Episode 124
Chapter 40: The Trackers of Delki (Part 1)
It was four days after that when the Seven-Colored Bird operatives finally brought back meaningful information.
“They were restless these past few months with no progress, but now that they have a lead, things are moving fast. The Seven-Colored Bird team returned from Delki with some pretty solid intel.”
“What kind of information?”
“It’s about the surname Marius. It’s a common name across the continent, but in the Kingdom of Delki, only one particular group uses it.”
“Not a family, but a group?”
“Exactly. There was an orphanage in southern Delki called ‘Sacrifice of the Moon.’ Everyone who came from that orphanage used the surname Marius.”
“So, that means Alu and Tymeun’s nanny came from the same orphanage. Even if they’re not blood relatives, they must share a deep connection.”
“That’s right. But the operatives also uncovered something interesting about that orphanage. Sacrifice of the Moon wasn’t just any ordinary orphanage.”
It wasn’t simply a place to raise orphans.
While it did house a significant number of children, its true purpose was to cultivate assassins for the Delki royal family.
“The Sacrifice of the Moon was run directly by the core supporters of the Delki king’s faction. They trained orphans to become assassins or spies. After the civil war ended with the prince’s faction victorious, the facility was shut down.”
“A secret weapons training ground, then.”
“Yes, and the training was brutal. They forced the orphans to form tight bonds, only to make them kill each other. The survivors were then selected as the final candidates…”
“Insane. Even in Runcandel, they wouldn’t do something like that. But did Tymeun’s nanny and Alu’s time there overlap? They must be quite a few years apart.”
“Their active periods didn’t overlap, but Tymeun Marius kept returning to the Sacrifice of the Moon even after becoming a nanny in Runcandel.”
“Even after becoming a nanny?”
“Yes, and that’s the key piece of information the Seven-Colored Bird brought back. Whether Runcandel turned a blind eye or simply didn’t care, she visited the orphanage at least once every two months.”
Jin knew that nannies in Runcandel had almost no personal time. Officially, they were allowed only one week off per year.
And most nannies voluntarily gave up even that week, continuing their duties. Many of them had nowhere else to go.
“Knowing Luna’s personality, she might have unofficially given her more time off. But to keep visiting the Sacrifice of the Moon… maybe she felt sympathy for the orphans in the same situation as herself?”
Thinking that way, it made sense why Tymeun gave Alu a kind of chance.
Still, as soon as Jin confirmed their connection, an uneasy feeling rose within him. He secretly hoped that Tymeun and Alu only shared the surname by coincidence and didn’t actually know each other.
That way, even if Alu was involved in the curse, Tymeun wouldn’t be held responsible.
“What’s the source of this information?”
“There are a few survivors from the Sacrifice of the Moon still alive in Delki. Nine in total, excluding the late Alu. They survived when the facility was shut down by the prince’s faction.”
The survivors the Seven-Colored Bird met all operated in the shadows—working in the underworld, doing irregular mercenary jobs, or acting as fixers who extorted money from common folk.
“They were all very reluctant to talk about Tymeun. The operatives had to pay handsomely just to hear that she visited the orphanage frequently.”
“I need to meet them in person. If I reveal my identity, I might get more information about Tymeun.”
“You’re a trainee knight. Isn’t revealing your identity a bit risky?”
“It’s fine. I’ll just make sure the brothers don’t catch wind of it.”
April 1, 1796.
Jin and Jett stepped through the portal to Delki.
Since they were heading to the main base of Runcandel in the Hupester Union, they didn’t need a large group. Drawing attention would only cause trouble.
“Hehe, my lord! I’ll serve you faithfully during this trip.”
Jett was brought along to handle errands.
“Serve? If a fight breaks out, I’ll be the one responsible for you.”
“Ah! You’ll protect me? How touching! If things get dangerous, I won’t even blame you if you leave me behind!”
“Why would I abandon you? I just got you into the Seven-Colored Bird; I plan to use you well. How’s life been lately?”
“Great! Being an informant for the Seven-Colored Bird means you’re an elite wherever you go. Without you, I’d never have had a chance to work in a place like this.”
“That’s true. Looks like the teleportation’s starting.”
“When we arrive, I’ll find us a nice place to stay!”
“No need. Today, we’re visiting all three survivors in the western region. We’ll meet them first, then move north and find lodging.”
A low rumble filled the air as the portal opened. A blue magical aura enveloped them, and when they opened their eyes, they were in the waiting room of the western portal in the Kingdom of Delki.
“Welcome, Jin Gray and Jett. Have a pleasant journey.”
