor and passed by many rooms.


    Back when Lia and Zion were in the cave, the princess had quickly agreed to leave her weapons behind for one reason: she still had another one hidden in her body that no one could find.


    The elves overestimated themselves. Did they really think she was weaponless? There was a belt on her waist that looked like an ordinary rugged cloth that even seemed tattered at the end. In fact, it was hiding a sword. This sword was especially enchanted with Qi and was so thin that it could be mistaken as a piece of stiff cloth or leather.


    Just then, the soldiers took the prisoners inside a room, and they faced the village chief.

 Chapter 98 - Isaac Langer

    Zion and Lia saw the village chief for the first time. This man seemed like a middle-aged person with a whitish beard on his face and wrinkles around his eyes. His long white hair was tied at the top of his head kept in place with the help of a crown. His entire body was covered with brown-colored ancient robes with long sleeves and a silver-colored belt on his waist. This person almost looked like someone out of a cultivation novel.


    A frown crossed his forehead. Why did everyone in this world look like they were of Chinese ancestry? Even though the dhampir kingdom had a western touch, most things seemed like they belonged to ancient China. For instance, he had seen a simple vase in the Vanne kingdom that had Chinese words carved on it. Although he couldn''t read the language, he could still differentiate between Japanese, Chinese, and Korean, and those words were definitely in Chinese.


    He couldn''t ponder over this issue more because the village chief opened his mouth and said, "So you are two of our legendary guests who like to create trouble in our kingdom."


    Lia glared at the man with all the hatred in her eyes. She still remembered back then when she had come to see this person saying she would like to help solve this case, but how did this chief reply? He said he didn''t care about her at all and would rather spend his ''quality time'' trying to do the deed himself rather than finding professionals.


    Now that he dragged her and Zion with a whole procession, she felt it was ironic in her heart. She sneered and decided to close her mouth, remembering her servant''s words. Although she hated the elves to the core, she still didn''t know a few things about them. For instance, who was famous other than the queen herself? Who were the people in her family? Or was there anyone that could match with the description that her servant had given to her?


    She didn''t know, or rather, she didn''t care about it at all. How could she have time to focus on the queen''s private life when she hated that girl from the depths of her heart? Even the thought of her was enough to make Lia''s expressions turn dark.


    But still, she controlled her anger and focused on the job at hand. Currently, she had to pretend to be a pitiful little girl who didn''t know how to fight back, but for some reason, her servant told her not to immerse herself in her act too much to make herself look like a completely different person. He patiently advised her to be herself, and the only thing she had to do was to be aggressive and pitiful at the same time.


    But could anyone tell her how to do that?! She could either be pitiful and aggressive! How could she be both of them? She glared at her servant secretly from the corner of her eyes.


    When she had asked him about how she could be like that, her servant was silent for a while before he shook his head and told her, "Nevermind. You won''t be able to do that." But at the same time, she could see a trace of blush on his earlobe, making her wonder just what was going on in this servant''s head?


    She didn''t know that her human servant was thinking of an anime with a super cute female character whose cheeks would bulge whenever she would talk aggressively to others. Even though he rarely got time in his previous life, he would still like to watch anime and movies in his free time, so this female character was someone he liked from the anime. When he had told Lia to become aggressive and pitiful at the same time, that image suddenly popped up in front of his eyes, making his cheeks red.


    But when he imagined the princess having that kind of expression, a trace of disgust rose in his heart. This girl could never act like that, not even in his imagination! Just why was he imagining such things at this time? His lips pursed and continued to listen to the village chief, who was counting the ''crimes'' Lia and Zion had committed according to him.


    "So you two have recently killed a few more children that night when one of the citizens of our village saw the human wandering around without her master. All this time, we thought he had sneaked outside, but now, we all think it was you, miss dhampir girl, who let him out deliberately to kill those children." The village chief paused and squinted his eyes at them. "Now tell me, why did you do this? Why kill so many children? The count has surpassed even a hundred! Have you got no shame? If you want to kill someone, just why don''t you go back to your Vanne kingdom and repeat this crime? Huh? Why come to a different place for this? I even suspect that you two were living in seclusion, hiding in our village for a long time before you could appear to show that you just arrived! You two were here for a year, right?"


    Zion could see that Lia''s expressions were turning darker and darker with every sentence that the village chief spoke. He feared that if he didn''t interrupt, she would explode and cause havoc, so he cleared his throat and said, "Where''s the evidence that we killed those children? Are you the elf queen who can decide who the criminal is? Don''t go on assuming things when you don''t know anything."


    His voice had a hint of coldness that made the village chief shiver, but when he remembered that the person who spoke just now was a human, he took a deep breath and glared at him before saying, "Boy, you have got guts. Do you know who you are speaking to? Isaac Langer himself! If you were an elf, you would know my name! I have caught multiple criminals and have a good relationship with the queen, so don''t you think that you guys can escape!" Then he turned to the guards and said, "Capture these two young fellas! We will send them to the queen right now! Prepare the carriage and soldiers to escort them to the capital! She will decide what to do with these criminals!"


    Lia''s expressions changed in an instant.

 Chapter 99 - A Spider!

    Before she could control herself, she blurted. "No! Anyone but her!"


    "Why? Are you afraid now?" Isaac sneered in his heart. "Girl, you should have thought well before committing the crime!"


    "You-" Lia was about to say something else when she felt her servant poking her arms again. She suppressed her anger again and glared at Isacc with all her heart. "You better speak nicely, or else you''ll regret it later."


    Her voice was icy cold that was enough to make the weak-hearted people tremble in fear.


    When Zion saw this, he face-palmed himself. Hadn''t he warned her not to be too aggressive? He wanted her to balance the act of being a pitiful princess who could only talk loud and not do anything, but why was she leaking out her bloodthirsty aura?! Then his poking increased its pace until the dhampir girl finally couldn''t take it anymore and slapped his hand away.


    But Isacc didn''t care about it anymore. He ignored the girl and didn''t even consider glancing at the human before he called out to his soldiers. "Is it done?"


    One of the soldiers standing by his side walked out and returned after a while as he nodded to Isacc.


    As the soldiers dragged these two people to the prison carriage with horses tied at the front, Zion''s mind wandered again. Although his eyes were sharply observing every elf at that place, he was also thinking at the same time about something else: Lia''s reaction to the sentence that they were going to be taken to the capital and presented to the queen.


    This dhampir girl had ended up showing immense hatred in her heart toward the elf queen like if it weren''t for the restrictions, she would fly away and kill that queen in an instant! Something must have definitely happened between the two of them. But what? Zion''s eyes narrowed.


    But before he could think more about it, he heard the guards cursing words: "Walk faster! Are you even a human? I''ve heard humans used to have a high speed centuries ago! Then why are you walking like an ant? C''mon! Pick up the pace!"


    While they were busying, taking Zion and Lia to the capital city, somewhere else, presumably in another corner of the world, two people sat with windows and doors tightly shut so that no one could hear their voices. Only a candle brightened up the room at the center of the round table, and on either side of it, two people sat on their respective chairs, facing each other. No one could tell from which race they belonged because of the dimmed light.


    Their faces illuminated as they glanced at each other with a grave expression as if they had just heard of bad news. One man with brown robes and matching eye color hit the table in anger. His blonde hair was disheveled as if he hadn''t combed his hair for the entire night. There were dark circles under his eyes that made his appearance look haggard.


    His face twisted in anger as he looked at the fire at the center. "How could this happen? We planned it so well! How? Just how?! I stayed awake for so many nights to manage our spies, but what happened in the end?"


    The man sitting in front of him raised the corners of his lips. His blue eyes shone as he glanced at the fire. In a calm and serene voice, he spoke. "That was just a minor setback."


    "Minor setback?!" The brown-eyed person couldn''t take it anymore. His anger reached the ultimate height as he glared at the fire as if it were the reason why he had gotten angry in the first place. "You call that minor setback? We lost the opportunity in the Vanne kingdom! Who the heck was that imposter? Our plans are being ruined, and you call that a minor setback? You know why we need that power, don''t you?!" He looked at the calm face of the blue-eyed man and got even angrier. "You call yourself my close friend, then why don''t you care about the words I''m saying? Isn''t this for your benefit?!"


    "Calm down, Rico." The blue-eyed man sighed and shook his head. "I''m destined to end up like that. I thought I could change history, but I couldn''t, and it doesn''t matter."


    "It matters to me! We can just make sure to kill the remaining dhampirs and make up for the number!" Rico thought for a while and said, "We were nearly there. Just a few dozens of people, and that''s it!"


    The man with blue eyes shook his head and smiled as if what Rico was saying had nothing to do with him. He was so calm that even the brown-eyed man thought that this man must have another plan to fulfill his goal. Rico squinted his eyes and took a deep breath to calm down. "You have another plan, don''t you?"


    Inside his heart, he was constantly praying for the blue-eyed person to have another plan. Otherwise, they would be doomed.


    Just then, the blue-eyed person said in a calm voice. "Have you heard of a story about a spider?"


    Rico frowned and didn''t know why this person brought up a spider in their conservation. But since he trusted the man sitting in front of him, he shut his mouth and continued to listen obediently. The blue-eyed man was his master in a sense, so he shouldn''t raise his voice against this person. He took a deep breath to calm himself and focused on what the man was saying.


    The blue-eyed person continued. "A spider tried to make a web for the first time and failed brutally. It dropped on the ground, injured."


    At this point, even Rico became curious about the spider. He asked, "Then what happened?"


    "The spider got up on its feet, climbed the wall, and started building its house again, and sadly, it failed again. But this time, it didn''t fall on the ground like before. It kept hanging in the air, holding onto the thread as if it were its lifeline. Then it started building again. What do you think happened this time?"


    Rico scratched the back of his head and replied with a hint of confusion in his voice, "It failed again?"


    The man shook his head and smiled. "It passed this time, and the house it built was better and larger than what it had previously imagined."


    Realization dawned on Rico as a trace of excitement appeared in his eyes. "You mean¡­"


    "You don''t have to worry about the dhampirs. They''ll grow, create babies in the coming decade, multiply their population to get back their kingdom. We have failed once, but it''s not necessary that we might fail again. We can give them a hand to help them get their kingdom back and wait for them to grow before we can strike again. As for that imposter who ruined our plans, I know how to deal with him. We should send our spies to different kingdoms to investigate him."


    Rico nodded, but he opened his mouth again when he remembered something else. "I fear our plans will be ruined in the Viridis kingdom too. From what I have heard, there''s a dhampir girl and her servant that was found sneaking on the street. If they were to cause some trouble¡­."


    "Kill them." The blue-eyed man spoke and got up from his seat as he headed over to the door. Then he paused as if he just got another idea and said, "Better yet, make their lives miserable. Make it so like they''re the criminals and create fake evidence that could point fingers at them such that even the queen of the Viridis kingdom couldn''t help but doubt them. Just make sure that the dhampir girl and her servant''s image become so bad in front of the public that even if they speak the truth, none of them would believe it."


    "Why not kill them directly? It seems troublesome to do these things."


    "Why troublesome?" The blue-eyed man looked back at Rico. "I''m only cautious. If the elf queen investigates after we make an assassin attempt on that dhampir girl, we might be dragged in the water soon. Better to remain hidden and do a puppet dance to stop the ants."

 Chapter 100 - A Rumor?

    At the same time, Zion and Lia were on a journey toward the capital city, and it had been only an hour since they left the previous village. Their hands were tied and mouths blocked with a cloth as they passed through the market area of a town. It almost seemed like the elves were trying to choke them using the cloth at hand. Still, the two of them acted so obediently that the onlookers, who were watching the procession of the soldiers and glancing at Lia and Zion sitting inside the carriage, showed a trace of sympathy in their eyes.


    "How unfortunate!" One of the white-haired men selling vegetables on the street side market said, "I think these people are innocent. Just look at the dhampir girl. She looks like she''s about to cry. Even at this distance, I can see her eyes red."


    Truthfully, Lia''s eyes were red only because of anger, not due to crying, but since it served the purpose, Zion didn''t interrupt. Her red eyes would help them gain as much sympathy from the citizens as they could.


    Another person standing beside the white-haired man spoke as he glared at the dhampir girl in anger. "How can you sympathize with these people? Don''t you remember how they killed all these children? They deserve the ending worse than death!"


    "But how can we be so sure that they are the ones who killed all the children?" Another elf buying vegetables spoke with a trace of worry in his eyes as he glanced at the carriage. "Their only fault was that they were present at the wrong place at the wrong time. What if they aren''t the real criminals? Aren''t we just missing out on the person who could be the real killer? We would help the murderer escape!"


    The person standing beside the vegetable stall owner sneered and glared at Lia and her human servant. "What, then an elf did it? I would rather die than believe these words! Citizens of the Viridis kingdom have always been examples of virtue and peace. How can you even think that our people can kill those children? We, elves, have the purest of hearts, so I don''t believe there might be someone among us who caused those murders. If you believe this, you''re rather a traitor who is misleading everyone!"


    The shopkeeper''s and the buyer''s bodies froze as they stared at the man and hesitated before speaking.


    "I think you''re right."


    "We went too overboard."


    While this was going on, Zion, sitting beside the window, heard that conservation and frowned. From what it looked like, these people were putting up the blame for the murder on Lia''s and his shoulders. Was this only a coincidence, or was someone deliberately doing this? He pursed his lips and kept listening.


    Throughout the journey, all he heard was similar conservation where the citizens were pointing fingers at him and Lia. Even those who hesitated and tried to make others understand that it might be a rumor, others shut them up quickly with their witty words.


    This phenomenon only made Zion even more cautious. His mind instantly compared it with how celebrities suffered in the modern world because of being slandered with many such rumors online. He was similar to an online celebrity back then. The ghostwriters hired by the opposing party who wanted to destroy his reputation had made severe allegations and even posted things with fake ''evidence'' about how Zion wasn''t smart enough.


    Many people had bought it at that time. If it weren''t for the fact that Zion also knew how to code and hack the servers, he would have been doomed. He blocked all the accounts singlehandedly and contacted the authorities with a report. After that, he had even written a blog about all of these activities and posted it in the forum online under the anonymous author''s name. He even used his hacking skills to make it trending.


    The netizens were shocked and instantly apologized to him on the social media account.


    So he was very clear about the way such slanderous rumors worked. Back when they were in the village, it had only been a night, and everyone in the town knew about what had happened the night before. It wasn''t bizarre since he knew things happened like this in the villages in general. Any rumor would pass from one mouth to another at lightning speed.


    But now, when he was passing through many villages and cities, he could hear almost every single citizen talking about this. A frown crossed Zion''s forehead. Did the speed of spreading the rumor increase? It was almost as if the person who was spreading the rumor received a helping hand¡­.


    They traveled day and night and only stopped at inns for a few hours to rest. The security was tight, but Zion knew that if he intended to escape, he would have done that already. But currently, seeing how the case was going on and how the fingers were pointed at him and Lia at an alarming rate, he felt his decision to surrender was good. Now he wanted to go to the capital city and enter the palace.


    Why the palace? For some reason, Zion got a hunch that he would receive sn evidence there. So that was why he didn''t even try to escape.


    Lia was also silent the entire time, and who knows what she was thinking. Her face remained expressionless as she stared into space in a daze as if she were thinking about something in her mind, but from her expressions, even Zion couldn''t figure out what she was thinking about.


    Soon, they reached the capital city.


    Every village that they had entered had massive boundary walls separating the two towns. Every town or city had two gates: one to enter and another to exit and reach another place. After a small forest, they would appear in front of another village surrounded by boundary walls.


    This time too, the capital was surrounded by the boundary wall, but the boundary range seemed bigger than all villages or cities he had seen. The gate was shut, and a few soldiers were standing on either side and the fortress with both crossbows and swords at hand. The ones standing closest to the main door held spears similar to the ones he had seen back in the village they were staying in.


    But what made him frown the most was the powerful aura that leaked out of the soldiers'' bodies. It almost seemed as if it were about 75% of the bloodthirsty aura that Lia would often leak out whenever she would be angry. His squinted eyes stared at them for a long time.


    If these soldiers were this powerful, what about the elf queen and the people from her palace? Just how could he find the people to fit the description of the killer he had made and told Lia earlier? Did he make the wrong deduction?


    If everyone in the capital were like this, he felt like he would need to go through the case again in his head.

 Chapter 101 - A Goddess

    Neither Zion nor Lia said a word. They kept staring at the main gate in a daze as if they were thinking about something. The princess seemed to have a trace of emotion flashing in her eyes at the sight of that gate, but she covered it up and became indifferent again. Since Zion was looking outside, no one could see the changes of emotion on Lia''s face. Then she laid back on her seat and closed her eyes as if she were sleeping.


    So when Zion came back to his senses as the carriage and series of soldiers passed through the front gate, he glanced at the person beside him and ended up seeing this scene. When did she fall asleep?


    But he didn''t care about it too much and looked outside again. The rumors were also spreading with full force as if someone had deliberately ordered people to create a hot and burning environment before Zion and Lia could even appear.


    So when they arrived, all they could hear was how the citizens pointed fingers at him and the princess.


    "Look at them." One of the elves standing at the street side scoffed. "They still pretend to be humble despite being so ruthless."


    "I have heard that the human would make the kids unconscious and drag them to Lia, who would offer him a sword, so in the end, it''s the human who would slash every single kid ruthlessly!"


    "Are you serious?"


    "The dhampir girl uses him as a puppet to fulfill her desires. I bet she didn''t think she would be caught so easily."


    "She just wanted to use her human slave to fulfill her evil desires!"


    "But why did she have to save him back then?"


    "Who knows? She might have been afraid that he would utter truthful words. She wanted to get rid of her human servant before she could escape! But fortunately, she was caught before she could even follow up her plans."


    When Zion heard these words, he couldn''t help but narrow his eyes. The way these people had twisted the facts was terrific. Just then, he heard Lia scoffing beside her. "Useless people," she muttered.


    He didn''t even need to look at her to know what she might be thinking, but he didn''t dart his glance elsewhere. His gaze was stuck at the citizens, who were wearing better clothes filled with jewels. The people from the capital city seemed to be living a good life.


    After a while, they all reached the palace as they passed through the series of roadside shops, houses, and even buildings with more than four stories. When they arrived at the palace, they saw two guards standing at the front of a giant arched gate that looked as if it were created out of climbing plants filled with colorful flowers, but to Lia, this scene only felt more disgusting.


    She lowered her eyes and hid the emotions that were about to go berserk. After a while, when she finally looked up, no one was able to see what she felt in her heart. They only saw how indifferent she was!


    Zion, however, noticed her emotions and squinted his eyes. His doubt about Lia became clearer as he continued to spy on her. Then he averted his eyes before he could get caught and looked in the front as the guards dragged them inside. They passed through a beautiful garden filled with flowers and butterflies. It almost seemed as if they had stepped into the heavenly place.


    This was the first time Zion had seen something so beautiful, and his eyes were curiously glancing through the garden on either side of him. Even in his world, he hadn''t seen something like this. Almost all the flowers were emanating light, and the butterflies flying around the field left a trail of the magic behind them as if they were all small tinkerbells and the traces behind them were pixie dust.


    After crossing the forest, they reached a long porchp where two chairs and a table were kept at the center, and on one of the chairs, a beautiful girl sat with a cup in her hand. She seemed to be looking at the table in a daze, unblinking as if she were deep in her thoughts. Then she seemed to have heard footsteps and instantly looked up to meet Zion''s eyes.


    Zion froze for a second before he walked steadily.


    This was the first time they both met.


    At first glance, Zion almost felt as if some goddess had descended on the planet, glowing because of her power and beauty. She looked even more beautiful than any actress in his world. They couldn''t even compare to 10% of her beauty.


    Zion wasn''t a saint, and even he had emotions. Naturally, he felt his heart thudding when he glanced at the elf girl sitting there, drinking something from the cup with a quiet expression on her face. If his system were here, he would have already gone berserk after seeing this beauty sitting there and would have been ranting continuously until his ears bled.


    Then he shook his head and scolded himself. He wasn''t here to find a woman for himself. Why was he even thinking about these things?! His lips pursed as he cleared his thoughts and focused on the case. Even though the elves were naturally beautiful, this girl seemed even more enchanting. Her white hair that floated behind her back with a braided hairstyle at the top of her head to hold the crown made it clear that her status shouldn''t be too low. If possible, she could be the legendary queen of the elves he had heard about ever since he stepped into the Viridis kingdom.


    Then as if remembering something, he glanced at Lia, only to find her expressions full of hatred. There were deep emotions in her eyes that she tried to conceal but couldn''t anymore after facing the queen. But since the queen''s eyes were on Zion for a long time, it didn''t seem like she noticed Lia''s turbulent emotions.


    Zion pursed his lips. He would have to confront Lia someday. Her reaction to this elf queen was so apparent that even a child would be able to tell that she hated the queen. The question was, why? And did this have any connection with the case?

 Chapter 102 - Your Majesty!

    They soon arrive in front of the beautiful girl who almost looked like a goddess. Her entire body was emanating glowing light that made her look even more like a fairy on Magicae. She looked at these people with a blank expression on her face and finally put down her cup as she stood up from her seat. Her light green dress sparkled with diamonds studded over it that created a floral design, and it fluttered as a gust of wind passed through the hem of her dress.


    Zion again found himself staring unblinkingly at her, but he still had a conscience and blinked rapidly before he lowered his head. This girl was dangerous! Just a look at her would cause almost anyone to get enchanted with her! This was the first time he faced such a situation, and he didn''t know how to deal with it. Was this queen using magic to make everyone attracted to her?


    A frown crossed his forehead, but he didn''t say a single word. He refused to glance at her green-colored eyes that shone brightly. At this time, almost all the soldiers bowed down respectfully and said, "Hail, Oh Queen Odina De Veend!" Almost everyone bowed down except for Zion and Lia, who stared at the queen with dark expressions on her face.


    What he didn''t know was the moment his eyes left the elf girl''s face, her face changed as if she was waiting for the moment when no one was looking at her expressions. She glanced at the dhampir princess boldly with a hint of sharpness in her eyes that was cold enough to freeze anyone. If Zion had seen her expressions, the emotion of attraction would have faded only to be replaced with fear high enough to make him tremble. It almost felt like the elf queen could change the other people''s emotions toward her based on her will.


    It was almost like if she wanted, she could make others feel any emotion without hesitation.


    But since Zion didn''t notice her expressions and didn''t stare at her eyes for a long time, he felt like the connection between him and her disappeared automatically after a while. He blinked again and again as if he had just woken up from a trance and frowned.


    His doubt that the queen was using magical spells to attract other people''s attention became stronger, but there could still be another reason behind this. Since he didn''t know anything about the elves, this limited his extent of deductions, so there could also be another reason why there was some connection he felt when he had looked into the queen''s eyes earlier.


    At the same time, Lia and Odina had started a staring contest where they were both glaring at each other. Both of their auras changed and became bloodthirsty when no one was watching. It was almost as if they both had an enmity between them that hadn''t been solved yet.


    The soldiers kept bowing for a few seconds before they stood up straight. The expressions on Lia''s and the queen''s faces returned to normal as if they weren''t the ones glaring at each other in hatred. Even though Zion refused to look at the queen''s face, he could still tell that something was wrong between the dhampir princess and the elf queen. Although their expressions looked normal, their auras were several degrees colder than before.


    Finally, the soldiers said what they came here for, "Your Majesty, we have captured the suspects, and here''s the letter from the village chief, Sir Isacc."


    Odina expressionlessly took the scroll and read it for a moment before she closed it and looked at Lia emotionlessly. Then she opened her mouth, and her soothing voice echoed in everyone''s ears. "Take them to the prison. We shall have a court session within a few days."


    As soon as her words fell across the surrounding, the soldiers bowed and dragged Lia and her human servant inside. At this time, Lia didn''t look back, and Zion acted as if he weren''t even present in this scene. It was better for him to remain in the dark.


    That was why he deliberately hid in front of Lia so that the queen''s gaze would never be on his face, so when the queen looked back at them, she only saw Lia''s back that was straight and proud even while walking toward the prison. Odina''s eyes squinted as she continued to stare at the dhampir princess for a long time as if she just remembered something. Then she lowered her head as she expertly hid her expressions before anyone could notice it.


    Zion sighed in relief, seeing the queen didn''t even acknowledge his presence. This was also what wanted to happen so that he could lower everyone''s guard and escape quickly when the time came.


    As they walked inside the palace, he noticed a magnificent hall and a beautiful throne decorated with leaves and flowers. It almost felt as if, just like that arched front gate, this throne was also created out of climbing trees decorated with flowers and leaves. At this time, no one was sitting on it, but he could see someone walking out of the corridor beside the throne.


    Her white dress fluttered as she walked steadily. Although her body wasn''t glowing as much as the queen''s, she still looked heavenly in that white dress that sparkled as if millions of stars in the form of diamonds had adorned the cloth wrapped around her body. Following behind was a man having a white long-length shirt on his body and a jacket over it that was tied with a belt on his waist. He almost looked like a prince of some ancient times had come with pinkish hair tied at the top of his head with a silver-colored crown.


    When the girl noticed Lia and Zion entering the throne room, their expressions changed, and she glared at them. "So these are the travelers who dared to harm innocent people."


    Her eyes flashed in anger, and before she could take a step forward, the man behind caught her wrist and smiled gently as she turned back to him. Then he took out a handkerchief from who knows where and wiped her face. "Don''t get angry, my dear. They have made a mistake, so I''m sure Queen Odina will surely punish the rightful criminals. You don''t have to trouble yourself and make your face red from anger."


    The girl''s anger decreased to a larger extent, but she avoided his hands and took the handkerchief before she glared at the dhampir girl again and said, "How can I not get angry in the face of such criminals? They killed millions of kids! I, who is still struggling to have a child, knows how it feels to lose a kid. I say, sister," She said, pointing her chin at Odina. "Teach them a lesson, right now!"

 Chapter 103 - In The Prison

    Zion''s eyes squinted as he continued to watch them. It was a good thing that he had decided to come here. For some reason, he had a hunch to keep an eye around the palace and people living around in the capital city. After all, he could only find the person who could fit his description of the murderer at this place.


    Just then, another person entered the scene who ran through the corridor as if he were a little kid who loved running around the house, and he hit the brakes when he entered the throne room and frowned after looking at all these people. He was a teenager with long white hair and blue-colored robes over his body, looking like an elegant prince. Then he turned to look at Odina and asked in the tone of innocent youth, "Who are these two people, sister?"


    Zion wondered how many siblings this queen elf had in this palace. Two had already come out, and one of the men with a handkerchief earlier seemed more like a henpecked husband who cared too much for his wife.


    Before Odina, who had also followed them all inside, could reply, the girl in white dress pursed her lips and sniffed as if she had just cried. She brought the handkerchief to her eyes and wiped the tears as she said in a soft voice, "Who could it be other than the killers? They have murdered so many children that even I want to punish them." She paused and turned to the teenager in front of her eyes. "Johan, you also know how reluctant I am in the face of such things. I don''t want to see even criminals suffering, but these people have killed many of our children. How can I continue to practice compassion?"


    After hearing this, Johan''s veins popped up as he glared at Lia and Zion. First, he looked at the human servant and spat. "It''s understandable for a human to be in such a situation. They have no sense of justice and would do everything ordered by their masters, but," he said and glanced at Lia as a hint of hatred appeared in his eyes. "What happened to you, dhampir lady? You are supposed to have a good relationship with us. What happened to that?!


    "Did you throw it all away when you were attacked back then? Or are you taking revenge just because we didn''t come to help you guys out?! Do you even know when we received the news of the war? By the time we heard of it, the king had died, and the enemies captured the palace! Lady, if you''re taking revenge against that, you must be blind! Why don''t you go back and face those evil and black-hearted people who made trouble for you, huh?! You-"


    "Enough," Odina spoke in a serene voice, and the teenager shut his mouth, but his eyes filled with anger still stuck at Lia as he continuously stared at her face as if he were ready to hit her multiple times. The queen glanced at the soldiers calmly and said, "Take them away, and keep them locked until I say another word."


    The soldiers dragged Lia and Zion away. They were taken through another corridor that was so long that it made it feel almost as if it would never end. The entire team walked and walked for half an hour before they could reach the prison area. There was an iron gate at the end of the corridor as two guards stood at either side of it with swords around their waists and spears on their hands.


    When these guards saw other soldiers bringing a dhampir girl and a human back, they expressionlessly opened the iron gate with a key hanging on one of the guards'' belts. This time, Zion''s eyes were stuck at the guard''s face who was opening the door. Back when he had faced many elves, he had noticed that when they used magic, their eyes would glow for a second. So if this guard were using magic to open the door, Zion''s action to escape this prison would become harder.


    But fortunately, the door was locked with only a key. After opening the door, the guard walked back and gestured to the soldiers to do what they came here for.


    The soldiers also didn''t hesitate before dragging Lia and Zion inside and shutting within two adjacent prisons created out of bars as they glared at the dhampir girl once more before heading out. The iron door was shut closed tightly, and they could hear not a single sound coming from the outside. Just as Lia and Zion finally came into isolation, the dhampir princess''s expressions changed, and she turned into an angry bird who was locked in a cage and desperate to come out.


    "They dare to treat me like this!" Lia let out an angry snarl. "I''m sure the elf queen had recognized me, and yet, she chose to shut me inside this prison! She did it on purpose! That damned two-faced queen! Let me out! Once I''m out, I''ll show you who''s powerful! Do you think you can control me here in prison?! Hah, you''re wrong! Once I''m out, I''ll make sure to torture you to death!"


    Zion, who heard the crazy words of his dhampir master, facepalmed himself. They were still in prison, and everyone could hear them from the outside. Just what was this dhampir princess doing making a scene like this? If these words were to reach the queen, Lia would be in serious danger. He shook his head.


    He could tell that there must be a reason why Lia chose to hide her hatred of elves from him. But he knew for sure that Lia wanted to keep it hidden. If she wanted that, she would at least have to make an effort to shut her mouth and not say words like this, but who knew that Lia would end up venting like this once they were alone? It seemed that the elves poked her sore points again and again to make her react like this.


    "Master¡­.shouldn''t you at least try and act like you don''t have any relationship with the elves?" Zion didn''t care about it anymore now when Lia showed off her thoughts like this in anger. He bluntly said, "Weren''t you trying to hide the fact that you don''t have anything to do with the elves? What happened to that now?"


    Lia''s body stiffened when she heard those words.

 Chapter 104 - A Womans Hairpin

    Lia''s face froze for a good while before she reacted. She glanced at the adjacent prison. Although she couldn''t see Zion''s face, she still glared at that place. ''How impudent!'' she thought. Just how did this guy know about her hatred for these elves? Was she that obvious? And even if he knew about it, why would he speak those words bluntly? Did she give herself out to him without even realizing it?


    She pursed her lips and decided to keep the pretense that she had nothing to do with the elves. No matter what, she couldn''t say a single word about her hatred to him! "What do you know?!" She opened her mouth and vented all her anger on him. "Aren''t you the one who has enough mysteries in your heart? You should be the one to be careful, not me."


    "Now, now, princess, you are just trying to change the topic." Zion didn''t want to let go of this chance now that he had realized he had caught her off guard for once. He wanted to know why she hated the elves! What if this was related to the case? He rarely trusted people wholeheartedly, and Lia didn''t give him enough reasons to make him consider the fact that she was one of his people after coming into this world. "What are you hiding? Why do you hate Odina so much?"


    As soon as Lia heard that name, her anger reached its peak, and her entire face went red. Even she didn''t realize that she hated her too much. So in an angry voice, she spoke. "Don''t even talk about that damned two-faced girl! She''s an evil spawn who only looks like a goddess, but from her heart, she is as dark as night! Don''t think she''s a beauty or a fairy! She has used some kind of weird spell to make people attracted to her for some reason, and this made me even angrier! Why did she have to do that? For what reason? Is she trying to find herself a husband?! She''s just too much! She should just go and die!"


    Although Zion knew that it wasn''t right to use that spell, he didn''t think he should point his fingers at others without any evidence. His lips pursed as he frowned. It seemed like both Lia and Odina had a history he didn''t know about, and Lia wouldn''t reveal a single thing even when she''s angry.


    Yes, he made Lia angry just now on purpose to see if her tongue could slip out anything about her past with the elves. But now, when he heard her blaming the queen elf endlessly without revealing anything, he shook his head. Maybe he would have to use another method to find out about this.


    For now, he needed to focus on how he could escape this prison. He couldn''t help but remember that damned system for once. If 007 were still here, Zion wouldn''t have suffered as much. He still hadn''t gotten any reward from the previous case yet. But he knew that once his system arrived, things would get easier. For now, he could only trust his two hands and legs to solve this case.


    After taking a deep breath, he said in a calm tone, "We should better think of escape."


    "Aren''t you too late on that?" Lia scoffed and directed her anger at him. "You''re my servant, and you didn''t even think of helping me escape the prison when it was easier! What''s the use of thinking about it now?! Useless slave. Is that why I taught you how to fight with the sword?"


    Zion was helpless. "What do you want me to do? I had to enter the palace to find the criminal."


    "Then did you?" She sneered. "I bet you didn''t!"


    Zion pursed his lips and said honestly, "You''re right. I didn''t, but I can find a clue once I''m out of this place."


    "I don''t believe you anymore! Meeting you has been the greatest mistake of my life! Useless servant."


    The detective sighed and didn''t say anything. He knew that Lia said those words just out of anger and nothing else. But he couldn''t help but feel a little sad. She was the first person he saw after coming to this world, and yet when she said those words, it almost felt like she didn''t want him to come here at all.


    Then his thoughts went to the Methu man, and his mood worsened. It was all that man''s fault. That man with the furry dress was the one who sent him into this world without hesitation. He had even forced a stupid system onto Zion''s shoulders!


    Who gave this man the authority to throw him away in a world filled with danger?! Zion was also a human who wanted to survive! What was the point of coming to this world with his memories when he couldn''t even breathe a single breath of peace?


    At this time, he almost felt like he had been cheated, and his grudge against the Methu man increased. But he couldn''t do anything about it, so he decided to solve the case as soon as possible before anything terrible could happen. After his system arrives, he would make sure to send back another message filled with threats!


    After calming down, he took a deep breath and said, "Do you have any kind of pin or something that I can use to pick the lock?"


    "Nope." She paused and continued. "Do you really think I like to act as a pretty girl who would carry pins around even in prison?"


    When Zion thought of this, he nodded. His dhampir master was right in a sense. She hadn''t acted like a girl for a long time, so he ignored her and checked his clothes and was surprised to find ladies'' hairpins in his inner pockets. He frowned as if trying to remember where he had seen these pins.


    Wait, did he have these pins since the previous case? He still remembered how he had stolen ladies'' pins to escape and even used a few of them back then. It looks like he hadn''t thrown them all away at that time. His lips pursed, and he said, "Nevermind. I have some with me."


    This time, it was Lia''s turn to be surprised. She glanced at the adjacent prison with an indescribable expression on her face. "What''re you doing with a woman''s hairpin?"

 Chapter 105 - You Did It On Purpose!

    ~Unedited just for 24 hours~


    Zion didn''t know how to answer this, so he shut his mouth and kept fiddling with them. He frowned. This shouldn''t be the time to escape without finding out about the guards'' schedule. So he kept the pins back in his pockets and sat on the ground as he leaned back on the wall. "We should wait."


    "Why?" Lia couldn''t take it anymore. She had started to hate these prisons now. "You already know I had been living in prison for quite a while in the Vanne kingdom, don''t you? I hate it! Can''t you help me escape?"


    Zion got a headache. He really didn''t want to deal with this kind of princess, so he ignored her and closed his eyes in an attempt to have a peaceful sleep until he could figure out the schedule of the soldiers. But Lia wasn''t done with him. She glared at the adjacent prison and said in anger, "Help me escape! Right now, or else I will use my sword and kill you!"


    "Help yourself." Zion acted cool as he crossed his arms over his chest. "But I don''t think you''ll be able to use magic here."


    "Oh really?" Lia suddenly realized how stupidly she behaved in anger. She could have used her hidden belt and escaped! She didn''t think twice before dragging out the sword from her belt. She had specifically created this belt such that it would be easier to keep the sword. Even dragging it in and out shouldn''t be difficult. So she wasn''t worried whether she would be able to keep it inside at a faster speed if the guards were to arrive all of a sudden.


    After that, she used several hand signs as the sword illuminated, but before she could use another set of hand signs, the Qi that had transferred to the sword was sucked away. She frowned and looked at the sword in her hand. Did someone just suck away her power? But who? Before she could reply, the guards opened the door all of a sudden. She hastily put back her sword on her waist and pretended to be asleep in her cell.


    The guards came toward her cell and glared at her. "You dare to pretend. Who was it that used magic just now? If not you, was it your ghost who cast a spell?!"


    Another guard''s eyes squinted as he said, "Didn''t I tell you she would use magic? Now look at what happened. We have to check her thoroughly again."


    The guards were about to check her when the human, who was shut adjacent to Lia''s prison, took out a hand clock and threw it at the soldiers'' feet. Then with a frightened expression on his face, he glanced at them. "I think¡­.I think it might be this clock. My master had purchased this magical clock for me. I was just playing with it¡­."


    This magic clock was another one of the elf products that they would make and sell in the Viridis kingdom and outside just meant for the kids to play. It would speak out the time with a simple click, and it made Zion remember the speaking clock in his smartphone. Since it was created out of magic, no one would doubt whether or not he actually used it.


    Let''s say if someone had sucked away the power of the magic clock, it wouldn''t mean that it''s power would have been exhausted. The elves would create these products effectively while making sure that it had inexhaustible power. So the magical materials created by the elves would only stop working if they broke apart. Magical powers, on the other hand, would never be exhausted and would only vanish in thin air if the material became too old to be used.


    Such a product had created a sensation across the world, which is what made the elves'' products so famous.


    As for why he purchased that magic clock behind Lia''s back¡­.


    That was a simple story. It had been a few days since he had stepped inside this kingdom and had gotten a small break, so without giving Lia a heads up, he took her money and purchased a bunch of things. He didn''t know why he was even getting these stuff when he wasn''t one of those people who liked shopping. But he did have a hunch that those strange magical things would certainly help him someday, and today, that hunch proved to be right.


    The guards took the clock and stared at it for a moment before stuffing it inside their pockets. They could see traces of magic on its surface, so they didn''t doubt the slave''s words, and glared at him. "Did we give you permission to play? Do you think this is a playground for you?!"


    Zion acted pitiful like a human who was really afraid of getting scolded.


    The guards saw the human''s frightened expressions and felt satisfied for some reason. They scoffed and left the prison while shutting the iron door behind them. Just when they left, the detective''s expressions returned to normal, and he coldly glanced at the adjacent prison. "Now, you owe me one."


    Lia pursed her lips and glared at her right side as she stuck her head to the iron bars of the prison. Then, spoke through her gritted teeth. "You did it on purpose!"


    "So?" Zion shrugged. "I just wanted to let you know that you can''t always win, and having so much pride isn''t beneficial for your mental and physical health."


    "You-" Lia didn''t have words. Before today, she never thought that her human slave could be so shameless and black-hearted! She glared at that spot one more time before she walked inside and leaned against the wall again. After that, she opened her mouth and said, "You better stay inside this cell as long as you can. When we leave, I''m going to show you who''s the boss here!"


    Zion sneered in his heart and refused to say another word. He didn''t know why even he was bickering with this dhampir princess, but since he didn''t have his system, he might as well treat her as his entertainment.


    Now that he thought about his system, he frowned. Just why did 007 suddenly go for an upgrade? Did the Methu man figure out something about the black-cloaked man and decided to increase the security level? He was sure that the system would have told the man everything about what had transpired in the Vanne kingdom, so it wasn''t strange that the Methu man called the system all of a sudden.


    The question was, what was it that the Methu man figured out? Was it also related to the destruction of this world?

 Chapter 106 - Im Fine, Uncle!

    ~Unedited for 24 hours~


    Outside the palace, a man wearing a cloak and silver colored mask flashed out on the street in the middle of the night while hiding from the soldiers who were walking down the street to keep an eye. This was the first time this silver masked man had decided to hunt in the capital city, so naturally, he was nervous. Inside the mask, a layer of sweat had formed and dropped from his temples, making him feel cold in that area.


    He was almost tempted to take off the mask and wipe his sweat, but thinking of how his identity was unique and people standing here would recognize him in an instant, he gritted his teeth and continued wearing the mask. He would just endure the feeling of a cold drop of sweat tickling his skin.


    The man knew he wouldn''t be able to endure for long, so he picked up his pace and walked ahead in the shadows. He normally wouldn''t use his magical skills to kidnap the children, but tonight was special. The number of soldiers outside were more than average, and they were also more powerful than him. This sent a wave of anxiety in his heart that further made him sweat profusely.


    But he could only endure and find a child. It wasn''t like he liked to do this, but¡­.


    When he thought of the reason why he was doing this in the first place, all of his negative thoughts vanished as his face softened. He should just remember the purpose and continue to do his duty.


