“Who! Who’s causing trouble here, claiming to represent the kingdom’s law? What audacity… huh?”
At that moment, a sound came from the herbal shop—someone busying about.
A man passing by frowned and stepped inside, but upon seeing Insmouth’s figure, he instinctively stopped in his tracks.
“Uh? Knight Doug! Knight Doug, these people are causing trouble in my shop! You… you have to help me!”
The Old Apothecary recognized a regular customer—and a knight well-respected in town—and hurriedly stepped forward, a look of deep sorrow spreading across his face.
Doug Vili, though a lower-ranking noble, still held considerable influence in the small Stream Town.
“Who… exactly are you?”
He took two steps forward and just opened his mouth to speak—
Boom… boom!
But the next second, heavy footsteps rang out as the black-armored giant suddenly stood before him.
“W-What do you want… what do you want!!”
Doug instinctively took a step back, roaring loudly, as if trying to intimidate Insmouth—but it sounded more like he was trying to bolster his own courage.
However, the black-armored giant did not attack him. Instead, he lifted the young lady lying on the ground and held her up right in front of Doug.
At that height, the girl’s head was exactly a head taller than Doug.
Hup! Slap! Slap!
Looking down from above, the Lady raised her hand and delivered two slaps directly to the knight who had come to defend justice.
“Get lost!”
Doug stood there dumbfounded, mouth agape, as if wanting to say something—but then his eyes caught the family crest on the girl’s shoulder.
Ah…?
“Get lost, then!!”
With impressive authority, she said this and, to everyone’s surprise, the knight turned tail and disappeared in a flash.
“…Huh?” The Old Apothecary stared blankly at the retreating knight’s back, reaching out to stop him, but the man was simply too fast.
Nearby, Holly’s mouth hung slightly open, her gaze blank.
Hmm… as arrogant as ever…
Or rather, maybe a bit too arrogant?
That Knight Doug—she remembered him as a well-known domineering noble in town, someone who didn’t even have to pay when dining out…
Judging from how this Lady just slapped him around, she was treating the knight like an easy mark to bully.
Although Holly wanted to ask Reliel who exactly this girl was, she opened her mouth but still didn’t speak.
Of course, she didn’t have time to ask about that now.
Because judging from the Old Apothecary’s reaction… except for Veil’s still somewhat puzzled expression, everyone could tell… this guy was hiding something!
And this matter could very well be related to her own sister!
“You… you really have gone too far! Just wait! I’m going to fetch the guards now! You just wait!”
Finally snapping out of it, the Old Apothecary glared viciously at everyone in the shop, then turned and tried to rush out the door…
Huff…
But Reliel was already blocking the exit, cold eyes fixed on the Old Apothecary.
The message was clear…
No way out.
“Huff… uh… you all…” The Old Apothecary trembled, hands shaking—whether from anger or fear, no one could tell.
Crack! Crack!
Just then, chaos erupted from the back room!
Crash! Bang!!
“Ahh—!! Oh no…”
Then, a figure slammed through the wooden door of the back room, stumbling out and crashing onto the counter that Insmouth had already toppled!
It was the Old Apothecary’s son, Mein.
Shortly after, Amisa also appeared from inside.
“Lady, this man just tried to escape through the back door, and there’s also a girl in the backyard house.”
As she spoke, the Head Maid adjusted the crystal glasses perched on her nose and looked toward Holly.
“She has black hair, like this Lady here, but…”
“Sister!!” Without waiting for Amisa to finish, Holly took a swift step and dashed into the backyard.
“What about ‘but’?” Ileya ignored the girl rushing into the house and looked at Amisa.
“Well…” Amisa’s cheeks flushed with two faint red patches for some reason.
“Her feet were shackled, her clothes torn… it seems she was… uh, abused.”
Upon hearing this, Ileya raised a brow, disappointment flickering in her eyes.
She had hoped to catch someone involved in the Moonlit Night Disappearance Incident.
But now, it seemed these two father and son were mere copycats?
“Ah… aahhh—!!!”
Suddenly, a girl’s scream pierced the backyard, followed by hurried footsteps…
Mein instinctively trembled and crawled to the side, hiding behind the overturned counter.
The Old Apothecary wasn’t so lucky.
Holly rushed out of the backyard, her eyes blood-red, staring down the bewildered Old Apothecary.
“Beast… I’ll kill you!!”
Finding her target, the girl stepped forward, her palm clenching the air!
Whoosh—! The Saint Sword: Paradise of Desire materialized in her hand the next second!
Huh?
Everyone present froze at that moment.
Especially Veil, whose mouth slightly parted as she reached out to point at the Holy Sword, as if wanting to say something—only to be swiftly silenced by Ileya covering her mouth!
“Uhh uhh uhh!!?”
Whoosh! The Holy Sword swung with the girl’s boundless fury, gradually closing in on the terrified Old Apothecary!
Whoosh!
But the next second, a slender sword blocked the Old Apothecary’s path!
It was Reliel, standing firmly by the door!
She wasn’t trying to protect the Old Apothecary—but the old man still had some use alive… and this matter had to be resolved!
However… the blade!!
Amid flying sparks, Reliel’s silver slender sword, guarding the Old Apothecary, was cut cleanly through like it was made of paper!
Along with the blade, the Old Apothecary’s body was also sliced through!
But the Holy Sword’s blade remained spotless, not a drop of blood staining it.
Pfft!
He was cleaved diagonally in two, collapsing like a pile of sludge on the ground.
“Uh… aaaaah…”
Seeing his father killed, Mein cried out in misery—whether from fear or grief, no one knew.
But that cry was like a death warrant, drawing Holly’s attention.
“I’ll kill you all… you beasts!!”
The girl muttered like in a dream, turning and raising her foot to charge at the petrified Mein.
Thud!
But the next second… her eyes rolled back, and her body went limp.
She collapsed to the ground with a thud.
The sword! The Holy Sword embedded in the ground simultaneously transformed into countless points of light and vanished on the spot.
Behind her, Amisa appeared from nowhere, wielding a knife, ready to strike.
“Uh… crazy woman… don’t… don’t kill me…”
Though not truly harmed, Mein seemed to have gone insane from fright, wildly flailing his arms with terror in his eyes…
However…
After Insmouth lifted him up and gave him a few “gentle” slaps, he sobered up considerably.
Staring at his father’s “scattered” remains on the ground, he dared not hide anything and confessed all his crimes.
Just as Ileya suspected.
These two were copycats—because Mein, this Senior Brother, had long harbored feelings for Junior Sister Elu.
But after being rejected three times, his heart had grown somewhat twisted…
Taking advantage of the Moonlit Night Disappearance Case as an opportunity,
he staged a “copycat crime,” and when Elu came to the herbal shop at night, he seized the chance to detain her.
He also fed the mercenaries false information.
Normally, their rooms would be thoroughly searched—but now was different.
Everyone’s attention was focused entirely on the Moonlit Night Disappearance Case, scouring the streets of town.
No one paid heed to these two ordinary townsfolk born and bred in the town.
It was a simple but extremely cunning example of “Under the Lamp Black.”