The attendant smiled as he checked their IDs. Jin pulled his hood up as soon as they stepped outside, and Jett followed with a broad grin.
“I can feel it! The weather’s clear, and somehow I think we’ll get the information you want quickly.”
“Who’s the first survivor we’re meeting?”
“Let’s see… Gabor Marius. He’s a thug in a town called Nelta. Nelta’s about an hour’s ride from here.”
“Get us horses.”
“Yes, sir!”
Though it was Jett’s first time in western Delki, he managed to find two fine horses in less than half an hour. He even spent less gold than Jin gave him and tried to return every last coin.
Jin couldn’t help but feel a little bewildered.
“In a past life, this guy would have skinned me alive. Though, even this life started with him trying to sell me, Murakan, and Gilly out. People really are unpredictable.”
Jin shook his head lightly, and Jett immediately put on a groveling expression.
“My lord, are the horses not to your liking? Or am I late?”
“No, they’re perfect. Keep the change. Let’s head out.”
“Thank you! I’ll put it to good use!”
With that, the two galloped down the well-paved equestrian road and reached Nelta around noon.
“This is the place… Ah, there it is, my lord. The Nelta Vigilantes. What a joke. Thugs calling themselves vigilantes.”
Jin almost chuckled at the irony but kept his expression neutral as he knocked on the vigilante’s gate.
“My lord! Leave this to me. You don’t want your noble hands tainted by the scum down here. And when you knock on a gang’s den in broad daylight, you have to be more forceful to get someone to come out.”
“Really?”
“Yes! These thugs usually work at night and sleep during the day. A timid knock won’t get a response.”
Clearing his throat, Jett suddenly started kicking the gate loudly.
“We’re here to see Gabor Marius! Come out!”
A few passersby glanced their way.
Bang! Bang bang!
But no matter how much they kicked, the wooden door remained firmly shut.
“Hah, looks like they partied hard all night and are still sleeping. Not a single one’s coming out.”
“Maybe no one’s inside?”
“No way. Thugs care about their turf too much. Hey! Anyone, come out!”
Still no response. Jett scratched his head awkwardly, and Jin pressed his ear against the door to listen.
But what Jin sensed wasn’t footsteps or voices.
‘What is this…?’
A faint scent of blood wafted through the crack beneath the door.
Jett, also pressed against the door, noticed it too and looked at Jin with a confused expression.
“Did they have a fight last night? We’ll have to break in. The blood smell is faint but strong enough to reach here—this isn’t just one or two people dead.”
“Step back. I’ll cut the door open.”
“Please don’t. That’ll draw attention, and if they see a blade, we might get blamed for everything. Wait a moment. Judging by the lock’s shape, I think I can pick it.”
“You can do that?”
“Haha, I’ve been running in the shadows for years. Ah, memories… I used to make a decent living picking locks when I was young.”
Jett pulled out a long pin and a hook from his pocket and wrestled with the lock for about five minutes before it clicked open.
“See? Bringing me along was the right choice, wasn’t it?”
Creak…
As the door swung open, the stench of blood grew even stronger. Yet inside, it was so dark that the midday sun outside seemed to vanish, leaving nothing visible.
Click!
The moment Jett closed the door behind them and flicked on his lantern, both of them couldn’t help but gape in shock.
“This is insane… What the hell is this…?”
“G-good heavens. What is this? Nari, something’s seriously wrong here!”
The interior was nothing short of a nightmare.
Not just the floor, but the walls and ceiling were smeared with what was unmistakably human flesh. Every corpse—at least twenty of them—was mangled beyond recognition.
If these two weren’t used to blood and bodies, they would have been retching and trembling for a long time.
“Ugh.”
“These people haven’t been dead long. The blood hasn’t even fully clotted yet.”
“Huh… Now that I think about it… How did no one outside notice this chaos? Were they torn apart by monsters? Or did they somehow cross a high-ranking knight?”
A chilling premonition ran down Jin’s spine.
“First, let’s find Garver Marius. I doubt we’ll find a corpse we can positively identify, but we have to try…”
While Jett carefully stepped over the bloodless patches on the floor, searching for Garver, Jin studied the bodies closely.
‘This wasn’t the work of a high-ranking knight or monsters. These people were torn apart by wind magic.’
And not just any wind magic—it had to be from a mage of at least rank 8, capable of wielding the ‘Hellwind’ spell.
The Hupester Federation treated crimes involving magic with the utmost severity.
“Jett, stop looking. We should get out of here. Like you said, if we get caught up in this, we might be blamed or considered suspects.”