Svanthor was located at the base of the Mahakam mountains, and there were less than two hundred families there. Most of the youths didn’t work in the fields, but instead became miners in the mountains the dwarves developed. It had been that way for more than fifty years.

Instead of using wood for their houses, the village’s buildings were made out of ores, making them sturdy and prettier. Roy sat on the rug in the chief’s house, drinking a bowl of vegetable soup made out of shriveled vegetables, and he rubbed his chin. Being a witcher’s lucrative. We just left Aldersberg, and already we’re receiving a request. We haven’t even rested enough yet.

“Mr Casillas, as you were saying, there have been four deaths during the last three months?”

The man with the red nose nodded solemnly. “Three single lads died a bit ago, and the latest casualty is Brady. It’s been a few days since we’ve found his body. Two children and his wife survive him. Since their breadwinner is gone, they can only live on welfare from now on.” He sighed. “Ever since the village’s inception, it has been more than twenty years since the last murder of such brutality. Everyone’s really scared, and they say the murderers are monsters in the mountains. They’re worried they might be next, so I beseech you, please find out who or what did this. The bounty is negotiable.”

Letho waved him down. “That can wait. We need more information. Why’s there only women, children, and the elderly when we came? Where are the men?”

Casillas pointed at the sun outside. “Everyone’s still working in the mines now. There’s still four or five hours until their return.”

Roy gasped. “They’re working instead of taking care of their families even after the murders have happened? Aren’t they worried they might be the next victims?”

Casillas rubbed his nose and smiled bitterly. “Nothing we can do. I’ve told their boss in the Mahakams about this, and the working hours have been reduced so they can return before dark. Also, they promised they’d catch the murderer. But they aren’t professionals, and it’s been three months since then, but there’s been no progress. So we have to rely on witchers for the job now.” He looked at them, his gaze expectant but careful. 

“Their boss in Mahakam?” Roy thought about that, and he found it curious. As far as he knew, dwarves, elves, and the other ancient species were inferior in status to humans in the current society, but the positions seemed to be switched in the Mahakams.

The humans working in the mines call the dwarves their boss. He could feel the fear and respect Casillas radiated at the mention of the dwarves. Is Brovar Hoger a tyrant?

Letho took control of the conversation and cut to the chase. “Let’s talk about the meat of the matter. We need to understand the rough details of the deaths, like the cause.”

Casillas answered in anger, “As the village chief, I went there as fast as I could, and what I saw was, and still is, horrifying. I could never forget it. The monsters are nothing but cruel bastards.”

Casillas told them what he’d observed, and Letho and Roy fell into silent ponderance. “They died in the forest, their stomach sliced open, their body’s pierced by a wooden thing, fastening them to the ground, and their bodies were left to be feasted on by birds and beasts.

Letho gave Roy a look, and Roy understood what he was trying to say, so he spoke of his judgment. “According to your testimony, I am almost certain that they weren’t killed by monsters, unlike what the villagers told you. In most cases, monsters wouldn’t run around to hurt people. They hate open places like forests in mountains. Most prefer lying in dark and cramped places like graves. What you spoke of sounded more like an ancient ritual. We need more clues. We need to check the bodies.” Roy gazed at Casillas, and it took the chief a while to snap out of it.

“If it wasn’t a monster, then what was it?” He gave them an apologetic look. “Also, it’s impossible to check the bodies now. Everyone burned them because they were worried the lads might’ve turned into ghouls from being infected by the monsters. I-it’s desecrating the dead, but we had no choice. It was for everyone’s survival.”

“Wait, who told you monsters can infect people? It’s not a plague or disease. No way can it spread. It’s going to be hard to go on now, since you burned the bodies.”

Casillas couldn’t find any comeback for that.

“Who told you the monsters were the murderers in the first place?”

“The lords of the mountain.”

Roy thought about it quietly, while Letho clapped and stood up. “It’s normal for them to know nothing about monsters. Don’t scold them, boy. Mr. Casillas, why don’t you take us around the village so we can get more clues?”

“What about the request?”

“We’ll have to investigate further to see if we can take this.”

***

The moment they exited, the women and children who were listening averted their gazes in fright and pretended to be busy, though they looked clumsy.

Roy noticed Letho’s stern look and realized that the request might be a hard one. “Is this a hard one, Letho? I didn’t think you’d refuse it.” 

“Boy, I told you to never take requests that are beyond what you can do. That message is all the more important for people like you who think they can do anything because they learned something,” Letho emphasized. “First, know who your enemies are, or you might just die a horrible death.”

***

They were led to Brady’s house by Casillas. Brady was the latest casualty. A woman with a red face and plain clothes was waiting outside for them. 

After Letho introduced himself, he asked, “Had your husband been acting strange before his death? Or had he left any special messages for you?”

The woman pondered in sorrow and shook her head dumbly. 

“What about your husband’s reputation in the village, then? How is it?”

“His reputation has always been good. He’d be the first to help no matter who was in trouble, and aside from working in the mines, he was a great hunter. Whenever he hunted something, he’d share it with everyone.”

Casillas added, “I can be a witness to that. Her husband’s reputation is fine. The three lads who died had some grudges against the villagers, but Brady was a gentle man who never argued with anyone. Everyone liked him.”

At the mention of that, the woman was reminded of her husband’s kindness, and she buried her face in her hands to cry. “H-he stayed in the mines for half a month. I never expected that to be our last goodbye. I-I didn’t even manage to keep his body!” As she cried, two chubby children darted out from behind her and hugged her legs, then they cried with her.

“Poor Tina and Jim. They lost their father at such a young age. The kids are just five. How can they survive after this?” Casillas patted the boy’s head, and the boy looked up. 

He wiped his tears away with his dirty hands and stared at Roy with watering eyes. “Y-you will get the murderer, won’t you?” His sister and mother looked at him with hopeful gazes.

Roy glanced at Letho, but he was still inscrutable, as always. Roy took a deep breath and calmed the stirring in his heart, then he looked away from the boy who was crying.

“Let’s go to the other victims’ homes, Mr. Casillas. Do the villagers usually stay out that long?” Roy asked.

“Only Brady. He wanted to make some money to send Jim to a school in Aldersberg.”

“I see.”

The visits went smoothly. The remaining victims didn’t have any complex relationships within the village. Even though they did fight with the other villagers, it didn’t warrant murder. Letho didn’t even need to use Axii to find what he wanted. Roy also had a feeling that the one behind the murders wasn’t a human.

“Take us to the latest crime scene,” Letho said.