Chapter 35 - Necropsy (1/2)
[Attention! This chapter may be a bit gross for some people, if you don't feel comfortable reading it, choose to skip this chapter and go to the next.]
”If you allow me, I can do the necropsy.”
If allowed, everyone would save time, it was just too unusual for someone so young to have the ability to read corpses.
”What are you talking about? We can't let just anyone mess with a body. That would be disrespectful.” Eliz replied, her face entirely frowning.
”You said he's cut in half, didn't you? Aren't you also afraid that it was a murder?”
”A murder? Impossible... He was in the building under the Dungeon. There are guards twenty-four hours a day and for every corner.”
Luke lifted his cloak a little as he brought his hand to his chin and began to think.
'In case it is a murder... how will that intertwine with the spider event? No, it's very likely that it was some kind of poison. But we can't be sure without at least seeing the corpse...'
As Luke stood thoughtfully, Nathalia questioned:
”You said his name was Downey, right? What was he like in the Guild?”
”Yes. He was twenty-seven and was always at a party with three other close friends and the last quest they took, was a side quest that called for thirty inferior goblin tongues.”
”Thirty goblin tongues? But they disappear very quickly, the blow would have to be struck directly on the tongue before they turn to dust.”
”Not exactly. There are items that increase the chance that the monster will leave a part of itself behind.” The short-haired woman explained. ”Anyway, you guys wait here. I'm going to go check to see if anyone at the Guild clinic saw the coroner today. Kriolo will be here at your disposal.” Then she pointed to the giant man at the door, the same one who received the half-wolf and the elf.
Kriolo was the security guard at the Necrotarium, and although he had a very sharp, thin mustache, the man could easily be mistaken for just any blacksmith. With huge tanned muscles, a sweaty bald head first thing in the morning, and a white tank top, the old man intimidated any skinny wizard who tried to enter the place without permission.
Before Eliz left, Luke asked her, ”Isn't there some way we can negotiate our way in? I think the situation is too critical because in case it is some kind of poison, an antidote can start to be developed soon.”
The half-wolf was not only interested in the gold coin as a reward for the missing persons' mission but also in future profits there might be.
If the culprit really was the Class-D type of giant spider, the market value of their drops would probably increase, and Luke could make quite a bit of money by selling their claws that he had in his bag since the day before.
The boy's explanation made Eliz ponder for a few seconds, after all, if there was a Class-D monster with deadly poison, the Guild could make a lot of money from selling the antidotes.
They were both thinking only of profit.
”I can make an exception for you... If, and only if... you owe me a favor.”
”A favor?”
”Yes. When I need it, I will call on you, and you cannot refuse.”
'Is this some custom of the Adventurers?' Luke thought, after all, thieves didn't usually owe favors to anyone. In the end, the half-wolf assessed the occasion and predicted that he had little benefit.