48 Clues

Ikaris's Mercenary Company, with a branch in Akaosanuri, had finally uncovered clues about Victor. A group of villagers who had escaped from the clutches of road bandits sought refuge in Akaosanuri and shared their harrowing experience. The descriptions matched Victor, and the company immediately relayed this information to their main headquarters in Zuraizkao.

"Seems like this person has resurfaced, continuing to take lives. He may claim to be a criminal hunter, but he's nothing more than a murderer," the mercenaries thought.

Their sentiments hadn't changed since the death of their president's sworn brother two months ago. They considered themselves a family, and they were determined to fulfill their president's will. After Ikaris had recruited them and granted them a new lease on life, they remained fiercely loyal. Now that they had received news about Victor, they promptly requested reinforcements from headquarters.

***

At the headquarters of Ikaris's Mercenary Company, Ikaris himself was preparing for a meeting with the earl. He had a prior acquaintance with the earl and believed that the earl's assistance could be crucial in dealing with the turmoil in the outskirts of Akaosanuri, where he had previously established the headquarters.

Dressed in formal attire, Ikaris rode in a sedan car towards the earl's castle.

"Mr. President, the Lord has accepted our request for an audience," Katrina, the secretary, reported.

Ikaris nodded as he gazed out of the sedan car. He couldn't help but think about the prospect of capturing Victor. If given the chance, he would reward the bounty hunter well, perhaps even with the same kind of wounds that Claren's group had suffered before Claren's demise. However, Victor had proven to be more tenacious than he initially expected.

"Katrina, do you think Ruckus, the bounty hunter we hired, is up to the task? I'm still uncertain about his ability to capture that murderer."

"Out of the blue, Mr. President? But to answer your question, I believe Ruckus is at least competent enough to apprehend a young man," Katrina replied with a solemn expression.

"You think so? Given the murderer's resilience, perhaps we should consider bringing in another bounty hunter."

Katrina's face suddenly displayed concern, and she let out a faint gasp. "Mr. President, it appears you may be clouded by thoughts of revenge. Our funds would be significantly depleted if we hire another bounty hunter. Moreover, capturing this young man doesn't seem to offer any substantial gain."

"Katrina?" Ikaris widened his eyes in surprise and looked at her intently. "I'm disappointed that you think my relationship with my sworn brother was solely driven by money. Even without financial incentives, I will find that young man and bring him to justice."

"Forgive me, Mr. President. I merely meant to be practical. Sir Claren wouldn't want you to deplete our resources by hiring additional bounty hunters. Ruckus is more than capable, being one of the leaders of the Three Bounty Hunter League."

"Very well, Katrina," Ikaris sighed. "I'll trust your judgment for now. But if our efforts prove fruitless, I can't help but hope that karma catches up with that murderer."

Thinking about it, Ikaris wondered why Victor had proven to be so tenacious. Despite their best efforts to track him down, he seemed adept at not leaving any accidental traces. One possible explanation that crossed his mind was Victor's strength. To take down B-rank awakens, Victor had to be at least as powerful, if not more so. This meant that normal bounty hunters attempting to find him might easily meet their demise. After all, Victor was still just a child, and he doubted the young boy had the caution necessary to hide his tracks.

Shortly, Ikaris arrived at the earl's castle, where they discussed their plan to join forces and combat the troubling disease that had infected people on the outskirts of Akaosanuri. They agreed on a drastic measure—killing those afflicted by the disease and providing them with a proper funeral. Ikaris promptly ordered assistance to be sent to Akaosanuri with the help of the earl's subordinates.

***

Once news of the disease had spread throughout the city, the city lord of Akaosanuri ordered strict inspections for every refugee entering the city. While this measure had been publicly announced, it took time to implement due to the presence of privileged traveling merchants among the refugees. After finding no complications, the gates were finally closed two and a half months later, thanks to reinforcements from Zuraizkao that assisted in carrying out a subjugation mission.

The citizens initially protested, insisting that a cure for the disease could be found. However, as those infected with the disease transformed into zombie-like beings, becoming increasingly similar to rotting corpses, the citizens could only blame the city for its perceived incompetence.

The city had a different perspective. While the people criticized them, they also considered the citizens careless. Those living outside the city paid less in taxes than those within its walls, and this justified the limitations placed on the privileges of outsiders. The city couldn't afford to waste manpower, so a minority had to make sacrifices to protect the majority.

After a week of intense efforts, the number of zombies was reduced to nearly zero. They had been exterminated, leaving behind only traces of their saliva and a foul stench that assaulted people's senses. A mass funeral was held for the deceased zombies, showcasing the city's sympathy for the families affected. Following this, the citizens had fewer complaints; they could only grieve, even though they remained unaware of the true cause behind this tragedy.

The earl dispatched investigators to trace the origin of the outbreak to prevent a recurrence. However, all they found were vials inside a village that no one recognized. There were only three survivors from that village, and the investigation could not proceed further due to public scrutiny. The local authorities were already under intense scrutiny from the people.

Yet, there was one odd phenomenon discovered by the awakens sent as reinforcements from Zuraizkao. They found that they were gaining experience points from killing the zombies. Ordinarily, humans wouldn't receive experience points for killing other humans. However, the circumstances surrounding the zombies turned them into monsters, which the [System] recognized, hence rewarding experience points. The zombie tragedy wasn't simply a disease; it was a transformation into monsters, a dark secret that the earldom had tried to bury and forget.