Edward suddenly opened his eyes, his head throbbing with pain.
Instinctively, his hand reached for the sword by the bed, but he found nothing there.
He quickly sat up, scanning the room until his gaze settled on Caitlin lying beside him.
She was lying next to him, and the sight immediately brought back memories of everything that had happened the night before.
Caitlin seemed to notice Edward's movements and quickly pulled the blanket up to cover her face, appearing flustered.
Edward said nothing, swiftly dressing with practiced efficiency.
He then pulled out five hundred-dollar bills from his pocket and casually placed them on the bedside table.
"Make sure you fix the hole in the wall outside.
And buy more food.
Your brother is still growing—he needs more meat," Edward said calmly, his tone flat.
Without waiting for Caitlin's response, he left the room, pushing the door open and walking out.
Only when she heard the door close did Caitlin finally lower the blanket, her face as red as if it might burst.
She silently watched Edward's departing figure, her emotions a complicated mix that she couldn't put into words.
Her gaze lingered on the doorway for a long time.
...
"Mr. Edward, your sword is here."
Roy's voice came from the door.
He stood there, holding Edward's sword in both hands, looking a bit nervous and scared.
This morning, Roy's fever had subsided, but he still couldn't bring himself to meet Edward's gaze directly.
Edward looked down at Roy, seeing the timid expression on the boy's face. He frowned slightly.
Stepping forward, he took the sword from Roy, his expression calm, and then turned to leave.
Just as Edward took a few steps, he suddenly stopped and said lightly, "From now on, don't call me Mr. Edward. Just call me Edward."
Roy stood up straight, clearly shocked by the unexpected comment.
He froze for a moment, his eyes wide, watching as Edward pushed open the door and left.
Only after Edward's figure completely disappeared from view did Roy finally breathe a sigh of relief.
Biting his lip, Roy responded quietly, "Okay."
...
Edward arrived at the White Deer Town government office, just in time to see his subordinates idly standing around.
One of them, named West, grinned and said, "Boss, you're here early today."
The former Edward had been a typical corrupt official, with very few actual duties.
As long as he sat in his office for a short while, people would praise him for being hardworking.
So West's flattery, though blatantly insincere, was the usual bootlicking his subordinates employed.
Edward glanced up at the blazing sun—it was already noon.
His eyes shifted back to the group in front of him.
He nodded silently. These men were the crew left behind by the former Edward.
West had been his most trusted crony, responsible for carrying out all sorts of dirty tasks.
The rest of them weren't any better, spending their days oppressing the townsfolk and indulging in pleasures.
Though they were skilled at bullying ordinary people, when it came to facing real threats like demons, they were utterly useless.
They could barely hold their ground against any serious danger.
"Um."
Edward gave a soft reply and walked inside, not bothering to waste time talking to them.
As he passed by his subordinates, West hurriedly trotted up to him, wearing an eager-to-please expression.
"Boss, I took care of that thing you asked about."
Edward paused slightly, his brow furrowing.
"What thing?"
West put on a pitiful look, his voice ingratiating.
"Catching the kids, boss. You wouldn't believe how hard it was to find them.
Everyone in town is hiding their kids real well."
As West finished speaking, a cold feeling crept into Edward's heart.
Memories of the former Edward flooded back in an instant.
The former Edward had ordered his men to capture children from the town and send them to a small village by the creek outside of town.
To feed innocent children to the demons.
Edward's expression grew colder, though he maintained his composure outwardly.
West, mistaking Edward's change in expression for approval, continued to flatter him.
"These kids were a pain to find, but with enough manpower, we got the job done."
The anger inside Edward could no longer be contained. He kicked West, sending him flying half a meter.
West was stunned by the sudden violence, completely at a loss.
Edward, however, spoke in a cold voice.
"Where are the children?"
The mess left by the former Edward was worse than he had anticipated.
Not only had the former Edward acted as an accomplice to demons, but he had gone out of his way to satisfy their demands.
Unlike the simple-minded, flesh-eating weasel demons, the goat demons sought beauty—especially young children who hadn't yet matured.
Due to their cruel nature, the children sent to them often died within months, brutalized to death.
And the goat demons' appetite for children was insatiable.
The thought of these horrific truths made Edward feel nauseated, his heart filled with disgust.
He had thought his previous life had shown him the depths of human cruelty, but now, in this chaotic world, he realized that suffering had many layers.
West, sensing that something was off about his boss today, didn't dare delay.
The pain from Edward's kick still lingered in his stomach, but he quickly picked himself up, plastered on a sycophantic smile, and led the way.
They left the government building, crossed two streets, and arrived at a run-down tavern on the corner.
West opened the back door with ease, leading them past the dingy toilets.
There, a few children were tied up, their bodies covered in mud.
Their eyes were hollow, their breathing weak—they had clearly been starved for some time.
West, feeling nervous, quickly pulled out a stack of crumpled papers from his pocket and handed them to Edward.
"Boss, these are the contracts their parents signed with handprints.
Everything's in order.
Believe me, we're just trying to help these kids out…"
Edward took the stack of contracts and, after a moment's silence, looked down at the children.
Without a word, he set the papers aside, his voice cold as he said.
"Go buy some bread and salt. And get meat—lots of it. Quickly."
West immediately agreed.
"Got it, boss!"
He turned to leave, silently wondering why Edward had suddenly become so generous.
But as he walked away, Edward's voice rang out again, ice-cold and calm.
"I said buy it."
West froze in place, a chill running down his spine.
He slowly turned to face Edward, meeting the dark, intense gaze that made his heart tremble.
"I understand. I'll pay for it, don't worry."
West's voice wavered slightly, and he dared not hesitate any longer, hurrying away.
Edward silently watched the children tied up before him, his heart filled with a mix of emotions.
He knelt down and began untying the ropes around each child.
The kids looked at him with wide, terrified eyes, clearly afraid of the notorious "Mr. Edward."
He gently brushed the dirt from their foreheads, checking their condition.
The weather had recently turned colder, and if these children caught a chill, things would become even more difficult.
Fortunately, aside from hunger and exhaustion, the children didn't appear to have any severe injuries.
The smallest girl, no more than nine or ten, was curled up tightly.
Her weak voice trembled as she spoke.
"Mr. Edward…"
Her voice carried a clear note of fear.
Hearing that title, Edward couldn't help but smile bitterly.
He hadn't realized just how infamous his predecessor had been, to the point where even children were terrified of him.
Using his thumb, he gently wiped the dirt from the girl's face and patted her head, speaking in the gentlest tone he could muster.
"Don't be afraid. Rest for a while.
I'll take you all home."
Before long, a group of patrolmen returned, carrying large bags of food.
West led the group, looking especially eager.
"Hurry up! If you keep dawdling, it'll be dark soon."
Edward stood up, leading the children out of the tavern while turning back to coldly urge his men to pick up the pace.
The patrolmen, cowed by Edward's authority, dared not slack off.
They quickly organized the supplies and followed behind him.