Chapter 1.2

Azrael seemed indifferent to the fact that he had been ambushed. For someone who had narrowly escaped death, he was remarkably calm. 

‘By the way… where am I?’ 

The pain persisted, but it seemed he had been properly treated. When he raised his hand to touch the injured area, he felt bandages tightly wrapped around his head. At least his safety seemed somewhat assured. 

His weak gaze turned upward, revealing unfamiliar yet elegant patterns on the ceiling. Such designs were typically found only in the mansion of a lord. Azrael placed his hand on the bed to prop himself up and survey his surroundings. 

“Oh, you’re awake. You shouldn’t get up yet.” 

A woman’s hurried voice came from beside him. His half-raised torso froze in place. His right arm barely supported his weight. Holding his throbbing head with one hand, Azrael turned his gaze toward the direction of the voice. 

A woman was half-risen from the chair beside the bed, looking at him. Their eyes met—her crimson-red eyes. They were the color of blood. Such a hue was exceedingly rare. Her eyes resembled gemstones forged from the blood of saints. 

Next, he noticed her long white hair cascading down to her waist. White hair—another uncommon feature. 

Both were unfamiliar. Yet, at the same time, he felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity. Azrael quickly searched his memory. He had surely encountered her somewhere before. 

“Did you have a pleasant dream?” 

“Ah.”  

That statement brought all his memories back. Azrael hurriedly tried to express his gratitude. However, as soon as he opened his mouth to speak, a dry cough escaped him. It was a symptom commonly observed after being unconscious for at least a day. 

The woman stood up and brought him water. Azrael carefully accepted the glass she offered and drank. 

“…Thank you.” 

“It’s nothing. Really.” 

“Not just that, you saved me as well.” 

“That’s nothing too. Anyone would have done the same. More importantly, how are you feeling? The doctor came by, but… I was very worried since you didn’t wake up for two whole days.” 

‘If two days had passed since I lost consciousness, today must be April 3rd.’ 

His assumption of being unconscious for at least a day was correct. More time had passed than expected. Somewhere in the distance, he could almost hear the sound of his report piling up. 

Sunlight streamed through the window. Judging by the bright day outside, it was either morning or early afternoon. Azrael instinctively surveyed his surroundings. His long-standing occupational habits were functioning diligently, even in moments like this. 

The woman was dressed in a light gown resembling a simple dress. The fabric was too luxurious to belong to a servant. She was likely the daughter of a lord or a noble lady. However, it was unusual for a noble lady to personally nurse a patient. 

‘Either way, she’s quite unique.’ 

Azrael finally managed to sit up. Fortunately, he was dressed neatly in both upper and lower garments, sparing him the embarrassment of facing a stranger in an awkward state. 

“Thanks to you, I’m safe. I’m used to injuries like this, so you don’t need to worry. More importantly, I apologize for the late introduction. I am Duke Azrael Hyacinth, Second Imperial Investigation Bureau Commander. I will repay your kindness as you see fit.” 

“So, you’re a Duke. I am Beatrice Delphinium. There’s no need for repayment. As I said, I only did what anyone would do.” 

Beatrice Delphinium. Azrael already knew her name. 

She was a well-known figure among the Empire’s nobility. While commoners might not know her, there wasn’t a single noble who didn’t recognize Beatrice. She was rumored to be the lover of the Crown Prince. 

However, she had always been more of a rumor than a real presence. She occasionally appeared alongside the Crown Prince at official events, but those instances were rare. She kept her distance from the general social circles. 

It was true that Beatrice’s snow-white hair and crimson eyes were rare features, but her lack of immediate recognition stemmed from these circumstances. 

“My apologies, Lady Delphinium.” 

“That title sounds a bit stiff. Please call me Beatrice.” 

“If that wouldn’t be impolite.” 

“It’s not impolite, and even if it were, I would forgive you. You said you’d repay me, didn’t you? How about substituting this for your repayment? I’m quite generous, Duke Hyacinth.” 

