Unable to figure out what Rona meant by him liking “Number 4,” Ruite immediately joined Chester to attend the relevant meeting.
The members of the task force gathered in the small conference room, and the meeting began in earnest.
First, everyone shared the information they had gathered.
Cedric and Ciel spoke about the unidentified substance found in the monster’s body, while Morgan reported on his infiltration into another black market.
Naturally, Morgan’s side hadn’t obtained direct information on the masterminds either.
However, just like the place Chester and Ruite had visited, the black market there was bustling, and the reactions of certain mercenary mages toward the current situation were identical.
Finally, Chester took the floor.
He shared the identity of the substance found in the monster’s body—specifically, the information regarding the plant root Ruite had brought from the black market.
The room was filled with shock.
It was the first time most of them had heard of a plant so dangerous that the state had banned its cultivation due to its ability to induce Madness Syndrome and artificial mana amplification in mages.
It was only natural that mages of the current generation were unaware.
The incidents involving Puro belonged to a distant past, and the government had strictly controlled information to prevent curiosity from leading to further abuse.
The only reason Chester found the name familiar was that, shortly after joining the Knights, he had stumbled upon it in a document while studying feverishly to rise through the ranks as quickly as possible.
“Then the method and the medium for their crimes are now clear,” Toby noted.
It was exactly as Toby said.
The culprit had likely obtained the forbidden species somehow and cultivated a significant amount away from the eyes of the Empire.
Once they ground the Puro roots into powder and formed them into medicinal clumps to be inserted into monsters, the plan was halfway to success.
Just as it did to humans, the Puro inside the monster’s body would trigger Madness Syndrome and mana amplification.
It was logical to conclude that this forced evolution was the cause of the current crisis.
“Then, the reason they targeted monsters that weren’t originally ferocious is…”
Morgan trailed off.
“They likely had to choose monsters that posed less risk to themselves.”
Ruite finished for him.
“The most effective way to inject the root powder is to have the monster ingest it directly. To do that, they have to get close. High-rank or naturally aggressive monsters would attack humans on sight, so they deliberately chose the weaker ones.”
And no matter how non-violent a monster might be from a human perspective, once it underwent evolution, there was a near-certainty that its temperament would flip 180 degrees.
“I think we just need to identify the suspects now… Should we track down where this plant is being grown?”
“I question whether we can track that quickly in an Empire this vast. If they’ve hidden the site intentionally, it will take far too long. I believe identifying the suspects first is the priority.”
Everyone agreed with Morgan.
As he said, it was now a race against time.
They had to capture the culprits as soon as possible to remove the threat to the citizens.
If this continued, public anxiety would only skyrocket, and that resentment would eventually turn toward the Knights.
The conference room fell into a sudden silence.
Though the outline of the case was clear, they still hadn’t grasped what kind of people would commit such an act.
If they knew that, the rest would fall into place.
“Who do you think benefits most from this incident?”
“Pardon?”
Chester’s voice, accompanied by the rhythmic tap-tap of his finger on the desk, cut through the heavy air.
“Criminals usually commit acts to achieve a specific goal. Money is the most common motive.”
Chester was talking about ‘motive.’
“Monster evolution—a phenomenon so rare that even experienced mages might never see it once—is happening simultaneously across the board. Because of this, the Knights are in a state of emergency. Some people are already expressing distrust. I even heard a citizen say it’s safer to hire a private mercenary for protection than to trust the Knights.”
The eyes of Ruite and the other members widened slightly.
“Mercenary mages…”
Ruite recalled the words of a merchant he had met while undercover.
‘The guy who just left was a mercenary, too. He said he’s glad the Ferwin Knights are finally being taken down a notch after acting so high and mighty just because the citizens adore them! Hahaha!’
Chester’s earlier remark—that they might be able to identify the culprit—flashed through Ruite’s mind.
Had Chester already seen through it back then?
“Certainly, if people begin to doubt the ability of the Ferwin Knights to manage monsters, mercenaries who don’t belong to the Knights will gain more influence.”
Morgan pointed out.
That was the crux of the matter.
Most monster-related issues were handled by the Knights.
Mercenaries handled only about 10% of individual requests.
Consequently, the share of the work for mercenary mages was destined to shrink, not grow—unless the absolute trust the people had in Ferwin was shattered.
“But Captain, I heard that mercenary mages and the Knights are in something of a cooperative relationship. In fact, mercenaries are currently lending their hands to help subjugate the evolved monsters. Would they really do this on purpose?”
As the knight said, the relationship was generally friendly—a symbiotic bond where they sought each other’s help when needed.
“But the reality is that the Knights are borrowing more hands from mercenaries now than they did at the start.”
Chester countered sharply, causing the knight to let out a low.
“Ah.”
“Furthermore, while I agree we are ‘cooperative,’ there are those who don’t see it that way. Especially among the mercenaries. As you know, mercenary mages in the Empire are divided into two main types: those who chose that path voluntarily, and those who became mercenaries because they couldn’t get into the Knights.”
The former were those who disliked being tied to an organization or didn’t want to make being a mage their sole profession.
The latter, however, were those who failed the entrance exams or were forcibly expelled for violating internal regulations.
“Those who look upon the Knights with spite belong to the latter group.”
If that were the case, it wasn’t a far-fetched theory.
If they resented the Knights, it wouldn’t be strange for them to scheme to screw over Ferwin and expand their own influence.
The room went quiet again, but this time, the silence was different.
Everyone felt it: they might actually be able to catch the culprits quickly.
“Then let’s get the list of mercenary mages from the Imperial Magic Department. If we narrow it down to those who took the entrance exam or have a history with the Knights, we can identify the suspects,” Ruite said, his voice tinged with excitement.
“Right. Then I’ll go meet the Commander.”
A faint smile spread across Chester’s lips as he looked at Ruite.
The drawing room inside the Count Everhart estate exuded a soft, warm atmosphere, much like the family itself.
Seated there, drinking tea, were Teian, the master of the house, and Benger, the head of the Duke Callaway family.
“The tea is excellent.”
Benger set down his cup.
“I prepared it specifically because I thought you would like it, Duke. I’m glad it’s to your taste,” Teian said with a smile. He was a man of such gentle and warm impressions that he fit the room perfectly.
“It has been a few months since Ruite joined, hasn’t it?”
“Yes. My wife and I wait every day for letters from the Knights. Since it’s a place where dangerous work is common, we can’t truly be at peace having sent our child there. By the way, how is Chester doing? I heard it’s been a while since he became a Second-Class Mage and earned the rank of Captain…”
“As long as he carries the Callaway name, that is the bare minimum expected of him. Considering his older brother became First-Class in just a few months, he still has a long way to go.”
Benger’s voice was calm. Watching him speak so dispassionately about his second son, Teian nodded slowly.
“I asked to meet today because I wanted to discuss the children’s marriage. I was thinking that once Ruite completes his full six months, we should begin the wedding preparations in earnest. What are your thoughts, Count?”
“I would also like to see them married soon… but even if Ruite completes his term, shouldn’t we consider Chester’s schedule? Given his high rank, he must have a lot of responsibilities.”
“Ah, that won’t be an issue.”
Benger replied coldly.
“Chester will be leaving the Knights in the very near future.”
