Hao Ren filled out the form haphazardly (it didn't seem like anyone actually read this stuff carefully anyway), then pointed at the newspaper and casually asked, "What happened over at Beinz Blood Lake this time?"
He had deliberately added "this time" to prevent the other party from wondering why he was so ignorant. Apparently, that blood lake had begun acting up two months ago, so this might already be old news known to everyone.
"People went missing, of course. They've been disappearing one after another. The fourth group is gone too," Wilton said, shaking his head. "Since the first group went there two months ago to search for the Holy Church Orb, four teams have disappeared. Two of them were veteran mercenary teams, no less. Tsk, tsk. Dozens of people in total, and there are still others throwing themselves into the fire."
"The reward's high," Becky muttered. "If I had a team, I'd want to join in too—if you find any clues about the orb, you get a manor of your own! And a Knight's title too. You'd never have to work hard again!"
Standing beside Wilton, Hao Ren quickly scanned the newspaper, which still carried the smell of fresh ink, and immediately picked out a few key phrases. One passage mentioned the situation at Beinz Blood Lake: "...It has been two months since the orb disappeared near the blood lake, and its whereabouts remain unknown... Viscount Brock, who was ordered to escort the orb, has accepted an investigation by the Holy See and the Kingdom Joint Council. The pope personally declared that the orb's disappearance was a 'trial from the gods,' and Viscount Brock was pronounced innocent... The civilian Hound Mercenary Team disappeared while crossing the southern part of the blood lake by boat. There were no witnesses at