Chapter Eighteen

I stared down at the naked man who was missing a face. the body had a cloth over its head to conceal a gruesome sight, but I wasn't really affected.

This was amateur work at best.

I hummed narrowing my eyes and crouching down next to the body, lifting up the cover and observing it.

Finger wounds, on the side of the head and on the neck.

Yup, amateur work.

Putting down the cloth again, I looked up at Bors, the man who was apparently the leader of the city, or in a similar position.

"What was he wearing when he came here?"

He looked at me, raising an eyebrow before looking back at the man who had wolf ears and a tail.

"Uh- He was wearing all black armor, oh, and he had a red scarf with a longsword..."

I looked over at Finn, who was looking at me as well.

"You think the killer is posing as the victim?"

I shrugged.

"Most likely, but I can't be too sure. There is a possibility that the one who killed him took his face too, but I have no idea why. Though they did make it very obvious."

The pallum raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

"What do you mean, bell?"

I sighed, standing up and looking down at the body.

"The killer took his face, his armor, his sword. they did a poor job of concealing what they wanted, but I don't know why they would need to pose as a dead man when everyone knows that the said man is dead..."

Finn hummed in interest, looking down at the body before back at me again.

"What would you have done?"

I chuckled. You sneaky little fuck.

"I would have made it look like a bounty, took the head instead of just the face, done the same with the armor to make it look like it was taken for the extra cash."

I shrugged, ignoring the frightened sound coming from the jumpy elf. What was her name again? Leaf? I'll just call her Leaf.

"Bell, you're terrifying."

I shrugged at Tiona's deadpan. It was logical. Now I knew that the person who was watching us from the cliff was in fact the murderer.

This was getting interesting. I haven't done something like this for a long, long time...

I looked down at the man's back for a moment, it would be useful if we knew what level the murderer was, but I doubted there was anything that could be done... That was before Bors took out a bottle and dropped a liquid on the man's back.

A status thief, huh? Something to watch out for.

After Riveria read the man's status, the one who killed the guy turned out to be someone above a level four.

Interesting, Very interesting.

I turned around and headed out of the room.

"I'll be right back..."

Finn chuckled and followed me.

"I'm coming with, this should turn out to be interesting."

I nodded.

"Bors, make a distraction, come up with something while we investigate."

Bors huffed but nodded anyway as Finn and I headed out of the inn.

"Are you sure you want to fight them? They killed a level four easily."

The blonde asked as we left the room and I remained silent. Did I want to fight whoever was it that killed that man? The better question was why wouldn't I want to fight them?

"I'm just interested in their motives."

Finn hummed and we resumed walking in silence.

___

I stared at the one that killed the man in the Inn, and they stared back.

Finn was standing next to me, looking at them as well, but remaining silent.

"You know, the first thing I thought when I saw the body in the inn..."

I started, looking the person up and down with a dismissive glance.

"Was that you're an amateur, aren't you?"

The one wearing someone else's face remained silent, but their hand twitched. I raised an eyebrow in response. Was she going to fight? I doubt it...

They reached for something behind them, took out a small stone-like item, and were about to put it to their lips when a throwing knife pierced the said hand, breaking the item and digging into their armored hand, courtesy of me.

A feminine grunt came from the armored man, and I knew for sure that she was posing as a man. Why though? For no apparent reason?

Finn Dashed forward, his spear heading to her head. The helmet broke on impact as the woman tilted her head to the side, only to be met with my mana-enhanced foot to the face.

The skin ripped, revealing a delicate face with a lock of red hair from the ripped part, and a slitted green eye.

The woman stumbled back, clutching at the side of her face and glaring at me, causing me to snort.

"You were right bell, It is curious that she would use someone else's face as a mask, now even I am curious..."

I reached out to the dagger that was in her hand with élenchos, the blade was touching the bone, so I vibrated it, sending tremors through her hand.

A shout of pain was followed by the sound of ripping as the blade traveled up the woman's hand, cutting it in half vertically. That hand was unusable now, now matter the healing that would be done...

Well, I was sure Adam could heal it, but that was neither here nor there. The mage of my old party was not in this world.

She reached for the blade on her back and took it out. I allowed it, after all, where was the fun in finishing her off right now? Where would the fun be in killing her, without her realizing that the one she was facing was so overwhelmingly above her in skill?

I felt my very soul thrum, as if coming back to life. I wanted to feel it again, I wanted her to make me feel the same feeling I got every time I fought an overwhelming opponent.

The feeling of staring death in the eyes, knowing that one mistake would be enough for it to reach out and take my soul from the mortal realm.

I realised right then and then... I had a death wish.