The tall and burly assailant's body collapsed to the ground.
Despite his nearly invulnerable body, the eyes and mouth remained vulnerable.
Goethe, watching the assailant fall, didn't approach immediately. He reloaded his weapon and then aimed at the assailant's mouth and eyes, firing repeatedly until brain matter started oozing from the eye sockets. Only then did he stop.
"Is he dead?" Swart whispered from his position on the floor.
"Yes," Goethe nodded.
The sheriff quickly got up, retrieved his service weapon from the ground, and, following Goethe's example, reloaded it. Then he turned and kicked the assailant's corpse viciously.
"Damn bastard, trying to scare me!" He cursed, kicking repeatedly.
After venting his frustration, Swart turned to Goethe, his face full of confusion.
"Why are there so many monsters showing up in Lust lately?"
Goethe didn't answer Swart's question.
Although he was only an apprentice Secrecy Keeper, he knew the rules: no disclosure of anything related to the supernatural to ordinary people.
Even for someone like Swart, an official who cooperated with Secrecy Keepers, this rule applied. Individuals like Swart, who participated in operations, wouldn't have their memories erased but weren't privy to the truth. Their role was simply to assist in the operations.
Seeing Goethe's expression, Swart quickly realized what was going on and immediately changed the subject.
"What should we do next?" the sheriff asked.
"Secure the scene," Goethe replied, walking toward the assailant's body.
Clearing the area and double-checking the kill were essential habits.
Unfortunately, the body had nothing on it.
Not even a wallet.
"Because he came to kill me, he hid anything of value," Goethe thought, frowning.
He was familiar with this kind of situation. Back in his hometown, he would do the same when on missions—store all valuable items in a place only he knew about.
Or…
Leave them with the one person he trusted.
Goethe was certain the assailant had chosen the latter. The assailant's earlier arrogant behavior indicated he wasn't the type to take such precautions.
It could only be...
An order!
Someone else was behind this.
The assailant was merely following instructions!
"The Flesh Church!" Goethe's heart tightened.
He hadn't even dealt with the "Fog Killer" properly, and now he had to face the "Flesh Church." The situation was becoming increasingly dire.
And what was even worse...
The possibility that the opponent might be collaborating with the most influential and well-connected individuals in Lust, people even the official extraordinary handlers fear, caused Gawain's brows to furrow deeply.
An unprecedented sense of urgency gripped him, making it hard to breathe.
Instinctively, he glanced at his "Bloody Honor."
Without a doubt, this was his trump card!
And right now, he still had two left.
But it wasn't enough!
Gawain knew all too well that in the face of the current crisis, unless he could acquire a considerable amount of "Bloody Honor," he wouldn't be able to turn the tide.
"So, not only do I need to search for more 'Bloody Honor,' but I also need to throw the owner of the Pinecone Hotel, or someone of their level, into chaos," Gawain thought quietly.
The best enemy is a dead one; Gawain firmly believed this.
But he wouldn't act recklessly.
In his current state, he couldn't possibly challenge such a powerful figure.
Therefore...
"I'll report it!"
Gawain quickly devised a plan.
He turned to Swart, who was beside him.
Swart, already shaken to his core, felt a jolt of fear as soon as he met Gawain's gaze.
"W-what?"
The sheriff stammered, his voice trembling.
"I need you to do something," Gawain said. "Contact the extraordinary specialist you previously reached out to—tell them that the 'Church of Flesh' has already partnered with the owner of the Pinecone Hotel or someone of that level. Their intentions are unclear."
Gawain didn't know what these two parties were planning, but he was confident that the official "Keepers of Secrets" would have a good chance of knowing.
"The owner of the Pinecone Hotel or someone of that level?!"
Swart gasped, his face pale with shock.
The sheriff stood frozen, his mind overwhelmed by fear, and Gawain could see the wet patch on his pants growing.
After a brief pause, Swart's voice trembled as he asked, "Are you serious?"
"What do you think? Didn't you just ask me why there have been more monsters in Lust lately? The actions of these powerful individuals are the answer," Gawain replied.
Swart's face drained of color as he stood there, his body beginning to tremble.
"Gawain, maybe we should run," Swart suggested suddenly.
"Run?"
"Where would we go?" Gawain raised an eyebrow.
"There's plenty of places to hide in Tersin. If that doesn't work, we could leave the country—head to Farport, Yatuk, Rudest, or even Liddar," Swart babbled quickly.
"Are you sure?" Gawain asked again.
"I-I'm... not sure. But someone as powerful as the owner of the Pinecone Hotel could crush us like ants!" Swart's voice quivered. "And if he's already noticed us, we might not even make it out of Lust."
As he spoke, Swart's eyes welled with tears. He had known working with Gawain would be dangerous, but he hadn't expected it to be this perilous.
It had only been a few days, and he'd already faced death multiple times. This time, it felt like the end.
"He can crush us like ants, so we need to cut off his hand before he can crush us," Gawain said coldly.
"Will it work?" Swart asked hesitantly.
"How will we know if we don't try? Or do you have a better plan?" Gawain asked, fixing Swart with a piercing stare.
Gritting his teeth, Swart turned and ran downstairs.
Standing by the window, Gawain watched as Swart hurried away in a carriage, feeling a slight sense of relief.
According to his estimation, this would at least create some degree of deterrence against the owner of the Pinecone Hotel or the person of similar standing.
But such deterrence would be short-lived.
If the other party was willing to give up everything to collaborate with the "Church of Flesh," then they were clearly prepared to take extreme risks.
Gawain knew he would soon face a storm of attacks.
"Strength!"
"The strength to withstand danger!"
Gawain's eyes narrowed as he pondered his next steps.
Suddenly, the sound of something cutting through the air filled the room, and a figure leaped into the second-floor room.
Madam Pence appeared before him, smiling with relief upon seeing that Gawain was unharmed. But when her gaze fell on the corpse on the floor, she let out a startled cry.
"A Child of Flesh!"
(End of Chapter)