High above the ground.
Vieya released Big White’s claws and landed steadily on a rooftop.
Thanks to her sli body’s incredible shock absorption, she made not even a sound.
“You’re sure Helcat found sothing strange here?”
The sli girl wrinkled her delicate nose, but couldn’t pick out any distinct trace among the jumble of slls.
Her sense of sll clearly wasn’t as sharp as that black cat’s.
“Caw...” Big White cried softly, landing on her shoulder and stretching one wing forward like a pointing hand.
What a clever bird.
Vieya gave it a sidelong glance and started walking in that direction.
Hopefully, the situation wasn’t too serious.
And still—why was there no movent from the Demon-Hunting Order, the Lord Mayor’s office, or even the Adventurers’ Guild, despite a vampire appearing in Fengxiang Town?
That was strange.
Unless... the vampire had only recently begun revealing itself.
Maybe she should’ve ntioned it yesterday when she reported Anna.
Sigh... wonder if that report letter was even delivered.
Suddenly, Big White’s direction faltered in the middle of the marketplace. It twisted its neck, looking left and right before giving two frustrated cries.
Caw...
The bustling market was packed with people.
Being the border town beside the Monster Forest, Fengxiang gathered travelers from everywhere—every trade, every background.
So had committed cris elsewhere and fled here to escape pursuit.
So made their living in this gray zone through illegal trades.
So were fugitives altogether.
Only the Lord Mayor’s office had jurisdiction over such matters.
But ever since the monster siege, that sa office—like the Demon-Hunting Order—had suffered heavy losses on the front lines.
Even now, they hadn’t recovered enough manpower to resu full patrols.
For instance—
Before the siege, at least three official knight squads patrolled this market regularly.
Now there was only one—and not even official—just a hired private cavalry whose employer was unclear.
The Lord Mayor’s office sat at the town’s core. Once, its authority could cover the whole city with a single sweep of the hand.
But short on people, that hand had pulled back, protecting only the core district where the office itself stood... leaving the rest—the comrcial zone and residential quarters—to fend for themselves.
“Boss, have you seen a maid with cat ears co by just now?”
“No.”
“......”
Vieya took out five copper coins and slapped them on the counter. “How about now?”
“Ahem, look at , must’ve slipped my mind with all this business.”
The shopkeeper quickly pocketed the coins, tapped his head, and squinted, pretending to recall.
“Now that you ntion it, yeah, there was a cat-tribe monster girl who ca to buy buns. Fancy clothes too—not your average commoner, stood out like a sore thumb... But she bought a bunch of things, went into that alley, and when she ca back out, all the things she bought were gone.”
Then he leaned closer, voice dropping to a mysterious whisper.
“That cat-tribe one wasn’t to be ssed with. The mont she entered that alley, a few thugs followed her in. But...” He clicked his tongue twice. “She ca out safe and sound—like nothing happened—but those thugs? Gone.”
“And then?” Vieya wasn’t interested in the details.
“Then...” The man rubbed his fingers together and gave a greasy grin. “My mory cos and goes, you see...”
Bang!
Vieya slamd a fist onto the bun stand, the sound booming. Her eyes glinted with fury.
“I’m a market investigator sent from the Lord Mayor’s office. The recent incidents here have made His Lordship very angry. So listen up—you’re not blocking my career path, you’re blocking your life path. Those coins you took weren’t bribes—they were paynt from the Lord for your cooperation!”
The shopkeeper’s face drained of color. Cursing his own greed inwardly, he forced a smile, hurriedly pushing the coins back—and even added a few silvers.
“Ah, uh... my head’s still foggy this morning, didn’t realize you were a Lord’s official.” His tone turned ek. He didn’t dare bet on whether this striking young woman was bluffing or not.
If she was real, he’d just dug his own grave.
If she wasn’t, well... even if he shouted for help from other rchants, things could easily spiral. And once knights got involved, he’d be the one in trouble.
But—
Feeling everyone’s eyes on him—rchants and custors alike eager for a spectacle—the boss gritted his teeth and blurted,
“Even if you’re from the Lord Mayor’s office, you can’t just bully an honest citizen! I gave your money back! What more do you want?!”
“It’s not about the money—it’s about whether you’ll cooperate. This is your market manager’s contact channel, isn’t it? Thanks to you, it’s finally my turn to talk to him.”
With that, Vieya turned and started walking toward the market’s watch post.
“W-wait!”
The boss shouted after her, panting as if he’d just run a thousand ters.
“What, changed your mind?”
Seeing his face twist in panic, Vieya knew she’d hit the mark. She folded her arms, chin lifting slightly, letting arrogance seep into her tone.
“I’m not forcing you. I’ll ask one last ti—where did that cat-eared maid go? If you can’t answer, bring soone who can.”
As soon as her words dropped, the onlookers averted their eyes one by one—no one wanted any part of this.
But the bun-seller panicked, dragging others in with him like a general calling up troops.
Whether the commotion grew or not wasn’t Vieya’s concern.
Her student and her pet were missing—if she didn’t stir things up, who would?
At the sa ti—
The Lord Mayor’s office received a report.
The old Lord’s face froze. He turned to the ssenger, voice heavy with disbelief.
“What did you just say? Our supposed ‘investigator’ in the residential market is organizing civilians for questioning? Claims there’s a high-risk monster in town?”
The secretary, arms full of reports, nodded.
“Never mind whether I even sent anyone there—tell ,” the old Lord said grimly, “what exactly is this ‘high-risk monster’ supposed to be?”
Was it a rumor? Or real?
The old man pressed his temples, exhausted. This was truly the worst timing. The monster siege hadn’t been long ago—and now another uproar within the city.
“Who’s this impersonator? Is she still at the residential market?” he asked.
The secretary hesitated. “The person impersonating our investigator... is actually a monster girl.”
A monster girl.
The Lord’s brows knitted. He imdiately thought of the one personally vouched for by the “Reversal Hero.”
And from all accounts, that sa monster girl had gotten along well with that Hero’s only student.
Could it be her?
If it was indeed her... things could get complicated.
Right now, Fengxiang Town had ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) only one stationed Hero. Even if they requested help, the nearest one would need half a day to arrive.
The old Lord muttered under his breath,
“A high-risk monster in town... high-risk...”
Hands clasped behind his back, he stepped to the doors and gazed over the little city, eyes settling toward the residential district.
“Adi, summon the high-ranked knights. If that monster girl causes trouble, detain her at the Lord’s office for a few days. If she isn’t causing trouble... if she isn’t...”
He flicked his sleeve and turned to leave.
“Forget it. I’ll go see for myself.”
...
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