Chapter 21: The Rat-Man Murder Case

"Knock, knock, knock!"

At the crack of dawn, while the sky was barely brightening, a rhythmic tapping sounded at the door.

Kana stirred, groggy and disoriented. "Who is it?"

"Your Highness, it is I." Aliris's voice came from beyond the door.

So early?

He felt a flicker of confusion. After clearing his head, he asked, "Is something the matter?"

"Your Highness, Knight Black has something to report to you."

Black? Had something happened? Normally, Black and the others would wait in the courtyard or the living room; their duty was simply to guard his safety.

"Wait a moment."

After a quick wash and dressing, Kana walked downstairs. Seeing him descend, Black hurried over.

"Your Highness, a tragedy has occurred."

"Hmm?"

Kana was momentarily stunned, wondering what sort of disaster would warrant waking him. He truly couldn't imagine what could have happened. The only thing that would typically warrant such an urgent report would be if something had happened to Aliris, but she was standing right beside him.

Black quickly explained, "One of the town residents is dead, and her child has gone missing."

Kana grew even more puzzled.

"A drunkard in town saw what looked like a small, dark, hunched creature last night. He claimed it was a giant rat."

That explained it. He had only just learned about the existence of the Eared Rat-men from the murlocs yesterday.

"Take me to see."

Following Black, they soon reached the edge of the town. If the entrance to the town was the front, this was the far end, bordering the hillside and the woods. A crowd had already gathered.

"I really saw it! A rat that big—it just zipped past me in a flash!"

"You must have been seeing double from the drink."

"I saw the shadow too yesterday. Maybe it really was a rat."

"You were drinking yesterday, too."

"I don't drink."

"Bullshit."

"Maybe it's a thief. A few days ago, my eggs and vegetables were stolen."

"That's right, two pieces of meat were stolen from my place, too."

"And my ring."

"Wasn't your ring sold by your husband?"

"What?!"

"Er... I was just joking."

"He's finished!"

A brawny, furious woman charged out from the crowd. Watching her, the accompanying knight, Kecha, chuckled, "Looks like someone is about to be in trouble."

"Make way, everyone! Make way! His Highness the Prince is here!"

Hearing this, the residents scrambled to step aside. Kana walked in and went straight into the house.

The moment he entered, he smelled the scent of blood. His current body was exceptionally sensitive to it. He sniffed lightly.

Kana suddenly asked, "Aliris, smell this blood. What do you notice?"

"It’s a woman, dead for only a short time. And it’s mixed with... a strange, foul scent."

"Very good. It seems you are on the verge of awakening blood magic."

"Sniff, sniff!"

Hearing the sound of someone inhaling deeply nearby, both of them turned in unison to see Black frowning, sniffing the air intently.

"What are you doing?" Kana asked, puzzled.

"Why can't I smell anything?" Black frowned, confused. "How did you do that? Is this a new technique of the Royal Knights? Or some hidden trick of yours?"

Aliris rolled her eyes, and Kana could only sigh in frustration.

The two ignored him and headed further inside. In what appeared to be the bedroom, a corpse lay slumped on the floor. Jonil, along with several guards and a middle-aged man dressed as an herbalist, stood nearby. Seeing Kana, they immediately bowed.

"Your Highness."

Kana nodded and asked directly, "Tell me the specifics."

The old knight Jonil spoke in a low, somber voice, "Moris, a poor mother. She was murdered by an unknown assailant. Her husband is away fighting for the Count. They had a poor, sweet little girl, and she is gone as well."

It was clear that such an event had left Jonil, the town mayor, deeply angered.

Kana looked at the body and crouched down slightly to perform a brief examination. Seeing the others about to stop him, Kana raised a hand. "I won't faint at the sight of blood."

After checking the body and taking a look around the room, he easily deduced what had happened. The scene hadn't been staged; it was plain for any observant person to see. The only thing that had stumped the locals was the fact that the killer seemed to be an animal.

"An Eared Rat-man. It likely snuck in to steal, but spotted the child. Its greed drove it to try and kidnap the girl, but it startled the mother. A giant rat standing on its hind legs would terrify anyone, and this mother was no exception. That is why her neck was bitten through. But in her final attempt to protect her child, she struck the rat hard with a pitchfork. The rat, terrified, grabbed the child and fled, even crashing through the window to escape."

The matter was not complex; it was as simple as that.

Jonil frowned and couldn't help but ask, "Your Highness, if I may be so bold, what is an Eared Rat-man?"

"A vile race, about half the height of a man, resembling a rat standing upright. We learned from the murlocs yesterday that they have been in the area for some time; they are likely across the river. These rat-men love to nest near civilized settlements, where they rob, steal, and kill."

As he spoke, Kana gestured to the height of his thigh. "Children below this height are their preferred prey. They are sinister and cunning, bullying the weak while fearing the strong, and such children are just the right size." He pointed toward the window. "While sinister and evil, they are also as cowardly as rats. If you put aside your fear, any grown adult could easily kill them. A single blow from a pitchfork was enough to send it fleeing through that window."

He crouched down and retrieved the pitchfork from the mother's hand. "It is still stained with the rat's blood. Do you see these coarse, black hairs? They are theirs. Only Eared Rat-men have such fur."

He turned to Aliris and said, "The strange, foul scent you smelled in the blood—that is the stench of the Eared Rat-man. Remember it."

Aliris nodded solemnly.

"What shall we do now, Your Highness?" Jonil asked.

"Our murloc friends have pointed us toward their lair. For a pack of rat-men, a child is a feast, and they will be busy preparing. If you do not want your children to remain in constant danger, we must go and wipe these wretched rats out."

Jonil frowned, then nodded firmly. "We will follow your lead. Black, gather the guards and tell the fishermen to prepare the boats."

Kana added, "And call a few hunters as well. I assume this town has some?"

"Of course, I shall go at once." Black nodded and hurried out.

Kana covered the mother's eyes. "Protect this heroic mother's remains. When her child returns, she must see her mother looking peaceful."

"Those rats must pay the price. Let their blood serve as a sacrifice to this brave mother."

Kana's words stirred the spirits of those present. Even Jonil couldn't help but fix his gaze on Kana, watching him with newfound intensity.

"Yes, Your Highness!"