The Laws of Werewolf Hunting

Chapter 547 The Book Thief

The idea that giving names was the original form of magic has been controversial in the past, precisely because wizards were unsure whether the phenomenon of taking power from defeated enemies should be classified as magic.

The act of "eating" existed long before the concept of "name" came into being.

Even after the first people conquered the land by “naming” it and thus became nobles, those who defeated them were still able to take the power of the land from them.

These later inhabitants seized the land from their predecessors through conquest, and then gave the land another name using new methods and even new languages.

This makes the situation complicated.

The power of the land began to disperse, falling into the hands of different people.

“Did you know that, unlike other cities that do not value civilization, Sasha City has always maintained a very stable record-keeping system? Even with several changes of dynasties, from the Pylus Dynasty that worshipped witchcraft to the current Bakala Dynasty, which is dominated by the White Religion, we can still count the names of the landowners from 2,700 years ago.”

Speaking of this, Mr. Ben, a Sasha native, also showed a proud expression.

"Seventy years ago, a scholar attempted to compile this history and the family genealogy of the Sasha lords in a book. He spent twenty years completing it, and a copy of it is still preserved in the city museum."

“If I have the chance, I’ll definitely go and see it,” Clayton replied politely.

“What was its original form?” Julius suddenly asked.

“It was originally in the hands of a nobleman.” Mr. Ben said, a smile involuntarily appearing on his face. “It’s quite a coincidence that he visited me last week to inquire about the value of this book, which is why I know more about it than anyone else.”

Clayton's thick, dark eyebrows furrowed: "Could he happen to be from the Penson family?"

"You know him?"

"He recently died; a robber killed him, and the book is missing."

Mr. Ben cried out "Godfather, protect me!" and then subconsciously made the sign of the cross on his chest.

Clayton observed his face and listened to his heartbeat, but the result was somewhat disappointing, and Julius next to him also squinted.

Nine chimes could be heard from afar outside the window.

Clayton rose from his seat: "I've thought about it again, and maybe I shouldn't bother them tonight. I haven't told the kids I'm staying out overnight, and they'll be disappointed if they can't wait for me."

He said goodbye and left with Julius in front of Mr. Ben's astonished gaze; the wizard did not seem surprised.

Stepping outside, Julius said, "He knew Sir Penson was dead."

“Yes.” Clayton went to take the horse without expression. “It’s a pity that I wanted to be friends with him, but now it seems there’s no need for that.”

Mr. Ben was a clever man, but not a skilled actor; the werewolf and the wizard's extraordinary senses caught the subtle changes in his expressions and body language.

He was so enthusiastic that he extended every moment he could spend with them, asking them to use drawings instead of words to explain things to Clayton, and finally invited them to stay overnight, chatting with them attentively until nine o'clock.

Before they discovered he knew about Sir Penson's death, this could at least be explained by enthusiasm. But now they know he simply wanted two free superhuman bodyguards.

Mr. Ben knew that Sir Benson was dead and that the murderer was looking for the book. He was the last person to see the book and was very likely being targeted.

Perhaps he had already discovered the watchers around the house, which is why he was so eager to wait for a powerful figure to protect him.

But Clayton didn't like this approach.

“If he had been honest and told me the truth, I would have taken the job, but he wanted to use me without trusting me.”

He stopped by the stable and suddenly looked at a large tree.

“I can understand that. Who doesn’t love free things?” Julius said, stopping behind Clayton and looking at the big tree next to them.

Realizing they had been discovered, the real watcher revealed its true identity.

A human-shaped object on the tree trunk changed color, revealing itself to be a short man draped in a peculiar robe woven entirely from oddly shaped leaves. These leaves used their color-changing properties to blend him into the tree trunk. This strange object immediately made Clayton realize his identity.

"A Druid? Sir Penson's death is related to Groene?" He still wasn't used to calling her Gloria.

The druid quickly denied it: "No, no, no, the high priest doesn't handle this matter; it's a private affair. Sir Penson's death was also due to that fellow's unauthorized actions."

The aura of fear emanating from him was so strong that Clayton turned his head and asked, "You know me?"

“I’ve heard about what you’ve done.”

"Who is your employer?"

"I do not know."

The druid's hands were clasped together, and he looked very awkward. Clayton almost couldn't bring himself to say what he was going to say next. He almost...

“I haven’t seen the book you’re looking for. It’s not with me. You can disbelieve me, but whatever you do, don’t fucking bother me. If I catch you ransacking my property, I’ll eat your guts and hang your ripped-out corpses on a tree to celebrate the upcoming horse race.”

The werewolf's tone was definitely not joking.

“Of course! Of course!” The druid nodded vigorously, and his humble attitude made Julius reveal a wicked smile.

"As for this Mr. Ben, he's none of my business, but try not to kill him."

After Clayton gave his instructions, Julius whistled: "Here's a piece of advice: be careful when dealing with a university professor, even if he's just a mortal. There are quite a few wizards working at the university, so you'd better not let them think too much about your actions. Besides, the Knights of High Rock are already watching this case."

The short druid nodded meekly.

The matter seemed to have ended there, and Clayton and Julius rode back to Bello House. In the anteroom, after changing his hat and coat, Clayton gestured for Julius to wait for him in the study. After Julius sat in the study for a while, Clayton came in.

"Have you finished checking?"

