Enoch's skill in disguising himself was something Horn had witnessed; if he couldn't recognize Enoch, ordinary people had no chance.
With everything prepared and double-checked for completeness, the two set out on their mission.
Enoch first cast an illusion to cloak their presence, prioritizing their safety while searching for this mysterious newcomer.
The back door of Douglas's Carpentry Shop was quite hidden, and Horn's nightly exits and entries had always gone unnoticed. With Enoch by his side and the illusion for added security, they felt even safer.
The monster first appeared in the North District, and most were found there, suggesting the mysterious spellcaster might be located in the same area.
Locke had informed Horn during a visit that the monsters first appeared in the affluent area of the North District, mostly inhabited by merchants.
Based on the locations where the monsters appeared, they could roughly define a search area, which wasn't too large for Horn and Enoch.
Even the perception of a regular wild witch was stronger than that of an ordinary first-level priest, let alone Enoch, a first-level wild witch, with Horn's perception abilities even surpassing Enoch's.
The quiet of the night was the perfect time for actions best kept from prying eyes. They quickly reached the predetermined area.
Normally, the streets would be deserted at this hour, and the high-ranking clergy wouldn't be out at night, but the North District of Lien City was on high alert today.
With the increase in monster appearances, every household was tightly locked, fearing the bloodthirsty monsters might invade and wreak havoc.
All North Wind Knights of the church were mobilized, patrolling the North District in groups of five. Thanks to them, although monsters still appeared, the security in the North District had improved.
The regular presence of North Wind Knights deterred both weak monsters and petty thieves. For Horn and Enoch, a simple illusion allowed them to move freely through the knights' net of security.
As long as no strange incidents like Enoch's last encounter occurred, they wouldn't be detected by these "tin cans."
Confident in their mission, they scoured the North District, sure of their ability to find the spellcaster.
However, reality proved challenging.
For two hours, they searched the defined area five times without spotting anyone suspicious.
Tired, Enoch found a relatively clean stone to sit on the side of the street.
"High and mighty wizards get tired from walking too long, just like muscleheads."
"What do we do now? This person is well-hidden. It seems pointless to continue tonight."
"If he wasn't hiding well, he wouldn't have caused so much trouble without being discovered by the North Wind Temple."
A sudden idea struck Horn, "Enoch, the monster at noon only had magical fluctuations when it disappeared, right?"
"Right, what about it?" Enoch asked, puzzled.
"Wild witches usually only leave magical fluctuations when casting spells or intentionally leaving traces. Could it be that we can only track this person when he's casting spells?"
"If that's the case, are we just going to wait here?" Enoch tilted his head, asking Horn.
"Let's wait. We have nothing better to do anyway. Let's spend a few hours here every night. With the increasing frequency of monster appearances, we should get results in three to five days!"
Horn climbed onto the roof of a central building in the defined area, waiting quietly.
...
The Walker family was a moderately wealthy merchant family in the North District of Lien City, primarily dealing in clothing and fabric. They owned the largest clothing store in Lien City, donating significant amounts to the church annually to maintain their status.
In Ceylon, nobility didn't enjoy the high status they did in Earth's medieval times. Nobles were somewhat more privileged than commoners and had more rights, but they were still subject to punishment for crimes and could be executed for violating church laws.
The real power lay with the church, controlling strength.
Nobles? They were just stewards for the church.
The Walker family had no interest in nobility; with wealth and the church's protection, they lived more comfortably and dignifiedly than nobles.
But lately, Ael Walker, the family patriarch, was troubled. First, the monster crisis in the North District severely impacted his business, and some of his workers were injured by monsters. Ael couldn't shake the feeling that monsters appeared near his home more frequently than elsewhere.
Second, his beloved daughter, Annie Walker, had been unusually sullen, with bloodshot eyes. He cherished his only daughter.
Tonight, he had invited a black-clothed deacon from the church to check if his daughter was cursed and possibly introduce her to the deacon.
The invited deacon was Joseph, a high-ranking figure within Lien City's church as a second-level priest, not yet a white-clothed deacon but among the top black-clothed deacons.
Having such a prestigious figure treat his daughter was a great honor, so he intended to treat him well.
Joseph, busy with monster investigations in the North District during the day, had agreed to visit around seven tonight.
...
Annie had been feeling terrible lately. As her father's prized daughter and a well-known beauty in the North District of Lien City, she should be sneaking out to play or acting as the obedient child,
Content as a merchant's daughter.
But recently, she lost interest in everything. It started a few days ago when she snuck out, only to be cornered by a thug.
As she prepared to use her family's self-defense techniques and scream for help, she inexplicably recited a strange chant!
Annie hadn't seen the chant before, and she didn't want to recite it, but she couldn't control herself!
The moment she finished the chant, a rift opened in the void!
Two hideous monsters crawled out!
One had a bug's head and a human body; the other, a bull's head with a centipede's tail!
Annie nearly screamed!
The monsters looked fierce and ugly, but their combat ability was surprisingly low. The thug stabbed one to death, and the other killed the thug!
After killing the thug, the monster turned its ferocious gaze on her, looking as if it wanted to tear her apart, but for some reason, it didn't attack and instead fled.
Not the typical sheltered daughter, Annie, often sneaking out, wasn't helpless without a man. Though she hadn't faced many setbacks, her frequent outings helped her calm down quickly, and she didn't tell anyone about the monsters.
She knew she had summoned the monsters and would be burned as a witch if the church found out.
The church showed no mercy to wild witches!