Chapter 29: Enforcement Guard

“Emma, where are you?”

On the street, a haggard middle-aged woman was pasting a missing-person notice on the bulletin board, her face etched with sorrow.

The girl in the notice was her daughter, Emma.

Some time ago, her child had mysteriously vanished in the city. She had sought help from the sheriff.

The sheriff searched for days but found no trace of Emma.

In desperation, Emma’s mother could only use every method: searching daily in areas Emma might appear, posting search commissions at the Adventurer’s Guild, putting up missing-person notices all over the city…

Yet still, not a single clue.

“Emma, if you don’t come back soon, what am I supposed to do…”

Emma’s mother’s voice choked with sobs.

“Kyaa!!!”

“Run!”

“Monster! There’s a monster!”

Panic erupted on the street, accompanied by terrified screams.

Emma’s mother turned around and saw a black shadow barrel through the crowd, landing right in front of her.

She was so frightened she fell to the ground.

“Found… you…”

The black shadow crawled forward like a beast until it reached Emma’s mother.

“Daughter!?”

Seeing the shadow’s appearance, Emma’s mother froze as if struck by lightning.

The monster was covered in black slime. The half of its face that showed was unmistakably her daughter Emma.

“Emma, how did you end up like this?”

Emma’s mother turned deathly pale.

“Emma… Emma…”

The Demonized Being murmured the name.

“I’m your mother!”

“Mother? The one I’m looking for… is you…”

The Demonized Being lifted its head, staring fixedly at the woman before it.

“I am… Emma… I want… AAAAAAAAHHH! Kill! Kill!!”

Its sanity shattered. Red light burst from its eyes. Overwhelming killing intent surged as it lunged at Emma’s mother.

“Ah…”

Emma’s mother’s mind collapsed; she rolled her eyes and fainted.

Just as she was about to be killed, two fireballs streaked from afar, slicing through the street and striking the Demonized Being with perfect accuracy, halting the slaughter.

“Huff… huff… I’m exhausted…”

Via stood panting, Magic Staff raised.

She had chased the Demonized Being all the way here; her legs felt like they were about to give out.

This body’s stamina was pathetic. If she didn’t train more, it really wouldn’t do.

“You again…!”

The injured Demonized Being rose and glared at Via, wishing it could devour the pink-haired girl alive.

“Hm? That’s a missing-person notice…?”

Via noticed the bulletin board nearby. The notice showed Emma—who looked exactly like the Demonized Being.

At the same time, she saw the unconscious woman clutching scattered copies of the same notice.

“Kill you!” The enraged Demonized Being prepared to finish Via first.

Via steadied her breathing, ready for the next round of combat.

CLANG—

Suddenly, several massive beams of light flared behind Via, illuminating the Demonized Being completely, leaving it nowhere to hide.

“That’s enough, foul Demonized Being!!”

A commanding voice rang out. Fully armored guards charged forward, weapons drawn, surrounding the creature.

“This is… Doff City’s Enforcement Guard?”

Via recognized them—the elite warriors hand-picked to protect Doff City.

Leading them was a dashing woman in a white cape, wielding a slender rapier. She adjusted her uniform cap and stepped before the Demonized Being.

Under the crowd’s watchful eyes, she raised her weapon and pointed it at the monster.

“Fiend that threatens the lives of citizens—prepare to die!!”

…

…

“Urgh!”

With a muffled groan, the Demonized Being’s head was severed.

Under the relentless assault of Doff City’s Enforcement Guard, it fell, slain by the rapier-wielding woman.

“Carry the corpse away. Be careful—don’t let the abyssal aura infect you!” the rapier user ordered.

“Yes, Captain!” The guards saluted in acknowledgment.

Ordinary citizens gathered to watch the spectacle.

“Thank goodness Captain Monica protected us!”

“Did you see her swordsmanship just now?”

“Of course! Before joining the Enforcement Guard, she was a Silver-rank adventurer!”

Via had heard of her: Captain Monica of the Enforcement Guard, leader of Doff City’s forces, punisher of evil, protector of the people.

“Young lady, it’s safe now—hm?”

Monica approached Via to offer reassurance, but upon recognizing her, she frowned.

“Miss Via, why is it you again?”

“I was carrying out a commission and encountered the Demonized Being.”

Via showed her adventurer badge and tapped it. The commission details floated up clearly.

“I see…” Monica pondered for a moment. “Miss Via, I’m afraid you’ll need to come with us.”

…

…

“It’s already morning? Haa…”

Via yawned as she walked out of the Doff City Enforcement Bureau.

Last night, Monica had brought her here for questioning.

The appearance of a Demonized Being was a major incident, after all.

Via recounted the general events, naturally omitting certain parts.

After the statement was recorded, Monica determined Via had no direct connection to the Demonized Being and released her.

Before leaving, Via subtly probed for more information and learned that the Demonized Being was indeed Emma—the girl who had mysteriously disappeared some time ago. The middle-aged woman searching for her was Emma’s mother.

As for why the missing Emma had been infected with abyssal aura and turned into a Demonized Being, even the Enforcement Guard wasn’t entirely clear. They were still investigating.

“Now that I think about it, back at the Adventurer’s Guild, I saw many similar D-class commissions—all asking to find missing children. It seems… lately, quite a few kids have gone missing in Doff City.”

Via sensed something suspicious.

These incidents might not be coincidences. There could be a connection behind them.

This might not be an accident, but something deliberate.

Bzzz—

Via stopped walking. She felt a strange vibration from her pocket.

She pulled out the black box. The crimson single-eye pattern was now pulsing with faint light at a certain rhythm.

Though the morning streets were nearly empty, she still slipped into a deserted alley to avoid prying eyes.

She held the box aloft, staring at it with her pink eyes.

After a long while, the vibrating box stilled—and then a voice emerged that left her utterly shocked.

It was the abyssal tongue of the demonkin!