    After thinking of this, he calmed down and sneaked inside a house from the backdoor. Surprisingly, this house''s backdoor was unlocked as if the family was almost inviting him to enter and kidnap their children. The silver masked man shook his head and went upstairs. After going there, he opened a door to one of the bedrooms, and found two kids sleeping soundly inside quilts.


    They looked so heavenly that the man couldn''t help but stand at the same place and stare at these children for a long time. He had seen these children before, and had been fond of them ever since a long time, but the fact that today, he would have to kill them, made him feel bitter in his heart. He pursed his lips and walked stealthily toward them. The only night lamp in this room was the moonlight that entered through the window and shone brightly on the children''s faces.


    The man''s hands raised as he caressed the children''s soft hair, ears, and cheeks. Then he sighed and took out two pieces of clothes. He had put some sleeping powder on it before coming here so that he wouldn''t have to waste more time. So after that, he instantly made the children unconscious and took them out without delay.


    After coming out of that house, he again went to the darkened street, and walked ahead with two kids in his arms. Soon, he reached a place where a carriage was kept with two horses in the front without any driver. It was kept deserted, and looked so old that no one would even think that someone was driving it a while ago. The door of the carriage was shut tightly as the windows were also covered with curtains.


    The man went toward the same carriage and opened the door with his key and gently put the kids on the seat before caressing their cheeks again. A smile formed on his lips as his eyes softened. "You guys should rest a bit. Until then, I''ll bring your brothers and sisters."


    After saying this, he closed the carriage and went out again. The place where this carriage was kept had been isolated for a long time, and no one would even think of coming around here. There was even an old house that was famous for being haunted because of its ragged appearance. Even the soldiers would hesitate before entering this street. There was also no light, and only moonlight brightened up the atmosphere giving it a chilly atmosphere.


    But the silver-masked man didn''t have any hesitation when he parked the carriage here. In fact, the rumor of this street being haunted was also started by him as a measure to hide the kids he would kidnap.


    So he didn''t care about whether someone would come here or not. The citizens, and even soldiers had been frightened due to this dark street, and this silver-masked man was the person who had used all the tricks up his sleeves to make them shiver out of fear.


    After half an hour, a few more children were also brought inside the carriage as the silver-masked man was taking a child while holding his hand. This was perhaps the last child for today, but this time, the silver-masked man fortunately found someone who was already wandering down the street. From the child''s outfit, this kid looked more like someone who had run from his home and was begging for food everyday.


    For a moment, a trace of sympathy flashed in the man''s eyes as he looked down at the beggar. "Are you cold?"


    The child looked up, and his black eyes shone brightly. He smiled and shook his head. "I''m fine, uncle."


    This was the most innocent child the man had seen, and he was reluctant to kill this little one. After hesitating for a moment, he finally decided to go against his desires to drag the child toward the carriage. Before entering the carriage, he bent down and gave the child a candy. "You must have been hungry, right?"


    The child''s eyes lit up at the sight of the candy and he instantly picked it up and ate it greedily as if he had been hungry for a long time.


    The man''s eyes softened as he caressed the child''s hair and said, "Now you can rest without getting hungry. This uncle will give you candy everyday, okay?"


    "Hn!" The child''s eyes sparkled at those words. But before he could get even more excited, his head became dizzy. He shook his head, but the feeling persisted for a long time until he couldn''t stand straight anymore. He grabbed the silver-masked man''s arms and said in a low voice, "I-I think¡­.I think I need to sleep."


    The man nodded and said in a gentle voice, "I have prepared a warm bed for you. Would you like to sleep there?"


    "Okay." The child didn''t care about anything anymore. At this time, all he wanted to do was sleep.


    After a while, when the man kept the sleeping child in the carriage, he got on the driver''s seat and drove it deeper inside the dark street where there were no lights while humming a familiar tune at the same time.

 Chapter 107 - Making A Noise!

    At the same time, Zion had no idea that a certain silver-masked man was hunting for the kids even in the capital city, but in his mind, there was already a person who could be responsible for this havoc¡ªthe henpecked husband he met in the throne room.


    The man seemed gentle, but Zion had seen many gentle-looking people who would destroy everything in the blink of an eye. He just needed evidence to see whether his guess was correct or not. After taking a deep breath, he laid quietly on the cold ground as he tried his best to sleep.


    Tomorrow morning, he would figure out the schedule of these soldiers and find a way to escape.


    The next day, early morning.


    Two elf waiters in a restaurant were wearing their uniforms in the locker room when one of them closed the locker and turned toward another. "I have heard some news."


    Another waiter turned to look at his friend and saw a grave expression on the man''s face. He frowned and asked, "What happened?"


    The first waiter shook his head and pursed his lips. "Something big happened last night. Have you not heard about it yet?"


    "Something big?" The second waiter''s expressions changed as he suddenly realized what might have happened. "Don''t tell me that¡­.that¡­."


    The first waiter''s face went pale at the thought as he couldn''t stop his hand from trembling. They were waiters for a reason: They both had a lower constitution and could only perform menial work that led them to have such a lower job in a restaurant. And this was precisely why this waiter was so frightened at this time.


    "The child killer has escaped!" The second waiter quickly finished the line that he had intended to say after watching his friend''s pale face. If they were to have a face-off against the murderer that had killed more than a hundred children, they would die for sure! For everyone else in the Viridis kingdom, the killer was indeed a person with great magical power and could even be on the same level as the generals in the palace!


    When it comes to the power level, the elves had six, and the sixth belonged to the queen alone. Not even her family members shared that level of power. She could do anything, including shapeshifting, teleportation, summoning, telekinesis, and much more. You could say she was a powerhouse of magic, but there was a limit. She could only use these skills when she''s near the ancient tree. If she were to walk away from the tree and stay like that for a long time, the quality and quantity of her power would gradually reduce.


    That is to say; the only powerful people could belong from the third, fourth, and fifth levels. Before Lia and Zion came here and were rumored to be the murderer, the citizens of Viridis Kingdom had started to believe that the killer must have belonged to these levels. Unfortunately, the rumor about Lia being the chief murderer orchestrating the murder and forcing her human servant into committing a severe crime came to light.


    After this, the idea that the murderer must have belonged to the third, fourth, or fifth level among the elves concerning power changed into a powerful dhampir girl sending her human servant with magical tools to kidnap the children before brutally killing them.


    So at this point, when the two of the waiters discussed how the murderer must have escaped, they were talking about Lia and her human servant. Just then, as if to confirm their suspicion, another waiter barged in the locker room, panting. His face was pale as he looked at two of his friends. His hands and legs trembled in fear as if he were nearly going to drop on his knees.


    "I heard¡­.heard something." The man took a deep breath and said, "The murderer has escaped!"


    ***


    When the Rumors about Lia and Zion escaping the prison were flying around early in the morning, Zion had already decided that he would escape the prison tonight. He could tell that the elves were trying to use less magic for some reason, and he doubted that it was because of that line he had heard earlier about how they had limited power now.


    He figured out everything about the guards'' schedule and planned his escape route ahead of time. It was afternoon by the time he decided to make his move. He took out the hairpins and opened his lock before heading over to the princess''s cell.


    Lia was still ignoring him ever since their last argument. She had suffered a crushing defeat at his hands and wasn''t ready to face him yet. So she ''hmphed'' and turned her head away when Zion opened the door for her.


    When the detective saw her expressions, he got a headache. He rubbed his forehead. "Can''t we make a truce or something? We''ll continue our ''argument'' after getting out of here."


    In reply, she got up, brushed the dust off her dress, and walked past him without saying a word.


    Zion was stunned by her action and tilted his head. Why was it so difficult to understand girls? He shook his head and followed her as he whispered in a low voice. "I''ve observed. The guards will change within five minutes. We will only have a few seconds to escape this place. Are you ready?"


    The dhampir Princess didn''t say anything and crossed her arms against her chest as if signaling him to hurry up so that she could rush out and kill some elves she hated.


    Zion''s lips pursed as he opened the lock stealthily without making any noise. He had also observed another thing about these people from different races. They had sharp senses that made it easier to hear anything that an average human couldn''t. Even Lia''s senses were sharp, and she could listen to anything.


    So at this time, it was really a test of his skills to open the lock without making a single noise. But unfortunately, no matter how careful he was, he couldn''t go against nature. The activity of picking locks indeed had some reservations, and he ended up making a slight noise.


    The guards standing outside heard it, and their ears perked up. One of the guards frowned and asked. "Hey, did you hear it?"


    "Heard what?"


    A faint scratching sound disrupted their talk making their brows furrow deeper. They exchanged glances and looked back.


    By this time, even Zion heard the conservation of the guards outside the door, and his body froze. He looked at the door with a soft layer of sweat on his forehead.


    Damn it! He ended up making a noise!

 Chapter 108 - An Intense Fight!

    Lia took out her sword from her belt and backed up a few steps. Her heartbeat increased as it made a ''thump'' noise against her ears. It had been years ever since she had to be a little nervous facing an enemy. Earlier, she would use magical powers and her sword fighting and assassination skills to fight an enemy, but at this time, she was at a disadvantage. The enemy in front of her wasn''t as powerful as her in sword fighting skills, but they had multiple magical spells to cover it up.


    Her lips pursed as she continued to look at the door with squinted eyes. It didn''t matter. She knew that even though she faced a disadvantage at this moment, she wouldn''t back down no matter what! She had never found it difficult to face an opponent that had forced her into a corner like this!


    But then she turned her face to Zion and squinted her eyes. "Don''t hold me down. Understand, my dear servant?"


    Zion, who was himself nervous, heard the princess'' voice, and his body stiffened. His lips pursed. Even though he didn''t want to admit it, Lia was right. He didn''t have the power to fight as well as her, and he could hold her back.


    When he was thinking about responding, the door opened, and the elf guards came into view. Zion instinctively walked a few steps back as he let the dhampir princess handle it all.


    As expected, the fight ensued between the two parties. Since Zion didn''t have any weapon at hand, he didn''t dare to stand near the three of them and quietly watched the fight.


    Lia''s body flashed in front of the two elf guards with her sword that she took out from her belt. She wasn''t defending this time and had decided to be on a full-on fighting mode. She attacked the elves without giving them a chance to retaliate.


    When they saw the dhampir girl charging at them with a murderous aura, their expressions changed. They didn''t wait a single second before they chanted a spell and installed a protective shield in front of their bodies. As expected, the attack was blocked, and Lia moved back a few steps to defend herself.


    She eyed at the only door and sneered. This prison was special. She couldn''t use her magic, but if she were to step her feet outside this border, she would be able to overpower them! From what she could see, these guards seemed far beyond her level. If they were at third level, she could be considered to be on par with the Queen of elves.


    When the image of Odina flashed in her mind, her face darkened as she moved ahead again. At this point, she just had to make sure to keep attacking these people who could give her some space to come out.


    It seemed that the soldiers could tell what the princess was thinking about. They exchanged a glance.


    "Don''t let her escape the prison!"


    "Don''t worry." Another guard closed his eyes and chanted a spell. Soon, a sword made out of fire appeared on his hands that seemed to spread fumes in the air. "I''ll do my best!"


    "Why''re you using magic?!" The first guard gasped when he saw the fire sword. "Are you crazy? Do you want to live without your magical powers?!"


    The other guard dashed and fought with Lia as he exchanged a few blows with her. After that, he stepped back and took a few breaths to calm his breathing. He wiped his forehead and replied, "If losing my powers means to catch these two here, I''m willing to make this sacrifice! They have killed so many children, and they still dare to escape! Let''s show them that we elves have our pride, and we are also powerful enough despite lack of power to defend our nation!"


    The first guard nodded as he chanted a spell. "I''ll also use my powers then!" A sword created out of metal appeared on his hand. It seemed they had different spiritual roots, and the man with a metal sword would probably control all metals.


    Lia''s forehead was covered with sweat seeing that. She also had a metal sword, and after hearing their conservation, it seemed that they weren''t going to hide their powers anymore.


    Sure, she had realized that something was wrong with the elves, and she could vaguely guess the reason behind it, but it was her misfortune that she couldn''t tell anyone about it, not even her servant. Her lips pursed as she stared darkly at the elves in front of her eyes.


    The only power that worried her was controlling elements. Every third-level elf could use multiple skills such as protective shields, creating tools and weapons by inserting energy into something, summoning a beast, and controlling the elements of their spiritual roots. The last point worried her the most after seeing one of the guards'' controlling the metal element. If he could create a weapon out of thin air, he could also control the metal belonging to other people.


    Her brows furrowed at that.


    Zion, who was watching this, didn''t know about the powers belonging to a different level, but he could vaguely tell by how Lia was looking at the man who created a sword out of thin air with a frown on her face. It seemed that the man''s power seemed dangerous. His head tilted as he immersed himself in his thoughts.


    Could it be that this man controlled the metal element?


    Then it would probably mean the man could also control the sword in Lia''s hand. If that were the case, Lia would be in danger and wouldn''t be able to defend herself any longer.


    His mind shifted to when he would practice with Lia and how she had inserted power even in a wooden sword. So that meant Lia could use any weapon necessary to use power.


    Then he looked around. This prison seemed to have a protective spell that hampered anyone using power, but even a most powerful mechanism would have a loophole. His squinted eyes looked at every corner of the prison, and he glanced at the elves. It seemed that they had completely forgotten about him. If that were the case, he could probably make use of his time and find the loophole in this prison.


    After thinking of this, he dashed into his cell.

 Chapter 109 - Youre Dead!

    While Zion was busy finding a way out in a different way, Lia and the two elves were fighting fiercely, and it seemed as if the guards were going to lose soon.


    "Where are the others?!" The guard with a fire sword spoke as he glared at the dhampir girl in hatred. "F**k! This girl is rather stubborn! If only we had more manpower!"


    "Don''t worry. Only three minutes more." The man with a metal sword spoke as he crossed his sword with Lia for the hundredth time. "They''ll arrive. We don''t have time to call them."


    "Has it been just two minutes?!" The first guard gasped as they continued to fight with the princess.


    After another minute passed by just like that, they were still in a stalemate. In fact, Lia still seemed to be on the winning side as she attacked them with a darkened face. Anyone watching her fight wouldn''t be able to tell that she was once a princess who used to live in the palace. Her murderous expressions were dark enough to make anyone shiver from head to toe, but the guards had become habitual of seeing her like this by now. They only focused on fighting right now.


    The man with a metal weapon cursed under his breath and threw his weapon in the air. He chanted a spell as the sword dispersed in thin air as if some dust particles scattered due to a gust of wind. "I''ll use another technique! I''m done with this girl!"


    "You mean¡­." Another soldier''s eyes widened as he exchanged another blow with Lia. Soon, his expressions changed as his eyes turned red. "Are you crazy?! Your power will be sucked entirely, and you won''t receive another dose until some miracle happens! Do you want to leave this post so much that you''re sacrificing yourself like this?"


    The soldier with metal power pursed his lips and said, "It doesn''t matter. As long as I can find justice for those children who were killed, I can do anything!" After saying this, he closed his eyes and started muttering something under his breath.


    Nonsense! Why are these guys still believing in Rumors like fools? Lia roared in her mind and attacked the more fiercely. She had a few seconds only to get out of this prison boundary so that she could use her power. From the moment the metal sword man dispersed his weapon, she could tell the man was ready to use his legendary power to control the weapons.


    She gritted her teeth and decided to go all out! In any case, she had been able to get them in a corner with her skills! They were using magic to defend against her attacks while she was only using her mortal sword. She was confident that she would be able to escape today!


    After thinking like that, she rushed toward the fire swordsman who still fought with her. Every time their sword collided with the other person''s fire weapon, her metal would burn, and a small crack would appear. She almost felt like if she continued like this, her sword would break for sure!


    A dark expression flashed in her eyes. Even though the sword in her hand was the only one she had, she refused to back down. Even without a sword, she was sure that she would find a way out!


    This time, when she attacked the man with a fire weapon, she was especially ruthless. It seemed as if she was ready to kill him within two or three attacks.


    Zion, who was still inside, could still hear the sound of fighting coming from the outside. He bit his lips and continued knocking against the bricks. For some reason, he felt that the bricks could be his way out, but what? His limited knowledge powers led him to face such a disadvantage right now. If he knew about it before, he would have thought of some countermeasures already and freed himself from this miserable prison.


    Just then, a thought flashed in his eyes. Whenever Lia used magic, she would insert her power in her sword. Even though he knew that the elves and dhampirs were different, it didn''t mean that he couldn''t guess the power of elves. After all, he had been a fan of cultivation novels in his world, and he knew a bit of power, even though it was fictional.


    He compared the current situation with the magical hand clock he had used before that the soldiers took away. Lia had told him earlier that the elves would insert their Qi inside the clock to make it work and put inexhaustible magical power inside it. This prison also seemed to be like that.


    So did it mean that the power was in the bricks? If yes, the spell should be inexhaustible too, but he didn''t dare to test this theory. He knew for sure that the power used inside this prison would be sucked away by the elves, and the latter would become even more powerful!


    But that doesn''t mean he couldn''t do anything. If he remembered correctly, the clocks could be broken unless and until they broke. So if he did something to damage this prison, even a little bit, he would be able to stop the spell entirely!


    Zion''s eyes lit up at the thought as his hands moved toward the brick. This prison had nothing, but he could find a washbasin there. So he went toward it and attacked the basin with his hand.


    Blood poured out of his palms, but he didn''t care. He just needed a tool to make a hole in the wall! After a while, he took the metal pipe as water gushed out of the hole. He ignored it and went toward the wall and attacked it fiercely.


    At the same time, the man, who could control any metal, finished his spell, and he opened his eyes that shone brightly for a second. There was a smug smile on his face as he glanced at Lia''s face. "You''re dead."


    Lia pursed her lips and gripped the sword tightly. Her knuckles appeared as she glared at the elves with hatred, but she didn''t stop. She took her sword and attacked the fire swordsman. In the end, she overpowered the man and thrust her sword on his chest.


    But just as she was about to smile in victory, the sword suddenly started to disperse. Even the handle, which was also made out of metal, vanished right in front of her eyes, and the elf, with blood seeping out of his wound, fell on his knees. His eyes filled with terror as he fell to the ground.


    The surviving soldier looked coldly at his comrade, who just died, and then turned to Lia. "You''re without weapons now. What''ll you do?"

 Chapter 110 - Someones Injured!

    At this time, when Lia''s weapon vanished in thin air because of the elf guard, Zion made one strike at the wall with the pipe in his hand and ran out of breath. He had been hitting the wall for quite a while, but it refused to budge. He gritted his teeth and swung the pipe again as it collided with the wall and made a sound.


    After trying it, again and again, multiple times, Zion finally couldn''t take it anymore. This human body of his was useless with zero energy. Even a small amount of work would make his lungs empty and force him to stop and take deep breaths. Beads of sweat covered his forehead as he panted profusely.


    How would he make a hole in the wall that refused to break? He glared at the wall and took a deep breath to calm himself. Just then, the sound of fighting stopped all of a sudden. Zion''s hands paused as he started acting again. His hands hit the wall vigorously and more forcefully than before.


    His heartbeat sped up.


    Why did the noise stop all of a sudden? What happened?


    Was Lia alright?


    His brows furrowed at that. If only he was more powerful enough¡­


    His lips pursed as he continued to hit the wall like crazy. It wasn''t like he had ended up falling for this dhampir master just like those cringy romance fantasy novels. Instead, his emotions for her didn''t change at all. His heart was still cold, and he still treated her as nothing more than a teacher who was ready to teach him how to fight with a sword, but he couldn''t just let her die like that!


    At this thought, his speed increased. His chest burnt as he exerted himself beyond his limit, but he still didn''t stop. For a moment, he felt like his hands would break. Just then, the pipe that attacked the wall for the hundredth time made a scratching sound like a piece of stone broke apart from the wall and hit the ground.


    All of a sudden, he felt as if a gust of wind entered the prison and circled around him, making his robes flutter. It seemed to have passed through all the cells and went outside.


    Zion heaved a sigh and looked down at his hands that were all red and filled with scratches. His legs felt like giving up, but he didn''t care. He would have to make sure that his ''master'' was alright. He dashed outside with the pipe in hand and saw that Lia was still inside the prison. She was surrounded by many soldiers standing right outside the main door. All of them had a sword at hand and smiling evilishly when they saw her without any weapons.


    He didn''t know just when these people arrived at this place, but he had no intention of waiting any longer. He threw the pipe, aiming it at the wall beside Lia.


    The dhampir princess had no idea that her servant had solved more than half of her problems. Her lips were pursed as she looked at the crowd standing in front of her. The soldier who had chanted the spell to control her sword and make it disperse had already been standing far away, leaning on the wall.


    She took a step back, and just then, a metal pipe collided against the wall beside the door. She was stunned and looked back instantly to see Zion lying on the ground. His forehead was covered with sweat, but he seemed to be unconscious. Lia had no time to determine what had happened to her servant.


    She took the weapon and squinted her eyes while looking at it. A little while ago, she had felt as if a gust of wind had circled around her, but prison shouldn''t have windows, and she didn''t think the wind could travel in a closed-up place filled with corridors and walls. So there must be only one thing that must have happened: the human lying unconscious behind her must have figured out a way to break the spell inside the prison.


    The corners of her lips curled up at that, and she brought her hand behind her back and secretly made several hand-signs. Her Qi entered inside the pipe in her hand as it flashed with a bright light. She finally smiled widely while glancing at the elves.


    "You see, before suppressing a powerful person, you should see if she has a few minions to give her a hand." She waved the pipe in her hand as she looked at the pale faces of the elves standing in front of her. "Even a small helping hand is enough to destroy the enemies!"


    After saying this, her hand made multiple signs, and the magical energy balls emerged from the pipe. The elves, who were still outside, cursed under their breaths.


    "Protect yourself!" One of the elves said and chanted a spell to create a protective layer in front of his body while eyeing the dhampir girl with squinted eyes.


    "She''s powerful! Be careful!"


    "Just make sure she shouldn''t escape!"


    After saying this, another round of fighting started between the two sides. The energy balls attacked the elves, but they were thankfully protected by the shield they created. It was just that the shield disappeared. Just when they thought that they could make a counterattack to suppress the dhampir girl, another set of fireballs appeared in front of them.


    The elves'' faces paled and their eyes widened. They dodged the attack, but a few of them were still hit by the energy balls. They fell on their knees as their entire bodies felt like burning from the hot energy balls filled with the fume of boiling water.


    At this time, Lia had no intention of defeating them all at once. She only wanted to make an escape. So she stealthily took a few steps back until she reached Zion and made hand-signs. Suddenly, fog covered around her.


    The elves, who were standing in front of her outside the door, realized what was happening, and yelled. "Don''t let her escape! Find the commander!"


    But they didn''t get a chance to capture her again. Once the fog receded, no one was around, not even the human who was captured with her.


    By the time the princess managed to escape, they were already standing in a dark street outside the palace. No one was around, and they didn''t know the fact that this was the exact place where the silver-masked man had come with a carriage to kidnap many children. This street was where he had placed the carriage right in front of an abandoned house.


    At this time, Lia stood right in front of the same house and stared at it for a long time before she took a few steps toward it and entered the courtyard. The house was old, and it looked as if no one had lived for years. Weeds grew on the garden on both of her sides as she carried her human servant on her back.


    If this place still flourished as the palace had, perhaps the garden wouldn''t have been in such a mess, but Lia couldn''t do anything about it. She ignored the messy courtyard and pushed the front door that made a creaking sound while opening.


    If Zion were still conscious, he would have doubted whether he had suddenly stepped inside a horror movie, but at this time, Lia was here. Just as she took another step, she hissed in pain. She looked down and found that her leg was bleeding. Her lips pursed as she stared at her skirt that was covered in blood.


    She finally found a clean place inside the room and placed Zion against a pillar before she sat beside him. She tore the hem of her long skirt and wrapped it around the wound on her legs.


    Then she sat crossed-legged in a lotus position and meditated to circulate the Qi in her veins. After that, she used a few hand-signs to activate the healing power that ran throughout her body and finally approached her legs that were covered in blood. Her legs shone brightly for a few seconds before it disappeared as if the Qi was absorbed by the injury on her leg.


    Her eyes were closed the entire time, so she didn''t see Zion''s brows furrowing and eyelashes fluttering after about two hours since their escape. Just a while later, he opened his eyes and looked around only to find himself in a different environment. Her brows furrowed deeper, and he was about to get up on his feet when he saw Lia beside him, breathing calmly.


    He felt that his body had regained a little more energy. Even though his limbs ached, he would still walk carefully. He got up and fixed his unkempt look. Then he glanced at the dhampir princess before hesitating and bending down. Just as he bent, a stinging pain appeared on his back. He winched and steadied himself.


    Why the heck was his back aching like this? And his hands were also too painful. It almost felt as if someone had used some tool to pierce his muscles bit by bit. His lips pressed in a thin line as he sat on the ground for a moment and glanced around.


    It seemed they were successful in their escape. He turned to look at the hideous wound on Lia''s leg and pursed his lips. After that, he heaved a sigh and focused on what he had originally planned.


    After the escape, he had planned to find some waiters or something to get more information about what was going on in this kingdom. He needed to know more about their current situation outside the palace before he could think of another plan. What would be the best place to get more information about things that were going on around the kingdom? Of course, it was the restaurant!


    So it was decided. He would sneak inside at a nearby restaurant and hear about the rumors that were spreading across the kingdom this time.

 Chapter 111 - Sneaking Inside A Restaurant!

    After taking a deep breath, Zion pulled himself together and got up after a little more rest. His back felt as if it were hit by a hammer when he got up. He hissed in pain and cursed under his breath.


    Just what kind of body did the Methu man give him? Why did his body become so weak after exerting it for the first time? His grudge against the man kept multiplying every time he would fall into a desperate situation.


    He steadied himself and stood straight until his pain subsided and carefully took a step. Only after walking for a while did he realize that his back would ache only when he would get up from his seat. After learning that, he sighed in relief. He could at least take another step and find out more about what was going on around the kingdom at this time. He believed that without any prior knowledge, he wouldn''t be able to plan clearly.


    After deciding to head toward a nearby restaurant, he glanced back at the meditating dhampir princess and hesitated. If he disappeared out of the blue so suddenly, would this proud girl go after him? When he thought of how unnaturally she treated him, his lips pressed in a thin line. It was clear that she didn''t like to have an association with him, but for some reason, she didn''t want Zion to be hurt and in any dangerous condition.


    Sure enough, it should be that she was hiding something from him, and he was confident that he would find out about it sooner or later.


    And if he were to disappear out of the blue like this, she would probably go out in search of him, and if he would see her absent from this place after coming back from the restaurant, he would also go out in search of her. So technically, they would just end up wasting a lot of time.


    After thinking for a while, he decided to leave a message. But when he thought of how he would have to bend on the ground to write something on the dusty floor, the expressions on his face cracked. He gritted his teeth and sat on the ground while stabbing pain appeared on his waist all over again.


    He glared at Lia while writing her a message and got up again as he steadied his posture.


    He would have to grow stronger and make sure his body could handle any exertion in the future!


    Then he went outside and walked sneakily in the shadows. They were already criminals in the elves'' eyes at this time, so he didn''t want to make matters worse by getting caught. It was better to be cautious while getting some news about the killer.


    After he went inside one of the nearby restaurants, he hid behind a window covered with trees and shrubs. Then he craned his neck to hear more clearly.


    Soon, conservation between two people sitting at the nearby table flowed toward his ears.


    "They actually ran away?!" One of the elves exclaimed. "How come I didn''t know about this? I have to warn my children to stay inside the house!"


    Another man sitting in front of him sighed and said in a voice laced with depression, "You''re lucky. My sister''s kids were kidnapped that night, and all we saw was their bodies! You don''t know how depressed my sister is! She even wanted to commit suicide and accompany her children!" His face changed as he became angry and hit the table. "If only I could find that dhampir girl! I would crush her in my palms and give her a punishment worse than death! I want her to beg me to kill her!"


    Zion frowned as an image of such a scene formed in front of his eyes. Then he shook his head and focused on the conservation again. He knew that the well-known princess of the Vanne kingdom wouldn''t die just like that. The only way to kill her would either be finding a mighty warrior having more power than her or using underhanded methods to stab her in the back.


    So at a time like this when he heard such words from random citizens, he couldn''t help but be amused.


    But at the same time, his expressions turned grave when he remembered what the man had said. A murder occurred again? When the heck was that?


    Was that before or after he had managed to escape?


    His brows furrowed deeper at that as he kept thinking about the case while listening to the conservation.


    "My neighbor''s children were also killed." A new voice spoke all of a sudden that was filled with anger. "If I see the killers standing before my eyes, I would definitely not let them go! How the heck did they manage to escape with such tight security?!"


    And after this, the conservation between the people inside the restaurant continued to describe in detail how the murder had occurred that even included the scene of how the dhampir girl had forced her human servant to slit every child''s throat when they were alive. After killing them, she slashed the bodies of those children with her magically induced sword. The dead bodies even had a touch of Qi inside them!


    Zion''s brows furrowed at that. He had to give it to these people about how wild and detailed their imaginations were! They managed to escape not too long ago, then how could they murder so many children the night before when they were still in prison?


    But he also knew that if this rumor were to be verified, they wouldn''t find a single soldier who would side with the dhampir girl and him. They would probably be the ones to spread the rumors enthusiastically to force Lia and him into the corner.


    That said, if the gentle-looking husband he had seen back then ended up being the murderer, it would make sense that the rumors spread like this without someone even trying to verify the truth. After all, if that person had committed the crime, he would have his spies hidden among the soldiers and citizens to guide the rumor according to what they wanted.


    As the case went on like this, Zion''s doubt toward the gentle-looking man in the palace strengthened. Now the only thing that remained was finding evidence strong enough to convince the queen.


    When he thought of the elf queen, he frowned. Why was it that he felt uneasy whenever he remembered that beautiful elf girl from before? Was it only because of the strange spell she had used on herself? Or something else?

 Chapter 112 - A Black Hoodie!

    After hearing about the case enough, Zion sneaked out of the restaurant and entered the haunted house. Lia was still in deep meditation, so he went toward her and wiped the message he had written earlier on the dusty floor before sitting beside her.


    Then he mulled about the case with his brows furrowed.


    From the looks of it, he had already figured out that the way this murderer had worked was a little different than the black-cloaked man he had seen earlier. That person would always be a step ahead of him and make it so that he would be caught off guard, just like how that imposter killed the real murderer and even became an imposter to act like Prince Bradley.


    If that imposter were to be present here instead of that gentle-looking man, that person would have identified Lia at first glance and would have done everything in his power to get rid of the dhampir princess. Zion knew one thing for sure: The black-cloaked man perhaps didn''t know who was the original owner of the system since he had changed his identities so many times already. So it wouldn''t be strange if that imposter would end up with a conclusion that perhaps Lia Vanne, who managed to escape and entered the Viridis kingdom without any hesitation, was the instigator who was set on stopping that imposter.


    It meant that for that person, Lia''s existence would have been critical for the imposter. But now, when Zion and the dhampir princess managed to escape so effortlessly, he could tell the enemy behind these murderers didn''t want to kill Lia and just wanted to blame killing on someone else''s shoulders. It almost felt like the killer aimed to hide in the crowd and kill children.


    This shouldn''t be how the black-cloaked man would work. He would instead eradicate the kingdom by creating many political disturbances in the court and troubling the king to the point of fainting. But now, only children were killed, and no one seemed to have blamed the elf queen, Odina.


    Then, if the murderer wasn''t the black-cloaked man, where the heck did he go?


    Zion''s brows furrowed deeper. Before he could think more on this topic, Lia, who was in meditation a while ago, poked his shoulders and asked in an arrogant voice, "What made you think so hard?"


    "I don''t think it''s that imposter this time."


    Lia''s brows raised as she narrowed her eyes and stared at him with a hint of coldness in her eyes as if she was reminded of some unpleasant memory. "Why do you think so?"


    "If it were the black-cloaked man, he would have killed us already."


    Lia understood without asking for an explanation, but her expressions became grave all of a sudden, almost as if she was thinking about something. Then she shook her head and said, "We can''t leave this kingdom without clearing our name, and if not, they would continue to hunt us down wherever we go." Then she paused and sneered. "I know these elves too well. They would go to lengths for their so-called justice! I don''t want to keep hiding because of them when we already have one imposter to think about!"


    "Then the only way is to make sure that we find the killer and show that we were innocent."


    "Yes."


    After speaking, both Lia and Zion went silent. This was one of the rare moments when they managed to agree to one thing together. Otherwise, they had a record of fighting on every topic recently, so at this time, the environment around them was filled with a hint of awkwardness.


    Zion scratched the back of his neck and suggested. "Should we go out and search for this silver-masked man?"


    "Sure."


    Although Zion knew that they would probably be caught all over again, he couldn''t resist the temptation of catching the murderer off guard. Even a glimpse of the murderer would be fine if he needed evidence to bring the gentle-looking henpecked husband down. From the looks of it, it didn''t seem like they had any other way than this.


    A sigh escaped his lips, and he tilted his head back as it touched the wall, and he quickly fell asleep.


    After a few hours, when the two of them finally woke up, Zion realized that his back pain receded. He glanced at the dhampir princess and squinted his eyes. Did his back pain go away because he slept while supporting his back on the wall, or did she silently give him a hand this time?


    When he thought of this, he shook his head. There was no way this princess would be this generous.


    After getting up, they both had something to eat. It was just a piece of dry bread that Lia arranged from somewhere while Zion was sleeping. He made no comments about the quality of food and ate it quietly.


    By the time it was night, they were both ready to find the murderer. Lia brought a black hoodie from somewhere and threw it at Zion''s face. The latter, however, pursed his lips and wore it silently while gritting his teeth. He didn''t want to be treated like a fragile little thing with no authority to do anything. He was a man, and the things that this dhampir girl was doing should be done by him! Why was it that once he transmigrated into this world, the roles of responsibilities by both the genders were exchanged?!


    He glared at the princess and wore the dark-colored hoodie to cover up his body and head. For some reason, this hoodie reminded him of the black-cloaked man, and he hesitated before asking, "Where did you find this?"


    "Stole it from the market." Of course, they would have to resort to stealing because as soon as they would show their faces, everyone would end up sending people to capture them!


    Zion nodded and sneakily got out of the house that looked more like an isolated place than haunted. He had also heard rumors about this place, but he didn''t find it as horrific as mentioned in the rumors. His brows furrowed. Was there a reason behind these rumors, and was it connected to this case? He had a hunch that there should be a connection between the two.

 Chapter 113 - Hold Your Breath!

    Two people wearing black cloaks wandered around the street in the middle of the night. How many times did they manage to sneak out to find the masked man? Zion couldn''t even remember the counting anymore. He felt it was utterly absurd that the only way to find the murderer was to sneak out and follow the silver masked person.


    Sometimes, he even felt that the masked man was deliberately hiding in the shadows and doing all of these things just to make sure that he and Lia were captured every time they went out. Zion''s lips pursed when he thought of that, and he almost felt as if he were walking right into the trap set up by some middle-class criminal. But what else could he do other than delivering himself to the criminal?


    He didn''t have any evidence, and he didn''t dare to sneak around the elves'' palace as he had in the Vanne kingdom. Back then, he was followed around by some assassin in the shadows with some magical technique such that he failed to realize that he was being followed. And this time, he didn''t want to raise suspicions against him and make it so that he wouldn''t be followed around like in the previous case.


    Plus, he didn''t even have his system''s association anymore either!


    A sigh escaped his lips at that. Now he could only throw Lia into the light and force her to face the crowd.


    "Why are you sighing like that?" A cold voice spoke from beside him as they continued to wander on the street.


    Zion''s lips pressed in a thin line, but he didn''t dare to say a single word about what he thought of just now. Instead, he said, "Nothing. I''m just wondering if your shoulders are strong enough." He was going to put this dhampir girl on display to save himself. For a moment, he felt as if he were a scum who was using a woman to save his little life.


    Lia was confused, but before she could say anything, she heard him saying in a voice lower than ever, "Hey, I saw someone there."


    Her glance darted toward that direction, and she noticed someone''s silhouette passing by the alley beside them. Her eyes narrowed as she grabbed her human servant''s hand and dragged him there stealthily before stopping in front of a garbage box. Her hand was still holding the sword in her hand and said in a low voice, "Hold your breath for as long as you can and hide here."


    Zion knew that he didn''t have that much power compared to Lia, so he shrugged and made a gesture of ''please, do as you like'' and hid behind a garbage box. But just as she marched into the alley to catch the killer red-handed, Zion saw her steps pausing. She frowned as her eyes squinted as if she were staring at one place fixedly. Then he watched her walking forward slowly until she disappeared from her servant''s eyes.


    He narrowed his eyes and got out from his hiding place as his legs took him toward the direction where the dhampir princess went. Then he looked at her, staring at something in her hand.


    It was a silver-colored mask.


    Zion''s pupils constricted. This was a trap! He knew they were walking right into the trap, but he didn''t have any other choice than this! Just as he was about to open his mouth and warn his ''master'' about it, he heard the sound of footsteps behind him. His body flashed and hid behind the garbage box all over again and saw that there was a horde of elf soldiers who came out from nowhere and pointed their swords at her face.


    His heartbeat increased as he held his breath again for fear of being discovered. He knew that if his presence were to be discovered, he would only end up making it difficult for the princess to act, so he bit his lips and watched the scene anxiously.


    "Someone had warned us that the escaped criminal would be here. And he was indeed right!" One of the elf soldiers righteously spoke and tightened his grip on his sword. "Let us capture her when she''s alone!"


    "Yeah! The last time she managed to escape was when her human servant had thrown a metal pipe at her! All the soldiers had seen that scene!"


    "Tch. That damned human servant is loyal for sure. That''s rare." Another soldier clicked his tongue and continued. "If he''s sold to a wealthy woman, she will give us a big reward! His kind of humans is rare to find!"


    Zion felt sick in his stomach when he heard those words. He endured the unease in his heart and continued to listen.


    "Enough! Let''s capture this girl before anything else!"


    Lia was obviously on her guard. Although she didn''t have a sword anymore, she still had a pipe at hand that her servant had thrown at her back in prison. She gripped it tightly and glared at the soldiers.


    The soldiers ignored her fiery look and were just about to chant spells when they heard a cold female voice. "Wait."


    Everyone froze. They all knew this voice very well. It was the Queen!


    The soldiers lowered their weapons and bowed to the person who just entered the alley in her shining green dress. She looked beautiful as always, and even Zion stared at her for a while before he shook his head and reminded himself of the spell she was using! After he stabilized himself, he took a deep breath and looked over again.


    When Odina arrived, Lia''s anger doubled as her face went red. She was practically fuming in anger as she stared at the beautiful elf girl standing before her with bloodshot eyes. If a glare could kill anyone, the elf queen here would have died multiple times already!


    Everyone had expected the queen to ask the soldiers to capture the dhampir girl, but contrary to their expectations, she opened her mouth and said, "I''ll duel with her. Give her a sword."


    The soldiers were astonished. They stared at their queen with widened eyes as if they couldn''t understand what was happening. Even Zion''s eyes narrowed at her face when she said that. Just Lia stared at the queen with an expressionless face as if she had expected something like this.

 Chapter 114 - The Fight Started!

    Zion watched as one of the soldiers reluctantly handed over his sword to the dhampir princess, who didn''t even glance at him. Her eyes filled with anger only stuck at the queen''s face the entire time as if she were going to kill that girl with her mere glance.


    At the same time, Zion heard a few soldiers gossiping in a low voice. Since he was hiding near the alley entrance, he could hear the conservation clearly and got a gist of what was happening right now.


    "Why did Queen Odina trouble herself like this?" The soldier was feeling aggrieved and sighed. "She should have stayed in the palace! Why did she have to leave that place, especially the ancient tree? Didn''t she know her powers would start decreasing with the distance between herself and the ancient tree? She''s the queen who has connected her soul with the tree! Other than herself, no one can channel the spiritual power to others!"


    "Why would she have to channel the powers now? Did you forget that she can''t do that anymore?!"


    "Of course, I remember. It''s just that I clearly remember that it can only be her!" The soldier boasted as he spoke about the queen with a hint of spark in his eyes. "Don''t you remember what the ancestors had recorded in the scroll? They clearly said that the first person born out of the ancient tree was the only one who could connect with the tree. It was said that this tree had appeared here from the heavens and was capable of transmitting universal energy to everyone else!" This soldier''s eyes glistened with delight as he talked endlessly about the queen and ancestral history of the elves. "Then that person chose an heir before passing away and gave all of his powers to that person. Ever since then, this power has been carried on for generations!"


    "Why''re you repeating this like a three-year-old?" Another soldier looked disdainfully at his friend and said, "You already know that the queen has been unable to transmit the spiritual energy to others, don''t you? That''s why we stopped using our powers and live like those worthless humans who don''t know anything about magic!"


