5. Just an expert, that's all.
"Well?" the sheriff asked, "Can you tell what animal did this?"
"There are signs of nibbling on the body, but they're minimal. We can't discern the creature from these bite marks. The cuts on the skull are smooth, something even a fine blade would struggle to achieve. It doesn't look like his brain has been removed, more like it was eaten right here."
Hewitt stood up from beside the body, shaking his head.
"I've never seen a beast like this. No human could have made these tooth marks, either."
"Hewitt, aren't you willing to help? They say the price is negotiable," the mayor suddenly asked.
"Haven't you found anyone else?"
The mayor chuckled bitterly.
"Ha, we did try. But they felt catching an escapee was beneath them.
"Hewitt, I know you keep a low profile, but your past must be anything but simple. You must have many exciting stories and have been to many places. Have you ever seen anything strange or unbelievable?"
Hewitt asked,
"What kind of thing?"
The mayor calmly asked,
"Do you believe monsters exist in this world?"
Hewitt furrowed his brows,
"Monsters? What exactly are you referring to?"
There was an odd sparkle in the mayor's eyes,
"I don't know, Werewolves? Ghouls? Things like that. My father used to tell me the world was full of monsters. I thought they were just stories until I saw something myself.
"In the residence of a demon hunter, I saw monsters preserved as specimens and magical weapons..."
Hewitt interrupted,
"A demon hunter?"
The mayor smiled apologetically,
"Oh, I forgot you wouldn't know that. It's a secret passed down in my family. There's an ancient demon hunter living in the hills behind our town. The townsfolk can't imagine that a living legend is just nearby."
The mayor continued to explain,
"This world used to be full of various monsters, threatening human lives. Demon hunters are the heroes who exterminate these creatures."
Hewitt smirked. Demon hunters were never heroes. They were just experts in dealing with monsters.
"But in the modern age, Hewitt, you haven't seen any so-called monsters, have you? Because almost fifty years ago, they were nearly extinct."
Hewitt fell silent and listened seriously. He didn't know how to explain to the mayor that the extinction of monsters was heavily related to him.
The mayor had an envious look on his face,
"And demon hunters have many amazing abilities. Like the one who has been living here for fifty years. When I saw him, he was still as young as the descriptions in my family's records."
Indeed, there were demon hunters who did not rely on magic and eliminated monsters solely based on their skills and strength. But they were rare. Most demon hunters, indeed, possessed unique abilities that evolved over tens of thousands of years to combat monsters.
Unlike wizards, mages, and warlocks, demon hunters' unique inheritances were typically non-transferable. They were extremely independent and exclusive.
However, knowledge about monsters was the opposite. Demon hunters liked to share this information, which allowed all of them to quickly understand a wide range of monsters, their weaknesses, and ways to cope with them.
The mayor kept talking,
"In short, the demon hunting master brushed me off and sent me away. Back to our topic, since this world does have monsters, it's probable that they caused this scene. It's not something that we can handle."
"So you plan to…" Hewitt guessed the mayor's thoughts.
The mayor revealed a triumphant smile,
"Exactly, if the honored demon hunting master deems the capture of criminals as trivial, then let's see if he would handle a monster."
"Mayor!" A law enforcement officer ran up, "We couldn't stop these two. They insisted on coming over."
"We need to talk to you," said the two detectives Hewitt initially met, solemnly approaching.
The tall, thin man looked at Hewitt and said,
"It's a private matter. If you don't mind…"
Hewitt understood his hint,
"Perfect timing, I need to get home to my niece anyway. She might get scared otherwise."
Watching Hewitt leave, the tall detective turned to the mayor,
"He has a niece? Has she been in town long?"
The mayor shook his head,
"She just arrived."
The tall man asked again,
"How long has she been here?"
"Two weeks."
The tall man nodded in relief,
"This matter must be kept strictly confidential. Have your people set up a cordon. No one gets in or out, including them."
The mayor looked uncomfortable,
"This couldn't have been your fugitive. No human could inflict these injuries."
The tall detective examined the mayor skeptically,
"You don't need to worry about that. What? You don't want to cooperate with us now? Or would you prefer being sent to court, so everyone knows what you've done?"
The mayor hung his head,
"No, of course not."
From the day he started cooperating with them, the mayor knew this day would come. He had always been preparing for it.
The tall detective continued to remind him,
"Also, don't tell the demon hunter about this."
The mayor's head shot up, and he understood,
"You're not here chasing a fugitive."
The other robust detective, who had yet to speak, flashed a row of white teeth as he smiled,
"No, we are indeed chasing a fugitive. Our fugitive."
The tall detective carried on,
"Do you genuinely care about these things? You only need to realize that by cooperating with us, you'll make lots of money. Isn't that enough?"
"But I don't want my town's tranquility disturbed by a monster."
The robust detective reassured,
"Of course, but don't worry. You still have us."
Meanwhile, in town,
Hewitt, who had just returned, was shopping for Hela's daily necessities when an irritating voice reached him.
"Isn't this our legendary hunter, Mr. Hewitt? What, are you buying these things to lure little girls?"
Jimmy's sister, Nellie, was standing behind him.
Hewitt turned around to look her in the eye,
"Nellie, I'm not a bad person."
Nellie retreated a half step, looking a bit unnerved. She seemed embarrassed and retorted without conviction,
"They might not know what kind of person you are, but I do. I've seen what you are, Mr. Hunter. I've seen it with my own eyes."