Chapter 291

Chapter 294: This Wave Was a Total Loss～ (Please Subscribe!)

The persistent clamor of voices was finally absorbed by the stone walls and blue crystal pillars.

A large number of adventurers from Rivira Town had gathered around the Cave Inn, all without exception discussing the current incident. The scene could only be described as “chaotic.”

Fortunately, it hadn’t yet spiraled out of control.

Earlier, the arrival of six Level 1 adventurers from Loki Familia, including Hero Finn, gave the townsfolk a much-needed reassurance.

If it’s that Hero, surely he can resolve this matter and uncover the true culprit.

Almost everyone present harbored this thought to some degree.

Meanwhile, inside the Willy Inn where the investigators were stationed, they were piecing together clues.

“Hasana is quite a renowned adventurer in the city. Normally, he’d be recognized upon entering town, but this time he wore an entirely new full-body armor with a helmet concealing his identity.”

This was why both Bert and Willy failed to recognize him before the incident last night.

“That guy brought in a woman dressed in a robe last night, so obviously the murderer must be that woman… Don’t you think so too, Willy?”

Bert confidently declared, then turned to his companion for confirmation.

The young beastman named Willy nodded in agreement and added:

“They came together last night. Both had their faces covered and requested I give them exclusive use of the entire inn.”

“Only two people but they wanted all the rooms?”

“It’s for that kind of thing, you know. Their vibe was obvious. There are no doors in my inn, and the soundproofing is terrible. If they started yelling, the whole cave would hear. It’d be easy to peek too.”

Finn, though still single, immediately understood what was implied.

It was a classic honey trap.

But this beauty was clearly venomous, ruthless even.

Behind him, Izay and Riviria also caught on. Izay immediately thought of the famous saying, “To die under the peony blossom…”

That dude was the perfect example of that phrase.

Hmm… wait, wasn’t it somewhat imperfect?

Izay recalled… when they examined the crime scene earlier, Hasana’s pants seemed to still be on.

Meaning he didn’t succeed…

So this wave was a total loss.

He didn’t get the flower, and now he’s dead.

Izay’s thoughts drifted away.

Riviria subtly averted her gaze, inwardly spitting at such behavior. Tione and the others also felt disdain.

Dying because of lust? Honestly, somewhat deserved.

Only Ais among the group looked puzzled.

Her natural disposition made her slow to understand these things.

“Didn’t you see the face of the robed woman?” Finn asked at this point.

“She pulled her hood low, completely hiding her face.”

“But we might have a clue about her purpose. She likely targeted something on Hasana’s person.”

Willy and Bert spoke in turn.

“Something? What do you mean?”

“A reasonable deduction. Hasana’s personal bag was clearly ransacked, his equipment scattered everywhere. That leads us to believe she was after something specific.”

Even if old hand Bert made the deduction, his judgment was solid.

“Hmm…” Finn stroked his chin thoughtfully. “That might come off as rude, but I’d like to re-examine the scene carefully. I might touch some evidence. Is that alright?”

“Sure, go ahead.”

Bert shrugged indifferently.

He realized by now that this was beyond his capabilities.

What could a Level 3 do against a possible Level 5 killer?

Just go and die?

Better leave the investigation to Finn.

After confirming the information and saying “thank you,” the Halfling Tribe Leader stood up from his seat, ready to head back to the crime scene.

Seeing this, Riviria sighed slightly, considering that they might need to confirm the victim’s identity again. She should probably go along since Finn didn’t have the Divine Text skill.

However, Izay beat her to it.

“I’ll help you, Finn. Two people will make the investigation faster.”

“Ah, thank you then, Izay.”

“…”

What a thoughtful kid… Riviria murmured to herself as she watched Izay and Finn walk away.

Meanwhile, within Twilight Manor.

In the Divine Room atop the Central Tower, filled with wine bottles and rare artifacts, Loki sat silently reading reports.

“Hmm—, all these reports say the same thing.” Loki tossed the report onto the table.

Ever since the Monster Festival ended, she had been searching for information on the man-eating flower monsters.

But despite gathering many intelligence reports, there was no mention of such creatures.

“Asking that flower-obsessed goddess got me nowhere, and neither did asking Missia and Eina from the Guild. Where the hell are these damn things coming from!?”

The red-haired goddess glanced at the dried yellow magic stone sitting on her desk and cursed under her breath.

“Hmph…” Taking a deep breath, Loki crossed her arms behind her head.

With that, there was only one option left.

She began packing her things leisurely and then left the room.

Exiting the Central Tower, Loki headed to the usual meeting room where everyone often gathered.

“Oh, just Bert here? Where are Ais and the others?”

The meeting room was unusually quiet, with only Bert lounging on the couch, seemingly asleep. The wolfman opened his eyes slightly at Loki’s interruption.

“They said they’re exploring the Dungeon and won’t be back for a few days.”

“Bert, you’ve been abandoned?”

“Not at all! Stop saying stupid things! I just don’t feel like doing anything—!”

Looks like he’s embarrassed. Loki thought truthfully but didn’t dare show it on her face. She rubbed her hands soothingly and asked Bert about his plans for the day.

“I’ve got nothing planned today.”

“Eh? Perfect! Sorry to bother you, Bert, but would you accompany me somewhere today?”

“Huh?”

Seeing Bert’s surprised expression as if to say “What nonsense are you planning now?”, Loki replied: “I want to investigate.”

As Loki and her Familia prepared to act, Finn and Izay in Rivira Town discovered something new during their second examination of the crime scene.

Subsequently, Finn began exercising his investigative authority to address the matter.