    Zion''s ears perked up at that. He was curious about this thing and why even the queen stopped transmitting the powers.


    The soldiers still conversed, not noticing that a particular human heard everything from the shadows. "The queen has the power, then why is she unable to transmit anymore? It''s been some two or three months already!"


    Zion''s brows furrowed when he heard about that. Wasn''t that the time when he arrived in this world? His lips pursed automatically as he began mulling. Did this have anything to do with his arrival?


    Another soldier hit the shoulders of the one who just spoke now. "Are you doubting our Queen?"


    "No!" The soldier panicked. "I was just asking when this would end! If only we could use all our powers, this dhampir girl wouldn''t stand a chance in front of us! The queen wouldn''t have to force herself out of her shelter."


    "That''s true. She even announced to the world that she couldn''t transmit the power anymore only because the ancient tree had cursed them all. Unless and until we clean up this murder case, the tree would continue to resist giving us powers!"


    "If only we knew of some other shortcuts to raise the power!"


    "Look!" One of the soldiers spoke suddenly. "They''ve already started fighting!"


    That''s when Zion noticed that the princess was making some hand-signs as Qi flowed out of her body and formed a protective layer in front of her body. Then he watched her using another set of familiar hand-signs that helped to insert Qi inside the sword in her hand.


    The queen, who was also not standing ideally, chanted a spell that ignited her sword with Qi as it was covered with a thunderbolt. Electrical sparks continuously lit up the entire sword that made it shine throughout time.


    The entire alley brightened up, and even the area covered with darkness appeared clearly in the light. The only relief was that Zion, who was hiding at the alley entrance, was still covered in the darkness. Still, he shifted back and hid more behind the garbage box before he glanced at the fight again.


    The two ladies in the alley surrounded by the elf soldiers seemed to be glaring at each other in anger. They raised their swords in unison as the queen stared at Lia coldly before opening her mouth. "Ready?"


    "Always." The dhampir princess replied as she stared sharply at her opponent.


    Then the bodies of the two of them flashed and collided.


    Zion''s eyes stuck at the two figures in amazement, especially when he saw Lia''s prowess. He had seen her fight with others, and he had even been her opponent many times, but this was the first time he could see how fast the dhampir princess''s speed was! It almost felt like two flashes collided and separated in the milliseconds that made it hard for him to figure out who was who.


    But Zion could still tell that the flash that had electricity flashing constantly was Odina, so the other one must be Lia.


    At this time, even the soldiers who were watching the fight couldn''t help but sigh. Zion''s ears perked up. Although he continued to see the fight, he could still hear the conservation clearly.


    "Her Majesty has become so weak. She can''t even take down this despicable dhampir."


    "If you had told me a month ago that the queen would fight with a dhampir like this, I wouldn''t believe it." The soldier spoke with a touch of nostalgia in his voice. He looked at the scene of fighting with his eyes narrowed. "Why did this dhampir have to be different? We always thought that these people were our friends."


    "Their entire kingdom got destroyed by an imposter." Another person spoke. "Perhaps this girl isn''t from the side of King Rhesus, but the enemies."


    "That explains why she''s so cruel! The royals from the Vanne kingdom could never even think of killing so many children like this! I would rather die than believe such things."


    Zion''s lips twitched at that. He could already imagine what Lia would have said at this time after listening to this conservation. But he sighed and watched the two girls fight to their death.

 Chapter 115 - Lia VS Odina!

    While Zion was still continuing to listen to the bizarre conservation, Lia was gritting her teeth while fighting with this elf queen. She had fought with this girl before, and the result was even worse than she could ever imagine. That was why she was where she was right now!


    So she knew that Odina would be powerful enough, but Lia was prepared. Even the dhampir princess had tricks up her sleeves that she never got to use previously when she was fighting with his elf queen back then. That was why she agreed so easily to fight against this girl standing in front of her, but who knew that in the nick of time, Odina would manage to become even more powerful than previously!


    Lia was stunned while continuing to attack her. None of their attacks touched each other''s protective shield they had both created with their own techniques. Their swords supercharged with Qi began to collide with each other as sparks flew in the air. The fight was so fierce that both were on an equal footing at this time.


    At this time, Lia was so surprised that she paused her steps for a moment and stared at the queen with squinted eyes. Why was this queen more powerful than previously? The last time when they fought, they were both equals even after standing near the ancient tree, but now, even when the elf queen was away from her palace, she was even more powerful than that!


    Just what did this girl do to grow more powerful? And how could this even happen?!


    Lia panicked for a moment before she took a deep breath and calmed herself. She shouldn''t make guesses blindly and think about how to fight back fiercely and escape! Good thing that her servant was still hidden behind the garbage box, or else, they would have used him to capture her!


    He gritted her teeth and hit the thunderous blade of the elf queen for the hundredth time and backed away. She glared at the queen and decided to do something else to fight back. She knew for sure that normal attacks wouldn''t work this time.


    After realizing this, she used another set of complicated hand-signs as water flowed on her sword and it started freezing. She had the ability to change the temperature of the water that would flow on the surface of her sword. It was just that different attacks needed varied hand-signs.


    The moment her sword turned into frost, it was surrounded by cold fumes. After this, she rushed at the elf queen with a fiery expression on her face.


    On the other hand, Odina seemed to have expected this outcome, so she scoffed and rushed at the dhampir princess. No one could tell what she was thinking. Her face remained expressionless as her lips moved and her entire body sparkled as if she covered herself with another shield that extended even into her sword. After that, she rushed toward Lia as she stared coldly at the dhampir girl.


    The dhampir princess expected Odina to do this. So she just sneered in her heart and continued to move forward. Soon the two sides collided, and the sparks that flew were even more powerful than they were before. It was perhaps the frost sword that made it different this time around.


    Lia grunted as she separated and glared at the queen once again. Even though she had expected Odina to use another set of protective layers, she hadn''t thought that this shield would be more powerful. She had thought that her frost sword could slice the first layer of the shield in a go and give her a way to attack the queen, but she was wrong.


    She remembered how she had used the same method to create a weakness while attacking the queen, so she was confident that she could use the same method again to defeat the queen, but she was wrong. Of course, back then, she wasn''t the only one who was attacking the queen, and Odina had been terribly injured, so it was easy for her to attack. But now when she saw Odina easily saving herself from the frost sword, her lips pursed and she started thinking of another attack that she could use against this girl.


    Lia had another set of dangerous attacks too, so she didn''t just have to depend on the frost sword to go against the elf queen.


    Zion, who was also watching the scene, frowned when he saw the way Odina waas dealing with the dhampir princess. At one glance he could tell that there was a reason why the queen wasn''t using any attacks against her opponent. It was almost as if she was testing her opponent''s skills and making Lia more exhausted before she could use a trump card.


    His eyes squinted at that. He knew that Lia wasn''t as smart as him, and she wouldn''t reach to the conclusions that he did so quickly, but he hadn''t expected her to be blinded by rage so much that she would forget to think of simple things! He was confident that if the dhampir princess was in her right mind at this time, she would have realized what the elf queen was doing right now!


    But now when Lia was falling in Odina''s traps, Zion couldn''t help but be worried. What if the dhampir princess who was so proud of herself failed in this fight? What could he do to save the situation?


    He looked around to glance at all the elf soldiers who were staring at their queen admiringly, and pressed his lips in a thin line. After that he lowered his head as a feeling of helplessness engulfed his heart. If only he were more powerful¡­.


    Why was he so weak like this? He seemed to be always slowing Lia down whenever she would be fighting with someone else. Although he had learned how to fight with a sword, he was still weak. Nothing changed ever since he escaped from the Vanne kingdom. Back then, he was weak because he didn''t know how to fight with a sword, but this time, even if he knew, he could fight and save himself. He could even give Lia a hand and do something a man was supposed to do!


    But now, all he could do was hide behind a garbage box like the coward he was!

 Chapter 116 - A Monster!

    Lia took a deep breath and moved her sword. Even if her attack didn''t seem to work anymore, she wouldn''t back out now when she had finally managed to face Queen Odina! She gritted her teeth and attacked with the frost sword again. Her idea was that she would first attack the protective shield of Odina again and again until it could show her a crack. Even though this elf queen seemed to have become powerful all of a sudden, it didn''t matter anymore. Lia knew she could still use her frost sword skills to get back at the elf queen.


    After determining this, she rushed to attack again. But even after putting up her best, no matter how much Lia tried, she couldn''t create a crack in the protective shield of the queen. After almost ten minutes of attacking her fruitlessly, she backed away and wiped the sweat from his forehead.


    This time, even she guessed that this queen was probably assessing her powers and didn''t initiate the fight between the two of them. Whenever the attack occurred, it was always the dhampir princess who instigated it and rushed toward the queen with all her might. It almost felt as if this queen was trying to make her exhausted so much that she could take Lia down with one strike!


    Lia couldn''t help but glare at the princess with all her heart. She should have known that this elf queen wouldn''t be any better! Now she would have to take out her trump cards that she had hidden well and kill this Odina as soon as possible! The last time when they had fought with each other, she hadn''t used them because she wasn''t in a good shape in terms of power. She could only use a frost sword at that time.


    But now when Lia had an abundant power source, she was confident that she would be able to take this girl down!


    After thinking of this, Lia gathered her Qi in her hands and used a different set of complicated signs to create another attack. This time, it wasn''t her typical boiling hot energy balls that she had used on the elf customers that day, but it was a little different. She knew for sure that this girl would definitely be able to dodge that kind of silly attack.


    As soon as Lia finished the hand-signs, a surge of water poured out of her frost sword that waved in the air as she directed the water to create a beautiful dance. If it weren''t for the fact that this was a fight, the onlookers would have appreciated such a power.


    Even Odina, who had the habit of always remaining calm and collected, twitched the corners of her mouth and opened her mouth. She would finally have to use other spells of hers to block this thing.


    Lia, on the other hand, wasn''t worried. She knew almost all the attacks of the queen after fighting her the last time. She was sure that she could win this time around!


    So after a while, the water separated into several small aspects and formed several knives that pointed their beaks at the elf queen. Lia''s darkened eyes stared at Odina before she sneered. She would see if there was anything this queen would do to get rid of this attack! This was a special attack that would even pass through the protective layer!


    Of course, even though this attack was powerful, it was Lia''s weakness too. She couldn''t use it too often for fear of losing all her power at once! Even if she wanted to use this attack, she could only use it thrice along with other attacks. If she were to use it any more than that, she would end up losing all her balance, and get exhausted faster than what she would anticipate during a fight!


    So Lia took a deep breath and used several hand-signs to send those knives to the queen.


    Odina, who still hadn''t finished her spell, moved her body and reflexively dodged every single attack in front of her. She looked coldly at the dhampir princess and moved up, down, right, and left, jumping like a rabbit. Only after she was sure that all the knives had finished that she ended up landing on the ground, but unfortunately, one of the knives injured her in the end. Her arms were bleeding by the time that water-cutting attack was over.


    She glanced at her arms and then turned to look at the dhampir girl as her eyes became darker. Sure enough, this girl seemed to have trump cards she didn''t know about. She would have to be careful from now on!


    Lia rejoiced secretly at her small victory as she flicked her sword and thought of using her frost sword technique. She used hand-signs to turn the sword into ice and rushed toward the queen elf without any delay. For her, this was the opportunity to strike when the elf queen still hadn''t finished her spell!


    Just as her sword was about to reach the protective layer of the elf queen, the latter finished the spell, and her eyes sparkled coldly. Before Lia could even move her lips to curse at her fate, time slowed down. The dhampir princess almost seemed as if she was moving toward the elf queen in slow motion. This move made her heartbeat faster out of the blue. A trace of panic appeared in her heart.


    She had known that Queen Odina had the power to control the flow of time, but she didn''t know she had been able to grow it to the extent of controlling a human being! The last time she had fought with this girl, the latter had only been able to control Lia''s weapons. But this time, the dhampir princess was shocked to see such a devastating change in the elf queen.


    Just what did this girl do to become a monster like this?!


    Lia didn''t know what to do except move her hand-signs faster than ever to triple the layer of protective shield around her.


    The elf queen attacked her with her thunderous sword as sparks flew when her sword came hit the protective shield. Lia''s speed was so slow that in such a small time, she could only use hand signs to draw a protective shield around her. She couldn''t even lift up her sword.


    Finally, after a few more attacks, Odina''s power to control the flow of time ended abruptly and things went back to normal for Lia. The latter backed away and wiped the sweat off of her forehead as she stared at Odina with squinted eyes.


    It seemed she would have to go on defensive mode from now on to save her little life!

 Chapter 117 - Captured!

    Lia took a deep breath and looked at the elf queen with squinted eyes. She continued to think of the ways she could use to defend herself while attacking at the same time. Her lips pressed into a thin line, but before she could do anything, the elf queen opened her mouth and started chanting a spell. Then, the thunderous power surrounding her sword intensified as she rushed toward Lia.


    A trace of anxiety flashed in the dhampir princess''s eyes. It seemed like Odina still had enough energy to deal with her! Just how did she become a monster like this?


    All of a sudden, an idea flashed in her mind that relaxed her shoulders reflexively. She shook her sword as determination shone in her eyes. Now she would see how Odina would handle the situation.


    From Zion''s side, all he could see was how the dhampir princess was panicking while facing Odina like this. It almost seemed as if the elf queen had caught her off guard. His eyes narrowed at the scene.


    Then he saw the dhampir princess using several hand-signs and formed another set of protective layers around herself before she stood in a defending stance. Then she used another set of hand signs that made the sword shine brightly. After that, energy balls emerged from the sword just like before, but this time, their number was more than normal.


    It almost seemed like Lia was giving her all in his attack. Even the size of the energy balls was bigger than usual.


    Zion''s eyes squinted at that. Just what was his master thinking? She should have known from experience that the elf queen knew how to control the flow of time, so she shouldn''t have used the same method as before. Then why was she still bent on attacking Odina like this with similar spells? Although he felt like the attack Lia had used earlier with knives made out of water was more powerful as compared to the energy balls, it was still the same. He knew that the elf queen would use the same method of slowing down time.


    But she didn''t. Instead, she kept on dodging attacks as much as possible.


    Then he observed the elf queen dodging many attacks, and when she couldn''t, she used the same attack as Zion had expected.


    After seeing that, he immediately understood what the dhampir princess wanted to do. She aspired to exhaust the elf queen.


    But wouldn''t the dhampir princess become tired all over again? His lips pursed at that as he continued watching the scene in front of him.


    The scene before him repeated the same thing again and again until Odina''s forehead was covered with sweat.


    Just as Zion thought Odina would end up facing a desperate situation, she took a step back, closed her eyes, and when she opened them, she was calm as before. Then she used the time flow spell the second time while gritted her teeth. It seemed like the elf queen wasn''t cornered and forced into using the spell to slow down the time. Then did it mean this particular spell used up a lot of energy?


    If yes, then what the dhampir princess was doing was already effective.


    But why did Odina seem so calm?


    Zion''s eyes narrowed at her beautiful face, but he wasn''t attracted this time around. It wasn''t that the spell didn''t work, but his mind developed a defensive mechanism automatically that helped him cope with that emotion in a desperate situation. He shook his head and continued watching the elf queen.


    For some reason, her calm aura sent chills down his spine. If possible, he would want to stay as far away from this queen as possible. It wasn''t that she had adopted the way Lia was thinking, but he had a bad feeling in his heart. For some reason, he strongly felt as if something bad was going to happen in a few minutes, and he couldn''t shake off this emotion.


    His lips pursed as he glanced at Lia, who was glaring at the elf queen.


    How was this fight going to end? Zion didn''t know that yet, but he intended to wait for Lia and find out, so he scooted to the darkest corner of the garbage box, and stared at the fight that was happening ahead of him.


    At this time, Lia and Odina had exchanged dozens of blows, and the former used the energy balls on the elf queen multiple times to stop the elf queen from using the spell to slow down the time, but just as she felt that she had finally overpowered the elf queen, the girl stopped after dodging another set of energy balls and stared coldly at Lia for a while before chanting another spell under her breath.


    It seemed that the spell wasn''t very long this time, so Odina finished it quickly as her eyes shone brighter than the sun. Just as Lia blinked, and her vision cleared, the surroundings around her started to brighten up, as if someone had switched on the light. Every living being standing in the alley started emitting light as if they were bulbs, and soon, she stopped seeing anything that was around her.


    Lia cursed the elf queen under her breath. This damned evil queen knew too many spells!


    But she didn''t get anxious. She knew how to fight even without a vision. She could kill anyone with her eyes closed! She quickly shut her eyes and focused all her energy on listening. Her aura increased her sense of hearing as she quickly started to hear even the smallest sounds as clearly as day.


    By this time, she could even hear the sound of a leaf falling on the ground because a gust of wind blew across the tree and broke it off from the branch. Then, her focus went toward a certain queen who was standing in front of her. Although Lia couldn''t see anything, she could hear everything well.


    So, after this, she used several hand-signs and continued to create multiple energy balls. The unique thing about this attack was that it didn''t take up much of her power, and at the same time, she was able to exhaust the opponent beyond their endurance!


    But just as she thought she would succeed this time around in an attempt to make Odina tired enough, she felt a cold, sharp thing against her neck in such a way that made it seem as if the person holding the sword was standing right behind her!


    Lia''s body froze as a trace of panic appeared in her mind.


    What just happened? Wasn''t Odina in front of her just now? How did that elf queen end up appearing right behind her while putting the sword around her neck?!

 Chapter 118 - Following The Masked Man!

    Zion was astonished after seeing what was happening in front of him. He had observed the way Odina calculated in her mind while dodging her attacks. Even when she failed several times, it didn''t seem like the girl had been attacked by the dhampir princess. Instead, it seemed as if Odina failed on purpose and wanted to learn more about her opponent''s attacks before she could use her trump cards.


    After a few minutes of fighting, when she finally realized that Lia didn''t have any other choice than to use energy balls, the elf queen quickly used her trump card. But what exactly did she do? It seemed that after she had chanted the spell, she had made Lia completely stunned before the latter closed her eyes hastily and used hand-signs to create energy balls quickly. Then the elf queen used another spell to slow the dhampir queen''s time and quickly took over the entire battle in a few seconds.


    So this elf queen must have used something to make Lia stunned like that.


    Zion''s eyes narrowed. Did the elf queen use a spell to block the opponent''s vision somehow?


    But he couldn''t get his answers since Lia, the only person he could ask, was caught as a sword was pointed at her neck. He gritted his teeth but didn''t move. At this point, he could see Lia''s forehead covered with sweat as if she had used up all the energy available in her veins to use her trump card and even her face was pale, but she didn''t move.


    Just as her sword stuck to the neck of the dhampir princess, she used another hand to take away Lia''s weapon and glanced at the soldiers coldly. "Take her away and find her slave."


    The soldiers nodded and grabbed Lia''s arm roughly, making the latter flinch.


    Although Lia was angry enough to curse Odina day and night, she would do it in front of the queen''s face. She just gritted her teeth and lowered her head. From the corner of her eyes, she observed the garbage box for a moment as if she were trying to figure out if Zion was still hiding there or not and averted her eyes.


    She knew she shouldn''t keep looking at that place otherwise even her human servant would get caught. But who knew that the elf queen''s eyes were locked on her face and she quickly noticed the dhampir princess''s actions as her expressions became grave. She glanced at the nearby soldier and said in a cold voice, "Go and see who''s hiding behind the garbage."


    The soldier didn''t wait any longer and walked toward the garbage only to find that the dark spot behind it was empty. He frowned and shook his head. "Your Majesty, there''s no one here."


    The expressions on the elf queen''s face didn''t relax after hearing that. Her lips pressed into a thin line as she glanced at Lia and said, "Continue. I don''t have the time and energy to take her back. Deal with it yourself."


    After saying this, she chanted a spell and vanished from the spot. The soldiers also nodded and dragged the dhampir princess away from that place.


    Only when every single elf walked did Zion walk out from the shadows. He knew that once the dhampir queen was captured, Odina would surely try to capture him too, but he couldn''t afford that. He couldn''t protect Lia, but he knew what he would have to do to save them permanently.


    Right now, he would only have to pray that the dhampir princess would endure her prison days for a few days before he could find evidence and bring the villain to the light.


    After this, he took a deep breath and decided to find a way to get the evidence against the silver masked man. Just as he was about to move, he saw someone''s body flashing past a narrow street outside the alley.


    Zion frowned and walked toward that place while still hiding his body in the shadows and squinted his eyes. He wasn''t even a bit surprised after watching who was standing in the middle of the street.


    It was the murderer as the latter watched the procession of elf soldiers dragging the dhampir princess toward the palace. Only when they entered the gate that the silver masked man sighed in relief, and shook his head as if he had just managed to solve his greatest problem.


    After that, he walked on the street away from the direction of the palace. And this killer was still wearing the silver mask.


    Zion''s eyes narrowed. It seemed this murderer had planted the ''fake evidence'' against Lia to make her captured in the place of the real murderer.


    No one would doubt whether Lia killed those children or not. If the murder happened after she was caught again, the citizens would still point fingers at her face thinking how she hid her human servant deliberately to complete her unfinished task.


    Zion clicked his tongue. It seemed this silver masked murderer had some brain to deal with such a situation.


    After making sure that the masked man was alone, his shoulders finally relaxed as he marched toward a nearby house. Zion followed the man stealthily as he kept his keen eyes at the killer without blinking.


    The man hummed a tune that was familiar to him, but Zion heard it for the first time, and his brows furrowed. Why was this man singing at a time like this? Then he remembered how he had assumed the silver masked man to be a serial killer and shook his head. As expected of a serial killer.


    Zion continued to observe and follow as the man entered the house after picking up the lock of the front door. Then he walked upstairs before he entered a room. It was opened, and he didn''t even have to turn the knob.


    The man stopped singing and stood at the door and watched the children in a daze. He kept staring at those children as if they were his treasures. Traces of affection flashed in his eyes. It seemed the more he watched them, the more he liked those children.


    Zion, who was observing this scene from a distance, tapped his finger on his chin as if he were thinking deeply about the situation. After seeing how this killer behaved, he could only come to one conclusion¡ªthe silver masked man was an insane killer! If he loved the children, what was the point of killing them like this? He shook his head and kept hiding as he held his breath.


    But it seemed as if even mother nature didn''t want Zion to win this time. Just as he thought he would follow the silver masked man to the hiding place, a cat barged inside the house and jumped right in front of him as she meowed a couple of times.


    Zion''s eyes widened, and before he could hide, the silver masked man glanced in his direction as he froze.

 Chapter 119 - Curious

    Zion and the silver-masked man were standing staring at each other in a stalemate. They stood there for what felt like an eternity before the masked man gritted his teeth and walked toward the human with a dark expression on his face.


    At first, he was nervous and thought of running away, his legs had turned and pointed in another direction for an escape. But he suddenly remembered that this person was a worthless human who didn''t know a single thing! How could the masked man give up this opportunity? His main motive behind setting up Lia and her servant was that the two of them should carry the blame on his behalf, and the fact that this human servant was left behind was the best thing that could happen to him.


    Now, the masked man only had to make sure to injure this human and hide him in his base. Then and only then he could kill without hesitation and when the time comes, he would let this rat out and blame the murder on this human''s shoulders.


    After confirming this strategy, he took a deep breath and walked toward the human with a cold gaze.


    Zion, who was quietly observing the silver-masked man, narrowed his eyes as he noticed the small movements of this man. He realized that the man''s first thought was to run away after seeing the way the man''s feet pointed in the direction of the window in the children''s room. But the man seemed to have another idea that led him to stop all of a sudden and then he made a decision in a split of a second before marching toward the detective.


    It seemed that this elf killer must be taking Zion for granted for being a human. He sneered in his heart and glared at the man as he crossed his arms on his chest.


    The masked man ignored this action that could be considered rude and stood right in front of him. A smirk formed on his face. "You have the guts to follow me around like this."


    This was when Zion confirmed the identity of this masked man. It was certainly the same as the gentle-looking husband he had seen earlier in the palace. The voice was the same, but the tone was a bit different. Back then, this person was talking in front of his wife, so obviously, his tone would be gentle. But this time, the man talked in a rude and rough tone that could have made any human flinch, but Zion wasn''t just any normal human of this world.


    In his own world, Zion had faced many criminals who had been crazy murderers, so he knew how to deal with such people. He wasn''t even a bit worried at this time, so he looked coldly at the man and said nothing. He knew it too well that the more he said something, the higher were the chances of poking the silver-masked man''s sour points. It was better to keep silent and pretend that he was deaf and dumb.


    The masked man scoffed and squinted his eyes before parting his lips. "You know, you have made it easier for me by showing yourself in front of me like this. I''ll be finally at ease while committing the murders."


    At this point, Zion finally couldn''t let go of his curiosity. "Why are you killing so many children?"


    Even though he knew for sure that this man wouldn''t give him the real reason, he still wanted to ask. From his experience, the serial killer never reveals his cards in the first meeting, but they would always reveal their level of insanity by the way they talk. So at this time, Zion only wanted to hear how crazy this person was!


    But to his surprise, The man''s expressions became colder than ice as he glared at the human before grabbing the detective''s collar roughly. "Little humans shouldn''t be so curious that they end up dying because of that. It''s time to sleep, little human."


    Just as the silver-masked man was about to raise his hand and knock the detective unconscious, Zion finally moved. He could see a sword hanging on the waist of this man, so he reached out and took the sword as he dodged the man''s hand and pointed the tip of the sword at the man''s neck.


    Finally! He would get a chance to use his skills in an actual fight!


    The silver-masked man seemed to have been stunned after seeing the human reacting like this. He froze and only came back to himself when he found a certain sword being pointed at his neck like this. A smile formed on his lips all of a sudden. He leisurely touched the sword and pressed the pointed tips with his fingers. "You really want to do this, human? Don''t you know how powerful we are?"


    Of course, Zion knew about this, but what else could he do? He still couldn''t forget the level of pain he had to face when he was attacked by that energy ball back then. But at this point, he didn''t have Lia to save him like before. He could only use his strength and depend on himself!


    When the man saw how the little human didn''t budge and kept pointing the sword at his face, he let out a chuckle and backed up a bit before chanting a few words. Soon, energy balls filled with fire elements appeared on the surface of the silver-masked man''s palms. The man then looked at Zion with his cold gaze and said in a mocking tone, "You must have seen how the dear queen fought with your master, right? Although I''m not as powerful as her, I can handle an ant-like you."


    After saying this, the man threw the energy balls at Zion''s face. At first, the man thought that he would be able to deal with this human easily, but who would have thought that the human would end up dodging the attacks by jumping a few times professionally?! The man looked at Zion in surprise. "You have sword fighting skills. Looks like your master really wanted to break off that ancient deal between the human ancestors and the rest of the world."

 Chapter 120 - You And Me, Outside!

    The man didn''t stay surprised for a long time. He recovered quickly and chanted that spell all over again. Even though Zion dodged once, it didn''t mean he could dodge the second time! Sure, from what it looked like, the human might have learned how to fight from the dhampir girl, but it didn''t mean that this human had the energy and skills to fight off with someone who could use magic!


    After thinking of this, the silver-masked man got enough confidence and charged another set of energy balls in his hands before throwing them at Zion''s face.


    This time, however, the human didn''t dodge. Instead, he used his sword to slash the energy balls and make them dispersed. This was one of the tricks he had learned back when Lia was still teaching him how to fight and had especially used her energy ball skills to attack him. After learning from her, the attack of this masked man didn''t seem single but difficult. It almost seemed like a child''s play.


    After dodging and slashing a bunch of similar energy balls, even the masked man''s forehead was covered with sweat. He cursed the human under his breath and glanced at the children then turned toward the human who just disrupted his plans all of a sudden. Then he gritted his teeth to stare hatefully at the human. "Why am I even trying to fight you like this? I am an elf! I can escape easily whether you like it or not!"


    After that, the masked man quickly abandoned his plan to capture the human and rushed inside the house to get those kids sleeping soundly inside the blanket. He didn''t care about the sword that this human snatched from him at this time. It wasn''t like it had any royal emblem or something. It was just a regular sword that even had a bit of rust on the surface. He was going to throw it away anyway.


    The masked man took out two handkerchiefs filled with sleeping powder and put them on the children''s noses.


    It was a good thing that none of the house owners were awake to see him here. Even though he was talking to the human, his voice was also low, so none of the adults were woken up because of the intruders in the house.


    Zion, who watched the killer''s actions, felt astonished at being ignored like this. Did the man think he wasn''t worth even a glance during a fight? His irritation grew stronger as he glared at the man''s back who picked up the children from the bed. It almost seemed as if this man had unknowingly offended him somehow.


    But he still knew that if he reacted in anger, he wouldn''t be able to get the result as he expected, so he curbed his emotions and walked over before pointing the sword at the man''s neck again. "You think I''m dead? Picking up kids right in front of my eyes! As long as I''m still alive, I can deal with people like you!"


    Zion''s plan was simple. He had seen that the elf had suddenly stopped attacking and instead, he went toward the kids and picked them up one by one. The room had two little kids, and they were both unconscious.


    At this time, even the masked man got frustrated after being disturbed so rapidly. He put them down on the bed and turned to glare at the person standing in front of him. "I didn''t want to kill you just yet, but it seems you like seeking death!" After saying this, he picked up a table lamp and turned toward the human standing in front of him. "You and me, outside!"


    Zion squinted his eyes and looked around. This house still had a few adults who could wake up any minute and see this silver-masked man here trying to kidnap their children. They didn''t have to fight anymore, and he would just have to make sure to wake them up and show them the truth about who was the real killer.


    At this time, he paused and hesitated. He still didn''t have a single piece of evidence, but he could prove that Lia wasn''t the real killer. This could be his easiest way out, but even this had a setback. The masked man could easily turn the situation around and point fingers at Zion''s face saying he was the real murderer.


    As for the face behind the mask¡­.


    Zion looked at the man''s height that was similar to him and frowned. Even though this man''s height was more than Lia''s, he knew for sure that the civilians blinded by rage wouldn''t think twice before considering this person as the dhampir girl who was caught. Then the next day, this man would spread rumors about Lia sneaking outside the palace and conveniently sneak the dhampir princess out with the help of his spies to make things even more realistic. That way, the elf wouldn''t have to continue lying in front of so many people like this.


    But did he have any other choice?


    His lips pursed as he thought of the consequences of what he was going to do, but this was his only safest option. Without thinking twice, he turned around and walked toward the second bedroom right in front of the room they were standing inside, and knocked slowly.


    The masked man saw what this human was doing, and his eyes widened. He quickly threw the lamp aside and went to stop the human, but by the time he reached, Zion had already knocked twice. They could hear a rustling sound from inside of the room as the door opened, revealing a woman elf wearing a nighty. Her eyes frowned as if she were still confused whether it was a dream or reality.


    After staring at Zion for a while, she finally woke up from a daze and stared at his face with a pale face. She backed up a bit and grabbed her husband''s arms, who had also gotten up from his bed. "You-You¡­.Get out of here!"


    Zion didn''t move and refused to say a thing. For once, even if he tried to explain, seeing how humans'' image had been, they wouldn''t believe him. Secondly, even if they listened, the silver-masked man would quickly turn the table around just because he was an elf! At this time, his first goal was to save those kids and somehow turn the table around such that the masked man''s face would be revealed.

 Chapter 121 - Try Me!

    The elf couple who had seen a human suddenly barging into their room was terrified. Their first thought was whether their children were still alive or not! Their gazes collectively turned toward the direction of their children''s bedroom, and when they glanced in that direction, they froze.


    There, standing right in front of another room, they could see a man with a silver mask over his face.


    The elf couple had heard time and again about such a person wearing a mask who was ready to kill children, and now when they saw the masked man, they had only one thought in their heads: Just when did the dhampir girl escape? As soon as this thought flashed in their eyes, their limbs trembled.


    But thankfully, this elf couple wasn''t as blind as others. Even though these elves were brainwashed into thinking that the dhampir girl was the murderer, there was no way she could suddenly increase her height just like that.


    So should it mean that the dhampir girl had chosen someone else to complete her task secretly when she was locked in the prison?


    Then the couple glanced at the human servant and their gazes became colder. It must be that this human was her right hand who had perhaps arranged these things under the dhampir girl''s command! Then didn''t that mean the murder actually had a group of people who would work behind the scenes even if the dhampir girl was locked in the cell?


    The couple''s expressions became grave in an instant. They glared at the human with all their heart thinking him to be loyal to death to someone as vile as that dhampir girl!


    Zion, who noticed such a gaze, understood what was going on in the heads of those elves, but he didn''t care about it anymore. As long as he could make sure to uncover the mask of the killer in front of these people, it would be good.


    But the point was, would the masked man let him do it so easily? Nope. That man was cunning and knew how to deal with such situations. He would have thought of how to handle such situations well, so when he looked at the masked man''s calm face, his lips pursed. It seemed as if his deductions were spot on again.


    Then it should mean this man could do anything at the moment to shut off the mouths of these elves.


    Just as this thought came, he raised his sword toward the masked man and said in a cold voice, "You''re not allowed to do anything to them."


    The man sneered and leaned back on the wall. "What if I want to? What can a human-like you do?"


    "Try me."


    After hearing this strange conservation, the couple felt something was off about the way they were thinking. Technically, if these two were in the same team, shouldn''t they get along with each other? What were they doing, trash-talking like this?


    Soon after this, the two men started fighting again. At first, they were only fighting with weapons. No magic was involved, and the masked man was even using a pipe he had picked up from somewhere, but as the human''s skills went beyond his imagination, the masked man''s expressions became grave. Then he chanted a spell to fill the weapon in his hand with Qi, which made things even more difficult for the human.


    From that point on, even though Zion knew how to fight well, he wasn''t able to find a chance to even get the slightest opening. All he could do was dodge and defend against the enemy''s attack. At first, he was calm even when he was defending. After all, he had learned under Lia Vanne, who was herself the most darker and fiercer warrior of all times. But as he continued, he found himself to be in a deadlock while fighting with this masked man, and couldn''t do anything beyond protecting himself against the other''s attacks.


    Even though the elf didn''t seem to have been any powerful as compared to the elf queen, this man still had sword-fighting skills. After ten minutes of fighting, Zion''s forehead was covered with sweat, while the masked man still seemed to be in a good situation.


    At this time, even the elf couple could tell that the human wasn''t in the wrong, and all the rumors about the dhampir girl were probably fake. Otherwise, why would the human dare to go against his own masters in today''s world? The only reason why this human was still continuing to fight and stop the masked man was because of his loyalty and desperation to prove that his master was innocent. Even the fact that this human woke them up by knocking on the door was strange, and now when the couple thought about it, they realized that they were blinded by rage and blamed everything on the human.


    They both cast their sympathetic gazes on the human. They never thought they would be sympathetic toward a human in this lifetime!


    Perhaps they could do something to help these people. At least, they would be able to refute the rumor if nothing. But just as they were about to sneak away to a safe spot, they noticed an energy ball coming in that direction.


    The elf couple was stunned and froze on the spot.


    In this kingdom, the elves had different levels of power, and this elf couple was even lower than the people belonging to the first level. That means, they had no power to attack or even protect themselves. Technically, the elves would be evaluated whether they could learn to use magic or not after reaching fourteen years of age. Of course, it depended on whether the particular elf teenager could show a spiritual root during the test or not. If they did, they would be sent to the school where they learned about different levels, and rise above at their own pace. Still, it couldn''t be sure that all the elves had the same pace while rising to another level depending on the number of spiritual roots they had. The more roots appeared during the test, the higher were the chances of getting stuck in the future levels.


    This elf couple had also taken this test when they were both fourteen years old, and the spiritual roots didn''t appear in their veins. That meant they weren''t eligible to learn how to use magic. But since they belonged to a wealthy family, they could still live in the capital.


    They had thought they could continue to live on like this the entire time, but who would have thought that they would die all of a sudden?


    This was the last thought they both had when the energy ball attacked them both.

 Chapter 122 - Dying….

    Zion was already exhausted by this point and cursed his weak human body a million times in his heart. But he didn''t give up. He continued to fight even more furiously than the masked man was given a hard time dealing with him. The latter fumed in anger soon when he found himself cornered like this. Even while fighting with a Qi-infused weapon, the masked man still couldn''t overcome a human!


    The man was so angry that he couldn''t help but glare at the person standing in front of him. He had never felt so helpless while dealing with humans before! Even though his constitution wasn''t very good, and he had five spiritual roots, which meant he couldn''t get above the first level anytime soon, he was still confident that it was an easy feat to handle a human who couldn''t even use magic. He had long known that the human body was way weaker as compared to others.


    But now when he saw how this particular human stubbornly held onto the sword and fought even after getting exhausted to the point of fainting, the masked man''s mind snapped. He had always been a calm and collected person in front of others, but his heart carried so many emotions that he wanted to let out but couldn''t.


    When he had worn this silver mask for the first time, he finally realized that he could do anything he wanted, and he wouldn''t even have to act pretentious and kind in front of others. Although he loved kids, he still couldn''t forget his goal.


    But this damned human was coming between himself and his goal! He had to get rid of this human. The masked man calculated in his heart that this human must have become too exhausted to do anything. If he were to increase the intensity of the fight, perhaps the human wouldn''t be able to dodge and die on the spot!


    As soon as this thought entered his head, the masked man immediately decided to follow through with his newly created plans. He stopped at a certain distance in the corridor and chanted a spell as he threw away the metal pipe in another corner. Then, two energy balls appeared on his palms that glistened brightly.


    He stared smugly at the human. "Now, I don''t think you have the energy to dodge this. You may be too exhausted to even take a step."


    Zion bit his lips and took a few deep breaths. The masked man was right. He couldn''t lift a single finger, but this wasn''t the first time he had become so tired. When he would practice with Lia, he would also become too tired to lift up a finger. Even after this, that dhampir princess would continue to attack him endlessly without tiring even a single bit.


    This was why even after getting exhausted to this point, Zion continued to fight as if he were habitual to dodge and attack with his eyes closed.


    The masked man finally couldn''t take it anymore. With the way this human was behaving, it seemed that Zion was ready to take him down while dying out of exhaustion himself! The man gritted his teeth and glared at the person. If this fight continued on, he was afraid that he would soon lose all of his powers.


    It was during this time that he had accidentally ended up killing that innocent elf couple, but the masked man didn''t find out, and neither did Zion. They were too engrossed to see what was happening beside them. And even the elf couple didn''t make a noise and died all of a sudden.


    At this time, the masked man was still wondering whether he had any other choice or not. He could only use the energy balls or¡­


    An idea struck in his mind. The first level people could use three types of spells: first was to create a protective layer around themselves during a fight, the second was to create energy balls, and third was to insert their Qi in any weapon that touched their hands. The elves who had more power could easily send their Qi inside bigger objects, making it stronger.


    So if the masked man were to find something bigger enough to crush this human''s head, wouldn''t it be easier to deal with this person?


    As soon as this idea formed in his head, he immediately wanted to work on it. He glanced around and found a hammer. He chanted a spell as he charged the hammer with his Qi, and it shone brightly. After that, he glanced at the human and said, "Any last words?"


    At this point, Zion''s vision blurred. His body ached to the point that he almost felt numb. He could tell that he had dragged his body to the limit, and he couldn''t fight anymore. And when he heard those words from the masked man''s mouth, his mind buzzed.


    What last words? The masked man was already fighting unfairly. What right did he have to say that?


    But before he could do anything, he felt something shiny was being thrown at his face.


    Zion had already been fighting with this masked man for hours, and he had surpassed his body limit. At this point, he couldn''t even dare to blink for the fear of not being able to open his eyes again. And when the shiny thing approached him, he wanted to move his body and dodge, but he couldn''t. It felt as if his body was nailed on the spot.


    Soon, the hammer approached the human and hit his head with a thud. If someone''s head were hit by a normal hammer, he would faint for sure due to concussion. But the weapon here was surcharged with Qi, which made it even stronger. Zion almost felt as if he were hit by a hammer triple its size.


    Blood spurted out of his wound as the hammer fell on the ground. He couldn''t stand anymore now, and he couldn''t even think. His mind brought back the memory of when he had died in his previous life, and along with it, he could also remember the level of pain he had felt while his entire body was burning to death.


    What he was feeling was quite similar.


    The pain made it feel like someone was splitting his head apart and repeatedly hitting him with a hammer.


    Would he die just like that a second time?

 Chapter 123 - Initializing!

    Zion was already taking shallow breaths and was on the verge of losing consciousness when he heard a beep sound coming off in his mind. At first, he thought it was perhaps his imagination that had gone wild because of such an intense and numbing pain. But as he continued to stare blankly with half-closed eyes, the beep sounded again for the second time before a phrase appeared in front of his eyes written in pinkish neon design.


    [Initializing¡­.]


    [Installing 007¡­.Please wait a moment¡­.]


    [Installation complete¡­.Downloading the package¡­.]


    [Downloading complete¡­.Decompressing the package¡­.]


    [Decompressing complete¡­.]


