River slowly opened his eyes.
He was lying in his bed at the inn.
Sunlight streamed faintly through the window.
Celestia sat beside the bed, watching him closely, while Azura sat nearby happily snacking on a pastry.
Azura's ears twitched with every bite.
"Oh good, you're finally awake," Celestia said with a warm smile.
"I guess you decided to take a nap during your day off."
She leaned back slightly.
"That's good. You earned it."
"…Nap?" River muttered.
His head throbbed painfully.
Fragments of memory drifted through his mind.
He remembered talking to Pharos.
But the memory felt broken.
Incomplete.
Like pieces of a shattered mirror.
And after that—
There was nothing.
"Did I… dream all that?" River muttered to himself.
Celestia shrugged.
"Well, either way, it's a good thing you stayed here all day."
Her expression turned more serious.
"The city lord was found dead."
River immediately sat upright.
"What?!"
"The entire town is in panic right now," Celestia continued.
River blinked rapidly.
"That's huge…"
He rubbed his forehead.
"Do they know who did it?"
Azura shook her head.
"They aren't releasing details to the public."
She took another bite of her pastry.
"Only city officials know what really happened."
She paused.
"But rumors are spreading."
River looked at her.
"What kind of rumors?"
Azura swallowed her bite.
"They say the city lord's entire office was covered in frozen flowers."
River's eyes narrowed.
"…Ice magic."
He looked between the two of them.
"Are there any well-known ice users in town?"
Celestia nodded slightly.
"The leader of Team Starburst."
She folded her arms.
"The Frost Wolf Knight."
Then she added calmly—
"But he already has an alibi."
As if on cue, someone knocked lightly on the door.
Then it opened.
A man stepped inside.
He wore a neatly pressed blue robe over formal dress pants and polished shoes. A sword rested calmly at his side. His dark skin contrasted with his wavy black hair, and his piercing blue eyes scanned the room with quiet intelligence.
A small mole rested just beneath one of his eyes.
"Hello everyone."
The man gave a respectful bow.
"My name is Friedrich."
Friedrich von Hellsing.
The leader of Team Starburst.
And the only son of the recently murdered lord of Stonehelm.
Celestia immediately straightened.
Her hand drifted toward the hilt of her sword.
"So what can we do for the city's strongest adventurer?" she asked calmly.
Friedrich raised a hand slightly.
"No need for that."
His tone remained composed.
"While you three are currently the prime suspects…"
He looked between them.
"…I do not believe you were responsible for my father's death."
River blinked.
"Then why are you here?" he asked.
Friedrich folded his hands behind his back.
"I came to verify your innocence."
His voice remained calm and polite.
"Before the townspeople decide to tear you apart."
He paused slightly.
"Or attempt to place the blame on you for convenience."
River exhaled slowly.
"Th-thank you."
Friedrich nodded once.
"The perpetrator possessed an affinity for water magic."
His eyes sharpened slightly.
"More specifically, they were capable of controlling the branch element of water."
"Ice."
The room fell quiet.
"Do any of you possess such an affinity?" Friedrich asked.
Azura hesitated.
Then slowly raised her hand.
"I… have an affinity for water."
Her ears drooped nervously.
"But I can't use ice magic."
Friedrich gave her a reassuring smile.
"Do not worry."
"I will not declare someone guilty simply for having water affinity."
He reached into his coat and pulled out a small crystal sphere.
"I simply need each of you to touch this."
He placed it gently on the table.
"This crystal detects elemental affinities… as well as the branch magics a person can control."
Azura stepped forward nervously.
"I'll go first."
She slowly placed her hand on the crystal.
The sphere began to glow.
A soft blue light filled the room.
Friedrich nodded.
"Good."
He leaned closer to examine it.
"There is no cyan coloration."
He looked back at Azura with a small smile.
"So at the very least…"
"You do not possess an affinity for ice magic."
"I'll go next," Celestia said.
She stepped forward confidently and placed her hand on the crystal.
The orb began to glow.
A swirling mixture of red and black light filled the sphere.
Friedrich raised an eyebrow.
"Interesting."
"Fire… and dark magic."
He studied the glow carefully.
"I may have to poach you for my team."
River immediately straightened.
His expression tightened slightly.
Friedrich noticed and chuckled.
"Don't worry," he said lightly. "I'm kidding."
Celestia simply smiled.
River stepped forward.
"Then I'm next."
He picked up the crystal orb.
For a moment—
Nothing happened.
Then the sphere lit up.
A warm white glow spread through the crystal.
Soon it was joined by a faint yellow light.
Friedrich leaned closer.
"Light and wind magic."
He nodded approvingly.
But then his eyes narrowed slightly.
Deep inside the orb—
There was a faint hint of blue.
Weak.
Dormant.
"You also have the potential for water magic," Friedrich said thoughtfully.
He looked back up at River.
"That's impressive."
His tone carried genuine curiosity.
"You must come from a rather interesting bloodline."
River hesitated.
"…I wouldn't know."
He rubbed the back of his neck.
"I grew up in an orphanage."
His voice softened slightly.
"I don't know anything about my parents."
Friedrich's expression became sympathetic.
"I see."
He bowed his head slightly.
"My apologies."
He straightened again and gave the group a polite smile.
"Well, I'm glad to confirm that the three of you are innocent."
He picked up the crystal sphere and returned it to his coat.
"I will personally ensure the townspeople understand that as well."
His voice hardened slightly.
"And I will make sure the true murderer of my father is found."
His hands clenched briefly.
"The Witch of the East will be arriving in Stonehelm soon."
River blinked.
"You called one of the witches here?"