“…Beatrice.” 

“Yes, well done. Please continue to call me that from now on. Oh, don’t forget.” 

‘Could I really substitute a life-saving debt with a mere title?’ 

He found himself seriously pondering the matter. Meanwhile, the person responsible for his dilemma was smiling joyfully before him. 

“Oh, come to think of it, Duke Hyacinth…” 

Beatrice hesitated for a moment before picking up the newspaper that had fallen to the floor. It seemed to have slipped off her lap when she stood up from her chair. 

“This is…” 

Azrael unfolded the newspaper, and the first thing that caught his eye was an article about the ninth incident. 

In the early hours of April 1st, the ninth victim of the Newethen Street Serial Killer was discovered. 

Upon reading the news, Azrael immediately boarded a carriage. He reviewed the newspaper Beatrice had given him as he headed to the crime scene. 

The body was discovered on the night of April 2nd. The cause of death was skull rupture. All mutilation occurred both before and after death. Identifying the victim was initially difficult, but the victim’s wife had filed a missing person report, which helped resolve the matter. 

“The victim’s name is John Dix…” 

He was a man in his late thirties who ran a tavern. The discovery site was a village where the victim had previously lived, but there were no apparent connections beyond that. The distance between the victim’s residence and the discovery site was approximately two hours by carriage via public roads. 

“Commander!” 

As Azrael stepped out of the carriage, a man with red hair wearing a Knight Order uniform ran up to him. 

“You vanished during patrol, and it caused quite the uproar! And then a case happens! What’s with the bandages on your head? Did you get into a brawl with a drunkard?” 

“Quiet, Carlson. To summarize quickly, one, I was ambushed during patrol and lost consciousness. Two, the assailant escaped. Three, I regained consciousness, reviewed the article, and arrived at the scene. Lastly, I will handle the report myself. Any further questions?” 

“Wait, ambushed?!”

Carlson looked like he wanted to ask more questions immediately but seemed to recognize they were in the middle of an investigation and quietly closed his mouth. 

As soon as they entered the warehouse, a worn wooden chair came into view. Most of the other items were covered in dust and pushed against the walls. 

“This is the chair where the victim’s body was found. The first person to discover it was a carpenter from this village, ‘Thomas Hill.’ Last night, the rain stopped, so he came to the warehouse looking for wood to repair a roof.” 

“The structure makes it so anyone entering would immediately encounter the chair. Whoever placed the body ensured it would be found.” 

“This case has more than one strange aspect. First, this warehouse is in a secluded corner of the village, rarely visited by locals. Second, it’s a public warehouse, meaning anyone can enter.” 

“I agree. Third, the location is neither too far nor too close to the victim’s residence. Fourth, the face was mutilated to obscure identification at first glance. However, only the face was damaged. There were plenty of other ways to identify the victim.” 

Azrael pulled back a large tarp covering a corner of the warehouse. Beneath it were rows of wine barrels of various sizes. As he surveyed the scene, Carlson flipped through a small notebook and continued speaking. 

“This brings up another question. It rained continuously until the night before. Yet when the body was found, there were no traces of blood being washed away. This means the body wasn’t exposed to the rain.” 

“The key will be determining the method of transportation. Were there any other peculiarities about the body?” 

“Small injuries resembling scrapes and bruises were found all over, likely caused postmortem. The most concentrated areas were the back and knees. Some teeth were also missing.” 

The victim was likely killed elsewhere and then transported to the warehouse. The simplest assumption would be that a carriage was used. However, if only a carriage had been used, the postmortem bruises would be harder to explain. 

Even on a rainy night in a secluded warehouse, transporting something suspicious would have been risky. The culprit would have opted for the most inconspicuous method. 

Moving something into the warehouse wasn’t unusual. What was unusual was leaving it there without taking it back out. This suggested the transportation method might still be inside the warehouse.