    [Opening the client¡­.]


    These statements appeared in front of his eyes one after another like a flash within a second. The speed was so fast that he couldn''t even tell what was written through his blurry vision. After that, a screen popped up in front of his eyes. It was blank before a while light shone on the surface, and then the screen became transparent.


    When it was all done, a familiar chibi Methu man''s cartoon body flashed on the screen, and this time, he was wearing a pirate''s dress. Just as 007 appeared, he said in a cheerful voice, "Host, did you miss me~"


    By this time, the ''host'' had already exhaled his last breath and closed his eyes. His shoulders slumped and body went cold as if his soul had left the body.


    When the system didn''t hear a familiar scowling sound, he frowned and looked over only to be horrified. His face was covered with sweat drops, and he stammered. "....Host?"


    After watching the human''s body getting colder and colder, the system finally couldn''t handle it anymore. He stammered and stuttered before accepting the reality. His host unfortunately died right as 007 revived.


    Why was his fate so damn terrible?!


    He cursed under his breath, but didn''t leave his cool. For some reason, he was still calm and collected as if he knew how to deal with this current situation very well. He took a deep breath and opened the menu section as he clicked the lifeline option. Three hearts appeared on the screen, and 007 dully clicked on one of them. Then he glanced at his host before cursing the man a thousand times in his heart.


    He just got back from a crazy upgrade only to find that his host died just a second ago! The new update was so good that his host would have started dancing already! But contrary to that, Zion gave him a heart attack! What kind of sh*tty luck was that?!


    While the revival pill worked, 007 took his time to see what actually happened to push his host to this kind of critical condition. He opened the recordings of the past month and sat on the screen before opening a small TV that appeared out of nowhere.


    After half an hour, when Zion''s fingers finally moved, the system was done with his work. Although he didn''t watch the entire thing, the fast forwarded it and could still tell what had happened in his absence. For the first time in his life, he felt a wave of anger flashing in his heart.


    Even though it was true that this was one of the cases that Zion had to do, it didn''t mean that the human could seek an early death by getting involved in such a dangerous mission without the system''s presence! What the heck was Zion thinking? Did he think he was an all-rounder with such a weak body?


    A lot of cursed words erupted in his mind, but just as they made it to 007''s mouth, Zion''s eyes opened, and the system swallowed those curses.


    In any case, it didn''t matter. His host only lost one life, and it could be earned in the future. He should just let it be for now.


    When Zion finally woke up and saw what was in front of his eyes, he thought he was dreaming. He blinked multiple times and pinched himself before coming to a conclusion: "You''re really here?"


    The system scoffed and crossed his arms over his chest. "Otherwise? Did you expect me to be gone forever? If it weren''t for me, you would have gone to reincarnate already!"


    Even though Zion didn''t want to admit this, he was glad that 007 came at the right time and saved himself. A sigh escaped his lips as he smiled faintly. "Thanks."


    "What thanks?! Do you know what you have lost? You would get only three lifelines for free, and the rest, you would have to earn it yourself! The cost of lifelines is also higher than anything else! It''s equal to spending ten milestones for powering up! What the heck were you thinking?! Huh? That''s it! I''m going to report this to my boss and show you in a bad light! Let''s see how you can escape at that time. Humph!" The system turned his face away and scoffed. "I won''t talk to you until you apologize and find a way to deal with this situation!"


    Zion said nothing and stared continuously at the system for a long time as if he were watching a fool talking loudly for a long time. Then he took a deep breath as if he were suppressing his emotions and spoke through his gritted teeth. "Can you explain everything to me before saying foreign words like milestones and powering up?"


    That was when the system remembered that he still hadn''t explained the features that were added to him after the upgrade. Of course, the security was high, and even great demons wouldn''t be able to get a hint of his presence, but it didn''t mean that Zion could still handle critical situations without prior information.


    So the system resigned to his fate and started explaining everything to Zion. "Boss actually feared that my security wasn''t updated, and especially got anxious after listening to how there''s an imposter who kept increasing the intensity of your cases without any knowledge, so he called me and made frantic changes." Then he pointed to the bar at the top, especially at the right corner. "Look there. You''ll see three lines: the red one is your HP. If it''s zero, you''ll die. Below that, you''ll find another bar that shows how powerful you are, and as you can see, it''s currently at zero. And the last one is the mission progress bar. I had originally expected it to be zero, but since you had accepted this mission even before I could come, the progress recorded automatically within me-"


    "Wait"

 Chapter 124 - The System!

    Zion interrupted when he thought about how the system was gone. "You weren''t even here. How can my progress be recorded?"


    "Just the same way as I had recorded how you spent a month here!"


    Zion''s eyes narrowed. "And how the heck did you record this?"


    "Well¡­." 007 coughed and averted his eyes. "My hardware is already inside your mind, and cannot be removed until we finish the mission, but I''m a software, and I didn''t really leave physically. I went into hibernation as my boss hacked into my system. Then he upgraded me from top to bottom, and created new features! Don''t worry, host. Many things were on autopilot in the background, so even your progress was recorded."


    Zion nodded in understanding and gestured to the system to continue.


    "So currently, your mission progress is 75%. That''s right! Even without my help, you managed to achieve such a great feat! Just a slight setback was your death, but I managed to save you on time." The system waved his hand as if he were proud of what he just said. "No need to thank me for that. Oh right, that reminds me, I forgot to tell you another thing. You can also see the mission details in the menu tab, and there''s the option for shopping and rewards¡­." The system paused and frowned as if wondering how to explain this thing and coughed before he spoke. "I''ll explain about the rewards after solving this case. For now, we will just handle the current case and make sure to pass!"


    "What about points and punishment if I failed a mission?"


    007 directly ignored the punishment thing and said, "You can view the points at the top left of your screen!"


    Zion''s eyes glanced in that direction and was pleased to see 100 points saved there already, but he was still curious about why he got so many points. "Why 100?"


    "That''s compensation from the boss for the blunder that was caused in the first case." The system averted his eyes and refused to meet the man''s eyes. "He hopes that the new update can help you achieve great heights."


    "What if I want to go back to my world? And you still haven''t explained to me about the milestones."


    007 coughed awkwardly again and said while scratching the back of his neck, "It''s not good for you to eat so many dishes all at once. Just wait until you can digest the information I gave you until now and solve the case. I''ll definitely tell you everything after you solve this case."


    "No thanks." Although Zion''s face and entire body were covered with blood, his body had become healthy. He sat and crossed his arms across his chest. "My digestion system is better than you can imagine. I can digest any amount of information."


    "Still. I don''t want you to blame us for giving you psychological pressure. Boss specifically told me to take it easy on you!"


    Zion said nothing after that and closed the topic. He knew it would be useless no matter how many times he would urge the system to speak out everything about milestones and his punishment. He also wanted to know whether he could still go back to his world after solving cases or not. Even though he wasn''t attached to his world, he was still a modern man who was fond of modern technology.


    He couldn''t help but miss the time he would scroll his social media accounts and respond to the criticism with his side accounts. That was one of the ways he would pass his time whenever he was free.


    But the fact that the Methu man refused to utter a single word without finishing up the first case after the upgrade. He feared that there must be something he was hiding. Perhaps he had made another silly error before accidentally sending the system off to his mission? If that were the case, then Methu man seemed to have been afraid of receiving another set of threatening messages being broadcasted throughout the heavens.


    Zion sneered when he thought of this and got up from the ground. Everything else was still a mess, and dead bodies were scattered across the floor. The children were missing from the bedroom which meant that the masked man was successful in kidnapping them.


    The first thought that he had was to escape from this place before anyone could come here and see him standing here without any injuries. If others were to appear at this place, they would instantly think that he was the one who had sided with the silver masked man to kill these elves. They wouldn''t even listen to a word he would say either, thinking humans were always ''vile'' and ''trash'' in the eyes of others.


    After thinking of this, Zion sneered and walked out from the backdoor. Thankfully, it was still dark with traces of brightness on the horizon.


    The situation of humans was another reason why he didn''t like it here in this world. Why would anyone think of an entire race like that? It almost seemed to him as if humans were a group of innocent people who were being flamed on social media, and all the naive citizens believed it word to word.


    There must be someone fanning these rumors and making sure that the status of humans continued to remain low, and for some reason, Zion felt like this surely had something to do with the fact that this current world was going to be destroyed. His eyes narrowed at that.


    But since he didn''t know a single thing about it, he couldn''t come to any conclusions. He pursed his lips and thought of his current case. What should he do to find evidence against the silver masked man and prove that he was that gentle-looking husband he met in the palace? His lips pressed in a thin line, and he glanced at the chibi avatar on the screen who was already dozing off.


    Now that the system was back, he knew what he should do at present: shopping for an identity.


    He knew for sure that he couldn''t use previous identities that he had once purchased since this was the elf kingdom, so he would have to buy an elf identity who didn''t know how to use power. Then, what else would be better than to choose an ordinary elf who had just entered the palace to apply for the post of lowest grade servant?

 Chapter 125 - What’s Your Name?

    Zion clicked the shop from the menu and glanced at the list of items available in that section. He could already see the one section for identities, modern technology, ancient items, and miscellaneous utilities. He automatically chose the identities section as a form appeared on his screen.


    The system poked his head from behind the form and tilted his head. "What are you doing, host?"


    "Solving the case." While saying that, Zion filled up a fake name, Rupert Biermann. He had noticed that most of the people belonging to this elf race had German names, so he chose the name of one of the people he knew from his world. No one would know anyway that Rupert was actually a famous German singer from his world. Then he filled out other details such as age, race, and social status before clicking on the confirm button at the end.


    After that, a popup came in front of his eyes telling him to wait a minute before the authorities could verify this form.


    The pop-up kept blinking as the system walked over and stood right in front of the pop-up and stared at the human with narrowed eyes. "Why aren''t you telling me the details?"


    "You won''t understand." Zion waited for a few more seconds before the pop-up disappeared from the screen and instead, another pop-up flashed in front of his eyes that wrote: "Your identity will change into that of a lower grade elf citizen within five minutes. Please wait."


    Then and only then Zion exhaled a breath of relief and glanced at the system, who poked his head from behind the form again. Then the human said, "Let''s go. We have something to investigate."


    After a few minutes, an elf guy emerged and walked on the dark street who looked like he didn''t have enough money to buy clothes for himself. He wore ragged robes of mud color that had patches at the bottom. It was Zion.


    He looked down at his clothes and then turned to glance at the points that remained: 80. A frown crossed his forehead at that. "What kind of b*llsh*t is this?! I can understand that identity can cost 10 points, but what about clothes? Why do clothes as bad as the ones I''m wearing cost so much?"


    The system came out and shrugged before he looked at the host with a sympathetic gaze. "I can''t do anything about it. It''s been designed to make sure that the hosts don''t end up with imbalanced karmic points. If it''s imbalanced, the souls would be punished severely for multiple lifetimes to get those points back."


    Zion''s eyes narrowed at that. He had heard about karma points before from Methu man and the system, and this was the second time he could hear about it again. The more he heard that word, the more curious he became about it, but he knew that this wasn''t the time to dwell on it. He put it aside and walked toward the direction of the palace.


    After finally reaching his destination, he opened the gates to a familiar beautiful palace, and since he looked like an elf, no one stopped him. Even if he had worn a ragged dress, the elves who guarded the gate didn''t spare a single glance at his face as if they were habitual of seeing beggars entering the palace.


    He walked inside the palace without any difficulty. He remembered that day seeing the queen elf sitting there while sipping tea. But this time, both the elf queen and the table were absent. The porch was empty, and it was filled with pots of flowers.


    Zion actually didn''t know where to go after this to join the palace servants. Since he didn''t know anything about elf powers and didn''t know whether he even had a constitution for that, he could only join as a servant. But how should he go about after this?


    Just as he was thinking about this, a soldier walked out of the palace while chatting with his colleague.


    "Her Majesty used severe torturous methods to get that dhampir girl''s mouth open, but her mouth was sealed, and the only time she parted her lips, she only cursed badly at her majesty!" The soldier got angry all of a sudden and shook his head. "If only I was powerful enough, I would have dealt with that dhampir killer rather than troubling her majesty with it."


    "Big talks." Another soldier scoffed and crossed his arms over his chest. "You belong to the third level, not even close to being powerful enough. How do you plan on leveling up when we can''t even get access to spiritual power?"


    "Don''t worry, friend." The first soldier had a determined expression on his face. "As long as we solve this murder case, the ancient tree will forgive us for our sins and start giving us spiritual powers."


    "You seriously believe this rumor?"


    "Of course, everyone has started to believe it. And it''s not a rumor, but reality. I-" The first soldier was about to say something else when his eyes narrowed at an unfamiliar elf standing in front of the porch with a dazed expression on his face. After seeing his ragged clothes, the soldier confirmed that this person must have entered the palace to get started as an imperial servant. "Hey, you. What''s your name?"


    Zion pursed his lips and glanced at the elves standing in front of him. He had heard about how Lia was tortured in the cell to get a statement about how she was the killer, so his mind went blank as he ended up imagining such a scene. It was only when the elves asked him his name when he came back to himself and glanced at them.


    For some reason, he felt an urgency in his heart after hearing of how Lia was tortured. Even though he didn''t like her that much, she at least didn''t deserve to be treated like that. At the very least, she was his first-ever master who taught him sword-fighting skills. He felt a sense of responsibility toward her, so he couldn''t help but feel sad after hearing of her condition.


    He took a deep breath to calm his restless mind and said, "Rupert Biermann."


    The soldiers nodded and pointed at the narrow path on the right. "Go there, and keep walking until you see a building half as big as the main palace. Go inside, and find the head servant there."


    After saying that, the servants walked away while chatting about something else.

 Chapter 126 - A New Servant!

    Zion reached the building after half an hour and pushed the door open. There were two guards on either side of the door, but they made no attempts to stop him. Their only work was to note the names of people who entered the palace and let them in.


    He walked toward the counter in front of which, an elf with white long silky hair had his head lowered as he jotted down something on a scroll. After that, the elf put the feather pen back on the ink vessel and looked up to find a beggar in ragged clothes. He frowned as a hint of disgust flashed in his eyes, but he covered it up soon enough and asked, "Are you here for a servant''s job?"


    Zion nodded while deliberately having an innocent child-like expression on his face.


    The elf pulled out another scroll from below the counter and gave it to Zion. "Attach your thumbprint there and take this to the head servant." As he said, he pointed at the counter to his left and lowered his head to continue writing.


    Zion frowned as he stood there for a moment. Why did he feel like he returned to the time when he had entered the Vanne kingdom''s palace in a similar way? His lips pursed, and he walked toward the corridor. After a while, he reached an open ground where several servants were gathered. They were all working in the garden, tending to the flowers.


    The head servant could be easily recognized standing in the middle of the garden with an irritated look on her face. Even though she was an elf with beautiful facial features and long pinkish hair floating behind her back, the criss-cross frown on her forehead made her look uglier than before. She opened her mouth and continued scolding a pitiful servant in front of her who had a guilty look on his face.


    "What, now you''re going to cry." The head servant glared at the elf standing in front of her. "Am I a fool to take you in? I took you in only to show you sympathy, and is this how you pay me back? Where''s your freaking conscience?! Get out of here! Right, this instant!"


    The elf servant wiped his tears and turned around to get out of this place. He had had enough scolding for today!


    After dealing with that servant, when the head servant looked away, she noticed a new beggar-like person standing in front of her with a dazed expression on his face. She instantly pulled up the corners of her lips and formed a fake smile. "So, you''re the new servant. Welcome!"


    Zion''s lips pursed as he glanced at the direction where the crying servant went and then at the ''smiling'' face of this woman in front of her. The way she scolded just now was enough to send a chill down his spine. He could see other servants trembling around him, and if he were also one of them, he would have watched this scene with a pale face.


    But he had a goal behind approaching the palace in a beggar''s identity. He wanted to find evidence against that gentle-looking husband. He was sure that he would find more about this masked man at this place. So he had no choice but to endure the scoldings of this head servant in the near future.


    He took a deep breath and handed over the scroll to the woman, who gave it a glance and closed it before putting up a fake smile again. "Okay, you''ll be responsible for handling the East garden from now on, and if the humans working under you make trouble, you are free to give them. That''s the only position that''s vacant for the elf servants, and I''ll be checking monthly records on how you handle them. If I find you slacking off, you''ll receive punishments on their behalf too!" Her voice had a cheerful tone that made it seem as if she were telling him the good news. She clapped her hands and said, "Now, off you go. Filch, escort him to the East garden, please."


    Another servant who was squatting and tending to the rose flower got up and wiped the sweat off his forehead before he nodded at Zion and gestured to him to follow.


    They entered the same corridor again, but this time, they took another turn and went out of the building before walking around in the garden, toward the palace. On the way, the elf servant who was sweating profusely at first calmed down and started chatting. "This is your first day, so make sure you don''t end up making any mistakes. You don''t have any experience as a servant do you?"


    Zion pursed his lips and shook his head. Although he had experienced life as a servant in the previous kingdom, he couldn''t say that out loud. So he would just pretend that it was his first day here.


    The elf servant also didn''t doubt Zion''s words and nodded, but there was a hint of sympathy in his eyes. "Just be careful not to make any mistakes. The head servant deliberately gives hard tasks to the new servants to send the useless ones off early." Then he smiled and said, "Don''t you worry, Rupert. I''m here for you! I''ll explain everything clearly so that you won''t make any mistakes!"


    Then he went on telling Zion about every single detail about a servant''s job. Starting from the process of cleaning to managing the humans. The man left nothing and kept on babbling in front of Zion endlessly. To the human, it seemed as if he had accidentally turned on a radio that talked on and on about how a servant should do his job. By the time they entered the East garden that was inside the main palace, Zion had an urge to hit the elf''s face. He even tightened his fist as veins popped up on his forehead, but he took a deep breath to control himself.


    Zion already knew of those things, and he bet he could do a servant''s job better than anyone else! Then why did this elf servant continue to speak endlessly about it in so much detail? Did they think he was an illiterate elf who didn''t know a single thing?! Thinking of this, the anger that had been suppressed rose in his heart again.


    He took a deep breath and controlled himself. After all, he came here on a mission, not to have a fistfight with an elf!


    Just as they stepped inside, they heard a familiar female voice. "Is that a new servant?"

 Chapter 127 - Finding The Evidence!

    Zion was stunned and looked over only to find the elf queen standing in front of him on the other side of the corridor. His lips pressed in a thin line as he averted his eyes and looked on the ground. Thankfully, he came here with a servant who took charge of replying to the queen on his behalf. The elf servant walked a step toward Odina and bowed respectfully before saying, "To reply to your majesty, you''re right. This is the new servant, Rupert. I''m showing him around and telling him the details of how he should do his job."


    The queen nodded and looked at Zion before parting her lips. "Let''s hope you can stand on the ground and keep your job."


    Keep your job? What did she mean by that?


    When the servant saw Zion frowning, the elf servant nudged him and whispered, "Don''t worry. I''ll guide you." And then he turned toward the queen and said with a smile on his face. "Your majesty, we shall go on our way."


    Odina nodded and turned around to leave the place. Just as she left, Zion released the breath he was holding, and his shoulders relaxed.


    The servant elf looked at this kind of expression on Zion''s face and chuckled. "Don''t worry. No matter what you have heard about Queen Odina, she''s a person of good character, filled with kindness and compassion. She will help you as long as you ask for it."


    Zion''s lips pursed, and he wondered if he asked Odina to release Lia, would she agree? Then a thought flashed in his mind and he frowned as he paused his steps. According to common sense, his system should have popped out after seeing the queen all of a sudden, but why did 007 come here at this time? Did he finally become smarter and more mature?


    Just when he was thinking about this, the system popped out and looked in the direction where the queen went off and sighed with emotions. "She''s a real beauty. I say, you should forget about the case and go after her."


    Zion glanced at the system coldly and ignored him. Sure enough, a dog''s tail could never become straight.


    After this, the detective got busy working as a servant all day long. In the Vanne kingdom, he had had enough experience as a servant, so he didn''t find it difficult to handle humans and work again. Everyone was surprised, and the humans were pleased to finally find a master who could treat them better.


    At night, when everyone retired to their quarters, Zion opened his eyes, put pillows instead of himself and covered it with a blanket, and sneaked out of the quarters. There were other servants, but he could successfully sneak away from the quarters before he walked sneakily in the corridor. He used his shadow skills to walk across the corridors in an attempt to find the room of that gentle husband and his wife.


    Since he had suspected that husband to be the murderer, he would approach that person first and find some evidence before he could think of what he should do in the future.


    Soon he found a familiar throne room filled with sparks of light that shone around the throne. He ignored that and recalled where the man had entered. Then he glanced at the corridor beside the throne and walked over toward that area as he sneaked into the corridor. He deliberately walked into the darkness.


    As he was walking, the system couldn''t help himself and popped out. "Host, what the heck are you doing?"


    "Can''t you see?" Zion chose the option of chatting through his mind and said through his thoughts, "I''m trying to find evidence."


    "What evidence?" The system frowned and pouted. "You just want to get caught and die, don''t you?"


    Zion ignored the stupid system and kept walking through the corridor. Soon he reached the area with multiple doors, and started opening them one by one. Just as he was doing that, he suddenly heard the sound of someone''s footsteps. He paused and walked back into the darkness and put up his guard before glancing toward the direction, which was deeper into the corridor.


    A man wearing a cloak and a silver mask on his face walked leisurely in the corridor as if he owned this place. He even hummed the music in a soft tone while walking. Soon, he passed by Zion''s hiding place and didn''t even realize that someone was here.


    After he was gone, Zion released the breath he was holding and frowned. He glanced at the direction where the masked man went and toward the path from where he came. His lips pursed and he made a decision in an instant. He had already tried following the man, and found nothing. So this time, he would try to find evidence inside the bedroom of that man.


    Then his body automatically moved in the direction of the bedroom. After a while, Zion finally found a door that was partially opened. He glanced right and left before opening the door and going inside. There, he found someone soundly sleeping on the bed covered with soft quilts. He assumed that sleeping person to be that elf girl he had met in the throne room that day.


    After that, he carefully walked over and glanced around. The room seemed to be filled with luxurious items. There was a hook beside the door on which several hats hung that looked very costly and filled with gems. Even the huge mirror was carved with beautiful designs that shone brightly in the moonlight that came through the opened windows. Then he glanced at the cabinet beside the girl sleeping on the bed and narrowed his eyes. One of the drawers was opened.


    Zion walked over and opened the drawer without any noise only to pause his actions. Inside, he saw a silver colored mask placed silently inside the cabinet.


    Sure enough. This gentle husband was really the main killer, but if Zion were to call someone right now to show this as evidence, the masked man would turn the tables around for sure saying that someone must have sneaked inside this room to force an innocent person into such a situation. And who knows? That masked man might even end up pointing fingers at Zion, and he didn''t want that.

 Chapter 128 - The Market!

    Zion caressed the surface of the mask and picked it out gently without disturbing the elf girl sleeping in the bedroom. He didn''t even sneak a glance at the elf on the who seemed to have lowered her guard in her sleep. Unlike Zion, if it were any other person, he would have thought of certain miscellaneous thoughts just like the system.


    Although 007 didn''t pop out, he continued to make comments in Zion''s mind, giving him a headache. He almost had an urge to open his mouth and yell at the stupid system and let him concentrate. But seeing how someone was sleeping here and might be woken up by the sound, he pressed his lips in a thin line.


    "She''s a beauty!" The system''s voice chirped happily in his ears, making the corner of his mouth twitch. "Although she''s not as beautiful as Odina in my eyes, this elf girl is still a beauty! Host, kidnap her! I say, there''s no need to follow the rules and solve this case. You can live at ease your entire life! I''ll pay the points from my own bank if you want to pay up your punishment money!"


    Zion coldly ignored the system and continued to stare at the mask with his brows furrowed. He was sure that this mask would give him a small hint. Every item that was created had a mark or logo of the company that had created it, so there was no way that this mask could contain anything different.


    Sure enough, he found a strange logo that looked like a mix-up of the sun and the moon. There was a half-moon, and half of it was the sun. He could see below that there were two letters ''SL'' engraved in cursive writing. So the manufacturer''s name was SN. He nodded and kept the mask back where it was without even moving an inch. He made it seem like the mask was never moved, and even people with hardcore OCD tendencies wouldn''t be able to tell the difference.


    After doing that, he stood up and gracefully walked out without making any sound.


    Then he silently went back to the servant quarters and covered himself with the blanket. But seeing that the system was still engrossed in spouting nonsense about how beautiful that elf girl was, he finally couldn''t stand it anymore. Veins popped on his forehead as he whispered through his gritted teeth, "Will you just shut up?"


    The system didn''t care about his host''s dark expression and smiled joyfully. "Host, I''m giving you so many ideas. How come you''re not responding to me?"


    "Because what you''re saying is ridiculous." Zion took a deep breath to calm himself and said, "I would like to sleep now. Tomorrow, we have a big day, and we might end up finding solid evidence against our masked murderer, so kindly, let me sleep!"


    When the system heard that they could capture the murderer tomorrow, the joy of seeing a beauty subsided, and he nodded before shutting up his mouth.


    ***


    The next morning, when Zion woke up, he deliberately chose the work where he could go out and purchase the items for gardening with one of the human servants. At first, he was wondering what he should do with this human, but after reaching the gardening shop, he saw many humans lined up in a row, so he decisively left the human servant there and ordered him to continue the purchase. If everything is bought, the human should stand as it is here and wait for Zion to come back.


    After instructing the human, the latter nodded dully and stood in the line. To be honest, he was a little bit guilty to treat a fellow human like this, but he wouldn''t, everyone would be suspicious. He suppressed the discomfort in his heart and continued to walk in the market.


    While going, he could see many humans standing outside the shops in a line to make a purchase. It seemed that it was the favorite activity for the elves to send off the humans to make a purchase while the elf servants would wander in the market without hindrance. He could even see many elves laughing and chit-chatting in the nearby restaurants while the humans worked hard under the sun.


    Zion felt uncomfortable after watching such a scene. He moved his gaze away and glanced at the shops nearby. Occasionally, he would stop some servant elves and ask them the address of the shop named SN. After a few minutes of searching, he finally found the shop.


    He stood in front of it and stared at the door for a long time. The shop that had created such a unique mask that covered the entire face was in a shabby condition. After seeing the broken condition of the door and windows, no one would be able to tell whether this shop was the same that had made the silver-colored mask for the murderer. Perhaps that''s why the killer had chosen this shop in the first place so that no one could find it out.


    Zion averted his gaze and walked inside. As he opened the door, the bells hanging on the door rang, and a voice echoed from the inside. "Is there a customer?"


    A frown crossed Zion''s forehead, and he instantly replied, "Yes. I wanted to create a mask." He wanted to say more things, but as he entered the shop and looked around, the words he wanted to speak died in his mouth. What he saw in front of him was a strange scene of emptied-out cabinets, and right behind the counter, he could see a man standing with his eyes upward as he was trying his best to see who had come but couldn''t because of blindness.


    Zino''s expressions changed, and he silently cursed the masked man for choosing such a shop. After calming himself down, he walked forward and sat on the chair in front of the counter. "You''re the owner of this shop?"


    The man nodded. "I create exquisite masks for various occasions. I have even created some for the royalty!"


    Of course, he had. Otherwise, why would the gentle husband at the palace have two sets of it? Zion thought to himself in his heart, but he didn''t dare to say a word of it. He nodded and said, "I want to create a mask made out of pure silver for my master. How much would it cost?"

 Chapter 129 - My Master

    Zion''s words echoed in the shop, and the shopkeeper frowned before opening his mouth. "I have stopped making such masks. Please return."


    "Why?" Although Zion could tell that this was perhaps what the gentle husband had ordered to this shopkeeper, he still wanted to know why this blind person couldn''t create silver masks. "I only want two sets for half a face. My master is famous for her beauty and wants to find a husband at a masquerade party. Please forgive me for not specifying earlier."


    After hearing the description, the shopkeeper''s expressions lightened, and he nodded. "Then bring your master here. I shall take her measurements and ask her for preferences."


    "Will do, sir, but you do have enough experience with silver, right?" Zion deliberately added a hint of doubt in his voice as he said this. "My master is really anxious for a husband, so she wants to find a place that can give her a beautiful mask at a cheap price. So if you have experience, kindly let me know of the masks you have crafted."


    The blind man didn''t doubt Zion''s words and immediately went inside. After a while, he came out with a scroll and brushed off the dust from the surface as he placed it on the counter in front of the detective. Then he gestured to him to open the scroll. "You''ll find carved designs of most of the masks I have made. Don''t mistake me for any random blind elf. I can create the masks with such beauty that your master will fall in love with it at first sight!"


    After this, the man continued to speak about how beautiful his masks had been and how the previous owners would repeatedly bless him for his masks. He even counted how many orders he had received when the man was still young.


    Zion frowned and closed the scroll that not only had designs of various masks, but also had a unique feature that could help any blind person trace the edges of the design with a finger. It almost seemed as if these designs were created out of small spikes. He didn''t dwell on the topic of who might have created these designs but directly asked another question. "When was the last time you created a mask for someone?"


    The shopkeeper''s expressions changed slightly, but he pulled up the corner of his lips to plaster a fake smile on his face. "Last year, but that man gave me enough to keep eating for a hundred years. I don''t really have to take up any tasks. That''s why I told you earlier that I wouldn''t be taking any silver mask orders anymore."


    The old man covered up quite nicely, and to an outsider, it would seem like what the man said should be the real reason why the blind elf said those words earlier and bluntly rejected Zion. But the detective knew better. The man said those words just to cover up his own mistake, and Zion''s suspicion grew sharper.


    His eyes narrowed and said, "Last year? But¡­."


    "Don''t doubt me, mister!" The old man immediately added in an anxious voice. "I still craft the masks out of personal habit. Unless it''s an urgent issue, I don''t take up requests, and seeing how your master wants to find a husband, I felt like it is indeed an urgent request."


    "But didn''t you say you have enough money to live for many years to come?"


    "I do, but I just can''t refuse a customer coming to my shop." The old man bluntly rubbed his hands and continued. "You''re a God for me. Of course, I would give you a preference."


    Zion sneered in his heart. He could tell that the previous customer of this man must be the gentle husband, and the money he had given to this blind man must have been spent completely. That was why this man seemed to be in such a hurry to gather the customer under him. He wanted to ask about the previous customer, but he couldn''t ask bluntly about it and raised suspicion. For all he knew, the gentle husband might be standing behind the curtains and listening to this conservation.


    So Zion tactfully changed the topic and said, "Can you show me your latest pieces, specifically the last one? I still don''t know what kind of design my master likes, and after seeing a bunch of such designs, I''d go back and inquire from her. Maybe, I will be able to persuade her to give you tips if you create a masterpiece. You can even combine the designs of two or more of your previous masks!"


    The old man was again fooled by Zion''s words and opened the scroll all over again. He directly went to the last option and pointed his finger at a familiar-looking silver-colored mask drawn realistically with the spikes and colored on the scroll. Sure enough. It was the same mask. With this scroll as evidence, he would be able to prove that the gentle husband was the one who had been killing people all this time.


    He just wanted to ask one more thing to confirm, and that was whether the gentle elf came here himself to get the mask order, so he opened his mouth and asked, "I like this one. Can you tell me the owner''s address? I would like to go and see the piece for myself to test the quality. I hope you don''t mind¡­." Zion paused as if he were hesitating and said without giving the man a chance to refuse, "If you''re still doubtful, you can just call the man here. I can ask my master to come here herself and see the quality of the mask."


    "No."


    Zion frowned at the blunt refusal, but he had expected this to happen, so he quietly waited for the man''s reply.


    The old man was silent for a while before he hesitated and parted his lips. "It''s not like I don''t want you to meet the man who had ordered this type of simple but exquisite mask, but I really don''t know where the man lives. Why don''t I show you my personal collection instead?"


    "No, I like that one. It would suit my master. I only want that one."


    The old man was helpless and sighed. "I really don''t know. The man who had ordered this had approached me with the order. I don''t even know what the man looks like because of my poor eyesight, but I can tell you one thing. His voice was gentle, and he was kind to me. I know this might be an absurd thing to say since we elves are always like that, but that man was extremely gentle, especially to kids! He even had a child with him back then, and he was coaxing him to sleep!"

 Chapter 130 - The First Victim!

    Zion raised his eyebrows at that. The gentle husband liked children and even brought one with him while purchasing the mask? His brows furrowed when he thought of that innocent child. "Can you tell me about that child?"


    "What? Why?" The old blind man was confused about why even the detective was asking about this kind of thing.


    The human blinked and realized that he had accidentally asked the wrong thing, so he rephrased the question. "I meant if you can''t tell who that man was, maybe you would be able to recognize that child. Perhaps they had a parent-child relationship."


    The old man nodded in understanding and said, "I don''t know because the child seemed especially shy. He didn''t speak, but I do remember one thing. The kid was especially afraid of strangers. He didn''t even let me touch him! And his cheeks had a deep scar. I found out when I was trying to touch his cheeks, but failed. Even the man got angry at me." The old shopkeeper shook his head as he sighed. "Young people these days. They''re so protective of their kids."


    Zion got all the information he needed and said, "Okay, I''ll come back with my master the next time."


    After that, he didn''t linger around and went back to the shop where he had left the human servant. A while later, he and the human servant both walked on the street as Zion took the lead. He was still wondering about the kid that was with the gentle husband at that time. He needed more information about the first-ever victim of this murder case, and if his suspicion was spot-on, the first victim would also have a scar on his cheeks. To confirm this, he would need more information about it.


    He glanced at the human behind him and asked, "Human, I have a question."


    The servant was surprised. This was the first time an elf had decided to talk to him so freely. He felt a surge of admiration and fear in his heart. His lips pursed as he looked cautiously at the man walking in front of him.


    Zion glanced at the servant and sighed. The humans of this world were so pitiful. Just small conservation with them was enough to make them feel satisfied and even surprised. "Do you know about the murder case that''s been going on in this kingdom?"


    The human nodded and continued walking. Who doesn''t know about it? Every child was now aware of such a crazy killer roaming around the kingdom to kill children. Even the humans knew very well about it, and they even had much insider knowledge.


    "Can you tell me about the very first victim?" Zion paused and added. "Of course, I''m just curious. I don''t mean anything by this question. I wasn''t in the kingdom for a year, and only returned from my tour when I heard of this."


    The human servant following Zion didn''t doubt those words and said, "The child was so pitiful. I have heard that the child''s clothes were torn, and his injuries were so bad that everyone wondered if this kid was beaten to death. Authorities weren''t ready to connect this murder case with others when more deaths occurred, however, the fact that the first victim also had the same wound and was also thrown in the river like others convinced the authorities to include it in the same case." The human paused and frowned as if he were trying to remember something, and suddenly his eyes widened. "Oh, how can I forget this information! Not many people know about this, and I''ve heard from a soldier talking in the palace that the child also had a scar on his cheeks."


    Zion took a deep breath and nodded while hiding his grave expressions at the same time. This could confirm that the gentle husband had taken the child with him to take the mask, and after that, he killed the child brutally. So that meant the mask must have appeared since the second murder case.


    ***


    When they went back to the palace, Zion acted like an elf servant who wanted to prove himself to the royals, especially the elf queen. When all the servants chatted about how beautiful Odina was, and how amazing she was! Even the human servants felt satisfied by the way they were treated.


    Even though the humans of this current era behaved as if they were satisfied, Zion, who had lived in another world with more freedom, felt disgusted by this situation. As he looked around, he could see humans who hadn''t been treated fairly still siding with the elves and saying things like, ''How the elves treated them better as compared to the other races!''


    Zion stared at them with disdainful eyes and lowered his head. He didn''t want to show how unsatisfied he felt after hearing that. Technically, humans shouldn''t say such things, and should even have the self-realization that they were suffering as slaves of other races. But to his shock, the humans praised elves for treating them better. It was almost as if none of these humans wanted to get out of their statuses as ''slaves'' in this life.


    His lips pursed as he sighed. This should have nothing to do with him. After solving cases, he would go back to his world and stay far away from the humans who feel satisfied by being controlled by other races.


    After finally dealing with the daily job, Zion got out of his bed at night and decided to follow around the masked man for a while until he could confirm the place of crime.


    Zion had had a bad habit when he was still on Earth: perfection. Unless he could find better evidence to get the criminals behind the bars, he wouldn''t blindly point his fingers. That was why, even after having enough evidence, he was still unsatisfied. He still hadn''t found the place of crime yet, so how could he approach the queen with half-knowledge?


    After thinking of this, he walked toward the same corridor and stood there, waiting for the masked man. The man soon arrived and walked at the same slow pace while humming a tune. It was pleasant to the ears, but Zion knew that if the man were to commit the crime while humming this tune, it would send shivers down anyone''s spine.


    Even Zion felt the same imagining that kind of scene, and he shook his head to clear off his thoughts. He wouldn''t stand back and wait for the crime to happen. His lips pursed as he followed the masked man at a slow pace.

 Chapter 131 - Endless Torture

    On the other hand, when Zion was busy following the masked man around, a certain princess sat on the ground and stared off into space in a trance. It seemed as if she was thinking about a serious topic as a frown crossed her forehead. Just then, two soldiers walked inside the corridor of the prison and stood in front of her cell.


    They all had grave expressions on their faces, and then their expressions changed when they came in front of Lia. They all became angry as they stared at Lia with bloodshot eyes. "So you''re the person who''s supposed to be the criminal on the boss''s behalf."


    Lia raised her eyebrows and glanced at the soldiers. Just now, they seemed to have revealed to her something important about the case. They spoke about a certain ''boss'' who had supposedly told them about her. Her brows furrowed. Could this man be the real murderer who wanted to shift all the blame on her shoulders?


    When she thought of that, her face flushed with anger. But seeing as the perpetrator wasn''t present here, she could only direct her anger toward the men sitting right in front of her. She glared at the soldier standing closest to her and said, "Go and tell your boss to come and see me personally! If he''s a man, he should come and face me directly instead of stabbing me behind the back!"


    The soldiers ignored her words and continued gossiping. "When will they catch that human? It''s taking so long!"


    Another soldier sneered and said, "It''s just a human! What are you worried about? He can''t do a single thing on his own! Don''t worry. Before he can even think of creating trouble for the boss, he''ll be caught."


    Just as the two of the soldiers were gossiping, footsteps echoed in the corridor. Lia''s ears perked up as she glanced at the main door of the prison. The door opened and someone else entered the dark corridor. Three more soldiers approached the cell, and the two soldiers from before stopped talking. It seemed as if they didn''t want to talk about their ''boss'' in front of others.


    Did that mean not all the soldiers side with this boss? Lia''s brows furrowed as she stared at the soldiers standing just outside the cell. Then one of the soldiers who just marched inside said in a prideful tone, "Are you ready to confess?"


    The two soldiers from before glared at her and exchanged a glance as they took a few steps back as if they were obedient guards who weren''t just gossipping about a certain boss in front of Lia.


    The dhampir princess sneered and refused to glance at them anymore. She shifted her dark gaze toward the group of guards who just arrived and said in a haughty tone, "As if! I haven''t done anything, and you don''t have the right to get a confession out of me without any evidence!"


    "No evidence?" The soldier who seemed to be the leader said and glared at her. "The queen herself said that she doubts you the most! That''s the best evidence for me!"


    Again with that damned queen. Couldn''t she just sit back in her room and stare at that ancient tree all day long? Lia was angry at Odina, but she also knew that the main killer wouldn''t be the queen. She was aware of the elf queen''s personality very well. That girl was a patriot who could do anything for her race. How could she go around killing kids when she loved every single one of her elf citizens?


    When Lia thought of this, her expressions turned darker. That elf queen was certainly a hypocrite. At one time, she would show her compassionate nature to everyone, and when she turned around, she would be ready to kill thousands of people who were willing to harm her citizens as if nothing else mattered for her. People from different races were also living beings! She didn''t have the right to kill other people!


    This was perhaps the reason why Lia wanted to believe that a dhampir girl could kill so many kids from Viridis kingdom but not her citizens. As if all the elves were naive and innocent!


    Lia grumbled as she thought to herself.


    Then the silent spy soldiers suddenly opened their mouths. "If she''s not confessing, I say we should just force her to confess! In any case, hadn''t the elf queen told us herself that she had suspicion on this dhampir girl? If she said so, we should believe our queen blindly!"


    "Yeah!" Another spy soldier joined his friend and added. "It would be a sin not to trust her!"


    The leader soldier thought for a while before nodding as if he considered the spys'' words to be true and logical. Then he turned toward Lia as he opened the door to the cell. He walked over with a dark expression on his face and bloodshot eyes. "Let''s get started."


    Thankfully, the elves still had a trace of ''humanity'' in their hearts. They didn''t torture the girl themselves but called for a group of female soldiers. The latter started hitting Lia with long iron sticks continuously as the rest of the soldiers watched the scene with dark expressions on their faces.


