She was the happiest third placer he had ever seen. Her face glowed even when she tried to suppress her grin. Eldric grinned. Her joy was contagious.

To think that she was out of it when the contest started. He watched her as she stood in the middle looking lost that he almost stood up from his chair to shake her by the shoulder. With a jolt, she suddenly rushed and got to work as if she woke up from her daydream. Eldric let himself breathe a sigh of relief.

She was focused on her dish that she was not aware of what was happening around her. He watched in anticipation when she looked proud after tasting her food. Unconsciously, he licked his lips as if he could taste it too.

As he was watching her prepare her dish, his eyes caught sight of a small commotion in the crowd. He thought of dismissing it as a small quarrel among the people when he noticed the cause of it. A man was thrashing around and some of the men around him tried to keep him down. The man tried to fight and brush them off but he suddenly lost his consciousness.

Eldric signaled for his right-hand man who came behind him right away. He pointed at the crowd and Tim already slipped to check it out. Judging from what he had seen, that man was connected to what he was investigating.

‘Just wait and I’ll pin you down soon,’ he thought, his fingers gripping the armrest of his chair.

============

“You look happy,” Tim said the moment he came to the room Eldric occupied.

“Am I?” Eldric arched his eyebrow, sipping the Ox bone soup, or like what Lin said, Bulalo.

“Is it delicious?”

“Very. It’s a pity that you won’t be able to taste it,” he smirked then he turned serious. “Tell me what you’ve got.”

“Right,” Tim straightened his stand, “that man from the crowd, he was drunk. I pretended to help to carry him but I almost dropped him when I touched his skin.”

Eldric scowled.

“His skin was on fire. No, I’m not shitting you. And get this, when the doctor checked him, he said he has a high fever.”

“Just a moment. He was drinking while sick?”

“That’s what I thought too. But one of the men who helped said he was drinking with that man and he looked okay.”

Eldric leaned back on his chair, crossed his legs, and digested what he had heard. There was no mistaking it. This case coincided with the other reports he received. But how did these things circulate?

He remembered Lin and her disguise. What was with her disguise? Heaven knew if Lin was even her real name. ‘Please don’t let her be part of this mess.’ Part of him did not want her to be involved. There had to be another reason, a separate reason.

Tim moved to the side table. “Drink?”

“Yes. Give me something strong. I need to think.”

A knock sounded on the door and without waiting to be invited, a flushed mayor came inside the room.

“I know where they get those things,” the mayor said.

Eldric and Tim exchanged a look. The General nodded at the mayor to let him continue.

“It was the witch.”