Friedrich nodded.
"I sent a request for her assistance."
His expression looked slightly surprised even now.
"Unexpectedly… she agreed."
The Four Great Witches were legendary figures.
Women who did not simply make pacts with demons—
They enslaved them.
Binding powerful demons into absolute subjugation.
Even the Church of the Sun God acknowledged them as the only acceptable heretics in the world.
The Witch of the East was said to be a master of Life Magic and Ash Magic.
Ash Magic was a rare branch of fire.
Her younger sister—
Selene, the Witch of the South—
had disappeared twenty-one years ago.
Since then, the Witch of the East had wandered the world searching for her.
But no trace of Selene had ever been found.
"I'll take my leave now," Friedrich said.
He gave the three of them a respectful bow before turning toward the door.
"I hope you find the killer," River said. "If you need anything, we'll help."
Friedrich paused briefly and smiled.
"Thank you."
Then he stepped out of the room.
Silence returned.
River let out a long breath.
"…Tomorrow's probably going to be chaotic," he muttered.
He looked at the two women.
"It's probably best if you two head back to your own room. I have a feeling tomorrow will be a long day."
Celestia nodded.
Azura finished the last bite of her pastry.
"Goodnight, River," Celestia said softly.
"Goodnight," Azura added.
The two of them left the room.
Once the door closed, River collapsed onto his bed.
He reached over and grabbed his Bible.
"Wake up, Buer."
He started shaking the book.
"Hey—hey! Stop shaking me!" Buer complained from between the pages.
River sat up suddenly.
"…Did I leave today?"
His voice carried a hint of panic.
Inside the book, Buer chuckled.
"Who's to say?"
The demon's voice turned playful.
"What will you pay for that information?"
River groaned.
"Annoying demon…"
He rubbed his forehead.
"Fine. Tomorrow I'll step on two flowers of my choosing."
Buer hummed thoughtfully.
"Smart wording."
He sounded amused.
"You're making sure I can't trick you into another Brainchild situation."
A pause.
"Make it five flowers."
River sighed.
"…Deal."
He leaned forward.
"Now tell me."
Buer stretched lazily inside the book.
"You left the inn in the morning after abandoning me here."
His tone carried mock offense.
"Then, halfway through the day, Celestia came back carrying you."
River frowned.
"You were unconscious," Buer continued.
"And you smelled awful."
"Awful?" River asked.
"Yes."
Buer chuckled.
"A horrid mix of alchemy… and dark magic."
River froze.
"…Alchemy?"
His mind immediately returned to the memory fragments.
The alley.
The man.
The mismatched eyes.
"I had a dream about Pharos," River muttered.
His brow furrowed.
"So I must have actually met him…"
He went quiet.
"But then…"
River's expression darkened.
"…why would there be dark magic?"
"Don't know," Buer said lazily. "But I'd bet Celestia is hiding something."
The demon's voice sharpened slightly.
"What exactly did she tell you?"
River stared at the ceiling.
"She said I slept here all day."
He frowned.
"But if that's a lie… why would she knock me out?"
His brow tightened.
"What would even be the point?"
Buer chuckled.
"Who knows."
A pause.
"Maybe you should torture the truth out of her."
River rolled his eyes.
"One of the Four Great Witches is arriving in town soon."
He glanced down at the Bible.
"I've heard they enjoy torturing demons."
Buer suddenly went silent.
"…It's not Selene, is it?"
His voice carried genuine fear.
"Please tell me it's not that woman."
River blinked.
"She's been missing for twenty-one years."
He shrugged.
"But it's her older sister."
"Morgana."
Buer immediately relaxed.
"Oh."
He sighed in relief.
"Good."
"I can handle that."
He shuddered slightly.
"Just… anyone but Selene."
River raised an eyebrow.
"What's so special about her?"
Buer hesitated for a moment.
Then spoke quietly.
"That woman is a calamity of storms."
He continued slowly.
"Yes, the four witches are all terrifying."
"But Selene…"
His voice dropped.
"She's on another level entirely."
"If I were ranking humans…"
Buer clicked his tongue.
"She'd be third."
River blinked.
"Third?"
"In the entire human race," Buer said.
River smirked faintly.
"I hope Selene gets found someday."
He closed his eyes.
"I'd like to see you terrified again."
"Vile human," Buer muttered.
"Whoever your parents were… they were probably worse than us demons."
River was quiet for a moment.
"…Yeah."
"You might be right."
His fingers tightened slightly around the Bible.
"Pharos told me something."
His voice lowered.
"He said my father strangled my mother to death."
Silence filled the room.
River stared at the ceiling.
"Which means my father is probably still out there."
Buer spoke again.
"So what will you do if you find him?"
A pause.
"Take revenge?"
River exhaled slowly.
"…Honestly?"
"I might."
His hands trembled slightly.
"I want to know why."
"Why he killed my mother."
"Why he abandoned me."
"Why I've been marked as a sinner since the day I was born."
River stared at his shaking hands.
"Out of all sins… wrath seems to cling to me the most."
He laughed quietly.
"…Maybe I inherited that from him."
Buer was silent for a moment.
Then he sighed.
"Maybe."
His tone turned thoughtful.
"You might even become a mass murderer someday."
He paused.
"…Sadly, I doubt it."
River glanced down at the book.
"You're an annoyingly good kid."
Buer scoffed.
"You only seem capable of directing that wrath at people who actually deserve it."
River smiled faintly.
"…Thanks."
"That was surprisingly nice of you."
Buer huffed.
"…Just forget it."
River laid back against the pillow.
He placed the Bible gently against his chest.
Within minutes—
Sleep finally took him.