Chapter 6: Suspicion
After placing another table in the reception room, John put fourteen chairs around those two tables. He then placed plates, glasses, forks, spoons, napkins, and other utensils in an orderly manner.
After that, he moved towards the corner of the room, took out one of the intruder's heads, and returned to the table.
Although he felt slight discomfort due to the blood smell, he endured it and soon reached the nearby chair.
"Let's put them in order."
Muttering, he put the head on his nearby plate, opened the decapitated head's eyes, and made it look more horrifying.
Then, he repeated the process and put the other decapitated heads in order on the remaining plates.
He left the two hosts' chairs empty and adorned the table with red candles.
Meanwhile, Rios stood around the corner like a terrified kid and watched the ritual-like scene in horror. His legs trembled while tears started flowing from his eyes like a broken dam.
'He is a true maniac!'
He was deeply regretting his decision to join this hunting mission!
'He is the real demon. Is he a member of Wicked Church? Or is he a member of the Demonic Church?' His legs started to shake non-stop.
John wasn't much concerned about Rios's inner thoughts. He instead poured red wine into the empty glasses and shifted his gaze towards the Quest completion icon.
He had already got the reward of 300 Exp for surviving the ordeal.
'But the question is: Who is the spy?' He raised his eyebrows and placed a few chopped pieces of raw meat on one of the two hosts' plates.
Suddenly, John sniffed the air and soon frowned as he sensed a dense urine smell.
"Damn you, boy. Why did you pee in the room? Look, it ruined the dinner mood." He complained in dissatisfaction and went near Rios.
...
A few minutes later, John stood alone in the reception hall and placed a few fried pieces of meat on the other host's plate. Afterward, he went to the opposite side and sat on the wooden chair.
He then placed the napkin on his lap and waited for the guest to arrive.
…
Meanwhile, a long grey-haired man paced outside the Life Church and sank into deep thoughts.
'Why isn't he picking up the call?' He stared at the unique silver ring and narrowed his amber eyes.
'Why do I feel restless inside?' He heaved a sigh and turned his attention toward the Life Church interior.
'Tsk, that sly Bishop is still guarding Eve like a watchdog. I hope they will kill her son sooner.' He muttered to himself and waited for Rios to pick up the call.
2 minutes.
5 minutes.
10 minutes.
20 minutes.
...
'Something is wrong!'
James began to feel restless and started walking towards El Street hastily.
…
A few minutes later, a 40-year-old man in a black butler suit hurriedly ran towards El Street, soon arrived closer to the two-storied house, and looked around cautiously.
Then, he pushed open the compound gate, stepped on the green lawn, and moved towards the house entrance.
But as James arrived near the porch, he suddenly halted his footsteps, sniffed the air, and turned icy cold.
'Blood smell?' A foreboding sensation appeared in his heart.
He took a deep breath to calm his mind, arrived near the slightly opened wooden door, and opened the entrance door.
He then peeked inside and soon frowned as he saw a long dining table in the reception room. The candles were lit, and the plates, wine glasses, forks, and other utensils appeared on the table in order.
But the thing that made James freeze in shock was the dishes.
Instead of regular dishes, he saw humans' heads on the plates!
All those heads belong to his followers!
On the other side, a slim figure sat on the Host seat and seemed to be eating a slice of raw meat!
Yes, that was a slice of raw meat!
For the first time, James took a step back in vigilant. He quickly identified the boy and became shocked.
'Why is he eating the raw meat? Moreover, why did he look different than before?' His complexion turned deadly pale.
"Hmm, James, is it? Take a seat." John let out a twisted laugh and invited him in. Along with the creepy atmosphere, his tone appeared abnormally eerier.
'F*ck! Where is my son?! Also, what is that creepy laugh?!' James's face went stiff as he stared at the gloomy dining table.
After looking at his lackeys' heads momentarily, he calmed his mind and shifted his gaze toward the twisted monster on the other end.
Meanwhile, John stared into James's eyes and released his inborn, killing intent.
