Chapter 601 - 600: The Captured Lead

Chapter 601: Chapter 600: The Captured Lead

After discovering he was being followed, Colin had already reported it to Edwin.

Only after getting the go-ahead from him did Colin feel at ease to act. A mission for it had also appeared on his Panel, so at least the fight wouldn’t be a waste.

Colin shifted his attention from the Panel, looking toward the end of the alley.

There weren’t many City Guards on duty in the Dock District, so it would definitely take them a while to arrive after an incident like this.

Feeling a bit bored, Colin began to savor the recent sensation.

’I have to admit, this newly acquired Dragonbone Longsword is quite useful.’

Especially when it came to slashing, its handling was a clear step up from the Elf Giant Sword. It felt like an extension of his own body; the Elf Giant Sword’s center of gravity had been a bit too far forward, completely lacking this perfect sense of control.

’The only shame was that those guys died in a single blow. Colin hadn’t even had the chance to test the poison on the blade. Even the front-liner with the Round Shield and Chain Armor couldn’t withstand a single Steel Wind Slash.’

’Of course, if that Steel Wind Slash hadn’t been enhanced with Instant Potency, the man might have stood a chance.’

After a moment, the sound of footsteps echoed from the alley below.

Colin leaned over to take a look.

Upon seeing it was Ale and the City Guard, he found a spot and jumped down, holding the Imp like a helpless chick. The small demon had stopped struggling, allowing itself to be carried as if it were dead.

A Sheriff in a black robe walked in, pulled a pen and paper from an inner pocket of his greatcoat, and stepped forward. "Sir, can you please tell me what happened here?"

Colin gave a brief account of what had transpired.

As he recounted the events, the other City Guards carefully examined the surrounding corpses.

Most City Guards were former officers or veterans of the City Watchers, but even they had never seen such clean, decisive kills...

It was as if the slain men hadn’t resisted at all before death, yet the postures of the corpses clearly showed they were in the act of attacking an enemy. In other words, they hadn’t been caught unprepared.

So, how exactly did these men die? This question would remain an unsolved mystery within the City Guard for a long time.

After Colin finished, the Sheriff put away his pen and paper. "I have a general understanding of the situation. But now that lives have been lost, I’m afraid you’ll have to come with us."

"But I have to take this Imp..."

"It doesn’t matter who you are. You have to come with me. That’s the law in Thousand Masts City, sir," the Sheriff stressed.

Colin, growing impatient, showed the man the Seal Ring on his hand.

"You’re..." The Sheriff stared at the ring, momentarily stunned.

"I’m Colin." He dangled the Imp in his hand, which was still playing dead. "I need to deliver this to Edwin first. This Demon likely has important intelligence."

As soon as the words left Colin’s mouth, a fine sheen of sweat visibly broke out on the Sheriff’s forehead. His whole face flushed red, making him look just like a Tiefling without horns.

Colin was a little puzzled by the man’s reaction.

’But it wasn’t surprising, on second thought.’

’The head of the Morninglord Sect Colin had met back in Rommon was only Tier Three. He, on the other hand, was now a Tier Four Field Staff, a "Shield of Strength."’

’While the Field Staff wasn’t a large organization like the Morninglord Sect, someone at Tier Four was hardly a minor figure.’

Colin sighed and offered a word of reassurance. "Don’t worry. You were just doing your duty. I won’t hold it against you."

"Thank you, sir." The Sheriff wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve. "However, we must take the evidence from the scene back for inspection. We can hand it over to you after that, Mr. Colin."

"I’ll be on my way, then."

After speaking, Colin glanced at Ale, who stood nearby. Sharing a silent understanding, they started walking in the direction of Horn Castle.

A short while later, they arrived in the vicinity of Horn Castle.

Along the way, the Imp struggled for a bit, but after realizing it was completely unable to wrench its wings from Colin’s grasp, it gave up entirely.

When they were about halfway there, they saw Edwin in the distance, walking toward them in full armor along the road to Horn Castle.

When he saw Colin, he called out, "How did it go, Colin?"

"Just as we expected. I was ambushed by a few gang members, but it’s been taken care of." Colin gestured toward Edwin with the Imp he was carrying.

Edwin strode over.

The Imp in Colin’s hand began to shriek as if it had been tossed into a furnace, struggling for its life to get away from Edwin.

"There was a Caster in the group that attacked me. This thing should be his Familiar." Colin gave the Imp in his hand a little shake. "Is there a way to make it give up some valuable intelligence?"

Frowning, Edwin took the Imp from him.

Immediately, a golden light suffused the Paladin’s hand.

The Imp shrieked desperately. A SIZZLE echoed as a wisp of white smoke rose from where it was being held, as if touched by a branding iron.

"I can handle this," Edwin said, looking at the Imp in his hand. "Whatever this thing knows, I can make it confess. But it might take some time, and you can’t be present for it."

Hearing the Paladin’s words, the Imp’s body twitched, but it made no further sound. It seemed to have fallen into complete despair.

Colin tried to imagine himself in its position for a moment.

’It would be like suddenly falling into the clutches of a Legendary Giant Dragon, to be disposed of at its whim. A truly despairing situation.’

’And for some reason, Colin felt that Edwin wasn’t in a particularly good mood today.’

"In that case, we’ll head back first," Colin said, making sure to add, "But the Sheriff confiscated all the gear from the squad I took down. I was hoping..."

"Don’t worry about that," Edwin, who knew Colin all too well, said quickly. "Once they’re done with their investigation, I’ll help you get it back."

"Good to hear."

With that, Colin bid Edwin farewell and led Ale out onto the main street.

"That’s finally settled, then, Colin," Ale said.

"Yeah, it was easy enough," Colin replied, frowning as he gazed at the street ahead.

The street was as bustling as ever. Pedestrians in all sorts of attire, some anxious, others leisurely, moved along the road while horse-drawn carriages galloped by.

Judging by the pedestrians’ clothing, the temperature hadn’t changed much from a few months prior; it was still as cold as ever.

Following the trouble outside Thousand Masts City, a dark undercurrent was now stirring within its walls. Who could have imagined that beneath this peaceful veneer, gangs were plotting to peddle addictive substances throughout the city?