Exiting the police station, I entered a nearby restaurant and ordered a beer and a burger. After a brief hesitation, I added a side of brisket.
After entering the First Realm, practitioners generally favor foods rich in essence and vitality over grains and cereals.
Unfortunately, a sergeant's salary doesn't stretch that far.
Still, sustenance is necessary, so I must be mindful of my spending.
I settled into a seat, taking a sip of beer and a bite of the burger.
It was midday, typically a bustling time for a restaurant, yet it was eerily quiet.
The faces of those entering and exiting held no joy, but no sorrow either. They all wore a look of numbness, as if accustomed to their circumstances.
I lowered my head and took another bite of the burger.
I was merely a low-ranking official, unable to shoulder the burdens of the world. All I could do was strive to rise above this mire.
The few patrons scattered throughout the restaurant were engrossed in their meals, their conversations muted.
Consequently, even though the two men chatting nearby kept their voices low, their words still reached my ears.
"There are dead bodies on Willow Street."
"I know. I just came from there. Don't mention it, or I'll lose my appetite."
I raised my beer bottle. The slightly bitter liquid helped wash down the burger.
Willow Street fell under my jurisdiction. In fact... it was where I had awakened a couple days ago.
Yet, I had received no news, not even as much as a few passers-by.
Patel's parting words echoed in my mind.
The higher-ups were indeed efficient, having already sealed my access to information.
"I heard they were bitten to death?"
"I told you to drop it. Do you want to finish your meal or not? I saw it earlier, and the memory still churns my stomach."
The two men sighed in unison.
My brow furrowed as I glanced at the burger in my hand, my appetite also waning.
I requested a to-go box, carefully packing the remaining burger and brisket, then reached for my dagger. "Waiter, the check, please."
…
Pinewood County, Willow Street.
Several officers emerged from the Velvet Pleasure establishment, pinching their noses. "That was truly repulsive. If I'd known, I wouldn't have come."
"It's not even our jurisdiction. Why are we stuck with this mess?"
"Sergeant Bennett, you need to put in a word with the sheriff. We can handle a couple more streets, but we need a raise."
Silas Bennett glared at them. "Enough complaining! If you don't want the job, get lost. Someone else will gladly take it."
Turning back, he froze. A familiar young man stood before him, seemingly out of nowhere.
I held a knife at my waist, my gaze fixed on the Velvet Pleasure.
"Hey! Sergeant Kane!"
Silas Bennett hastily greeted me. "What brings you here?"
I nodded and moved towards the wrecked building.
Sergeant Bennett quickly extended an arm to block me, a forced smile on his face. "If this were still a brothel, Sergeant Kane, I'd personally escort you in, all expenses paid... But now it's a crime scene, not quite appropriate, wouldn't you agree?"
I lowered my gaze.
Just two days ago, I had stood in his position, making the same gesture.
"Sergeant Kane, even if you have no respect for me, at least show some for the Sheriff."
Seeing I had no intention of backing down, Silas Bennett's smile vanished. "Look, John, I like a challenge as much as the next guy, but you're not getting in here."
They had once feared me due to the sheriff's favor.
But now the tables had turned. The superiors were clearly targeting me. Once the Gruffalo story was peeled away, I was just a bluffing mouse.
"Boys, give the sergeant something to sober him up."
Silas Bennett gestured, and at his signal, several figures behind him swiftly drew their batons, their brows furrowed in anticipation.
The next instant, a boot connected squarely with Silas' lower abdomen.
The force of the impact sent him flying backward like a ragdoll, leaving him no chance to react.
I smoothed the hem of my uniform and strode into the building.
"You... you're going rogue?!"
The remaining officers, caught off guard by my audacity, hesitated, their hands hovering over their holsters.
Just then, Wade rushed in, flanked by the Wright brothers and Babar Khan.
He charged the entrance, swinging baton, striking Bennett's men across their heads and faces. "Are you so blind you can't recognize whose jurisdiction this is? Cuff them!"
Babar was momentarily stunned.
Usually, it was he who uttered those words, using them to subdue civilians. Never before had they been directed at fellow officers.
Wade had always despised such heavy-handed tactics, yet here he was, wielding them with even greater proficiency than Babar himself.
Despite their confusion, Babar Khan and the Wright brothers swiftly apprehended the officers, handcuffed them within seconds.
Regardless of their personal feelings towards me, this was a brawl with another squad. Team pride could not be compromised!
"Sure enough..."
Wade had been on patrol when rumors reached him, triggering a premonition that sent him rushing to the scene with the squad.
"Don't you know Sergeant Kane's temper? How could he possibly tolerate others encroaching on his territory?" Babar spat.
Wade shot him a glance, finding the explanation plausible enough. That's the story they would stick to in the future.
As for the real reason...
Even Wade struggled to believe it himself, but perhaps... perhaps it was due to the family's brutal murder at the hands of monsters.
Given the event in the village yesterday, if Sergeant Kane wasn't merely putting on a show, he would undoubtedly come to investigate.
… …
Inside the building.
I knelt down, examining the two bodies hastily reassembled on the floor.
Taking a deep breath, I carefully aligned the five scattered fingers of the young girl.
This hand had washed my feet not long ago. And the curvy body that was so passionate that night was now barely put together from pieces.
Based on past encounters, a vamp attack would typically leave behind only mangled remains. But today was different. Despite being dismembered, the mother and daughter's bodies were intact, their ears and eyes even gathered and reattached. They had not been devoured, nor were there any signs of gnawing.
This was not a hunt for food, but a deliberate, vengeful act!
Like Lucky Six, vampires had friends and relatives. If someone knew where that black-skinned jackalvamp disappeared to, they might not be sure who killed it... but revenge didn't need proof, just a target.
If they knew it was at the Velvet Pleasure, wouldn't they also know who brought it there? This killing sent a message, and it wasn't hard to figure out who it was meant for.
"Are these relatives of yours, by any chance?" Silas Bennett, still reeling from the forceful kick, struggled to lift his head. "You assaulted me... you bastard... but what good does gawking at this do? If you're so capable, go slay the vamps outside the city."
"This bears the mark of a jackalvamp. The question is, which one? And even if you knew, what then?"
His words echoed in my mind, a discordant symphony of anger and regret.
I pulled the white sheet over the two corpses, obscuring them from view. If I looked at them any longer, I might lose it.
A low-ranking officer like me couldn't call H.A.R.M. or summon troops to defend the town.
The only thing I could truly rely on was the worn blade at my side.
I couldn't uncover the perpetrator's exact identity, and I didn't plan to. Bennett was right about one thing. It wouldn't matter.