In truth, it was nothing but a usual killing look, but James thought the opposite.
He felt an invisible killing power ripping through the air and gripping his heart.
He also felt bloodlust oozing out from the boy and got anxious.
'A real maniac!'
Although James was startled by the boy's sudden change, he didn't get anxious.
'Even if he turned into a psychopath, he is still a Classless mortal. I have already checked his record.' James sat on the opposite host seat and asked coldly.
"Boy, where is my son?"
"I will tell you in a while. You will be hungry, right? Mom taught me never to speak when eating. It's basic etiquette." John said with the same devilish grin and took another bite. He ate nothing but a slice of raw hare meat stored in the icebox, but his action rattled the opponent.
'Eve! What the hell did you teach your son during all these years?!' He gritted his teeth and sat with a hesitant face.
Although the food on his plate was fried meat, he felt uneasy inside.
John's face suddenly turned icy cold as he saw that hesitant look and spoke.
"If you want to know more about your son, you must eat the food."
It was a blatant threat!
Although James could kill this little brat effortlessly, he didn't dare take the risk. He also saw changes in the boy's eyes and became more cautious.
'My son's life is at stake.' He closed his eyes for three seconds and picked up the fried meat with trembling hands. He never expected a simple hunting mission to turn into something like this.
'Damn you, Eve! I'm going to kill you over and over again!' He grounded his teeth and took a large bite. Instead of a salty taste, he felt a bland taste inside his mouth. The meat was undercooked. He chewed it for a while and then gulped it down.
Under John's piercing gaze, James groaned in displeasure while cursing Eve in his mind occasionally and started eating with bloodshot eyes.
Later, James finished eating the whole plate of fried meat and stared back at the devil with trembling hands.
"W-Where is my son?" He asked.
"Good! Now, I'm happy." John said while licking his red lips and asking another question,
"Who told you about our location? For the past 15 years, we were completely hidden from the Nightwind family's eyes, weren't we? How did Martin find us?"
A look of astonishment appeared on James's face as he heard his words.
'I didn't expect his question would be this.'
He then shook his head and replied helplessly.
"We don't know. The informer did it anonymously. But we are suspecting that the informer might be Bishop Reynolds."
John had already expected this and soon asked.
"Will Martin give up on hunting us? You see, I don't have any plan to avenge my father. I will forgive Martin's past sins and won't pursue this matter anymore. But if you guys come again and ruin my peaceful life, I will enter Martin's bedroom and slit his wife's neck one day. Then, I will go for his sons' heads and then his daughters' heads. I will shave Martin's head, cut his cock, and even put him naked on the road. I'm a forgiving person. I won't kill him. I will leave this matter off if he doesn't cross my path. So, what's your answer?"
His words were genuinely provocative.
Anger boiled up in James's eyes as he heard rude and wicked words from John and unsheathed his golden dagger before standing up. But dizziness assaulted him all of a sudden!
'I'm poisoned!' He stared at John with an alarmed face and stumbled on the nearby chair.
"You are strong, James. I can feel the strong aura from your body. But even the mighty elephant has a weakness." John shook his head and added,
"Your weakness is your son. You shouldn't have brought your son to this mission."
Gripping his head, James stared at John, full of killing intent, and shouted.
"WHERE IS MY SON?!"
"Where?" John let out a soft chuckle and added, with creepy laughter,
"He is in your belly, moron."
Upon hearing those words, confusion, panic, anxiety, and other emotions appeared in his head.
"Tch, do you think I will let you off easily?" John stood up from his seat and walked towards the falling James.
"I know much about those who are in power. Even if you inform Nightwind Family about my inhuman character, they won't believe you. Instead, they might take me more seriously. Your only option is to die here and become my strength. I added a strong poison. Even I didn't expect my mother to store some poison bottles in the storeroom. Look at you now, pathetically crawling under the chair like a worthless worm." John arrived in front of James and smiled.