    Even though Lia didn''t utter a single word, her entire body was shrouded in pain. Her limbs trembled continuously as she pressed her lips in a thin line to try her best to stay cool and collected. No matter how many times these people hit her, she decided to stay silent and endure.


    But even after half an hour, when the soldiers continued to hit her, a hint of darkness flashed in her eyes. She stared at the faces of those ladies and the guards standing way behind them with a cold and icy gaze. It felt as if she were trying to remember the faces of these people so that she could take timely revenge against them in the future!


    After a few rounds of hitting, when she still didn''t utter a single word, the soldiers stopped and wiped their foreheads. "Leader, she''s still not saying anything."


    "Let''s stop here for now. We''ll come back tomorrow and continue." As the leader said, he crossed his arms over his chest and walked away followed by other guards behind him.


    At this time, none of those people noticed that the dhampir girl''s eyes were extremely dark as if she were ready to go on a killing spree!

 Chapter 132 - Useless System!

    At this time, Zion didn''t know that the dhampir princess was facing the worst tortures of all. She was being hit by an iron rod for so long that her robes became wet with blood. There wasn''t a part of her body that ached as she desperately wished to get her powers back or somehow she could find a way to take the power back, but the thing was, Zion hadn''t told her anything about what he had done back in the prison. He didn''t get a chance to mention the details that made the dhampir princess muddled. She couldn''t even think straight at this time, and she hadn''t been so helpless for a long time. She let out a laugh thinking of this.


    There was only hatred in her heart, and nothing else.


    But Zion didn''t know a single thing about it. He hid well before carefully following the masked man. At this time, he had thought that he would be able to reach near the murder place, so he continued to follow with caution. He didn''t want to relive his previous experience of getting caught by this masked man. That was why he kept a wider distance while following the man.


    As expected, the masked man walked into the street and entered a darker alley. After coming out of the dark alley, he walked over to another dark street. There, Zion could see there was a shabby carriage parked in the darkness. The man entered the carriage and drove it in the dark street. Since the speed was fast enough, Zion''s pace also increased, but he nearly missed the man before finally encountering the carriage after a while.


    It had already been half an hour since the detective started following the masked man, and that person was still traveling. Zion''s brows furrowed, but he kept up with the man.


    After running for a while, Zion''s steps paused as he took deep breaths as if he had become exhausted. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and hid in the dark alley nearby as he watched the carriage stopping in a darker street.


    At this hour, not many soldiers were outside wandering around the street. Even if they were, none of them walked over to where the carriage was going. It seemed as if the soldiers arranged for the way in such a way that they wouldn''t encounter the masked man so easily.


    It seemed as if the gentle husband had planned this meticulously for a while before contacting his spies among the soldiers.


    When Zion thought of this, his brows furrowed deeper. There was only one way that could make the man insert spies among soldiers. He could tell that the elf queen must have taken liberty herself to choose the soldiers, or she should have a hand in that. Maybe she was only involved in signing the names of the soldiers who had passed the exams and were eligible.


    It wouldn''t be easy for a common citizen or even a person among the officials to insert spies among the soldiers. The queen was smart, and she would find it out quickly. But this queen wouldn''t be smart enough if the case would involve her own family. Since the gentle husband seemed to be the husband of that elf girl, he could tell that without the involvement of royalty, nothing could happen.


    So it must be that the branches of this gentle husband must have spread far inside the officials'' and soldiers'' region. The point was, who else was involved in this case? And why?


    After a few minutes, the masked man took two children on either of his shoulders sleeping nicely, and kept them inside the carriage before driving it away on the same route.


    Zion cursed the carriage and his own body under his breath. He was already so exhausted, and now he would have to run again!


    At this time, 007, who was hiding inside his mind, popped out and said in a worried tone, "Host, do you want my help?"


    "No thanks," Zion muttered as he kept running a marathon after the carriage. Even though he was heaving heavily, he still kept running for the fear that if he paused even for a second, he would miss out on the carriage. Then he thought for a while and asked, "Do you have any speed boosters?"


    The system grinned and nodded. "It costs just 80 points!"


    That means all the points he had at this time! Zion glared at the system and shook his head while curbing his anger at the same time. "Get out!"


    007 sighed and went back inside the human''s head.


    It could be said that Zion wanted to find the murder place tonight, so he ran for his life after the carriage, and even risked getting caught in between, but no matter how much he tried, he couldn''t be as fast as the carriage driven by two horses at the fastest speed.


    In no time, Zion ended up losing the carriage as he paused and took deep breaths. It seemed as if all the oxygen was sucked out of his body. He had ever been at such a disadvantage before! And even the system was useless!


    His lips pursed as he took a deep breath. Even though his attempt this time failed, he was sure that the gentle husband was going toward the palace. The path that man took was the same, but the masked man suddenly turned toward the backside of the palace. That was where Zion lost the masked man. His lips pursed as he sat on the ground in the dark alley and stared at the sky.


    If his guess was correct, there must be an underground place of some sort that could help the gentle husband transfer the kids and kill them¡­.


    But why go to such lengths to commit a murder? Just what was this man trying to do?


    Zion''s brows furrowed, but he didn''t think too much about it. He took a deep breath and decided to follow a new plan. He would use his servant''s identity to search the palace, especially the area where the gentle husband rested. There must be a hidden door inside the palace, and he was determined to find it!

 Chapter 133 - An Elf Kid!

    Zion once again got busy trying to act like an ordinary servant all day long. But this time, he had been secretly spying on almost every corner of the palace with keen eyes. While cleaning, if no one were looking at him, he would tap on the walls and ground to see if he could find a trap door. Then he would try moving the furniture and searching for a hidden door or something in the name of doing his servant''s work.


    But no matter how many times he searched the entire palace, he felt like he couldn''t do it in one go. First, the castle was as big as an apartment building in his world. How would it be easy to do detective work undercover while pretending to be cleaning personnel simultaneously? But from what he had searched, he could tell that this was a time-consuming way to find the trap door where the murder scene could have taken place.


    After a long day passed by just like that, Zion laid on his bed in exhaustion with his face against his pillow. He grunted against his pillow in frustration. Where did the man take those kids after kidnapping them? This was a question he wanted to know so badly!


    But it was useless to think like that now when he was tired after trying for so long. The trap door must be hidden in an area that wouldn''t be available to the servants. No wonder that Zion couldn''t find anything.


    But if not this, then what? His lips pursed as his brows furrowed. Just then, he heard someone from the bed beside him, clearing his throat. "Rupert, why are you frowning? Is something wrong"


    Zion came back to himself and looked at the servant sitting in front of him, and shook his head. "I''m fine. Just¡­." He paused as if thinking of something and said abruptly, "I just miss my family."


    "Then go back and see them." The servant laughed and laid on his bed. "It''s not like you''re locked here. You''re free to meet your family anytime you want. Just so you know, you won''t be getting wages for the days you don''t work."


    Zion''s ears perked up at that, and he glanced at the servant again. He got a hunch that he should use this chance to take a leave and find more clues. Anyway, if he gained success, he wouldn''t be coming back. He wasn''t even someone important who would create suspicion. He was merely a tiny servant who accidentally ended up meeting Odina on his way. It wasn''t strange for a servant to see the elf queen while working in the palace.


    So after deciding that he would take a leave tomorrow, he decided to sleep. He could think about the case tomorrow.


    The next day, he got up early and approached the servant''s head to ask for a leave, who accepted his leave after long contemplation. When Zion was finally free to roam around without any hesitation, the first thing he did was buy a new identity.


    He called out to the system when he was already walking down the street outside the palace. "Oi, 007. Hope out."


    "Here!" The system popped out in front of the detective and raised his hand as if he were an obedient student. "How can I help you?"


    "Give me an elf child''s identity. Quick."


    007 rolled his eyes at the commanding tone that his host used and silently clicked on the option for the detective. They both filled the form, and after that, Zion marched toward a dark alley before glancing right and left as he heaved a relief. "Now, we shall wait."


    While waiting to change into a child, the system couldn''t help but ask. "Why a kid?"


    Zion''s brows raised as he relaxed his shoulders. Until late night yesterday, he didn''t have a clue about what he should do. But he knew that he should sneak out of the palace if he wanted to find the evidence faster. After that, as soon as he woke up in the morning, an idea flashed in his mind: He should try becoming a child to find more evidence. Since children are the only victims, he could pose as one of them and enter the hidden chamber of the criminal. Then and only then could he find out what the heck was happening in the Viridis kingdom.


    But just as he was about to reply to the system, his identity changed. His entire body shrunk to the size of a child in a split second. The next moment, A little elf child appeared in the dark alley wearing oversized servant''s clothes.


    Zion raised his long sleeves that made his hand look small and felt complicated. His lips pursed, and just as he was thinking about sneaking inside someone else''s home and buying clothes, the system instantly popped out and stared at him with starry eyes.


    When Zion saw this kind of expression, he shivered from head to toe and glared at the system. But after receiving the glare, 007 became even more enchanted as if he had seen the cutest thing in front of him. But the system knew that if he continued to behave like this, his host would enter the interface and kill him.


    007 wiped the nonexistent sweat from his forehead and said, "Host, don''t blame me for this. I love kids, and you kind of look adorable as a kid."


    "....Get lost!"


    The system shrugged, but he still felt that his host looked handsome even in the form of a child. So he picked up a camera out of nowhere and took a few snaps of his hoost secretly, and put it back before shutting off the interface.


    After the system disappeared in his mind, Zion breathed a sigh of relief and dragged his long clothes. But after walking for a while, he even felt that his clothes were in trouble, and he didn''t want to buy another set from the system since he was only left with 70 points.


    When he thought of the points he ended up investing in this case, he felt heartache. His system was seriously a money sucker! Just how costly the items became after the upgrade? Other than different identities, nothing else was worth buying.


    So he stripped off his pants and folded them before keeping them in the corner. His shirt was long enough to reach his toes. Then he folded his sleeves and walked forward. Even though he looked strange wearing an oversized dress, he didn''t have a choice.


    Since he had taken a leave today, he didn''t have to go back to the palace today. So he just spent the entire day trying to find himself a pair of clothes and wandering in the street to make himself look more like a beggar.


    At nightfall, when everyone shut the doors of their houses and soldiers wandered around the street, Zion finally emerged wearing a set of torn clothes. Initially, these clothes weren''t torn, but he ended up tearing them apart to make them look more realistic. He even stole food deliberately and got caught by some people who beat him until he vomited blood. This was a deliberate action that he did to make himself look more natural as a beggar.


    So right now, Zion''s condition looked more like a kid who would often live on the streets and eat the food he would steal from the shops. He had bruises over his face, and even his bottom lip was swollen from being beaten for so long. But instead of feeling bad for himself, he rejoiced in his heart that his image finally looked more like that of a little beggar.


    After wandering around the street for a while, when it was midnight, a silver-masked man finally appeared on the road wearing a black cloak over his head. He wandered off in the darkened alley in search of something. This man looked akin to a person who was searching for prey in the forest. His narrowed eyes stared off at a distance, trying to find a child, when he suddenly noticed a kid sleeping at the corner of the street with tattered clothes and bruises all over his body.


    For a moment, he felt his heart freezing after seeing the kid''s poor condition. A sigh escaped his lips as he made his way to the child.


    Poor child. He must have suffered a lot, but when the man thought of what he would do with this child, his heart squeezed in pain. But the masked man comforted himself that it was a good thing that he was doing for a child. The kid looked like someone who was about to die any minute. His skin was so pale and filled with bruises that it almost seemed as if he wouldn''t be able to handle any more injuries. So it should be a good thing that the masked man was doing a noble job of giving the kid freedom from such a life.


    Then he thought about it and determined that he wouldn''t let the child suffer in his last moments.


    Zion, on the other hand, had already noticed that a certain masked man was walking toward him at a steady pace. So he deliberately chose a spot where he could be seen sooner and laid down. He wasn''t asleep, just pretending.

 Chapter 134 - Servant Quarters

    The masked man walked over and looked at Zion for quite a while before taking out something from his pockets. Just as he was doing that, the system, who was nicely sleeping inside the host''s mind, popped out with a frantic expression on his face and looked at the detective. "Host, do you want me to initiate the antivirus system?"


    Antivirus system? Zion wanted to frown, but when he remembered pretending to be asleep, he could only bite his lips and become stubborn enough to stay on the ground. When someone looked at him, they would think he was sleeping, but inside his mind, he talked to the system. "You still haven''t told me everything, have you?"


    "This is not the time to discuss this!" The system urged and noticed that the masked man had already taken out the cloth and pursed his lips, and said in a hurried tone, "Quick! Tell me! Should I turn it on?"


    "Okay, but do tell me what it does after that."


    The system brought out a keyboard from somewhere and typed before he sighed in relief. Then he showed his host a thumbs up and said, "Of course! You see, this was the main reason why my boss called me back to the heavens. He wanted to install this unique system within me to help me deal with any strange poison, sleeping pills, and foreign particles forced to enter the body. So, you see, host, you won''t be able to get unconscious anymore by things of this world!"


    "Then what about otherworldly objects?" Zion''s eyes narrowed. "If the cloaked black man brought out something that doesn''t belong to this world, will your so-called security still help?"


    007 was choked at this kind of reply. He should have chosen his words carefully before speaking. His lips pursed as he thought about what his boss had told him before sending him off.


    ''007, you and your host are now immune to any virus, germs, and things that can cause the body through food, air, water, and even smell, but remember, if something''s related to a different world, the process will become considerably slower. Keep in mind that you both are cautious around that black-cloaked man. I fear he''s not so simple.''


    The system coughed and averted his eyes. It was easy for his boss to find out that the black-cloaked man could belong to a different world or may have access to otherworldly things, but how come his host realized this?! He hadn''t told a single thing about this to Zion!


    007 finally shook his head and decided to be honest with his host. "Host, to be honest, my boss told me about something." Then he explained everything, even the strange conclusion that the Methu man had come up with. After that, he sighed and said, "You''re the right host. We should be careful and not take things for granted."


    Zion''s eyes squinted at this, and he said in a cold voice in his mind, "It''s good that I concluded that this masked man isn''t related to the imposter from the Vanne kingdom, but what if that were the case? What would have happened to be the imposter we were talking about? Didn''t you think of this? I must stay conscious while on this secret mission if you don''t want me to die an early death!"


    The system''s face paled, and he immediately went offline, fearing that his host would bring up another topic and scold him again for a mistake he had committed in the past.


    Zion snorted and finally focused on what was happening outside. Even though he couldn''t see anything, his ears were still in working condition. He soon realized that he was being carried on the shoulders of the masked man as his feet tapped on the cold stoned road. Soon, the sound came to a halt as the masked man stopped. He must be doing something with his other hand because he was holding Zion with only one hand.


    After a while, he heard the sound of the door creaking as the man placed him on the floor of that place covered with fluffy clothes. Zion felt the man covering him with a blanket, tucking him in before closing the door. Just as that happened, he opened his eyes and found himself in the carriage but didn''t dare to move. He knew that many such criminals had an OCD tendency that often forced them to remember certain scenes perfectly. If he were to move even a little bit, the man would be able to tell that Zion wasn''t unconscious.


    "007, come out."


    The system refused to listen to him this time and sullenly said in a low voice, "Host, why do you like to scare me all the time?"


    Isn''t it because you''re stupid? Zion thought but didn''t say it out loud. He sighed and decided to coax the system. He practically had to roll his eyes when he thought of this. "Well, I''m calling you out for civilized conservation."


    The system huffed and said, "I''m not coming out until you apologize and promise not to speak like that in front of me. Do you have any idea that if you die, I''ll be discarded in one corner? That''s a fate even worse than death! I would have to wait in the limitless space, wide awake and waiting for someone to fetch me! I would be doing nothing literally! Do you know how lonely it would be to wait in that kind of space forever? Of course, you would feel happy and blissful at first, but without someone to converse with, to share emotions and things, I would go mad! So host, please, don''t go on joking about you dying!"


    After that, Zion heard the loud cries of the host that made him purse his lips. He almost wanted to mute the system, but listening to what he had just said, he hesitated and sighed. He finally decided to compromise and said, "Fine. I promise I won''t joke about my death anymore. Now come out, please."


    The system sniffed and popped out with big tear drops falling out of his eyes. "Are you speaking the truth?"


    "Yup." Zion paused for a minute as if thinking about why even he had called out the system and said, "Can you show me what the masked man is doing right now?"


    The system nodded and wiped his tears. "I can show it to you as long as the man''s within 1000 m radius." Then he tapped something on a keyboard that he took out from somewhere and sighed. "You''re lucky, host. The man''s still around here."


    Zion nodded, and soon, something appeared on his screen. The system clicked on the full-screen button, and the small popup became overly large that flashed in front of the human''s eyes.


    The masked man was currently walking in the dark and climbing the stairs as he would usually do. Then he stopped right in front of one of the doors in the corridor. After that, he opened the door and entered the place quickly.


    Zion''s eyes were locked on the man as he entered the area and took hold of two more children. After that, the man walked out of the house with ease. This man also made those children unconscious while on the way to not make a noise.


    After thirty minutes, the man had already transported about four kids inside the carriage other than Zion. So by the time the man started driving the carriage, there were already five children inside, and the man sang a soft tune while driving.


    Zion''s lips pursed at that as he suppressed his desire to shut the man''s mouth. Seriously, this kind of tune could send a chill down any normal living being''s spine. It almost looked like a horror movie scene where he was forced to watch a man humming a sweet tune while he kidnapped a few children to kill them brutally.


    After a while, he felt the carriage finally stopping all of a sudden as the man''s footsteps echoed outside. Finally, Zion would find out exactly where the man went to find the underground where he killed the children. For this, he shut his eyes and pretended to be unconscious like other children.


    This time, the man didn''t carry them all on his shoulders. Instead, he dragged a flat surface with wheels on its four legs. After opening the carriage door, the man placed the children gently on the surface of that flat thing. Since Zion was lying at the far end, away from the eyes of the man as he dragged the wheel away, he opened his eyes and looked around only to be surprised by where he was!


    It was the servant quarters in the palace!


    Just how conning the masked man created an underground chamber to commit crimes through the servant quarters? If someday, this chamber was to be discovered by Queen Odina, the blame would directly go to one of the servants, and he feared that even the head servant might end up getting impacted by this.

 Chapter 135 - And The Murderer Is.....

    Zion watched as the man continued to walk inside the servant quarters building. This building was near the servant headquarters where he had initially gone to seek the head servant. And these quarters building was the place where he would often come to rest. So except for the night, this place would be empty. If some of the servants were sick, they would come back to relax, but this was a rare occurrence because the head servant was strict, and unless someone were bedridden, they wouldn''t get a chance to take a break.


    At this time, Zion''s furrowed further. Since the servant''s quarters would always stay empty, this could give the masked man a good chance to either find or create an underground chamber. His lips pursed at that as he took a deep breath and continued to pretend to be unconscious.


    Since he closed his eyes a while later, he couldn''t see what was going on outside. He didn''t know where the masked man was taking him at this time. It wasn''t like he absolutely couldn''t keep his eyes open, but it was a specific risk factor that he didn''t want to consider anymore. It was better to use caution while doing an undercover operation like this.


    After a while, he heard the footsteps of the masked man pausing at a particular place. Zion didn''t dare to open his eyes for fear of being watched by the masked man all of a sudden. So he strained his ears and continued to listen.


    The footsteps echoed in the hall again, but this time, the man didn''t drag the wheel bed with him. Instead, the man went around the flat wheel bed and did something that Zion couldn''t hear anymore. After that, he heard a click sound, and a few seconds later, the man dragged the wheel bed again inside the chamber.


    It seemed like there was a hidden chamber inside this building that Zion wasn''t aware of! Sure, he had thought that the masked man would choose an area near to the place where he was staying. But Zion was wrong this time. Even though such an underground place would have been convenient, the masked man wanted to be more cautious and selected a place far away from the elf queen.


    Zion sneered at this thought. Sure enough, he had underestimated the villains again, but it didn''t matter. It wasn''t like he had to suffer like in the previous kingdom. He knew that the first case had turned out to be challenging only because of the presence of the imposter. Otherwise, he would have found evidence sooner than ever.


    While he was thinking, the wheel bed came to a stop, and he heard the shuffling sound. He opened his eyes a little to see that the masked man was picking up one of the children and going inside. Just like that, the man continued to repeat this process multiple times until he took hold of Zion''s child identity.


    The detective slowed his breathing as he pretended to be asleep even though he felt immensely uncomfortable while being carried like this. He wasn''t a kid anymore!


    After a while, they soon reached the destination as he was placed in one corner of the room on the ground with other children. Just when he thought that the masked man was alone, he heard a scoffing sound echoing in the room. "Husband, why''re you still so good to these stupid children? They''re all unconscious anyway. So why does it matter whether you treat them better or roughly?"


    The husband took a deep breath and pursed his lips. "You still can''t see how adorable they look?"


    They both paused as if the elf girl was seriously looking at the kids to see whether they looked adorable or not.


    Meanwhile, Zion was shocked after hearing a familiar sound. Wasn''t this Queen Odina''s sister, Carol Fieldse?! He had already learned the names of Carol and her husband Arnold from the servants he was working with all day long, but he was surprised to find that Carol would be the main instigator of the crime! He would often hear from his fellow servants that this sister of the elf queen was the most compassionate and especially good with children. The reason why she was good to kids was that she had lost her twins when they were still in her womb, and after that, she couldn''t give birth anymore. So he had heard the servants shedding tears after thinking of how Carol was suffering in silence for a year now.


    But who would have thought that this so-called compassionate girl would end up becoming the main villain?!


    Even though he looked like he was calmly sleeping on the ground while snuggling up to other kids, he wasn''t peaceful at all! Out of all the people, the person whom he hadn''t suspected of giving the masked man a hand was his wife, who would always show herself as if she were the most compassionate and kind in the entire palace.


    Then he heard the conservation of the two of them again.


    "They indeed are, especially the last kid." She said, pointing at Zion and sneered. "But what does it matter? These kids can''t help me fulfill my desire! These kids can''t turn back the time! What''s the point of them alive anymore? They''ll be safer and happier in hell with my little fetus that died years ago! My children also need friends. Aren''t these enough?"


    The thinking process of this girl seemed to be terrible enough to make Zion puke, but he continued to stand on his ground and keep silent. He knew that if he were even to furrow his brow, he would miss his chance and end up getting killed instead. Being in the body of a child has its disadvantages. He wouldn''t have enough energy to fight back with these people. He still remembered how he had to face difficulties while fighting the masked man.


    Now that he had turned into a child, he couldn''t think of facing the masked man again, let alone two. And he still didn''t know the power level of this elf girl yet.


    And after listening to these words by the elf girl, he almost felt that this time, the psychopath wasn''t only the masked man, but his wife was also one. Zion paused for a moment and thought, ''No, this elf girl seems to be more insane than a psychopath.''


    The masked man didn''t say anything at first and lowered his head as if he were some obedient kid who his mother was scolding.


    But Carol seemed as if she wanted to let out her anger in front of her husband. She continued to ramble on. "And look at you. You can''t even find a human servant and kill him, and you dare to speak like that with me! How shameful! Do you have any idea how much of a danger we all are in at this time? You just thought that the human slave of the dhampir girl was dead, but the next day, his body had disappeared! What the heck is wrong with you? Couldn''t you even check if he had really stopped breathing?"


    After saying it all out loud, the wife took a deep breath and calmed herself. Her facial features returned to normal as if she hadn''t been angry at Arnold out of the blue. Then she gave him a glance filled with tears and said in a mild tone, " Husband, you know I don''t like it when things aren''t perfect. What if we get caught? My sister will kill me! That''s why I''m so rude to you!"


    The husband hastily said, "Carol, don''t worry. Everything will be fine. Trust me. With how our plan is going, your sister will never doubt us. She has set her eyes on that unfortunate dhampir girl and is torturing her. Even my men are torturing her to get a fake confession out. The moment she breaks, she will confess for sure! Don''t worry. Our victory is near."


    When Zion heard how Lia was being treated in prison, his brows furrowed. He felt uncomfortable all over, and his chest especially felt tightened. Even though he knew that he didn''t like the girl even a single bit, getting a fake confession was itself a crime in itself. In his world, no one would dare to have a phony confession, especially ever since Zion had become one of the topmost officers. If he could see the court case video of any crime, he would immediately catch the people who dared to produce a fake confession or evidence.


    So if he said that he hated the people who would create fake evidence and confessions, he wouldn''t be exaggerating.


    He would have to do something to save that dhampir girl sooner than ever!


    His heart was filled with anxiety at the same time. After that, the elf girl calmed down and looked at the children. "Then¡­.Let''s get started."


    The husband said while caressing his wife''s hair. "Okay. Just make sure they don''t suffer."


    Carol''s expressions softened, and she said in a low voice, "Husband, I know you love me, but you don''t have to give me a hand. I know you hate it when you see a child''s corpse. I know you feel compassionate over them."


    Arnold pursed his lips and sighed. "I used to feel uncomfortable, but when I think about how our children will play happily with these kids, I don''t feel bad anymore.. I just don''t want them to suffer while dying."

 Chapter 136 - Hes Still Awake!

    The couple glanced around the kids as Zion held his breath while he continued to pretend to be unconscious. He still didn''t know what to do, and could only pray that they would end up choosing someone else until he could think of some method to escape now that he had seen the entrance of this underground place.


    But before he could think of anything, he felt Arnold picking him up. His heartbeat went faster like a bullet train, but he still suppressed his anxiety for the fear of being discovered. But no matter how much he tried, he couldn''t simply calm down his heartbeat in a split second. Soon enough, the masked man stopped and looked down at Zion''s face for a moment as he frowned.


    The man''s eyes widened in realization as he glanced at his wife and said hurriedly, "Wife! This child is still awake!"


    But Carol''s expressions didn''t change. She just glanced at the kid in her husband''s arms coldly and said, "So what? It''s not like we haven''t killed any child when he was still alive and conscious."


    The husband''s face paled for a split second as if he had just remembered a terrible memory. Then he took a deep breath as his arms tightened subconsciously around the child. In a trembling voice, he finally said, "Carol, can''t we stop all of these things? Haven''t you taken enough revenge?"


    When the wife heard that, she let out a dark chuckle. "You think I was only doing this because I wanted revenge? No!" She got up from her seat and made her way to Zion, who was also surprised after hearing this type of strange conservation. Then she traced the child''s cheeks with the back of her hands. Her cold nails brushed against Zion''s skin, making him frown in discomfort. "I just want to destroy everything she loves."


    A chill went down Zion''s spine. This Carol person was really a psychopath after all! She even said such words out loud that couldn''t be said anymore in the public. What did she mean by wanting to destroy everything that the queen ever loves? Why does this girl hate Odina so much that she even didn''t hesitate before killing children who were innocent?


    Clearly, Zion wasn''t the only one with such kind of questions in his head. The husband also pursed his lips and asked, "Wife, I have never questioned you because of how much I love you, but you have also never told me anything. Just what exactly happened between the two of you that made you hate her majesty?"


    "Don''t give her respect in front of me!" Carol snapped as the muscles of her face contorted quickly. "She doesn''t deserve it!"


    This time, the husband hesitated and carefully gripped the child in his arms as he said, "Then, let me at least make him unconscious. That way, he wouldn''t have to feel the pain."


    After saying that, his hand moved to take out a handkerchief from his pockets, but Carol stopped him again. She held his hands and said when she saw him tilting his head in confusion, "Husband, please don''t instead, use this situation to draw out this child''s expressions as he would die a painful death. I want you to be as vivid as possible. And after capturing it well, send them to Odina under an anonymous name. Let her see how cruelly her citizens die! I want to make her feel devastated, that''s it!"


    The husband''s hands shook when he heard that. He took a shuddered breath and kept the child down. After that, he gently rubbed the kid''s hair and said in a soft voice, "Dear, I''m sorry you will have to go through a lot of pain, but I can''t displease my wife. I love her. Please, bear with it. After a few seconds, you''ll feel immensely good. I promise! You''ll also meet your friends there, and even my own child who left the world early. Please treat him well."


    Carol watched this scene with utmost patience and finally, when the husband got up, she crouched on the ground.


    At this time, Zion''s heartbeat was so high that even the bullet train would seem slower. From what he heard, he almost got a gist of what was going on around here. It must have been that something had happened between the sisters that made their relationship so sore. And because of that, the older sister started hating Odina to the point that she was even ready to kill a bunch of children just to see a devastated look in the queen''s eyes.


    Just as he was thinking about this, he felt something cold caressing his cheeks. His heart nearly stopped when he realized what he was!


    It most likely was a dagger! After realizing that he couldn''t keep up the pretences, he instantly decided to do something to save himself. Otherwise, he would be doomed today. Even though he had decided to take some action against these two people, he knew he couldn''t win with the body of a child. So he only wanted to create an opening to help him escape this place.


    After deciding to act, he immediately opened his eyes.


    Carol and Arnold both were stunned after seeing the child suddenly opening his eyes. They had thought that even though the child had come back to consciousness, he was likely to stay limp with his eyes closed because of extreme fear. But who knew that this kid would end up stopping pretending to be asleep?


    This was the first time Carol had seen any kid staring at the killer with his eyes wide opened. Of course, she had killed many children in the past, but that didn''t mean she would look at them in the eyes and murder them brutally. Even though she was cruel, she couldn''t handle the emotion of extreme despair and helplessness with a hint of panic in their eyes. She didn''t want to look at the expressions of the children who were dying, and if she happened to witness such a scene, she would get nightmares for days!


    That was why she had started to prefer to keep the children unconscious and kill them. But who would have thought this new kid to be so bold?


    In reality, Zion wasn''t as bold as he seemed to be! He was nervous, and even his palms sweaty when he thought of what he was going to do to save himself. But he really didn''t have any other choice. His lips pursed as he glanced at the dagger in the elf girl''s hands that had become loose because of her moment of shock.


    Zion immediately made use of this chance and snatched the sword as he grabbed a piece of cloth. He gagged it inside the elf girl''s mouth and kept the sword at her neck. It''s sharpest edge was touching the neck as he used his other hand to hold the elf girl''s mouth. Then he looked coldly at Arnold and said, "If you want to live, confess."


    The wife was terrified as if she had become a completely different person. She had just been a cruel and evil girl, and now, she almost looked like she was on the verge of collapse. She turned to look at her husband with her moistened eyes and said in a meek tone, "Husband¡­.Save me."


    Arnold''s heart broke after hearing this voice. Even though he didn''t like the way his wife''s mind worked, and he even hated himself for not going against Carol to follow his values, when it comes to his wife''s safety, he would throw away all of his prejudices. All of a sudden, a burning anger covered his heart as he stared at the kid with an icy gaze. If looks could kill, he would have murdered the child already. This was the first time he wanted to kill a kid so badly!


    Zion could tell what this person was thinking. So he tightened his grip around the sword and brought it closer as he gave the man a glance filled with warning. "Careful. If you dare to move your lips, your wife will be as good as dead."


    The man''s face paled as tears poured down his eyes. Then he fell on his knees and said in a pleading tone, "What do you want?"


    "I want you to confess everything."


    The husband sighed and nodded while wiping his tears. Then he got up and said, "I-I''ll tell the queen that I killed those kids. As long as you leave my wife alone, I''m ready to face the punishment."


    "Do you think I''m insane?" Zion glared at the masked man. "The real perpetrator is right here, and she can''t even commit more crimes in the future. I want you to confess the truth, not half cooked lies! Quick. Make a decision, or else she would die."


    Just then, he felt the elf girl trembling as he brought the knife even closer. The sharp edge touched her skin as blood oozed from the wound.. All of a sudden, the woman''s arms raised and tried to catch Zion from behind, but the detective had learnt many skills from Lia, and knew how to avoid the attacks of a person who didn''t know how to fight. Then he sneered and said, "Try that again, and I''ll cut off your head!"

 Chapter 137 - The Confession!

    Before they could argue more about this, the husband, Arnold, spoke in a trembling voice. "Alright. I-I''ll go. Just let my wife go."


    Zion still continued to hold the knife with his small hands and stared at the elf man standing in front of him with a grievance expression on his face. "I''ll let her go if you make a confession right now."


    "I¡­." The man paused and then sighed before he wiped his tears and said, "Okay." Then he saw his wife struggling all of a sudden and smiled. "Don''t worry, wife. I''ll never let them know that it was you."


    Wife shook her head with tears in her eyes. Her lower lips quivered when she saw her husband getting ready to take the blame on his shoulders. For the first time in heer life, she felt that she was selfish. Yes, she used her husband and blackmailed him into kidnapping children for her cause, but she also loved him. She didn''t want him to die under the hands of her evil sister! She let out a mournful cry at this time as the thing in her mouth fell on the ground, but she didn''t care about that. She cried out to her husband. "Husband! Don''t! Let''s confess together."


    Arnold ignored Carol''s plea and continued to walk with a stubborn expression on his face. It seemed like he wouldn''t let his wife suffer in the prison in any way. He was a person who could even jump in the fire to save his lover. So how could he stand seeing his wife suffering from harsh punishment after confessing the crime?


    When Carol saw that her husband was determined to take the blame for the entire crime, she cried loudly. Her shoulders shook as she continued to sob silently. Even Zion couldn''t help it and loosened his grip on the knife as he continued to stand there like a statue.


    After a long time, Carol took a deep breath and said in a shake tone, "Take me to the court. I can''t let my husband take the entire blame at this time!"


    Zion looked at her with skeptical eyes. He didn;t trust her at this moment, but he also knew that he couldn''t pass the case if the real perpetrator wouldn''t be punished. So he tore a piece of her clothing from the bottom of the long skirt and divided it into two parts. He used the first piece to stop Carol from speaking and then he used another to tie the woman''s hand. Then he backed away a little and said in a cold tone, "Now let''s go. You have a confession to make."


    At this time, Arnold had already appeared in the throne room and bowed respectfully to the queen.


    Odina was sitting on the throne and reading a scroll when Arnold came all of a sudden. She handed the scroll to an attendant nearby and frowned. She motioned the elf man to get up and said, "What brings you here?"


    "Your majesty, I have a confession to make."


    Odina''s expressions became grave upon hearing those words. It wasn''t like she didn''t have any idea that her sister and Arnold didn''t like her. She was well aware of their feelings for her, but she ignored them thinking they were still a family to her. But now when the man said that he had to make a confession, she could tell that they had probably committed a mistake that Odina wouldn''t like, and would probably punish the man and her sister.


    Before she could think more about this, she heard Arnold talking. "You must be aware of how the kids are getting killed these days, right? And we have also captured a suspect."


    Odina nodded. At this time, she couldn''t tell what kind of error these people had made, but what she didn''t know was that she was in for shocking news.


    The man took a deep breath and said, "I have something to show you, your majesty."


    Then he called out a servant by clapping his palms together. A human servant walked toward him with a flat plate like thing that was round. There was something placed on the top of it with cloth covering it entirely. Then he told the human, "Bring this to her majesty."


    The human didn''t have a clue what the thing was inside the cloth. He was only told to bring this to Odina, and so he did. He handed it over to the attendant standing closer to the queen and went back. The queen frowned when she looked at the covered thing as a hint of ominous hunch crossed her heart.


    Her lips pursed as she went for the thing. She quickly uncovered the cloth only to be surprised.


    On the plate, she found a silver mask nicely placed on it. She picked up the mask and glanced at the elf man in front of her, bewildered. She didn''t know what kind of mistake Arnold must have made. What was the point of showing her this strange mask? And just where did Arnold get this mask?


    Her eyes squinted at this as she stared at the elf man in front of her. Was it that this man helped the dhampir girl find this mask? Or rather did this man own this mask?


    As she continued to contemplate, Arnold finally opened his mouth and said in a low voice, "Your majesty, you must be wondering where I found this mask. In fact, you don;t have to think too much. This is mine."


    Odina''s heart sank after hearing this. She gripped the mask tightly, not wanting to accept the fact that her own family member was involved in such a grievous crime. Even now she couldn''t think that the person she should blame for the murders occurring in her kingdom was her own sister and Arnold. Even now, she wanted to turn this reality into a nightmare and forget all about it.


    Her family couldn''t even kill an ant, so how could they own the mask that the murderer had used? Suddenly, her thoughts turned to the dhampir girl as she gritted her teeth. It must be that dhampir girl who probably had blackmailed her family into doing this! It must be her fault!


    But even then, she felt something wrong with this entire thing. Her smart brain kept telling her to investigate properly and not believing her family members blindly, but how could she not trust them? She had lived her entire life for them, and even sacrificed so many things on the way. How could she not treat them nicely?


    Her lips pursed as she tried to get rid of the thoughts of how her family could have made a mistake and forced a smile as she looked at Arnold and said, "That dhampir girl forced you into this, didn''t she? She forced you to hand over the mask so that she could kill children. Is that what you wanted to say?"


    Even now, she had a trace of hope in her heart that this person would say the words she had repeated. She repeatedly ignored her brain who kept hinting on what could be the reality and instead, stared at Arnold for a long time.


    The elf man, who heard those words, instantly felt like choking with emotion. He had felt guilty of his actions, and he had wanted to just escape reality and run to the forest to practice meditation, but he didn''t. He would always think of how he loved his wife, and how he wanted to make her happy. After thinking of this, he would often revert back to his original thoughts of commiting the crime.


    But now when he heard Odina speaking like that, the guilt that he had repressed for so many years resurfaced again. He let a tear drop from the corner of his eyes as he glanced at her. "I have that mask because¡­.because¡­."


    Before he could say another word, he heard a childish voice that made him freeze. "Stop!"


    He turned back only to see an elf child dragging his wife who was tied from top to bottom with her own torned clothes. His heart thudded inside his chest before sinking into the bottom of the sea. Why?! Why did his wife not listen to him this time? A trace of anxiety appeared in his eyes as he stared at his wife.


    But Carol ignored her husband and glanced at the queen. Then she let out a frustrated sigh and took out a scroll that was hidden in her sleeves.


    An attendant came and took the scroll from her before walking over to Odina and handing it over to her.


    Odina''s heart was beating fast inside her chest. She knew that whatever was inside the scroll might change the way she would think, and even her emotional life. She suppressed these emotions in her heart and opened the scroll.


    At this time, the man realized that what was written in this scroll was probably the truth. He got anxious and turned to Odina as he said, "Your majesty, don''t believe a word written there!"


    This scroll was actually written by Zion under Carol''s eyes. He had figured it all out already, so what was the point of letting the criminal go? Thankfully, even Carol didn''t want to run anymore. She kept staring at the scroll with tears in her eyes.


    "Your majesty!" Arnold spoke again in a loud voice.

 Chapter 138 - The Truth!

    Odina ignored them all and continued to stare at the scroll for a long time. She didn''t even look at Arnold who kept calling out to herself. Her eyes continuously stared at the scroll in her hand as if she was having trouble reading that thing. It almost seemed like she was reading again and again as if she couldn''t understand what she just read.


    In the end, Arnold turned back to his wife and glared at her for the very first time. In his entire life, he never thought that he would ever be angry at what Carol was doing. Even when she had asked him to kidnap the children, he did so without any hesitation.


    This time, he had asked her to stay in the underground chamber until he confessed. All he wanted was to save his wife from a dark pathway that would lead them all to death. His eyes teared up when he thought of this. He still continued to suppress emotions with bloodshot eyes. "What did you do? Didn''t I tell you to wait for me?"


    Evan Carol was angry at her husband. She stared at him for a while as veins pop on her forehead. "What do you think I was doing standing here? Do you think I would let you confess your crime? Do you think I would let you shoulder the blame of both our mistakes? You are dreaming!"


    "What I was doing is the best for both of us." Arnold took a deep breath as if to suppress his anger and said in a gentle voice, "Carol, I have loved you for all of my life and didn''t hesitate even a single bit when you told me to do those things. But this is the only request that I have from you. Please let me do this and go back."


    "But-"


    "Enough!" Odina finally spoke up and closed the scroll. She gripped it so tightly that it almost felt like she would crush it in her hands. But she pursed her lips and curbed her anger. Then she looked at the elf man standing in front of her and said, "What do you have to say? I will give you a chance, and if you fail to tell me the truth, your wife is going down. So think before you say anything."


    Arnold was stunned. He stared at the elf Queen for a long time as if repeating the entire scene in his mind again and again. Did he just hear that she would kill Carol if he were to hide anything from her? He gulped nervously as he glanced back at his wife. And then he looked at the elf queen and took a deep breath.


    It wasn''t like she would know what was the truth anyway. Whatever she knew was from the scroll that was given by Carol. Arnold knew this was the only last chance for him to save his wife. So after determining this in his heart, he looked at the elf queen stubbornly and said, "You''re majesty, perhaps you have guessed what I wanted to say, but I will still speak it out loud for you. I killed those children alone."


    Carol''s eyes widened as she stared at her husband. She knew that Arnold was determined to save her, but what about her own feelings? Did he not think that she didn''t want to be saved? Did not think that she wanted to do the same thing? Anxiety reached her brain making her limbs tremble.


