C41: The Poser

We set off on our merry way, using a horse carriage we got in the nearby town. The academy provided small things like this free of charge.

Traveling through the dirt roads with nature and forests all around me was a special feeling. If it wasn't for the chance of a demon hidden in these beautiful sights, I could have genuinely relaxed.

"Damn it! You win again!" Agon yelled out from the carriage.

He had been playing chess against Bets for some time now and losing each game. Agon was such a bad player at chess that Bets didn't seem to mind playing against him, despite the limitations of his special ability.

Also, it was pretty enjoyable to see him rage about it.

As night came about, we set camp, and I placed four talismans and formed a translucent barrier around the camp. "If anyone hears a ringing sound. Wake up."

"Ahahah. Anyone would wake up after hearing a sound like that," Agon laughed it off.

I just stared at him. Suppose one of us wouldn't wake up at that sound; it would 100% be him. "Also we will keep watch. Just in case someone can pass my barrier."

It was a low-class barrier—nothing to brag about. So there were some weaknesses that anyone with basic knowledge about barriers and talismans would be able to go past it.

…

The night passed by without anything worrying happening. By the evening of the second day of our journey, we saw a village on the corner of a lake. The lake had some mist around it.

"This should be the place," Gem, who was handling the horses, nudged me.

"Yeah, it seems like it," I narrowed my eyes and looked at the horses. "We will leave the carriage here."

"Huh?" Gem looked confused.

"If Exorcists like us come in like this. Well, we're teenagers. I wouldn't trust people my age to do anything. Much less investigate a murder, and save children." As someone almost three decades old, I knew how I would react if I were in the villagers' place.

Gem frowned and seemed to disagree with me. But didn't say anything and stopped the horses before we entered the village's vicinity where they would have been able to see us coming.

One just needed to look at this from the perspective of the victims' families. If a family member of mine drowned to death and the police sent some fifteen-year-old kid to investigate. Well, let's just say no one would be pleased with that.

After tying up the horses nearby, Bets and Agon didn't say anything. But Gem turned toward me, his delinquent face fully showing. "So, what now? We just walk in like fools?"

"No, on the contrary, we will walk in with style," I took out a fat stack of talismans and picked four of them. I also took the backpack with the fish tank and the carp. I also made sure to take both a regular and cursed sword.

I put a talisman on each of our backs and muttered the incantation. "Let the winds carry us, let the gods play with air. Three heavens and ten mons dance amongst the Gods' lair… let us dance too, fair."

It was a lame incantation. But it had the intended effects as the talismans on our backs turned to ash, and the wind picked up around our bodies. We slowly levitated from the ground for three meters and then shot forward like… a mosquito?

Talismans like this weren't too effective, especially with the long chanting.

But there was a difference when arriving with a carriage like ordinary people and coming in while floating. It took us about ten minutes to get to the village.

The villagers noticed us as we approached and started whispering amongst themselves. As soon as they saw us, I dispelled the talismans. I didn't want them to see our flying speed.

We landed in the middle of the village center. Agon stumbled a bit. I caught him by the shoulder.

"We are the Exorcists sent to deal with the drowning cases," I got right to the point. Trying not to have the people ask about our rank.

Because despite the entrance, if we introduced ourselves as Junior Exorcists, all credibility would be lost. Even if they didn't know the Exorcist Ranks, the name 'Junior Exorcist' sounded unimpressive.

"Yes lord Exorcists, this way," said a middle-aged man with a bushy dark beard. "I am the village elder. Our previous elder got killed by the demon."

"Thank you," I followed him. He seemed kind. However, he was also my first suspect. Because if the village elder died recently, then the bushy-bearded man had a motive.

Was this a power grab? If so, why kill the kids too? Was it to cover his tracks?

It was the first time where I didn't know almost everything about a situation. "Have there been any more murders since the report?"

The bushy-bearded man stopped in his tracks for a second and sighed. "Yes… Adilion has died."

"Adilion?"

"My little brother," the bushy-bearded man clenched his fist. "He was only twelve years old. I…"

It seemed like he wanted to say more. But stopped himself as we arrived at a hut that was bigger than the other residences in the village.

"We don't have much to offer. The village doesn't have an inn. But you're free to stay at my house," the village elder offered.

"Thank you," yeah, there's no way we're doing that.

Because if I was in this guy's place and was an emotionless psychopathic killer. I would also try to make up a sob story.

Do I think he's the killer? I don't know. But I'm not taking any chances. "Can you explain the timeline of events? As much as you can remember, of course."

I took out a notebook. The village elder glanced at it for a split second before he started explaining. "Everything started two weeks ago. It was during the spring festival when the first murder happened. A kid's dead body washed up in the morning. The parents swore they had seen him come home…"

I wrote every detail down.

***

Gem didn't like Kon at all. Something was unnerving about him. As if he knew better than everyone. He knew that he had held back Agon when he was possessed in the training camp. But Gem would bet anything that Sei did most of the heavy lifting.

'Also who went and decided he would be the leader? He just took charge out of nowhere?' Gem couldn't accept something like that. Obviously, the role of the leader should go to the strongest. Without a doubt, Gem believed himself to be the strongest in the team.

If Bets had claimed the leader position, maybe Gem would have accepted it. He owed Bets his special ability and didn't want to be ungrateful.

But Kon was just a nobody who wouldn't even stand out in a crowd. Why was someone like that making decisions? Why weren't his two other teammates saying something about this?

Still, right now wasn't the time to bring it up. Even Gem knew showing a united front was crucial for credibility. No one would trust a group of exorcists who fought amongst themselves.

"I have some rooms prepared for you," the village elder ended his explanation with an offer.

Agon smiled widely and yawned. "Thanks, we're beat-"

But before he could finish, Kon came forward and with a squinty look in his eyes said. "No, we have to investigate."

"During the night?" The elder brought up a valid question.

"We can be night guards. So the people in the village can sleep peacefully." Kon was headstrong in his reasons and added. "We wouldn't want someone else to die just because we were lazy. That guilt would haunt me for the rest of my life."

The last sentence was ambiguous to whom it was directed. Was it the village elder or his own teammates?

'This is the kind of backhanded shit I don't like!' Gem clenched his teeth and tried to keep calm as they walked out of the village elder's house.

"If you wanna say something, say it to our faces," once outside the village head's house. Gem didn't hesitate to confront the poser.

"Huh?" Agon seemed confused. "What did I do?"

"I'm not talking about you," Gem pointed at Kon. "I'm talking about him. Also, Kon, who the hell put you in the leadership position? I'm the strongest in our team, so that position should go to me."

Gem knew Kon was weak. He could smell weakness and hesitation in people like this.

'If you lack confidence in yourself and seem paranoid about everything. Then be a follower, not a leader!'

But Kon's response was strange; he only smiled. His glasses reflected the moonlight, which made it impossible to see his eyes. "Strongest? Well, in this team, currently I'm the strongest."

Unlike before, when he seemed paranoid. Kon said these words with complete confidence.

For some reason, that annoyed Gem even more! "Like hell you are!"

Kon's mouth twitched as if he was holding in a mocking snicker. "Well, how about a spar then?"

"Sure…" Gem smiled, showing off all his slightly sharpened teeth.

'What a dumbass. Did he think I would back off?!'