"Knock, knock, knock!"
Early morning, just as the sky was lightening, there ca a knocking at the door.
Kana groggily woke up: "Who is it?"
"Your Highness, it's ."
Alyris's voice ca from outside the door.
This early?
He was a bit puzzled, and after clearing his head, he asked, "Is sothing the matter?"
"Your Highness, the Black Knight has sothing for you."
Blake? Did sothing happen?
Normally, Blake would just wait in the courtyard or the living room; their duty was to guard one's safety.
"Just a mont."
After a simple wash and getting dressed, Kana went downstairs.
Seeing Kana co down, Blake quickly walked over.
"Your Highness, has sothing happened?"
"Hmm?"
Kana was a bit slow to react; what had happened that required looking for him?
He honestly couldn't think of anything that would have them seek him out, unless sothing happened to Alyris, but Alyris was standing right next to him.
Blake hurriedly spoke up: "A resident of the town has died, and her child is missing."
Kana was even more confused.
"Last night, a drunk said he seed to see a shadowy, short creature. He claid it was a giant rat."
No wonder, just yesterday they had learned about the Sharp-eared Rat People from the Fishn.
"Take to see."
Following Blake, they soon arrived at the edge of the small town.
If the entrance to the town was by the gate, then this was the end of the small town, close to the hillside and wooded area.
A crowd of people had gathered around.
"I really saw it, a rat that big, it whooshed past ."
"You must have been too drunk to see straight."
"I also saw that black shadow yesterday. Maybe it was a rat."
"You drank yesterday too."
"I don't drink."
"You're full of it."
"Maybe it was a thief; just a few days ago my eggs and vegetables were stolen."
"Yes, yes, two pieces of my at were also taken."
"And my ring."
"Wasn't it your man who took your ring to sell?"
"What?!"
"Uh... I was just joking."
"He's done for!"
A furious, stout woman rushed out from the crowd.
Looking at the woman, the accompanying knight, Kecha, chuckled and said, "Looks like soone's in for it."
"Make way, make way, His Highness the Prince is here!"
Hearing this, the gathered residents hurriedly stepped aside.
Kana walked in, entering the house directly.
As soon as he entered, he could sll the pungent scent of blood; his body was particularly sensitive to blood.
He gently sniffed the air.
Kana suddenly asked, "Alyris, sll this blood. What do you notice?"
"It's a woman, recently deceased. And there's a mix of... a strange fresh blood scent."
"Very good, looks like you're about to activate Blood Magic."
"Sniff, sniff!"
Hearing the sound of soone inhaling deeply nearby, both turned to look simultaneously.
They saw Blake frowning while taking deep breaths into the air.
"What are you doing?" Kana asked in confusion.
"Why can't I sll it?" Blake frowned, "How did you manage to? A new trick of the Royal Knights? Or a hidden technique?"
Alyris rolled her eyes, and Kana felt a bit helpless.
They ignored him and walked straight inside.
As they entered, what should have been the bedroom, they saw a corpse lying on the ground.
Jonel and several guards were standing there, along with a middle-aged man dressed as an herbalist.
Upon seeing Kana, they imdiately bowed.
"Your Highness."
Kana nodded and asked directly, "Tell the details."
The old knight, Jonel, spoke in a deep and solemn voice: "Morris, a poor mother. She was killed by an unknown murderer, and her husband is still fighting with the Count.
They also had a poor child, a lovely little girl, who is also missing."
It was evident that such matters made Jonel, the town leader, extrely angry.
Kana looked at the corpse, squatted down slightly, and began a simple examination.
Seeing that so people wanted to stop him, Kana raised his hand to stop them: "I won't faint at the sight of blood."
After checking the corpse, he stood up and looked around the room again. It was easy for him to deduce what happened.
The whole scene was not concealed in any way; any normal person would know what happened.
The only thing that stumped these people was that the killer seed to be an animal.
"A Sharp-eared Ratman, originally just wanted to steal, but saw the child.
Greed drove him to try and take the child too, but unfortunately, he alerted the mother.
A giant rat standing upright would scare anyone; this mother was also frightened.
So she was bitten in the neck, but in protecting the child, she fiercely struck the rat once with a fork.
The rat, frightened, took the child and ran, even smashing through the window in its escape."
The situation wasn't complicated, just that simple.
Jonel frowned and couldn't help but ask, "Your Highness, pardon my ignorance, but what are Sharp-eared Rat People?"
"An evil race, about half-person tall, like rats standing upright.
We learned from the Fishn yesterday that they've been here for so ti, probably on the other side of the river.
These Ratn love to settle around civilized areas, and they engage in robbery, theft, and murder."
Saying this, Kana gestured to his thigh: "Children below this height are preferred prey for these rats.
They are insidious and cunning, and like to bully the weak, and such children are just right for them."
He also pointed to the window: "Though sly and evil, their courage is like that of a rat.
If you can overco your fear, any adult could easily deal with them.
With just a fork, they were scared enough to jump out of the window."
He squatted down and took the fork from the mother's hand.
"The rat's blood is still on it. See these black hard hairs? That's their fur.
Only Sharp-eared Rat People have black fur."
He turned to Alyris and said, "The strange fresh blood scent you slled is the foul blood of the Sharp-eared Rat People, rember it."
Alyris nodded seriously.
"What do we do now, Your Highness?" Jonel asked.
"Our fishn friends have pointed out their lair. For the Rat People, a child is a feast, and they need to prepare well for it.
So now, we must eradicate these cursed rats if you don't want your children to always be in danger."
Jonel frowned, then decisively nodded: "We will follow your lead. Blake, go call the guards and have the fishern prepare the boats."
Kana added, "And get so hunters too. I believe this small town should have so, right?"
"Certainly, I'm on it."
Blake nodded and walked out.
Kana covered the eyes of the fallen mother, "Protect the remains of this heroic mother, let her child see her peaceful visage when she returns."
"Those rats should pay the price; let their blood commorate this brave mother."
Kana's words invigorated those present.
Even Jonel couldn't help but focus his gaze on Kana, studying him closely.
"Yes, Your Highness!"
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