    She instantly looked at her sister and said in a voice filled with anxiety, "Your majesty, my husband is wrong. He didn''t kill even a single fly. It was I who did it, and I was ordering him to bring children. His only crime was to kidnap them using that silver mask. Please be lenient on him."


    Both looked at Odina''s expressionless faces as they grew nervous in their hearts.


    What both of them didn''t know was that after listening to Carol''s words, Odina''s hands tightened around the scroll. The attendants standing beside heard the voice of crack from the scroll, and their faces paled. Now they knew that the elf queen was terribly angry.


    Indeed, Odina was feeling angry at this time. She even felt that she would lash out on the two of her family members instantly. She had never thought that her own family would do this to her. In the past, she had sacrificed so many things for her family members, but what did they give her in return? The only people she trusted the most stabbed her in the back. The pain she felt at this time was even more dreadful than death. It felt as if her chest was being choked up.


    But, at the next moment, she took a deep breath and suppressed her emotions before glancing at the soldier nearby. Then she opened her mouth and said in a grave tone, "Take them to the prison, and let the dhampir girl go." She paused as if she thought of something and said, "Bring her to the guest room."


    The soldiers were not shocked by this kind of development. They bowed respectfully to the queen and left the throne room. Then she called another servant and said, "Call the imperial doctor and send him to treat the dhampir girl."


    After everyone was gone, she slumped back on her throne as if she had just dealt with something horrible. Her chest ached so much that she was having trouble breathing. It almost seemed like she was fighting back tears so that they couldn''t drop from her eyes.


    When she was finally able to suppress our emotions, she opened her eyes and looked around only to find a certain elf child standing at the door with a knife in hand. She frowned when she looked at him. Then she motioned him to come closer.


    At this time, Zion was silent because he didn''t know what else to do. Everything that was happening in this Kingdom seemed as if it were too easy to find the evidence. At least, it was easier than what he faced back in the Vanne Kingdom. When he thought of this his brows furrowed. He pursed his lips and looked at the queen again.


    Why didn''t the impostor come to this Kingdom to create havoc? Had originally thought that the black-cloaked man would follow them to another Kingdom, but that didn''t happen, instead, that man disappeared somewhere. It almost felt like he didn''t want to touch the elf Kingdom.


    His brows furrowed even deeper at this realization.


    But he would think of this after being alone. Right now the queen had asked him to come closer so he had to curb his queries and walk toward her.


    The queen saw a small boy walking closer while still holding the knife in his hand. Her expressions softened upon seeing that helpless young child. This kid would have been dead tomorrow if it weren''t for his bravery.


    When he approached right in front of her, she raised her hand and caressed his head softly, and said, "Where do you live?"


    Zion''s body stiffened at this question. How could you answer this? This was a queen, who had the capability of doing anything she wanted. So if he were to lie that he was a beggar, she would just help him find a homely place and force him to stay there for all his life. And obviously, he couldn''t tell her the truth.


    So he bit his lips and said, "I am a traveler."


    He didn''t bother to explain where he came from; he knew that Odina would catch lies since she knew this Kingdom like the back of her hands. So he just stood there and pretended to be a good boy.


    Ordina smiled and said, "Are you going to travel to another place after this?"


    Zion loaded as if he were really a child.


    The queen smiled and glanced at the attendant who had just entered the throne. "Bring a bag of gold coins."


    The attendant went back and fetched what she asked for within a few seconds. Then the queen handed it over to the child and said in a soft and gentle voice, "Take this. It will help you on your journey. This is a small thanks from me, and if you encounter any problems, write back to me and stamp the letter with this." She also handed him a stamp and continued. "I will know it''s you if you do this."


    Zion felt complicated when he saw all of these things. He nodded and ran off in another direction. He wanted to get out of this place and change back into his original form before she could send anyone after him. Even though this queen was thankful to him, he didn''t trust anyone at this place. He still felt like she would send a few men to follow him out of the city, which she eventually did.


    After half an hour, when he was finally able to fend those people off, he changed back to his original form without being noticed. The first thing he heard was that the queen was going to make an announcement regarding the murders.


    He realized that Odina was letting his master go. When he heard of this, his shoulders relaxed in an instant. Even though he still didn''t like Lia, he was glad that she could come out alive. At least, he still had a teacher who could teach him how to fight.


    After that, he followed all the citizens who murmured about the rumors that were still alive across the city. He ignored it all and walked toward the palace gates. When they all went there, he saw the elf Queen standing at her porch with her hands behind her back.. As everyone stood in front of her, she cleared her throat and said, "I want to tell you something about the new revelations about the murder case."

 Chapter 139 - The Crowd!

    The crowd went silent for a minute all of a sudden and then they started discussing again. They knew that this time, things were a bit serious, and when the queen said that she had new revelations about the case, it could be anything. By anything, the citizens even thought that the dhampir girl might have had more accomplices that had helped her with it.


    But Odina''s face was expressionless at this time, so no one could tell what the revelation actually was, but this didn''t stop the people from spreading another rumor that seemed even worse than the previous one.


    At this time, Zion was standing among other servants in his elf form. Yes, he wanted to walk out in human form, but in the end, he quickly changed into an elf because he knew that his human face was quite famous among the citizens even now. So he stood there as he stared at the queen in front of him with curious eyes. He already knew what the revelation was, but he still had to keep up an act in case he was found by some of the servants from the palace. And it seemed that his action was correct. Soon, he heard someone''s voice calling out to him.


    "Rupert! When did you come back?"


    Zion turned around to find one of the servants he had talked to back when he was in the palace. He plastered a fake smile on his face and replied, "Just now, and heard that her majesty is going to say something."


    "Yes!" The man grumbled. "I bet she must have gotten a confession out of that damned dhampir girl! It''s for the best or else we would all be doomed."


    Zion frowned after hearing that. "But why do you think the dhampir girl should be the only person who was bad? The queen could have even found out that the real murderer must be someone else. Why isn''t anyone thinking in that line?"


    The man glared at him and shook his head in disbelief as if he was too shocked after hearing those words. "You really seem like you aren''t around from here. In the city, we all live like a family, and her majesty is our head. Her entire family members are close to us. Other than these murders going on in recent times, there hadn''t been any crime for over a decade at all! And even the last crime that I can recall is stealing an apple! Even the beggar in this place earns a better living as compared to the human slaves who often worked under other elves. So don''t ever think that the murderer is among us because it can''t be possible! The main city is nothing like the other places, and I''m sure your village also agrees with that."


    After that the man continued to ramble on and on about how he was lucky to be able to become a servant in the palace, and live with the queen and her family members. He also talked about how holy the queen''s sister waas, and how godly her nature was!


    Zion shook his head when he heard of this. A hint of pity flashed in his eyes. If this person found out that Carol was the main instigator of this entire fiasco, what would happen? Would the morale of these people go down after this?


    Before he could continue to think about this, the queen cleared her throat and the entire crowd died down. The people pursed their lips and watched her lips moving in anxiety. "First of all, let me clear up some misunderstandings. The dhampir girl wasn''t a real murderer. She kept her mouth shut, and didn''t even reveal her name. We thought she was just stubborn, but she was actually wronged. I feel immensely regretful for that."


    The crowd started murmuring again after hearing those words. The entire batch of citizens looked at the queen with widened eyes as if they couldn''t understand what she just said, and when the fact digested in their hearts, some of them even cried out loud as if exclaiming how it was possible!


    Only Zion was the person who stood motionless among the crowd who were screaming and howling around him.


    Then, Odina continued. "And about the real perpetrator¡­." She averted her eyes uncomfortably and took a deep breath. "You''ll find out about that soon enough. I''ll be giving a death sentence to them tomorrow at sunrise."


    Them? If the perpetrator were someone else, then didn''t that mean it could be one of the elves? The crowd couldn''t accept this. Just then, someone among the crowd spoke up with a trace of hesitation in his voice. "What if¡­.If it was a group of humans?"


    This statement calmed down most of the elves and gave them a hope that their own people couldn''t really do something like this. Then came a round of talk between elves that kept blaming humans. Some of them even pushed the humans to the ground and spat on them.


    When Odina saw that the crowd was getting out of hand, she cleared her throat and said, "Silence. It''s not the humans. Don''t trouble your slaves." After saying that, she instantly went inside her palace as if she didn''t want to say a single word about what had just happened.


    Zion and the man beside him sighed in unison and walked toward the palace.


    "Man, can you believe that? If it''s not the dhampirs and humans, that leaves us! But how can that be possible?! I would never believe this!" Then after this, the man kept rambling on and on about how unfortunate they were to find out that the elves could do this!


    ***


    The next day, Zion and others stood together beneath the public punishment stage right in front of the queen. When this was happening, Zion had tried to find out what had happened to Lia after she got released, but he didn''t know where she was kept, so he gave up on it temporarily and decided to first see the punishment scene before thinking about anything else.


    The crowd was still murmuring about how unfortunate the situation was, and some even gathered up their courage and named different races who could be the real villains in this situation. The first name that came forward was the Nox race, or the dark elves. They were called nox because they were born at night according to the legends.


    But their relationship with the elves had always been bad to the point that if the citizens of two groups were to be placed in one room, they would instead kill each other. So the first people that everyone blamed were these nox. Just when things started to get heavy, a few people entered the open ground of punishment and walked over toward the stage.


    But what shocked the entire citizens to the point of silencing them were the people in iron chains. They were none other than Carol and Arnold!


    Why were they here? Weren''t they supposed to be the people who liked children, and even made a fuss when the lady had a miscarriage? They had even seen Arnold talking in a gentle tone with the children back then. But what the heck happened after that? Why were these two getting punished like this?


    The entire crowd was stunned, and then a soldier came forward with a scroll in his hand. He stopped in the centre of the arena and opened it to quietly read out the following words.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, don''t be alarmed to find out about the crimes committed by your ex-princess, Carol and her husband. The two of them have nothing to do with the elves and our values. The queen still wants to protect each and everyone of you, and wants to protect you all, but this punishment today is also a token of demonstration that if you failed to listen or go against the law, you''ll face similar punishment despite being treated as the closest family member to her." The man paused and took a deep breath before speaking. "About the crimes that were committed¡­."


    The man read a large number of killings, kidnappings, and even stealing as he pursed his lips. He got a headache, and he simply wanted to ignore this small detail! Just why did their ex-princess have to commit so many crimes?! Wasn''t she fulfilled in her heart with her husband and the position in the court? How could someone be so greedy?!


    The man shook his head and closed the scroll as he cleared his throat. "In short, this woman who was supposed to be kind and compassionate was anything but that. So don''t show them any mercy." After saying that, he summarised the crimes. "They have killed many children, kidnapped a bunch of them, and even stole some things to create that underground chamber."


    After saying that, he glanced coldly at the pair of husband and wife tied in chains and huffed before walking away.


    He couldn''t believe he used to treat Arnold as his ideal!


    After hearing about it, even the crowd couldn''t stand still. Half of them had forced themselves to accept the fact, but the other half were so angry that their teeth ached. They glared at the criminals standing there hatefully.

 Chapter 140 - Death Sentence!

    The punishment held was a public prosecution of the two people. Their hands were tied behind their backs as they stood there with their head hung low. On the stage, there were two ropes hanging down with a round knot that would enter their necks. It almost looked like a modern dead sentence of the 21st century.


    The only difference was that this time, it was held in public.


    After a moment of surprise, many of the elves'' faces turned red in anger as they kept staring at the royal couple. They started spouting curses at them in anger.


    "I can''t believe I used to find that princess attractive. Carol''s a b*tch!"


    "They actually killed so many children! I want them to suffer the death that they had given to those children!"


    Amid these angry men, there were also a few ladies who cried and looked at the ex-princess with red eyes.


    "She killed my children! How could she?! I remember when my first child was born, we had brought her to the queen, and even Carol had smiled back then while gently rubbing my child''s head! Then why?! Why kill the child whom you had blessed with all your heart?! Why?! Can you tell me why you did this?!"


    Many women cried and spouted words like these, and Zion almost wanted to leave this place. He rubbed his forehead. Why were these people behaving like women fighting in a grocery market?!


    Just when he thought things couldn''t get worse, the person beside him cursed under his breath. "I can''t believe you were right. Rupert, I''m sorry for what I said earlier. These people don''t deserve our sympathy! They actually killed those children so brutally! They don''t deserve to be a part of Her Majesty''s family!" When he thought about the queen, a hint of sadness flashed in his eyes. "I wonder how the queen is doing. She must have been devastated after finding out what her only family member did to her."


    It was true. Odina was devastated. Even if her face remained expressionless right now, you could still see a trace of lingering pain in her eyes that almost screamed how depressed she felt at the moment. She was lonely for sure, but Zion only glanced at the queen briefly and shrugged. "It''s her business. What can we do?"


    At this time, he just wanted to be done with this punishment already. It felt like this was going on and on for ages!


    Finally, it seemed that the Gods heard his prayer, and decided to show sympathy to him. The queen clapped her hands to gain everyone''s attention. Once the crowd silenced, she expressionlessly glanced at the audience before lowering her eyelids as she said, "It''s time to execute the punishment. Get ready, everyone."


    As soon as her voice fell, the soldiers moved. One of the soldiers with bulging arms came forward and stood beside a lever with an expressionless face. His hand hovered over the lever for a long time. After that, two more people came toward the criminals and covered their heads with black clothes. Then they dragged the criminals toward the ropes that hung from a rod at the top.


    Zion''s mind wandered to his own world after witnessing this. He had once caught a serial killer, and during the death penalty, the killer had requested that the detective in-charge of the case should be present in front of him when he was dying. The reason was simple. The man wanted to engrave the detective''s face so that he could haunt that person as a ghost.


    At first, Zion had a headache after listening to this strange request, but he had still complied with it. And even the criminal had requested for his face to remain open as he died. So no one covered his face with a cloth when he was given a death sentence.


    So when the time came, the criminal had a strange smile on his face as he stared at Zion, and even used his last bit of energy to mouth some words, "I''ll haunt you soon."


    Zion had gotten goosebumps after seeing this. Even now when he was reminded of this memory, he couldn''t help but feel a chill down his spine. Why was he thinking of such useless things at a time like this?


    He rubbed his forehead and glanced at the stage once again as he forced himself to focus on the criminals. At this time, Carol and her husband were already hanged to their deaths. Their bodies twitch slightly telling Zion that it had been a while since the soldier with bulging arms pulled the lever.


    Even though it seemed that the people who just died had felt immense pain, he had no intention to feel sympathy toward them. He just took a deep breath and turned around. He would have to go back to the palace the next time to get a glimpse at what had happened to Lia.


    ***


    After a few hours, the crowd scattered as everyone left the punishment ground that was just outside the main palace area. All the servants walked back to the palace, including Zion, who wanted to find Lia. He had thought that after punishing those criminals, the queen would let the dhampir princess go, but that didn''t happen.


    Everyone got back to work, and even Odina seemed to have no intention to talk about a certain dhampir girl who was wronged. When asked, she would just coldly reply that the dhampir girl was severely injured, and she was getting treatment.


    But Zion didn''t think so. He could tell that even after proving that Lia hadn''t done anything, the elf queen didn''t want to let the dhampir princess go just like that. It almost seemed as if Odina wanted to keep Lia under her watch 24/7!


    Zion''s eyes narrowed at this. Did these two really share a history together? He could tell that the feeling of hate between the two ladies was mutual. He couldn''t help but be curious about it but he also knew that he couldn''t directly ask Lia. He was well aware of the girl''s personality.


    But what else could he do? He also didn''t want to continue waiting since he knew that Odina wasn''t likely to release the dhampir princess anytime soon.


    Zion''s eyes squinted at this. Would he have to sneak her out of here? He had a hunch that if he didn''t sneak her out, she would probably end up sticking at this place forever and ever.


    But first, he would have to confirm his theory. If his theory were true, he would find rumors going around the place that the dhampir girl was released.


    Why did he believe that such a rumor would be around? It was because Odina could make everyone believe that Lia had been released with rewards and compensation while keeping the dhampir girl locked at the same time. It would be like killing two birds with one stone.


    So to confirm his theory, Zion decided to sneak into the town to hear rumors. To be honest, he didn''t have to do this, and he could have just found Lia without so much effort, but he also knew that if Lia escaped like this, Odina would be even more displeased with them, and might do something to Lia seeing the mutual hatred between them.


    Then, he found an excuse to leave the palace right away and found a restaurant. He entered as he sat on one of the seats at the corner. Then he called out the waiter.


    "Bring me a cup of wine."


    The waiter nodded and left.


    To be honest, Zion could also have stayed in the palace and tailed the queen to see if she said anything about Lia being released, but that would be too dangerous. First, Odina was powerful, and he had witnessed firsthand how she was capable of dealing with him easily. If she wished, she could just kill him with a blink of an eye.


    And secondly, Zion knew that Odina was also powerful enough to notice if anyone was following her or not. Of course, he could use his system''s help, but ever since he discovered that the black cloak that the imposter wore in the first case was probably bought from the elf kingdom, he was on his guard. That imposter could identify his system''s presence easily. So he didn''t want to use his system anymore to deal with the cases.


    Back to the present, Zion glanced around him as the waiter came back with a cup of wine. Since the detective was still in his elf form, no one dared to look down on him.


    Just then, Zion opened his mouth.. "Waiter, I heard something big happened here in this city, right? I arrived not too long ago, and everyone''s been talking about how the criminals have been hanged to death this morning. Mind telling me what all is this about?"

 Chapter 141 - Confirmation!

    The waiter didn''t doubt the elf customer''s words. He glanced right and left, and when he noticed no one was looking at him, he cleared his throat and sat beside Zion before lowering his voice. "Are you a traveler? No wonder you don''t know a single thing about it. Almost every single one of the residents is well aware of the troubles that had occurred in the kingdom. Our entire worldviews collapsed collectively! Can you believe that?"


    Zion nodded and showed a curious expression on his face. "You guessed it right. I was returning from the nearby village outside the kingdom after selling magical clocks. I had known already that many children were killed, but I hadn''t thought that this case would go on and on for months without even a trace of evidence! And when I came back after three months of outing, Her Majesty punished those criminals already! This was the most shocking thing that had ever happened in my life!"


    The waiter shook his head. "You haven''t been shocked enough, man. If I tell you the identity of the criminal, you''d be so surprised that you would start crying-"


    And after that, the waiter started counting the events that had occurred since the queen captured Lia and her human servant. The waiter went into so much detail that even Zion felt a little bored. He even nearly dozed off in the middle of listening, but thankfully, the waiter didn''t want to extend it any longer. After fifteen minutes, he ended the story by saying, "And that''s how the ex-princess and her husband were hanged to their deaths. Sigh. They were a model couple for many residents around here, but after finding out what had occurred back then, I have no intention to even think about them! Despicable people!"


    "I really can''t believe this." Zion pretended to be shocked and paused before taking a deep breath. "So everything''s fine now? What about Her Majesty?"


    "She''s expressionless and cold as always, but for the first time, we all observed a flash of sadness in her eyes yesterday when her sister and her husband were being hanged." The waiter sighed. "Our queen is so pitiful. Really."


    Zion also nodded as if he was agreeing with the words of the waiter. Then he acted as if he suddenly got a thought and asked in a voice laced with curiosity, "What about the dhampir girl? What happened to her?"


    The waiter tilted his head in confusion and said, "Haven''t you been listening to me? I told you already that the queen gave her compensation and let her go."


    Really? Zion''s eyes narrowed. To be honest, he wasn''t keen on listening to the story presented by this waiter, and he only wanted to ask about Lia. "Did Her Majesty announce it today?"


    The waiter nodded. "Yes. The morning when the first rays of sun touched the ground."


    Zion nodded in understanding and pulled out a few gold coins from his pocket before throwing it at the waiter. "Your tip. Thanks for the info."


    The waiter''s eyes glistened as he caught the coins and walked off.


    Now that Zion confirmed his suspicion, he should act on finding Lia as soon as possible and escape from this place. It would be better to stay surrounded by trees than to be here in this kingdom. After determining this, he got up from his seat and left the restaurant.


    When he went back to the palace, it took him a while before he could figure out where the guest rooms were situated. It was on the second floor of the main palace. But to go there, even a normal soldier would require special permission signed by the chief minister in the court. The only people allowed to go to that floor were the queen herself and her confidential people. Even the doctors weren''t allowed there without her consent.


    Since the security of that place was so high, Zion could tell that Lia was probably being held captive there. And he was even damned sure that the dhampir princess wasn''t even conscious. If she were, he would have heard her loud voice already.


    So does that mean he would have to sneak inside the guest area? It wouldn''t have mattered if it were a normal world. Since this world was filled with magic, and since the elves were especially more powerful as compared to other races, the risk of sneaking into unknown territory would be greater than his imagination. He suddenly got a headache thinking about it.


    Finally, he called out to his system, who was unnaturally silent these days. "007, come out."


    The system flashed right in front of the detective''s eyes in strange attire. At this time, he was wearing ancient Chinese robes and even had a long stick in his hand as if he were dancing and waving it around. He could even see sweat drops on the system''s forehead as he took deep breaths.


    Zion was stunned to see this kind of expression on the system''s face. Would someone tell him why his stupid system was wearing such a costume and looking all tired? Just what was this 007 doing all this time when he was busy trying to solve this case?


    "System¡­.You¡­." For the first time in his life, Zion didn''t know how to ask that question. So he thought he might as well wait for 007 to calm down before asking anything else. But who would have thought that the system, who was supposed to stand silent and relieve his exhaustion before speaking, would suddenly glare at the detective?


    "Ahhhhh! Why did you call me?! I was on a vacation!"


    Zion crossed his arms across his chest and looked at the chibi system indifferently. "Vacation without any update. What a great system you are!"


    007 stiffened for the first few seconds before glaring at the detective once again. "Host, that''s not important! The main thing was that I had a mini-vacation behind your back, and you weren''t supposed to find out!" After saying this, the system sat on the ground, covered his face with his knees, and cried loudly for a full minute.


    Zion got a headache hearing that high-pitched crying voice. He rubbed his forehead and said in a sarcastic tone, "What a good and reliable system you are!"


    The system stopped crying and coughed awkwardly before changing the topic. "Say, why did you call me this time?"


    "Oh, right." Zion told the system about his thoughts and asked bluntly, "Is there anything that can help me hide my presence from magic? Or better yet, give me magical scouting skills?"


    The system frowned as if he were in deep thought, and his eyes lit up in an instant a while later. He looked at his host excitedly and said, "Magical scouting! Yes! It is possible!"


    "Really?" For some reason, Zion didn''t feel as excited as the system¡­.


    But 007 didn''t read the mood of his host and continued to ramble on as he jumped around in circles. "You just have to buy one cheap magical cloak and wrap your body with it. That''s it!"


    He knew it! Zion could tell already that the solution that his system would provide might not be the one he was looking for! A vein popped on his forehead when he thought of that magical cloak. "Am I in a Harry Potter series or something? I don''t need a freaking cloak! I need something that can stop others from identifying my presence, and even the elf queen shouldn''t be able to tell that I''m standing in front of her! Do you think that cloak can do this?"


    007 coughed awkwardly again as he averted his eyes and said, "Well, not exactly that, but close. Host, let me be honest. The skill that you''re looking for is costly, and we can''t afford it. I certainly don''t want you to take another loan just for this sake. So it''s better to make do with this cloak. And it has a special feature too! You can activate your presence and deactivate it depending on the situation! Of course, there''s a time limit, but it''s better than nothing, right?"


    Zion frowned as he leaned back on the wall. At this time, he was currently wiping the corridor and was all alone. So he didn''t even care about pretenses since no one was watching him.


    What he needed was a full skill that could help him become invisible and hide his presence simultaneously for a long period. But the cloak that the system was talking about seemed to have a certain time limit, which wasn''t really beneficial for Zion if he wanted to escape this place with Lia.


    But what other choice did he have? If he didn''t choose that cloak with the time limit factor, he would be left with nothing. So it was better to take this risk and just make do with it. He finally decided to compromise. "Fine.. Let''s use that cloak."

 Chapter 142 - The Guest Area!

    The cloak was very cheap, approximately ten points worth that was enough for Zion to purchase any fake identity. Of course, he could have done that either to make things a lot easier, but this time, he wanted to escape with Lia, and the dhampir girl didn''t know a thing about his multiple identities and even the system.


    If he were to find her wide awake in a dark room, she would instead start attacking him in anger rather than heading off with him. So it was better to use this invisibility cloak until he could figure out what he should do next. But when he actually started using the cloak, he grew even more frustrated.


    Why the heck was this cheap cloak like this? Why did it have so few features?


    It turned out, this cloak could only hide him for ten minutes at most in a single day! It really wasn''t worth ten points!


    Zion covered himself with that black cloak and glared at the system with hatred. "007, I''ll remember this."


    The system felt a shiver down his spine as he wiped the sweat off of his forehead and forced a chuckle. "Host, you don''t have to scare me like this. I told you already. We didn''t have another choice."


    Zion ignored the system and started finding the corridor that would lead him upstairs. It was already afternoon, and almost all the servants were resting. The remaining ones were doing overwork for more wages. Even the soldiers would rest for a bit at this time of the day. So Zion was free to move around.


    He had worked here at this palace for a few days already and knew many things about it. He also knew that there was a special corridor where two guards would always be stationed directly at the door so that they could stop unauthorized persons from entering that area. Basically, the corridor beyond that was restricted for normal people, and even the servants weren''t allowed. The servants could only enter that area when the queen would be around.


    If it were a normal case, it would be difficult for Zion to enter that corridor that would lead him to the guest area. But with the help of this cloak, he could easily sneak inside. It was just that he would have to be careful not to spend a lot of time just trying to sneak inside the corridor because he would also have to make sure to walk out with the help of this cloak.


    Of course, things would be different if Lia were to be found alive and awake. He would have to make up some story about this cloak and make sure that the dhampir girl couldn''t find out anything about the system.


    He could tell her about it, but he didn''t trust her enough. There was also an imposter out there, and to him, everyone, even including Lia were the suspects. He didn''t belong to this world, so it would be better if he could take a step with extreme caution.


    After determining the plan in his mind, again and again, Zion took a deep breath and walked slowly toward the corridor that would lead him to the guest area. It was located at the Eastside that led anyone upstairs. So after walking for a while, he finally reached that place as he hid behind a pillar and glanced at the guards who stood at either side of the opened gate of the corridor with expressionless faces.


    The distance between him and the guards wasn''t that high, and he was sure that if he activated the cloak here, he could reach the gate within a minute if he walked a little faster than how he would pace normally. He took a deep breath and tucked the cloak around him once again before activating it within his mind.


    Once the magical cloak turned on, Zion''s entire body vanished as if he weren''t present behind the pillar. When he was sure that he was hidden well, he released the breath he was holding and walked forward at a faster pace without making any noise.


    When he was just a few steps away from the door, his heartbeat sped up out of the blue. This was a magical world. So he wasn''t sure whether the guards could identify his presence or not. He really didn''t trust this cheap material that was supposed to provide him ten minutes of invisibility effect.


    But to his great fortune, the cloak worked better than he had imagined. He passed through the gate effectively without invoking the guards. After he reached a safe distance, he turned the cloak off and continued walking forward.


    Now, where did the queen keep Lia? First, he should find the stairs that could lead him to the guest room. But this corridor seemed endless with walls on either side of it! Just how was he supposed to find the stairs?


    He frowned, but he kept walking ahead. Just a few minutes later, he reached a dead-end without anywhere to move.


    Zion''s hands traced the wall in front of him lightly, and then he turned back to look at the endlessly long corridor behind him.


    Now what? He had expected something like this to happen, but once he did, he would have to force himself to go with another plan. He glanced toward a pillar that was situated just to his right, and he directly moved behind it.


    If he couldn''t find a way out, he could at least wait for someone to open this door.


    Thankfully, he didn''t have to wait longer than expected. If he were here five minutes later, he would have missed out on the time when Odina had walked over to this corridor at a slow pace.


    When she reached the guards stationed outside the corridor, she stopped and glanced at them questioningly. In reply, they shook their heads and bowed respectfully. The queen nodded and continued walking toward the same dead-end where Zion was hiding.


    After a while, just as she reached the wall, Zion''s attention darted toward her. He didn''t turn on the invisibility, but he poked his head out and stared at her actions carefully. In his mind, he was practically praying for a technological mechanism instead of magic, but he knew it would be fruitless. This was the elf kingdom where even a normal clock was created out of magic. Then what to speak of a simple mechanism to open the door?


    As expected, Odina''s eyes glowed brightly after she reached that place. Her hands were placed against the wall as her lips moved to mutter a spell. It was unknown what she was doing, but after a while, the texture of the wall changed automatically and it opened with a swoosh.


    Then the queen lowered her hand and walked forward without any pause. Zion turned on the invisibility mechanism and entered the passage before it could turn off automatically. Thankfully, he was able to follow the elf queen without any hesitation before the door closed behind him.


    The two of them walked without making any sound. It even seemed as if they walked while levitating above the floor. After that, they both climbed the stairs and came within a minute.


    When they reached the guest area, Odina stopped for a moment before turning to her right and entering another corridor. Zion grimaced seeing that. Just how many endless corridors were there in this place?!


    The ten minutes time limit would end if this continued on! Thankfully, he still had seven minutes before the cloak could get turned off immediately. The two of them walked for another minute before the queen finally stopped in front of another dead-end. So repeated the same process with her palms plastered against the wall and opened the pathway. Zion entered after her quickly before the door could be closed at his face.


    He currently didn''t care whether he would be stuck at this place or not. His first aim was to find Lia as soon as possible. And after that, he would think about escaping with the system''s help. In any case, he would also get rewards from the system that could help him purchase skills of higher quality.


    Wait! Wasn''t the case completed already? Why didn''t he get any reward yet?


    Before he could continue to think about it, he reached the center of the room that had opened up to him after he followed Odina. There, he could see a familiar girl lying on a round bed covered with quilts. Fireflies danced around her constantly, but Zion could tell that those weren''t normal fireflies. They were probably the queen''s magical aspects that she was using to make sure that Lia could stay here without any hindrance.


    Heh. It seemed that this elf queen didn''t want to let the dhampir princess go so easily. She actually blocked all the pathways of escape for Lia!


    Just then, he noticed the queen''s hands clapping in the air, and soon after that, the fireflies disappeared as Lia opened her eyes. She blinked multiple times as if she were trying to clear her vision before she glanced at the elf queen who just entered. Her eyes squinted in a split of a second.. "You''re here."

 Chapter 143 - A Conversation!

    Zion hid behind one of the pillars inside the room and observed what the two of them were doing. He still had a few minutes before he would be forced to turn off the cloak invisibility. At this time, he could only hide and pray to all the Gods that these ladies would stop their conservation within the time limit.


    After thinking like this, he hid well in case the conservation went on and on, longer than how he anticipated.


    When Odina heard those words, she didn''t react, and walked toward the dhampir princess and stood beside her bed, watching the girl expressionlessly. After what it felt like hours, she finally opened her mouth. "You have officially left the kingdom according to the rumors."


    Lia rolled her eyes. "Of course, otherwise how would you dare to keep me locked up?!"


    Odina ignored these words and lowered her head as she squinted her eyes at the dhampir princess and said, "You really don''t know what kind of danger you are in, do you?"


    "Oh, I''m so scared. Someone save me~" Lia cried out in a high-pitched tone and chuckled. "As if you are going to listen to me. But I''m curious. I have done nothing wrong, but you still want to keep me locked up. Why?"


    Her eyes narrowed at the elf queen as if she were trying to determine something. She initially had a hunch about this queen, and she prayed desperately for her hunch to be false. It was because if her hunch were proved to be true, she would be in grave danger. But if her hunch wasn''t true, then who could explain why this elf queen was acting like a villain at a time like this? It just didn''t make any sense!


    Odina just kept staring at the dhampir girl and finally replied when everyone thought she wouldn''t, "I got intuition that I should keep you locked up for some reason. So I decided to lock you up here."


    "Do you not fear that the dhampir royals would find out what you have been doing behind their backs?" Lia spat out those words as she glared at the elf queen in anger. "There are still people left behind who will come after me by following my trail! Then let''s see how you respond to them!"


    "I don''t think your broken and lost kingdom can afford to send anyone after you, especially after the death of your father."


    "Don''t talk about my father from your filthy mouth!"


    The girls glared at each other before averting their eyes at the same time.


    Zion, who was observing this scene from behind the pillar, frowned after hearing their conversation. He didn''t know what to make of it yet. From what he heard, he could tell that the feeling of hatred was mutual, and Odina, for some reason, didn''t want to let this dhampir girl go easily. This made his job 101% more difficult!


    He exhaled a long breath and focused on the scene.


    The girls didn''t say another word to each other, and lastly, Odina turned around and said, "I still haven''t found your human servant."


    "Hah! You''re being led around the nose by a human!" Lia chuckled thinking of that. "Let me tell you something about my human servant. You better not see him face-to-face, and if you do, your demise is confirmed!"


    Zion facepalmed himself. Why the heck was this cheap master talking about him like this? It almost seemed like she was extremely drunk to understand what she was saying. He took a deep breath and glanced at Odina''s face, which remained expressionless as usual.


    The elf queen didn''t say a thing. She just clapped her hands as butterflies started floating above Lia''s face again. The dhampir princess, who was laughing and talking just a while ago, went silent. It seemed as if Lia had never been the one to converse with the elf queen just a while ago, and instead, she was deeply asleep.


    Zion frowned when he saw this. He had a hunch that if he were to go near her and tried to wake her up, the butterflies might end up triggering something to stop him. It might also be that the elf queen would be notified of how someone was trying to sneak Lia away.


    This made things even more difficult. So difficult in fact that he was having second thoughts about making an escape with the dhampir princess. What should he do now? His brows furrowed even deeper.


    His lips pursed as he quickly thought of a solution. He would give himself a day. In any case, if he needed food, he would ask the system about it. He had solved the case anyway, and the system has still not provided him the rewards. He could purchase food at a cheaper rate to keep his body up-to-date.


    After thinking of this, he relaxed and waited until Odina was out of sight before turning off the invisibility function of his cloak. Then he took it off and sent it off to the inventory before calling out to the system. "007, I see you have gone lazy these days."


    "Not lazy!" The system in his ancient Chinese attire came out with pouting lips. "I said, I was on a vacation! After pursuing my dream system for so long, she finally responded! What was I supposed to do? I went with her to an ancient Chinese park to play, and I was just about to win a prize for her in a race when you forcibly called me back! Do you have any shame?!"


    Zion had no patience to deal with this stupid system. He directly initiated the topic of discussion. "Where''re my rewards?"


    "What rewards?" The system tilted his head, almost looking like a cute little chibi character with a huge question mark above his head.


    Zion didn''t get angry at this time and explained, "I passed the case, didn''t I?"


    "You did?" The system was himself surprised after hearing those words. He muttered something under his breath and went to check the notification. After reading for five minutes, he exclaimed, "Yes! You really did! Congratulations, host!"


    Zion gave 007 a blank look before rolling his eyes. "I knew I did, but the point is, why couldn''t you get me informed about it sooner?"


    The system coughed awkwardly and averted his eyes. "Well¡­.My vacation."


    "Okay, nevermind that." Zion got a headache whenever he thought about how irresponsible his stupid system was! "Tell me the details of the rewards."


    The system opened another document in front of the detective and said while poking his head out from behind the document. "As you know I have been through a major update, even the rewards have changed. Now, can you head over to the dashboard?"


    Zion clicked on the dashboard, and was almost blinded by seeing so many points in his account.


    470 points?! How come he got so many points at once?! Did he win a lottery or something?


    Just as he was thinking about it, the system replied, "You got 200 points as a reward for finishing the case 100%. You not only helped identify the real criminals, but even got them punished publicly while getting the burden off of your and Lia''s shoulders. And because of that, you also triggered two more rewards including double points and an extra lifeline."


    Zion nodded and closed the dashboard before focusing on the system expressionlessly and said, "So, I can purchase high-grade magical tools, right?"


    When the system heard that, he instantly nodded and said, "Of course! But I wouldn''t advise you on that because you can get more benefits once you reach a milestone."


    A milestone. Zion''s mind went back to the time when 007 had been explaining everything, and still hadn''t told him a thing about the milestone. He frowned and said, "You haven''t told me about it yet."


    "I didn''t tell you?" The system thought for a while and nodded. "Okay, nevermind then. I''ll tell you now. A milestone is a thousand points, and after reaching it, you will get the rewards for reaching a milestone, which is powering up! That''s right! As an upgraded system, I''ll help you power up, and make your body more strengthened! You''re gonna be so powerful that you can''t even imagine! I-"


    "The process!" Zion interrupted the system''s blabbering words and said, "What''s the process of powering up?"


    "Well, I''ll tell you in the future. For now, just consider that you''ll be able to power up every time you reach a milestone. So, host, it is absolutely necessary for you to save your points!"


    Zion nodded and opened the shop without any delay. His first thought at this point was to find something that could help him escape with Lia, or if not, he at least wanted to put a surveillance camera here to keep an eye on Lia''s situation until he could power up and come back to take Lia away.


    After searching the miscellaneous items section for a long time, he finally found a few things that could be useful. For instance, he found a bomb kind of thing that can only be used once, and after using that, he could break the magical spells in that area. No matter how powerful the spell was, this bomb could break it easily, but the cost of this item was very high. It almost reached two milestones!


    He frowned as he continued to scan the area.

 Chapter 144 - Meeting Martin!

    After searching the entire page for a long time, Zion still found nothing that could help him break away from the magical spell in the form of those butterflies. His glance swept toward those things flying above Lia''s sleeping face as he narrowed his eyes.


    These things could have been acting like a mechanism that would probably trigger an alarm to notify the queen that someone had disturbed the dhampir princess''s sleep. It was better not to go near them. Then to make sure that he wasn''t making any mistake, Zion didn''t even go out of his hiding place.


    He kept sitting behind the pillar where no butterfly could sneak a glance. But even after this, he failed to find a way to sneak Lia out. At last, he closed the shopping tab of the system and sighed. It seemed that the elf queen had thought of every possible outcome before putting Lia to an eternal sleep here in this room. Even Zion found it difficult to get the dhampir princess out of there.


    "Host, what do we do now?" The system could see a frown on the detective''s forehead at this time and immediately decided to try and find a solution. "We should just shake her awake! What''s the point of being so careful? There''s no evidence that those butterflies could notify the elf queen, right? Why are you being so careful?"


    "That''s because it''s the elf queen we are talking about. My intuition says that she''s not a person I can deal with even with all the brains I have. So I should listen to my intuition and stay away for the sake of both me and Lia. Although I don''t like her, I still don''t want to see her in danger." ion sighed. "After all, she''s my first martial arts teacher ever since I came into this world."


    "Then, what are you going to do now?" The system tilted his head as his long hair fluttered as a gust of wind passed through him. That was when Zion noticed a new feature of a live wallpaper on the screen with trees filled with pink flowers, birds flying in the sky, and even an open space where 007 was standing in his ancient Chinese robes.


    Zion directly ignored such a scene and closed his eyes as he leaned against the pillar. "I''ll rest for a while."


    ***


    Just like that, another day passed by. Zion purchased energy pills to keep his body up to date. The next morning, the elf queen came as usual at the same time as the day before and glanced over at Lia''s sleeping face before turning around to leave. This puzzled Zion the most.


    Why was this elf queen coming here every day to take a look at the dhampir princess? Could it be that she was here to keep an eye on Lia? But according to what he had deducted, those butterflies should be doing the duty of keeping an eye on Lia. So why was this elf queen coming here every single day to sneak a glance at the sleeping dhampir princess?


    Could there be a way to hack into the magical spell to sneak Lia out? Zion''s imagination went wild at this moment. He even imagined himself creating an illusory image on the bed while sneaking out with Lia, away from the elf kingdom.


    But after thinking for a moment, he still couldn''t find out what he should do. First, even if he were to create an illusory image, he would still need magic to hack into the spell. It wasn''t any technological aspect where he could type in the code to hack into the system. So for now, all he could do is think about powering up and pray that the elf queen wouldn''t do anything to Lia until then.


    A deep sigh escaped his lips as he made his way out of this secret room. He walked far behind the elf queen so that the latter couldn''t notice that there was a person following her. And he also wore the invisibility cloak on his head to make sure that he could stay hidden in front of this queen.


    In the end, Odina still couldn''t find out the existence of Zion inside the chamber.


    After leaving the area, Zion made his way out of the palace. He also changed back into his original human form when he was at the border of the kingdom. It took him a few days, but he was able to cross the border easily without encountering any trouble.


    Of course, changing back into his human form was risky enough, but Zion was still able to escape. He didn''t want to purchase a new identity since all of his previous identities had become invalid because he already passed the case. Since he was still wearing the elf''s identity until the end, it helped him escape the area where his human face was still popular.


    When he came out of the elf kingdom and entered deeper into the forest, he sighed in relief.


