Night Visit

Matthew cast Legilimency on Sir Rayne.

At noon, he had followed Link to capture several Mining Brotherhood members, but they hadn't gotten anything out of them. They only knew that Old John owed a debt to the Mining Brotherhood, and they were merely the ones responsible for collecting it.

Matthew didn't want to be someone who followed the rules. Now that he had mastered "Problem Solving Skills," he wasn't going to let them go unused.

He hadn't used Legilimency in front of Link and Anna at noon. He had never seen Memory Magic in this world before, and until he knew how people here viewed the idea that "memories could be manipulated," he wouldn't reveal his ability to do so.

Sir Rayne was just an ordinary person, with no resistance to Legilimency. His expression quickly grew dazed.

Matthew examined Sir Rayne's memories and thoughts, asking the same questions he had at noon, guiding him to recall more details. Sir Rayne answered truthfully.

"That day, Old John came to Trina, saying he had followed some friends to play a few rounds at the Mining Brotherhood's gambling den, but ended up owing a huge debt.

The Mining Brotherhood people threatened him, saying they would sell Young John to the mines to pay off the debt.

He begged Trina to ask me to lend him the money to cover it.

The Mining Brotherhood's mines are no good place. Trina didn't want Young John sold off to the mines, so she agreed.

I agreed too. I couldn't bear to see Trina heartbroken, so I lent the money to Old John.

Who would have thought!

After he got the money, he just disappeared!

He must have taken the money and run!

That was my money!

That damned bastard!"

Sir Rayne's expression twisted viciously. Even under the control of Legilimency, he still seemed furious.

His answers at noon had been true. He hadn't lied.

But when Sir Rayne mentioned the Mining Brotherhood, he revealed something he hadn't said at noon: "The Whitestone Town Branch Master of the Mining Brotherhood is a close friend of my brother."

Matthew's expression shifted. Sir Rayne had indeed hidden something at noon. Since learning Legilimency, his ability to read people had also improved remarkably. At noon, he had vaguely felt that Sir Rayne was holding something back.

Matthew coaxed him gently, "Do you know this Mining Brotherhood Branch Master?"

Sir Rayne answered in a daze.

"Of course I do.

Just half a year ago, the Mining Brotherhood bought the mine on the eastern outskirts of Whitestone Town from my father. The one who came to negotiate the deal was this Branch Master.

Over the past six months, he's visited my father many times.

He's a wizard. My father mostly had my brother entertain him."

Matthew continued, "Why did you hide this at noon?"

Sir Rayne's expression showed some struggle, but he still spoke.

"My brother also has shares in the mine. He's involved in the Mining Brotherhood's human trafficking too.

After our father passed, our relationship soured. We don't keep in touch much now. I didn't want to get dragged into this kind of thing.

I also didn't want Trina to know, so I kept it hidden.

The Mining Brotherhood people all know me. As long as they know it was me who lent the money to Old John, they won't make trouble for him.

Now that old bastard has disappeared. He must have taken the money and run!"

Matthew rubbed his chin. He ignored Sir Rayne's speculation and began to think.

Old John was just an ordinary person. Link was investigating him because many missing persons cases had occurred in Whitestone Town. Link's grandfather, Old Watson, had led a team into the Winter Forest, but only one person came back. That person went missing not long after returning to Whitestone Town.

Link had no leads and lacked the manpower to delve deep into the Winter Forest for an investigation. He could only start by looking into the missing persons cases in Whitestone Town.

Dealing with an ordinary person, a wizard had too many methods. If Old John had simply run off with Sir Rayne's money, it was unlikely he could vanish without a trace like this. In this world, only magic could counter magic.

So Matthew still believed that Old John couldn't have fled alone—unless a wizard helped him. But given his financial situation, he couldn't afford to hire a wizard capable of evading Link's investigative methods.

Matthew continued, "Where does Jack White live?"

Matthew knew Sir Rayne had a brother. At noon, Link had told him about Sir Rayne's family situation and also mentioned that Jack White was a Level 2 Wizard Apprentice.

"After Father gave Whitestone Manor to Lady Alsha, Jack moved to the White Ancestral Home at No. 18, Municipal Square Street. Father lived there too before he died."

Matthew wanted to "visit" this Jack. Perhaps his home would hold evidence of human trafficking for the mine. But he couldn't directly tell Link what he had learned. He needed to find a way to guide Link there reasonably.

Having gotten his answers, Matthew waved his wand.

"Obliviate!"

Matthew made Sir Rayne and Trina forget what had just happened, and also lifted the Petrification Curse on Trina.

Taking advantage of the night, Matthew planned to check out the White Ancestral Home at No. 18, Municipal Square Street.

Shortly after Matthew left Sir Rayne's residence.

The window of the third-floor master bedroom opened again, letting in another stream of cold air from outside.

Sir Rayne was jolted awake by the chill. In his daze, he saw that the window in the room seemed to be open.

Sir Rayne, still groggy with sleep, glanced at his wife beside the pillow, pulled the blanket up a little higher over her, and planted a gentle kiss on her smooth forehead.

"The wind is this strong tonight?" He got up to close the window, furrowing his brow slightly as he muttered, "Why does this scene feel familiar... did I just dream it?"

When her husband rose, Trina also woke up. She watched his back with tender eyes. Since marrying Sir Rayne, she had been very happy; she felt she must have used up all her luck to meet this man.

But soon, she saw a terrifying figure appear behind her husband.

"Ah—!" Trina snapped fully awake, letting out a terrified scream. "Rayne—behind you!"

Sir Rayne shuddered involuntarily, whipping his head around to see the black shadow that had suddenly appeared behind him. He said in terror, "What—is this thing?!"

He saw a bloody and mutilated back. On it grew lumps the size of a human head, pulsing like hearts, constantly oozing dark red blood.

"Rrr... blood... gulp... flesh... hiss... more flesh...!!!" It let out a harsh, grating roar, its words barely distinguishable. Its deep red eyes were fixed intently on Trina on the bed.

"Trina!" Sir Rayne gritted his teeth and drew out the longsword hanging on the wall.

The blade of the longsword was entirely vivid red, as if it had just been bathed in fresh blood. This was a wizard longsword that even an ordinary person could use, immensely powerful—when fully activated, it could even cut through the mage armor released by a wizard apprentice.

However, using this wizard longsword came at a great cost for an ordinary person. It consumed their own blood to activate; the greater the power unleashed, the more blood was drained. Activating its full power could suck dry all the blood from a grown man.

Sir Rayne gripped the sword with both hands, his face turning slightly pale. After activating the wizard longsword, the blade's crimson grew a shade more vivid. But he had been taking potions for years, so his physical fitness was a cut above an ordinary person's. He stepped forward with his left foot, driving his waist to move, using the momentum to build force, and slashed the vivid red blade fiercely at the monster's neck.

The wizard blade instantly cut through the skin of the monster's neck, sinking a fifth of the way into it. Black-red pus oozed down along the blade.

But that was as far as it went. The monster's head was not severed by Rayne. The edges of the wound began to writhe, extending filaments like squirming horsehair worms, as if trying to heal.

The monster slowly turned its head. Its movement made the blade cut a larger wound, but it felt nothing. When its bloodthirsty eyes locked tightly onto Sir Rayne, the neck had already been cut halfway around, and even more horsehair worms extended from the wound, writhing around its edges.

"Rrr... Rayne... more—delicious—flesh!!!" The monster opened its mouth. Its sharp teeth were black-red, and black-red pus dripped from the gaps between them.

Sir Rayne saw the monster's face. Though its features were swollen beyond recognition, he still knew it intimately. He cried out in shock, "Father...?!"