708 A Weird Case (1/2)

”A demon worship case?” Anna was very curious when she asked the question. Other than killers and perverts who craved blood all the time, only the real lunatics would worship the chaotic demons!

If they had any wish, they might as well worship the Demon Dukes, who were at least much more 'trustworthy'. Therefore, while it was not strange that several individuals might worship demons, it was rather creepy that so many people died in the incident at the same time.

Katrina had the same opinion. The Congress of Magic issued the mandatory mission exactly because of 'demon worship', too. If the victims had died in an accident during their ritual to worship devils, the Congress wouldn't have paid as much attention to the case.

Few powerful demons had ever attempted to develop religions that worshiped themselves. They might have considered it, but they soon dropped the ideas because of their natural chaos and lust for slaughter and blood. Therefore, such a massive demon worship case was itself weird and inexplicable.

Gulf, the boss of the tavern, wiped the cups before him carefully with a piece of clean cloth, not leaving any dirt out. He smiled, ”It's indeed a demon worship case, or it's at least what the Church says after thorough investigation.”

”But the Church might've covered the truth to avoid panic. It happened before, didn't it?” Anna was rather dissatisfied with Gulf's answer. It had been a couple years since she became a mercenary, and she had seen and been through a lot. She knew better than to accept the conclusion of the Church's investigation without any suspicion.

As a ten-year mercenary and eight-year tavern manager, Gulf was willing to believe the conclusion only because his own secret sources could confirm it.

Seeing that the two girls were looking at him with their eyes that were as green as lake water, Gulf knocked the table softly. ”This piece of intelligence has a price, but…”

He paused and looked at the mercenaries who were flooding in his tavern. ”But you two ladies seem to have boosted the business of my tavern. So, this is on the house.”

Anna looked back and smiled. ”You have to thank Sister Katrina. I've been a regular customer at your place, but I never saw so many 'wild wolves'.”

”So, your name is Katrina. That's a common female name in Calcate City. Are you also a local?” Asked Gulf with a smile.

Before Katrina replied, Anna said in advance, ”No, she is not. Sister Katrina is from a noble family in another province.”

”From a noble family? That explains your rare elegance among mercenaries.” Gulf was in deep thought. ”As a matter of fact, I do feel that you look familiar, Katrina. I think I saw you somewhere before…”

Katrina looked more or less gloomy. Her family had been passed on for three hundred years. As their bloodline, she must've inherited part of the looks of her ancestors. She thought to herself, ”After the Congress controls the Schachran Empire, and when remote communication and discuss are easier, I will establish my magic tower in this place…”

”Uncle Gulf, every beautiful lady is familiar to you. Tell me the intelligence!” Anna pointed out the truth straightforwardly.

Gulf put down the cloth and rubbed his forehead, before he said in a low voice. ”The incident was first discovered by one Ivan, who was the servant of the villa. He saw a hall of blood and bodies when he went for cleaning. There were nobles, knights, ordinary people, artists, and even… a sorcerer…”

In honor of Saint Ivan, the most common name in the Schachran Empire was Ivan.

”A sorcerer?” Anna exclaimed. Official sorcerers were hard to come by in the Schachran Empire.

Katrina moved her eyes back and focused her attention.

”Yes. According to Ivan, the sorcerer was wearing a level-one arcana badge and a second-circle magic badge. I've asked other people about him with his appearance. It hadn't been long since he came to Calcate City, and he had been searching for and purchasing the materials that sorcerers needed.” Gulf described the look of the sorcerer, mentioning that he had a black mole next to his left eye.

Katrina nodded in her heart. It was indeed the sorcerer who died.

Gulf continued. ”It's already weird enough that dozens of people of different identities died in the same hall, but what was even more weird was that there was an altar at the center of the hall. Although nothing was left on the altar, the vibe of slaughter and destruction could be sensed.”

”How did those people die? Was it suicide or homicide?” Katrina carefully asked a question that befitted her current identity, one which a curious and experienced female mercenary should ask. She could tell that Anna meant to ask the question, too.

In an even lower voice, Gulf said, ”That's the third weird part. Those people brutalized each other to death. Also, it was not a one-versus-one battle but a chaotic gang slaughter. Many victims had fatal wounds on every side of their body.”