“The inspection is complete,” Clayton said. “This should be the end of it, but I’m still a little uneasy. I don’t know much about druids.”

"Actually, you already know them well enough. You think they are uncontrollable only because you suspect their motives are not what they claim to be. But druids are actually very pure people."

"Isn't it strange that someone is hiring druids? If I heard that someone didn't need money, I wouldn't be the first person to consider asking them for help."

Clayton sat down in his seat, and Clara emerged from the gap between the bookshelves on the side, where no books were placed. She stretched out her arms, grabbed the pull rings on the shelves on both sides, and yanked them, skillfully slamming her little head onto the table.

“Has anyone come to the study after I left?” Clayton asked.

“Nobody comes,” she said.

Clayton ruffled her hair a couple of times and then put her aside.

Julius now understood what he meant.

"You think it's someone from within the Elders' Council."

Few people are familiar with the true working style of Druids, and most of them don't need Druids to handle such trivial matters.

If it were the church or other powerful figures, they could have simply asked Sir Penson to borrow the book. He shouldn't have refused the request of such a noble person when he was in such a sorry state.

This would be quite strange, especially for a wealthy person who understands the real world. Sir Benjamin Penson wanted to leave for distant lands, and Sir Franklin said the book should have remained in Sasha. In that case, Sir Penson's actions constituted theft, and someone who has already decided to steal shouldn't care about selling stolen goods.

One must be familiar with and able to find a druid willing to accept employment, understand the contents of the book, be neither a government official nor a clergy member, and be deemed unqualified to possess this "history book."

There aren't many options left.

Coincidences are possible, but Clayton doesn't believe in coincidences, at least not before the investigation.

“I always thought the Presbyterian Church was a peaceful organization,” he sighed.

Julius was taken aback: "You still think that way after you killed Akzi?"

"Sir Jonard made me think that killing Akzi would maintain peace."

“That’s true. After Akzi died, many Darkin who had been clamoring for a higher position in human society fell silent.” Julius sat across from the werewolf and pondered, “But there is something strange about this. I can’t understand why this person wanted a history book. The museum has a copy of it. Stealing a copy is much easier than stealing the original. This isn’t a magic book. The original has the power to control the copy.”

“That’s not surprising. Some people just love collecting the original manuscripts of rare books; original copies and first editions are highly sought after,” Clayton said.

"However, this book has resulted in a death, and it was a nobleman who died. Don't the elders mind?"

As the son of one of the elders, Julius Stow stroked his chin and analyzed for Clayton: "The old knight will probably intervene. That mysterious employer knows that Sir Penson has the book in his possession, and is most likely a member of his court. But in his eyes, Sir Penson is a loser after all. I think he will at most give the authorities a perfunctory response and then act as if nothing happened."

"Ms. Cheryl basically doesn't care about anything and is indifferent to worldly affairs."

"Elder Fisher is similar to her."

Clayton interrupted him: "If I were the mayor, I would say that your father is the most suspicious person. After all, a druid was involved in this. Has she considered how to defend herself? Or is it really her doing?"

Julius was silent for a while: "Actually, I'm not very familiar with her."

Clayton sighed for him.

However, if the person who wants the book is indeed Gloria, then it's a good thing for them, as it means they won't get involved in any more strange murders or fight inexplicable battles with enemies of unknown origin.

"There's one more thing: I need to mark my territory so that others know not to act recklessly on my land."

"Are you going to pee around the house?" Julius looked at Clayton blankly, not understanding why he was specifically asking him this. Was he seeking some kind of diuretic magic?
Clayton had just been lamenting the wizard's unfortunate family situation, but that feeling quickly dissipated.

"You green-haired idiot, I'm not a stray dog! I'm using human methods!"

A few days earlier, Clayton had contacted several pharmaceutical companies for his pharmacy business, and one emerging drug caught his attention. At the same time, the pharmaceutical company also actively contacted him.

atropine.

This is a new drug whose main ingredient is extracted from belladonna. It has multiple uses, including pain relief and preoperative anesthesia, as well as treating nearsightedness. It is also a cosmetic because it can enlarge the pupils, making the eyes look more beautiful.

Clayton used this as an excuse when explaining his eye condition to others.

Now the pharmaceutical company that produces atropine has actually started contacting him.

As mentioned before, there are many druids in Sasha City because they fear the wild spirits of plants. Plants rich in heat and hallucinogenic properties, such as poppies, belladonna, and datura, cannot be cultivated on a large scale. Sasha City's hospitals have to import anesthetics from other regions. The close relationship between doctors and pharmaceutical companies, as well as the competition within the industry itself, has resulted in a mixed supply of anesthetics in the local area.

The pharmaceutical company also heard about the situation in Sasha and planned to expand into the area.

"This new drug has been on the market for less than two years, and the pharmaceutical company wants an eye-catching package, so they plan to add some embellishments to the drug packaging and promotional posters, such as beautiful people, to highlight the efficacy of the cosmetics—cosmetics are more popular than drugs now."

"After communication, it is now confirmed that I am on the poster, so I plan to use the poster as my logo."

“Think of a way to use your magic to modify these posters. Conionne once used eye patterns to construct magic to detect hostile people nearby. I want that effect too, so I’ll use my eyes on the posters.”

"I'll call you back once their posters are finished. Now get out!"

　I've already written six thousand words, so I might as well split it into two chapters.

　　(End of this chapter)