With a destination in mind, it didn't take long for the squad to arrive at the location Sol had found as the cause of the disturbance.
Peering into the passage ahead, Rex quietly asked, so as not to alert anyone, "Are those adventurers? What are they doing here?"
There was a small group of three individuals aimlessly wandering the passage. Their steps were unsteady, and their eyes unfocused. As they walked, a rat crossed their path, and the group instantly pounced on the lone creature, grabbing it before it could escape. The one who caught it made a jubilant expression, then placed an open jar on the ground and held the rat above it. He snapped the rat in two, allowing the blood to pour into the jar.
The rat wasn't very big, and once all the blood was collected, the man tossed the corpse away as if it were no longer important. The body fell straight into the sewer and flowed down the waterway.
Duncan, watching the rat's corpse flow past them, wondered aloud, "They're collecting blood, but for what purpose?"
"It could be for a blood ritual." Lapis suggested. It wasn't uncommon for ritualist to use blood as a key component.
"Maybe. What should we do, Cap? Can I beat them up?" Aron asked, eager to spring into action at Sol's cue.
Sol didn't answer immediately. Instead, he turned to Duncan. "What do you suggest? We'll follow your lead."
Sol didn't want to take command of the mission like usual. He knew his time with the Royal Knights was nearing its end, and it was better for Duncan to take point on the mission so the squad could get used to following his orders. None of the other squad members found this odd as it wasn't the first time Sol had asked for Duncan's advice as the most experience of them all.
Understanding Sol's intention, Duncan gave an appreciative nod before turning to Aron and answering his question. "No, not yet. Something's off about them. They may just be following orders. If we follow them, we might be led straight to the true culprit."
Based on their movements, it was clear something was wrong with them, and Duncan suspected they were being manipulated. If that was the case, it was unlikely the adventurers would give them any useful information. Eventually, though, they would have to deliver the blood, so it made sense to wait and see.
Aron let out a soft, dissatisfied grumble. "Aww. When will I get to do something?"
Some of the squad members chuckled, and they continued silently following the trio of adventurers.
As they followed, Sol, with nothing to do, continued experimenting with psychic energy. The more he used it, the better his control became, and he found himself amazed by the possibilities.
'The potential of psychic energy is as limitless as mana. As long as I wield it properly, anything is possible.'
[[Intermediate Psychic Mastery] leveled up! (6 -> 7)]
While Sol toyed with various applications of psychic energy, Rex issued a warning.
"I've been sensing something around us for a while. I can't tell what, but we might have been spotted."
This put the squad on alert. Sol used [Remote Viewing] to scan their surroundings but could only detect the three adventurers walking ahead of them.
"There it was again!" Rex whispered.
Sol didn't understand what Rex was referring to at first, until it dawned on him. 'Wait… is he talking about me?'
To confirm his suspicion, Sol sent a small amount of psychic energy past Rex. Sure enough, Rex reflexively turned his head toward where the energy passed.
'He was… my bad…' Sheepishly, Sol retracted his psychic energy. While Rex couldn't directly detect it, he could sense the disturbances it caused. Sol had unintentionally raised the squad's guard by playing around with psychic energy, which wasn't his intention.
Not wanting to interfere with the mission any further, Sol restrained himself. Meanwhile, the three adventurers finished filling up three jugs of blood and suddenly started walking at a brisk pace, as if they now had a specific destination in mind, unlike their previous aimless wandering.
"Looks like they've met their quota and are heading back. Be on guard." Duncan advised as they continued to follow.
As they trailed the adventurers, Rex detected more people approaching from other passages.
"There are people coming from all directions. If we keep following these three, we'll eventually be spotted."
Duncan considered a few options. The easiest solution would have been to use Sol's [Terra Manipulation] to hide in the sewer walls, but he decided against it. He knew he needed to find other ways to solve such situations without relying on Sol, who would soon be leaving.
"Lazuli, do you know any incapacitating poisons?"
She nodded. "I know three, one of which is colorless and odorless."
"Perfect. Cast it behind us as we keep moving."
Lazuli nodded and wielded her staff toward the sewers behind them. "[Slumber Spores]." she whispered.
A wave of white mist emitted from her staff, spreading throughout the passage behind them. The mist thinned until it was no longer visible. To the average person, it would seem like nothing, but anyone who ventured into the passage would soon be afflicted with severe drowsiness.
With their rear covered, the group continued after the adventurers. Rex confirmed that those behind them were no longer close.
Eventually, the squad arrived at an interconnected part of the sewer where multiple passages fed sewage outside the city. There, they saw many other adventurers, citizens, and assorted individuals, all bringing jugs of blood and placing them in an orderly fashion.
'So much blood… What kind of ritual requires that much?' Sol wondered as he saw the ludicrous number of jugs.
Nobody in the squad spoke to avoid alerting the people, but they all had the same question on their minds.
As they scanned the area for the mastermind, eight figures suddenly dropped from above, surrounding the squad.
"So, they finally sent the Royal Knights to investigate."