'A witch…?'
Seth turned to see what had caught the crowd's attention.
A path was clearing through the busy market, and walking down it was a man.
He was very tall, and his entire body was hidden under a long, dark cloak.
The fabric was so dark it seemed to swallow the light around it.
The bottom of the cloak dragged through the mud and dirt of the street, but somehow, it stayed perfectly clean.
The man walked slowly, but no one complained.
People moved aside quickly, their faces a mix of respect and fear.
The fear was hidden quite well, but Seth could vaguely feel it.
A heavy, oppressive feeling settled in Seth's own chest.
He'd never liked authority figures, but this was different.
This man made him feel small and weak, like a mouse staring at a hawk.
'This is a witch? '
Seth thought.
'But I thought witches were women...'
Seth could not help but question himself.
"Did something happen?"
Seth questioned the baker Glorina who was standing beside him.
He could not directly ask what a "witch" was because it seemed like common knowledge.
He did not want to harbor any suspicion towards him, hence he resorted to asking a general question that could cover up the situation.
Glorina rested a hand on her pregnant belly, a protective gesture.
She sighed softly.
"It's old man Eddie."
She said, her voice low but enough for Seth to hear.
She turned her head towards a narrow opening between two buildings.
"They found him this morning… dumped in a garbage bin in that alley over there. He was probably killed last night. We only found him because… well, the smell started to spread."
She shook her head, a deep sadness in her eyes.
"His wife, Lina… she must be shattered. He was everything to that family. Worked himself to the bone as a night watchman just to put food on the table. And their boy, barely ten years old…"
Her voice trailed off, and she wiped a flour-dusted hand across her cheek.
"He was a quiet man, kept to himself. Never bothered a soul. To end up like that… thrown out with the trash…"
She looked back toward the cloaked man, and some of the tension left her shoulders, replaced by a grim sense of relief.
"It's a good thing a witch came."
She murmured, almost to herself.
"Now his soul can find peace in the heavens. We don't need another demon wandering the streets, and his family doesn't need that horror on top of their grief."
Seth's mind went blank for a second.
He opened his mouth to ask a question, but then closed it.
Her words painted a terrifying picture.
He wanted to ask why she was glad that a witch was coming to visit the deceased.
However, according to the context clues given by Glorina, Seth had a presumption.
'Witches can prevent bodies from turning into demons?'
The gears in his mind turned. Wait, that meant…
'Ah fuck. Demons exist in this world?!'
Hell no!
Seth's heart skipped a beat. Multiple beats!
No matter which world it was or which manga and novel he's read, demons were always a bad sign!
Aside from the light hearted stories that he's read, there was in no way the existence of demons could mean something good!
For a moment, Seth prayed that the demons in this place weren't cruel, evil, or gruesome…
But seeing as to how most people seemed to fear these so-called "demons" to the point of being relieved at the presence of a witch…
Fuck.
Demons were definitely bad news…
Pondering for a moment, Seth eyed the meticulously covered man.
From where Seth was standing, he could make out a vague symbol on the back of the cloak.
A crown?
Contrary to Seth's expectations of a hat-wearing, broom-riding, female witch, the witches in this world were definitely quite strange...
He watched as the witch disappeared into the alley.
A few city guards stayed outside, holding back the curious crowd.
People whispered and stood on their toes, trying to get a look.
A few minutes later, the witch emerged.
He walked over to the guard captain and whispered something in his ear.
The captain's face immediately turned grim.
He nodded sharply and barked an order.
Suddenly, his men scattered into the crowd, their relaxed postures gone, replaced by urgency.
One of the officers, a large man with a tired face and a uniform that looked too tight, walked straight toward Seth and Glorina.
He held a small notepad and a pencil, and he looked like he hadn't slept well.
Glorina, startled by his presence, greeted first.
"Hello officer, is there something you need?"
The officer did not flash a smile and instead wore a grim and stern expression.
"Goodmorning to you two, please answer to the best of your abilities in the most honest way possible."
Feeling the crushing gravity of his words, Seth and Glorina shared confused expressions.
The officer sensed the confusion and paused for a second as though thinking of how to piece his words.
"The body in the trashcan is gone. I'm here to ask questions for a follow-up investigation regarding this. Kindly cooperate."
'The body disappeared?'
Seth could not help but be surprised.
With how crowded this area was, and how many people were entranced by the situation in the alleyway, how was it possible for the body to disappear right under their noses?
"Might I ask where the two of you were from 8pm to 5am this morning?"
Glorina was the first to answer.
"As usual, this morning, I went to the bakery and prepared the ingredients with my son and my husband. As for last night… my bakery closed at 5 pm like clockwork and I prepared dinner first thing by the time we got home. After that we prepared pre-ready made dough and fillings for the next day."
Glorina paused before continuing.
"We were in bed by 9:30 or 10:00 pm. We usually wake up by 3:00 am to be at the bakery by 4:00 am to start baking for the morning rush."
Finishing her answer, the officer looked towards Seth as though waiting for his own explanation of his situation.
Shit.
What was he supposed to say?
Yesterday he was resurrected from the dead and so he slept at the house of a lady he didn't know and only met in this world today?
"I was at my friend's house. Her family wasn't home so I kept her company for the night. As you know, it's quite dangerous for a lady to be alone these days, even in her own home."
He smiled.
He could not directly say that he was not from here and was only visiting today.
After all, the murder had only occurred last night… that would make him prime suspect number one.
"My friend right now is shopping for clothes at the thrift store over there. And I'm just here to buy loaf bread."
He said lifting his hands as though trying to say that he was not carrying anything other than the loaf bread he had on hand.
The police officer was about to open his mouth and ask another question when a voice sounded out behind him.
"Coincidentally visiting today and coming to the bakery… might I ask where this friend of yours is?"
Seth paused at the unfamiliar voice, as his gaze landed towards the figure behind the officer.
It was a man, tall and domineering with a morbid gaze.
The feeling of unease found its way into Seth's throat once more.
Seth could not help but feel a feeling of inferiority…
This… this was definitely a witch!