    Finally! He was out of that hellish place! And this time, he wouldn''t even have to see Lia''s face, and he could do whatever he wanted! He even had his system with him who hadn''t gone to an upgrade!


    Freedom was the best thing he got ever since he transmigrated in this world!


    Just as he was thinking about what he should do with his newfound freedom, he heard a familiar voice that he hadn''t heard for a long time.


    "You''re her highness'' human slave, aren''t you?"


    Zion froze and turned back swiftly to find a man with half red and half green eyes mounted on his horse in the middle of the narrow path surrounded by trees.


    It was Martin, a soldier, who was tasked himself by the dying dhampir king, Rhesus, to follow Lia Vanne to death.


    Zion''s eyebrows raised momentarily before he changed his expressions to a docile and frightened human servant. Then he let out a sob while covering half of his face with his palms. He acted so pitifully that even Martin, who was on the horse, frowned and paused for a moment as if he were giving Zion a chance to calm down.


    After a while, Zion took a deep breath and said in a hoarse voice, "Her Highness¡­.Her Highness is locked by that damned elf queen!"


    Martin''s eyes widened at that. Lia''s hatred toward the elf queen was well-known in the dhampir kingdom. It wasn''t like the dhampir princess had hated Odina all her life. It wasn''t like that before, but for some reason, Lia started hating the elf queen and refused to give the woman a face. No one knew when Lia started hating the elf queen, but it had become a well-known fact within the matter of a few weeks!


    And now that the elf queen locked Lia up, Martin could feel that there might be a hidden history between the two that had led the elf queen to act like this. Perhaps Lia ended up provoking Odina somehow in anger and the latter couldn''t help but lock her up.


    The more Martin thought about this, the more he felt like this was probably the case. Otherwise, who would tell him why the heck did that elf queen locked her highness in the cell?


    At this time, Martin''s lips pursed as he looked at the human servant. "Tell me everything."


    Zion nodded and did tell him everything, minus the fact that he was the one who had changed into an elf child to capture the criminals. The only thing he told was the fact that how the dhampir princess and he both ended up becoming a part of a crime they didn''t even commit, and later, they found out how it was all a conspiracy planned perfectly by the criminals Arnold and Carol together.


    After finishing up with the entire story, Martin nodded and thought for a while, and then he looked back at the elf kingdom and said, "So according to all of the elves, her highness has already gotten her reward and escaped, right?"


    Zion nodded as he wiped nonexistent tears from his face.


    "Then, how did you figure out that her highness was still locked up?"


    "I followed the queen." Zion sniffed and pretended to be naive and innocent. "I had doubts about her anyway since I couldn''t find my master no matter what. I didn''t want my hunch to be true, but after following the queen, I found my master in a deep sleep." Then more tears fell from his eyes as if he were very troubled by memory and said, "There were magical butterflies above the master''s face! After seeing that, I didn''t dare to even go near her highness and decided to find some help." Then he looked at Martin as he wiped his face. "Please, save my master!"


    Martin''s face paled when he heard the words ''butterflies'' flying above Lia''s face. "Are you sure they were butterflies?"


    Zion nodded. He couldn''t help but feel that Martin perhaps knew about these butterflies.


    And he was right. The next few words that the man said proved the detective''s hunch was correct.


    "Those are created using an ancient spell by the elves! These butterflies shower sleeping powder over the person''s face, and if disturbed, the spell caster would be notified. Damn that elf queen! I never thought she would be so vicious!"

 Chapter 145 - Potentia Kingdom!

    Zion didn''t comment on it and pretended to be frightened in front of Martin. He didn''t want to lay out his cards just yet before this unknown man because he still didn''t know whom he could trust. Lia was an exception since she was his first teacher, but even she wasn''t included in his scheme. He could have told her about the existence of the system and how he had transmigrated in this world from a place filled with only humans.


    But he still didn''t trust anyone. You could say he was having trust issues at this time, but what could he do other than being cautious? It wasn''t like he could tell the world that he, being a human, had a supernatural thing installed in his mind. Others might think of him as a fool who didn''t know anything better.


    And even if others believed his words, he wasn''t sure whether they would covet his system or not. Of course, even if someone wanted to use him, he wouldn''t let that happen anyway, but this step was just a precautionary measure that he wanted to use to make sure that he could survive without any efforts.


    That was why it was better at this point to pretend to be a naive human being who was so weak that he could just die without any help.


    And sure enough, even Martin didn''t doubt the human standing in front of him.. He even had a trace of sympathy in his eyes as he stared at the human in front of him.


    When Zion saw that his little acting skills were working on the man in front of him, he smiled in secret and continued to sob as if he had just witnessed a very drastic scene that made him react like this.


    Martin finally sighed and patted his back as he said, "Don''t worry. We will save your master. And since you are her highness''s slave, I won''t treat you without any respect. You''ll forever be her servant, not mine. So you''ll be free to make your decisions."


    That''s right. Even the servants of the people belonging to the high-class society had better standing. The king''s slave was only the servant of the king, and not anyone else. That meant, anyone else didn''t have the authority to order that particular servant around for their benefit.


    This was why there was competition even among the servants whenever the people belonging to the high-class society wanted a servant.


    Zion was just lucky that he was already Lia''s servant, who was the only daughter alive of Rhesus. So he wasn''t surprised when he heard those words from Martin''s mouth. He nodded and wiped his face and said, "Thank you, sir."


    "Call me Martin." The man waved his hand and smiled. "I can tell that we have a long way to go." Then he paused and thought for a while before asking, "What''s your name though?"


    Even though the servants were given a number, they also had their own names, just no one cared to ask them about it. So when Martin asked this kind of question, Zion was first surprised because he hadn''t told his name to anyone ever since he came into this world. Not even Lia cared about asking him and kept calling him ''servant'' all day long.


    "Zion." He decided that he should just stick to his real name this time since Martin was currently in his team.


    The man in front of him nodded and said while mounting his horse, "Let''s go. Climb behind me and hold tight. I have decided that we''ll try to find help in the nearest kingdom." Then Marin scoffed when he thought of the elf queen. "It''s not like anyone will be ready to go against the elves at this time. They are the super races among all the races across the world. No one wants to make them their enemies."


    After saying this, he gestured to Zion to hop on, and they both embarked on their journey. None of them said another word, and even Zion got busy talking to his system.


    007 was standing in front of a screen and tilted his head in confusion. "What the heck are you talking about?"


    What Zion was talking about? It had been half an hour ever since Martin started galloping on the horse, and since then, Zion had been asking the system about one simple thing. "I''m asking you about the next case! Can''t you understand this?"


    The system became even more confused. "That''s what I''ve been telling you all this time! The next case will be available shortly! Why don''t you have even a little bit of patience?"


    Zion rubbed his forehead. He was starting to get a migraine because of his system. "Didn''t you just get the notification about the next case?!"


    "I did!" The system huffed angrily and crossed his arms on his chest. "That''s what I''m telling you! It''ll be available shortly! That''s what the message said!" The system''s eyes narrowed at his host. "Are you really a detective? Why aren''t you acting like one?"


    Zion''s face was filled with black lines hearing this. "Didn''t you just say that you received another message? I was asking about that!" He sighed and shook his head. "Nevermind. Tell me about it when you actually want to! Go away."


    007 opened his mouth as he wanted to say something, but decided against it. After arguing with the host for half an hour, even the system felt like his energy had been sucked away! "Whatever." After saying this, he left the scene, and the vision in front of Zion finally cleared up.


    They were still traveling in the forest at a mild pace. But he could see small houses at the corner of the street. They looked more like houses that belonged to small people. His brows furrowed when he saw that.


    Just then, he heard the man driving the horse from the front. "Get ready. We''re going to approach the border soon."


    Zion looked at the small houses that seemed as if they came straight out of the movie ''Lord of the rings'' as he glanced around. He had a hunch about where exactly they were going. So he didn''t bother asking about where they were and instead nodded while glancing around.


    Soon, they reached the border of this new kingdom. There was a huge boundary wall filled with spikes at the top and an iron gate without any bars. That means, no one could see what was on the other side of the boundary wall. Of course, if you happened to be as big as Titans, you could actually look at the things inside the boundary wall.


    Martin stopped his horse and tied it to the nearest tree. Then he walked toward the big iron gate that reminded Zion of prison houses in his world. The soldier tapped on the gate with his knuckles and waited.


    "Yes?" A deep voice spoke from the inside.


    "I want to have a meeting with his majesty under the name of King Rhesus from the Vanne Kingdom."


    The man inside unlocked the door and stepped aside. When Zion heard that voice, he felt like the man inside would be a giant. But when the door finally opened, he saw a small man wearing an iron helmet and a spear in his hand. He looked up with a grave expression on his face and stabilized the helmet on his head before saying, "Welcome to the Potentia Kingdom."


    This was the Potentia kingdom, filled with dwarfs. Zion looked at the little man in front of him in wonder. The voice of the man was so huge and bold that he didn''t think the man inside saying those words would end up showing himself like this. He remembered how he had observed the elves'' powerful demeanor and their world until now, and he didn''t think he would be surprised after seeing them.


    But after seeing this small man in front of him, Zion felt the urge to laugh. Such a small man with a huge voice. People from his world would laugh aloud at this. He suppressed his laughter and coughed before averting his eyes.


    He was just a human in this world. So he would have to be careful not to offend anyone around here. After all, the humans weren''t welcome here, and he knew perfectly well that even the dwarfs didn''t keep the humans in the eye. He had seen the way this dwarf soldier had looked at him. He could remember a disdainful look in the soldier''s eyes just now.


    So that meant this Potentia kingdom also had human servants, and dwarfs didn''t like them that much.


    Martin showed his badge and said with a smile on his face, "Can we enter?"


    The small man nodded and stepped aside.


    After the two of them entered the door, they felt like they entered another world. Up until now, they had seen greenery everywhere, but now, they could see houses and things made out of stones and bricks almost everywhere. Wherever Zion looked, all he could see were dwarfs with hammers hitting the stone blocks on the ground. There were even a few dwarfs walking down the road with humans in tow while others were entering shops and restaurants.

 Chapter 146 - Meeting The King!

    After watching the scene, Zion ended up concluding that the dwarfs were good at building things. It was clear after seeing the buildings at the corner of the street on either side of them. The architectural quality of the buildings was so good that a normal person would keep staring at the structures for the entire day, and not get tired!


    Even a small shop proved to be good-looking because of all the carved designs. They all had either flower carved on the surface, and some even had dancing humans, animals, and even scenes depicted on the walls. Zion almost felt like he had stepped into some ancient place where things were filled with different interesting carvings.


    He was pleasantly surprised by the many beautiful buildings around here. It reminded him of those ancient historical sites that had beautiful carvings. Dwarves had been similarly good at all of it, and he could tell that they were excellent architects just by looking at their work.


    Martin''s voice echoed in the background. "The dwarves weren''t always the architects. They were commoners when the war hadn''t happened yet."


    Zion raised his brows when he suddenly realized that this man was talking about the time when the war hadn''t happened between the people of different races.


    The dhampir soldier continued. "They didn''t have any distinct quality that could separate them from others, but during the war, the first king of the dwarves showed immense talent at building things. Whether it was an aircraft for the elves to fly while channeling energy, or something else, the dwarves excelled at everything. So after the war, the dwarves signed a peace treaty, but at the same time, they also secretly decided to sell their services to survive in this world. Typically, they made architecture their brand."


    Zion nodded at this new information and didn''t say anything else. After this, neither of them conversed, and Martin led them in a carriage that was driven by the horses. Even though the dwarves looked like they were small humans, the horses were of the bigger size. So it was difficult for the dwarves to walk around riding a horse. Unless it were a smaller-sized thing, the dwarves liked to travel inside the carriage.


    At this moment, Martin and Zion found a carriage, and the two of them sat behind it after asking permission of the owner. Then, they traveled from the border city toward the main city of this kingdom. On the way, they were able to witness many things, and one of the prominent aspects that attracted the detective''s attention was the theatre show all across the kingdom.


    Every city had a theatre group of their own, and they would perform some historical events. Sometimes, he would even see some little dwarves dressing up as elves and other beings he hadn''t met yet for the sake of the storyline. Since they were still traveling, Zion couldn''t see the drama that was performed at the latest theatre group they witnessed at the corner of the street.


    After what felt like hours, they finally reached the main city. It had been half a day since they traveled with the help of the carriage at medium speed. After reaching the main city, both of them got off the carriage and headed straight toward the office. Both Martin and Zion knew why they had come to this city in the first place: To get as much help as they could to rescue the dhampir princess.


    Of course, Zion''s motive was a bit different, but superficially, he still looked like he wanted to rescue Lia who was still sleeping in that secret room back then. He did want to save her in a way, but his first priority was to solve the cases and think of his survival.


    After a long time of walking, waiting, more walking, more waiting, they finally ended up meeting the official in the courtroom that was in charge of seeing the cases Martin and Zion were travelers, the officials gave them the first priority this time. So that was how they ended up meeting the officials within just forty-eight hours.


    After that, Zion managed to stand in the background while letting the dhampir soldier do all the work. At this time, he just wanted to let Martin move around in this city until he could figure out what would be the next case. The system still hadn''t initiated any notification to him, which means he hadn''t stepped into the scene of the crime yet.


    But Zion still couldn''t lower his guard just yet. His glance darted toward the dwarf that had just entered the scene. At this moment, they were sitting inside a room with paintings on the wall. This room had a table at the center while they were both sitting down on the ground. Even the clothes that the dwarf official wore seemed similar to that of an ancient Chinese man who looked small.


    The man sat in front of Martin and bowed before saying, "Have you had refreshments yet?"


    Martin smiled and nodded before returning that bow respectfully. "Yes, thank you for your hospitality."


    "My pleasure." The dwarf smiled and said, "What brings you here, gentleman?"


    "Actually, we need to have an audience with the king. This is an urgent issue."


    After hearing those words, the man''s expressions changed multiple times before he forced a smile and said, "The king is busy. If you have anything else, please do tell us."


    Martin shook his head and said, "No, I only wanted to see the king for an urgent issue. There''s nothing anyone can do except for him."


    The dwarf looked like he was in a dilemma. His lips pursed as if he were thinking about something then he sighed softly and said, "To be honest, the king isn''t available right now. He''s kind of busy with¡­.official things."


    Zion noticed this unusual pause that the man-made and narrowed his eyes. It seemed that this official dwarf was almost embarrassed after mentioning how the king was busy. But why would someone be embarrassed while mentioning their king unless¡­.


    Before Zion could finish his thoughts, Marti stood up and said, "Then, we will come back again."


    The official''s shoulders that had relaxed tensed again at Martin''s words. Then he waved his hand and said hurriedly, "No need. You can enjoy our best hotel for free for an entire week! Just don''t ask about his majesty. We will inform you once he''s available!"


    Then, the dwarf literally escaped the scene with an awkward expression on his face.


    Interesting. It seemed that the king of dwarfs wasn''t a good person, and often seemed to be doing time pass in the name of official work. And it also seemed that this official knew all about the things the king was busy with, and that was what made him embarrassed. Zion ended up concluding with this theory behind the dwarf official''s behavior. Otherwise, why would he become embarrassed once Martin mentioned a word about meeting the king? It couldn''t be that the king had died all of a sudden and this dwarf was trying to cover up the traces of the murder, could it?


    It would be too absurd if this were the criminal case, but Zion didn''t think so. He merely thought that the king of dwarfs was just a lazy person who didn''t want to do anything useful all day long.


    When the two of them walked out, Martin sighed and said, "I just knew this would happen. We shouldn''t have come here to see the king of dwarfs. That guy has a foul image spread across the kingdoms of the world."


    Zion raised his brows. So it looked like his hypothesis was correct. Still, he pretended to be surprised and asked with a hint of curiosity in his voice, "What do you mean by that?"


    "Zion, you see, not all the kings are like the late his majesty. And not everyone is as diligent as her highness, Lia Vanne." Martin sighed again and said, "The king of dwarfs is famous for being notorious. On one hand, he would use the powers at his hand for wrongdoings, and on the other hand, he would play with girls of all races. If the officer says that the king is busy, I can almost imagine him spending his time watching a bunch of girls from foreign kingdoms dancing in front of him."


    "Then, what should we do?" Zion asked tentatively. He didn''t want to leave just yet, not without knowing what his first case was!


    Martin''s lips pursed as he thought for a while then he sighed again for the third time. "We''ll spend a few days here. I''ll look for the king again. If he still hasn''t come to his senses, we will leave." He paused and looked at the sky. To be honest, I came here to this kingdom because the king of dwarfs was easier to manage as compared to others. But we don''t have all the time in the world. So if the king doesn''t see us on an urgent basis within a week, we will have to leave this place."

 Chapter 147 - The Dramatic Case!

    Zion and Martin wandered around the street and ended up standing in front of a theatre show that was just going to start. There was a stage on the side of the street as the curtains of this small stage were down. Many dwarfs were bustling around in that area as they stood straight as if they had long been waiting for the opportunity to watch the show.


    Dwarfs around Zion chatting amongst themselves while waiting for the curtains to rise. None of the dwarfs standing in front of Martin and Zion seemed to have noticed that two travelers had also joined the scene to watch the show.


    "When will it start?" One of the dwarf kids whined as he pouted and looked up at his father''s face, whose height was also small as compared to Zion and Martin. "I wanted to see the show! I have been waiting for this since forever!"


    The father beside him who was holding the child''s hand gently patted his son''s head and said with a smile on his face, "It''ll be, my little one. Why don''t you have this candy until then?"


    When the child saw the candy in the man''s hands, his eyes lit up. He instantly took the candy away and sucked it in his mouth. "Thanks, dad~"


    The father who managed to coax his child relaxed his shoulders and turned toward the crowd. Then a frown crossed on his forehead as he opened his mouth and said to the dwarf standing on the other side of him. "When the heck will it start? The time for the show to commence has gone already for the past five minutes! They used to be so punctual. Did something happen today?"


    The dwarf beside him shrugged. "Who knows? I have heard that the actor was late this time. I heard several actors and actresses scolding a man there. I''m assuming the man being scolded was perhaps the main actor for this show. I remember seeing his face last time I attended this show."


    The father frowned at this and asked, "Is he always so late? This is the first time I''m attending this show. Didn''t they change the actor because of his attitude?"


    A bitter smile formed on the other dwarf''s face. "Since you hadn''t attended the previous show, you probably don''t know. They had managed to find another actor to frighten the main actor back then, but things didn''t go too well. The main actor started a fistfight with the new actor. The poor actor had left the scene with his bloody nose! The organizers of the show scolded the main actor badly, but the man was as arrogant as ever! It didn''t seem like he listened to those words! For the entire time, the main actor was standing in a dazed condition." The dwarf shook his head and sighed. "None of us could watch the show back then, and as compensation, the organizers gave us a free ticket to this show. So technically, I''m just here to freeload."


    The father grimaced as he heard those words, and sighed in relief. "It was good that I didn''t come here with my son back then. Otherwise, I was doomed to follow around my depressed son who didn''t get to watch that show. It''s based on his favorite story!"


    "You''re not alone, man. Even my son likes the show. It''s based on our history, after all!"


    Zion had no intention to hear this conservation, but he didn''t have a choice. He yawned as he waited for his system to release a notification or something about the case that could possibly be given to him this time. Just when he thought he would spend the rest of the day doing nothing, the system released a ''ding'' noise in his mind. Then 007 popped out in his ancient Chinese getup and said with an excited expression on his face, "The case is here! The notification said that you''ll be given the contents of the case soon enough, and this time, the contents will also include the goal of this case! Host, you don''t have to worry about it anymore!"


    The detective''s expressions didn''t change, but he became more cautious. His narrow eyes glanced around at the dwarf citizens that had gathered around him and then he looked at the stage. He had a feeling that this time, the case would have something to do with the stage in front of him.


    Otherwise, why would the system pop out a notification just as he stood near this stage?


    Soon, the curtains opened as a dwarf dressed in red from head to toe stood at the center of the stage with a piece of megaphones in his hands. He took a deep breath and said in a loud voice, "Welcome to the East-West Theatre! This time, the manager has designed a surprise for ya all! Guess what it is? Yes! You have guessed it right! The show this time will present not only the most important event during the war between the humans and other races but also how the peace treaty came into existence! Are you surprised? Are you excited?"


    The crowd cheered at those words as they looked enthusiastically at the man dressed in red-colored robes.


    Zion raised his brows as he stared at the stage with curious eyes. Even though he had heard enough about this supposed war between the humans and other races, this was the first time he was going to see a drama about it. But¡­.


    His glance swept across the crowd as he frowned. Something was going to happen today, and he was sure of it since the system said that he would give him the notification of the next case soon enough.


    Then, the man speaking with a megaphone bowed and moved aside. Soon, the small stage was swept by many little dwarfs wearing strange dresses, but Zion could easily tell that every single one of them acted like the leader of their respective races.


    One of them was wearing long ears and long dresses, and Zion identified that person as the representative of the elves. From what he had heard, this war should be of the time before Odina''s generation. So it was possible that the dwarf acting like an elf in front of him became that elf queen''s father.


    At this time, all of the elves had a sword in their hands, but Zion still couldn''t tell who was the main character among these. He was confused about how there could possibly be only one main character among these people when there were so many leaders going against the possibly ''harmful'' human race?


    Soon enough, he found the answer to his questions. A dwarf dressed in the servant''s robes came forward. With his head bowed down. Before he came on the stage, all the leaders from different races were fighting with the humans dressed in servant''s robes. The actors probably wore servant robes to make sure that the viewers could identify the ones acting as humans easily.


    But things became even quieter when a particular servant came forward with his head bowed down. He fell on his knees as he cried with all his heart. Tears streamed down his eyes as he looked at the leaders of other races. "Oh Godly kings, what have I done to see this face of humanity? I''m begging you for mercy! Please, have compassion for us. You have already defeated us all, but why bent on destroying all the humans? Please, have some mercy!"


    The humans who were fighting with other races got angry at those words. They threw their swords on the ground and said in an angry tone, "Are you for real? You were supposed to lead us in the absence of the king of all humans! But here you are, acting like a coward. If we really fight with all we have, we can win this fight! We can get them out of our lands, and get back our kingdom!"


    "Have you been living with them for so long that you have forgotten that you are a human?" Another human soldier spat at the main character in anger and said, "As a human, you should be ashamed to fall back just because the leaders of other races said they would kill every remaining mortal human! Like hell they could! Let''s see how they could kill us! I, William, will fight with these b*stards to death!"


    After that, all the humans seemed to have been supercharged, and they started fighting again.


    But the man on his knees cried and screamed. "Stop! Have you all gone blind or what?! We have wronged other races! It''s all our fault for being in this situation! And you all still have the face to act righteously?! Where''s your integrity?! Wake up, will you? All the humans have gone insane in the name of power, but I, Stewart, the general from the East, will take the command position as the leader of the humans in the absence of the king, and make an oath right here, right now!" Then he used his sword to make a slash on his finger and tapped it on the ground with a fierce expression on his face. "As long as I''m alive, or as long as my descendants are alive, none of the humans can wrong other races anymore!"


    Just as he said this, the humans stopped fighting and glared at the man kneeling on the ground. Then, one of the humans couldn''t take it anymore and charge at the man kneeling on the ground with his sword. Then he thrust his sword on the man''s chest and said, "Then, go and die!"


    Blood came out of the wound, and it almost seemed real.. Zion, who was watching this drama with interest, frowned and his expressions changed when the dwarf acting as the kneeling man, fell on the ground with a thud and refused to get up.

 Chapter 148 - Your Majesty Is Here!

    Zion and Martin stared at the stage in surprise, and the dhampir soldier''s face was covered with traces of shock as he glanced at the blood that flooded out of the wound on the dwarf''s chest. The person who just acted as a human being who had signed a peace treaty between the humans and leaders of other races died just like that without even knowing who killed him.


    Or maybe he was aware of the fact that someone was after him. Zion''s brows furrowed when this thought popped up in his mind. Just then, he heard a ''ding'' sound going off in his mind. The system popped out of his head and glanced at his host with a wide smile on his face. "Host~"


    "Cut the crap and tell me the details." Zion didn''t have any patience to deal with this system at the moment. There was already a dead body in front of him that was calling out to him. If this murder situation ended up being the case the system assigned to him, Zion would surely look at the dead body of that dwarf carefully before anyone could touch it.


    The system sighed and opened the notification. Then he clicked the topmost option available as he turned toward his host and said in a tone dripping with pride, "I told you that I''ll give you the details of the case soon, didn''t I? Now, get ready to find out the details that the higher-ups sent me about this. The new update is so awesome! You know, host, you don''t even have to-"


    "The details, system." Zion rubbed the bridge of his nose and said in a tired voice, "Give me the damn details!"


    007 nodded and reluctantly shut up his mouth. He didn''t want to make his host angry, after all. So after pulling out the details, he posted the small window in front of Zion''s eyes as the man walked up to sit at the top of it while dangling his legs in the air. Then he pointed at the things written down. "Look carefully, host. You''ll find out new surprising information to help you with the case."


    Zion glanced at the small window. There were three points mentioned:


    The case: This case is about the murder of an actor working in the East-West drama company organized by the dwarfs of the main city.


    The goal of this case: Find out who killed the murderer and bring him to light.


    Rewards: 500 points with extra benefits of doubling the points if the host is able to complete the side missions.


    "Side missions?" Zion tilted his head and glanced at the system. "You never told me that I''d have to do side missions too."


    The system coughed awkwardly and said, "You''ll have side missions like helping an old lady in the passing, or helping a commoner find a thief. I''m not sure yet, but I''ll inform you whenever something like that comes up! There''ll be a notification for sure. Of course, you''re not entitled to take up the side missions, but I would encourage you to do so because it can increase your points to a millennium! You can directly obtain a thousand points in your account and get a chance to increase your power level for the next case! Don''t you want to become powerful? Huh?"


    Zion rubbed his forehead as he glanced at the ranting system and said in an exhausted voice, "Alright. Now go away. I need to concentrate on this case." Then he paused as if he just thought of something and continued. "Is there a time limit?"


    "Not that I know of¡­." The system trailed the words and shook his head. "If I get that information, I''ll surely tell you about it!" Then the system looked around and said in a sneaky voice, "Is this case also related to a beautiful little dwarf?"


    Zion rolled his eyes. He could imagine what this stupid system must be thinking at this moment.


    Sure enough, 007 started rambling once again about the beauty of ladies, especially Odina''s in the previous case. "Host, you had started the previous case without my consent, but of course, I''ll forgive you for this since it was an emergency, but this time, you cannot stop me from observing a beautiful young lady with my own eyes! I still miss that beautiful and elegant queen of the elves, you know? She''s a cold ice beauty! I really want to see her using magical spells and stare deep into her glowing eyes. She''s so beautiful that I don''t think I can find anyone as good as her~"


    "Shut up." Zion rubbed his forehead and refused to look at the system anymore.


    007 pouted and went back into hiding.


    Finally, the vision in front of him cleared up. The body was still lying dead on the ground. There was a commotion around the place as people started rushing here and there, but they still couldn''t get out because the officials had arrived and refused to let anyone get out of this theatre.


    All the commoners who had dared to attend this show withered in response. Just why did they have to attend this show today out of every day? They were now stuck with a dead body! They didn''t know what the king would do now!


    Soon enough, a dwarf wearing dragon robes shone brightly in red and yellow colors with shades of gold at the edges. The man walked toward the dead body and looked at it with curious eyes. Then his expressions changed to disdain as he turned toward the crowd and said, "Ladies and gentleman, I know the murderer might be among you guys. So I have to stop you from leaving this place for the next two days!"


    The entire crowd of commoners wailed at that sentence. Some of the daring ones stepped forward to bow before the man with a red and yellow dress and said, "Your majesty, why must you keep us waiting here at this place? Most of us are commoners who have ordinary jobs. We can''t afford to spend our precious time here."


    Other dwarfs standing among the crowd nodded. Even the father earlier who was holding a child''s hands came forward and said in a pleading tone, "Your majesty, my son has his school tomorrow. You can''t really expect us to spend the entire time here. Surely, my son couldn''t have killed the main actor. You can take me in custody instead, but let go of my son!"


    The person who was just called ''your majesty'' by several people was indeed the king of dwarfs. He was a middle-aged dwarf who liked to wear attractive and bright clothes to show off his beauty and wealth. He was the type of guy who would end up doing anything for the sake of his image and pleasure. He was a very selfish and greedy person and the type of king who would end up sending the entire kingdom to its doom once it''s attacked.


    And now, such a king was being requested by the commoners of his main city again and again that they wanted to leave. He got a headache after listening to these words. He rubbed the bridge of his nose as he let out a shout. "Shut it!"


    He already didn''t want to handle such a thing, but if he ignored such a murder case that had happened in the broad daylight, he would be taken down from the throne by the official ministers in his cabinets! And he didn''t want that! He was very satisfied to become a king. Many people would offer him ladies to make him feel pleased. He would play with a new lady every hour without getting tired.


    So why would he make a mess just because of a murder case that had occurred in his kingdom? He wanted to deal with this as soon as possible to pose himself as a caring and wonderful king of the dwarfs! But these citizens were making things equally difficult for him! He gritted his teeth and glared at all of them before opening his mouth. "If any of you utter a single word against my command, I''d send ya all to jail for defying your king''s orders!" Then he paused and glared again at everyone and said, "Now that you all know your place, standing there, or sit. Whatever. Just make sure not to leave until I say so!"


    After that, the king huffed and turned around. Just as he was about to go out of this damned place, Martin, who was also seething in anger after witnessing the king''s attitude, vented his anger at the dwarf king. "What a good king Potentia Kingdom has!" Martin mocked the king and sneered. "You really think suppressing the commoners like this will help you find the murderer? You, your majesty, are mistaken! Before you came and locked this entire place, many people had rushed here and there.. The real murderer might have escaped already in the commotion caused by the death of that dwarf, but you still want to take the easiest route. You''re really a brave man!"

 Chapter 149 - Dangerous Situation!

    The color of the dwarf''s face changed rapidly after hearing those words. Ultimately, his entire face became so red that smoke seemed to have been blowing out of his ears. He glared at the dhampir soldier standing in front of him and said in a voice laced with anger, "Do you know what you''re talking about? If you were a citizen of my kingdom, I''d have shut you inside the cell for talking to me like that!"


    But Martin was already furious after hearing how the king was too lazy to even solve a murder case. If the king weren''t that lazy enough, he wouldn''t have forced so many citizens to be locked up for two days straight! He could have sent out his soldiers in search of the real killer, and he could have done the investigation himself with a humble attitude!


    What was up with this man''s behavior? It wasn''t like there was some other pressing matter than the murder case! Martin''s expressions darkened when these thoughts popped up in his mind. He glared at the king and said, "Do you have any shame? The innocent people are suffering here, you''re just trying to minimize your work! What if someone had waged a war against your kingdom?! Huh? What would you do at that time?"


    "Oh, now I know why you guys decided to come to my kingdom and demanded a meeting with me. You wanted to attack us, didn''t you?! I should''ve known that all the Dhampirs are backstabbers!!" Just as he said that he turned toward his soldiers and said in an angry tone, "Guards, capture them!"


    "Humph, your majesty, you just know how to blame others once they point fingers at your face!" Martin was too angry at this time to think of what he was saying. He pointed his finger at the man and said, "If you think you''re so great, then sure, lock us up, and try solving this case. I''d bet anytime that you''d end up missing out on who''s the real murderer because of your carelessness!" Martin scoffed and crossed hai arms on his chest. "And here I thought I''d ask for your help to save her highness!"


    "You!" The king was so angry that he wanted to spit blood on the spot. "How can you bunch of fools talk to me like that?! Don''t you know I''m the king here? Where''s your etiquette?!"


    "Can you just stop talking about etiquette?! There''s a murderer out there, and I believe he already left this area before you even came! And why won''t he leave huh? You arrived half an hour after the entire event! None of the guards were here to stop the audience from leaving!"


    "Fine!" The king laughed out loud in anger. "If you think you''re so great, why don''t you do me a favor and solve this case? I''ll give you a month! If you fail to find the murderer within that time limit, you''re dead! You hear me?! Dead!"


    After saying this, the dwarf king flicked his hair and walked off in anger. Even Martin was too angry. So he just glared at the king hatefully and left that place with Zion in tow.


    Zion didn''t think the situation would turn out to be like this. He was surprised to see that the king gave the dhampir soldier the authority to solve this case so easily! Didn''t that mean they could do whatever they wanted without fearing that the dwarfs would stop them? Even if they got one week to solve this case, it was more than enough!


    When the two of them finally end up going to a secluded place, Martin stopped all of a sudden as his entire body leaned against a tree. His eyes were wide in horror as he stared at Zion''s face in dismay. "What the heck did I do?!" He covered up his head in anxiety as if he had done something terrible enough to put his life in danger. "Did I really just argue with that stupid king of all people?! I should have known that things would end up like this! Why the heck did I even think I could argue without any consequences?! I''m gonna die now!"


    Zion pursed his and kept listening to the man ranting his heart out. He saw Martin sitting on the ground with his hand covering his head. Soon, big beads of tears fell from Martin''s eyes as he looked on the ground with his eyes wide open. "Zion, why didn''t you stop me?! I was talking nonsense just now with the king himself! I was angry because the king didn''t do his duty well enough. It''s like, the entire Vanne kingdom was in trouble, but the late his majesty did all he could to save the people who are still out there outside the borders of the kingdom! If it were this stupid king from Potentia kingdom, I know for sure that things would have gone down in the drain soon enough!"


    Zion kept watching as if he had no intention of stopping Martin''s ranting. He even crossed his arms and leaned against the tree to stare at the man on the ground expressionlessly.


    Martin didn''t look at the human''s expressions and continued to wail in dismay. "I have done a great sin! If I were really some great leader, I wouldn''t have chosen to argue with the king on a whim! Why the heck did the late his majesty entrust me with such a difficult and important task of following her highness and keeping her safe?! I just made a choice that could cost not only my life but even her highness''s servant! How could I have been so stupid?! I''m doomed! If the seniors back in the kingdom found out about my mistake, they would surely scold me for being so careless with my choices!"


    After wailing for what it felt like hours, the soldier finally calmed down and sat on the ground while leaning against the tree. He kept staring at the ground blankly as if he didn''t know what to think at this moment. Then he opened his mouth and said, "Zion, what do you think I should do? I''m clearly not a detective!"


    It was now that the soldier asked him this question that the human turned toward him and said, "I''ll help you."


    Martin waved his hand as if he were taking things for granted and said, "Sure. But what can you do anyway? You''re just a human!"


    It had been a misconception inside the minds of several people that humans didn''t have many brains, and they couldn''t do anything useful with their lives. So right now, even Martin thought about Zion like that. He didn''t think that this human could solve a case as hard as this one. In short, he took the humans for granted thinking they were all useless.


    Zion frowned when he heard those words. He felt a little uncomfortable after hearing that the image of humans was so bad in the minds of people from other races. His lips pursed as he parted his lips and said, "Well, you already know that we were facing some serious issues back in the elf kingdom, don''t you?"


    Martin nodded while still staring on the ground blankly. He didn''t want to think of anything at this moment. He was sure that he would die at any moment, and now that the king had declared with his own mouth that Martin would be solving this case within a month, the dhampir soldier didn''t have any other choice but to agree to that! Even if he planned to escape from this place, he knew that other dwarfs would stop him.


    He knew that along with great architecture, the dwarfs were also famous for being brutal while fighting their enemies. Even though the dwarfs didn''t use magic like the elves and the royals in the Vanne kingdom, the dwarfs knew how to use the tools in the best way possible. A knife would become a killing machine in the hands of a well-trained dwarf rather than an experienced soldier from any other kingdom. These people were masters of weapons.


    So it would just be suicide if Martin would go against these people alone just because of an argument.


    Then it meant he could only stay inside the borders of the Potentia kingdom, and force himself to solve this damned case within a month! But how could he do this?! He didn''t really have any detective bones in his body! In fact, if he were to try and solve any crime-related case, he knew that he might even end up messing things up in a terrible way! He had no confidence at all when it came to crime-solving things!


    So how could he not be sad and depressed after what happened just now?


    At this time, he didn''t think that a human could help him solve this case.


    Zion, who looked at the man''s expressions, shook his head and said, "What if I tell you I helped her highness to get out of that dangerous situation?"

 Chapter 150 - Ill Owe You One!

    Martin looked at Zion with a confused gaze. He had heard that her highness and this servant had fallen into a dangerous situation where they were blamed for the crime that they didn''t even commit. Of course, killing so many children was a serious crime in itself, but he still didn''t understand why even others would blame her highness. Was she too easy of a target for the criminals that they blamed it all on her shoulders?


    When he thought about it, he got furious. He wanted to find that criminal and glare at him with all his might, but since those killers already got their punishment, he relaxed a bit. But then again, why did the elf queen lock up her highness like this when it was proven that Lia Vanne hadn''t done anything? Even a rumor was spreading across the elf kingdom that her highness had left the kingdom with great rewards.


    Then he looked at the human servant in front of him and frowned. This human was also strange. He was able to follow that powerful queen without being noticed. Now that he thought about it carefully, this human did seem to have certain skills. Otherwise, how would he be able to follow Odina like that?


    So he looked at Zion and asked, "You did something to help her highness, didn''t you?"


    Zion looked at the sky and said in a low voice, "I typically helped her solve the case. If it were her highness alone, she would have been doomed with how her personality is!"


    Martin wanted to retort when Zion said something like this about her highness, but he couldn''t find anything wrong with those words. This human was right. The princess was someone who wouldn''t think before having a fistfight with anyone who dared to touch her bottom line. With how flicker her mood was, even Martin was sure that she wouldn''t have been even a little bit keen on solving this case. She would have instead had a fight with Odina in anger since her highness hated that elf queen.


    With how much Lia hated the elves, how could she even think about solving this case and finding the criminals for them? There had to be someone else who could lend her a helping hand. After thinking until this point, he glanced at Zion with squinted eyes and didn''t doubt the words that the human just said. If it were any other human, he would have doubted them since in his mind, the image of humans being useless had been stuck deep inside. It was probably that the entire world was now seeing the humans as slaves and servants that they couldn''t help but think that humans couldn''t do anything other than that. Such an image of humans was deeply ingrained in everyone''s minds.


    So Martin shouldn''t be blamed for pondering too much about how Zion had helped the princess in solving this case.


    After thinking about this, Martin''s shoulders relaxed, and then he said to the human in front of him. "Then help me solve this case. I''ll owe you one."


    Zion nodded. Even though he knew that he would have solved this case without being asked, this situation was still better since he could make use of Martin later. So he pretended to hesitate before nodding as he said, "Okay, I''ll help you for sure since we both want to save her highness, we will have to solve things here to save her as soon as possible."


    Martin''s shoulders relaxed, even more, when he heard this. Although he was still tense, he looked a lot better than a while ago when he was wailing in depression. It seemed as if he was finally motivated to solve this case, but he still didn''t trust Zion that much yet despite coming to the conclusion himself that Zion could be trusted. Perhaps this was because the image of humans being useless was deeply ingrained in everyone''s brains these days.


    After a while of silence, Martin got on his feet and said, "We should start the investigation."


    Zion nodded and thought for a while before suggesting. "Let''s get the list of all the people available among the audience."


    Martin also agreed with the same. So the two of them got to their work. First, they reached the theatre. The theatre was also similar to an auditorium that Zion had seen most of the time on Earth. There were multiple seats on the stairs and the stage was down. If the audience would sit on those seats, they could clearly see the stage just by looking a bit down from that height. This kind of arrangement worked best with the dwarfs who were naturally smaller than normal people from other races.


    Zion looked around the auditorium as he tried to remember what exactly had happened that day. The curtain was down, and people had crowded in here. Everyone was either sitting or standing, and Zion happened to be one of the people who came late with Martin. So they and other dwarfs were also standing way back at the auditorium. That father and son duo from back then were also the ones who stood among the crowd back then.


    He frowned when he thought of this. He could clearly remember that none of the people had come and stood among the common citizens. Even though he looked like he was just getting bored while hearing useless conservation about the actors, he was also very attentive. Being a detective, he had learned that he should be cautious and look through his surroundings carefully in any kind of situation. And since his memory was very good, he knew that no extra person had come out and joined the audience.


    So it might be that the killer probably wasn''t hiding among the audience. And he could tell that the person who had stuck the sword on the actor''s chest also didn''t have any intention of killing the poor dwarf. That person had fainted after seeing this scene and was locked up in the prison later by the king without verifying anything.


    But Zion knew that in situations like this, the person who accidentally killed a person only because a prop turned out to be real, the real murderer would always hide among the staff. His brows furrowed when he thought about it, and he turned toward Martin. "Let''s get a list of the staff members too."


    Although Martin didn''t know how Zion ended up coming to this kind of conclusion where he decided to get the list of staff members here, he was quite pleased by Zion''s behavior. After that, the two of them walked toward the office area that was in the backstage area and knocked on the door. This was the room of the manager who was working under this branch of East-West Entertainment.


