"Demon Worship?" When Anna asked this question, her curiosity was thoroughly piqued. Apart from those who were genuine homicidal maniacs or perverts who craved blood at every waking moment, only true lunatics would worship a chaotic demon!
If one had a wish, wouldn't it be better to worship a devil duke? At least they were infinitely more "honest and principled." So while one or two individuals worshipping demons wasn't particularly strange, the fact that so many people had died at the scene was deeply peculiar.
Katrina thought the same way. The only reason the Arcane Council had issued this mandatory mission was because of those words — "demon worship." If it had been devil worshippers who died during a botched ritual, the Council might not have investigated the matter so thoroughly.
Almost no powerful demon had ever attempted to develop a church devoted to its worship. They might have once considered the idea, but it was quickly discarded under the influence of their own chaotic nature, swayed by slaughter and blood. For that reason, a large-scale demon worship incident was itself a baffling, inexplicable thing — inherently laced with the bizarre.
The tavern owner, Gurv, held a clean piece of fur and carefully polished the cup in front of him, seemingly unwilling to overlook a single flaw. He chuckled and said, "It is indeed a demon worship case. At least that's the conclusion the Church published after its detailed investigation — 'a demon worship incident.'"
"But what if the Church deliberately concealed the true situation in order to avoid causing panic? It wouldn't be the first time," Anna replied, clearly dissatisfied with Gurv's answer. She had been a mercenary for three or four years now and had seen and experienced no small number of things, including several instances where the Church had intentionally hidden the truth for one reason or another. She did not accept their investigation's conclusions without question.
As for Gurv — a mercenary of over a decade and a tavern owner for seven or eight years — he was willing to believe the investigation's conclusions only because he had his own secret channels to verify them.
Gurv noticed both young women's emerald-green eyes, like those of a lake, fixed upon him, and he lightly rapped the table. "This is the kind of intelligence I'd normally charge for, but..."
At this point, he glanced toward the door where mercenaries were peeking in and steadily streaming inside, then chuckled. "It seems you two ladies have livened up my tavern's business, so I'll tell you for free."
Anna glanced back over her shoulder and said with a grin, "It's all because of big sister Katrina. I drink at your place all the time, Uncle Gurv, and I've never managed to attract a pack of 'wild wolves' from the wastelands."
"Oh. So your name is Katrina — that's a common female name in Kalkat City. You're a local too?" Gurv said with a smile.
Before Katrina could answer, Anna jumped in. "No she's not. Big sister Katrina comes from a noble family in another province."
"A noble family? No wonder she carries herself with such poise. That's quite rare among mercenaries." Gurv mused for a moment. "Actually, Katrina, I've always felt you looked a bit familiar. I think I've seen you somewhere before..."
Katrina's expression dimmed slightly. Her family had held a legacy here for two or three hundred years. Having inherited the bloodline, she had surely also inherited some of her ancestors' features. She thought to herself: "Once the Council brings the Shahran Empire under control, once long-distance communication and discussion become convenient, once I become a high-tier mage, I'll build my mage tower right here..."
"Uncle Gurv, you think every pretty lady looks familiar. Hurry up and give us the intelligence!" Anna bluntly pointed out the truth.
Gurv set down the fur cloth, rubbed his forehead, and lowered his voice. "The person who discovered it was a servant at the villa where the incident occurred. His name was Ivan. When he went to clean the main hall, he found it filled with blood and corpses — nobles, knights, commoners, artists, and also, also mages..."
Thanks to the existence of Saint Ivan, the most common name in the Shahran Empire was Ivan.
"Mages?" Anna couldn't help letting out a small gasp. In the Shahran Empire, encountering a formally registered mage was an exceedingly rare occurrence.
Katrina's gaze sharpened, and her expression turned focused.
"Yes. Based on Ivan's description, I confirmed that the badge the mage wore was a first-tier Arcane badge — a second-circle magic badge. What's more, based on his physical characteristics, I asked around, and he had only arrived in Kalkat City not long ago. The materials he'd been seeking and purchasing in the forest and underground were all the kind mages need." Gurv briefly described the mage's appearance, making special note of the mole beside his left eye.
Katrina gave a small inward nod. That was indeed the mage who had died.
Gurv continued, "Having some thirty or forty people of different identities dead in the same hall is already a peculiar event. What's even more peculiar is that there was an altar in the center of the hall. Though nothing remained on it now, the air was still permeated with the chaotic scent of slaughter and destruction."
"How did these people die — suicide, or murder?" Katrina asked carefully, phrasing the question befitting her current identity: what a slightly curious yet experienced female mercenary might ask. From Anna's expression, it was clear she wanted to ask the same thing.
Gurv dropped his voice even further. "That's the third peculiar thing. These people killed each other, and not in isolated duels — it was a chaotic massacre. Some of the dead bore fatal wounds on their front, back, left side, and right."