Rage welled up in James's eyes as he held his golden dagger and lunged at incredible speed toward John. Even after being poisoned, he didn't slow down and began to attack him agitatedly.
Meanwhile, John backed away hurriedly while avoiding any fatal strikes.
Within 30 seconds, the whole reception hall had turned into a bloody mess. James's attacks sliced through chairs and tables, making the living room a bloody mess.
'Damn, this is exhilarating.' John felt thrilled inside and started throwing knives at James occasionally to wound him more.
If it were before, James would have easily crippled him. But after consuming the poisoned food, James' movement slowed.
After five minutes of struggle, James couldn't keep his balance and fell pathetically.
'My body is too weak. I need to level up quickly and prepare for the next hunting squad. Moreover, I need to find more information about this magical world.' John mumbled to himself.
"T-Tell me, brat! Is that fried meat my son's?" Panting heavily, James stared at the white ceiling and asked anxiously.
Meanwhile, John appeared near him while holding a long sword, squatting down, and then chuckling.
"Hehe, die in suspense."
Saying so, he raised the sword above his head, slashed at his neck forcefully, and beheaded him on the spot.
[Target Eliminated! 100 Exp obtained!]
[Quest reward for killing the mysterious kidnapper, James: 500 Exp obtained!]
A smile crept on his face as he saw the notification.
He then dragged the dead bodies outside and placed them on the lawn. Afterward, he returned to his bedroom and took the land and house documents.
While scaring the hundreds of onlookers, he left his house and went to the Life Church building.
As he left the house, security guards and town patrol units arrived and became shocked upon seeing multiple headless bodies.
The one who led the team was Security Captain named Noah.
He possessed the physical attributes of an ordinary middle-aged individual and looked stern. His build was characterized by broad shoulders, which added a sense of strength to his appearance. Clad in a brown uniform, he presented a modest yet functional style.
His face featured a set of wide-set green eyes, capturing attention with their unique placement. These eyes seemed to emanate a certain depth, reflecting a combination of wisdom and craftiness. Accentuating his countenance was short black hair, neatly groomed and framing his face.
The man's oval facial structure provided a balanced and harmonious aesthetic. Delicately arched, thin eyebrows graced his forehead, contributing to his overall expression.
Once he arrived on the spot, he glanced at those bodies one by one and started taking notes on a thick brown sheet.
Security Captain Noah then went inside the large house and searched for clues. He saw multiple bloodstains everywhere and turned solemn.
In his 20 years old experience, Noah had never seen such a horrible killing incident and got an uncontrollable fear of his target. After looking at the markings and bloodstains, he could vaguely understand what had happened here.
After gathering evidence, he sent a detailed report to the City lord and sent an order to search for Charles.
As John arrived at the Life Church, a sense of unease painted his face with a pallid hue. Stepping through the entrance, he made his way inside the sacred space.
While casting a quick gaze towards the front of the church, his eyes landed upon Bishop Reynolds, seated on the foremost pew. Determinedly, John began to move in his direction, navigating the aisle between the rows of pews.
The sound of John's faltering footsteps caught the attention of Bishop Reynolds. In response, the Bishop closed the Sacred Book of Life, rising from his seat. Slowly, he turned around, his focus shifting towards the approaching figure.
"Did you bring the documents?"
"Yes," John replied with a nod and glanced at Eve Nightwind, placed on the wooden table around the corner.
"Good. We should sign the contract quickly." Reynolds curled his lips upward and said with a smile.
Meanwhile, John stared into Bishop Reynolds's deep-set amber eyes and asked.
"Father Reynolds, did you inform the Nightwind family about us?"
His sudden question startled Reynolds greatly.
"Why do you think it was me?" Reynolds turned his expression seriously and asked.
"In Riverdale city, no one knew about our real identity. But you are an exception. You are a powerful Rank-3 [Bishop] Class Mystic. I heard from my mom once that Bishops have the skill to see through one's secrets and identity. What is that skill name? Ah, yes. [True Eyes], is it?" John asked while turning his expression cold.