    The door soon opened to reveal a middle-aged dwarf. One terrible thing about this Potentia kingdom was that the houses were small, and if they had to enter someone''s door, they would have to crouch a little while walking. That meant Zion''s back was bent at a forty-five-degree angle as he stood awkwardly there inside the office. Thankfully, the dwarf was careful enough to offer them a chair.


    As soon as Zion sat on the chair, he sighed in relief and stretched his neck for a little while before glancing at Martin as if indicating through his eyes that the man needed to fulfill his promise.


    Martin nodded and greeted the manager. "How have you been? I think you know very well why we''re here."


    Of course, the manager knew about it. He was also here when the argument between the king and this dhampir man had occurred. He knew well that these people were here to investigate this case, and he felt that he should be cooperative enough since he too wanted to find the killer. So before Martin could say anything else, he offered help from his side. "If you want anything from us, we will be cooperative." Then a bitter smile formed on his lips as he said, "To be honest, I prefer trusting a stranger than believing that his majesty would do something about this case. It has been a few years since this person took the throne after the previous king died of sickness, and since then, this strange king didn''t take any case seriously. None of the cases from the previous years are solved, and because of this, the crime has also increased in our city."


    Zion frowned at this. He had been hearing constantly that crime had increased in almost every kingdom nowadays. It almost seemed like someone was doing a puppet show here to deliberately increase crime across the world¡­.


    His frown deepened at this thought, but he didn''t want to share it with others. So he kept quiet.


    Martin didn''t notice this and smiled when he heard those words.. "Then you can help us by giving us the list of staff members in this branch, and the names of the audience that had entered this place back then."

 Chapter 151 - Finding Clues!

    The manager smiled and nodded. None of them saw Zion frowning at the back. Even though Martin''s world views had changed after seeing a human taking initiative to do the detective work, he still didn''t think that Zion would be smart enough to think to such an extent just by hearing the manager''s words.


    After getting the list, when Martin turned to see the human''s face that was frowning for some reason, he paused and called out to the person. Zion broke away from his thoughts and nodded before taking the scroll. He randomly went through the names.


    The manager who was sitting not too far away saw this exchange and felt uncomfortable in his heart. How could a dhampir willingly share the list with a human? After all, humans weren''t worth anything for even dwarfs. That was why, not many humans were available in this kingdom because dwarfs being smaller beings didn''t like it when they had to tilt their heads up to see the faces of their slaves. It was almost as if the humans looked down on them, and the dwarfs didn''t like it.


    But now when he saw how Martin treated the human he brought with him, he felt uncomfortable, and he couldn''t stop himself from saying, "Why did you give this list to others?"


    Martin was stunned when he heard those words, but he instantly recovered and smiled as he said the words that shocked everyone in the room, "He''s our official detective. Why won''t I give this to him?"


    Zion''s hands paused while turning the scroll. Ever since he had entered this world, the position of humans in the social group had always troubled him the most. Not only was it not comfortable, but it also felt that others looked down on him. It also made him lose some of his confidence while solving cases. Even though he was experienced, he was also a young man without much of life''s experience. So he was bound to feel a bit lonely and uncomfortable when everyone treated him as if he were a worthless slave who didn''t know anything.


    But now when he heard Martin''s words, he suddenly felt as if the weight from his shoulders was lifted. Then he didn''t pause, and kept turning the scroll.


    The manager, however, was so shocked after hearing those words that he widened his eyes and looked at the human who was busy turning the pages. He kept staring at the man unblinkingly before he realized that he was being rude. Then he lowered his head and coughed. This was the first time he had heard of such a thing. Wasn''t it common for the humans to become a slave and worthless beings according to the peace treaty the previous leaders had signed?


    Then how come there was a person who willingly gave a human such a position? Wasn''t this man afraid that he would be scolded by their king?! The manager didn''t understand, and thought that he had accidentally misunderstood Martin''s words. So he tentatively asked the dhampir soldier, "You mean this human''s master is the detective?"


    Martin shook his head. "His master is the princess of the Vanne kingdom. How can she be a detective? She''s rather a powerful warrior."


    No wonder this human could receive such a treatment. It turned out that his master''s position in the entire kingdom was also very high. After hearing this, the manager''s shoulders relaxed. But he still felt a little uncomfortable when he thought of how this human was treated nicely among dhampirs. So the dwarf coughed and said, "You guys can keep looking. I''ll head out first."


    Just as he was about to leave, Zion''s voice echoed in the room. "Manager, can you tell me who this man is?"


    The manager frowned when he heard the human calling him out like that. All the humans were supposed to be respectful to other races, but this human dared to talk to him like that! The manager''s mood became foul all of a sudden as he looked at Zion''s face with disinterest in his eyes. Then he casually glanced at the scroll and frowed when he looked at the name that Zion just points. He was surprised to see that Zion directly skipped the list of audience and went to find the staff members'' names.


    "That''s Leonardo Udinese. A new staff member we had just hired."


    Zion nodded and rapidly asked another question. "Where is he right now?"


    The manager frowned again in discomfort when he heard Zion talking to him like that. The human was so rude to him. When the manager looked at the human, the feeling of being displeased in his heart increased as his mood darkened again. He pursed his lips and replied in a rough harsh voice, "I haven''t seen him today."


    Zion nodded and returned back to the scroll while scanning the names with his eyes. He even acted as if he hadn''t heard the man''s rude voice. The manager became even more irritated when he saw this. He sneered and walked out of the room thinking how he should persuade the dhampir soldier to give Zion a punishment.


    Marton, who was watching this exchange, couldn''t help but clench his fist at how the manager sneered at the human. He had already acknowledged Zion as a smart human being, and was willing to give him a temporary high post to solve the case. Then why did other people have a problem with it? That dwarf even talked rudely with him!


    Just as he was thinking about how he could retaliate with the stupid manager, he heard Zion saying, "I don''t mind people talking rudely to me. You don''t have to put your relationship with others on stake just because they talked rudely to me. I know humans have always been like this, and I have grown up in this kind of situation. I''m already accustomed to it, so just do your thing, and don''t mind me."


    How could Martin not mind it? This human was the servant of her highness! And he deeply respected the girl with all his heart. How could he let others treat the servant of such a big personality badly?


    But when he saw Zion still looking at the scroll with an expressionless face, he curbed his despre to lash out on the man and took a deep breath as he said, "Did you figure out something?"


    "I believe Leonardo Udinese can be key to all our problems." Then Zion slowly closed the scroll and continued. "That man is the only one I suspect because he decided to vanish right after the main actor died. This scroll contains daily attendance, and he had joined just two days before the crime. So he''s most likely to be a suspect."


    Martin was surprised after hearing such a deep evaluation. He pursed his lips and nodded before getting up from his seat. "Then let''s try to find him."


    "Wait." Zion frowned again when he heard those words, and then he shook his head. "Don''t talk about that yet. We''ll follow the manager tonight."


    "Do you even suspect the manager?" Martin felt his body was being electrocuted again and again with surprising words that the human spoke.


    "No." Zion lowered his head and kept the scroll on the table before getting up himself. "I just have a hunch."


    After that, neither of them spoke anymore. When Zion finally came out of the auditorium, he sneakily left Martin''s side and hid behind one of the pillars at the side of the street. Martin frowned and also followed along. But before he could open his mouth, the human waved his hand and whispered, "Don''t say a word. Just follow me."


    They waited for a while silently behind the pillar, and then, when the manager walked out of the theatre gates, they silently followed the man. Before going, Zion turned his head and said in a low voice, "If you can''t follow silently, you need to stay here while I do the work."


    Martin felt slightly annoyed after hearing those words. What did the human mean that he needed to stay behind? Being a soldier, Martin knew how to scout! He could very well follow another person without even letting them know a little bit about it! "Let''s just go. Don''t speak nonsense."


    Zion shrugged and continued to walk forward as if he hadn''t said anything at all. After continuing to follow the dwarf for a while, they noticed that the manager stopped in front of a street before he glanced around.


    Martin and Zion instantly hid behind another stall for a moment. When they were sure that the manager entered the street, they followed him. Then they all saw him entering a shabby house whose front gate was a small door in the dark alley. Both a human and dhampir followed the man and stuck their ears against the door as if they were trying to hear what was going inside the room.


    "Master." They heard the dwarf manager''s voice all of a sudden that was serene and cold. "Where is Leonardo Udinese?"


    To their surprise, they heard an unfamiliar female voice echoing in the background from inside the door. "What has that got to do with you?"

 Chapter 152 - The Owner?!

    Zion and Martin kept hiding in that spot as they heard the duo speaking in an indifferent tone. It almost felt as if they didn''t know each other that well and weren''t familiar with each other, but they were still trying to have a professional relationship despite having to have deep hatred toward each other. He frowned when he saw this and continued to observe the surroundings inside that place.


    Even though it was dark, he didn''t care about it anymore. He was still curious about this strange case where an actor was murdered right in front of the eyes of the public. Why would someone do that? If it were in his world, if this case had occured back when he was on Earth, he knew that there would have been a few possibilities: first one would be that the girl was probably forcing the manager to act in a certain way to make sure that none of them could point fingers at her. And second one would be that there was probably some third party that was instigating the relationship between the manager and the girl, who seemed to be the leader of the theatre. Otherwise, why would this manager call this girl his master in a tone laced with fear?


    As he thought of this, he kept his ideas aside for now since he couldn''t think of anything to confirm his suspicion and focused on the scene at hand.


    At this time, the manager finally opened his mouth and asked in an irritated tone, "Master. Someone asked me about him."


    "Oh?" There was a touch of curiosity in her voice. "Why would they do that? That dwarf is a nobody that I had appointed temporarily. Since his work is finished, I told him to go back. Did I do something wrong?"


    Any onlooker would assume after hearing such a tone that this girl was rather innocent. But Zion knew that she was probably someone who had been good at showing off her acting skills. Or it was probably that she was actually innocent and the manager was just angry at her for some other reason.


    Zion''s lips pursed as he continued to think about this while listening.


    The manager, in the meanwhile, pursed his lips as if he were trying to hide the displeasure in his heart and said, "Master, do you remember what you had promised the leader back when you assumed the position of the co-partner?"


    The girl''s angry voice echoed from the inside. "The heck you are talking about! Didn''t I tell you not to say a single word about that person?! I don''t want to hear anymore!"


    Before the manager could say a single word, a vase came flying at his face as he moved his body to dodge the sudden attack. Then the female voice echoed from the room all over again. "Go away! You cheap manager! You''re useless!"


    The manager didn''t move and sighed before he picked up the fallen pieces of vase and placed them on the table beside him as he looked at the darkness looming before him. "Master. I just don''t want you to be in danger. That''s it. Make sure you don''t do anything too extreme, otherwise the authorities wouldn''t stop before tracking you down just like before."


    The female''s voice sounded from the inside as if she were irritated due to something. "Don''t you dare to remind me of that thing. I was stupid little girl, but now I have matured. Did you think I would repeat the same mistake?" She paused as if she just realized something and asked in a very irritated voice, "You don''t think I killed the main actor, do you?"


    The manager didn''t say a word, but his silence was the greatest answer she wanted to receive. After this, the woman got so angry that she wanted to hit the manager a couple of times. She threw another item, which was also a vase, at the manager. This time, the manager couldn''t dodge it on time and the item hit his face on the right. After this, he couldn''t stand on his feet anymore as he fell on back due to the sudden attack. Blood trickled down his cheeks, but his face didn''t hold a trace of surprise as if he were accustomed to facing such dangerous situations.


    After that, he calmly got up and wiped his face with a handkerchief and said, "Master. If you continue to be angry like that, I''m afraid your co-partner will find out about it. It''ll be troublesome if that person finds out about your existence."


    The female voice quietened down as if she were thinking about something. Zion thought that this girl was probably pondering over the words that the manager spoke just now.


    After that, he heard the female sighing, and she said, "Go for now. I''ll handle everything. When anyone asks about that worker, just tell them that he left the job suddenly. And that you don''t know his address."


    The manager lowered his head and said in a quiet voice, "Master, when will we get rid of the person who co-owns the theatre with you?"


    The woman inside suddenly let out a deep chuckle at these words as if she were totally amused by him. Then she said, "Soon. I have made my plans."


    After that, the manager didn''t say a single word and walked out of there before closing the door behind.


    Zion gestured to Martin to follow him. This time, they didn''t go back to the place where the manager was heading to, instead, they went back to the inn they had booked. Martin and Zion entered their rooms and closed the door behind before exchanging a glance.


    Martin sat on the bed with a grave expression on his face. "I can''t believe what we just heard. This means that the lady''s voice that we heard just now should be the real killer, right?"


    Zion wanted to say yes because all the fingers pointed in the direction of that lady, but he didn''t know why he was silently mulling over this again and again. He felt as if there was still a big mystery behind everything. From all this time of being a detective, the only thing that he had learnt the best was that what he would see with his two eyes wasn''t usually the reality.


    Even though the evidence had been found, he could tell that there was more to the case. So he looked at Martin and said, "We should search more about it first." Then he thought about it and said, "Maybe we should search for this unknown partner. I think there might be a relationship between this person and the lady inside that dark room."


    Martin liked this idea. "You''re right!" Then he looked at the human in front of him as he nodded with a smile on his face. "No wonder her highness had decided to take you away with her. You''re smart enough to save the entire planet yourself!"


    When Zion remembered that this was the sole reason why that Methu man had originally sent him to this strange world, he couldn''t help but sigh. If he told Martin that he had originally come here to save the world, would this man believe him?


    He didn''t comment on that and said, "We should go back to the theatre and find out more about the owner of that place."


    Martin nodded and the two of them walked toward the theatre once again. This time, they didn''t hide their presence as they entered that place again. This time, they didn''t have to follow a certain manager like a tail to know more about this strange case. They wanted to investigate the owner of this theatre themselves.


    While walking down the street, Zion warned Martin. "Don''t believe everything they feed your ears. Sometimes, people like to lie and fool you to save themselves."


    Martin nodded as he followed Zion. "I know. What they say might not necessarily be the truth of the situation."


    Zion was surprised that this time, Martin, being a dhampir, didn''t get angry at him like before. Instead, the man respectfully talked to him as if he weren''t a human, but an elder of his own kingdom. He shook his head and continued to walk toward the theatre.


    Soon, the two of them reached that place and they caught one of the staff members who opened the door to them. "I want to ask you something."


    The dwarf that opened the door to these people was irritated. He didn''t want to talk to a human who spoke in such a demanding way. His lips pursed as he looked at humans with a trace of frustration in his eyes. "What do you want?''''


    Before Zion could say anything anymore, Martin walked in front of the human and blocked the dwarf''s frustrated gaze that was directed toward Zion and said with a polite smile on his face, "We want to see the owner of this theatre company. I have heard this company has several branches, no?"


    The dwarf''s face brightened upon hearing of the owner.. It seemed as if this dwarf had so much respect toward the owner.

 Chapter 153 - Heartbeat!

    "You have asked the right person about our leader!" The young dwarf jumped on his feet as he stared at the dhampir soldier with his eyes brightened. It literally felt as if stars were falling out of the dwarf''s eyes as he continued to stare at them with a grinning face. Then he said, "The leader is awesome! She''s so good, so good that even a human will fall in love with her!"


    As soon as Zion heard those words he pursed his lips and stopped his urge to press his hands against the mouth of this stupid dwarf. He didn''t want his system to hear those words. But it was too late. The system, still staying inside Zion''s mind, not only heard, he instantly came out with his eyes widened as he stared at the red-faced young dwarf with a hint of lust in his eyes. "A beautiful lady who is also good at nature? Quickly, tell me her name!"


    Zion facepalmed himself secretly at the behavior of this stupid system. He didn''t want to admit that he was acquainted with this system at all. So he looked at the dwarf with squinted eyes and focused on the task. There was something strange about this case that made him feel compelled to find out more about the lady.


    The young dwarf took a deep breath as if he were trying to control himself from blushing. Then he said in an excited tone, "The lady is actually the daughter of the late king''s wife''s brother. She wasn''t given the title of a princess because she really didn''t have the royal blood in her veins. But she has so much influence on everyone that no one can dare to go against her! But don''t worry about it. She''s such a good person that you''ll fall in love with her for sure. More than half the dwarfs love her already."


    Now, after hearing so many praises, even Zion was curious about this so-called beautiful and good little dwarf. She wanted to see who was this person could possibly be the co-partner of the woman who was speaking in that dark room.


    The young dwarf continued to speak with his face red as tomatoes. "Everyone wants to become her husband, but alas! She hasn''t chosen anyone yet. When asked, she would only say that none of them has ever moved her heart. So they could only sit back and sigh. But I''ve heard many young dwarfs have come to this theatre to take a chance. They tried moving her with heartfelt gifts and even things you can''t imagine. But sadly, none of them move her."


    Martin raised his brows. He had become completely curious by the introduction provided to him by this little young fella. He asked the man, "Then, what about other races? Did no one try to approach her?"


    The dwarf nodded with an eager expression on his face. "They did! People from far and beyond would come to this place and spend a minute or two with the girl! They would even write poems after poems to move her heart, but she would stand aside and look stone-hearted. Sigh. such beauty is getting wasted. She''s like a fairy that has descended down from the heavens to make us all fall for her unlimited beauty. I wish I could¡­." The young dwarf didn''t say anything else and shook his head. "Nevermind. But the good thing is that you all can meet her today! In fact, I think she''s gonna be here soon!"


    Before they could say anything else, they all heard of a carriage stopping on the road behind them. One of the dwarfs wearing a soldier''s robes walked over with a spear in one hand as he looked at Martin with a disdainful expression on his face. Then he said in a cold voice, "Don''t block the leader''s road. Leave!"


    Both Martin and Zion turned back to see the carriage with a curious expression on their faces. They also wanted to see this heavenly beauty that was supposed to make any man fall for her. Although they both felt like they wouldn''t fall for her for sure, they were still curious about her beauty. Zion was especially open about it. He thought he was strong enough to protect his heart from an unknown woman. After all, none of the humans in his own world were able to move him in any way.


    As he was thinking like this, a very familiar voice echoed from inside the carriage. "Let them be, Luther. I''ll climb out."


    Zion''s eyebrows raised in surprise. Wasn''t this the same lady that they saw back in the room? This was the same voice that they had heard when the manager had talked to that strange lady back then. But the voice that time had a touch of arrogance, but now, the same voice was so soft and heavenly that it almost felt like the person was using some kind of voice-changing device to make her sound better.


    When he thought of the magical clock that would run through magic, he felt like it was possible to use a machine to change the tone of her voice from arrogant to soft and kind.


    Just as he was thinking like this, the girl inside the carriage stepped out. The first thing that they saw was her feet downed with a glass sandal. It glittered into various colors as if the manufacturer had put several colorful stones on it. But Zion could tell that it was not a set of colorful stones, rather, it had colorful glass pieces attached to the sandal''s surface.


    After staring at it for a while, he suddenly heard the system shrieking at the top of his voice. "What the heck!!!! How can someone be so beautiful~! This isn''t fair! Host, quickly. See her face! If not, you''ll miss out on a lifetime of happiness!"


    Zion didn''t want to, but he sighed and looked at her. In any case, he knew that he would have to face her in a while. So he might as well look at her right now.


    But when he looked up to see who had just stepped out of the carriage, he was stunned. His entire body froze at that place as he looked at her in a trance.


    Saying the girl was beautiful would be as if someone was taking her for granted. These words weren''t enough to show how beautiful she was! It almost felt as if a heavenly fairy had indeed stepped on the Earth to grace everyone with her presence. Her entire body was covered with golden and yellow robes. The laces of the robes fluttered along with the wind that blew through her. Even her wavy blond hair with curls on both her sides that reached her waist fluttered because of her wind. She pulled it all back only to reveal beautiful blue eyes staring at the people standing in front of her curiously. Her cheeks were naturally rosy as she parted her pinkish lips and asked, "What''re you all here for?"


    Zion and others stood rooted on their feet, staring at her unblinkingly. Even the system said nothing as he stared at her without doing anything.


    The dwarf girl''s entire face looked soft and adorable. When she blinked, it almost felt like they were looking at the most innocent and naive girl on Earth. Such a heavenly beauty was probably going to get them all killed.


    The first one to wake up from a daze was Zion. Even though this beauty was so beautiful that even he got entranced, he knew that the matter today was more important. So he blinked rapidly and lowered his gaze. Even though he felt like his actions weren''t noticed, the dwarf girl glanced at him sneakily and was surprised after seeing fast Zion had turned his head away.


    Her eyes immediately shone in pleasure as if she had found something interesting. She picked up her gown from one hand as she walked toward the human with a teasing smile on her lips. "Human, how do I look?"


    "Ahhhhhhhh~~~" The system couldn''t help but scream in Zion''s ears at the sight of the dwarf girl''s cute little face at a closer distance.


    Zion''s earbuds felt like it would end up breaking because of this system. So this time, even if he was entranced, he didn''t react because of the system''s unnatural scream. He looked at the dwarf''s little adorable face that stared up at him with curiosity written all over her face. His heart sped up at that as he averted his eyes to try and control himself. He couldn''t believe he was entranced by a female dwarf at that!


    "Good." He answered without looking at her face.


    When the female dwarf saw this, her smile widened.. Then she looked up and down at Zion''s face and said as if she had just made some decision. "I want to buy this human!"

 Chapter 154 - A Date?!

    Everyone was shocked to hear those words. Why did their miss want to buy this human?! Didn''t she already have enough servants at home and at the office as well?! Why was she so eager for this human?


    Just what did she see in him that compelled to voice this out?!


    There are gases filled with hatred and jealousy darted toward the human standing at the door. At this time, they cursed this human to death. And at the same time, they also wanted to take this human''s place and become a person to be chosen by this beautiful young lady.


    Zion was also shocked after hearing those words. He wanted to clear his ears and pinch himself. Did a beauty just ask him to be her servant?! Why did you feel like he had stepped inside a p*rno?!


    After coming to this world, he was clear of his own status in his mind. Humans weren''t treated carefully with heartfelt gratitude. Instead, they were all seen as enemies of the entire mankind. Other races hated humans to death to the point that they were ready to trample the humans beneath their feet.


    So how could a beauty such as this dwarf girl ask him such a thing?! What was she even thinking at this point? Did she not fear that everyone would go against her choice? Did she not think that they would say bad things about her just because of her words?


    This dwarf girl was indeed a bit bold. Zion''s eyes squinted at her as he opened his mouth and said, "I already have a master. Thank you very much."


    This was the first time someone had said no to the dwarf girl. But instead of getting angry, the smile on her face widened. It almost felt like she had seen something so wonderful that she couldn''t stop grinning.


    The people around her were blinded by her expressions. They had never thought that they would be seeing such a scene in this lifetime. No one had ever imagined that a human could move the heart of such a stone hearted lady.


    "That''s fine. I''ll just purchase you."


    "My owner cannot see you for now. I apologize for the inconvenience." Zion was also affected by such a smile. He almost wanted to drop the act of being a cool and calm person and dash out of this place to save himself from getting embarrassed in front of such a big crowd. His pants were already tight enough. If there was any reaction down there, everything would be clearly seen by people around him.


    What?! He didn''t get laid yet. Even he, as a human, had emotions. He also had a limit beyond which he wouldn''t be able to control his natural urges. He knew he wasn''t some kind of saint who would be cool and calm in front of such a beautiful young girl. Even though this lady was a dwarf, she was a walking personification of beauty.


    When the lady heard those words, the dwarf lady didn''t feel depressed. Her smile deepened as she walked closer to the human. When she was just half a feet away from him, she raised her hand and gestured to Zion to come closer.


    Zion hesitated before bending down to her level. Soon he could see a mischievous squint in her eyes. After seeing that, he narrowed his eyes as he felt a bad premonition in his heart.


    Before he could build a guard around his heart, the lady raised her hand and gently patted his head. Then she caressed his hair as she let out a satisfied sigh. "You''re so handsome. If I can''t have you as a servant, I''ll have you as my husband! Let''s get married!"


    Zion, who was already shocked enough after hearing this lady''s previous words, widened his eyes and stepped a few steps back.


    What the heck?! Would someone tell him what kind of stupid development was this?! Inside his mind, his system was going almost crazy to the point of fainting. He instantly opened his mouth and yelled. "Say yes! Like right now! If you dare to refuse her proposal, I will break off our relationship! And I will never contact you ever again!"


    Zion coldly looked at the system. "Fine, go ahead. I don''t need your help anyway. When was the last time you had to help me for real?"


    The system looked at his host with a crying expression on his face: "....."


    In anger, the system turned himself off and pretended to be dead.


    On the other hand, the people standing around the dwarf lady were so shocked that they couldn''t even keep their expressions straight. Asking a human to become a servant was one thing they could bear. But why was she proposing to him right in front of their eyes?! Why did things go beyond their imagination like this?!


    They all collectively glanced at the human standing before them and glared at him with red eyes. How could this human do this to them?! They almost wanted to take out their weapons and kill him.


    One of the soldiers took a step toward the human as he looked at Zion with deep hatred in his eyes. Then he said to the dwarf lady without turning back, "My lady, why do you want to choose him out of everyone?! Even this dhampir man would do! This human doesn''t deserve such a status! And don''t you remember the fact between all the races?! Do you really want to break that by giving humans high status in society?!"


    The dwarf lady''s expressions darkened at first, but when she realised what her soldier said was the truth of the situation, she couldn''t help but make a depressed expression on her face.


    When others saw this kind of expression on her face, they were also saddened by that. They immediately forgot all about how she proposed to a human for marriage and focused on the lady instead.


    "My lady, what happened?!"


    "Miss, please have the drink. You''ll feel happy again!"


    "Madam, please don''t be sad! I''ll make a good cup of tea for you right away!"


    Just like that, murmuring occured around Zion again as Martin finally nudged his side and whispered, "How about we run away?"


    Good idea, but Zion didn''t want to do that. He knew that if he ran away today, he would miss out on a lot of clues around this place. Finally, he shook his head and said to the young dwarf lady, "I''m really sorry. I can''t accept your proposal. If I were a dwarf, I''d have thought about it, but I can''t for now because even my master isn''t here."


    The face of that dwarf lady got instantly filled with anger. She glared at him with hatred and sneered. "Master, master! Just who''s your damned master?!"


    "The princess of Vanne Kingdom." Zion coldly replied. To be honest, he didn''t want to use an intimidating tone on this girl. But this was the best way to force any girl to let go of any romantic thoughts for you. They''d instead started to have fear deeply ingrained in their hearts. He had used this technique many times previously, and now, even though he knew that he might not succeed because of his human''s status, he still wanted to alienate this woman so that he could focus solely on the girl.


    He was ready to unleash his cold and icy mode when he saw Martijn clapsing his hands against his mouth as the dhampir soldier chuckled nervously and said, "What this person meant was that, even though he can''t accept you, he can still go out inna dates with you!"


    Zion turned to look at Martin in utter shock. He could?! How did he not? He still wanted to go out on a date with someone?! His expression instantly turned into anger. He didn''t want to go on a date okay?!


    He took a few deep breaths to calm himself down. To be honest, he could tell why the heck did this man force him into this kind of strange situation. Martin probably wanted him to gather more info through the dwarf lady since her voice matched with that of the person they heard in that dark room.


    But Zion didn''t want to compromise himself at all! He almost felt like he had become an animal who was sent to be butchered. But he still complied with Martin since this was really a shortcut to finding out more clues.


    But when he looked at the young lady and compared her with the voice he had heard, he frowned. He didn''t know why he was feeling something amiss in this entire situation.


    But before he could think more on this topic, the lady grabbed his palms and started dragging him inside the theatre. Then with a grin on her face, she said, "Then I''ll be off for the evening! Don''t disturb me tonight!"


    Everyone was dumbfounded after seeng this scene.

 Chapter 155 - Martin!

    Even though Zion didn''t know what Martin was thinking, he knew that the dhampir soldier did have some ideas in his head. After all, the man was also a soldier with a high IQ. Otherwise, why would the officials in the dhampir kingdom even hire someone with low IQ and contact abilities? Okay, if he looked at Martin''s low stature, he wouldn''t be able to connect him with a soldier, but the man did have some combat and thinking ability. He didn''t have to explain some things as he would to others.


    So he looked at Martin and secretly gestured to him to go.


    Martin nodded and glanced at the soldier and said with a gentle smile on his face, "Where do I wait until then?"


    The soldier was displeased with the human, but he didn''t want to destroy his relationship with the dhampirs. Even though the dhampirs had lost their Vanne kingdom, the dwarfs still wanted to keep their relationship intact because their princess and even the young prince, Heath Vanne, was also alive and well. So they were all convinced that the Vanne Kingdom would climb back on its feet in no time.


    The soldier smiled and said, "Follow me."


    Martin nodded and followed the soldier inside a small office at the side of the gate and said, "Is this where the dwarf lady would sit most often?"


    The soldier shook his head as he walked over to the door. "This is the security man''s room. Wait here a bit until the lady herself returns. We will keep giving you beverages time on time. Don''t worry. You are our guest."


    Martin understood. This soldier was indirectly implying that they would continue to keep a watch on him, and if he went missing, they would take action on him. Martin frowned at this. Why were they keeping an eye on him like this? Weren''t they aware of the fact that he was trying to find the clues, and he only had a month for that?


    There must be something that these soldiers were trying to hide! His expressions became grave. He remembered the sound of that dwarf lady who looked like a fairy coming down from the heavens and compared it with the sound they had heard in that room.


    For a while, he could vaguely feel that something was wrong. His lips pursed as he sat on one corner.


    To be honest, even he was affected by the beauty of that lady, but since no one was observing him, he only stayed silent. But he was more shocked on why the lady would approach a human out of all people. Was there some mystery hidden inside this fiasco?


    He frowned. He didn''t do any damage by sending the human servant off to that dwarf lady, right? If he did, he would have to escape this place and quickly find clues. He wanted to sneak inside the house of that dwarf lady and find the clues in her absence.


    Or better yet, should he go back to that dark room?


    When he thought about it, he picked up going to the dwarf lady''s house first. He would then go back to the room after finding more clues. After thinking about it, he decided to find out how he could escape this place. He glanced at the door and squinted his eyes. Then he got up and walked over.


    "Is someone there?"


    One of the soldiers walked over and asked, "What is it?"


    "I want to meet the lady and ask her about the case. She might know something, perhaps."


    The soldier was silent for a while before he opened his mouth and said, "Wait until her date is finished. We''ll bring you to her place."


    He didn''t want to wait until then! Martin asked in a gentle voice again, "Then, can I go back to the hotel? I think I would find the officials to ask them questions about this case."


    The soldiers standing outside the place exchanged glances and finally relented. They could keep the person inside if he wanted to stay inside, but at this time, they knew this dhampir soldier wasn''t a criminal who had committed an offense in the kingdom. They had no right to capture him here. If the man wanted to find the evidence in another place, they would have to let him go.


    So they opened the door and reluctantly let the man out of that place.


    Martin nodded at them and boldly walked out of the theatre place right in front of the eyes of these people. When he was out of their sight, he turned around and rushed to the side of the boundary wall that was isolated to the entire theatre group as he jumped over it.


    Then he glanced here and there before climbing down the boundary wall without being seen by anyone. Since the other soldiers were stopping him from wandering around in this place, he was sure that the office and personal house or any chamber of the leader of this dwarf lady was somewhere around here. He was sure that he would be able to find evidence just by finding the place that these people were trying to hide with all their hearts.


    After jumping back, he took a deep breath and remembered Zion''s skill of shadow spying. He could tell that the human had learned it well in the past, and this skill was helpful in major cases. So he silently thanked the man and copied that skill as his body seemed to have merged into the shadows. In reality, he just stood surrounded by the things that would create a lot of shadows just like Zion would.


    Then he walked through the forest without looking back while holding his breath at the same time.


    When he got to the place where the soldiers were standing before outside the room, he saw two of them sitting on the stairs as they chatted amongst themselves.


    "I didn''t believe she chose a human in the end."


    "Met neither." Another dwarf said with a dark expression on his face as he sneered. "We have treasured her lady for years so much that we don''t even take her name. I personally feel like my mouth is too filthy to take her name. I shouldn''t dirty her pure and innocent name like this. But then, she turned around and took a human on a date! Who does that?!"


    "I say, let''s kill that human!" The first soldier spoke in a cold voice. "If there are no humans, I don''t think we''ll be envious of other people like this."


    "Are you mad?! Do you want to hurt her lady this much?!"


    The first man heard this and fell silent. Then he shook his head and said, "Forget it. It''s her lady''s happiness we are talking about. If she feels happy with a human, let her be."


    "But I wish we could capture that dhampir soldier. I fear he will do something and find out the hidden secret of our lady."


    The second man shuddered when he thought of that.


    "We should absolutely not let others find out anything about it.!"


    The other soldier nodded at this as if he were agreeing to his friend.


    Martin heard this conservation until they both fell silent and finally started moving. He walked toward the garden like a thing covered with trees as he moved his body stealthily onward. Honestly, he didn''t even know whether the way he was going was right or wrong. But this was the only thing he could do. After all, from the conservation he had heard earlier, he could tell that this lady had a secret for herself that all the soldiers knew about, but they didn''t dare to let the outsiders be aware of it.


    Martin frowned at this. He would have to share this information with Zion after meeting the man again.


    Just as he was thinking of this, he saw a small circular house created out of glistening stones. Just by looking at it made him think of that dwarf lady. This must be her house.


    After thinking like this, he easily walked through the shrubs and moved around the house to find an opening. Only after searching for a while did he find a window at the top. He climbed on the tree and jumped inside the opened window.


    Just as he climbed inside, his entire body was shrouded with darkness. His eyes squinted as he tried to observe his surroundings, but no matter how much he tried to do this, he still couldn''t. He wasn''t some dhampir royal or elf to use magic. He was a hybrid who could only use martial arts skills to kill the enemies. After thinking of it, he took out a magical lighter that he had bought from the elf kingdom on the passing and brightened it up using their mechanism.


    When it was brightening up, just as he wanted to look around, he tripped onto something. He fell on his face as the small round brightening object fell on the ground as it rolled over toward his feet.


    He rubbed his nose, and just as he got up, he was stunned to see a hand poking out of the table. His eyes traveled inside only to see a dead body lying lifelessly inside the table.


    His eyes widened at that.


    Another dead body?!

 Chapter 156 - A Necklace!

    Martin was so shocked that he couldn''t move for a long time. He just sat on the ground and stared at the dead body in a daze. It wasn''t like he hadn''t seen a dead body with his own eyes. It was just that the condition of the dead body was so bad that he couldn''t even recognize the face.


    There were multiple scratches on the skin of the dead man''s naked body. Yes, naked, but Martin couldn''t even tell because of the scratches all over the man''s body. Even the dead dwarf''s lower part was damaged to the point of being unrecognizable.


    The scratches were so many and so deep that there wasn''t a single part of the body that could be seen as a whole. It almost felt like his entire body was filled with scratches and wounds.


    Was this man tortured to death?! Martin frowned at this. Then he looked at the man''s face. The face seems to be crushed with some heavy thing multiple times. The vision before him was so gross that Martin felt the bile of vomit rising upon his throat.


    All the muscles and tendons of the dead man''s face were in a mess. Even the hair, brain, and other parts of the dead man were messed up. Martin couldn''t continue looking at that scene and averted his eyes.


    Just as he did that, he noticed there was something shining in the corner of the room. He frowned and went there only to realize that it was rather a necklace. The necklace had an oval pendant dangling as he picked it up. After observing it for a while, Martin realized that this pendant had an opening.


    He frowned. His eyes squinted at that for a moment as he moved his fingers to open it. The moment he did, he noticed two pictures on both sides of the pendant inside it. Of course, this world wasn''t the 21st century of the modern Earth. Due to the limitations of technology, there wasn''t any method to take photographs.


    Still, the pictures that were hand-drawn and stuck to the pendant walls inside seemed to be carved so perfectly that they almost seemed like real people. At this time, Martin couldn''t help but marvel at how the painter had done a good job. If it were Zion in his place, the latter would have thought of photographs from his own world.


    But since Martin wasn''t aware of the technological benefits of another Earth, he only thought that this picture was drawn very expertly. Then he thought that the man inside the pendant must have been the dead dwarf. So he would have to check up on the dead body again. Even the thought of looking back at that mess gave him a cringe as his heart was filled with disgust.


    But he couldn''t not do anything about it. So he gathered up his courage and closed his eyes to hypnotize himself about how he could see the body without being fazed. After that just as he was about to take a deep breath and look back at the dead body behind him, he heard some rattling sound followed by the echo of footsteps.


    Martin''s body froze as he darted his head toward the door. How come the dwarf lady arrived so soon?! Wasn''t she back with Zion?! Martin didn''t think much about it and thought that there must be someone else, probably a soldier, entering this place.


    So he promptly got up and escaped through the window. He didn''t know who had come, but he was surprised to hear some rattling sound. It almost felt as if the person walking in that direction had chains all over his body. Martin frowned at that. He had the urge to go back to that house and look more clearly.


    Just as he was hesitating, he saw a few soldiers coming in his direction. He instantly made a decision and walked away in the same way where he came from.


    Since this was the second time he was using the shadow spying technique of Zion, didn''t find it as difficult. He walked out of that place with apparent ease. It was a good thing that he took that necklace even though he was in a hurry.


    He wondered where Zion was at that moment. Since the dead body was found at that dwarf lady''s place, there was a high chance of her involvement in this case. Didn''t it mean that Zion''s life was also in danger?


    Martin''s lips pursed as he looked in the direction of the theatre. At this time, he could only go back to the inn and pray for the human''s life. After taking a deep breath, he walked in the direction of the inn.


    On the other side, Zion was not having a good time with the dwarf lady, who was using all her power and energy to melt his heart. He just wanted to stand there and rolled his eyes before shaking the woman''s shoulders rapidly. After that, he almost wanted to hear her stop using sneaky little techniques to steal his heart.


    Not even great actresses in his world who are as beautiful as this dwarf woman hadn''t been able to move him. How could a mere dwarf achieve such a feat?


    At this time, they were both sitting in a pavilion while the lady poured a glass of water in Zion''s cup. She smiled gently at the man and said, "Have a drink, please. We have been walking across the garden for a long time now. I am sure you are thirsty." Then she paused and laughed. "Of course, you must be thirsty. We conversed the entire time, after all!"


    Zion sneered in his heart. It was more likely that the dwarf woman standing before him conversed the entire time. He had stayed calm and cool the entire time. How could he be thirsty just by walking for half an hour? It felt like this lady wanted him to drink or eat something given by her.


    Since this woman''s voice was similar to that of the person they had heard in that dark room, he didn''t want to put his guard down. So he looked at the cup on his table coldly and averted his eyes.


    The dwarf lady''s hands froze at this reaction. An expression of irritation appeared in her eyes momentarily, but she covered it up soon enough. A smile graced upon her lips as she placed the cup of water down on the table and said, "Why''re you being so cold?! You haven''t even asked me my name yet."


    The woman pouted and acted as if she had been wronged for some reason. Zion glanced at the woman''s heavenly face that looked so pure and innocent that any normal person would have been enchanted by her. But he wasn''t a normal human being.


    He was rather someone who knew that this woman had many things hidden in her heart. So it was better to stay far away from her so that he could stop himself from falling into her pit. As for the name¡­..


    "What is it, then?" His voice sounded so cold and distant that the dwarf woman stared at him with her squinted eyes before she sighed and said, "Wanda Geissler."


    Zion nodded and averted his eyes again. To Wanda, it almost seemed like the human wasn''t affected by her charms and beauty. This hurt her pride a little. She frowned as if she were confused by someone who wasn''t attracted to her face. She looks so beautiful and heavenly that no one was able to reject her before today.


    But now that she found someone who could actually turn his head away from her beauty with a cold expression on his face, she was stupefied. Why wasn''t he attracted to her? Was there any reduction in her beauty or something?


    Panic filled her heart at this moment. She almost thought her face had become filled with wrinkles all of a sudden. Otherwise, who could tell what had happened? There must be something wrong with her that failed to attract the attention of such a human.


    Wanda, being immensely proud of her beauty, only thought simply like this. She didn''t even consider the fact that the human before her mustn''t be attracted to her just because he didn''t want to be in a relationship.


    But she also couldn''t force the man into surrendering to her. There wouldn''t be any fun in that. So after thinking for a while, she sighed and decided to let the human go for now. After that, he would meet him fully prepared. She wouldn''t let this human slip through her hands so easily!


    Then she took a deep breath and said, "Fine. You don''t seem so interested in me today. Forget it then. Just go back."


    Zion looked at the woman in surprise. To be honest, he had already assumed that this dwarf woman was content to follow him and express her feelings for him. But instead, what she did was extremely strange. Why was she suddenly ready to let him go back?


    A frown crossed his forehead at that thought.. But when he couldn''t find an answer to that question, he ignored it and got up from his seat to walk out of the pavilion.