Above the mage

Chapter 57 [Hound Tracking]

Although the title of "Royal Academy of Magic" briefly stirred Gao De's impulse, the distance of several thousand kilometers quickly calmed him down.

Let alone thousands of kilometers, even Bremen, which is only 200 kilometers away from Hogan, is a city that is currently difficult for Gaode Maps to reach.

This is not his previous life, where there were convenient means of transportation such as high-speed rail and airplanes.

Beyond the city, vast, undeveloped, and uninhabited forests are fraught with danger.

With mixed feelings, Gaode left the business district and returned to the herb garden.

The news he heard today still left him feeling uneasy.

Although missing persons have occurred in both commercial and residential areas before, who can guarantee that such things won't happen?

Who knows, the next one might happen in a "slum," a "rich area," or even the "suburbs."

The wealthy people in the city shared this concern, which put pressure on the city guards, making them take the matter so seriously.

"I need to arrange for people to take turns keeping watch at night. Although the apprentices in the herb garden are completely useless if the 'murderer' really shows up, at least it will give me some peace of mind. Otherwise, I won't be able to sleep at all," Gao De thought to himself.

"Is it so hard for me to just live a peaceful life, farm, sell medicine, and develop properly for a while?" At the same time, he felt a little helpless.

Gaode believes it has been well-behaved and honest enough.

Even if he occasionally had some impulsive thoughts, he suppressed them all and never did anything risky.

But unfortunately, even though he doesn't cause trouble, things still happen.

"Hopefully, the city guards can do something to catch the culprit as soon as possible," Gao De thought.

The worst-case scenario we anticipated has come to pass.

Last night, despite increased patrols by city guards and a citywide curfew, two households with a total of nine people mysteriously disappeared from their homes.

As before, apart from some slime of unknown origin, nothing else was found at the scene.

"It's said that this morning the city's rich people united to put pressure on the city guards." Inside the general store, Pierre said to God, who had come early to gather information, with a serious expression.

He looked worried. "Who wouldn't be scared by this?"

It seems the old man wasn't entirely sure either.

It's not surprising; people are always filled with fear of the unknown.

"Pressuring the city guards is just a pretext; the real purpose is to pressure the city lord," Gao De saw through the trick at a glance. "Obviously, the city guards can't handle this kind of thing; we have to ask the city's mage for help."

"If the esteemed mage were to intervene, this matter should be resolved quickly, right?" Only a mage with extraordinary powers could resolve such a bizarre situation.

"Probably?" Pierre hesitated for a moment, then nodded, still having some expectations for the mages of Hogan City.

Like Gao De, he hoped that Hogan City would remain peaceful and free from any unusual events.

Hogan City, City Hall.

Inside the circular room, around a conference table made of dark wood, sat eight or nine local leaders.

They wore colorful robes embroidered with their family crests, their faces expressionless, making it impossible to discern their inner thoughts.

Viscount Charles, the highest leader of Hogan City, sat in the main seat with a furrowed brow.

The people on the field, together, represented the highest authority in the entire city of Hogan.

No one, including Viscount Charles, spoke.

Marlan is the captain of the city guard in Hogan City. He is a burly middle-aged man wearing a well-fitting uniform. He looks exceptionally energetic and imposing.

Seeing that no one spoke, he stretched his noodles and broke the silence.

"Your Excellency, I dispatched all the city guards to stand watch last night. They worked all night without slacking off or neglecting their duties, but the disappearance still happened silently right under our noses."

"This matter is beyond the capacity of the city guards to resolve; we need to ask the High Priest for assistance."

The others present remained silent, seemingly determined to keep quiet.

Viscount Charles, seated at the head of the table, frowned and let out a long sigh.

"I thought it was just a small matter, but it has blown up more and more."

"If this matter is not resolved, everyone in the city will feel insecure, and the merchants will also have many complaints."

"This Hogan City is ultimately our Hogan City. Let's share our thoughts."

Since Viscount Charles had spoken up, the others naturally could no longer remain silent.

"I suspect it was done by creatures from the ley lines," the old man sitting to Viscount Charles's right said first.

He is the deputy city lord of Hogan City, the mage Qingdi.

According to the regulations of the Duchy of Sien, the highest leader of each city is a nobleman with a ducal title, namely the local city lord.

Based on this, a deputy city lord with the identity of a "mage" must be appointed.

This is a mandatory requirement.

Only in this way can we ensure that the city has the capacity to withstand potential natural and man-made disasters.

Even in a small city like Hogan City, the deputy city lord, Master Qingdi, is a second-circle mage.

"Master Qingdi, what are your thoughts?" Viscount Charles asked to confirm.

"This action doesn't seem to be man-made. Why would a man go to such lengths just for a few households?"

"According to what you've said, the missing person is gone, but their belongings are still there," Master Qingdi said calmly.

"Could it be that some mages are researching forbidden necromancy, and the reason they don't take the money is to confuse the issue?" someone suggested.

Such things have happened before.

"Then he'd be even less likely to defy the odds and commit the crime," Viscount Charles dismissed the possibility.

Researching forbidden necromancy is a grave crime; it should be done secretly, not openly.

"But if it was done by ley line creatures, where did these ley line creatures come from, and where did they go?" Viscount Charles frowned.

He had considered the possibility of ley line creatures, but he had never found a reasonable explanation for it.

The slums are alright, since they are located on the outskirts of the city anyway.

Occasionally, some leyline creatures would manage to break through the city walls and wreak havoc in the slums.

However, the family that went missing two days ago was clearly located in the working-class district, in the secondary center of Hogan City.

If it was indeed the work of ley line creatures, how did they manage to cross the city's outskirts and enter the civilian area without being seen?

How could they have left so quietly, or where in the city are they hiding right now?

The city guards have been patrolling the city for days, but they haven't found anything unusual.

"The abilities of ley line creatures are diverse. The frequency and number of ley line creatures appearing outside the city have been increasing recently, so it is not difficult to understand why such a ley line creature with the ability to hide would appear," Master Qingdi said slowly, having a clear understanding of the situation.

"What does Master Qingdi mean?" Viscount Charles asked humbly, seeing that Master Qingdi seemed to have a comprehensive plan and arrangements.

"Didn't they say there was some slime left at the scene?"

Master Qingdi stated directly, "If nothing unexpected happens, this slime should be left behind by the 'murderer.'"

"With just one [Hound Track] spell, the killer can be tracked down by the slime."

"Then I'll have to trouble Master Qingdi to help."

Unexpectedly, Master Qingdi shook his head, "I have not mastered [Hound Tracking], so you, Viscount, need to go to Bremen to buy a spell scroll."

"【Hound Tracking】is only a level 2 spell, and the corresponding spell scroll costs only 30 gold."

"Money is a minor matter; finding the culprit and settling this matter as soon as possible is the most important thing," Viscount Charles said immediately, slamming his fist on the table.

30 gold coins is really nothing for a viscount.

"I will send someone to Bremen immediately."

(End of this chapter)